it's monday again...

sheesh. where does the time go? really? it flitters by so quickly and i feel i'm always chasing after it hoping to capture it to put it in a bottle and seal it up tight for those days that i just don't seem to have enough of it......which would be every. single. day. anyone else feel that way?

i am thankful today.
thankful for the brains behind the thing i often take for granted---my digital camera.
thankful that i can stop time for just a moment and remember it forever.
dude. isn't that amazing?
i think so.

anywho.....it's been a fun week. lots of family time. lots of memories. no assignments. no scrapbooking. bliss.

i spent time a week ago yesterday up at easton, after hours. just a few people meandering around soaking up the quite and the night lights. took my camera along for an "artist date" to snap some pictures of the architexture and lights. it is so peaceful to walk around up there after the crowd goes home. (for those of you not from Columbus, Easton Town Centre is an outdoor mall with upscale shopping and it is set up like a little village with dancing water fountains, old fashioned police cars, and real telephone booths. very cool.) here's my favorite shot i captured of the fountains.


ashlyn also starting earning an allowance for making her bed and cleaning her room everyday. she's thrilled to actually do the chores now---we'll see how long that lasts....not long i'm sure.


i hit the best purchase ever this past week at the dollar tree. we found educational pre-K workbooks/learning charts/flashcards for a buck a piece! wooohoooooo! if you've ever purchased any sort of homeschooling or educational materials you know how much of a steal that is. anywho...her and i have been working with the workbooks while emma naps during the afternoon. she is very eager to learn, but is easily frustrated. for the first page she'll listen to my instruction and try her hardest to do it right and do her best, but then i lose her attention and she goes on her creative little way and makes up her own way to do things. so frustrating, but at the same time, i love how creative she is. she has a very short attention span----unless it comes to playing games on the computer. and yep....you aren't seeing things. she's a lefty.


emma is happy lately sportin the bathing suit and slurping down the popcicles. nothing beats 90 degree weather like a couple of messy, sticky popcicles, no? she's been a bit cranky lately, but who can blame her when she's been cutting teeth for what seems like 6 months now. her vocabulary has also exploded lately and she is sooooo good about saying please-----except if she wants something she says "peas, peas, peas, peasssss, peas, peas, peassss" until you figure out what it is that she wants and then give it to her. it's quite comical.


a few days ago we each painted a canvas for our art wall in the hallway. ashlyn's turned out adorable. i still have to snap some pictures of them. stay tuned...

tonight we are off to the largest firework display in the midwest---Red, White & BOOM! can't wait. i'm hoping the weather will cooperate so i can get some shots of the fireworks.

one more picture that i thought was cool---from the zoo a few days ago.


happy monday!