Suckers were their reward for being such good helpers taking pictures today... and Mommy couldn't pass up the photo op with the suckers either. 

Some quick portraits at home with the kids to give a test run on the new lights and new lens before a maternity sitting this afternoon. The kids had fun with the props... especially the sweet ones they were allowed to eat! :-) 

A sweet creature. (Operative word there is "creature" not sweet.) 

On Tuesday we went on a scary train ride. Well, it wasn't supposed to be scary, but between the lack of any seatbelts or doors and going over bridges with no walls and such, and then a minor derailment at the end of the ride... I think it qualifies as a scary train ride. We were there with our MOMS club. Jeanne is in the front seat with Erin and Johnny and Vickie is behind her with her 2 girls Paige and Natalie. 

Ivan and Bianca waiting for mommy to get the snack bag out on the train ride. 

Ivan looking back to see how Mommy and Bianca are doing behind him. 

Sisters Paige & Natalie invited Ivan to sit by them on the 2nd half of the train ride. 

I had to take the kids along with me to Sam's Club on Monday. They were handing out trail mix samples, the very same trail mix that Ivan decided to sit down and rest on. 

Here's Bianca enjoying her trail mix sample in the cart at Sam's Club too. 

Our friend Eddie and his dad, Jeff. 

Tiffany and I took advantage of tax fee shopping holiday the weekend before school started. She was then kind enough to take us to lunch at Spring Creek Bbq where her husband is the manager. It was good eatin' (inside joke for those who heard the first day of school stories from Ivan). ;-))) 

August 12 - Ivan's 2nd day of school -- Mommy got a new lens today and Ivan went outside to help her test it out. I got new lights too, and Ivan helped me to do a first test run of those too after we went inside. He was a big helper today! *cheer* 

Ta dah! Super Ivan! 

What? Did you think it was possible to stand still for more than one picture? Ha ha ha! 

Just bein' silly. 

The wind in his hair - not as fluffy and fine as it used to be when the poof of hair on top of his head was always blowing around. He's grown up so much, but he's still my little boy... as long as I can hold onto him. 

Daddy's home! 

Chimp face. 

He took one of the boxes from my lights and said it was his skateboard. too bad he blinked in this one, it's a cute moment. It's a very IVAN moment. (fly down too - ha - they don't remind you to zip up in kindergarten like they did in pre-k!) 

Oh no. 

Ivan wanted the red gel on the lights, so I humored him. I thought the blue looked better to coordinate with his clothes. Oh well, we got a fun shot out of it anyway. 

He says this is a turtle face. 

Silly is good. ;-) 

I think we'll use this on the cover of Ivan's "All About Me" book that we have to make for school next week. 

I tell ya, she looks like a monkey when her hair isn't fixed. Make that an orphan monkey...