Kisses for Caleb

Caleb was being especially affectionate one evening, so I was glad I had the camera close by to capture it.

Love this next one!!

Then someone else decided they wanted some kisses, too.

Have I ever mentioned that Caleb is not a "dog person"?

So Jake moved on to Steve...

Then back to Caleb to see if he could convince him with the really needy, zero personal space stare that he was worthy of a kiss.

  Didn't happen.

Making Faces

Someone is at the age where he likes to make silly faces instead of cooperate when a photo is requested of him......boys! 

A Day in the Life of Boys

Playing outside with no shirts on...

Going to the park...

and conquering new obstacles...

Making pancakes...

Being tough and getting a tattoo...(even if it is of Ariel from the Little Mermaid)

Playing the Leapster together...

Being blanket monsters...(Seth and Steve)

"A boy's perfect summer day means a scrape on the knee, mud on his face, and room to roam." -Author unknown

DIY Dog Artwork

Has anyone else been spending too much time on Pinterest lately?  There are so many great ideas and creative inspirations there, but it is also a time sucking vortex of epic proportions.

Whilst browsing the other day, I spotted this great dog artwork...

From TradHome, July/August Issue

It inspired me to try something similar for Seth and Caleb's room with a picture of our dog Jake's profile.  Steve took this shot not too long ago...

I opened it in Photoshop, then used the Extract tool (located under the Filter tab) to get rid of everything in the picture but his profile which left me with this...

I tried using it as a silhouette like in the artwork above, but because he doesn't have ears that stick up I didn't think he was recognizable enough.

So I changed directions and colored in the background instead.

The boys have blue walls with orange accents in their room, so I thought this would look good in a simple white frame with a mat.  But then I wanted to see what it would look like with a patterned background....

Something about this one reminds me of political posters, like Jake is running for president or something.  But I think he stands out better against the blue, white and black than he does against the orange.  I am still on the fence.  I may try a few more solid background colors before I get anything printed.

Seth just came in from playing and saw these pictures of Jake I was working on. He asked if I could put all of our family (including Roscoe) into the picture with Jake.

Hmmmm......

Roscoe

Steve just started doing some contract work with a music program that works in preschools.  Their mission is to "provide children an enriching music experience that reinforces positive behavior, builds self esteem, strengthens cooperative spirit, and develops the fundamental auditory and rhythmic skills required to stimulate development and a deep appreciation for the humanities." Pretty cool!

Steve has a sidekick named Roscoe that will be part of his program.  He introduced Roscoe to Seth and Caleb yesterday, and to say that he was a hit would be the understatement of the year.

Roscoe had to be woken up to come out of his shell.  The boys were fighting to get Roscoe's attention and ask him questions and tell him things.

Roscoe looks like a screamer in this next picture.  I assure you he is not. He is a very mild mannered turtle who is often sleepy and likes talking to small children.

Roscoe read the boys a bedtime story tonight then turned in for the evening. But not before he gave out a few hugs and kisses.