Party at the Shire

Some of our best Tucson friends are short people. Not Little People, they're just short. Mr. Chad built a grill and bar and a pergola and christened it The Shire. At least he has a sense of humor about his ~ahem~ shortcoming. (ba-dum-pshh)

It was Mr. Chad's birthday. We invited them over to our house for a birthday dinner, but they asked if they could host instead. Like us, their idea of a great gift is the gift of friendship. So we let them host. Mr. Chad cooked...

 the kids sang along to The Fox... (ding-ding-ding-ga-dinger-ding-ding)

 and Rock tended bar.

 A rainbow popped up during dinner. A little birthday gift from the sky.

 Nicco likes to go to their house and run in the big back yard and play with the dogs.

 Mr. Chad thinks we should get a dog for Nicco. I don't see why...we can use theirs any time.
After they played with the dogs, the kids played dog. Weirdos.

 Then it was time for the really cool toys. But first, a safety lecture from the boss.

Nicco was a little frustrated. He struggled to get the sighting right, he struggled to get his stance right, he struggled to hold the bb gun up while Mr. Chad explained it to him. He just about walked away in anger and frustration but Mr. Chad and the Daddy talked him into taking one more shot. He nailed the bottle so perfectly that he knocked it right off the trash can! Nothing like a little taste of success to encourage a guy! Nicco was pretty proud of his trophy.

It was a birthday party after all, so the girls planned a secret surprise for their daddy. They made him close his eyes. He's such a good sport.

Oh dear...here comes the surprise!

There were big laughs and V for victory signs, but I think the kids may not be prepared for the prankster they unleashed.

It was a good time.

Camera Dump

Nicco, like most kids but maybe more than the average, loves to build forts. I let him do it every now and then. I even let him leave his forts up in the living room for a few days at a time but after a while I just. can't. take it anymore and make him put them away. It's a big pain because he always wants them to be perfect (hmm...wha?) and the cat always (ALWAYS) jumps on top and destroys whatever he builds. This was his most recent addition to our living room:

The boy had fun, but I finally had to make him take it down. Weeks later, he started building again. He dragged out the big sheet and I told him no, that I didn't want his house taking over my house. So he put it away and dragged out an extra comforter. Which would be as much of an intrusion but worse because it was heavier and therefore more difficult to anchor with books. Ugh. He was not happy when I didn't let him build. He did agree to take out his little tent instead and load it up with pillows and cover it with the comforter. The cat jumped on top, but she only temporarily caved it in. It was a fair compromise, I thought.

When the Daddy was working on the Jeep, the boy was climbing on the Jeep. I wanted to take pictures of my kid with the sun behind him. He gave me some great toothless grins. These smiles are limited!

He's such a happy boy. Most of the time.

I made this. I'm kind of proud. But not too proud...the hat is really small (I think it will fit a tiny baby, but not for long!) and one sleeve is slightly longer and fatter than the other. So I guess I hope the baby I give it to has a really small head and one arm longer and fatter than the other.

 And finally, some on the road silliness.

Jeep Makeover

The Daddy sure does enjoy his Jeep. So does The Kid.

 It's super cool!

But not quite cool enough. The paint job is a little worn out and it's nobody's favorite color, so he decided to change it up a bit.

He thought it would be extra super cool to have a desert camo paint job. But a paint job? Who would do that? And for how much? He did some research, because that's what he does, and found a company that makes vehicle wraps. And he has a business contact who said he would wrap it for him professionally. It's not an easy job, you see.

 

So after some mistakes and disappointments and miscommunications and outright lies, Patrice returned the product he ordered and his business friend agreed to make and install the wrap himself. Time went by and it rained and rained and rained, preventing Patrice from getting the job done in a timely manner. Like all kids with a new toy, he just wanted to play with it!

 

Finally, finally, it was done. And it is extra super cool. So say all the boys I know!

 Patrice had to put it back together a bit, and he had some "help."

Mostly he had company, but I think sometimes the boy's small fingers are actually helpful.

Mostly, I just really like it when they do garage and car things outside together. Without me. They need boy time.

Now the weather is cooling down a little and it is getting to be perfect for Jeep fun!

My Pet

I was just playing around with angles and lighting and settings and the only model available to me was my fuzzy buddy.

 

She looks angry to have been woken up. 

This is her hungry/begging face. Unless she's starving and about to die, then she doesn't give me the big sad eyes, she just yells at me.

She's a pretty kitty and a good little model. Too bad she's such a non-snuggly snob.

A Nature Walk

Nicco and I both wanted a little practice with our new cameras, so we took a little walk together. We spotted some cool plants around. This one will probably turn into a fruit. I might try to juice it or bravely eat it. 

Some barrel cactus flowers. It looks like a whole wide expanse of flowers, but it's really just one smallish plant. Tricky, right? It's all about perspective.

Little purple flowers in the neighbor's yard

More barrel cactus flowers.

We got up to the entrance to our neighborhood and it looks like someone is not too happy with the direction/condition of our country...

My Nicco. I lurvs him.

He found a half eggshell. After I took this picture, he smashed it to bits. Completing the job the baby bird started, he said.

Climbing the mesquite (I think) tree.

My cute little buddy again.

He takes pictures of everything. He fills up his SD card on a nearly daily basis.

Walking home.

Did I say that I lurvs him? Because I do. He's my favorite.

Tickling the Ivories

We've been talking for a while about getting Nicco into piano lessons. Music is good for the brain and the spirit, you know. I talked to his music teacher at school, whom he loves, and found out that she also does private lessons. I also found out that she is a little pricier than some of the other local instructors, but I'll tell you what, some things are definitely worth it.

 

I sat in on his first lesson and Mrs. Marcy is really and truly and absolutely fantastic. He responded very well to her instructions and motivational tactics. My favorite part was watching him gently sway while he played. We were in CO for the first week of his instruction so we walked to my parents' neighbors' house to borrow their piano for him to practice. When we got back home, I found him a keyboard on which to play. He's a good little practicer, for the most part. He only gets frustrated on the first day after a new lesson, which is typical for him. You know, he hates "not doing great" on his first attempt at anything.

It has been about a month now and his teacher says that he has quite an ear. That's good to know! Who knows...maybe he'll live in our house forevermore and do art AND music in the office!

My New Toy

Patrice never ever listens to me. I told him I wanted nothing for my birthday, and look what he did!

He got me NOT nothing. I took it to swim practice with me. It's nice. It makes bright, clean, clear pictures.

It has fun tools effects and settings, like the fisheye effect.

And night vision.

And color sketch.

And color select. It's kind of faux-artsy and faddish, but I like it anyway. It's fun to play with.

More bright blue water at swim practice.

My toothless grinning boy. I need to get all the toothless grin pictures I can! I'm running out of time with those two front teeth starting to grow back in.

I like this soft lighting setting. It's nice. And my kid is cute.

There's a pet setting too, so you can capture pet pictures that aren't blurry from the moving around of the active pet. The thing about Miss LazyPants is that I had to let her outside to get her moving. She mostly stays in one spot all day long.

I have a lot of learning and practicing to do before we go on vacation. Plus, I think I want another lens. Maybe for Christmas.