I Like To Say Cheese

I was going through my phone's camera roll and started to pick up on a theme.  Looks like I really enjoy taking pictures of myself with the kiddos.

I'm not sure why I do this, but looking at them all at once is sort of funny.  Like the one where Charlie is hysterically crying and there's Mom, just smiling away like nothing's even happening.

Sort of the story of my life, I guess.

 

One Picture A Day

When Ryan was born we took a zillion pictures.  First bite of solid food.  First step. First trip in the big boy car seat. It was pretty intense.

By the time we got to our fourth, life (and diapers) were keeping us from the camera a little bit.

So last year I made a commitment to take a picture every day and post them on Facebook.  As I looked back on it, I documented the year plus took a lot of great pics of the kids that could have been otherwise missed.

Since it was such a hit, I've decided to try again in 2012.  With one month down I realize that I still love the concept, but need to take less pics with my phone.  Maybe I can spin this as an excuse to get the DSLR of my dreams? 

The good news is that the themes are still the same.  Craziness, chaos, trouble, and laughter...lots of laughter.

Livin' the dream baby!!



Oh What A Tangled Web We Weave

Every year for Christmas, Aunt Lori buys the boys matching PJs. This year was a Spidey theme and the boys were killin' the lewk.

Here's how I imagine this conversation going:
Dean: Okay...quick conference...so I'm thinking about just messing around when she's trying to take our picture
Charlie: Shh, shh, here she comes...act natural...


Cole was right on point as he warmed up for our annual PJ shoot:


Right before we took this picture Ry stubbed his toe. We told them they could get an extra dessert if they smiled - so here you see Ryan gritting his teeth and taking it like a man.


And the always popular raising the roof shot.


I don't know how many more years we'll be able to convince them to wear matching clothes...so for now I'll just take what I can get. These boys will always be super heroes in my book. *SHAZAAM!*

Photo Shoot

When Dean turned 1, my birthday present to myself was to get pictures taken of team Kerper. We met our friend Keyai at the park and turned the kids loose.

Highlights included the stroller falling over with Charlie inside (twice), beating a rainstorm, and having Ry educate us on WC artist Horace Pippin.

Here are some of the shots - THANKS KEYAI!!!!

Vacay Day 3

Day 3 began at the Cape May County Zoo. It was super-extreme-ultra-hottness, but we gave it a quick go since it's free and they have new baby snow leopards and an albino alligator. Score!



Hitting the beach was a must after the hot zoo...Ry went boogie boarding and "face planted" in a big wave - Phil somehow managed to capture the moment.


When we got to the boardwalk we attempted our annual boys-on-a-bench-on-the-beach photo. It was sunny...maybe not the best time to do it...but we managed to get a few good pics.


Here's Cole on the ferris wheel:


Phil & the boys on the log floom:


Riding the "Superman":


On the walk back the skies looked a little ominous. Needless to say we scooped up the kids and ran home before the lightning started.


We finished the first Harry Potter book and stopped pre-storm to get the second one. Ry wasted no time diving in...then he flipped to the end to read the last chapter. This is something I do almost every time I read a book...looks like he inherited Phil's dashing good looks and my impatience. Sorry Ry!

Happy Birthday. And Grossness.

We had a joint birthday party for our youngest guys and Phil's friend from The Big Bug Show came out to wow the crowd.



I think that the kids both loved it and were horrified by it at the same time - as evidenced from this picture below.


Part of the show had the kids eating bugs - a few ate the larvae worms and Ry ate a chocolate-covered cricket. Um, ew.


Although she's dressed like a princess, she's eating a worm. Now that's my kind of princess.

My two-year-old chowing down on the cake (bug-free)...

And my almost-one-year-old living the dream in Icingville.

At the end of the day we asked our friends to take a family picture. I wouldn't say that we're in full compliance, but we're getting there.

Happy birthday to my youngest babies! P.S. Please stop growing up so fast.

Catching Up On Pics: Ryan

Ry has been oh-so-happy to declare himself a 1st grader. He's really into reading non-fiction books right now - which is great until he asks me to read to him. Not really my cup of tea to re-learn the Periodic Table or dissect the inner-workings of an atom.

Luckily, he's also into Harry Potter, so I've got a little bit of an out.

Sunshine On My Shoulders Makes Me Happy

Today was Mother's Day and it was filled with it's share of ups and downs.

Down: Phil had to work.

Up: He didn't start until 10 am so he got to hang out this morning. Before he left he took this pic of my boys on the front porch with the flowering bush in full bloom. Happiness.


Down: He called about 5 minutes after he left to let me know that his car died, it needed to get towed, and I'd have to drive him to work. In the city. With 4 antsy kids. And the potential thought of having to buy a new car.


Up: We picked Phil up from work and had dinner at Ruby's Diner. On the way home we stopped at the Brandywine Battlefield to watch the sunset. Wrapped up in a blanket with my boys on a bench watching the sun go down...a spontaneous moment remembered for a lifetime.