one more thing

love in the midst of a shoot

2011-09-10T06:17:00.000-07:00

messy summer hair
comfy clothes
warm sunshine
unconditional love
yep, that just about sums up this moment in timelovely, isn't it??
Princess A has no clue I am there watching and loves with all of her heart while Queen V sees me and pastes on a quick smile.... they played for hours together this hot summer day under this pecan tree
I still have the buckets, cars and shovels under the tree to remind me of this moment while I ran around getting pictures for a client and her moving cards.All in the midst of my trying to get a little work done there is love of my children that pulls at my heart. I think I will leave the buckets only for the girls to have a moment under our pecan tree again when the weather gets a little cooler.

boyfriends and girlfriends

2011-09-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

I have a best friend.
He has a girl friend.
She likes me more than she likes him.
So she sits next to me during lunch.

and yet they are still best friends....
gotta love this logic of kindergarten boys. wonder if his best friend knows all this?

tactile learners

2011-08-25T07:44:00.001-07:00

So we need to learn again.. Mr. T is now in school... I can't believe it. I am doing some research to understand where he is and where he needs to go. We already knew he was a boy on the go. He even told us so. "Dad, I just like to go and do." Out of the mouths of babes, right? He knew and told us. Why don't we listen more to our children?? Makes me wake up when I hear it again from an adult. Anyway, so this post is about learning a new way- tactile or kinesthetic. Here goes what I have found so far. I am sure there will be more.

Micheal Farris: some children retain their strong tendency toward learning through their sense of touch. These children are known as kinesthetic, or tactile, learners.

If your child is a kinesthetic learner, he is active and hands-on about everything, including learning. He is probably very athletic, energetic, and uses lots of gestures when talking. Of all your children, he's the one that just can't seem to sit still. He's in perpetual motion and touches almost everything he sees.

Your kinesthetic learner may be your greatest teaching challenge, simply because most traditional curriculum isn't designed for him. Workbooks provide visual learners with things to see, and storybooks give auditory learners things to hear, but you're going to have to be creative in giving your kinesthetic learner things to touch. Use real pennies or an abacus in teaching math. Don't just tell him about evaporation; put some water on to boil and let him feel it!

http://child-1st.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/02/kinesthetic-tactile-learner.html

Colorful Queen V

2011-07-22T05:08:00.000-07:00

Queen V in a moment in time this summer... I love how I found her just looking so pretty.
It's like a vision of what is to come in the future...
confidence
colorful
standing out among the rest
love my Queen V

curiosity

2011-05-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity.
~Eleanor Roosevelt

Field Day for Queen V

2011-05-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

My favorite part about field day this year was being with Sadie. She is very, very funny. She makes me laugh.
Tug-of-war was my favorite sport. We won second place!!!
I got ribbons for tug-of-war, hippity hop, and golf ball search!
-Queen V.

Latin Mass at St. Mary's

2011-05-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

I am what is called a cradle Catholic. I was Baptised as an infant- like only 3 weeks old- and have gone to Mass every weekend since that time. I have missed only a handful of times since I received that sacrament. The only times I have missed have been when I had major surgery due to endometriosis or the birth of my 4 kids. I take pride in knowing that even when I didn't "feel" like going I went. If Jesus could go into the garden hours before he knew he was going to be crucified I can give one hour of my week to Him to thank him for the gifts and graces I have received. It is how I feel and what I teach my children...

Even though I have gone to Mass every weekend I had never attended a Latin Mass. The order of the Mass changed before I remember anything going on... my oldest brother and his son offer their services up to the Lord by helping with Latin Mass at St. Mary the Assumption on Magnolia in Fort Worth. I went when my nephew was confirmed. It was quite different than how I attend Mass. I will have to go again with my brother so he can explain it all to me. My mom, of course, knew it all since this is how she celebrated Mass all through her childhood and young adulthood. It was very reverant and I can't wait for my brother to explain more to me since he understood so much more than I did.

Good Friday

2011-04-22T16:35:00.001-07:00

I took my girls out of school today... so that they may learn about our faith, about our Lord who gave his life for them.
They were not too happy about it- they wanted to be with their freinds. I understood but asked them... Do you know what was happening to Jesus at this hour?? Do you know what happened to Jesus as we were having our breakfast?
And then started the story of our day and how we went so casually about it. I ran a timeline of our day versus what happened to Jesus on that Good Friday.. the first Good Friday. Lady G sank a little in her seat, listening intently, Queen V asked more detailed questions, Mr. T was busy checking out his new toy car that Queen V brought home from Junk Day and Princess A listened more than I thought she would... answering with "oh, no!" or a "gross!" It was an interesting ride to church to say the least but I wanted to impress upon them that the world is bigger than them.. bigger than their school where their friends are- where the fun was so they thought. This day is not about fun but about reflection. A reflection of our lives, as Jesus' life and how ours are so intertwined and it is GOOD to stop and reflect how important this day is to us, to our family, to our faith.

What do you pray as you go about the Stations of the Cross? What do you say to Jesus? My kids, still being kids, are looking for guidance as to what to say to Jesus...
This was the last prayer we said before leaving the silent church:

Behold, O kind and most sweet Jesus,
I cast myself upon my knees in Your sight,
and with the most fervent desire of my soul
I pray and beseech You
that You would impress upon my heart lively sentiments
of Faith, Hope and Charity,
true repentance for my sins and a firm purpose of amendment,
while with deep affection and grief of soul
I ponder within myself and mentally contemplate Your five most precious wounds, having before my eyes that which
David spoke in prophecy of You, O good Jesus:
they have pierced my hands and feet,
they have numbered all my bones.

Holy Thursday

2011-04-21T07:03:00.000-07:00

and Jesus went into the garden to pray all night..

Learning Christ
Teach me,
my Lord,
to be sweet and gentle
In all the events of life-
in disappointments,
in the thoughtlessness of others,
in the insincerity of those I trusted,
in the unfaithfulness of those on whom I relied.

Let me put myself aside,
to think of the happiness of others,
to hide my little pains and heartaches,
so that I may be the only one to suffer from them.

Teach me to profit by the suffering that comes across my path.
Let me so use it that is may mellow me, not harden nor embitter me;
That it may make me patient, not irritable.
That is may make me broad in
My forgiveness, not narrow, haughty and overbearing.

May no one be less good for having come within my influence.
No one less pure,
Less true, less kind, less noble for having been a fellow-traveler in our journey
Toward ETERNAL LIFE.

As I go my rounds from one distraction to another,
let me whisper from time to time,
A word of love to Thee.
May my life be lived in the super-natural,
full of power for Good,
and strong in its purpose of sanctity.

Girls on the Run!

2011-04-16T05:48:00.000-07:00

Queen V and Lady G have been training for a 5K. Yep, a 5K. Amazing, isn't it?? It's not just about the running though. This training that they have done has prepared them for so much- finding and setting and keeping goals- who doesn't need that? Perseverance... big word for such little girls but with the world ahead of them this is not just a good thing, but a great thing!
Completion- to find, set and complete goals- long term and short term.
Friendships- who runs, who helps, who cheers another on.. even for the little things
Family- to stick together.. find comfort in family, to confide in one another

They had their cousins as running buddies... from playing at Gran's to being able to hang out with each other as they get older.. I hope they stay close!

You bring back memories...

2011-04-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

Little guy, you crack me up. I see so much of your granddaddy in you at times. You never met him but you put your hands in your pocket like he did to find your coins. You love to have coins in your pocket. Your grandaddy always had coins in his pockets.

You are quick with a smile... even when you are being bad.. especially when you are being bad.. you so have my number. When you know something like a smile will get what you are wanting. I am on to you, too, though!

simple times

2011-04-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

May the sun shine, all day long,
everything go right, and nothing wrong.
May those you love bring love back to you,
and may all the wishes you wish come true!
~Irish Blessing

red, white and a whole-lotta blue!

2011-04-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

under a Chinaberry tree we found the most lovely patch of bluebonnets. It was a dream with the fence, the two barns and lots of shade... I could have had an entire day spent here with Princess A. This was the day to teach her how to walk in the bluebonnets so they wouldn't get trampled....
very carefully she stepped through them. There was a perfect patch here and there to allow for little feet to step through and pause just long enough for me to catch a few photos.

Eight is GREAT!

2011-03-04T07:52:00.000-08:00

With Rosebud tucked in her arm our beautiful Queen V turned 8 this year. We are so blessed to have you in our lives!!

Your 8 favorite things are:
toy: Rosebud
color: green
food: spaghetti followed by chocolate cake with chocolate icing, icecream in a cone with lots and lots of whipping cream
song: Bubbly
vacation spot: Wisconsin
game: solitaire
animal: horses
number: 11 is heaven!

Big Bug's Bad Day

2011-02-20T08:48:00.000-08:00

Big Bug had a very, very bad day. Can you imagine having allergies if you were a bug?? How horrible would that life be??

Queen V and her friend were amazing butterflies! Princess Butterflies to be exact. They each came up with their own lines, their own costumes, own props.. it was so much fun to see it all being pulled together.

They had to come up with a problem- as a team- and come up with a solution- as a team. I know some adults that can't come up with solutions to every day problems and this group of kindergarten through 2nd grade did just that!! They were creative in how they did it but knew their purpose of how they wanted to accomplish their task.

How cute is this group?
They had a mad scientist, a baker, Princesses, a stage manager and of course, Scary Gary.. the Big Bug with the Bad Day!

Pie Contest

2011-01-22T06:01:00.000-08:00

look at all those lovely pies!! How could you resist being a judge for this?? Kids, mamas and daddies made these lovely concotions for the school Hoedown!

and the waiting for the judge to like it... hope he does!! Come on, Mr. K... like my pie!

oh, and the shirt Lady G is wearing her daddy wore when he was little boy- cute, huh??

Shoot OUT!

2011-01-12T06:10:00.000-08:00

so I walk into the gym JUST in time!! I caught Lady G's bestie shooting and she makes it!! whohoooo!!! Go E!

and on to Lady G!! she plays a little on the driveway at home with Daddy but this is for a title!! not to spell HORSE!
the set up

she shoots!

and she makes it!! goal!

Neither of the girls won a title but boy they sure had fun!!

Texting... oh my... here we go!

2011-01-07T06:36:00.000-08:00

I think we entered tweendom.. yep.. we have a tween on our hands.. not quite a lady, not a little girl any more..
how on earth did this happen?? She really is becoming quite the young lady before our very eyes. While I am excited about what the future holds I am nervous also... lots of changes headed our way I am sure...

Mother Mary,
Pray for us as we enter a new chapter in our lives with our young daughter learning more about the world!
Amen!

a-b-o-r-i-g-i-n-e

2011-01-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

#19. That was your spelling bee number. Not the first, not the middle, not the last.. some where towards the end though..

You would stand, listen to the word given to you, and look up.

and then sit and wait to be called again.... letters being missed one way or another and you would look out at me with eyes seeming to say, "are you seeing this, Mom? Do you see I am getting to be one of the last ones?"

The practice and looking words up again and again has paid off! You were one of the top 4 kiddos to be a part of this year's spelling bee. Even though you did not win- to your sister- you were a winner! She was inspired by you and now is reading the dictionary.. waiting to be a 5th grader and be just like her big sister.

You and a classmate went back and forth a few times.. and then the word came.. ABORIGINE. I wasn't even sure how to spell this word.. is that with an "ie" at the end... is there a "u" next to the "0"
I didn't know it.
You didn't know it.
but that is OK. You are still a winner to us!! Way to go, Lady G!!

May Your Wishes Come True...

2010-12-31T11:53:00.000-08:00

May the sun shine, all day long,

everything go right, and nothing wrong.
May those you love bring love back to you,
and may all the wishes you wish come true!
~Irish Blessing

Happy New Year to you!!

one more day of 2010...

2010-12-30T20:13:00.000-08:00

what a year this has been!
I hope to add more pictures this next year of what I have been learning...

so much from motherhood to photography to cooking...

Busted on Christmas

2010-12-27T14:48:00.000-08:00

When most people would be angry your Aunt Mary lovingly makes sweets to share on Christmas with all of us. She carefully follows recipes,makes them pretty and all to have you run your finger through the frosting.

She doesn't mind that you double dip but loves that you find her sweets so good and take swipes and her confectionary with a smile on your face.

And here I am with my camera... capturing this moment in time. A moment worth remembering both your happiness in having something sweet and the memory of the love your Aunt Mary had for all of us!

Keep your Christmas-heart open all the year round.
~Jessica Archmint

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T12:10:00.000-08:00

There has been only one Christmas
- the rest are anniversaries.
~W.J. Cameron

BFF for Lady G

2010-12-18T15:13:00.000-08:00

Since these two girls have met on the first day of kindergarten they have been best friends... the conversation went something like this..
Lady G: Hi!
E: HI!
Lady G: Will you be my friend?
E: Sure!

and off they ran to be friends. THE END.

Class at Christmas time

2010-12-17T15:23:00.000-08:00

a little down time at school is a good thing.

it builds community.
it lets the kids communicate in a way that is not normally done.

it lets Mom in the door to help. I like that a lot. The kids had to make some ornaments to take home... yea... love that crafty stuff even more!!

I love that the kids use their brains in a different way.. makes me happy that they are happy!

snuggle up and read...

2010-11-20T17:57:00.000-08:00

The librarian, Miss Angela came along with some other storytellers to read bed time stories at school. How cool is it that you get to wear your pajamas to school, have milk and cookies and have stories read to you for an hour??

Thanksgiving Play

2010-11-19T15:32:00.000-08:00

Daddy took time from work to come see your Thanksgiving play. Usually, Daddy works in jeans and boots but for you and the others he always dresses nice to honor the hard work you have done at school. He is so proud of you and all that you do.

Queen V, you amaze even me. You took extra time to research the Native Americans that lived in what we call New England. You wanted to make something that resembled what they would wear. You made that necklace you are wearing. You took note to see the patterns they put in there work and did the same with yours.

The dress you are wearing Gran made me for my 4th Grade Thanksgiving Play at St. Agnes. She swore that was the last thing she would ever sew for me and I think it was! ha!

The songs you sang were so funny. We laughed and enjoyed the program you and your friends acted out for us. You sang a song called the Turkey Tango. That one made me laugh the most!

Each one of you and your classmates really got into it! After the singing you played Bingo and some other games. Daddy stuck around some more just to have "one of those times."

5th grade v the teachers... this ought to be good!

2010-10-29T18:09:00.000-07:00

You and your friends wanted to be cheer-leaders. It surprised me but made you happy. I love seeing you make your own decisions and surprise me. You are definitely trying out different things.. this makes me happy!

My question is.. since there are so many 5th graders how did you let the teachers score so much? ha!

your 5th grade class looked so much like your kindergarten class... so many of the same kids in there. It was like it all came full circle.

just hanging out.

2010-10-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

Friends are kisses blown to us by angels.
~Author Unknown

I love how E is friends with both of my older girls. She doesn't mind a little sister hanging around, going from booth to booth in the school carnival or sharing carnival passes.. just the kind of girl to hang out with :)

Skatetown!

2010-09-28T05:17:00.000-07:00

Two times a year the school has a skatenight to help earn money for various activities. The girls love to go and always have a good time. They are never sure which friends will show up and hang out but are always seem to find one or two.
Since they have their own skates it makes it all the more fun to skate from the car to the rink!

Laps for Learning

2010-09-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

So they run around in circles anyway... why not get them to run around and get some money for the school? The idea is to have 100% of the donations to go right to the school. In years past we had a company come in and direct the run but someone in PTA figured out it wasn't too difficult to do themselves. So a parent volunteered and we had our own run.

Music blaring from a parent's DJ gear, parents and teachers to mark off how many times the kids ran in circles, and lots more parents to cheer the kids on!

The girls found their best friends to run with most of the way. Love G and E!! They make great running partners!

Type of Learners

2010-09-03T15:08:00.000-07:00

There are several types of learners and each one of my kids so far is a different one. Lady G is visual, Queen V is audial, and Mr. T, I believe, is kinesthetic. he cannot sit still worth anything. What makes it difficult is the fact that I have one year left with him to get my idea of learning across to him. Not every teacher will teach for each of the types of learners in a classroom... and usually the kinesthetic learner is the one left behind. I so don't want that for my T!
He can be such a sweet boy and loves attention- so much so that he will pick on any sister in a 5 foot radius to get it... good or bad.
Ok.. so on with the learners.. what type are you? What types are in your families? How do you help your kids learn, be good people and put their best foot forward.

THE KINESTHETIC LEARNER

Ways to Spot One - A child who Wants to:

* move all the time
* touch and feel everything, rubs hands on walls, hallways, door frames as he moves
* thumps buddies
* can take an item apart and put it back together
* enjoys doing things with his hands
* is well co-ordinated, good at sports (except eye-hand co-ordination if visual modality strength is lacking)
* frequently uses fists
* may make paper airplanes
* needs to use concrete objects as learning aids
* cannot rote count or sequence material without aids
* has difficulty establishing one-to-one relationships in number values
* after age 6.5 is generally classed as an underachiever
* often described as a child who can't keep his hands to himself
* needs to explore his environment more than average for this age
* is often considered hyperactive

1. Adjustments - What can be done

* provide quiet down period after physical activities
* alternate quiet periods and rest periods
* task reward may work well
* avoid putting him too close to other children
* provide cues for end of study time - timer or clock
* encourage visits for drinks/bathroom before class
* make it harder to move than to sit still - e.g. desk against wall
* is often unaware of own movement and distracted by that of others
* may be on medication for hyperactivity - find out
* use picture to help establish associations - words/numbers/meanings
* attach verbal labels
* use visual, auditory, and kinesthetic methods for teaching writing
* allow for planned times for movement, such as monitor jobs
*
* Teaching methods - How to plan
* use movement exploration - adding/subtracting/prepositional concepts can be taught on monkey bars
* have children clap or tap out numbers, syllables, walk patterns of words
* use number lines on the floor - child can use heavy objects along the line for more physical feedback
* use sandpaper letters/felt letters, writing in sand/clay, 3-D materials
* child may need to talk to self for motor feedback
* use all manipulatives possible
* do lots of things with eyes shut using 3-D letters
* use lots of writing - may need to introduce with stencils
* supply concrete objects for counting sequencing, establishing patterns seeing similarities and differences

THE AUDITORY LEARNER

Ways to Spot One - A child who:

* never stops talking
* tells jokes and tries to be funny
* can win spelling bee if taught "say-spell-say" method
* is a good story teller - they get taller and taller
* has poor handwriting, a history of reversals
* can remember what is said to him and repeat it accurately
* makes a good boss
* likes records, folk dances, rhythmic activities
* has ten excuses for everything
* knows all the words to all the songs
* can memorize easily
* has a poor performance on group intelligence tests
* seems brighter than group tests reveal
* has poor perception of time and space

* Adjustments - What can be done
* take out as much noise as possible
* find him a quiet place to work
* very soft background music may help
* use as few words as you can when giving directions
* if you repeat, use the same words
* speak directly to the child
* earphones and tape recorders help cut out distractions of other noises

1. Teaching methods - How to plan

* teach him to talk through tasks
* allow him to spell out loud
* let him say syllables out loud
* have him name punctuation marks as he reads to develop an awareness of their function
* play lots of rhyming and blending games
* allow him to think out loud. Encourage oral response
* tape record lessons and tests Use records.
* pair him with a visual learner
* encourage him to use colour cues and markers
* use neurological impress method (child pointing to words while you read to him)

THE VISUAL LEARNER

Ways to Spot One - A child who:

* likes to look at books and pictures - stays with a book, not just manipulating books on and off the shelves
* loves to look at orderly things - demands neat surroundings
* can find what others have lost and remembers where they have seen things
* sees details - how you dress, if your slip is showing, errors in typing
* can find a page in a book or workbook readily - may have it half done before the others start
* can't get directions orally (if the child is timid, will copy from others rather than ask for more directions)
* likes to work puzzles
* probably will be able to make good pictures - at least ones with good balance
* can set the table correctly and remembers where the dishes belong in the cupboard
* may have a speech problem
* may watch teacher's face intently
* rarely talks in class or responds in as few words as possible

1. Adjustments - What can be done

* take out visual distraction - place him in as uncluttered an area as possible
* leave a frame of blank wall around visual displays
* on a worksheet, put a heavy line around items to help pupil attend to one item at a time
* give him a big marker
* allow him to point if necessary. Let him touch the first letter of each word
* let him get one worksheet at a time, rather than handing him several papers at once. This also gives the child a purpose for moving about as he turns in his completed work and gets his next assignment
* try not to stand in front of a cluttered background when instructing
* give him one step of an assignment at a time

1. Teaching methods - How to plan

* give lots of visual directions
* give demonstrations
* use matching games, charts, and graphs
* use maps and teach the use of a legend
* use colour coded systems
* use number frames and abacuses
* use dictionaries and give visual symbols for sounds
* use configuration clues
* have him look for words, letters, pictures in papers and magazines
* use mirror to see mouth
* use clues such as a green dot as the place to begin, a red dot to stop. This also helps to develop directionality
* allow the child to work with rulers and number lines to develop math concepts

**I got this information from uvic

Lady G and the first day of school

2010-08-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

yep... she made it to her final year of elementary school... and rushed out the door because she had a job to do..

Lady G was asked to help out with Crossing Guard. Although, it has a different name now because the kids rotate in and around different stations in school.. nonetheless, she has this job.
Daddy rushed her out the door to get her there early so she could help out.

I'm so proud of her.
Quite the young lady.
Quite the responsible one.. and sweet one.. most people I think would agree. She is a good kid.

First Day of School for Queen V

2010-08-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

We watched as the bus drove by our house... I am happy that I get to spend that extra few minutes in the morning with my kids... we might say a Hail Mary, ask for special intentions that the kids learn, the teachers are happy and that all goes well for everyone in our school.

A few more in the parking lot... I want to remember this moment..

Great! A friend!!! Miss G is such a sweetie and doesn't mind posing for one more picture for me :) Look how big they both seem.. in a few years they will be hands on hips and telling me how to capture the moment! ha!

As I leave the classroom, I see she is all ready, the teacher has a quick little picture for them to color in... sets the tone for the class and I am happy for this.

10

2010-06-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

she raced to 10.
Aunt Mary gave her a brick to put on her head to keep her small.
It didn't work.
She grew.
and grew.
and grew.

into this beautiful young lady.
just waiting to show the world what she knows.
what she loves.
what she can do.

what she dreams.
what she will be.... wonder what the next 10 years will bring??
what an amazing girl.

zoom!

2010-06-20T08:42:00.000-07:00

almost passing me..
coming to a halt to hug me..
love this boy!

Princess A

2010-06-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

what you say:
peeeeas
oct'pu
shoe
no! go! mine!
cack!
daw
eeat!
oh no!!!!

what you do:
draw on your legs
eat paper
pretend everything is a cell phone
steal everyone's shoes
push your siblings on the swing
look under water
bite
hide face when you are in trouble
holds babydolls
pretends to read

pray. pray hard

2010-06-04T18:46:00.001-07:00

I have faith.
Sometimes that is all it takes.
faith.
Faith in family.
Faith in Friends.
Faith in God.
My good friend, Tisha, is a gentle soul. The kind of person you definitely want on your side... especially when it comes to faith. She has asked me to pray....
I am now asking you to pray.
Pray.
Pray Hard!
A sweet babe, Claire, needs your prayers.
The beginning of summer is supposed to be joyous. carefree. splendid even.
There are times when all is good in one person's life and there are others going through a time when God asks them to carry a cross..
This cross is being carried by a little girl named, Claire, her 2 sisters, her mama and her daddy.
Please pray and ask God to take this burden from this family...
Have faith.
Continue to pray...

crossing guard

2010-06-01T14:40:00.000-07:00

a note came home asking if we wanted Lady G to be part of a group at school. the teachers chose a number of students who show responsiblity.. this young lady definitely does.
We are so very proud of her and her sensitivity toward others. She is one in a million..
I totally missed getting a picture of her with her stop sign at the front door... perhaps this week :)

welcome home

2010-05-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

my brother came home from yet another deployment.
My little guy loves to wave a flag and see airplanes.. plus he missed his uncle who he often misnames.. go figure...
He had a great big smile and a cute little shirt that read "CELEBRATE!"
Indeed my family has since he has come home!!
Thanks for your service...
my little one will likely not remember so hopefully these pics will remind him that one of his family gave his time to service of our country.

Crowning of Mary

2010-05-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

As a child I remember crowning Mary at St. Agnes and how it was such an honor for the girl who got to do it. It was no different for my girls being asked to be a part of this ceremony at our church.
Queen V carried the crown with another little girl.
Lady G was asked to crown Mary in the Marion Garden this year. She was so honored to be asked to be a part of this. She brought her Rosary we gave her at her First Holy Communion and held it proudly as she prayed with some of the women of our church.

breathe.love.pray.

2010-05-03T06:02:00.000-07:00

I went on a retreat my good friend Kim created. This mama wakes every morning at 5am, puts on a pot of coffee and says the Rosary every morning! Her house is quiet and she takes this opportunity to reflect on the daily readings and then blogs when she gets a chance for a clear thought.

I felt compelled to write as the 2 speakers discussed motherhood, kids, husbands, and our faith. I had slips of paper in my pockets, in my camera bag and even one written on a "hello my name is..." lol! This one I peeled apart and stuck on a magnet on my fridge. Perhaps, I will get to blog about that one later.
The first part of the retreat was about motherhood - we laughed, cried and listened intently- trying to be in the moment of it all. The second part was about the mysteries of the Rosary. You would think since I grew up going to a Catholic school and being a cradle Catholic I would know all of this?? For what ever reason I am so glad I got to go and grow!

growing up

2010-04-15T14:37:00.000-07:00

how on earth did this happen?
I could have sworn her Aunt M put a brick on her head to keep her little..
what happened??

Beach Time!

2010-03-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

it was all about climbing dunes to see a little further...

digging in the sand and knowing when to duck so it didn't get in our eyes...
spending time with Daddy exploring our big world...
and sharing firsts... oh how I love firsts...

dream big, little one!

2010-02-09T17:26:00.000-08:00

love how little my girl's hand is with this candy... all with little saying that mean so much!!

quiet time

2010-02-01T05:05:00.000-08:00

My sweetie calls to me, "you gotta come see this!"

I peek around the corner and Princess A is reading to herself!

Yep, one of her favorites right now- Olivia!

I love that she has the desire to read... all my girls do.. Mr. T is so busy it's hard to know when he is actually listening to the story.

I got to snap a few before she even realized I was in the room with her...

Sacrifice

2010-01-21T06:56:00.000-08:00

As I was in Mass on Saturday I was asking God to help lead me where I need to be right now. One word appeared in my head over and over but loud and clear

SACRIFICE

I have been offered a few opportunities lately that I am not sure I can pass up but at the same time it will affect my family.

So I ask God... which way do I sacrifice?

What is important right now for us?

How will this affect our future?

oh decisions and discernment...

So what to do?? Pray some more, organize and simplify my life so such decisions are not quite so slippery like this mud our youngest tip-toed through.

feeding the baby

2010-01-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

Mr. T found it most entertaining to feed Princess A. She got a kick out of it too!
It was a messy job but full of smiles and giggles.
By the end of it actually more got in her mouth than just on her face!! Fully tummy makes for a happy baby!

my girl.. enjoying the snow

2009-12-30T10:52:00.000-08:00

catch it on your tongue!

2009-12-29T10:45:00.000-08:00

one last snowfall for 2009... oh, how I love how silent the world seems then...

Autumn Memories

2009-11-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

As a kid I remember playing soccer in the autumn.. it was always a little cool but when that sun came out it was awesome..
this afternoon reminded me of my own childhood...
short evening
golden glow
soccer
kids
fun
homework was finished quickly just so we could go out and play... it was just too nice to be inside...

man, I got a good lookin' family!!!

2009-10-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

Well, we didn't get to the pumpkin patch on my birthday or out of town like I wanted..
we waited till the rains subsided.. at least for 30 minutes..
got everyone together
in long sleeves
and grabbed a shot!!
Thanks to the older lady who mesmerized my kids while the timer went off on my camera..
I never use the thing and had to figure out where it was- LOL!
My sweetie met us at the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch and we got a few shots, jumped in bounce houses and played in all the pumpkins!! They were so big!!!
There were no whines or tears that afternoon.. it was a perfect family outing..
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Fort Worth Stockyards

2009-10-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

I just so happened to be at the Stockyards the same time Lady G was there with her class... my friend taught me how to do this..
I am not responsible for others.
I am an extra set of eyes just in case.
I can bring other munchkins.
I get to see what my other school kids are doing.
I can leave if needed.
I can stay longer since I have other kids with me...
it is such a win win situation for me and the kids...

Some day I will be able to give 100% but some days it doesn't work out... soon it will as the Princess A will be able to hang out with others and know she is safe. For now I am the safe haven for her and it's just fine.

lessons learned

2009-10-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

so there were lessons learned today...

Mr. T thought that he could hide choc'ates in the potty... my sweetie is STILL plunging... lol

Princess A..

she is another story all together.. being mobile she as the WHOLE WORLD at her fingertips...

new rules applied to her today.. things I thought I would NEVER say...

RULE #1: don't eat dead worms (notice the dirt around her mouth???)

RULE #2: don't bite the toilet seat

yep, these rules apply to my lovely daughter.. think she'll remember???

all 4... the latest of all 4 of our kiddos

2009-10-08T08:38:00.001-07:00

each one is such an individual
Lady G is "little mama" always protective and sensative
Queen V is our little sprite/fairy with her head in the clouds
Mr. T is alllllllllllllll boy... today's adventure was flushing choc'ates down the potty to "hide it from mama" nice, huh?
Princess A is just plain happy!! (although this shot would fool you...)

Checkmate

2009-10-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

This is life in our house..
laundry will wait and so will the dust..
My honey was teaching our Queen V how to play chess.. and she caught on! QUICK!!!
She is a fast learner when she has her head out of the clouds! lol!

Henrietta Apple Orchard

2009-10-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

first grade
apples
books
how to's

yep, my little Queen V has definitely enterred first grade as she tries apples (again.. it's like pulling teeth trying to get this kid to eat fruit!!) and writes a ton of journals and books about apples. She is so excited to grow her apple seed they dug out of the apple at school.. I told her Noah would need to build and ark for all the water in that cup.. apparently Mr. T is "helping" her water the seed... poor thing.. I will have to fix it without Mr. T's "help" so she can grow her tree.. of which she will never eat the fruit! lol!!

I tried to get some pics of Queen V but I had one mama or another jump in front of me so I didn't get as many as I would have liked. It rained most of the time we were there but the kids didn't seem to mind at all. Queen V's bangs dropped a little bit more in her eyes the longer we were there.
She saw butterflies, bugs, bees, a baby pumpkin growing on a vine, chickens, dogs, peach, pecan and apple trees... Queen V had a great time with friends, being outside... and in the rain..

Smiling with Grandpa

2009-09-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

out to catch a whopper!

2009-09-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

trying to sweet-talk Grandpa into letting her jump ship with him... she can't get enough play time in the water!
Lady G, Grandee and Aunt J... catchin' a few rays :)

"Did you see that fish jump over 'der? I'm gonna catch a whopper!"

No matter how hard she tries Queen V can't catch a whopper.. she loves to try though.... We'll go again soon!

big boy = big toy

2009-09-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

look how serious you both are discussing the race car...
THIS is imortant stuff!!!
now this mama knows what is important in her little guy's life... bet I can get toys picked up super fast with this dangling in front of my little guy...
Hey, Mr T, wanna see Grandpa's race car?? better pick up your matchbox!!!!
such a wicked mama....

barefoot in the back

2009-09-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

doll for a doll house

2009-08-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

what a little doll she is..

I absolutely love this little girl. I still can't believe she is ours... but she is. every smile. every giggle. every shriek of joy.. yep, she shrieks with joy. It took us all by suprise the first time we heard it but she does..
What we all love to see now is that she folds her hands in prayer while we all say Grace before we eat dinner. She smiles ear to ear and then puts her hands together again when we say Amen.. how sweet is that??

shhhhhhhh. don't tell the girls...

2009-08-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

when they are at school..
we jump on the bed!!!

just because...

2009-08-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

how cute can one little 4 year old be...
no bribery.. he just sat there waiting for me to focus..
such sweetness hiding in this jumpy, excited, funny, crazy, little boy

busy day

2009-07-18T07:48:00.000-07:00

The day actually started off with Lady G having an MRI. She has had lots of migraines so we had to get to the bottom of it. Since she is considered a "cured epileptic" the neurologist didn't want to take any chances... She stayed so still, listened closely to the technician and go to jam to music she brought in!!!! They had headphones for her and we had gone to the library the day before just to get music for her to listen to while the knocking and pinging going on. I got to stay in the room and read!!! awesome!!

After the MRI we went and got some dollar sunglasses (my nice ones are broken...) and she got a pair too!!! She is one cool kid- don't you think?

We had a funeral to attend but just couldn't get from the MRI to Lindsay for it so we said our own prayers here. My sweetie went to the Rosary the night before and saw cousins he never knew he had and learned a few things he never knew.
about his great aunt.

After cleaning out the van (boy, it needed it!!) we drove up to Gainesville for a birthday party in the park. We loved seeing little CJ for his second birthday!

He was so excited to open each present!!
The crew was invited to his party and gave him some foam toys to stick on the bathtub tiles.. a roadway that fits together like a puzzle and cars and trucks to run up and down the tub tiles!!! (Amanda, I can't wait to see the pics of tub time!!)
Our kiddos had such a good time.. well, minus Princess A... she is cutting teeth again so fussy is her language of late.. if we have music playing she will giggle and dance... I *have* to get a video of that!

The park we were in was one my sweetie played in as a boy. There is a pool right next to it where he learned to swim!! The kids thought that was great and wanted to go for a swim. I only had Princess A's swim diaper (doesn't everyone travel with a swim diaper??? lol!) so we didn't go for a dip!

sweet sunsets

2009-07-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

icecream cones 1.25
icecream 4.96
sunset 0.00
+_____________________________________
sweet sunsets to remember: PRICELESS

I could not pass up such a sweet sunset... we sat on the back porch, ate drippy icecream and had lots of chocolate smiles afterwards.. how great is that??

partly cloudy

2009-07-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

Isn't it amazing how wonderful life is?
On some days it seems as though others have it easier.
On other days it seems as though we are walking on rainbows.
Either way we need to realize that it is God's will that we should follow.
We need to figure out how important it is to see the good in all.
Kids do it so naturally... we teach them not to...
How can we be more trusting in a world so full of fear? in a world full of wanting what other's have???
How can we protect ourselves while fulfilling our destiny to do God's will...
trust
have faith

I was sent the link to this blog I will be looking more at what he has to say in the future. His thoughts and words are very poiniant at this day and time...

Feed the Birds

2009-06-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

Lady G had another big girl discussion with me... seems we need more family time. Other families get to go do things, other families spend more time hanging out.. doing STUFF... So we went to the zoo on Sunday. It was 106* but we went.. and boy did we sweat!!! The whole gang went.... and our tradition is that each kiddo gets to pick an animal and we see that one for sure. Any other animals are a bonus and we can enjoy them but they are not the main attraction for that day. Lady G wanted to see the snakes so we went in and the girls journaled about them. We got into that habit last summer while I was trying to get them to see more details in things and boy do they!!! Queen V drew the scales and patterns of different ones- wow! I didn't have the lens that would let in enough light for that dark building so we just hung out as Mr. T shreiked at every corner about how cool each frog, snake and lizard was!!! so fun!
Queen V wanted to see birds and feed them. We saw birds we had never seen before! I had no idea of some of them because they are either higher in the trees or not there for some reason. The main bids Queen V wanted to see were the ones you feed... Since Mom gave us season passes for Christmas paying a buck for feeding the birds is easy!!! Each kiddo got a stick with birdseed on them and stayed VERY STILL waiting for a dash of color to sit quietly... even Mr. T!!!! Princess A slept through all of this... it was just too hot...

Birthday Girl!

2009-06-27T06:18:00.000-07:00

2 years old.
we just found out #2 was on the way... Lady G got to tell Daddy she was going to be a big sister!! lol!

at 3 Lady G started going to The Daddy Store and having just time with Daddy... they made all sorts of things.. including this bookend!

Lady G turned 9!!!

How on earth did we get to this age??? Just yesterday I sat boohooing over a sweet hankerchief that Grandee turned into a bonnet for her Baptism and with a cut of 2 strings back into a hankerchief for her wedding day...

and now she is into fashion, giggling without control, dogs, swimming and American Girl Dolls.

Her favorite color is green.. and that is all my favorite things (so she wants me to write in the blog).. and Elise is her best friend... still... 5 years into school and they love being together!! It's all good...

well, except that there has not been a party yet... seems a skunk has taken residence under Mom's deck... so far we have fed the skunk but not captured it... but we have captured someone's turtle and an oppossum. Oh well... we will have parties for our kids but never when we intend on them.. go figure... it's just one more thing...

She had a great birthday though, she has gone shopping, got a key to the front door, a cool pink hat with sequins, a new Webkinz and Carissa... the newest American Girl Doll.... yep... it was all good! She asked for an icecream cake - so easy to make and she love them! whohooo! No staying up till 2am decorating the cake... but we did have streamers everywhere, lipstick notes on her mirror, 25 balloons and presents to open...

stay tuned... she is going to be published!!! yes, Duchess Bobbe (you got your own name, Bobbe!!) sent her a book so she can be published... how exciting... What a great way to spend 100+* afternoons while the little guys take naps :)

Rockledge Park

2009-06-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

so we aren't going anywhere for vacation just yet so we will instead visit all the parks in the area... getting our tax dollars to work for us as we take a weekly adventure to a new park..
this week's park was Rockledge Park. I heard about it via another photographer... it was not anything I knew about except another place to launch a windsurfer when I was in highschool...
It was so hot this day- probably too hot for most people but we were going to go as an entire family and not just me and the kids.. my sweetie was going to escort us... fun for him to see the kids in a new environment and good for me I didn't have to chase all of them at once.. an extra pair of eyes is a great thing!!!
Here are some random pics of our adventure this day..

an a-ha moment

2009-04-10T12:13:00.000-07:00

For all my friends who received my crazed email with my a-ha photography moment Here is on of the pics from the series I took the day the math finally kicked in for me... my parents should be so proud! lol! all that money towards education and geometry is finally understood as something useful! lol!!

sunset snuggles

2009-03-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

Mom came over for a sunset dinner with us tonight..
We had chicken (cooked in the crockpot), rice (not as good as Mom's), steamed broccoli, fresh pineapple, and fresh apple pie made by yours truly... (should have gotten a pic of that but we were too interested in eating hot apple pie!!)
but at the end of it all I dropped Princess A into her grandmother's lap and snapped a few.... after she grabbed her arm.. notice the napkin Mom is holding on her arm??? yep, Princess A got a good hold and didn't want to let go....
Anyway, she obliged me using the best evening light.... love that time of day whenthings are winding down here.
And we need them to wind down... it has been a hectic winter with flu on 3 out of 4 kids... and 2 of them got it twice... 5 ear infections... allergies.... birthdays... celebrating Mom turning 75!! and so many more things.... whew! Where does time go? anyway, sunset nd taking pics... the best... it lets me take a deep breath and just paint... I love it.

things kids say...

2009-03-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

snakes only have names if they are adopted... according to Queen V
I miss you (also in Mr. T language means I love you)

makes sense, huh?

this is perfect

2009-03-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

just love how Daddy jumped in and joined in on St. Patty's Day. I usually fix corned beef and cabbage but my sister did a few days before. Since I am pretty much the only one in the family who enjoys that meal I could not give it to my family 2 nights in one week...
so instead we had clean out the fridge night and I got to play with Princess A and my camera during sunset...

my 4 kiddos and I went to the park today.. we climbed, checked out some koi, hada picnic, played grumpy old troll.. it was a good day for sure!

quote on photo w/ my sweetie is a freebie from http://jodiemcnally.com/

how fast she grows up!

2009-03-05T20:30:00.000-08:00

4 years old
5 years old

As we ate our Cheerios together out little conversation went like this:
Mommy: so tell me, what is 6 going to be like?
Queen V:you can draw and color all day
you get to do math... every day
you get to learn to ride a horse

yep, 6 (a girl number according to Queen V) will be a good year!

Last Day Being 5

2009-03-03T20:51:00.000-08:00

one year ago today I could not believe Queen V was going to turn 5... and here I sit not believing she will be 6!!! In 9 hours my little sprite will be 6!
She has brought me such joy...
She makes me remember to smile...
She gives love unconditionally... even when we are so frustrated with each other...
She reminds me to take a second look at things
She makes me proud...
She is beautiful...
I love my little girl...

Today she made me a card (I will post later)
she made me a card..
I had to write it again
It's the selfless things she does when you least expect
I ask her to do a million things
and her head is always in the clouds
I sometimes have to plead with her to come down
sometimes have to yell for her to come back (LOL)
and when she does
she does the most remarkable things
like making me a card
on the last day she is 5
It's a keeper with the coloring, drawing and spelling...
What an angel sent to me

2 of my angels

2009-02-26T19:58:00.001-08:00

Lady G and Princess A

two of the sweetest easy going kiddos I know...

oh, how I love my kids!

what am I grateful for today...
finding out Princess A does not have flu again.... just ear infections
watching Lady G in a play she created with friends and it is so.... CREATIVE! She has a competition with it on Saturday and I can't wait to see it again!!
Mr. T taking a nap and trying to help clean up the lemonade he spilled in the kitchen.
Queen V for skipping into school- gotta love a kid who is genuinely happy to go to school!
Mom for babysitting so Mr. T didn't have to go into an infected doc's office.
My Prince.. for offering to pick up dinner when he found out I had another migraine.

real mothers

2009-02-22T19:10:00.001-08:00

so it's been a little rough here lately..
since the beginning of this year I had the flu (got it on January 1.... great way to start the new year), Queen V has had the flu... twice! and Princess A had the flu with double ear infections.
We have quarantined those with the flu and I am about to take Polly Pocket for a dip in the clorox.... just in case there are germs there to share!!!
As I sit in my pity party and gritch and moan about how crazy life has been with laundry in almost every room mocking me as I go by thinking I have *got* to get this under control and explain to my Prince that I can't figure out where my time is going because it hasn't been on photoshop or photography or scrapbooking....
he laughs and tells me it was where I was right then..
rocking a baby
Even my facebook page says at the top... Anne Marie is rocking a baby.
It has been like this for some time... unless it states that Mr. T is in time out... again
and in all fairness it has not always been his fault. How would you like it if you were couped up while everyone else around you has been sick??? poor fella. He just wants time to "fing" (swing) as he calls it.... and show me how much of a super hero he is!!! with or without a cape...
So if you see me and my hair is a mess, pulled back in a pony tail
I have yesterday's makeup on
I'm in the same warm up suit that has just about become my uniform as of late
I am rushing around at the last minute for who knows what
just remember...
I am a mama...
rocking her babies as they fall sick, scrape a knee, need to practice reading outloud, spell the latest words for Thursday's quiz...

Jeff's grandma sent me this email tonight... It couldn't have come at a better time... that woman has great timing... I am so happy I know her and am on her email list :)

MOTHERS

Real Mothers don't eat quiche;
they don't have time to make it.

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils
are probably in the sandbox.

Real Mothers often have sticky floors,
filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried play dough
doesn't come out of carpets.

Real Mothers don't want to know what
the vacuum just sucked up.

Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?'
and get their answer when a littlevoice says,

'Because I love you best.'

Real Mothers know that a child's growth
is not measured by height or years or grade...
It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother...

2009-01-11T11:48:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T12:53:00.000-08:00

presents are wrapped
tucked under the tree
family asleep
now where can he be?
Santa slipped in
without even a trace
true Christmas story
of the ultimate gift
shared and recieved

naughty or nice

2008-12-17T09:07:00.000-08:00

today is the big day!!
We're going to see the Big Man tonight...
I hear he is at the mall waiting to see all of his faithful followers
the believers
I believe
how could anyone not??
We still have yet to put up our tree...
I made space for it today.
Our deal with Santa is if we get the tree up with lights he will decorate it for us.
We leave all the trimmings out for him along with fresh cookies from the oven and some homemade candies.
He has never let us down.
He did the same for me when I was a little girl... what a great guy!!
So today I will tackle making homemade butterfingers!!!
This is proof he came last year... I set the timer on my camera and got a pic of him nibbling some cookies the kids left out...

2008-12-08T08:05:00.000-08:00

the mom song

where have I been?
laundry
supervising school projects
making cookies
changing diapers
enjoying a few migrains...not...
helping the kids find Christmas joy :)

sandbox time

2008-12-03T11:37:00.000-08:00

I came outside to get some fresh air for all of us.... hoping naptime would go a little smoother!!

I also brought my camera (go figure) to practice using "fill flash"

I hope to get an external flash to use in low lit indoor sessions in the future... so I can learn to bounce the light when I can't use manual settings without so much noise.

Mr. T had a great time throwing sand without anyone telling him to stop.

Christmas Specials

2008-12-02T11:49:00.000-08:00

I am such a sucker for Christmas specials on tv with my kids. I seem to be taken back to my own childhood, waiting for anticipation of holidays, family, presents... love that!

So even though Polar Express was not one I watched as a child it is one I have found to love now... sharing with my kids... watching their eyes dart around the screen, listening to the words of believe, spirit, magic, Christmas...

love that.

so Mom calls me...

2008-12-01T11:59:00.000-08:00

hurry! get the kids outside

look up!!

this is the only time for the next 50something years for this to happen!!

Mercury and Venus this close to the Moon!!

I *had* to get a shot of this momentous occasion. It was freezing outside- brrr!

read to me

2008-11-30T06:36:00.000-08:00

it doesn't matter what you read

just read

sing it to me

hang out with me

just read

to me

Give Thanks

2008-11-28T08:15:00.001-08:00

We have a lot to be Thankful for...

for family
for friends
for a safe birth
for husband's job
for healthy children
for clothes on our backs
for food in the cupboard
for a roof over our heads
for unconditional love from God

thankful morning

2008-11-27T06:52:00.000-08:00

this what I saw this morning peeking through my blinds!
such gorgeous colors glowing on the front of our home!!
I love the rays bursting through the clouds- just delicious!!

growing so big

2008-11-20T07:15:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how much she has grown in such a short period of time!

Soon she will be able to sit up in this basket!! she is so pleased with herself, isn't she??

The blanket in this pic was made by Joey's grandma, I think.... it was a gift when Lady G was a baby... love it!

Tips For An Exceptional, Superb & Powerful Life

2008-11-14T17:43:00.000-08:00

My day started at 3:30am changing a diaper
4:00am Mr. T comes ripping into our room crying telling me "Ta roar in my dream" (it's a recurring nightmare of Queen V chasing him and roaring at him like she is a dinosaur or lion... I have threatened to wake her in the middle of the night to snuggle his fears... she really does chase him around the house roaring.,.. ugh!)
5:30 shhhhhhhhhh, Mr. T.. go to sleep!!
5:50am alarm'/radio goes off to wake me.. ha! that is ironic! I listen to a few favorite tunes- Journey being one of them :)
6:00 talk to dh about new job opportunities.... he is changing... and looking forward to playing trains with Mr. T and building stuff with the girls.. fun stuff
6:30 get girls up.. they slept in...
6:45 make lunches/ breakfast
7:00 do French braids in girls hair so they look loved :) and not an unmade bed
7:30 chase Mr. T down to get sneakers on him
7:35 change another diaper.. I am sure there was another one in there somewhere...
7:40 take girls to school and listen as Lady G sings a song I learned at Camp Merry Acres./.. I didn't teach her this one.. a girl friend did on the playground. I sang with her.. wouldn't you? A childhood song that made you smile when you used to sing it??
7:55 find friend in school parking lot and ask about our daily walk.. yep, we are on! super!!!
8:10 nurse, change another diaper, find blanket, get Mr. T to go potty
8:30 walk with friends on a glorious day!!! lovely way to get the day going!
10:00 sister comes by with fresh salsa- yummy!
10:30 over to another friend's house for a play date where we discuss cooking as a group and sharing the meals... I have always wanted to do this... one friend suggests to do it while we have a few bottles of wine.. a super idea!!!!
1 pm drive around till Mr. T crashes
1:30 get home and snuggle sleeping babies....

does this look like a great day?? I tell ya, this was a FABULOUS DAY!
while blog hopping for ideas on OAMC (once a month cooking)or Freezer Cooking I found this...

Tips for an Exceptional, Superb & Powerful Life!

1.) Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate antidepressant.

2.) Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.Buy a lock if you have to.

3.) Buy a Tivo (DVR), tape your late night shows and get more sleep.

4.) When you wake up in the morning ask yourself, "What do I really, really, really want today?"

5.) Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

6.) Watch more movies, play more games and read more books than you did last year.

7.) Always pray and make time to exercise.

8.) Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of Six.

9.) Dream more while you are awake.

10.) Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less foods that are manufactured in plants.

11.) Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

12.) Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13.) Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.

14.) Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead, invest your
energy in the positive present moment.

15.) Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class .......but the
lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16.) Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out chargecard.

17.) Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.

18.) Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

19.) Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20.) Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

21.) You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

22.) Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

23.) Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

24.) Ladies - Go on and burn those 'special' scented candles, use the 600 thread count sheets, the good china and wear our fancy lingerie now. Stop waiting for a special occasion. Everyday is special.

25.) No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26.) Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

27.) Forgive everyone for everything.

28.) What other people think of you is none of your business.

29.) Time heals almost everything. Give time, time!

30.) However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

31.) Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch with them.

32.) Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

33.) Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. God provides remember?!

34.) The best is yet to come.

35.) No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

36.) Do the right thing!

37.) Call your friends/family often.

38.) Each night before you go to bed complete the following statement: 'I am thankful for __________.'

39.) Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

40.) Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it
and enjoy the ride.

LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH. LIFE'S A GIFT ... UNWRAP IT! Have a Blessed day. Please share with friends!
(Received list in an email from a friend-source unknow.)

Who really won last night...

2008-11-05T18:27:00.000-08:00

I walked into my dd's room this morning and woke her up gently...
"do you want to know who is going to be our next President of the United States?"
"yes" rubbing sleep from the corner of her eyes...
"Barak Obama"
"wow"

yea, wow...
this has so much significance for our nation.
I look at this from so many directions... as a mother, as a former teacher- a social studies and ESL teacher at that.... but mostly as an American. Where will this take us as a nation?
One can listen to all the hype from both political parties... like I used to tell my students, "there is your side, my side and the truth." The truth will not be known or understood until history is made..
Will we as a nation understand the ramifications of electing Mr. Obama in this year?
I mean truly understand?
Will we see what decisions made at particular times in his presidential carreer will affect our children and other future generations?
I for one, am in awe of anyone wanting to take on such an awesome and powerful position... look back in history at any one of the presidents- compare picture of them at the time of innaguration and then of them as they leave the Oval Office. The graying of hair, the added wrinkles on the face... is the step as lively?? The weight of the world is upon this man.... did you see how many nations watched our nation last night??
I was amazed at how jubilant other nations were at us electing Mr. Obama... why are they? What do they have to gain? And do THEY see how gracious John McCain was to concede?? no skirmish broke out... no bullying... it was a peaceful acknowledgement of how the power in our country will shift. I hope it remains this way... this is what is so great about our nation... we will come together... it is what America... Americans are best at.
We might not like what one of us is doing but when push comes to shove we have each other's back!!

ok.. enough of the soap box... let's talk about who really won... it wasn't red or blue states...
it wasn't one race or another...
it was Sasha and Malia!!]
they won something really important in a kid's life!!
yep, they get a puppy!!!
The White House will have a puppy...
I just ask one favor... don't let the pup teeth on anything of historical significance,girls...
remember to take the pup out to do his business...
feed and water him...
brush him
teach him commands so he listens to you
and pick a cute name!

Congrats, Obama Girls, on your new puppy!!

God Bless

2008-11-04T19:00:00.000-08:00

Go Get Your VOTE on!

2008-11-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

I did it
yep
I did
baby strapped to my hip with my ever popular sling
Mr. T teasing the pollsters.. is that what they are called?

I got my vote on... did you??
with 2 little kids in tow there are not enough Goldfish to keep one content... you know?? a little bribery with library books and a movie borrowed from the library... Buzz Lightyear, I think it was... and I GOT MY VOTE ON!!

As a former social studies and history teacher I am telling you to get out and VOTE!!
You can't "gritch" if you don't vote!!!
Yep, I don't want to hear it..
I know my limitations.
I know what policies are important in my book!
I know what is important this time...

DO YOU??

OH....and one more thing... say a prayer- now, I don't care how you vote or voted- but say a prayer for Mr. Obama and his family. His grandma died on Sunday... 2 days shy of getting to see what happened in her grandson's election. I was told by my mom that she did vote absentee... but Obama and his family are grieving right now. Can you imagine the added pressure... say prayers for him, his wife and children.... they need it..
and while you are there... say a prayer for no fraud in the election... on EITHER SIDE! Man, I can't stand liars or cheaters... it's an Aggie thing...

Gig 'em and GET YOUR VOTE ON!

boo to you!

2008-11-02T13:01:00.000-08:00

cast of characters:
Princess A: Larry the Cucumber
Mr. T: Farmer Boy... because "trick or treating is no fair!"
Queen V: dalmation puppy
Lady G: rocker chick

setting:
backyard prior to Grandpa hauling us around on a trailor full of hay

Theme:
my favorite things of Halloween 2008
Princess A: is all full of smiles... just like Larry the Cucumber in this pic...
Mr T: bought one Buzz Lightyear costume but when it had to slip over his head it was history so I brought out super chicken and that was good for a giggle but not to put on.. then I placed cowboy horse in front of him and that got on but then off... go figure.. I turned Mr. T over to Daddy and this is what they came up with. Trick or treating was still "no fair" BUT clothes were now on my boy...
Queen V: dalmations are the favorite puppy with chihuahuas running a close second for my girl... like the face paiting?? I did it myself, thank you very much.. ha! I had a pic of Lady G with the same face painted by a professional and I tried to mimic it. I think I did pretty well... The costume was a white sweatshirt and white leggings with black iron on patches I cut up to make the spots- perfect! Thanks to my sister for giving me that direction!!!!
Lady G... recognize the costume.. it's what she gathered for her school play.. she liked it so much it went back on for Halloween! hooray!

I am kind of glad it is behind us... nursing a baby on a hay trailor in front of inlaws is a trick for sure.. whew! but we all made it... and then went to roast s'mores at friends... a tradition from my childhood. I hope to post about it tomorrow...

it's the great pumpkin!!

2008-10-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

The school carnival was last week and I was asked to help volunteer...
with a new baby... that was going to be a bit difficult..
but
I can bake in between nursing, diapering and overseeing homework...
This was one of the 2 cakes I sent in for each Queen V and Lady G's classes.
They were both pumpkin cakes... it's what Lady G asked for
so on I went to figure out how to create such a cake...
white cake mix 50 cents
frosting $1.50/ can
gel for coloring $5
pumpkin cake for school carnival and envy from other mommies...
PRICELESS!
mwahahahahaha (evil mommy laugh)

so I don't have the huge wallet that some mamas seem to have around here but I have creativity, kids that think I can do all with frosting.... wonder if I can create the medallion to go above my chandelier in my dining room with it... hahahahahaha and time.. who needs sleep when your oldest tells you to splurge on good coffee beans and yummy fru-fru cream??

little this once

2008-10-22T18:54:00.000-07:00

so little

just this once....

how precious

how loving...

how accepting...

her love is never ending and I find myself at more peace with this one

she makes me take a step back and remember to just breathe

to enjoy

to take the moment in and savor it

I also find myself questioning my behavior with my others...

do they get enough love?

do they get enough understanding?

do they get enough attention that is positive...

do they feel loved... know they are loved... for everything they do.....

what a great gift I have been given in this little one...

who will be little just this once...

Ellie Lash QP
WA by Elegant WA

photoshop and digital insights

2008-10-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

So I have listed some resources that I use from time to time to help me out. I hope this helps some of you out!!

hybrid tshirts
http://littledreamerdesigns.typepad.com/little_dreamer_designs/2008/06/june-hybrid-cha.html
love this idea! I have seen it in magazines before but wanted to share here too
this is what the kids will get for my dds' birthday parties

layers and histograms
http://www.sketchpad.net/photoshp.htm
I found some really great tutorials here dealing with levels and histograms to show what part of your photos is under or overexposed- makes processing your photos so much easier

http://www.planetphotoshop.com/tutorials_effects.html
http://www.vtc.com/products/photoshopelem.htm
http://tutorialoutpost.com/tutorials/photoshop/photo-editing
http://myjanee.home.insightbb.com/tutorials.htm
http://www.myjanee.com/cgi-bin/ib3/ikonboard.cgi?s=bc30b17a4c0f7d9ad3ef40252b3b80f5
http://www.adobe.com/education/digkids/training/pse_videos.html
http://photoshopwire.tripod.com/tutorial/photoshop_elements.htm
http://www.photoshop911.com/tricks/text_to_watermark.html
http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/
http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/color_cast/index.html
http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/tutorials/index.php
http://www.webworksite.com/photoshop_elements_tutorials.shtml
http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototip-archives.html
http://psp8.homestead.com/BetterBW1.html
http://psp8.homestead.com/
http://psp8.homestead.com/Shadows_Details.html
http://www.sketchpad.net/photoshp.htm
http://www.planetphotoshop.com/category/effects/?id=tutorials_effects
http://www.softwaretrainingtutorials.com/photoshop-elements.php
http://www.easyelements.com/free-photoshop-brushes.html
http://www.easyelements.com/making-photoshop-brushes.html
crop using the rule of thirds
http://tutorialoutpost.com/count/3867
glow:
http://tutorialoutpost.com/count/2837
dreamy
http://tutorialoutpost.com/count/3953
soft focus
http://tutorialoutpost.com/count/3953
http://www.morguefile.com/archive/classroom.php?lesson=5
STEP by STEP how to make and out of bounds photo
http://smilesnapper.blogspot.com/2007/04/out-of-bounds.html
this link will give you (if you have Photoshop Elements) a boost in creating those stunning black and white photos from a color one! http://www.optikvervelabs.com/default.asp
for CS2: http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tutorials/cs2-photoshop-9.html
http://mistycatodesigns.blogspot.com/2007/05/index-of-tutorials.html

actions
http://bellasactions.blogspot.com/

digital scrapping
http://www.digiscrappingtutorials.com/
http://photoshop911.typepad.com/help/2004/01/building_templa.html
for learning how to add depth to your letters:
http://www.thegoldenmean.com/technique/depthmask.html
why reinvent the wheel??
these are some simple lessons...
http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tutorials.html
how to stitch
http://www.myjanee.com/tuts/brush7/stitch/stitch.htm
index of sorts: http://www.23outlet.com/
fiber filter tutorial
http://www.hummiesworld.com/tutfiberfilter.html

how to make your own digital swirls
http://lizness.typepad.com/a_little_life/quickrefs/1004QR-ALittleLife.html
http://danidraws.com/2007/04/20/not-your-typical-round-brush/
creating grass: http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=30882&rl=1
more control lessons here
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=80893
click on the presets of the brush itself..
I kept opening presets and expecting them there
I clicked on the "dynamics" not checking the box and it came up!!
did you know there was a hidden world under all those words in the preset box?? click on them and find out!!!
to make your subject pop while blurring the environment around it
http://tutorialoutpost.com/count/5719
again with the blur
http://tutorialoutpost.com/count/4142

creating your own brushes
have made my own signature brush that I place on my photos and on my sketches (look in my gallery)
I used a few dingbats and a font I like, a few layers, defined the brush and it is mine!!!
if you want a link to some photos of how to make your own in your own photoshop here you go:
http://www.brushes.obsidiandawn.com/tutorials/creating/index.htm

http://www.myjanee.com/tuts/brush/cbrush7.htm

this one is so up Twistedsoda's alley!
http://www.art-e-zine.co.uk/stampps.html

this one is a video that requires flash
http://layersmagazine.com/make-your-own-custom-brush-2.html

one more that uses your photos to find a pattern you like
http://inobscuro.com/tutorials/read/17/
Cinda gave me this tip: You can use your magic background eraser to get rid of the white. If you save as a jpg you'll get the white, but psd or png should maintain the transparency.
and from Rikki: Create the image you want to use as your brush. Everything that is white in the image is transparent in your future brush. Max. siez is 2500 x 2500 px.
Select the area with the marquee tool or another slection tool
Go to Edite -> define brush preset
Don't forget to save the brush in an existing or a new preset. Otherwise if you replace the existing preset, it will be gone.
That's it.
Now you can use your brush to stamp anywhere.

how to make a photo a circle (by Rikki)

Just use the marquee tool, draw out a circle, place it over the part of the photo you want to keep, inverse the selection (in PS Ctrl+Shift+I) and hit delete.

FRAME VERSUS A MASK (by Cinda)

A frame is made to lay over your photo while a mask you line it up with your paper and/or photo and (if using PSE) click ctrl-g to group them together - then your paper is in the shape of those pretty swirls You could actually do the same thing on the frames, but only the frame would fill and your photo underneath would still show through.
You can do the same thing with text and "cut" your text out of any paper or photo.
One of the many things I love about Photoshop!

and from Rikki

A frame is an embellishment that you actually use as is on your page. You put it there, and maybe re-colorize it, and that's it.
A mask like Shandy's you use to change the look of something else. You can use it for example as a clipping mask to clip papers or photos to the shape of the mask.
You can use anything you want as a clipping mask. One example:
You could take the shape of a star and use it as a clipping mask to clip a square piece of paper into the shape of that very star.

GOLD TEXT
http://www.mccannas.com/pshop2/tip19.htm

LAYERS
http://www.mccannas.com/pshop/pshop5.htm

grograin ribbon
I saw on the blog that Michele is a contirbuting editor for how to make a striped ribbon but I want a different texture.. is that all there is to it? making a different texture??
http://everydaydigitalscrapbooking.blogspot.com/search/label/Ideas%20for%20Ribbon
there's a good grosgrain tut at SBB:
http://www.scrapbook-bytes.com/a-tuts/publish/article_226.shtml (thanks ChrisGr)

make your own flourishes
http://www.bittbox.com/illustrator/28-free-illustrator-brushes-for-making-swooshes-and-swirls/
http://www.bittbox.com/illustrator/illustrator-how-to-make-custom-swooshes-swirls-and-curls/

some more tips for brushes
http://www.arraich.com/ps6_tips_7aausebrush1.htm

special digi thanks goes to Michele, Cinda, Rikki, and Chris for helping me learn so much while we all played at The Shaker Box the last 5 years.
I don't think I would have learnes and researched so much without you guys helping me out and cheering me on!

photography insights

2008-10-20T05:18:00.000-07:00

I need a place to put all of the ideas and links I have gathered to share in scrapping, photography and stamping...
it's a long list and will be added to throughout the next few days..

window light: http://super.nova.org/DPR/Window/

sharpening a photo:
there are many ways to do this..
I know Jane does a defog using her USM
I use USM at different scale
but now I found this tutorial.. had to share!
http://www.bythom.com/sharpening.htm
I am just getting the hang of this... my focus fell slightly on some recent photos and I wanted to get them back- the capture was so cute.. but how to make it look right??

well, use your USM in your photoshop. It's called UNSHARP MASK but it does seem to sharpen.. It has to do with how it was done in a real darkroom versus how we do it in a computer digitally. "It gets it's name because it unsharpens (de-focuses) the image and uses the difference with the original image ..." (this quote from Focus Magic)
Anyway..
there are 3 things to understand.
The first being amount which is measured by percentage.
The second being radius which is measured by pixels.
The third being threshold which is measured by levels.

I have some links to some sites and I would really like to get a discussion going on this great filter!!! What do you say?? are you ready to clear up some of your photos that are soft on focus??

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/understanding-usm.shtml
this one is studied by a lot of people. He is right on in his explaining- some times a little technical but you might be into that!
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/unsharp-mask.htm

maybe you want a quick once over??
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsharp_masking

photos and diagrams here:
http://www.scantips.com/simple6.html

this guy is really clear and explains it very well!! I love this site!
http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototips/unsharp-mask.html

clear and concise with photos to go with the information! He shows you with the filter pulled down
http://www.naturescapes.net/122004/tg1204.htm

explains different ways of how to use USM (from global to detailed to parts of a photo)
http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/11242.html

another explanation with great photos for visual learners (tips inside this one!!)
http://docs.gimp.org/en/plug-in-unsharp-mask.html

about dot com always has tons of references!
http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/photoshoptutorialssharpen/Photoshop_Unsharp_Mask_and_Other_Sharpening_Methods_and_Tools.htm

another quick description:
http://www.steeldolphin-forums.com/htmltuts/unsharp.html

in podcast form:
http://kabili.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=155509

another great tutorial:
http://www.photocritic.org/articles/usm.php

for those of you using PaintShop Pro
http://www.scenic-route.com/tutorial/psp/tutor/unsharp/Unsharp.htm

tutorial with comments from others so you can learn from their mistakes:
http://www.cameronmoll.com/archives/000169.html

to show you that you can go TOO FAR with this
http://www.digicamhelp.com/processing-photos/advanced-editing/unsharp-mask.php

and the last tutorial/article came from the great Lone Star State!!
http://www.lonestardigital.com/usm_fade.htm

curves tutorial:
so you want more from your photographs, more umph, more contrast??
if you have gotten the hang of levels then try curves.
Matt Greer has a great tutorial on his blog
http://mgreerphoto.blogspot.com/2006/12/photoshop-adjustment-layer-curves.html

Depth of Field (DOF)
do you know how to get a background blurry??
do you know how to get good bokeh?
do you know how to get the background in focus but the foreground out of focus (OOF)???
well, here, check out this DOF calculator and play away!! it will tell you how to get the look you want, good exposure and where to place your subject from your camera.. amazing
http://dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

fine tuning your photos:
http://www.prodigitalimage.com/tips.html

taking your own school photo:
it is possible for you to try and do this yourself!!!
place your child at a 45* angle from the light
have your child sit up straight and lean over their belt buckle
have them slightly twist towards you
move eyes directly at the camera for eye contact
tilt a girl's head but never a boys!!! (makes them look efeminite)
background:
have them sit on a stool with a pleasant background.. try your clean garage wall or even outside- do this when the sun is not directly overhead or you will wind up with shadows that are too harsh
the school playground before dusk...
need a reflector? get a piece of foam core board (HObby Lobby sells it for about $5) and place close to your subject.. move it so it catches the light and reflects this on your subjects shadow...
ok.. seriously.. try this.. do you photograph a face 2 dimensionally or 3??
http://groups.msn.com/Asktheoleproaboutphotography/theroleoflightinginphotography.msnw

smooth skin:
http://www.lunacore.com/photoshop/tutorials/tut020.htm
I thought this tutorial was really cool
dig how NOT to use the gaussian blur.. I did this forever.. glad to see another technique
don't forget to erase back the eyes

creaeting sepia:
http://www.lunareclipse.net/funwithsepia.htm
great with fall photos...

great bloggers:
love her style!!!
http://www.amycoffeyphotography.com/blog/blog.html
http://www.jennywaring.typepad.com/
http://artbynaomistudiotreats.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/maiasuvi/
http://www.bludomain.com/blog.cfm
http://www.karlgrobl.com/index.htm
http://www.kenrockwell.com/index.htm teaches
http://willows95988.typepad.com/tongue_cheek/

yep, a class online
you have to check out- it will give you so much info in what will help you become a better photographer
http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/
http://www.photographyboard.net/

printing
http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/motivator.php

FIREWORKS
over the water fireworks:
http://www.calphoto.com/firework.htm

super help tips:
http://malektips.com/digital_fireworks_photography_help_and_tips.html

tips from the Smithsonian:
http://photos.si.edu/firew/firew.html

digital photography school
http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/how-to-photograph-fireworks/

Bob Atkin's description
http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/tutorials/fireworks.html

Better Photo dot com
http://www.betterphoto.com/exploring/fireworks.asp

Gary Black Photog.,
http://www.garryblack.com/fireworks.htm

about.com
http://cameras.about.com/od/cameratips/a/fireworks.htm

The Imaging Resource
http://cameras.about.com/od/cameratips/a/fireworks.htm

great shots (photos)
http://photographyreview.webphotoschool.com/Get_Great_Shots_at_Fireworks_Shows/index.html

Dobson Central
http://www.dobsoncentral.com/articles/fireworks.htm

to add wings to your photo
sites I have visited while on this adventure:
http://www.autofx.com/ (you have to pay for the brushes but how cool are they!)
http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tools/plugins/photo-frames-borders-edges.html
www.escrappers.com (this is the site I was looking for first!)
http://escrappers.com/fairytales.html
http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tools/brushes.html#Painted_Passion_orghttp://www.brushes.obsidiandawn.com/sets/wings.htm
http://www.loreleiweb.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4553

balancing shaddows
http://psp8.homestead.com/Shadows_Details.html

Oronton Technique
it takes a photo and puts a fairytale like quality to it- facinating!
http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles0106/dw0106-1.html

bugs and boys

2008-10-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

bugs
boys
dead bugs
pockets of overalls
dryers

getting a picture here??
yea, so my dryer eats socks and deposits dead bugs on the rim to scare the bajeebers out of me when I open the door...
I knew Mr. T liked bugs but did not know that he was sticking bugs in his pockets of his overalls...
and when I go to wash and then dry the bugs can no longer handle a spin cycle or the heat of the dryer...
ewwww

so what is a mama to do???
take a pic of a daddy long legs for her boy... one that is alive but NOT crawling or spinning or being dryed to death!

Happy Birthday, Dude!!

2008-10-15T19:58:00.001-07:00

Here's to one cool dude... uh, dad.. lol!
Happy birthday to the coolest brother in law a girl could ask for!
I am so greatful you are a part of our crazy family and that we get to be friends for a long time now!!
I just wish we got to party together more often than a few times a year!!!
I hope all your birthday wishes come true and that you have many more!!!

A special happy birthday also to your darling daughter and my lovely niece!!! I can't wait to see her walk!!!

Lots of love,
your favorite American sister in law ;)