Happy Thanksgiving!

It is with a thankful heart that I count my many blessings today!

These are a few outtakes from our family Christmas card photo session this morning.  I was inspired by the portraits taken with big balloons that I’ve seen floating around the Internet.  I’m so pleased with the group shot we captured on the train bridge supports.  I won’t share that one here just yet though!  If you’d like a copy, let me know and I’d be happy to send one your way.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!  Hope you gobble ’til you wobble 🙂

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Melbourne Art Festival

This weekend was the 26th Annual Melbourne Art Festival in historic downtown Melbourne.  I took the boys on Sunday while J removed and cut up a tree that had fallen over in our backyard.  I have fond childhood memories of this festival that I hope I can pass along to my boys.

We managed to find a sweet parking spot right near downtown so our walk to get to the action was not too long.  Minimizing our trek is key when I have two small boys in tow…  There were over 250 artist booths set up along the tree-lined streets.  The air heavy with the scent of kettle corn and hot dogs.

Up first was a visit to the frozen lemonade cart.  Two, please!

Then we were on to look at some amazing works of art.  Here are some of my favorites:

This painting was glorious.  I would have this in my home if my money tree would simply grow.

Just look at the texture of the oil paints!  Heavenly!

The boys had fun checking out all of the artists’ wares as well.

There was an area of the festival designated just for children where they could create art to their heart’s content.  The best part was that it was absolutely free of charge.  So, I made sure to tip the wonderful people manning the stations generously.  Like the Balloon Guy who whipped up a couple of guns/hair dryers for Wildman and Cutie Pie:

I enjoyed the spin art station almost as much as the boys did.  It was so cool to watch the paint and glitter splatter out onto the paper.

I might just have to frame the finished products:

By the time we’d finished up in the kids area the boys were dragging.  It was pretty muggy out and the streets were crowded with patrons like this unlikely Rasta Man:

I was ready to call it quits too so we made our way back to the car with me balancing the wet artwork and encouraging my flock to stay together.  But we could not leave before purchasing a bag of yummy kettle corn for the road!

I don’t think there’s a much tastier snack out there than a bag of fresh kettle corn.

It was a wonderful couple of hours filled with nostalgia and truly magnificent art!  I’m so glad that Melbourne puts on this festival year after year.  It’s one of the events I look most forward to attending.

Sick Day

Last Thursday I kept Wildman home from school because of a nagging cough.  He wasn’t really that sick but the cough sounded bad enough that he didn’t need to be hacking all over his classmates.  Cutie Pie does not attend preschool on Thursday so the three of us had a pajama day.  At least until noon when Cutie Pie decided that he’d had enough wallowing in PJs and got himself dressed 🙂

After lunch we could not take being cooped up in the house any longer.  The weather had finally turned nice and somewhat spring-y so I threw open the sliding glass doors.  We headed out to the backyard to enjoy some fresh air and beautiful sunshine.

Cutie Pie brought his squeaky balloons out so we all took turns blowing them up with the pumper.  When you release the balloons they make this funny whoopie cushion noise and fly all over the place.  The boys looooove it!

It was pretty breezy that day so a couple of the balloons got caught in an updraft and sailed over the fence into our neighbor’s yard.  Whoops!

I could not get enough of the warm sun on my skin.  It was divine!

Wildman found the softball with the tail.   He and I took turns throwing it to each other.  You earn points depending on where you catch the tail.

Cutie Pie had fun climbing the rock wall.

And Wildman sailed high on the glider swing.  I love how the sunlight gleams in these photos.

It was a lovely afternoon even though both boys were not feeling 100%.  And it sure helped beat the cabin fever that we’d been experiencing!  I cannot wait for warmer weather to set in so we can bring out the kiddie pools and Slip-N-Slide!