I discovered we left the chocolate-covered cashews in the garage and it was one big glob. I spread it out to make it into brittle but had to taste it as is and OMG I’m pretty sure it’s heaven. I never tried them originally but warm and gooey is a winner.
It seems like everyone and their brother told us we HAD to stop and eat at Darrows in Mackinac City—but that it was often crazy busy with long wait times. So we decided to check it out on our way back to Grayling. There were open parking spots so we lucked out with barely a five-minute wait.
They’re known for their whitefish so Tom and I split a dinner and while it was quite good, I’m not sure it would be worth a long wait. That said, we saw the pies and cakes on the way out and both got a piece—Tom got pecan and I got a peanut butter chocolate cheesecake. [We didn’t end up eating them until that night and HOLY HELL were they delicious!]
So I joined another monthly clothing delivery company on a free month…and their clothes are awesome—much more my style and somewhat cheaper. This dress was the third thing I’ve purchased (out of six sent items). Tom loved it, too, which is why it’s now hanging in my closet. 🙂
Unfortunately (fortunately?) I’m only doing the one free month, otherwise this could get very expensive!!
Tom and I had a lunch date today at a cute little place called The Secret Garden in Occoquan. (The kids were both at a play date.) The setting was, well, a secret garden (!) and we got seated right next to the waterfall. I could have sat and relaxed there all day!! The food was absolutely delicious…and we will be back!
Today we took the kids to the Big Apple Circus! Tom and I had watched a PBS special on them years ago and always wanted to go…so when I found out they were going to be local, it was a no-brainer. Owen was SUPER excited to go and knew all about the circus, though I honestly have no idea how because I don’t think we’ve ever talked about it, read books about it, or anything.
We opted for the cheap seats since they claimed there was not a bad seat in the house. They were pretty truthful and I was happy with our seats—they were perfect for us because we were right at the top of the steps in the very outermost ring with no seats in front of us right below the A/C! (As it turned out, there were lots of empty seats and we likely could have moved closer, but we just stayed where we were.)
This is where Katie sat to watch about a third of the show.
Another third was from Tom’s lap. And the last third, well…you’ll see a picture later. 🙂
We all oohed and ahhed as one girl got into the little box. AND THEN A SECOND GIRL CRAWLED IN WITH HER!
Goats riding on ponies! They also had dogs riding on the ponies!
Spinning brothers! Amazing!
The last third of the show was her running around in that section of seats. 🙂 She did really well overall and I was happy to let her run there since she sat still the whole first part.
Amazing balancing act. All of those pieces she’s standing on wobble and roll.
The final act—trapeze artists! Owen LOVED them.
The butterflies on the walls at the end.
As we were waking out, I asked Owen what his favorite part was.
Owen: The boing boing at the end!
Which, of course, referred to the trapeze artists doing their final jump/dive into the net to get down from the high wires. 🙂
Then we stopped to eat and didn’t get home until almost 8:00. At which point Owen was still talking about it. 🙂
So, we’ve been seeing commercials for ABCmouse.com for quite some time, plus Owen has some apps on the phone that are by ABC Mouse. I thought it would be a good thing, but honestly…Owen has never used a computer, our desktop is too hard to get to easily so we’d have to set up a laptop downstairs, then teach him how to use a mouse, etc., and lastly, pay the monthly fee and hope he’d use it. So it just never got done.
Fast forward a few months, and Tom brought it up again. So I just signed up for emails and quickly realized that they always send out deals. So I waited and waited…and finally there was some deal (I honestly don’t even remember what it was—maybe half off) so I signed up. And then we were getting the house ready for flooring and then we were on vacation and then we were cleaning up after the flooring…and I was getting annoyed because I had paid for it and we weren’t using it! Every time Owen had “free time” he was playing with his Legos or watching TV or on the weekend he’d be playing his video game.
So today after breakfast I declared it was time. I said “Owen, do you want to try ABC Mouse?” And got a resounding happy YES! So Tom set up my laptop at the kitchen table, hooked up his wireless mouse, and we started. (Big whoop, it took all of five minutes!) I was a little concerned that Owen would have issues with the mouse because A) he’s never used one (and he’s very used to the touch screen of the iDevices) and B) sometimes he has issues with fine motor control. But he did pretty good—the only mouse button somewhat tripping him up was the center scroll button so I told him just to avoid that button…but within about 10 minutes or so he was USING the button correctly (the laptop screen isn’t quite big enough so it helps to scroll). Wow. I was floored.
And he flew through the first few lessons and was thrilled to be earning tickets and white stars and prizes for his hamster and aquarium (on the site!). He probably sat there for 20-30 minutes! Then just like that he was done. And he complained that it was too easy. I told him I know it was too easy, but we started him on stuff for younger kids just until he got used to how the mouse worked and how the website worked. I told him when we did it again it would be for older kids and he was cool with that.
So fast forward about an hour and he was ready! I had moved it from age 2 to age 4 and he loved it! I wish I could watch over him as he does everything so I can see what all is involved, but I like that he’s doing it by himself and I don’t HAVE TO watch over him. He did say that one page was too hard so I replayed it so I could see what it was but by then he was already DONE and couldn’t give me a clue why he had thought it was too hard. (He had completed it, though, so it wasn’t too hard to finish.)
So, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that he keeps enjoying it!
So back in February, a friend of ours posted about this really cool family portrait he had commissioned by KateWhitmoreArt on Etsy. Everyone RAVED over it and said they would love one…including me. And then a few months later, I finally said YES, I’M DOING IT! But it was going to be a pre-deployment surprise for Tom.
I worked with her for about six weeks before we had a final product—sending ideas, evaluating sketches, changing details, etc.—and I managed to keep it a secret up until the very end, when I needed his input on something (though, honestly, I could have decided on my own—but you know how I am about surprises and the final reveal would only be a day or so away anyway).
And I have to say that for someone who doesn’t get choked up too easily…I think Tom was actually a bit choked up. 🙂
In it, you will notice all the small details of our family that I gave her to make it perfect…
It turned out more perfect than I could have imagined. But, it did take a bit to get there. Here’s the first draft, when she was trying a Christmas theme (I told her we loved Christmas):
She sent it with this:
I thought it was a little too ‘out there’, possibly. I thought it would be cute to have you guys in the tree, surrounded by your ornaments and lights! I just felt it might be a little fun—the ornaments would have either icons/colors for your interests, the USMC, Cars, things like that, and something a little more unique than a standard portrait. Something you can’t get a photo of, you know? If you don’t feel this one, though, just let me know and I can take another crack at it!
So, while I did really like her unique take on us INSIDE a Christmas tree (I had told her we LOVED Christmas) I just wasn’t loving it enough…so I gave her the suggestion of a park or the ocean and sent a few more pics, after which she came up with this:
My thoughts were more YAY! but it wasn’t QUITE there yet. She said she didn’t do a slide (as I had suggested) because the spacing/sizing didn’t work out right. So to me it didn’t look like we were really at a park but more just having a picnic—which we haven’t really ever done. And I wasn’t sure about the kite as he’s never flown a kite so that’s just not him. I thought I might be over-thinking it but my online sounding board assured me I wasn’t…and that the artist DEFINITELY wanted clients to be happy. So I asked her to put Owen in his power wheels police car, have me taking a picture with my iPhone, have our actual sippy cup/Tervis tumblers on the table instead of a pitcher of lemonade, and change the picnic basket to the diaper bag (a long story, but it took trying/buying/returning about 15 bags before I settled on that one, so it’s kind of a running joke).
She was fine with all the changes and then sent this, which was IT.
Then came the color version and it was almost perfect. Bonus points if you can see what the last missing detail was.
Highlight this text to see what it was: The white S on Tom’s shirt.
So overall I’m absolutely and completely THRILLED. I’ve already ordered artwork for our walls (I had bought a Groupon ages ago unsure of what I would use it for…and I’m glad I saved it for this) and I’ll just say that I’m sure this will turn into Christmas presents… 🙂
I highly recommend this sandwich from The Grilled Cheese & Crab Cake Co. that mom and David brought back for me today!
I also found this magazine article about the restaurant.
I figured since she’s been gnawing on her hands for awhile now, I’d introduce Sophie
And then some live action—with some crying, even—just to show you she does get cranky!!
http://themommyhoodmemos….for-birth-kits/
:heart: Happy Mothers Day to five new mothers who will benefit from the Clean Birth Kits I just donated… :heart:
Bloggers for Birth Kits is a simple initiative to rally bloggers to reach out and help mamas in Papua New Guinea. These women may seem very different to you… but they are mothers with the same heart—mothers who desire to deliver healthy, thriving babies just as we do.
Every minute a women dies of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Ninety-nine percent of these deaths occur in developing nations. For every woman who dies in childbirth, another 30 women incur injuries and infections, which are often preventable. (Source: World Health Organization.)
I strongly urge you to visit the site and make a donation for yourself…and other mothers who are less fortunate than you.
Since we got rid of “monsters” this was Owen’s first experience with a dancing game. He loves the Backyardigans, so he really loved dancing with Pablo! The game is VERY forgiving which is a good thing…
I originally saw the basic recipe on Buns In My Oven and then added onion and garlic to make it more me. But all credit for this recipe goes to Buns—including being the impetus for making my first ever from scratch sausage gravy. Delish! And so easy! I cant believe it took me this long!
Yeah yeah yeah, my Aunt Marge has told me for YEARS how easy it was but I just never believed her. I even searched recipes but for some reason they just seemed like too many steps. But now that I can make regular gravy from pan drippings—and I happened to run across this very simple recipe—I figured it was time to try. And I’m so glad I did! YUM!
The so-simple recipe? 1# sausage, 1/2 cup onion, 1/4 cup flour, 2 cups milk, spices to taste (S&P, garlic). Of course I cheated on the biscuits and used frozen Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits but let’s just take things one step at a time! :p
Yes, Tom and I decided to spoil Owen just a little more and get him his own car. A Dodge Charger Police Cruiser to be exact. He loved the little Toy Story-themed car at Walmart so much, we thought he would just die when he saw this one. As you will see, he was excited to see a car…but was almost more excited with his pool. Toddlers!
When we finally got him back to the car (he kept running back and forth between the pool and the car), Tom tried to show him how it moved…but since it wasn’t a constant pressure and a smooth movement, the noise and jerkiness freaked him out a bit and he was DONE!
Then he came back over to explore it more. He loved playing with the wheels and the mirrors.
Loving his car!
Having more fun (and getting more comfortable) with his car!
https://www.hudson2001.com/blogs/index.php/store/
An Amazon store, that is—linked above or next to the other blogs (at the end) labeled Store. It’s all of the products we really like or use all the time…from diaper pail refills to Crocs to cookbooks. So, please please use the links, as it puts a few bucks back in our pockets! 🙂
Thousands of patients hope for a bone marrow donor who can make their life-saving transplant possible. They depend on people like you. You have the power to save a life. Take the first step today.
I’ve always wanted to join the National Marrow Donor Program but somehow just never got around to it. Also, unfortunately, I discovered I was technically over their recommended weight limit. But not by much. At all. So today I was reading the local paper and there was a story about a local girl and her journey…and I went and signed up, a few pounds be damned. I’ve been meaning to lose it anyway, and this just helps add to my resolve.
It’s free to sign up and do the preliminary mouth swab test (they send you a kit) though they do take donations.
Do it. You know you want to help save a life.
Well, we’re back with USAA for auto and home insurance.
When we moved to Michigan, our auto rates skyrocketed—so we switched to a local company that was cheaper, then took the home (well, renters) with us to get a multi-policy discount.
However, over the past two years, the cheap insurance has increased by about $600/year so I thought I’d check out USAA again…and long story short, we’re paying about the same but getting better coverage. And the same with the renters policy.
And the CSR was just awesome. And now everything is in the same spot. :up:
I didn’t get a direct flight home from Nashville, so I had to get home by way of Philly. Yeah, a total PITA. But I did have fun…
You never know who you’re going to end up sitting by on the plane, right? So imagine you’re exhausted after not sleeping all night, you’ve been up since 4, it’s 7:15am, and this somewhat loud and crazy guy stops next to you and says that’s his seat.
Lordy.
Except there was something about this guy that didn’t scream OBNOXIOUS like you might think. At least to me. 🙂
We shared a few small bits of small talk (he told me right off the bat that he’d had a few drinks because that was the only way he’d be able to stay awake since he’d been up for like 36 hours) and long story short, I could tell right away I liked him. And he said he was glad to be sitting by someone cool…so it was a good start. That said, I thought that would be that and I could try to get some sleep. But we kept chatting. And we were laughing. Yes, me…the one who generally doesn’t chat with strangers.
He asked why I was in Nashville and I said I was coming home from the Garth concert, which got us onto the topic of music and he asked if I had heard of a few country acts and I said yes. He asked if I knew Rascal Flatts and I said of course (Bless This Broken Road is one of my FAVORITE songs ever). So then he said he had something he’d like me to listen to to get my thoughts. So we plugged in to his iPod and I listened to a really great song called Endlessly. It was totally my kind of song—one I could see being a new song for me and Tom.
Of course I was wondering how this guy was related to Rascal Flatts—a producer or songwriter or something? We hadn’t even introduced ourselves at that point—but even if we had, there’s no way I’d recognize a producer or songwriter’s name (hell, I wouldn’t even recognize a band member’s name). Then I thought maybe it was his own music—but I wondered why he hadn’t said anything. So we talked about what I thought, then he had me listen to two more songs—both of which I also liked quite a bit. But then, I am a big country fan.
I asked who the artist was and he said “Taylor somebody” and I asked if the song could be purchased somewhere and he said yes. So I got out my phone and made a note of the song name and Taylor. And that was that. We finally introduced ourselves (his name was Brian) and he excused himself to the restroom. When he got back, I asked what his last name was and he said Taylor. And I said “So it IS you!” Yeah, I had caught him off guard. 🙂 So then we talked about the music and I made him promise to send me his CD (signed, of course!) and I took two pictures so I could have a memento (and I’d have proof that I knew him before he was famous!).
Overall we just had a really fun (nice) time. So much, in fact, that since we both had long layovers in Philly, we decided to eat lunch together. He gave me the website to buy his music and I Friended him on Facebook.
When I got home, of course I had to Google him, and I found this blog post on CMT…so he really WAS for real (not that I didn’t believe him, lol).
So, definitely an interesting end to a fun overnight trip!
Will you be one of the lucky ones to get a gorgeous Shutterfly card this year? 🙂 I love Shutterfly and spend WAY too much money there every year…so I’m only ordering the five free cards they offered!!
The Brazilian blowout treatment takes approximately 90 minutes and leaves your hair silky and frizz-free for 10–12 weeks. Because it doesn’t use any harsh chemicals, only a nutrient-rich polymer system that forms a protective, smoothing layer on each strand, it won’t damage your hair; in fact, the treatment improves the condition of follicles.
So, it took about 2 hours and 15 minutes. The first thing they do is wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo/conditioner. Then they put the treatment on your hair, much like getting color in that it’s sectioned off and then the each small section-by-section is brushed/covered with the stuff. Then it’s blown dry straight and gone over inch-by-inch with a flat iron. Then–and this is the bizarre part–it’s RINSED and then blown out again. I obviously believe that’s how it’s done but it just seemed SO counterintuitive to spend all that time blowing it dry and straightening it, only to get it wet and have to start over. I mean, it was GORGEOUS when she was done.
That said, it did take her a lot less time to dry/straighten it the second time (30 minutes) and it looked just almost exactly like it did after the probably 70 minutes she took the first time to blow it dry and use the iron.
So, we’ll see how it looks when I wash and style it…if it takes less time and/or if it looks as good. She said that she has it on her hair, and she washes it every day, and it lasts about 10-12 weeks. I told her I wash my hair maybe once a week (in the winter, when I straighten it most of the time) so she said it should definitely last longer. I am really looking forward to seeing if it works as well as it claims to…
Here are the pics I have so far. I will post more once I wash it and let it air dry.
BEFORE: FRONT (with only a smidge of non-frizz stuff in it)
BEFORE: BACK
AFTER (professionally styled):
Okay, here are the post-shower, air-dried results:
If you notice, it doesn’t really look at much different. It’s certainly not any straighter—but a Brazilian Blowout is NOT a straightener. That said, my hair is much, much softer than it was before. It no longer feels like straw, but rather a lot smoother. And it hasn’t seemed to “puff out” quite like it used to as it dried. Usually by this time in the day I would be going insane with it and it would be in a ponytail or behind my ears or something…but it isn’t.
Tomorrow I will either straighten it from its current condition (i.e. not washing again) or I will get it wet then blow it dry straight then iron it…I haven’t decided yet. 🙂
So, the jury is still out on whether this was worth $125 (plus tip) to me. I think tomorrow will be the REAL test, since the blowing dry/getting it straight is the biggest PITA.
OH. MY. GAWD.
I am in heaven. This was money VERY WELL spent.
Normally it takes me a minimum of 30-45 minutes and that includes straight-ironing time, and even then it still generally looks like crap when I’m done.
But today, after a mere EIGHT minutes of just general drying (pulling with a flat brush), it looked like this:
After a total of 25 minutes (8 minutes drying then ~17 minutes drying with a round brush—NO ironing!), I had this:
And here is the back–completely amazing to me, since I can NEVER even get it even remotely this straight.
I am a happy, happy girl. :up:
http://www.danoah.com/201…perfection.html
This is an article EVERYONE should read. Immediately.
As a warning, the following post was written in complete desperation. I have recently learned some very sobering truths from people that I love dearly. These truths have set in motion a quest within me to do whatever I can to make a change. Today is not geared at funny. Today is geared at something greater. Read it to the very end. I promise you will be affected in a way you have always needed to be. I spent more than twelve hours writing this post because its message is that important to me.
I wonder. Am I the only one aware that there is an infectious mental disease laying siege on us right now? There is a serious pandemic of “Perfection” spreading, and it needs to stop. Hear me out because this is something for which I am passionately and constantly hurting. It’s a sickness that I’ve been trying to put into words for years without much success. It’s a sickness that I have personally struggled with. It’s a sickness that at times has left me hiding in dark corners and hating myself.
And chances are it’s hit you too.
To keep reading and/or see the full post on the author’s blog, click the link above.
A friend sent this to me, and it makes me cry every time I read it. Yes, I’m a completely sentimental sap when it comes to animals…
Take a moment today to be thankful for your pets. Enjoy and take good care of them. Life would be a much duller, less joyful experience without our critters.
Now please pass this on to other pet owners. We do not have to wait for Heaven to be surrounded by hope, love, and joyfulness. It is here on earth and has four legs…
So we gave Owen these crayons the other day and he just LOVED them. He didn’t actually color with them—but had A TOTAL BLAST just stacking them and unstacking them and stacking them…over and over and over. He kept himself busy for at least 20 minutes while Tom and I ate dinner!
So we got them out again this morning while Gramma Jean was sewing something for me and I was eating breakfast. Then Gramma Jean started this new game…and then he actually started coloring! (The video is a bit long, but I just didn’t feel like editing it today.)
Five Asian buffets offer change of pace
Melody Baetens / The Detroit News
Metro Detroit has a wide variety of Asian buffets. Here’s a look at five standout options.
Fuji Japanese Buffet
32153 John R., Madison Heights
Call: (248) 616-8868
Web: www.fujibuffet.comPrice: $11.99 lunch Mon.-Fri.; $13.99 lunch Sat.-Sun.; $17.99 dinner Mon.-Thurs.; $19.99 dinner Fri.-Sat.
Hours: 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Mon.-Thurs. and Sun.; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat.
Highlights: For a strip mall buffet, Fuji is surprisingly cool and hip. When I went, there was a considerable number of college-age diners, many of Asian decent. Sometimes, if you go late enough, you can get a glimpse (or an earful) of a private dance party or karaoke session in one of the restaurant’s many banquet rooms.
Food-wise, Fuji’s strengths are snow crab legs with melted butter, gyoza (dumplings), vegetable and shrimp tempura, and sushi. Don’t be afraid to try the green tea ice cream for dessert. “What keeps me coming back are the platters of all-you-can-eat sushi being made fresh as you watch,” says diner Jennifer Hudson of Troy. “Is it the best food you’ll ever eat? No, but it’s certainly worth the price of admission.”
To be upfront and honest, I only tried Flip because of their recent Groupon deal. I have a regular salon that is five convenient minutes from my house, but I just couldn’t pass up Flip’s awesome deal–color isn’t cheap, you know, and I’d never do it otherwise. So I drove the 25ish minutes there (rush hour traffic, you know) and luckily found a parking spot close to the salon. I fed the meter with two hours (maximum allotted time) and set off.
I was a bit early, and was welcomed nicely. I took a seat to wait, which only turned out to be enough time to look around, snap a few shots for Yelp, and then Chelsey was calling me back. She was really very nice and offered me a beverage, then asked me a TON of questions about what I wanted, what I liked, what my hair normally does, how I normally style it, what type of products I use, how much time I spend on my hair, etc…and was thrilled I brought my own pictures to show her what I was thinking (from past hairstyles and colors). I was really surprised at all the questions–I’ve never had a stylist ask so many questions before, but it was nice to see she was REALLY paying attention and trying to get a handle on what exactly I wanted to make sure I was satisfied. She actually suggested a bit different highlight colors than I’d had before and explained why, and I definitely agreed.
Score one for Chelsey.
I apologized that my hair was a little greasy–I’d straightened it that week and it always lasts at least 3-4 days, but since I knew I was coming to the salon, I pushed it to six days, but it was definitely past its prime. So imagine my surprise when she said it was actually GOOD that it was a little oily, because it would help during the coloring, as the oil provided more of a barrier and my hair wouldn’t dry out as much. Interesting. And definitely an interesting tip I’d never heard before.
Score two for Chelsey.
Now, admittedly, I’m not much of a small-talk person, so salon visits always make me a little anxious. You never know if the stylist is going to talk your ear off or if you’re going to sit there in silent awkwardness the entire time…but Chelsey was awesome. Nothing ever felt strained and I felt relaxed the entire time–the snippets of conversation here and there felt extremely natural and never forced.
Score three for Chelsey.
She worked consistently and quickly and I just sat and relaxed, not even reading a magazine or playing on my phone–it was nice to just be out of the house and not. have. to. do. anything. but. sit. there. (I’m a SAHM so getting out of the house ALONE is great on its own. Being pampered is another level of excitement.)
So there was highlighting and sitting under the dryer and washing and conditioning then adding toner then sitting under the dryer again. By the time we were ready for the haircut, I’d actually been there almost 2.5 hours–and I suddenly freaked out that my meter had run out and I was probably going to get a ticket. I asked Chelsey if the parking police were bad and she said yeah, pretty much–then OFFERED TO GO FEED THE METER FOR ME!! Wait, what? SHE was going to run out herself? Whoa. She even said she’d grab quarters if I needed them, but I had change in my pocket. But, seriously, WHOA. That is service.
Score four for Chelsey.
I was getting a little nervous because it was nearing 9:00 (closing time) and we were really no where near being done–she was still cutting my hair, and it still had to be blown out straight (and I have a thick head of hair). I made some comment to that effect, and she said if I wasn’t in a hurry, she wasn’t either. Awesome. I mean, I didn’t really expect her to cut me off mid-cut or mid-blow dry at 9 on the dot, but I was a little worried that she might rush through it and not do as good of a job. I should not have worried AT ALL. She continued to do an amazingly thorough job, and she was finishing up about 9:45! And it was GORGEOUS. Great color, great shine, and full of movement! It was one of THE best haircuts (and colors) I’ve EVER had. And you could tell she was honestly thrilled that I was thrilled.
Score five for Chelsey.
Checkout was a snap and just took moments. (Note, you CANNOT put tips on your credit card…so it was a good thing I had a stash of emergency cash in my wallet.) I also had no problems using my Groupon coupon from my iPhone (I didn’t print anything out). It was a good deal, too–I don’t get color a lot, but from prices I have seen elsewhere, it didn’t seem terribly expensive (especially for the level of service received).
Overall, I had a really great experience from start to finish, and I am so glad I tried this salon…and Chelsey was amazing. Flip definitely gets five solid stars.
This was the third steak house in the local trifecta of The Capital Grille (which we tried last year), Morton’s Steakhouse (which we tried last week), and Ruth’s Chris.
To start, we were really debating taking Owen—I mean, it’s not a place for toddlers—but we REALLY wanted to try them during the (cheaper) Restaurant Week offerings ($30pp). I posted on Facebook asking, and (without counting) it was pretty well split yes vs. no.
We went.
And he was the perfect little quiet smiling happy giggling toddler. The whole time. Everyone who walked by smiled at him and/or had to stop and say hi to him/us and/or tell us how good he was or how cute he was. Our waitress loved him (“a grandma of five” she told us). We did get desserts to go, though, because he was starting to get a little fussy, but we probably could have stayed. I’m really glad we went. (And I didn’t see a stink eye from anyone!)
He is such a good little boy!
Oh, and he ate one bite of calamari and sweet potato, but spit out the filet mignon, baked potato, and shrimp.
Our rating? Better than Morton’s but not as good as Capital Grille.
So today was Owen’s first professional photo shoot. Corinna (of Corinna’s Camera) came to our house, which was great! I thought it would go smashingly, since Owen had JUST gotten up 15 minutes before AND had finished a 6oz bottle! And it was a nice temperature and the sun was out! Perfect, right?
Ha.
My normally happy and smiley and laughing baby? Not so much today. He was ALL about the serious today and he really didn’t like all the outfit changes. 😐
Speaking of the outfit changes, here’s what we did:
Don’t get me wrong—he was REALLY good overall…no crying, staying seated (even on a REALLY springy seat), no falling over…but we just had a hell of a time getting him to look at the camera and smile or laugh. We REALLY could have used Tom here, since he can ALWAYS get him to laugh…but unfortunately he couldn’t leave work. 🙁
And then…the animals. Maggie wanted to be right there, of course, but refused to sit sill for a picture. So I’d put her outside. Then the cats would be strolling through and Owen would turn to look at them. Then I’d try to use Maggie to get Owen to look or smile. If we ever do this again, ALL the animals will get locked up. I honestly didn’t even think about it since they usually keep to themselves…but apparently NOT when someone new is in the house! Oh well.
Corinna assured me we got some great shots…but it will be at least three weeks before I get to see them since she is going out of town. This is the hard part—as after my own photo shoots, I get to look at the photos immediately!
In the meantime, though, I will continue to work on editing her website—I’ve already done a quick overview for her (15 bullet points of mistakes, site errors, and/or things that I would change) and she really liked it, so now I have to do a full page-by-page edit.
I will post a link to the gallery when Owen’s pics are uploaded. For now, I’ve just linked to her website. I would highly recommend her—very professional, personable, and great with kids!
is a HUGE hit!! Thanks for Owen’s birthday money, Aunt Rose!
