Washing Mommy's 4Runner

After church this morning (and yea, we finally went to church again!), we decided to work outside in the front yard (back yard if I got that far). Hubby was to wash my car for my birthday, and I was to pick the vines growing in our front yard. Annabelle was to help as she wanted, but mostly, we expected her to play with her car, lawn mower and sandbox.

She was not at all interested in my duties. I don't blame her! I was all excited to work in the front yard until I remembered just how hard and exhausting it is to clean up the yard from weeds, vines and sticks!

Instead, she was very interested in helping her Daddy wash Mommy's car. And, I have to give him credit, he was very, very patient!!! At first, her job was to scrub the tires with a scrub brush. I'm surprised he gave her the scrub brush because I noticed a few times she almost attempted to scrub the paint off my car with that scrub brush!

Then, she learned to use the garden hose with a sprayer attached to spray the soap off of the car. She eventually decided that everything needed to be sprayed, including me with camera in hand! She thought it was so funny, and she just giggled. But, she later proceeded to spray her Daddy's entire truck even though he wasn't going to wash his truck today.

Her Daddy also showed her how to scrub the windows and the car with the rag. He wasn't too excited about helping her scrub the windows because he had to hold a very wet Annabelle! Earlier in the car cleaning fun, she requested to be sprayed while standing by the tire.

Those are some of my favorite pictures of our day's fun (even though there are some more good ones)! This was the very first time she has washed a vehicle!

Day Trip to Stone Mountain

We took a day trip to Stone Mountain today since we have an annual pass, and we must get our money's worth! I am still trying to figure out why normal people visit Stone Mountain in the heat of July in hot lanta. It was packed, and we were lucky to find a place to park right next to the bridge. We had already promised Annabelle that we would feed the geese.

We took a hike through the woods first, and we showed Annabelle where she had climbed on the tree stumps left sitting in the woods as stools when she was much younger. She said, "I did?!?!" Then, "I want to do dat again!" However, she was more interested in climbing on the rocks (Picture 1).

It wasn't long before she was too tired to walk, and she asked her Daddy if she could ride on his shoulders. They reached out for each other (Picture 2). Then, she spotted a hole near the bottom of a tree. She told her Daddy, "Dat is where Pooh bear keeps his honey." In Picture 3, she is explaining to her Daddy where Pooh bear keeps his honey.

We came to a trail end and realized we had to turn around. Annabelle became a little worried. She said, "Oh no!" She was honestly a little frightened because she thought we had become lost in the woods. When she spotted the parking lot ahead, she told her Daddy, "I can walk now. It isn't too far."

She enjoyed feeding the ducks, and the geese were non-existent today. Thank goodness! Those geese are obnoxious. They never give the ducks a chance. My favorite picture of the day is the center picture. Hubby is handing Annabelle some bread to feed the ducks. Unfortunately, the template I created does not allow the full picture to show, so it doesn't look the best on this template. So, here is the full shot! Isn't this sweet?

She is still working on her throw. She's got a ways to go! Picture 8 explains it all! Since the bread she threw didn't quite make it to the ducks, I taught her to pick up the scraps to throw it again since we had run out of bread.

And, at the very end, she ventured to the water's edge because two little girls (without bread) scared the geese away and played in the water. I told her to be careful to not get her shoes wet, and she then told me that she wanted to take her shoes off and play in the water. It was about time to go, so I convinced her otherwise. I told her that she wouldn't like it without shoes because it was like stepping in the sand at the beach. It wasn't just an excuse because I know she wouldn't have liked it without her Crocs on. I did fail to tell her that her Crocs were in the car. Maybe next time!

Peachtree Road Race 2009

The 4th of July has become yet another holiday for a traditional picture. But, since Annabelle came into our lives, I think every holiday has its own traditional photo shoot.

On July 4th, 2008, hubby ran the Peachtree Road Race for the first time ever. It is a 10K, and I believe he was inspired to run it because his father had once run it. He ran it again this year, and yet again, he completed the 10K successfully! I am so proud of him! I don't think I could ever do it (even though I threatened to run it with him in 2009).

Well, since he leaves for the Peachtree Road Race before my eyes are ready for the daylight, we have to save any pictures for after the race. (I know, lovely for him, right? But, he still looks handsome in the pictures). And, I have the cutest picture from July 4th, 2008 with Annabelle sitting in hubby's lap looking at him as if she is so proud of her Daddy that the tradition MUST go on! Unfortunately, she was not as cooperative as she was in 2008, so I was lucky to get this picture. She was just not interested in sitting in her Daddy's lap and instead wanted to run around the yard as fast as her little two year old legs would carry her.

So, here is my favorite of the July 4th traditional picture (using more Photoshop editing techniques).

And, here is the original (as I know some people don't like the old antiqued look).

Congratulations hubby on a job well done! I am so very proud of you! I hope you'll be able to run it for the next 40 years (since this was the Peachtree Road Race's 40th anniversary)!

Interesting facts: Hubby finished the Peachtree Road Race 2009 in 1:16:09 compared to 1:23:54 in 2008. And, he ran the race in his father's memory in 2008 and 2009. He altered his running number with the following: "FOR CLK." CLK is his father's initials.

It happens sometimes

We visited a great park in Norcross, Georgia (near hubby's office) this afternoon. They just revamped the park in the past few months, and it now has all the new, cool playground equipment.

Before we played, we had our usual picnic, PB&J sandwiches, grapes and cucumbers. While eating, Annabelle decided that she needed to go tee tee, so hubby volunteered to take her to the car for her to use her frog potty. She went with him willingly for a change!

Apparently, this is the conversation she had with her Daddy when they got to the car.

Annabelle: I tee teed in my panties a little bit. It happens sometimes.

Fortunately (and unfortunately), they hear everything we say as adults (whether they are listening with their eyes or not). Whenever she has a slight accident in her big girl panties, I will say, "That's okay, that happens sometimes."

The Little Robin

Annabelle, as usual, wasn't listening to me again this evening as she attempted to hike her leg to climb into the bath tub. I said, "Annabelle, don't climb into the bath tub. Annabelle. Annabelle! Stop!"

Since she wasn't listening, I pulled her aside and told her that "we need to have a talk." Of course, her eyes traveled all over the room in her attempt to not look me in the eyes because she cannot stand to look me in the eyes when she's in trouble. Following is the gist of our conversation.

Me: I've talked to you about how you need to listen to your Mommy and Daddy when they are talking to you. Mommy and Daddy asks you to stop doing things sometimes because Mommy and Daddy both know if something could possibly hurt you. We don't want you to fall and break an arm or bust your head open. Do you remember the story that I've told you?

So, I started to recite the poem.

Me: There was a little...

And, I became stumped. I couldn't remember what kind of bird it was.

Annabelle: Robin!

Yes, my dear sweet child refreshed my memory! And, I didn't even ask her to help me. Do you suspect she's heard that rhyme a time or two?

It reminds me of a story my mom has always told about when I was little and had one of those automatic glass doors close on me after she had apparently already warned me to stay away from the door. And, honestly, I remember that door closing on me (I think). I believe it was at the Richway which is now the Target right by our current house. Apparently, the door closed on me, and I turned to my mom and said, "The little robin Mommy? The little robin?"

Annie Get Your Gun

Annabelle found a water gun just laying around while we were celebrating the 4th of July at the Curtis' lake house on Lake Lanier. I don't know whose it was as there were a few dozen kids running around, but I let her play with it until someone claimed it. And, no one ever did (at least while she was playing with it).

She loved it! It ran out of water very quickly, so I convinced her that her Daddy would surely run inside or to the lake to fill it up if she asked him. I also encouraged her to shoot some water at her Daddy to entice him.

And then, it was Cousin Adam's turn! I captured a great shot of him...as he was shooting my DSLR camera. Perhaps next time I should turn the camera? But, if I had, I wouldn't have captured this awesome picture of him in action.

Happy Birthday To S A!

Annabelle sang "Happy Birthday" to the USA this weekend! It came out a whole lot like "Happy Birthday To S A!"

Have I mentioned that I LOVE digital photography? And, I especially LOVE the special effects that can be done to make a precious picture awesome!

But, most of all, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the subject of my pictures! Can she possibly get any cuter?

Here is the original picture before applying my fancy new trick. And, yes, I know Grandmama, you like the original picture best!