Caleb and Maddie

Apparently I take a lot of pictures of these 2 of my 4 children. Before you start coming to any conclusions, just let me attempt to explain myself! Caleb is the baby so everything he does I think "oh, I have to capture this before he grows out of this stage". Not to mention, he is our first boy so everything he does around here has been done before but not with the same gusto that Caleb seems to accomplish all tasks! I am constantly amused with how much of a little guy he is and when I am amused, my camera comes out! Maddie, on the other hand, well, she LOVES the attention. She hops in front of me whenever I even reach in the general direction of the camera. She turns her sunshine smile "on" at any opportunity to be captured! My last excuse, (are you convinced yet?) is that Mikayla and Mailee can't be bothered with me and the photo sessions most of the time. They have to be "in the mood" which apparently is something I will be hearing a lot of over the next say, 15 years as the emotions over everything seem to be running higher and higher the older the girls get!

So anyways....Next week I'll have lovely "back to school" photos to post of my two big girls! I can hardly wait! I love back to school! We've got all the supplies ready and the girls have their first day of school outfits chosen. In the flurry to get prepared for school, Caleb and Maddie have been dragged all over town looking for the right erasers and that one special pair of knee highs.(we found both, in case you are wondering!) Yesterday we were looking at shoes and both Maddie and Caleb found a pair that:
1)fit
2)they liked
3)I liked!!

Well, finding shoes that fit all three of the essential criteria is not an everyday occurrence so I decided to get the little guys new shoes and they were both so thrilled!! Caleb could not wait to show his Daddy. He carried his shoes around the house waiting to hear that garage door open. Maddie was running all over the mall in her new kicks saying how fast she was!

Here they are in all their new-shoe glory!

Maddie said she could get to the top of the mountain (translation: mound of dirt) now that she was wearing her new shoes.

Seems I don't make it in front of the camera very often but here you go readers, a glimpse of me doing something other than checking email or decorating a cake! When I first put Caleb up on my shoulders, he held on by putting his little hands right over my eyes! NICE. I opted for the choke hold you see pictured above:)