Just Me.

Self Portraits for Theme Thursday. Click through to The Land of K.A.

Imagination

I have often said that Sarah lives 90% of her life in her imagination. She only ever has one foot in this world, and the other firmly planted in a castle or in the Banks's house from Mary Poppins or who knows where else.

She is always singing or talking to whichever imaginary characters are passing through her play. Anything that is remotely vertically-shaped becomes a person: pencils, chapsticks, spoons; she rarely colors, but instead stands up the crayons so they can talk to one another. She carries around unsharpened pencils as people.

Often she tells me she's the "mom" (and that unfortunately I'm the "grandma.")

She fills purses with necessary accessories and strings beads around her neck and clomps around in heeled dress up shoes.

Sarah is connected with the spirit in every thing that we adults just pass by. She befriends animals and pats flowers and talks to trees.

I know that someday she will come down out of fantasy and have to surrender to reality. But until then I will enjoy watching her imagination unfold.




Imagine what else you may find when you click over to The Land of K.A.

Fall, Fall, When will the Temperature Fall?

I love the fall. I love the food, the baking, the leaves, the back-to-school, the new TV shows, the bright blue skies, the pumpkins, the ample photographic opportunities, the weather--
Wait, not the weather. It is still hot. I don't know why, but when did October become the new late summer? Our windows are open, but the temperatures still hover above room temperature. I am still sweating every time I run the oven to bake and I still have to wear T-shirts with no layers. My kids are still wearing shorts and sleeping with their windows cracked and little sweat beads on their foreheads. I know that I will probably complain when it is too cold all winter, but please, I want to enjoy fall!

Fall into more posts at The Land of K.A.

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!

Changes

My girl has always been MY girl. She is mama's best friend, sidekick, hip-attachment. When there is an opportunity to choose a parent, she will always choose Mama over Dada.
Who will give you a bath? Mama. Who will put you to bed? Mama. Who will you scream at while kicking and flailing on the floor? Mama. And as this little Mommy-clone grows up, she has learned the power of manipulation. The power of sticking it to Daddy that he is not The Preferred Parent. Making it obnoxiously clear by pushing away Daddy's kisses, refusing his affections, and teasing, "No, Mommy!" at every opportunity.


There has been a change in our household, a shift in the placement of one little girl's attention. Maybe it's because of Daddy's extra efforts, maybe it's because she's realizing that being mean isn't paying off, maybe it's because Mom's not so exciting anymore. But Daddy has lately become the object of Sarah's affections. She sat in his lap and told him a 20 minute long story about touching the radio at an Easter party. She sits in the bathroom with him on her little potty, singing and reading books. She asks Daddy to come play dollhouse with her.



And he couldn't be happier with this new found friendship.




Theme Thursday: Change; click over to The Land of K.A.
Also, it's Love Thursday at Shutter Sisters; click to share the love.

Spirited

The spirit of two.

Theme Thursday at The Land of K.A.

Memories

Yesterday morning was one of those times with Sarah where she was sweet and snuggly and voluntarily giving me kisses. She was fresh out of bed, and eager to spend time with me in my bed. It was one of those moments with her that I hear my own voice screaming inside my head, "Remember how sweet she is! File away that smell! Touch her cheek again, remember that too!" My baby is almost two years old and the land of little girls is upon us. There is no more baby to nurse all night long or baby to dress with no argument or baby to babble at me. There is a strong, independent, princess-loving girl in my midst and I just want to hold on to these sweet, snuggly moments with her a little longer.

Stacy at The Land of K.A. is sharing some of her memories for today's Theme Thursday!

Glow

I know there are so many different interpretations of the themes each week, but this week I could only picture the glow from a window. Especially something from this recent set of my Sarah sitting on the toybox, "eating."


And I thought I'd throw this one in there too. There's something about this I just really like.


It's Theme Thursday and Stacey is glowing.

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.

January Contrast

This week we had several warm days that sent us outside to play, wearing short sleeves and (me) flip-flops. Quite a contrast to our normal January weather.


I just love taking picture outside. The light is always perfect and bright, the colors are rich, and my subjects are usually content to ignore me and my camera. The only downside about photographing in January is there are no pretty flowers or plants to take pictures of.


See more contrast themed photos over at The Land of K.A.



P.S. It's also official delurking day! leave a comment and let me know you're reading! I'll be trying to comment as much as I can today to let you know I'm reading your blogs, too!

Pretty in Purple & Pigtails

Theme Thursday: Color

Can so-cute-I-can-hardly-stand-it be considered a color?

(I just had to include this one!)

Click over for more takes on today's theme: color. Stacy is hosting at The Land of K.A.