Laundry Mat

Waiting for our laundry to get done, I snapped some pictures of my Lex. I was completely surprised by how well they turned out. The lighting was almost perfect.

This is one of the shots I fell in love with. The color picture looks great, but then I was reading a weekly news letter which lead me from one site to another and I tried this technique. I changed it to black and white and then in Photoshop added a warming tone to it. I really really like the finished result. There is no other touching up on the picture other than the coloring.

 

I need to start snapping pictures of my son. It looks like I only have one child.

Who knew?

That actually reading the manual would give you hints and tricks. Last night was Lexy’s birthday and in all the mounds and mounds of info that my camera came with there was a little flyer on how to take pictures at a party. Well what do you think?

When I saw it on my screen I was dancing. Perfection…. With some cropping. Read your manuals!

First outside pics

It was nice out, semi warm and overcast, and we stepped outside for a few shots before school. I definately like shooting outside better than inside with flash. Unfortunately Pa weather does not allow for it every day. Otherwise I would never come home.

In the great school debate, it seems that I am dragging my feet. Not really sure which direction to go in. I have to make a choice and get to it. Because I have absoultely no business sense whatso ever.

 

I just realized I refered to overcast day as nice weather. Yup photography is for me.

Dance class

I asked Lexy’s dance teacher if I could come in and snap a few pictures of the kids. See if I could figure out how to snap moving kids. I got some really cute shots. I did notice that most kids are very aware of a camera, and they can not but help but look at you and smile when they think that you are going to take a picture. I take my kids for granted, because they both are so oblivious to the camera. I can get great un posed shots of them doing what it is that they do, but there everytime I tried to snap a good action shot, the subject would turn and smile at me.

I am not sure if I can post other kids on a blog if you do not have permission from the parents. I mean, they are my shots and the teacher gave me permission to be there, but how would I feel if it was my kid on someone elses website with out me knowing. So I will show some of the great pictures once I get permission from the parents.

I feel safe posting this one since you can not see anyones face. The funky chicken.

How funky is your chicken?

A New Idea

I have been kind of lacking in the blog department. Things like facebook have taken the need out of having a blog or a family site, since if you want to see pictures or know whats going on facebook gives constant updates. And if you follow us here or the actual site, then you are friends with us on facebook.

My life has been moving in a different direction as of late. I am trying to transition from stay at home mom to someone with something valueable to add to the work force, all the while picking a career that I would love AND would give me ample time to still do the things I love with the kids. After the last 8 years of being part of their daily lives the idea of missing a school program or soccer game to cater to a corporate ideal is heartbreaking. I started to think about my future. People have said to me, your crafts are great, you should do something with that. Well there are several problems with that, the main one is that people will not spend the amount of money that it would take to make my crafts a real income. And the other is that I put a lot of love into what I make. If you got something as a gift from me that was home made, I thought about you the whole time. When I have had to make things for people that I have sold, things for people that I do not know, they were hard to make because I had no connection to the person. I can not mass produce.

I have been told that my baking is wonderful and my cupcakes look fabulous, I should start a bakery and sell them. Same thing applies, sure I can make the money off of them, but I love to bake and having to do it every day for people would kill it.

So I sat trying to think of my other love, photography, as a way to have another income in the house. And I think I can make that work.  Mostly because my income would not be a house hold supporting income, just a secondary income. Being a photographer of babies, kids and possibly weddings would give me the flexibility to be there for my kids, but also an income. It was decided, I want to be a photographer when I grow up.

Now the hard part come actually doing it. And that is what I would like this to become, my journal of how I get there. It will be nice to see in a few years how far I progress.

So here is a day one picture.

November 5th

Holy cow, I have had a revelation. I am going to have an 8-year-old son. Wow where did the time go? I think about all the joy that little smiling face has given me, and I know that I am lucky and blessed. He is my little man, and there is no way I can get across in writing how much I love him.

Things this week has been kind of blah. Nothing much going on. I think we are in recovery mode from Halloween. I am about ready to throw the candy out. I have been snacking more than I should be, and I am sure that if I wasn’t I might show a loss this week. But no, before I realize what I am doing, I have a hand full of skittles and twizzlers. What is wrong with me???

I have been asked a lot, what is going on with Tim and I, after all the last time I was really blogging I thought that we were over. Well we have been working on our marriage. Actually working, it is kind of nice. Thing that i realized was that if there is something wrong with this relationship, it is partly my fault too. After all marriage is supposed to be a 50-50 deal, well that means 50% of the blame is mine. So I started to make little efforts and then he started to make little efforts, and now we are at a point where I am looking into the future and no longer looking at the end. Good news, right.

Gryffan and Lexy, Halloween night

November 1

Well I did it, I ran my very first race. It was amazing. It is something that is so hard to describe. I truely feel like I shed part of me, and a whole new person is emerging. I was slightly nervous, more excited though. I ran my own race, I finished with a time of 36, something, I forget the exact seconds. Which for me is the best time I ever had for that long of a run. I will tell you the only time I questioned what I was doing was right at the begining, when the air horn sounds, and everyone takes off. I thought, “Holy shit, What have I gotten myself into?” But I still ran, and I ran the whole thing, I did not stop and walk once. The best part was coming into the finish line and seeing my kids. Lexy and Gryffan cheering for me. I felt so proud, proud that I was showing them by example things you can accomplish when you put your mind to it. Here is a few pictures from the race.

 

I have a secret, October 20th

I have a secret that I have only told 4 select people, yet feel comfortable enough sharing on wordpress. lmao I am thinking about running my first 5k. I was reading the paper yesterday, which I never do, and I saw a little blip that Mt Carmel has announced the times for trick or treating in the Boro. On the bottom there was info on the parade, that Lexy’s dance teacher wants her to participate in. Under that is info on a 5k in Mt Carmel, but there is no other info on it. Why is this odd for me, well normally I would have stopped at the trick or treat time, because I already knew about the parade. Then the strange thing happened, I asked Tim about how to find out information on the run, and his first suggestion was to call. I am NOT a phone person. So we check it out on line, and miracles of miracles, the one thing that works on the MT Carmel website is the run info. Then I really got motivated, it says that it is a pretty easy course with a slight incline at one part. Hmmmm (insert song from Beauty and the Beast, “the wheels in my head have been turning”) I ask Tim to come for a ride with me and we go off looking for the trail, low and behold they actually have the trail marked for cross country. Why is this so odd, because Mt Carmel is the laziest town/ high school ever. And they actually have something done. Looks pretty good, other than the slight incline is pretty steep. But the track I run on is not flat, so I think I can handle one hill. Well I hope I can. Today I go out to see if I can run it. I am determined to do it. A 5k is 3 .1 miles, and I have been running 2.5 the last few weeks. Should be easy to get another half mile in, considering I am not out of breath after that. Sounds so un- me. I have always been out of breathe for everything. This is so huge for mem I have never done anything like this before, not to mention, running in front of people? Oy, I am going to have to strap the girls down good. lol

Here is a picture of Lexy in her halloween costume. We went out on a photo shoot on Sunday. Not sure about the hair yet, and I still have to work on face paint.

Kids can be so mean!

This is stuff that I have had nightmares about, as I am sure every mom does. The point when you hear your child being picked on by other kids. You have to try to control yourself, as it is unacceptable to go over there and kick a 9 year olds ass, but every part of you wants to. Really Really wants too. The other day after karate the older boys were leaving the changing room and the kid turns and says, “your wierd.” to Gryffan. Sure “your wierd” is not the worst thing ever, but can be the start of self doubt. I ask Gryffan, what was that all about, and his response was that Gryffan was talking about bakugan, as any 7-8 year old would do, and the older kid was not into it. I told him a, bakugan is the biggest freakin thing right now and he is so NOT wierd for liking it. I mean that would be like saying you were wierd for not liking Back to the Future in the 80’s! And b, being wierd is great, being normal is boring.

Today we were talking more at the bus stop, because I was concerned for him. I do not want him to have a miserable childhood because of other kids. I want him to be confident in himself. So I asked if when he goes to his gifted class is he wierd there.

“No, we talk about cool things like how to build rockets out of stuff”

“See those are your friends, your equals and they don’t think there is anything wrong with you. Who is your hero, your very favorite person?”

 ”Albert”  Yeah cause we are on first name basis with Einstien! 

“Don’t you think he was wierd in school?”

 ”Yeah probably”

 ”And what about Tony Hawk, I bet he was definately not normal!”

 ”Yeah mom and I bet Adam (from MythBusters) was picked on all the time”

“Yup bud, I bet”

 ”And the guys from TAPS were probably always talking about ghosts too.”

 ”And look at them Gryffan, they are so cool now. Being weird rocks. Normal sucks. Don’t let someone make you feel bad for being wierd.”

I told him that there are people all over this country who think that he is cool. He says “Really” ”You bet buddy, adults too, wish they could be more like Gryffan.” I told him he has his own fan club. The Gryffan Rocks, wierd is cool, normal sucks fan club. And he got on the bus with a smile. I hope that this conversation sticks with him. I hope that he is strong mentally to deal with these kids and the things they will say to him. I hope I said the right thing, and can always make it a bit better for him. Because normal really does suck!

October 10th

Why do they go and change good shows and make them goofy. For example the Ghost Whisperer. Seriously I am a fan, or was a fan. Then last year they get all goofy and this season no better. Ugh so frustrating.

Today was fun. We had a soccer game in the morning, and it was not to bad. I had to be assertive with a parent form the other team. He was coming on the field to yell at his son. I told him to get off the field, he gave me some lip. Then I went to the coach to tell him to back the parents up. I was all ready to kick him right off the field. But my kids did GREAT! I am in love with my team.

Lexy’s game was good too. She did well, I can not wait till she is in U-8. Once they start working together instead of just clumping the ball, she is going to be a star. She will not fight for the ball.

I was playing around in photo shop. I could work for those inspirational poster company’s.