Thaw before reheating.
Activity: prints of hands and feet made with tempura paints
Soundtrack: REM’s Automatic for the People
Colors: blue, yellow, pink
Kate got into the action, too. (Note her blue foot, below.) She also took a brush to the head. 
Some final products. Top picture is Will’s hands and feet. The bottom shows a hand and foot for each of us (Mommy, Will, and Baby Kate.)
Kate’s hair. Restored to it’s fluffy you-name-it-color after bathtime paint removal.
It’s official! My Dad, my Brother, and Paul are goin’ in the hole, the Big Hole, The Grand Canyon.
My Dad has been talking about doing this for years with “his sons” and they officially booked it yesterday. Weeks of research went into the planning. They finally decided on 8 days rafting the Colorado, through the entire Canyon, all the way to Lake Mead. They leave Las Vegas May 11th.
Dad is very excited.
I am all for the boys spending a week in the hole. My role as mother to young kids and as food source for Kate precludes my rafting abilities. But I do not think that us girls should necessarily miss out on an adventure. Any ideas? Anyone know of any kid-friendly resorts or itineraries that include kids activities (ie: structured babysitting while Mom gets a massage?) I think that would be a really good way to occupy ourselves while Paul is gone!
But looks aren’t everything!
(The band-aid on Kate’s tummy is from Will, who decided that a band-aid would help Kate’s tummy “feel better.”)
Yesterday afternoon, I took advantage of being in Mobile (read: location where I get to use my Dad’s camera!) to take on both kids at the same time for a photo session.
Will enthusiastically held Kate. He showers his sister with love and sweetness, some of which I am trying desperately to capture on film. He did his best to prop her up, hold her head, or tickle her as he thought was necessary. Many of these techniques involved (unintended) manuvers usually reserved for future sybling torture, like headlocks. Kate handled it all extremely well.
Kate back-handed him during a particularly spastic moment, one that caught Will completely on surprise. 
I tried to get some good naked-baby butt shots of Kate in the beautiful initial-sewn bloomers sent from Aunt Gwen. I fear that the full-effect of the bloomers won’t be photographically captured until she can sit unsupported. But check out that head control!
(Will wanted to make sure we got his foot in the picture. He was very insistent.)
When Kate got a little fussy (gassy), Will also became Very Upset. He gave Kate lots of kisses to fell better. 
To see more of the photo session, including outtakes and Will’s diva collection, click here.
That’s right… the Big Red Car pulled into Mobile today — and Granna, PapPap, and Will went down to the Civic Arena to meet them!
Will was pretty overwhelmed, but, as my parents have reported, got into it more once Granna scored some gear. (Pirate hat, feather sword, light-up rod for the good-night songs, ball cap, and t-shirt! Whoa, thanks, Granna!)
My folks said they had a great time with Will. They also came back filled with important information. One detail about a kids concert in a big Arena is that kids make A Lot of Noise. The only time the drone of chatter changes is when a really popular song starts, when it gets louder. (Note to parents: take headache medicine.)
Fans bring huge posters to the concerts and each are read and admired by the Wiggles. These posters include love notes from mothers to their favorite Wiggle. Not to disappoint, Anthony, Jeff, Murray, and Greg spend a lot of time in the audience, where they are groped by adult women.
They also spend a lot of time being incredible nice, thanking kids for the presents they bring for Dorothy (roses) and Wags (doggie bones). (Note to parents: bring your kids gifts if you want them to be able to approach the stage or get a photo-op with Dorothy.)
I also learned that my favorite Wiggle dancer, who we call “That Crazy Guy,” was there! I wonder if I brought a fan poster for “Crazy Guy,” if they would know who it’s for? 
Will has not taken his pirate hat off, or removed his feather sword from his hand, since the concert. He is currently sleeping with both.
Dear Babytalk Magazine,
Thank you for your lovely August cover. The photograph tastefully shows one of the most touching moments of motherhood.
Please direct each person who complains about the cover to me. I’d like to bop them each on the head with my big, milk-filled breast. Get over it, people!
Sincerely,
Holly
Please send your own messages to Babytalk magazine for the beautiful, tasteful, and touching photograph gracing their August issue. (Customer Service information is here, email them here.)
Who am I to refuse the requests of the mother of my soon-to-arrive nephew?
Favorite pictures of Will and Kate from the past month are available for viewing and ordering here. Enjoy!
After bathing Kate this morning, I couldn’t resist giving her an Elvis hairdo. It was so darn cute the camera had to come out. I opened up the shutters to bring in more morning light and increased the ISO to 200 (I actually thought I was increasing it to 500, but I must not have saved the settings properly — ugh.) We started on one of her blankets (bottom picture) where she squirmed like crazy. Since she has been trying so hard to sit up, I thought maybe I could try the Bumbo seat for awhile. First I just put it down in the middle of the floor — but the pictures were awful, needed more backlight. Then, I hung a sheet from the entertainment center doors and down to the floor. That is how I got these pictures. More directed light would have made a difference; I’ll play more with that in the future. But this is what I got! As always, suggestions are appreciated as I try to learn some photography basics!
