The Moment

This is how we spent all day yesterday:We watched, excitedly all morning long. We monitored various news channels and web sites, we Facebook-ed and Twittered. Our kids waved flags and danced around. And we celebrated a new day.

Who Are They?

My little family has settled into a nice little rhythm. My babies are old enough now (and have enough new toys from Christmas) that they entertain themselves pretty well and play with each other pretty well. We are getting back into the daily routine and eating good food, carving out enough time to get grocery shopping in and cook together. After the holidays we're back to early bedtimes and regular fruits and vegetables. They are learning to clean up their own toys and help around the house.
Jack even took it an extra step when he was working on earning another car:

He cleared his dishes from the lunch table and then pulled a chair up to the sink, rinsed his plate and cup, then washed them by hand and set them with the clean dishes.
You're welcome, future-daughter-in-law.

And then this one:

She chose to wear pants and not a dress for the first time in months. And she let me braid her hair and left it alone for several hours.

Who is she?

Reason #45827 My Son is So Smart

Yesterday I was trying to set the TiVo to record the Muppet Christmas special. There was a schedule conflict with Gary Unmarried.

Me: Sorry, kids, we can't record your show, it's on at the same time as a Mommy-and-Daddy show.
Jack: Is it that Unmarried show?
Me: Yes, how did you know?
Jack (who is 4 and cannot read): It says so right there.

Jack (who has no knowledge of the fact that marriages can end): How did he get unmarried?
Me: I don't know sweetie.
Jack: Maybe he threw away his rings and got rid of his wife. Or maybe he went to a church and got un-married.

Overwhelmed

The lack of posting has been due mostly to laziness. I was doing really well posting every day for November until one day I forgot. Then, once I forgot once it was really hard to get back into it.

And every time I went to post, I didn't have any photos to add since I have so many just sitting on my hard drive taking up space waiting to be edited or deleted.

And now this week I've been sick and actually stayed away from the computer - I know, I really didn't feel well.

And now we're having bunches of company this weekend and my illness and subsequent spousal illness has brought all preparations to a halt.

But - my Christmas Tree on Facebook has some ornaments now, so there are some successes around here.

Here are my adorable children during a field trip to the Air and Space museum, which I took them to by myself after being dropped off, so there was no possible early escape in the event of a meltdown. We had a great time. And four year old boy + big airplanes = AWESOME.

Jack can now read the word, "Lockheed." Once we studied it on this very first airplane, he could read it on any other sign in the place. He will also tell you that this Black bird is his favorite.

The barrettes in her hair? Stayed in during this very first exhibit, then they were ripped out with a handful of hair and stuffed in my pocket.


One of the highlights for Jack was these cases of model planes. At the first one he had me read the names of every plane in the case, all thirty or so of them. He also would like me to know he would love to have some of these to play with at home.

Leafy Fun

Best Shot Monday is at Mother May I

A Year Ago...

Just for fun, let's look at some photos from November last year:

Sarah was still fully into her "grumpy period" and on this particular morning, her saint of a brother was trying so hard to cheer her up. He held her hand and helped her get whatever toys she wanted and showed patience that far exceeded his 3 1/2 years. Oh my gosh, he was only 3 1/2!!!

Feeling better with every "favorite" animal or baby they could find, she was happy, then, to pose for a few pictures. Oh my gosh, she looks like she still had gaps where teeth hadn't come in yet! And her hair was so short!

This is a picture of a bag we were decorating for dad's birthday and this was the first time without any help that Jack wrote the names of everyone in our family. Now he writes with smaller letters and can spell many words and now almost always follows our names with our last name.

Boo!

The princess wouldn't wear her crown, the storm trooper wouldn't wear his mask, nor carry his blaster, but they had a great time!

I don't know who enjoyed themselves more...the kids with their bags and bags of candy treats or the dads with their wagons filled with potable "treats" just for dads...

Best Shot Season

Fall is unequivocally my favorite season for photos. The skies are bluer, the colors are more varied and the cooler temperatures makes everyone more comforatble outside. This weekend we had the opportunity for a much needed day of family adventures. Just the four of us, we set out with no real immediate destination, took the scenic backway and visited a lot of our favorite Maryland spots.

We started at the Washington Monument State Park which has a short uphill trail leading to a big stone monument with a great view. Sarah fell asleep in the car, so my husband dutifully carried her up the hilly trail and even all the way up into the monument where she woke up at the top, confused and wondering how we would get down from there.


We continued on for Halloween costume shopping, an ice cream snack and a visit to another park. A wonderful, fall family day.

Click for more Best Shot Monday at Mother May I.

Photography is not about light. Photography is about life.*

Every time I read or hear that photography is all about light, I am a little discouraged. Not because I disagree, but because I don't really know exactly how to manipulate, use, or adapt to the light in a situation to get a certain result.

But I can capture life:


*This post at Shutter Sisters quotes Brooks Jensen.

Monday

I just love watching these three together.

More Best Shots today at Mother May I.

Summer

This summer has been a really good one. My kids are at really great ages.

Four is just the right age for getting to do fun stuff and being able to enjoy it and articulate and converse about it. Four is also such a great age where I get to hear Jack's take on things. He has his own ideas and thoughts and way to see the world.

Two has been challenging, but for Sarah and I two has brought language where before there was only crying and fussing and grumping. Sure, there are a lot of tantrums and throwing oneself on the floor, but at least there are words to go with it, so I can chuckle as I stand my ground that no, when you throw your first snack on the floor I'm not going to serve you another. But in other ways, two has been charming and delightful. Sarah lives 90% of her life in imagination. She is constantly talking, telling stories, comforting her babies, being a princess, and who knows what else, since I don't understand half of it. But she is such her own person who will not be swayed by anything you say or do and in fact will make a stand to do the opposite of whatever you want her to do (and thank goodness for reverse psychology, it is my number one tool for two).

But I have really enjoyed this summer. It has been hectic and busy, and my children have really mastered the art of sibling bickering, but we enjoyed being together as a family a lot.

I love this one, can't you just see the steam coming out of her ears?Oh, and the yell, the "I do not like something with every ounce of my being" yell.

Today's Theme Thursday is Summer, click over to see everyone else's summer photo wrap-ups.

Sunshine!

Lots of full sun photos this week. the rain finally let up and we're back to spending hours a day outside. The kids play and I spend time fiddling around with my flower beds and snapping photos of every little thing that strikes my fancy.


Stacey has more sunshine-y photos at The Land of K.A.



I need your help:

I am looking to put together a collection of my work to print, mat and then show off for possible sale at a small store that features local artists. I would really, really like your input on what I could (or should) include (or not include). I hope to get some different eyes and perspectives looking at my photos.


For starters, I created a Portfolio set. This includes some of my favorite photos that I added after a quick flip-through of my Flickr photostream. These are just the ones that I really like, but don't neccesarily have to be included. From this set:



You also may want to think about photos from this Town set, as the shop is in this small town and perhaps these kinds of photos may have a market there. From this set:


Please pour through my Flickr stream and let me know what you like (or don't like). I'll certainly share with you the feedback I get and we can hash it out together.


You may want to check out:
Photos from my yard, flowers, my Photo 101 set, photos with stand-out color, or you could just pour through the whole darn Flickr stream.

Also, one more question: I put a black border around the dragonfly picture not thinking about printing it. Now the image has been flattened and the black border is part of it. I tried to edit it again, but am not sure if I got the colors to match or not. What do you think of printing a photo with a border like this? Do you ever do it? Is it more artsy? Does it show off my mad Photoshop skills because I can draw a straight black line?

My bloggy friend, Dawn, recently featured her work in an arts faire and asked for input. I really liked trolling thorugh her Flickr and picking out the photos that spoke to me. It was a really fun exercise and I think she got some very useful feedback. So, since I saw how much input she got, I'm trying the same thing here.

Spring

Spring. It's finally warm and my children are playing for hours and hours outside until the early hours of the evening when they are walking around half falling over with tiredness.





And, I just love these:
I went out one morning, early, right after a really hard, soaking rain.


I'm finally posting on Theme Thursday again! Click over to Stacey's and see the rest!

My New Home Away From The Computer

Since spring is finally here we've been spending hours a day outside. We built a play set (I use the term "we" loosely), we planted some flowers, we played and played and played. And while I'm really enjoying that there are no dishes to do while I'm outside, there is no laundry to fold (only clothes to get really dirty), there are no floors to sweep and very few toys to pick up, there is also no computer. I have a whole bunch of things I do when I'm not interacting with my children 100%: a whole mess of chores and house stuff, but also blogging, emailing, photo editing, and then throw in treadmilling and TV watching and there's not enough time to fit it all in. What I'm saying is, some of the things that I can do around the kids while inside (dishes, laundry, checking an email here and there) I can't do while we're outside. Which is wonderful. I am spending time with my children uninterrupted by electronics or mundane, boring chores. But then when we come in I still have to do the mundane, boring chores and the computing gets pushed to the side. So, sorry, Mom, I know I haven't posted since Easter, but I'm raising happy, healthy children in the glorious dirt and fresh air. And taking lots and lots of pictures like these:







Click here for the whole set.

Monday's Stirrings

My husband is learning to play the guitar. And Jack is studying his every finger placement, the way his right hand strums along the strings, the way he holds the neck, the rhythm to which he plays. Jack loves to watch his dad's every move to file it away to duplicate one day himself.

::

I am not very sneaky with the camera. My family goes about their business and when I notice a moment that demands to be captured, I have to run around (usually to the dining room table), grab the camera, make sure the card is not still in the computer, possibly throw on the flash, check the ISO and make sure I didn't leave it on some weird setting, then dash back compose up the shot and fire. All the while, sounding like an enormous, clumsy buffalo trying to tiptoe up behind my subjects. Not quite the stealthy, graceful, silent photographer I intend to be.

::

Tracey is stirring up sentiments in her best shot today. Something about the high emotions and exhaustive energy needed to mother a four year old. Hmm, I think I can relate. Click over there to see all the incredible bets shots this morning.

Cool Kid

The really cool thing about my boy these days is that he doesn't really "interfere" anymore with the things we like to do. Let me explain: With a baby, you have to stop what you are doing and then attend to what they are doing. And they are two totally separate activities. You wouldn't be changing a diaper, serving goldfish crackers, or listening to the Veggie Tales lullaby CD for the millionth time if you didn't have the baby. On a Sunday night, hypothetically, you would be making nachos and Cup o' Noodles and settling in your bed to watch the two hour finale of American Gladiators. (hypothetically).

But, the almost-four-year-old? Helped me make nachos, opened the package of Cup o' Noodles for me and snuggled himself right between my husband and me to watch his favorite Gladiators, Wolf and Helga.

And the really cool thing? He can watch this kind of show and not violently freak out in a we-really-shouldn't-let-him-watch-that-stuff sort of way.

Good Mother Disclaimer: For the record, it's not what I would normally deem appropriate TV viewing for the preschool set, but it was way better than the Jeff Dunham DVD my husband tried to watch first!

P.S. You should so send one of these Valentines before they take them down!

A Few Things About My Boy

A few of things about my boy:

He had his first real "reading" this week. He can "read" his name and Sarah, Mom, and Dad. But he was coloring the other morning and pointed to the words at the top of the page and said, "go, go." He could read it. We've never studied the word, "go," I've never pointed it out to him. But he figured it out along the way and he knew what the words at the top of the page said.

:::

Also, he says letters have "uppercase" and "downercase."

:::

And with a heavy sigh, I tell you the next amazing thing about him. Jack loves to change his shoes. (This isn't why I sigh, that's the next paragraph; this is actually quite charming). He loves shoes. He changes shoes at least 3 to 4 or more times a day. In any given day he will wear flip flops, snow boots, sneakers and dress shoes. Some shoes are in the bottom of our coat closet and he often will sit in front of this closet debating the next shoe choice. I get impatient with him because when he sits with that door hanging open, Sarah butts in there and pulls random stuff out or Jack will catch a glimpse of something else he will want to get into and it will just cause more mess for me to clean up.

Yesterday morning I was impatient and had said several times to him to close the door already. He knew I was getting irritated and said, "don't be mad at me."

I stopped. I don't ever want him to think I'm mad at him. Of course, in his 3 year old way, he was very honestly telling me he didn't like the way I had spoken to him. He didn't think I was mad at him in the way adults get mad, saying mean things and sulking. But that was how it felt to him. And I need to be a little more patient with him. There will be a day when I'm not cleaning up the shoes from the closet ten times a day. So I'll just have to live with it until then.

Love

It's Love Thursday at Shutter Sisters.

I took an old favorite of mine and spruced it up with a new black and white conversion. The movement and blurriness (technical terms) are SOOC, but I added the crop and B&W in Photoshop.

The original is here.

Winter

It snowed! It snowed! I love a snow day. I love staying inside and baking something and being all cozy and snug.

My son, of course, prefers to play outside:

Making snow angels



Catching snowflakes



And, our snowman.


More winter at The Land of K.A.