fun with photoshop elements

I purchased Photoshop elements a few weeks ago and started experimenting with it yesterday. Here are some before and after samples.


Before













After
































Before






















After




















Can you tell the differences? I primarily adjusted the lighting and color. What do you think? Better or worse? Should I have left them alone?

I hope to use PSE for digital scrapbooking...as soon as I 1) figure out how and 2) find the time for it! Wait, did I just give myself something else to do?! Ha Ha!

first and last day of preschool

Our firstborn has completed his first year of preschool this past Friday! This school year really has passed quickly. To think, when C started preschool I was really close to this.


















Now, the unborn baby pictured above looks like this.




















The last day of preschool at Oak Hills Church ended with a picnic lunch. We had a good time, especially since Daddy was able to attend. Yea!


















Here is the C Man with his teacher Ms. Tammy. Ms. Tammy was gracious enough to take over his class after their original teacher, Ms. Carroll, had to leave before the year ended.


















Here is another look at the past and present.

September 2008

May 2009

So, I guess this means we are just that much closer to kindergarten. Sigh.

But really, I'm thrilled that C loved school so much. He had an adjustment period at first, but thoroughly enjoyed every day of preschool after that.

I'm Back

I could not let more than a month go by without doing a blog post. So here I am, just barely. It's been a busy past few weeks...but, then again, when is it not busy?

One of the main things I've been trying to get accomplished is accumulating my 30 hours of continuing education needed to renew my OT license (every 2 years). As of the beginning of April I had 4 out of the 30! Yes...a bit of procrastinating. But hey, does birthing 2 more boys 19 months apart count as an excuse? Ha, ha! Well, last night (after watching 20+ hours of a course on DVD and some other online courses) I finally finished!!! I now have 30 hours of CEU's and can officially renew my OT license. And maybe one day I'll actually work (outside the home) again. But I don't mind not working for now. ;)

----------
What are the boys up to these days?

C:

• This fabulous 4 year old always has something to say, whether it's a story, an idea, questions or just talking.
• After a follow up visit to the dentist, we learned that the innervation to his 2 front teeth is dead. We suspected this after his teeth turned grey. For now, we just leave the teeth alone. If an infection develops, the dentist will have to remove the infected tooth/ teeth. At least they are just his baby teeth. And on a good note, they don't seem to bother him.
• Continues to love trucks! He's also recently gotten into playing with airplanes
• Loves to ride bikes with Daddy
• C's last day of his first year of preschool is tomorrow! Just one more year of preschool, then kindergarten!
• And he's as sweet as ever!

L:

• Will repeat just about anything...especially if it's something C says!!! That old saying is so true! Monkey see, monkey do - and as a shirt he wore last summer said - monkey get in trouble too.
• Is still just so sweet with Baby P!
• Does not really show an interest in riding his tricylce yet; He'd rather push his car around or play with a ball.
• Is starting to put 3 words together
• Loves trucks also! Also likes trains
• Likes to say things two or more times, so it sounds like this: "train, train" or "side, side" for outside

Baby P:

• Has 8 teeth!
• Has now had oatmeal, avocado, banana, sweet potato, zucchini, green beans, pear, peaches, mango, prunes, carrots
• Is moving around on his belly and is so close to crawling; He's getting up on all fours and rocking and he'll shoot himself forward.

----------

Other notable events of the past few weeks include:


C's art being displayed at the Museum of Modern Art...at his preschool

-----

A new wall color in our living room

-----
Mother's Day


















-----
My brother's graduation with a Master's in Landscape Architecture from A&M!!!






















----------

And birthdays galore!
Happy Birthday this month to: Uncle Paul, Nana, Tio Ricardo and Papa!!! We love you all!

----------

And last but not least, my husband and I celebrated 8 years of marriage!

how to play with a toy

how to play with a toy (or anything within my reach will do)

by: Baby P, 6 months old

Step 1: Grab toy using one or both hands, depending on what the situation calls for.

Step 2: Look at toy and immediately bring to mouth.

Step 3: Mouth toy, chew on toy, visually inspect toy.

Step 4: Shake toy or bang toy on available surface like another toy or mommy's body.

Step 5: Transfer toy between hands and repeat steps 3 & 4.

Step 6: Become bored with toy, drop toy, look for and grab new toy. Repeat above steps with new toy.

Baby P

C ChitChat

Me to C: Please don't poke my chest.

C: What are those mommy? Why do you have them?

Me: They are called breasts. Men and women have them. Mommy's feed the baby.

C (lifting up his shirt): Look, I have them. But, why do I have them? I don't need them!

-----------------

Husband to C: Now, while I'm gone, you need to be the man of the house and help mommy take care of things.

C: Yes, okay! (Short pause) And L can be the mommy.

-----------------

C to L: Okay L, Okay. Which balls do you want to keep? This one? Okay. We are going to give some away to the children that don't have any.


Man, he cracks me up! That last one really made me smile.

Thankful

This past weekend was quite eventful. For starters our initial Easter weekend plans were cancelled. Husband is quite busy at work (can't complain about that) and had to get some work done over the weekend. So, we were unable to go out of town to visit his Dad and Stepmom like we had planned. Sorry PawPaw and MawMaw! :( To add to our weekend, we did get to visit with the other sets of grandparents and had our first emergency with one of the boys.

Nana and Papa decided to come to San Antonio for the day on Saturday. We had planned on stopping at their house for a quick visit on our way to PawPaw and MawMaw's.


























We enjoyed our visit with Nana and Papa. Saturday was a fun day...then we had our first emergency. The evening was winding down. I was sitting at the dinner table helping L finish up his dinner, and Husband was upstairs starting Baby P's bath. C was finished with his dinner and headed upstairs. He started to run up the stairs and fell. I didn't see it, but I believe his poor little mouth broke the fall. He came over crying in pain. Initially, I wasn't sure what happened. There was bleeding, so I looked to see where the blood was coming from. Then, I saw it. His top 2 front teeth and 1 to the side had moved...up and back! AAAGH! I am well aware that teeth can fall out or chip, but move?!?!?! Nope, I did not realize! We immediately put ice on it and called the Call a Nurse service. After describing the injury, the nurse told me we should take C to the dentist within 24 hours. I called our dentist's office and left a message with the number they provided for emergencies. In the mean time, we felt a little better because we could see that C's teeth were already beginning to move back into place. The dentist's office manager called me back, and the dentist was able to meet us at his office at 9:30 p.m. Thank you Dr. Klenke!!! After examining C, Dr. Klenke said that he should be just fine. His teeth should move back into position on their own. There shouldn't be any damage to the adult teeth. Worst case scenario would be that C would lose one of his baby teeth a little earlier than normal.



Here he is the next day, feeling better and distracted by the Easter festivities.

















I am thankful. Thankful that C was such a trooper throughout the incident. He really was very brave! Thankful that I have a wonderful husband to help keep me calm and help me to know what we should do next. Thankful that we did not have to go the the ER on a Saturday night. Thankful that our dentist was able and willing to meet us at his office that same night. Thankful that my parents were able to come over and stay with our other 2 boys so C could have both his Daddy and Mommy take him to the dentist. And thankful that C's mouth should be just fine.




With C feeling better, we enjoyed our Easter Sunday.




























































I was reminded of the true meaning of Easter as I read from C's Jesus Storybook Bible (which, by the way, I've come to love and learn a lot from, as my knowledge of the Bible is weak). The funny thing is I read the chapter on the crucifixion to C, and as I was reading, I was truly taken back by the words. They kept coming back to me during the Easter weekend. Then I read this blog, and she wrote about the very words that had been on my mind! So, I just had to mention it. The following is and excerpt from this children's Bible.


They nailed Jesus to the cross.


"Father, forgive them, " Jesus gasped. "They don't understand what they are doing."


"You say you have come to rescue us!" people shouted. "But you can't even rescue yourself!"


But they were wrong. Jesus could have rescued himself. A legion of angels would have flown to his side-if he'd called.


"If you were really the Son of God, you could just climb down off that cross!" they said.


And of course they were right. Jesus could have just climbed down. Actually, he could have just said a word and made it all stop. Like when he healed the little girl. And stilled the storm. And fed 5000 people.


But Jesus stayed.


You see, they didn't understand. It wasn't the nails that kept Jesus there.


It was love.



And for God's love I am thankful.


I hope you had a wonderful Easter!

See?

A couple of weekends ago we did some much needed yard work and had some great help. See?

--------------

In Baby P news...He is now sitting independently for several seconds and for a little longer time with the Boppy pillow behind him. See?

These developments never get old! I love watching our babies learn new things.

---------------

Boy, oh, boy. L sure does enjoy a good push up ice cream! See?!

Mmmm, Mmmmm! Oh, he thought the stick was a straw. Cute, isn't it?

---------------

Here is a little evidence that Spring has sprung! (I do realize it's pretty evident Spring has arrived...seeing as how it was in the 90's today.) See?

Hello Mr. Cardinal. So nice to see you again. Please feel free to build a nest in our yard!

(A couple of years ago Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal built a nest in a tree in our backyard and had babies!)