Something So Simple

It's really very easy to get lost in your bubble as life passes you by. I know I do it all of the time. It's obvious that others do as well.

I see it every time we hit the trails for a long bike ride.

As we pedal our way along the river, I see people with their noses stuck in their smart phones. They are completely oblivious to the beautiful skyline at their side, thereby proving once and for all that smart phones make people dumber. I swear the simple act of texting while walking can lower a person's IQ by 20 points.

I understand the allure of headphones, but so much happens when you're immersed in a cloud of loud music. I see people missing out on baby geese trying to honk for the very first time, the roar of the crowd at PNC Park after a home run, and the laughter of children playing at the water steps.

Every time we ride I see people rushing to and fro with their heads buried and their shoulders hunched. I see parents dragging kids, urging them to walk faster. I see people who are completely missing out on so much as they try to quickly make their way to their Next Important Thing.

But then I also see a lot of people who stop and notice.

Alexis is quite the sight as she pedals her little bike attachment as fast as she can. It's a Frankenstein sort of bicycle built for two that she rides, her portion white while Mr. Husband's portion is red. Mismatched or not, it's an arrangement that works well for her. She's able to keep up for 20+ miles, happily pedaling when she wants and checking out the sites when the urge calls her.

Mile after mile she sings at the top of her lungs, chatters endlessly as only 6-year olds can do, and does her very best to fill every possible moment of silence. She does it all while donning bright pink and orange Hello Kitty sunglasses and a funny little bike helmet with bunny ears.

It's hard not to smile when you see her.

It makes me happy that so many people take notice of her special brand of crazy. It's certainly not everyone, but every tenth person or so pauses for a moment and follows her with their eyes. Each time there is a long moment of thought followed by a huge smile. It's really hard not to smile when you see a kid blasting joy at their top of their lungs while dressed in a way that is so very uniquely "Alexis."

Have you paused to smile today?

Getting Dressed with Hens and Chicks

Sometimes I procrastinate a project for years and years and years and then a neighbor destroys my entire excuse for procrastinating. GAME OVER.

For YEARS (literally) I have been saying I was going to make a little plant ball (technical term, obviously) out of hens and chicks. Alas, I didn't actually have any hens and chicks so I kept not doing it. Our neighbor has hens and chicks coming out of her ears, though, so she gave me a whole bunch. I didn't even have to ask. They just shows up. SCORE!

As luck would have it, they showed up just in time for me to finally tackle another project.

That's my beloved wrought iron tree. Isn't she lovely? Naked, I know, but still lovely.

You know what a naked wrought iron tree needs? A ball of hens and chicks.

I started by acquiring one of these things:

I think I found it at Michael's, but JoAnn's or Hobby Lobby would have them as well.

I cut a hole in the top of my grapevine ball.

And then stuffed moss and potting soil into that hole. Basically, I lined the entire inside of the grapevine ball with moss and then stuck a whole bunch of potting soil in the middle.

It was a messy little project, but when I was done stuffing moss and dirt in there, I had a nice, neat "pot" for my hens and chicks.

I planted little hens and chicks in as many nooks and crannies as I could by wiggling my finger through the moss and making a little hole then pushing the hens and chicks roots in there. I used wire to secure a few that didn't seem to want to stay in place. When I was done...TA-DAH!

A little beaded wire made it easy to hang from my naked wrought iron tree.

So now my wrought iron tree isn't totally naked. I'm thinking the hens and chicks will have completely filled in by the time I hang something else up there, but that's OK. It can be a race.

Total project cost: $6. You have to love when you can score free hens and chicks!

What I've Been Doing

In the past few months, I have played in the park with a gorgeous little Yo Gabba Gabba fan,

swam in the most amazing blue eyes,

sniffed tiny baby feet,

fought the urge to kidnap the sweetest little girl,

helped deliver fantastic news,

marveled at the love between three sisters,

adored the most amazing full head of hair EVER,

and celebrated a miraculous milestone with a perfect little girl.

I'm now booking photo sessions for June 2012. Since you are kind of enough to read my words here, you can get a special price. Just mention that you saw "the Burgh Baby special" and you'll get a a 45-minute photography session at the location of your choice, a CD with 5-7 images, a print release, and a professional quality 8"x10" print, all for only $150. That's over $200 off, just in case you and math are on the outs these days. Contact me for more information or to schedule a session.