BIG SIS
LITTLE SIS
The Snowflowers are the best sisters in the whole wide world! They might harass each other, steal each others toys, and even make illegal piggy bank transfers(you know who you are!)...but when push comes to shove(literally) there is nothing these two love more than each others company.
Oh how I sucketh today. I left my assignment to the last moment because last night, my 'real' night for taking photos I was dealing with the pain from having two moles removed from my face whilst also nursing a sprained big toe(seriosly, I was a m.e.s.s!)...was I in the mood to take photos...heck no, I was in the mood for nothing more than a bowl of Ben & Jerry's with a tylenol chaser! The thing is...excuses aside..I did a crappy job on my photography assignment this week and I have given myself a failing grade. It hasn't been marked yet, but I don't like what I submitted so I am not only miffed with myself for not rescheduling my dermatologist appointment, but I am miffed that I submitted somthing I don't like and would never show a 'client' if the day ever comes when I have actual 'clients'! 
I asked this sweet girl if she would mind if I took her photo for an assignment, she was adorable, I wish I'd got her number so I could do a real shoot with her! That hair screams AWESOME to me!
My Flag. My Nation.
Today Piper attended a very sweet tea party as part of a summer program she is in this week. Four days of manners, etiquette, ballet & a smidge of tap ended in a tea party with her fellow princess ballerina classmates. For just one hour a day for four days I was astounded how well they did. They even put on a little show for all the Mummys!
The place where we had tea was delightful, they made little sandwiches, scones with purple sprinkles, crispie pops, and tea cups filled with pink chamomile tea! There were even flower sandwhiches with strawberry mice for the little ones!
It was all very fancy and very very sweet. The teacher Miss Krista was reduced to tears when she recounted a story of her own grandmother setting up a table in the garden when she was little and serving a 'proper tea' to her and teaching her manners for such special occasions! Miss Krista, you are a treasure! Such fun! I wish I'd taken my 'real' camera and not the little stinker I had in my purse!
My neighbor Kristine came through for me BIG TIME tonight as I needed to get an assignment done and the Snowflowers were...not prepared to cooperate! A quick call and voila...45 minutes and a glass of Sangria later I had exactly what I needed...why is it I want to be a children's photographer again?
I am nearing the end of my photography class and I am really going to miss it! We are in week six of an eight week course and I have learnt so much! I cannot wait to take more shots of our awesome city, and of course of the Snowflowers and anyone else who will let me. I took this shot last week as part of my assignment.
The girls and I hit the Peace Garden this afternoon for some exercise. The canopy of one of the larger trees played host to my two little monkeys as they played 'hide and seek', 'monkey monkey', and the classic childhood game 'don't stand still, Mummy's trying to take photos!'
"wait...whats that?"
bigfoot?
In fact, it's official name is the 'Dowling Studio' but the girls know it as the 'yellow room' and we visited on Sunday so we could take in the views across the Mississippi. 
Piper loved the glass floor and was quite keen to entertain me with 'jumping'
I adore this view 
We love this part of Downtown, I just wished we lived much closer so we could come all the time. I mean who doesn't love a cantilevered room with a glass floor...
running from our bedroom to hers Paisley yells...
It was not a fun day...and then I look at these photos from the weekend and I am reminded that this too shall pass, the struggles, the tantrums, the whining, the anguish will dissipate, but enough about my mood, lets discuss the girls! We are having some...issues with sleep (Snowflower 1), and with behaviour (Snowflower 1), and with sassyness (Snowflower 1) and lets not leave 'mini me' Snowflower 2 out of the mix...sure this child has the face of innocence written all over it...but she is our sneaky monkey, our destroyer of all things, our copycat stubborn little Snowflower! and today the stars aligned in such a way that when both forces met they combined into a hurricane of Snowfloweriness that almost consumed their Mother's sanity.
and yet...I lived to tell the tale.
H1N1 face mask?
lobotomy tool?
or device to move this into one's mouth...I think the latter proved to be the most accurate!
the stone arch bridge makes a wonderful platform for the fireworks
These shots are SOOC, no editing, no cropping. I had an absolute blast playing with my camera taking these shots(pardon the pun)!
We had a seat near the Stone Arch Bridge and I had no idea exactly where they would shoot them from, but I guess we got lucky.
Next time I'll probably get a little bit further away, and maybe use a different lens, but for my first go I'm pretty happy. The girls adored the fireworks display! 
We were also lucky enough to sit right in front of a fire dancer...I got a few decent shots of that too! I tell you what, my technique needs much improvement and I have a lot to learn but I absolutely LOVE photography!
