The girls and I had a playdate out in Hot Springs this morning with 5 other mommies and their kiddos. We visited the Botanical Gardens to take some spring pictures with all the beautiful tulips. The gardens were amazing and surprisingly enough I was able to get a few good pictures.

Evelyn is so sweet with Aurelia and Aurelia just LOVES Evelyn. It's no problem to hold sissy for a few pictures. Can't you just feel the love???

Evelyn in a sea of tulips.

So many pretty flowers make for a happy toddler!

Aren't these just amazing??? There were SO MANY colors and they were EVERYWHERE.

Yay for nature! (for all you tree-huggers we love so much)

Evelyn and her gal pal, Ella.

This picture - and the one above - are courtesy of Chandra, who happens to take some pretty awesome photos.

After we had our fill of tulips we headed down to see the GIGANTIC Koi swimming in a beautiful pond fed by this pretty little waterfall.

Not sure what to make of the fish at first...

...they were pretty large and impressive.

It didn't take long for Evelyn to warm up to the fish and go take a closer look. She was laughing so hard that everyone around her couldn't help but laugh too - those funny Koi.

Chandra also took this last fabulous picture of Evelyn. When I saw it for the first time I couldn't help but laugh out loud. She truly captured my baby with this one single shot.

Look what I found on our camera...a photo shoot of our girls that Jason took! So fun!

Before we get started I have to disclose the fact that Evelyn took quite a fall the other morning. While I was getting Aurelia in her car seat Evelyn decided to try Daddy's running shoes on (while still wearing her own) and somehow lost her balance and landed head first on the tile floor. It was awful. The bruise on her head swelled up instantly to the size of an apricot. Jason and I rushed her to the ER and after many tears - on my part - we left the hospital with the doctor's reassurance that Evelyn would be just fine.

Having written that...you'll notice a pretty tough looking bruise on her little baby forehead.

OK - moving forward. Picture #1:

Notice Aurelia holding Evelyn's little hand - precious!

Still holding it...

Close-up of his girls.

I guess Jason had to get creative and give Evelyn a bowl of cereal to keep the smiles coming.

Such as this "Elvis" impersonation.

"Hey Daddy - some more pictures?"

"Well I'll smile for you."

A few outside pictures with his Evie.

This picture goes out to Uncle Kevin Zieber!

Evelyn kept me company while I folded some laundry the other night. She decided I wasn't entertaining enough so she picked up "Military Officer" and got caught up on the war's toll.

"Are you taking my picture?"

"Seriously Dad. I'm trying to read here."

"Fine. Let me strike a pose. Cheese!"

Reading Sissy a book before bed. ADORABLE.

What's all the fuss about? I'm just reading my favorite book to Aurelia. That's what big sisters do.

My girlfriend, Chandra, and I took the kids to the zoo this afternoon - it was a glorious day and we just had to be out in it - especially since we're supposed to get freezing rain tomorrow - fantastic news.

It's hard holding your large, so-not-compact camera while pushing a stroller, channeling your inner pack mule due to a diaper bag overflowing with all your baby "essentials," keeping tabs on a toddler who refuses to stay in the stroller AND capture every adorable and memorable moment with your camera - so...here are the few I was able to snap.

I thought this was really cute.

Aurelia wasn't that impressed.

She could not, however, deny this adorableness. Look at that pucker kiss sass. Love it!

A picture for Daddy with his pink flamingos!

Evelyn and Ella keeping it real and practicing the buddy system. Cuties.

Boy do we love giraffes! Such elegant creatures with their long, beautiful necks.

At this point I knew it was time to wrap things up and head on home. For those who have not yet witnessed Evelyn telling me "NO" - this is pretty much what it looks like.

One last photo to nicely end this post.

If it wasn't for that beautiful, charming, singing, dancing and mesmerizing nanny, Mary Poppins - you wouldn't be reading any of these blog posts. She is my absolute saving grace - able to entertain both the girls and allow me to escape for a few minutes to the computer so I can share these adorable pictures...of the girls...watching Mary Poppins.

Evelyn was too excited at this point to merely sit...she had to stand, point, squeal and dance to the farm animals singing "Jolly Holiday." Really though...how COULD you sit?

The next day...Evelyn decided to take it easy and put her feet up while Mary Poppins, Bert, Jane and Michael jumped into a street painting and went on a fox hunt. She was kind enough to smile for the camera.

Aurelia assumed her usual position in the jumperoo and was pretty thrilled when Bert rescued the fox...for the millionth time.

Relaxing and enjoying the show.

Jump to a few days later...

Aurelia hasn't been feeling too well due to some congestion in her chest, which interferes with her ability to breath, which keeps her up at night....which keeps me and Jason up at night. This particular afternoon she just couldn't stay awake and absolutely refused to sleep in her crib. So what did I do? You guessed it. I put on Mary Poppins and went to clean the dishes.

This is how I found my precious little baby.

She was fast asleep until the click of the camera shutter and the brightness of the flash woke her.

And then of course Evelyn, not to be left out, came over for a few poses.

And then required a private shoot of her own...all the while unable to break her line of sight from Mary Poppins.

Meanwhile...back on the couch...good ole' Mary lulled my baby back to sleep. God Bless her.

After the dishes were cleaned it was time for the bankers to sing their "Fidelity Fiduciary Bank" song. Let's just go ahead and admit it's a boring song and trying on daddy's flight boots is a much better way to spend 3 minutes and 33 seconds.

"That's right - I've got them both on. Now where to go?"

"How about back to Mary Poppins. Those bankers might be done soon and I don't want to miss the chimney sweeps!"

"Whoa...it's a little farther than I thought."

"I'll just sit down and take them off here...and look adorable doing it."