happy halloween

That girl, the one right there was SO into Halloween. She was ready to load that cupcake up!

I got more frustrated than I can to admit that I could not/did not get a cute picture of my two skeletons together.

At least this one was okay with having her picture taken.

After we tried some photos and rock collection at home, we headed to the Itens to trick-or-treat in their neighborhood.

Hey big kids, I know you're excited but you forgot something...

...the little Sisters!

Off they go.

Despite a supremely frustrating photo shoot with the kids after work, we had a fabulous time trick-or-treating with the Itens. All of the kids were so excited and the little ones quickly caught on about how the whole system worked. The big kids were pros and scoped out which houses they wanted to visit based on the decorations. By the end of the night Vivi was saying her version of "Happy Halloween" and the big kids were the ones riding in the cars. The babies used their Mamas as personal valets. 

It is really going to be a shame when the kids actually want their candy and put up a fight when I take the whole load to work. Plus, I've already purchased Vivi's costume for next year from the sale rack at Old Navy. She is really going to be a cute cupcake and Avery has expressed interest in being a Baker.  

go get your camera

While the kids were in bed watching It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Scott comes out of the room and tells me to get my camera. Even though he had put them in bed separately, they had found their way together and Avery had his arm around Sister. Scott wanted to capture this sweet moment of sibling love. 


PS. Pacifiers have become ridiculously popular in our house. As you can see, Vivienne has 2 and Avery has 1.

he talks

Here's a collection of things Avery has recently (except for the first story) said:

***Sometime this summer: 
Heidi asked Avery what 'condition' meant...
Avery: Condition is when you have to do something in order to get something else.
WHAT?!?! My 3.5 year old just busted out a complex definition. Boo-yah.
***
This is my first time watching the fourth Sesame Street. (He is very into sequences)
***
Why do grown ups have birthdays if they're done growing?
***
When we get a new house, will we be on HGTV?
***
Scott: What's this pink bear's name?
Avery: I don't know. You'll have to look it up on the web.
***
Mama, how does your body know it doesn't want any more babies (He asked this after he suggested going boy/girl/boy/girl with the children in our family)
***
Avery: I've never been married before...have I?
Me: What does being married mean?
Avery: I don't know, but that is a very good question. You have to ask online. How you get married com (as in dot com). 

she walks!

Presenting, for the very 4th time ever...(drum roll, please)...Vivienne Sam Turbow, walking lady!

Since she started standing about a week ago, I have been practice walking with her after work not really thinking it would actually work, but more to plant a little seed in her head. Well, today, the seed sprouted and she took two tentative baby steps with Avery, Nikki and myself as witness. Upon telling Scott, I was instructed not to make her walk again until he could see for himself and she graced us with her burgeoning skills once again. 

Wow. I am so excited.

sleeping bottle

Snuggling with her #1 lovey, her old sleepsack, Mimi.

So, so tired.

A kiss from Brother before bed.

I know that I have pointed out that both of my kids will not fall asleep anywhere other than in their beds. The only exception being Vivi during the random late morning car ride, but that happens less and less as we move further from the 2-1 nap transition. 

Well, I was shocked that she fell asleep while drinking her bottle before nap. Don't let the fact that they are wearing jammies fool you, this happened before nap. The jammies usually come out for nap if we've had a particularly messy morning and I don't want them dragging crumbs, dirt, paint, etc. into their beds. Plus, I find it nearly impossible to remain dressed while at home. Luckily, I've upgraded my lounge wear and don't look like a total shlub while at home.

Also, I am thrilled to have a couple of pictures of her sleeping because usually when I try to sneak a pic of a sleeping Lou, that little head pops up before I can click even one shot. However, this girl stayed asleep while I carried her up and into bed, something that has not happened since she was a newborn. That was one tired girl. 

avery's party

Avery requested a Toy Story 3 cake. Spoiled kid got all of the figurines as well.

All of the friends walking Hannah in. She is now out of her cast and doing well!

Miss Erica is so much fun.

The kids checking out the horses they would soon ride.

Shanaya and Vivi watching the big kids ride.

Girlfriend LOVED riding the horse.

The only way to travel.

This is my favorite picture. I'm not sure which is better, Avery's smile or Annabelle helping to blow out the candle.

Another idyllic birthday party at Anderson Farms. We were blessed with a gorgeous day and everyone had a phenomenal time. I found it nearly impossible to take good pictures while hosting the party and almost rescheduled when Cathryn said she couldn't attend. I count on her for my primary birthday party photographs and if Grandma Carole wasn't in town, I would have changed days. I'm kicking myself for not getting a picture of all of the kids together, but we will always remember that Ved, Shanaya, Eli, Annabelle, Hannah and Reuben came to celebrate that day. 

Since Cathryn and Scott had family in town and were attending the big football game, we took Annabelle in our car. I'm not sure which was more fun, the party or having two 4 year olds hamming it up in the backseat. They serenaded us with Take Me Out To the Ball Game almost the whole way there, both the traditional version and some very silly made-up ones.

It really was a perfect party and I cannot really imagine having his birthday party anywhere else. Ved even thinks that Anderson is "Aye-veh-lee's Farm" There were so many activities for everyone including climbing tires, horse rides, kid mazes, hay rides, animals, pumpkin patch, barrel train rides (Vivi screamed 'wheeee' the entire time) and the giant trikes. It was obvious that riding Toffee has paid off because he easily rode around the course.

I am so thankful that my mom was able to attend and all of our dear friends. I'm still shocked that Avery is 4 years old and is happy to remind me each and every day.

If you'd like to check all of the pictures, check out my picasa site here. 

kid pile

Just getting the kids settled down for bed. Everyone is calm. Everyone is relaxed. You can almost hear the classical music playing in the background.

playing with light

That's some SOOC (straight out of the camera) shit right there.

Photography is all about light and I feel like I've got a pretty good handle on how to light a more traditional portrait with even light on the face and catch lights in the eyes, if my subject is cooperating that is. However, I wanted to play around with some side lighting and see what I could get. I think this photo is a little too contrasty but it has a very different feel from say, Vivi's 15 month photos. Plus, and here's the best part, Avery was more than willing to sit and have me direct him in where and how to position his head. That may be a first. I am going to continue to push my photography skills because there is something so satisfying in trying something new and having it turn out half-way decent.

more from avery's 4 year photo shoot

Here are a few more shots from Avery's 4 year photo shoot.

isaac emmanuel & co.

Introducing, Isaac Emmanuel.

Beautiful baby, extraordinaire.

Lovin' with Mama.

Oh yeah, the necklace/baby adjacency was intentional!

Sleepy after only a few shots.

Big Brother Eli.

Riding in the Ergo.

Having a serious conversation with Mama during his bath.

Yes, I did haul the extremely heavy antique chair into the backyard. Anything to fulfill a photographic vision.

I wondered when I would ever get to use this rendering technique. You're also not seeing the fence or neighbor's house. Behold, the power of photoshop.

It's hard being a baby.

Our major outing was to Frederick Meijer Gardens and it was amazing. As you can see, Eli benefited from the toys that are always in my purse.

My one goal was to get a picture with both Kathryn and I in it. Success!

Playing in the pumpkin patch.

Eli is shooting me with his stick-gun.

He loves me so much!

Taking a lovely stroll.

This picture really captures the beauty that is the fall sky in Michigan. There is something about Michigan in the fall.

Eli pumps his right arm like a piston when he runs. It is known as the Power Pump and is just about the best/funniest thing ever.

There's baby in there somewhere!

Further evidence that children are not effected by temperature. That was cold water.

Pointing to the E for Eli.

Mother/Son love.

A mere 6 weeks after his birth, I flew to Grand Rapids to meet baby Isaac, and visit with Kathryn and Eli. This was great trip. It was a true luxury flying without children and after my last travel experience, I was ready for something more low key. We mostly spent the weekend doing life, taking walks, playing outside, cooking (at one point I turned their entire house into a tandori oven, but it was worth it), eating (the place where diets go to die) and taking care of two adorable little boys. 

Eli is such a phenomenal little guy. He is happy, easy going, obedient and didn't mind in the least having to give up his big boy bed to Auntie Cassie and sleeping in the pack 'n play. This was however, accompanied by a half an hour vocal concert starting before 6am each morning, before I heard, "Auntie Cassie, go down stairs?" When the Shanes wake up, they are UP. Breakfast is the very first thing on the agenda and I am not used to pouring cereal with such bleary eyes. The Turbow house takes at least an hour to get into the swing of things because my wake-up curve is quite long.

I did discover that I suffer from 'momnesia' because the whole time I was there I couldn't help thinking how much work newborns are. However, if I look back to when Vivi was new, I don't recall that level of sheer work to make it out of the newborn stage, but I'm sure it happened. Isaac is awesome. He's so long, and has the same beautiful mouth as his brother. He definitely loves his Mama.


I am thrilled to be a part of these boys' lives and there is such a luxury in being the 'fun aunt.' 

Didn't say please or thank-you? No problem! 
Don't want to share? Enjoy it all yourself! 
You want both a chocolate chip muffin AND a donut? Let me buy them for you!
You want to eat that messy donut in the car? Absolutely!
You want to take out all of the balls in the display at Meijer? I will happily clean them up for you!
You want to shoot animals with anything you can find to be a gun? I will scout them out for you. I love guns*!

Eli, Isaac and Kathryn, I love you dearly and am ready for a life time of showering the boys with buckets of unconditional love.

*My gun love immediately disapated upon return to Denver.