My favorite little cousin asked me to snap a couple of pics of her and her boyfriend last weekend. I readily agreed because my little cuz is GAWGEOUS and I knew that it would give me some great practice. We began shooting in the house, with a few shots here and there. I was working hard to get my lighting and focus down just right and Hubby, well, he and Grandpa D were working hard at distracting me. See anything wrong with this picture? Other than it being not the greatest... Look between the lovebirds...

Thanks Hubby. You are pure, comedic genius. Stay the frick out of my photos. Anyhoo, just to prove that some of the photos turned out decent (without Hubby or Grandpa D included), here ya go:

What a sweet and patient couple they were. Even through the verbal tauntings of Hubby and Grandpa D.

Posted by Mommazilla at 09:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

What makes a good storyteller? In my book, it's someone who can keep Gun-Gun enamored for more than two minutes on end. It's someone who will listen to their audience and then make adjustments as necessary, so that their two year old little fans will keep listening. I was surprised to learn that I had an excellent storyteller in the midst of my own family; in the shape of a Grandpa....

You can't help but believe that Grandpa D is, hands down, the bestest storyteller in the whole, wide, world. Just ask Gun-Gun. I bet he'll agree. Gun-Gun thinks his Grandpa D is pretty neat - and I think Grandpa D returns the favor.

Posted by Mommazilla at 10:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

There's nothing better than sisterly love, especially when they're best friends and horseback riding buddies. Happy belated Mother's Day to my favorite mom and aunt. the dynamic sisterly duo.

Posted by Mommazilla at 11:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

My daughter is the epitome of a princess...

She takes care of her loyal subjects with a steady hand...

Or even a firm hand, at times:

She makes sure to do her share of upkeep on the royal grounds...

But in the end, she still knows who her true King is...King Hubby.

All hail, Princess Taterbug.

Posted by Mommazilla at 05:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I thought I had this mom thing down up until about two years ago - around the birth of Gun-Gun. My older two chillins' were thoughtful and kind and most importantly, we could go out and act like a normal family without fear of being asked to leave public places. And then along came Gun-Gun... He refuses to hold hands in public, likes to throw food, and is fond of pinching unsuspecting waitresses. He's the reason we never see a complete movie and the cause of concerned looks due to pubic displays of random screaming - actually shrieking, would be a better word.

My mother-in-law swears that we are once again raising Hubby in the form of his youngest child but at the same time reminds me that Hubby didn't turn out all that bad. Afterall, I did marry the punk.

This morning, I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with my pair of heathens and enjoy the Karma brought about between the two of them.

Twins?

Posted by Mommazilla at 02:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Over eight years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to be a mother. I remember bringing home Taterbug from the hospital and suddenly realizing what a huge responsibility Hubby and I were undertaking...and how we were pretty sure the hospital wouldn't take returns should we change our mind on parenthood. Kidding. We loved our kids from the start and it was the kind of love that saw us through colic, teething, ear infections, and any other random act of discomfort that caused unending crying or whining. All the smiles, first words, funny sounds, and slobbery wet kisses made up for any temporary discomfort we might have experienced. I love my kids more than anything else in the world and I can't say enough thanks to Hubby for giving them to me.

While our life as parents is full of butterflies and gumdrops, I did have a moment to reflect upon the harder times - the times when I'm reminded of how fragile and demanding they can be. How late night dreams and scary outside sounds can talk any kid into thinking a serial murderer is outside their door - and the persistent request that they need to sleep in mom and dad's bed, be honored.

The Culprits:

Taterbug's gonna need a gallon of conditioner for that hairdo or hairdon't:

For a tattooed little punk, you'd think C-dub would be a little braver:

Happy Mother's Day!

Posted by Mommazilla at 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)