A Bittersweet Realization

Today is just like any other Monday morning, waking up and getting Maddie Kate ready for school, all the kids I babysit coming in, having breakfast and checking email and myspace and all those things I do first thing in the morning! But today I realized that Maddie Kate will only be a kindergartener for 3 more weeks! Her graduation is Friday May 18th. This year has flown by, and it feels like she just started school yesterday, not 8 months ago! I also realized I will only be babysitting for 4 more weeks, (May 25th will be my last day) because my first wedding of the season is June 2nd, and then I have 2 more in June, I can't be babysitting and doing all that editing and album work! So, I guess I'm just a little sad today, thinking of all the big events coming up in May, including Maddie Kate's 6th birthday. Wow.

Last week on Thursday I went with Maddie Kate's kindergarten class on a field trip to the Rend Lake Visitors Center and helped supervise the planting and mulching of a bunch of flowers and also watched them release butterflies they had grown from cocoons.
It was fun, but keeping track of Ava while I attempted to help was a bit crazy. Even the Rend Lake workers knew Ava's name by the end of the day! Here are a few pics from the day:




















This last one is my favorite. I love the way MK is standing back watching with her little gloves on!
Too bad I'm not a digi scrapper like my friend Kellie. These would be great scrapping pictures. Kellie is an outstanding digital scrapper, and she and I are great buddies, both in life and photoshop! You can visit her blog at http://www.the-penns.blogspot.com/

It's also time for another Ava story! She is not just the destructive queen, but she is now also a BULLY. On Friday the kids were in the playroom, and I hear Caleb screaming and crying. So I run in to see what is wrong, and there's Ava, laying on top of him and scratching his face!! She is so mean! She knew how to hold him down, and apparently, he wasn't going to fight back, even though he is bigger than her and could probably whip her if he decided to. She got in big trouble, and the fun part is explaining wounds to parents. But Caleb's mom was very nice about it, she actually laughed, so hopefully she wasn't just hiding her real feelings of wanting to beat up Ava! Today Ava has already been taking toys away from Caleb, making him cry, and getting in trouble for it. I hope he decides to pop her, maybe that'll teach her! It's weird to me, because Caleb has always been her favorite little friend, she is always so excited when he gets here in the mornings. She used to call him "Sissy", I'm assuming since she doesn't have a brother, so I was trying to get her to call him "Bubby", and it became "Cubby" which is a combo of "bubby" and "Caleb". I just think that's adorable. Now she calls him "K-Dub" which always makes me think of Britney Spears' ex, K-Fed. No offense, Cubby! ♥

Check out this new purse I got! I am loving it!
I have recently discovered these leather purses, which I will be offering through Jessica Hollis Photography. If you have a session or a wedding with me, you will be able to purchase one of these to show off your special people or special day to everyone you know! The best part is, the picture is actually a snap on panel, so when you are ready for a new picture, all you do is order a new panel and snap it on! How easy is that! Plus you don't have to buy a whole new purse that way!
This is the large one, there is also a smaller version, which I will order one of soon to have an example.

Have a great day!!