May was, again, busy. There was the first meeting of our Girl Scout troop. Also a graduation ceremony to attend. There was a class trip to the zoo, a Mother’s Day celebration, a visit to the farm, a yard that needed trimmed, Family to visit with, groceries to get, and lot’s and lot’s of other normal things mixed in as well!
As a result, we had a lot of images to choose from. Still, a few stood out as my personal favorites and I’ve included them here, each with a little commentary. 
Mae was so funny. She wanted the birds to land on her, but did not want them on her head. Too many tales of bird flop stuck on people’s hair and clothes, I guess
Still, she was pretty pleased with herself when they came to land on her, even though she had no food to give them. Plus it made her look pretty darn cool in front of her friends from school, considering none of them seemed to be able to get any to land on them.
~•~
The yard needed mowed. The bushes needed trimmed. The mower needed fixed. The bikes needed maintenance. Really, everything needed a little TLC after all the odd weather we’d had this winter/spring… So all four of us, motivated by responsibility and the promise of ice cream (for the little ones), went out and gave the yard heck, just in time for Memorial Day.
While Jas mowed (and I steadied him on a couple of passes), the girls and I trimmed the jungle outside the fence, cleaned up twigs, toys, and stray debris from the front yard. Then, we all made a trip for burgers and ice cream in Liberty, by way of Five Guys and Baskin Robbins.
This panorama was taken just after we got home in that waning light between late evening and night.
~•~
I try to take at least one pic of myself each month, straight on like this with no fancy angles or lighting, just so I can look back in 50 years and say, “Man, I wish I was doing as good now as when I thought I was a wreck then!” 
Actually, I take them so I have some sort of record of how I aged. So that my daughters can look back and say, “I remember when mom looked like that! That was about the time she took us to the zoo and we saw the hippos sleeping at the bottom of the pond.” Or they can think to themselves, “Maybe that is what I will look like when I’m 35.” Or maybe even, once I’m dead, they can look back and think of me as being there with them for a few minutes.
~•~
This was taken at my mother’s farm in rural Northwest Missouri. As sweet as the image is, I have colloquially called it “Tick Hunting with Mae & Miranda” as both girls were warned before hand and garnered several ticks out of the deal. Of course, they also found a nest of baby bunnies, a frog, and scared a few snakes out of hiding as well… Yay for the farm!
We were visiting in honor of mother’s day and to pick up some donated supplies from my mother and my aunt. We also ended up visiting my aunt’s farm to see her and her baby chicks and roasting marshmallows on an open fire by the end of the night.
~•~
The coins the children begged off of me at the small arcade in our local pizza haunt. Who knew shiny new quarters could bring such joy?
~•~
The girls received these slippers for their birthday from Aunt Mary, the Great. They love them and wear them a lot. So, when they sat side-by-side on the couch, with them pulled all the way up, it was just too cute to miss.
~•~
I call this one Marabou & Feathers. We were perusing the aisles at the local craft store, when Thing 1 comes around the corner with this on and tells me that I should take her picture. So I did. First her way, then mine… I think it turned out pretty well.
~•~
