Friday

Five on Friday?  This moment?  Am I still blogging?  Ha!

Is it really already the third week of June?  Where is the summer going?  I have three weddings I haven't blogged, photos of my own kids to print,  I'm doing a 30 day photo challenge on facebook, just finished a book trilogy that sucked my days clean, finished my first quilt (thanks, Ali!) and my house has yet to get a spring cleaning (as in ever).  We saw Stinky Feet at the library today, got some fun clothes for the 4th of July parade, and splashed a little in the spray park.  My husband and I were given tickets to a Sarah McLachlan concert - wow, can she still sing, and wow do we feel old. ;)

The middle baby got a fat lip from her brother last night, and the baby still cries in just about every photo where I'm not holding him.  The oldest has decided he isn't too old for Disney cars anymore (whew), and I still need to rename this blog, because I don't really condsider it to be just a "photography blog" at this point. 

Here's some fun links that are speaking to me right now...anyone have any other links to share?

A Simpler State of Mind from Creative Mama.  Yep.

Soulful Mothering with Anna Maria Horner (guest post on soulemama) - sharing space

When Should My Child Begin Music Lessons? from simplehomeschool


Have Yourself an Inspired Little Summer from simle mom

Reversible Hood tutorial from made

And a little moment to share, about the above-mentioned boy who decided he isn't too old to play with cars (which makes mama happy):

30 day photo challenge - day one: self portrait

  yep, I'm using my iphone camera for all of these.  ;)

this moment

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

  older brother and sister were in VBS during the mornings this week, so the baby of the family got some time at home all by himself - free reign of the house, no one to take toys away from him, and mommy's undivided attention. ;)

summer

  I love the beginning of a new season...new hopes, expectations, plans...spending a little too much time here (especially now that it's an app on my phone) has me brimming with ideas for the summer...

The kids and I are making a summer bucket list - things we want to do this summer, places we want to go.  It's fun to get their input, and while it isn't nearly so elaborate as this or this, or even this, it's nice to just have ideas written down on a piece of paper. 

I'm also considering what I can do to inspire my creative brain a bit this summer, which seems to have some winter cobwebs still in place. ;)  I picked up the book iphoneography, and have really considered doing more with my iphone because it's just so easy and is always with me!  I also got a fun book from Shutter Sisters, Expressive Photography (got it a while ago, ahem), and may do some exercises out of there.  I'm thinking of getting started with this simple 30 day photography challenge...anything to get me moving again.

What are your summer plans?  goals?  creative sparks?

catching up...

 ...someone finished their last day of preschool.  ever. *sniffle*

 ...someone just turned three (and is, apparently, the long-lost twin princess sister of Guy Fawkes)

...and someone is mastering the fine art of throwing temper tantrums. ;)

this week...

  Happy Mother's Day!!

five on friday, resurrected

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Another week of sickies.   And cold, nasty wind outside.  So I've spent most of the week with a kid on my lap, a movie on the tv, only my iphone within arm's reach, and a little bit of guilt that the firstborn would never have had a picture like this taken.  16 months old and able to say "Elmo."  Sigh...

I'm just a little slightly less addicted to pinning things on Pinterest, but kinda missed sharing links, so I picked a few of my favorites...

31 days to a better photo series
I need a little something to kick start my creativity...I think my iphone has become my default camera ;)

create coloring books from your own photos by photojojo

free tie-tip beanie pattern

one charming party
The middle baby's birthday is coming up.  The oldest starts planning his next birthday party the day after his birthday, so I don't have  much creative sway there, but the middle one is pretty flexible.  Now, I'm not one to go overboard on parties.  Finger foods, cupcakes, maybe a favor if I'm lucky, but it is fun to see some of the different ideas out there. 

simply ten good things by soule mama
sometimes it's nice in the midst of fevers and dirty houses to think of all the good things, and then I realize how hard it is to stop at ten

play-dogh

pbs kids

sunshine

cuddles

coffee

a little bit of time to myself

chubby thighs (the baby's, not mine)

imagination

sidewalk chalk

library

 Thanks for being part of my little world, and not judging my youngest plopped in front of the tv. ;)

first haircut

happy easter

I thought I lost these...

 ...from last October, right after he turned 5.  I can't tell you what a wonderful surprise it was to find them on an old memory card I never use anymore.

these moments (catching up)...

  I took a trip to visit a friend, and it felt like she was right down the street again

(although my two-year-old was convinced I spent four days at the airport, since that's where they dropped me off).  It was just what I needed. 

we all got sick, then got better, then the kids got sick again

we've been spending a lot more time at home, partly from being sick, and party because it's just nice to not feel like you're in a hurry all of the time, you know?

 

On a completely unrelated note, I'm thinking of changing my "photo" blog into a more universal blog, since I have more about my own kids and knitting and other random stuff than photography.  But I can't come up with a name.  Ideas?

this moment

  I was hoping after taking a few weeks off blogging I'd come back with some profound moment to share.  Something like I see on other blogs, with children making masterpieces, or my beautifully decorated house.  What I have is...

 

a pile of dirty dishes

sore quads

a teething, coughing baby who's going to be accomanying us on our date night tonight

a toddler who is so ready for summer she's been wearing her bathing suit for three days straight

an entire roll of toilet paper unraveled on the bathroom floor, 

which is what the toddler was doing when she should have been taking a nap and thus...

no nap and a meltdown ready to happen

no motivation for a clever April Fools joke (see last year's here)

Happy first of April.  :)

the artist

 It's been a long couple of weeks in our house.  Colds.  Three cases of pink-eye.  Ear infections.  Spring Break spent on the couch.  The last few days the sun has come out of the clouds, eyes have cleared up, and there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel.  The baby girl decided she wanted to draw.  And paint.  I love how focused she can be, choosing different colors, trying them out on her arms (good thing they're mostly washable)...

 I haven't had the energy to take photos lately, but just finished an e-course by Angie Warren called "documenting the details."  It was the creative nudge I needed to pick up my camera again and snap a few of the middle baby's creative process. Love this girl. :)

this moment

{this moment} 

A Friday ritual. 

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. 

A simple, special, extraordinary moment. 

A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

I just realized how long it's been since I posted anything.  I got really engrossed in a book, and completely "unplugged" for a couple of weeks, and then realized how nice that was.  I just answered a few emails from my phone, didn't keep up with facebook (sorry for everyone whose birthday I missed) or other blogs or pinterest or much of anything.  It was actually hard to get back on the computer again.  Part of me just wanted to stick it in a corner and never plug back in to the Internet...does anyone else ever feel that way? 

The weather here has been all over the place - a record cold one week, t-shirt weather the next.  I find that I tend to hibernate inside the cold times, letting my kids watch more pbs kids than normal.  Fortunately, my middle baby loves to go outside and has no problem bundling up on the coldest of days to play in the sandbox. And here's the baby, already outgrowing his luttle snuggler bought for the winter...

...how quickly they grow.  I hope you're enjoying the last weeks of winter.  :)

Happy Valentine's Day

a big shout out to Sherri for the lovely template (as usual), and Jen for the pictures of my kiddos...how lazy am I?  I let other people do my entire Valentine's card this year! ;)

this moment

{this moment} 

A Friday ritual. 

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. 

A simple, special, extraordinary moment. 

A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

I'm not very good about the "no words" part. ;)  This week's moment brought to you by fellow Albuquerque photographer Jen. This is my baby, to a t.  Head on my shoulder, sucking his thumb.  I took her up on a Valentine's mini shoot, and while I wasn't planning on being in any photos, I did shower just in case...the baby doesn't do well when I put him down, and sure enough, he was happiest on me.  Thanks, Jen. :)
 
 

 

This moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. (SouleMama blog)

I'm sorta cheating, cause this was in the snow day collage, but it's little and crammed in there, and I really love it and want it to stand out all on its own...

And I'm not posting weekend links because I'm finally pinning on pinterest - check it out!