Aurelia Marie » Marcus

Bonjour, Butterflies! and Painting Landscapes

Marcus — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 20:04:46 +0000

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…

Blowing bubbles

Marcus — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 02:25:44 +0000

Bubble baths are a constant favorite around these parts. Aurelia likes to keep a straw on-hand for blowing her bubbles up into big mounds. Simon likes to take baths with his sister whenever Mommy can sit and watch constantly. He is so cute in the big tub, and he loves to splash – a little too much for sister, who freaks out when she gets water on her face! Simon can propel himself from one end of the tub to the other with splashing, then we turn him around and let him go back the other way… He only stops once in a while to catch his breath or sputter some of the water off of his face, then splash, splash, splash!!

Here is one of Aurelia’s bubble masterpieces!

And, yes, she does like to sit in the baby tub, almost as much as Simon likes the big tub! We often call this the “quick bath,” since our hall bath has NO water pressure, it takes more than 5 minutes just to fill the small tub.

First Beach Trip of 2011

Marcus — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 02:16:57 +0000

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!

Tea Party Time!

Marcus — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 22:53:09 +0000

Aurelia invited some of her favorite friends to the party – her doggie, big penguin, and Mommy. These two friends were also the only ones tall enough to reach the table… She set the places carefully, using her porcelain dishes that she received as a hand-me-down. She asks Mommy for some “cakes” which is usually some small bits of candy like Kisses. I think we had Skittles this time.Friends eagerly await the tea presentation! Pouring tea for her important guests. Checking that everyone has their fill.

Our sweet girl! (Nevermind whatever food that is on her face.) She is getting to be grown up. Other favorite pretend games right now are dressing her little Cinderella dolls in the appropriate dresses to re-tell the story over and over again, and swaddling her dollies for bedtime.

She’s 3 and a 1/2 and still refuses to go to bed.

Marcus — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 23:17:09 +0000