Sandbox or Ricebox?

At the beginning of the summer, I decided to get Nora a sandbox. I wanted her to have something fun to play with outside. I imagined countless hours of fun in the sun... But it was not to be. Mostly because I found out that Nora does not particularly like anything on her feet. It's no wonder, as she asks to wear her shoes at every hour of the day -- even wanting to sleep with them on in her crib, to which I draw the line. In this, she is not her mama's daughter.

But before I filled the sandbox, I did some research and found a lot of people advocating for rice instead of sand. Something about inhaling the tiny particles of sand, and also that it is easier to clean off of a body than sand... I had no reason to doubt their expertise. So, I went out and bought a big bag of rice (cheap rice, at least).

It really was nice that it didn't stick to sweaty arms and legs the same way sand does. And I actually loved it... for all of two weeks.

Then, one day, when I pulled off the lid, I was met with a foul-smell and quickly discovered that the rice had somehow gotten wet and was rotting. A few days before, we'd had a big storm that seemed to send the rain sideways, and I'm pretty sure that's how the rice got wet. And I quickly saw why sand beats out everything else any day of the week. I'm only writing this because some of you may have seen those great ideas on Pinterest of riceboxes (like me), but unless you figure out a way to keep it sealed air tight, don't waste your time or money.

As you can imagine, I had to scoop out the rice and clean the box all up. Thankfully, Nora was content to play in the dirt beside me. It is now full of sand, and she still does not like to get inside. She finds other ways of playing with it -- like carrying handfuls over to the water table. Not quite what I'd envisioned, but if she's happy, then I am too.

         

I'm noticing how terrible the quality of these phone pics are. Gross. 

Derek & Linda | Maternity

Oh, I had the best time with these two! Linda positively glowed with joy and Derek was surprisingly willing to ham it up for the camera. In fact, he directed us around more often than not, looking for places he wanted to take pictures at in DC. I loved it! And every time I told them to "give a good fake laugh for the camera"they were such good sports and, sure enough, the awkwardness turned to genuine amusement. I love it when it works out that way! I tell you, with every shoot that I do, I love more and more the opportunity to catch those sweet moments and freeze them in time to be remembered forever. Priceless. 

And since taking these pictures, Linda and Derek have had a beautiful baby girl. She is a lucky little girl to have such fun-loving parents. Hope you enjoy the pics! 

Carson | Newborn

This post is a tad late, but better late than never! Between house remodeling, nannying another little girl the past two months, and a crazy summer schedule, I've barely had time to check my email! Can't complain though, because all of the business has been a very good thing. Isn't that what summer is for? 

Anyway, back to the little cutie below: I had the pleasure of meeting little Carson when he was not even two weeks old. He has the most amazing hair I've ever seen on a newborn, naturally styled in the latest fashion too. And holding him was a sweet blast to the past, making me want another little baby in my arms right now -- seriously, I've completely forgotten about all those sleepless nights and frantic tactics to help a baby calm down (I used to do full-blown squats for Nora. It was the only thing she liked... and it was short-lived, let me tell you). But, when you're holding eight pounds of perfection, all of those other thoughts just flit away. 

Just see if you can look at these pictures and not agree: