This is a picture of my oldest at 6 months. Her eyes were always so perfect. She has huge eyeballs, and perfectly painted eyebrows. I adored when she looked up at me. Today, she still melts my heart looking up at me with those sweet baby blues. The pink bink is so perfect in this picture, she spent most of her first year rocking a Playtex Binky. Those things were like gold to find, so we would stock up every time we found them.
~Venetia
This is one of my favorite photos ever. This is my Great Uncle Joe, Great Uncle George, and Grandad (Calvin). This photo is in front of a covered wagon, and the original has a weird ghost kid left over from old-school pre-Photoshop photo editing. My granddad's family was very poor, and real life Oakies (like in "The Grapes of Wrath"). They left the dust bowl of Oklahoma during the depression and worked as sharecroppers in northern Texas. Joe, George, and Calvin stories were always riotous tall tales of their misadventures and near death experiences. Back in the day, it was fine to let your kids run free across the countryside, play at logging sites, and nearly kill themselves by knocking over stacked logs. Of course, there was also stealing moonshine during prohibition, which of course their dad said he was "giving right back" to the owner. I miss hearing the many stories my granddad told, he was a masterful storyteller, and lived so many misadventures.
~Venetia
This throwback is from 2009, when the daycare lady grabbed me for a mommy and me photo at dropoff with my youngest. Of course, I am rocking the barely-dry hair and no makeup look. Budge is still in her bald phase, which ended early in her 4's. She looks about as awake as I do. Apparently, 6:30 am is not the best time for a photo shoot for either of us. I love the bulletin board in the back with the I can do photos. This particular year, all the infants were only a few weeks apart in age, so there weren't huge age gaps, and everyone was meeting milestones at about the same time.
~Venetia
This throwback is of my oldest. The cool thing about being the oldest is that you get to knock your parents down a peg regularly. We had a wood stove, and were very careful to fence the area in order to keep her safe from the fire. This did not keep me safe from the fire, I managed to burn the heck out of my hand at least once a season. Seriously, I should have some sort of permanent scar or deformity from hitting the top of the inside door with alarming regularity. The gate also did not stop an inquisitive toddler from borrowing kindling regularly. She quickly figured out how to pull herself up upon the bin, and maneuver the sticks out of their cage. This was merely the beginning of her incredible problem solving skills.
~Venetia
This throwback is of the most perfect, lovely child to ever grace this planet, ME! My Grandma Mona is carrying me, obviously telling someone else how incredible I am. Look at those hands! I have got the gangsta style posing down. Clearly, a gifted infant. I have to give my Grandma props, her makeup is not dated, she looks gorgeous for any time. She still is as stylish today.
~Venetia
Oh my. This throwback is all sorts of awesome. I am so rocking those sunglasses. Where did I even get sunglasses and a purse? What did I put in said purse? I'm like 14 or something here. I look properly vampire pale, since I had acclimated to the Pacific Northwest. Look at that rad shirt my mom is rocking, I am positive there are sequins on that bad boy. We are on a riverboat in New Orleans. I remember it was freaking hot, so I look appropriately wilted.
~Venetia
A sweet photo of my dad and his dog. I can't remember the dog's name, but I think it was Queen. This photo is a perfect reflection of his early life as a farm boy. Could those suspenders and hat be any cuter?
~Venetia
Another wintry throwback. This time, my oldest is more approving of the snow. For Western WA, this amount is typical. We get static from the real snow states for shutting down for so little, but usually there is a sheet of ice underneath or on top of the snow, making driving awful.
~Venetia
Here is a little throwback for those of you stuck in the wintry mess east of here. My oldest, Addie was not remotely amused at her first introduction to snow. I'm guessing many of you are empathetic to her reaction.
~Venetia
~Venetia