Photo Shoot

I took Oakley on Saturday to have her first professional photos made. We talked about it all morning and she was so excited! Maybe she was just excited to be wearing her new dress, because when we got there, she was less than joyful.

She did smile for the camera, but it was not her normal happy smile -- it was her I'm anxious, embarrassed, and completely out of my comfort zone (when can we go home?) smile. Still cute, but I was hoping to capture her true personality.

In the beginning, she stood nervously with one hand behind her head. The photographer snapped away and then asked her if she could lower her hand and show her the pretty dress she was wearing.

"No thank you," Oakley replied. I was trying to stay out of the way but had to intervene and tell Oakley to put her hand down.

The photographer continued to snap away. Then she asked Oakley if she could sit down on the pretty white clouds.

Oakley again replied with a "No thank you." So I stepped in and encouraged her to sit down so we could get some photos with her toes peeking out beneath her dress.

The photo shoot continued and Oakley would not lighten up. However, I am really happy with some of the more serious shots we got -- they show off her beautiful eyes and gorgeous lips.

When we got home, we ventured out to the front yard so we could have our own little photo shoot. Here are some of my favorites. This last one cracks me up because she reminds me so much of a little monkey running down the sidewalk:)!

You can see the proofs from our professional photo shoot at http://www.carlisle-photography.com/. Just scroll down and click on "Proofs." Click on Curd and type in our password, which is rugby. There are 40 images. I've begun to narrow down my favorites. Please let me know if you have a top pick!

Spring Break

What a week!! After days of torrential rains and flooding, we FINALLY saw the sun shine brightly today -- the weather was glorious.

Oakley and I worked in the yard early this afternoon and as I pulled weeds, she gathered them all up in a bag. She followed me all around the flower beds and was diligent in her work -- she LOVES helping!!

As a reward, she and I took a long walk this afternoon throughout the neighborhood. We both walked in our pajamas (sad, but true). Oakley was a little more presentable than me; she threw on a necklace, her butterfly wings and a tutu before we headed out. You know, so I could see her fly.

She was so funny as we walked, and she stopped to gather purple clover, dandelions and some other white flowering weed. She chattered about the birds flying overhead, her butterfly wings, and her legs being strong because she drinks all of her milk at school. Then she looked up at me nonchalantly, and said, "This is precious." That's her new favorite adjective and she uses it sometimes appropriately, and sometimes not. But in my humble and unbiased opinion, it's precious when she says it!

It's amazing how a little sunshine can brighten the soul!

And best of all, Hagan returned home (looking all tanned) this afternoon from vacationing in Destin, Florida! He was there all week enjoying spring break with his best friend, Seth, and his family. We all missed him and Oakley was especially happy to have him home.

We decided to bake homemade chocolate chip cookies in celebration, and once again, she was eager to help.

She loves pouring the ingredients into the bowl, and she runs to grab her little footstool every time I start baking so she can be front and center.

But her very favorite part is licking the beater and she always asks to sit on the counter to enjoy her treat.

All in all, a VERY GOOD Sunday!

Cotton

Sullivan and I have shared a long-time "joke" since he was just a few years old. When teasing one another, we will say,

"Have you lost your cotton-pickin', ever-lovin' mind?"

It's usually said in mock horror.

Like in response to me asking for a kiss, or to him, when he asks for a softdrink in the middle of the afternoon.

When he was little, before he could say the entire sentence, our exchange would go something like this:

Mom: "Have you lost your ..."

Sullivan: "cotton"

Mom: "pickin"

Sullivan: "ever"

Mom: "lovin'"

Sullivan: "MIND?!?"

I'm not really sure how this exchange first originated, but it's been carried out through many a year -- he is EIGHT, afterall.

And it never fails to bring some giggles on his part, and a big smile on mine.

Well, not to be outdone, Oakley has apparently decided that she wants in on the inside joke.

I was placing her in her car seat this morning and noted to her that we're going to have to ask Daddy to raise the straps on her seat.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because," I said, "they're getting too tight."

"They're not too tight." she responded.

"Well, they're a little bit too tight, because you've grown so much taller," I said.

Her response:

"Have you lost your mind? Or cotton?"

Precious Little Parts

This precious, sweet and radiant smile

will help her go the extra mile.

And deep inside, a soul and heart,

destined to special from the start.

America the Beautiful

My patriotic little girl knows the Pledge of Allegiance and when reciting it, she insists that everyone within hearing range place their hands over their hearts.

This evening, she followed it up with her own rendition of America the Beautiful.

In perfect pitch, she sang ...

"America, America, God shed His FACE on ME.

And crown THE good with brotherhood, from sea to shining SNEEZE."

Love this girl!

Happy Easter!

The weather may not have cooperated, and it wasn't the picture-perfect Easter I was hoping for, but it was beautiful, nonetheless. I had envisioned getting some great pictures of Oakley at her first Easter egg hunt, amidst the daffodils and budding trees, but it didn't happen this year. Easter came so early (MARCH?!?!) and we're still feeling the effects of winter weather around here.

Oakley actually got to participate in an egg hunt at school last week, and the weather just happened to be glorious that day. Unfortunately, it was one of the few occasions that I didn't have my camera in tow. She came home with lots of brightly colored Easter eggs, too much candy, and a chocolate smile a mile-wide!! My girl loves her chocolate!


We missed the neighborhood egg hunt yesterday because Sawyer had a soccer game in Louisville and Hagan had two games. Since Michael and I were forced to divide and conquer, Oakley went with me and Sawyer to Louisville and Mike took Hagan and Sullivan.

After the game we spent a little time at the mall in search of something new for Sawyer to wear to church today, and I honestly believe Oakley had more fun there than she would have had hunting eggs in thirty degree weather at 9:30am. After all, she lunched at Chick-Fil-A and she got to shop.

Along with chocolate, Chick-Fil-A and shopping at the mall are among her favorite things.

The kids all woke up this morning at about 8:30 (a nice reprieve) and bounded down the steps in search of their Easter baskets. The bunny was good to Oakley this year and she received a pink tiara and wand, some bubbles, the movie Enchanted, some bath toys, a sweet little bunny rabbit (that she's carried around all day), and more candy than she possibly needs.

The boys were just as thrilled with their finds and Sullivan (my sweet-tooth boy) has organized all of his candy in baggies! He takes his candy seriously, and he even wrote Oakley's name on her Peeps this afternoon just in case her brothers might mistake them for their own.


















Our Easter service at church was wonderful and Oakley was a gem. She sings every song and when she doesn't know the words, she just makes them up. I loved seeing all the children dressed in the Easter finery and Oakley was excited to wear her new dress. After church we came home, had lunch, and Oakley and I both fell asleep watching Enchanted. I woke up feeling refreshed and Mike and I prepared Easter dinner together.

We had a wonderful Easter and we're all really looking forward to warmer weather!

Is There a Doctor in the House?

On a recent trip to the Explorium, our local children's museum, Oakley happened upon the nursery area, complete with a baby doll, a scale and a big black doctor's bag!! And there she remained ... for a long time.

She put on her lab coat, hung the stethoscope around her neck, and she went to work.

I guess she thought that baby doll was due for a thorough exam. That poor baby was prodded, bathed, weighed, and given multiple vaccinations. Then she had her ears examined repeatedly and her heartbeat checked over and over and over again.
Oakley LOVED that doctor bag. She also really likes band-aids and she can see non-existent boo boos that need to be tended. And if she catches anyone in the house taking medicine, she immediately claims to be sick and insists that she needs some too.

I like to think that maybe she has a future in the medical profession.

But I guess she could just be a hypochondriac.