Extremely frustrated

A year and a half ago, I took this cutie petutie's picture in January when she turned 2 out in the snow by the river.  When she turned 3 six months ago, I said enough's enough, I've got to start her portrait!  My cousin showed me a new technique that I may love by the end of this, but when he scanned the picture, it didn't get the right dimensions.  This may not have fazed my talented cousin, but it's put me in a tailspin!  I've worked on the drawing part of her portrait, ever so slowly and it's all done, but the face, which was horrible.  So I measured it all to figure out the whole scale is off!!!  There is no way that I'm drawing the whole thing over and I'm trying even to not redraw her whole face.  Most of her face was pretty accurate, (I think- I'm still trying to figure out what all is skewed on it).  For sure one eye is all wrong and I'll tell you what, have one eye the wrong size or too high or tilted a little wrong and it makes her look like a space alien...  at the same time, maybe she does look a bit off at times. 

I should have done this picture, you would have never noticed a deformed eye!  I told Brian that's why Picasso drew crazy faces!  Faces stink!  They are so fabulous to look at and so expressive that it's about impossible (for me) to capture it.  My goal is to finish her portrait before school starts.  Preferably before I go to Stoon in Aug.  But that may be pushing it.  At this point, I'd be glad to just get to the paint part.  I think it'll be fun then again.  So there.  I've let you have all my frustrations... I'm going to go pray over the canvas again and tell it to get in line!

Now that we are well, we were able to finish up swim lessons.  I'm proud of the dynamic duo.  They did good.  It was a bit of a fight with Ivan, but he picked up and improved a lot (plus he really was sick- I just never know!)  Dominique is a fish and has been begging me for more lessons and to swim everyday.  Today it was cold and windy and she was the only one in the lake (shivering too!)  But then, I was the only one who did laps, so I understand her.  Lucky for Dominique, the teacher forgot their badges today and asked us to come get them with a free class Fri.  Dominique is thrilled.  Ivan not so much, but he actually did only get 4 classes, since at two of them, he skipped out half way through feeling sick.  So now I need to come up with another way to bribe him out there Fri.  Hopefully it'll be warm again and maybe I can convince some cousins out ;)

This one is so strong willed- I am usually quite amazed at how strong she is!

This was when Ivan had his other front tooth.  He has a huge gap now on top and a third loose up there too.

How is your summer going?  Do you have a favorite thing yet?