Bluebonnets

Well, I tried to do it all by myself and the results are OKAY. Yes, I tried to take the kids, all 4, and get pictures of them in a patch of bluebonnets. First of all, where the heck did all the flowers go? Two years ago, the huge park by our house, Old Settlers Park, was filled with bluebonnets and a bunch of other wild flowers. They made for some real pretty pictures. (Not that I took any.) This year, there are none, zip, zilch, zero. I guess the park people are going for a more green look with just the grass? Not sure, but no more bluebonnets at Old Settlers. So around the corner from our house, someone planted some bluebonnets out on their parkway, the little strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street. They are beautiful and so full. This is the biggest patch I could find, without putting my kids in real danger. (There are a few large patches, but on the side of major highways.) Anyway, I had seen some other folks taking pictures in these people's yard last week and I stopped by and asked permission from the home owners. After I got the okay, I attempted to take some photos.

Today Maggie had her Easter party at school and she was dresses real pretty and I did her hair real cute this morning. So right before we left to pick her up from school, I dressed the babies in these way cute dresses we got at the baby shower a year ago (wow, really? a year ago?). I put their hair in little pony tails and stuck in some bows. We get Maggie (she sill looks clean and her hair isn't too messed up) and head for home to take some pictures. I get to the neighbor's house, unload Mason, Maggie and Megan. Getting ready to take out Morgan to find out that I forgot the camera at home. Great! Load up the 3 kids and drive around the block, grab the camera, drive back around the block. I unload again and get the big kids and Megan positioned. I gave Morgan to Mason since she cannot sit up on her own yet. I sat out in the street and just started shooting. I didn't even really look in the camera, just at the kids. I must've looked like a crazy woman sitting in the street calling to my kids in a high pitch baby voice. "Mason, Maggie, look at the camera. Megan, Morgan, Megan, Megan, Megan, Morgan." (all in a sing-song voice of course.) I then decided to try and get some of just Megan. Turned out not too bad.Until she started whining and I saw these little red ants crawling on her feet. YIKES! I quickly picked her up and brushed her off. I don't think she got bit at all, probably just a little uncomfortable with the little creepy crawlers on her.

Then I put Morgan in the patch. Since Morgan can't sit on her own, I opted to leave her in her car seat for these pictures. (No ants either this way.) She did great! And I'm actually please with these pictures. So I then took all the kids back home. My next door neighbor, George, has a little planter with some bluebonnets too. I really wanted to get a couple of shots with Morgan laying down so I tried to take a few here. I layed down the blanket (a knitted one with holes in it) and got Mason, Maggie and Megan ready. Then Megan and Maggie start complaining. I guess the grass patch had a bunch of little stickers in it and they were poking the girls through the blanket. So I ran next door, grabbed a couple more blankets and tried again. (Mason had to run to the bathroom, so he missed being in these shots.) I did get a few with all three girls. These turned out okay.

So what I have I learned from this experience? Um, not to do it again! I need help next time. It was just too hard to get all the kids to look at the camera, much less smile, look out for bees, and cars, watch to see the my babies didn't actually eat the flowers, oh, and man the camera. Yes, too many things for me. I think next year, we'll have some really fantastic friend take the pictures for us.

Enjoy the pictures!