Tidwell Twelve

(The guy in front did a comedy act that was so funny!)

A long time ago in a land called Target there was a beautiful, amazing, talented, humble mother shopping with her family. She was standing in an isle when she heard her husband's whistle. (Does your husband have a whistle? Mine does, and I respond to it just like a dog would. How embarrassing.) When she turned she saw her three little children and strong, handsome husband dressed in fur. LOTS of fur. That day an idea was born, "We should all be Vikings for Halloween."

Penny and I have been working on these costumes for about two months. After many trips to the thrift store, sketching out ideas, late nights sewing and painting, and making paper mache horns they were complete. We tested them out at the Renaissance Festival. I was not prepared for the reactions. People would stop us and ask us if they could take a photo. Then a mob would form and many people would start snapping away. We would "YAR" at them! It was great.

What?


You want to see pictures of us eating Turkey legs?




Okay.....

 (pork chop on a stick)

 

Simone would take a bite and say in a growly voice, "That's so GOOD!"

All hail the turkey leg!

 A scotch egg. yum.

 I want to eat this baby! Everywhere we went people would say "A VIKING FAMILY!" Then as the group passed they would see Simone and say, "AND A VIKING BABY!"

 

 Want to hear a funny story?


 They only have port-a-potties there. There is a LONG LONG line to wait in to use one of them. My kids kept needed to go- several times--- and I would walk right up to the front of the long line, and totally walk by everyone! This is so out of character for me! As I walked by I would say very loudly and as if I was teaching my child, "VIKINGS DON'T WAIT IN LINE!"

This is my favorite picture of the day! Gosh, Lincoln looks so stinkin' handsome as a Viking! Love. I really like him with a beard. He doesn't know that. =)



One last note.....

Tonight we dressed up again, and the twelve of us went to our church Halloween party. There was a chili and a corn bread cook off. Lincoln's chili won first place and my cornbread won second. Then our family won "Best historical costume" in the family group.

Myrtle Beach 2011

 I wanted to take family pictures like last year. It didn't really work out how I had hoped. EVERYONE fell asleep beforehand. I woke them all up and tried to get everyone ready. I fed them rootbeer floats instead of dinner to get them up! We got down to the beach and it was already getting a bit too dark. We took some pictures, but Simone WOULD NOT stand on the sand. She was still too sleep and cranky.  Oh well. Here they are. I'll post some of the fun from our trip soon.

I love finding old photos

I lost some photos. They were the images that I edited, but luckily I had the raw back ups on an external hard drive. I had to re-edit them though. That stinks. Anyway on the tail end of the file was a few little snaps I had taken on Simone, upside down on my bed taking a nap. That is how she sleeps best- upside down. This was taken in May of 2010. Simone would have been just a little over two. Love.

Remembering summer

 I'm downloading pictures from our beach trip. I came home to autumn and I feel a little sad about it. I love summer. I love having my kids home so I'm able to take them wonderful places. I have many more pictures from those adventures, but here are a few I liked....and had time to edit for myself. I am busy. What until you see what I've been up to. =)

This picture of Simone just says "summertime" to me. Laying in the clover (probably watching the birds and the clouds) With the dreamy playground behind her beautifully blurred. Not only does it make me miss summer, but the time in my own life when everything was so simple. I remember playing circus in my backyard in Texas, I was probably a little younger than Natalia then. The swing set was the trapeze, and we made a tightrope walk over a dip in the yard by putting a metal pole across it. I was phenomenal as a circus performer! See, those where the days.

Chasing Fireflies

I think we caught more fireflies this year than an other year. 

We went out almost every night.

 I am a little sad because I don't have any pictures of Wyatt. 

He didn't want to catch them as much as the girls.

I didn't take my camera out every time.

Here are some of the firefly pictures from 2011.

This first one is my favorite.

 

 

 Talia fell and scraped her face (and shoulder) right before school ended. It was terrible. She was running down the drive way to catch up with Wyatt and tripped. Poor thing. It healed pretty quickly but it did scar underneath her eye.

 These pictures were taken near Natalia's dance teacher's home. We were there for the year end picnic. We had just finished swimming at the beach, and as we walked back to her home we found a million fireflies. We had to stop and collect a few. At one time Simone had 14 in her little fist. She catch the bugs with one hand, and then add them to her little lighting bug jail.

 Talia lived in the red hooded cape for a few days.

 Simone lived in this dress all summer. She calls it her "Wendy dress". I didn't mind that she wore it so much, because it looks so timeless in photographs. My Mom made it for Natalia. She also made her the yellow one pictured above, and a cute butterfly one just for Simone. I love that she love and WEARS all three all the time. =)

 

  This evening Talia had just come home from dance class. They wanted enough fireflies to fill a jar, and to keep it in their room as a nightlight.  They caught so many, and had so much fun doing it.

 

 

 It worked! The next morning we let them all go, so we could catch them again!

first day of ballet

 

Simone has been looking forward to this day for a whole year.

She would cry when Natalia would get to go to dance class, and she couldn't go. I'd have to dress her in tights and a leotard every Tuesday too. That would cheer her up a little bit.

I bought her the teeny tiniest ballet slippers on the planet for her birthday in March.

She was a little shy at the beginning of class, and the tears almost came. Then she got down on her knees in the circle with the other girls. She looked back at me a few times, but I knew she'd be just fine.

I peeked in the class about 10 minutes later and witnesses the cutest plies and tendus I may have ever seen! She was loving it!

Her class was on Tuesday and every morning since she asks, "Do I have ballet class today?"

I wish I could say yes!



Natalia also started again Tuesday. She has improved so much over the summer! She is a determined little thing. Unfortunately she's in not very flexible--just like her mother. We have to work so hard...I know, I've been there....to get our splits, etc. This summer she got her center splits, touched her toes to her head, her right heel stretch. She is on Junior Team this year, and is working really hard with the bigger girls.

I started back again on Tuesday too! Three times to the studio in one day. I am going to do my Grade 2 ( & maybe 3) teacher's class and taking a lyrical class. I haven't danced all summer, and it feels so good to be back. I have to admit that doing the wash and hanging three different sizes of pink tights to dry makes me giddy. I love that they love it.

Another dance note: our studio moved into a new building. I have been asked to design several wall arrangements with my dance photographs! I am doing a new, big session tomorrow for the main display. I am so so so excited!


One of the young girls I photograph all the time had no clue I danced there too. She was teasing, and wanted to stick around to see me dance! The next day she was talking to Natalia, and asked her if she had ever seen me dance. Natalia said, "I see her dance all the time."

"Especially in the kitchen," I added.

"We dance there together," Natalia said with a smile.

I dream of a big kitchen, but not to cook in. Oh, I will cook too, but dance while I do so. Sometimes I wonder if I would purposely leave a great big empty spot (no table) so we could dance a little easier in my future dream kitchen. I have kicked our table, tripped over bar stools, and knocked my ceiling fan with my hand- it is a very small space we  have now. I'm quite certain my neighbors have seen three spinning, jumping, lifting girls on days when I have neglected to close the blinds. I don't really care. That is where we dance. (That is where I got the name for this blog.) I regret many of the decisions I made as a teenager, but none more than not taking ballet lessons seriously. I didn't start loving ballet until I was in college. I hate feeling like I missed out, and I think that is why I enjoy it so much now. I am 33 years old, and this year I will get a pair of pointe shoes. I am determined, and I don't care if my feet hate it!  I don't feel as though I've settled on my stage choice or my audience, meaning my two daughters. Those two little sweethearts clapping their hands for me are better than any standing ovation. 

Wisteria

We were driving down the road, and I gasped! Loud! Lincoln HATES when I gasp when he is driving. It freaks him out. I had a very good reason...this time, there was a giant wisteria tree that had grown all over a few taller trees. It was incredible! We went back a few days later with the kids for some pictures....and it was almost completely GONE! I was so sad. I found a spot with a few blossoms left and got a few pictures of my uncooperative daughters. Really...they were running away, or squinting and crying.

 

About ready to take off to the right..... Do you see the mischief in those eyes?



We're lucky I'm quick with a shutter button! =)

First Day of School

 This year the first day of school was cancelled because hurricane Irene visited the day before. Luckily Irene didn't do lot of damage here, but we had many friends without power for quite a while. I'd like to take this moment to thank hurricane Irene for scaring me to the point where I got my family 5 beautiful (inside and out) 72 hour kits, and a restocked the shelves in our small pantry and food storage.


Penny and I took the kids to get "first day of school" pictures.  We went to an old one room school house, but it turned out not to be the best location. The side door was the only spot with good lighting, and it just looks like some old door with new hardware. :(  Inside though...oh my goodness! There is an old vintage desk, huge old blackboard, teacher's podium, coal stove, long sink for washing up, and teacher's desk. There are even boys and girls outhouses.I need to get in there for a session BAD!

Well here are the kids......

Here are my two big kids on the real first day of school. Natalia is in first grade and Wyatt is in fourth. Talia's first day was "the worst day of her whole life", because a boy LOVES her and won't leave her alone. Wyatt's was fantastic! He got off the bus happier than I have ever seen him! (Well after school that is.)

Our school does a march in where the parents are invited to come and cheer. They announce each grade and then state the year they will graduate high school as they go into the school! It's great.

The bus was 15 minutes late to pick up the kids. I walked home and  hopped in the car with Simone. While I was passing a different Elementary School I saw the bus my kids were on pull out of the drop off zone. THEY WERE TAKEN TO THE WRONG SCHOOL! I am glad this new bus driver didn't make them get out. =)


 (Thank you to my new 8 followers! LOVE YOU! I added following for a cousin of mine that requested updates from my blog. I am not sure that is the best way to get updates, but I love to see the faces/comments of good friends and family here.)

follow follow me

I am making a few changes to this ancient blog. I've been blogging for FIVE years. I think that is crazy. Last night I couldn't sleep, so I read old posts. I like the old posts better. I think they were longer because Lincoln worked out of town so much and that is what I blogged at night! I do love reading them though whether they are long or short. They lift my spirits when I am down, and remind me how blessed I am.  I am so busy now, and I hardly have time to blog. I miss it.

I didn't blog about my insane Mardi Gras birthday party that Lincoln threw me in February. I came home from ballet one night and heard a ton of noise inside the house as I unlocked the front door. I was so angry! Why weren't the kids in bed? It was 10:00 at night! I opened the door and saw my littles and my handsome husband dressed in their Sunday best. The boys had on masks, and the girls looked like little dolls in fancy feather boas and beautiful masks with big plumes on the top. There was jazz music playing and streamers everywhere. We instantly started to dance! It was amazing! My kids were so into it, and I kept laughing....they really got me! The gift Lincoln got me was amazing....blow my mind amazing.

Lincoln had paid a graphic designer, who happens to be a great friend, to turn my blog into a book--two humongous books really. They are beautiful. They are huge! They have beautiful, well thought out layouts. The strangest feeling came over me as I flipped through them. "My work is all of a sudden printed somewhere," I said out loud.

I am not always good about printing my own photos. It feels so good to have them where I can turn the pages and remember.

I am going to try to be better at blogging. Sarah (the designer) needs to have something to put in the the next book! Every time I think about all the photographs I've taken, but haven't had time to blog- I get so sick. I must try harder.

I have a favor- would you follow my blog? I was trying to add "following" to my blog and it deleted all my old settings. I made a new banner, added the follow thingamabobber, and changed a few things. I thought I would point it out so all my troubles were worth it.

=)

Oh, I also figured out how to post big images on this new version. I adore the big images!

I found this image, and I am so glad that I have it. I wish I would have taken a few more. This was taken at my brother Dan's wedding. The little baby is Simone, and my Grandma James is holding her.

Yesterday was my Grandma's funeral. She was 97 years old. She led a good life, and I am so happy that she got to live we us so I got to know her better. I am even more happy that my two little girls loved her, and got to know her too. She had an appartment in the basement of my parents home. Every time we visit their home it doesn't take long before Natalia (and later Simone) would disappear. Without fail we'd find her in Great Grandma's apartment, she'd be rearranging the teddy bears and dolls with crocheted dresses. It drove me crazy, and I'd put them back where they belonged....and my Grandma would smile and say, "I don't mind if they play with them."

Natalia would climb up in her chair with Great Grandma, and I was worried that little jumping bean would hurt her. The smiles and giggles those two shared are priceless. Simone joined in the fun as soon as she was old enough get down the stairs.

Good memories. I am so glad I have them.

We love you Grandma, and you will be missed.

one day I'll post again

I've been so busy.

Things are starting to slow down. I'm excited to catch up on some of my own photographs and blog a little too. I thought I'd post this lovely picture of Natalia. Oh how I love it.