{april 2012}

Crane Beach

Ipswitch, MA

April 2012

The Bookends, Nature Girl, a Toad, and Unseasonable Warmth

The Bookends were at it. It's been warm and springlike and they have been fractious.

Maybe spending two weeks apart might help clear the tension. (The biggest contention being just how alike our first and third born are!)

Today was designated our photo-op day. We were lining up for our picture-a-month, which, like Chinese school that preceded it, is really no one's absolute favorite ... but also like Chinese school meiyou ban fa.

Bei Bei was literally in tears. She was anxious to play with her new volleyball (a pepto pink pre-birthday treat), and frustrated with her oldest jie jie.

Mr Johnson had the tripod out and ready (after snapping pics of the magnolia that is ALREADY bursting forth in partial bloom ... a full six weeks earlier than last year!), but our soon-to-be-seven-year-old literally had alligator tears on her pink sunkissed cheeks ...

And then, much to her amusement, a large toad hopped right out of his hiding space in the mulch below our feet. Bei Bei forgot about her troubles with MGJ, commissioned our fearless nature girl, EHJ, to grab the toad, and scrambled off to unearth a forgotten flower pot as a temporary abode for our newly discovered amphibian.

EHJ obliged. Bei Bei perked up. MGJ restrained herself. And, eventually we snapped a few family pics on this 80 degree March day!

{March 2012}

Sometimes tweenagers sport fake smiles.
{Yes, as hard as it is to believe, even during the perennially popular picture-a-month-project!}



And something just has to be done ...



We think this might have done the trick.

{February}

This is installment #12
We did it.
Twelve consecutive months of family photos for our 'Picture a month Project.'
{Don't tell my kids that it's over, b/c I think I'm going to keep subjecting them to monthly photo shoots. They are getting big so fast, and I love that I can document gap toothed smiles and growth spurts in this way!}

{January}

We've taken matchy-match to new heights this month going all out in green and gold for the Lady Lions!

{December}

{November}

{October}

{September}

Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area

Kendall County, IL

September 2011

{August}

Xiao Shan zai na li?

Our Yard @ The Bungalow

August 2011