Then and then and now -- Easter edition

Easter portraits:


2007 (15 months)

2008

2009


and Easter basket shots:


2007


2008


2009

Wonderful weekend

Oh, the fun of Easter.


Coloring eggs with "Alla."


Going through the Easter basket (with Cyrus' help).


After that it was church, where she greeted dozens of folks and wished them happy Easter. I think the highlight for me was when I caught her waving at the pastors in the middle of the anthem -- and they both waved back.


Then we had Easter dinner at Aunt Gloria's.

That's exactly what I was thinking

Ting Ting, looking at a picture she had just drawn in crayon:

"I don't know what that is, but it sure is pretty"

Happy Easter

Spring!

We'll just go with the calendar -- forget what's happening outside my window.


Happy Easter, everyone!


If you're wondering about that beautiful matching hat, I dropped it on our way out the door to the photo studio. Yes, I did consider rescheduling the appointment -- why did you ask?


Oh well -- all's well that ends well.

Monday morning

And it only got worse

Same scenes, 9:45 p.m. April 5:


Yes, I was taking photos of my back yard at night.


And here's one out the front door, of the cherry tree in front of Lauren's window. Yesterday, when we came home from a little outing (to which Lance and I didn't even wear coats), I pointed out how both trees right in front of our house were budding.

Ai-yi-yi.

Ruthanne, what was the high today?

Oh, come ON!

7 p.m. Sunday, April 5, 2009.

Yes, it WAS in the 60s yesterday. Why do you ask?

Notice how nicely it sticks to our neighbor's new mulch?

Ting Ting's trip to the dentist

Well, as I mentioned earlier, Ting Ting recently made her first trip to the dentist. She was a champ!


She was so excited when she woke up that morning that she insisted on picking out her clothes and getting dressed immediately after breakfast.


She was ready at 7:30 a.m. Our appointment was at 10.


I had prepared her in advance, starting almost as soon as I made the appointment six months earlier. It helped that one of the books Santa brought her was about Dora's trip to the dentist. We've probably read it 30 times in the last few months.


She was all ready for what the room would look like, what the instruments would look like, and what the dentist and hygienist would do with her.


And, luckily for us, we had Rosemary the hygienist. Rosemary showed Ting Ting each of the instruments and how it worked, and she turned each one on so Ting Ting would know how it sounded.

After Rosemary had helped Ting Ting count her teeth and had given them a quick polishing, Dr. D. came in to meet her newest patient.


I'm not bragging, but Ting Ting was such a model patient that the other hygienists and office staff kept stopping in to see her.


Ting Ting was thrilled when Rosemary gave her a new toothbrush with Belle on it. And she happily followed Rosemary down the hall to find some stickers with Dora and Diego on them.


Then it was Mama's turn. I had been smart enough to make the appointment at the same time I scheduled my own visit, but I wasn't smart enough to bring someone else with me to keep Ting Ting entertained while I was getting checked.

So Rosemary asked Ting Ting if she would help her with me. Ting Ting strapped on an enormous pair of rubber gloves and went to work.


One of the visiting hygienists snapped this photo for us. After that, Ting Ting took my camera and got some shots of her own.


(Remind me never to let her do that again).


Most of her photos were pretty good, though. I liked the composition of this one, with Ting Ting's finger across the corner.


And Rosemary continued to entertain.



All in all, it was a good day. She made me proud.

Matter of fact, she did so well that we followed it up with a hair cut -- oh, yes we did.


All in all, a great morning.