The Adventures of KJ & The Dreamy Giraffe

Adventure #109: KJ Smells Like A Science Project

Dear You,

(The above is my two-for-a-few-more-months -- yipes! how fast they grow -- niece, Kaylee, or rather, a painting of her, which was a Christmas gift for my sister, or was supposed to be, but I didn't get it finished until May, so I actually gave it to her on Mother's Day.  And, to be 100% honest, it's still not completely done -- Note to self: change the color of the shirt to pink!  Note to everyone else: Kaylee is much cuter in real life and, not to knock my skills as an artist, but I really don't think the painting looks like her.  Everyone else says it does, but I think I got something wrong.  Maybe with the eyes?  Anyway, I think it's much harder to capture someone you actually know on canvas, but I can't figure out just why that is.)

Anyway!  I intended to write this yesterday, but yesterday was not such a good day.  You can read more about that here if you'd like, but this post is not about sad things.

This post is about happiness and smiles and days that are good.

This post is about Kaylee, whom the day before yesterday, told my sister, "Mommy, you smell like a potato."

Then, asked what other people smell like, she responded, without hesitation, "Kathy (that's what the K in KJ stands for) smells like a science project!" and "Mimi smells like a painter!"

I do not understand though, why my mom -- Mimi -- smells like a painter!  I totally should be the one that smells like a painter...whatever that smells like, exactly.  See this?

That is an actual picture of a section of a pair of my "painting pants" -- I am the one that smells like a painter, dang it!  :) Proof!:

By the way, when Kaylee was last here and saw me in those pants, she asked, "Are your pants painted on, Kathy?'

And when I said yes, she told me I need some different pants.  (Strangely enough, though, the other leg has next to no such acrylic embellishment!)

Oh!   And, by the way, what does Kaylee think she smells like?

"A princess!"

Of course!

KJ

P.S. I finished the "Sweet Dreams" painting!  This is the second one I've done where the girl has her eyes closed (prints of the first are here).  Eyes are such a huge part of my work, it surprises me how much I love these eyes wide shut girls.  I definitely want to do more and have ideas for several!  Perhaps I'll get it scanned in properly this afternoon and can show the completed painting off. 

Adventure #105: KJ & A Month Of Sundays (& Saturdays, Too!)

Dear You,

I was SO productive this weekend and I'm positively bursting to show off what I got done.

But I can't.   It's a big commissioned project, that's sort of a surprise, so I have to keep zipped lips for the next month or so, and it's killing me not to be able to share!

But I CAN show off the art I did the OTHER Saturdays & Sundays this month.

A few weeks ago, my 2 & 1/2 year old niece, Kaylee, spent the weekend at my house, and we painted (okay, I just put the colors she picked out on the brush --- she did the rest):

Drew circles and houses:

 

Traced her feet, hands, and whole cute little self (which is much, much, much cuter than the outline would indicate!):

And did projects (that's what she calls any art that's not painting or coloring):

She seems to be developing quite the creative streak already.  And not just when it comes to art!

The other night, she, my mom, my sister and I were at Red Lobster, and she got out two little packets of creamer and was pretending that one little packet of creamer was The Mommy and one little packet of creamer was The Daddy and was making up this little dialogue between them (one of them kept asking if they could go to Monkey Joe's tomorrow and the other would respond "SURE, we can!").   The funniest point of the whole show was when she dropped one of the creamers one the floor and look at us and said, "I want a new daddy!"

Adventure #88: KJ & The Price Is Wrong

Dear You,

Just in case you aren't up on your daytime gameshows, yesterday was the first episode aired of "The Price Is Right" hosted by Drew Carey (who also hosts (or hosted) "The Power Of Ten").

Kaylee (my niece) loves "The Price Is Right" (which she calls "Bob Barker") and was not pleased by this change.  She kept saying she wanted to see Bob.

And when her mom (my sister) explained to her that that was "The Price Is Right", she said, "No, that's "Power of Ten"."

And let me clarify: This child JUST turned two.

Anyway, Mr. Carey, if you're reading this, I"m sorry but basing this solely on yesterday's reaction of one toddler to you taking over for Mr. Barker, the outlook for your career as a game show host really looks pretty grim.

Ooh, and MiMi (my mom) told her that we would send Bob an e-mail telling him Kaylee missed him and then all day, Kaylee kept turning to me with this very serious face and saying, "Send Bob e-mail."  Perhaps I will...I think he'd like to hear about his littlest fan (who is right now sitting in my lap saying, "Kathy sending Bob an e-mail.")

No pictures of big-eyed girls today, since I'm without access to my scanner, BUT The Giraffe's Away Sale is still going on in le shoppe.   Just until tomorrow, though!

Love,

KJ

Adventure #66: DearEST Kaylee

Dearest* Kaylee,

This week, you are 22 months old.  When the above picture was taken, you weren't even a full day old.

I've been saying and saying and saying I wanted to start (& keep) a Comprehensive List of Cute Things Kaylee Does since, well, since you started doing cute things, which I'm pretty sure was about three and a half seconds after you were born.  Wait, no.  I DO remember you once kicking my hand through your Mommy's tummy, and that was VERY cute, so I guess I should've started the listmaking even before your birth.

Here is some of the most recent cuteness:

You like to talk to the baby in the door.  This is not new a thing.  But now, when the door is closed, and you can't talk to the baby in the door, because the baby in the door is on the other side of the door, you'll grab the doorknob and say, "See the baby!" You've also begun asking the baby in the door, "Baby, are you oh-KAY?"  And you don't even get upset with the baby when the baby doesn't answer you.