Aurelia Marie

This afternoon,we took the kids after lunch to go see the Butterfly Rainforest at the natural history museum. For those who haven’t seen it,the butterfly exhibit is a pretty large botanical garden enclosed with netting where they keep butterflies from all over the world. They fly around,and with a sharp eye and perhaps a quick shutter,you can see maybe a dozen different species on a given day. The university has a diversity and propagation for re-release lab there at the museum,and the garden is their outreach area for the public to experience. So,here’s the rest of the backstory…

For lunch after worship,we went to Las Margaritas with some friends,Winston,Ann,and their two little girls who are about 6 months and 1.5 years younger than Aurelia. As we were leaving the restaurant,the girls found a dead butterfly on the sidewalk,and Ann was supervising while they got to handle it and look at its wings and body,etc. (Ann is a doctor,so she’s sort of into the science thing,too.) Anyway,Marcus thought it would be neat to take her to see some live butterflies after that,so we went straight over to the museum. 

We arrived right about the time when one of the “wranglers” was about to release a box of young adults,so the crowd was pretty heavy. These were the only two shots I managed to take with being crowded and trying to keep up with her.

For more about our museum trip,look over at Simon’s blog…

Yesterday,Aurelia and I made some paintings for Simon’s bedroom. I had this idea to make a very simple,cartoony-like landscape and put some “applique” cars from some of the quilt fabric I bought to make stuff for baby boy before he was born. So,I sketched the lines for the grass,road and sky on the canvases. As I was beginning to paint them,Aurelia comes and asks “ooh,can I paint too!!” Who could say “no” to that? So,I found another brush and let her go to it. By the end,she was wanting a tree on her portion,as well,even though I hadn’t planned on a second tree,and she also wanted a hat floating through the sky (a Wizard of Oz reference,I think). So,I had to tell myself to chill out and let her be creative. So,the result is 2 similar panels and one very special one for brother. She is an excellent painter. I know nothing about it,but she was able to control where paint went with really good precision. Mommy is really just a crafter,not a painting. I basically just fill in the colors. Although,I did start to try to make some directionality in the grass after a while – looks like the wind is blowing it. I can see how painting could be lots of fun. Perhaps that will be retirement thing…before there are grandbabies to sew for.:)

Go over to Simon’s blog to see the finished paintings…

Aurelia loves going to the beach. This past weekend was her first trip with her little brother. She loves to play in the sand. Her latest favorite game is to carry her little watering can that came with her beach fun kit into the ocean to fill it up,then let it run out as she runs back out of the water. By doing this we have to run in and out of the ocean to “fill” her watering can indefinitely. Well,at least it is good exercise for Mommy to run through the water and up the beach over and over and over again… (I take all I can get,these days.)

 Princess of the Beach,being “exquisite” in her sand chair. (Fancy Nancy would totally approve!) Explaining the finer points of sand-play to baby brother. In a hole,in a hole,oh what fun to be in a hole!! Such a pretty girl with her big,sparkly eyes and big smile! I love how cute her hair looks pulled back into the 2 braids,too. This has been a favorite hair style for a few day,now. I also like the reduced amount of screaming when it comes to brushing out the tangles!