My Candid Moments

Wow the summer is truly flying by this year.  I am not sure where it is going, but do know we are having fun, but at the same time I long for the structure school starting will bring to our days.

Yesterday was one of those “fall” like days, that reminds us the heat of summer will soon be leaving us for a while, and I the pleasure of meeting Mr. S and his family for a Celebrating Adoption session.  These are free sessions that I donate to families that have recently adopted a child (well technically the session should happen in the first year after adoption).

Mr. S was like every almost two year old I know — busy and on the go. I love that age because the smiles are so genuine (when they happen) and they are so clearly curious about life.  In fact Mr. S loves the water so much we had to focus our session at Lake Nokomis in areas where the water was hidden from his view.  I do not often get to go down into “the cities” and had forgotten the wonderful charm that Lake Nokomis and the area around it has. The old buildings are still up at the main beach and are a beautiful reminder of our cities history.  The lush trees and paths around the park are the perfect spot for family photo sessions.   In fact I plan to take my tribe down there soon, just to explore the area and have a mini session of our own.

I truly enjoyed photographing and playing soccer/football with him.  He has such an lovely smile and was so quick — almost too quick for even me and my camera. However, don’t worry Mom and Dad I got so many different expressions from fun and silly to an outright laugh, I hope you like your sneak peak!~

I just love summer, with it comes so many fun things.  The smell of fresh cut grass, staying up late, sleeping in and of course the beautiful light that happens right before sunset!

The other night Miss K was out helping her Dad cut the Grass and I just had to grab these snaps.  She was on a mission and I think Vince wishes that her little mower actually cut the grass so he would have been done faster!

I know this is usually a Monday thing, but this week Monday got away from me. I am preparing for a garage sale this week and was knee deep in kids clothes for most of the day yesterday.

Today’s post is my boy and one of his buddies. I like to think of them as J and J as both there names start with the letter J, they are buddies and have been since they were a mere 18 months old.  My J still remembers that he played at the other J’s house when I had Kate, they are as different as can be but both wonderful boys who still like to play together.

Life is about challenges.  The one thing I am constantly amazed at is how when my children set their minds to something — they take it to the end.  They do not appear to have any self doubt and become very singularly focused. This can be both good and bad depending upon what it is they have determined they want to do.

This past week John did something AMAZING. He accepted the challenge issued at school to turn off the TV, Computer, and Video games for an entire week. This was a FULL seven days.  This meant that the entire family had to limit our time and it was fantastic.  I won’t lie, Kate had a bit of time with Dora while he was at school, but that was it for a week.

Tonight I realized that too often I find reasons not to accept the challenges in my life. The reasons usually come down to self doubt and feeling like why try, I never win.  Tonight I realized it’s not always about winning each time we take on a challenge it helps us to grow and learn, and isn’t that what life is about. Growing and learning?

So if I am not too late I am entering into a contest.  The challenge was to use toys as the objects for my photographs.  I used this challenge to inspire me to create wall art for my son’s room, if you haven’t guessed is favorite things in the world is high end cars!

There is no doubt in my mind that these two are mine.  They are the best of friends and the worst of enemy’s which they are will change moment to moment. Today for a brief second they were friends.

One love to help has recently developed a bit of an attitude, some might even say she’s turned a bit bossy lately.  The other wants to help, but on his terms.  He struggles with being the big kid yet not being ready to let go totally of being ‘little’.

So as you can imagine my shock when they said ‘let’s take photos’.  I pulled out the camera — thinking this is going to be quick and fun.  No they wanted the backdrop and the lights and the whole “deal”.  Then they proceeded to be two little monkeys with silly faces.  The images I captured are a reminder to me of why I love photography. I love to capture every part of their personality…. happy, sad, mad and the silly.  This image is who they are.  No they did not give me this when I had them in their nice clothes the day before, using the background I wanted and with all the lighting just right.

They like the world to meet them on their terms, they are determined.

I love when spring starts to come.  It may not be green and lush yet, but the snow is gone and we can get to the park.  Going to the park is most likely the one thing that both kids love and can agree to do,  so we go as often as the weather and time allows us to.

At the park by our home a few years ago I took what has come to be my signature photo of my son.  He was in a play tunnel and I had the most amazing light in his eyes and he gave me a real smile and not the cheesy one or the funny face he would rather do.  I “TRIED” to get an updated one as it has been a few years.  Instead I got lots of goofy faces and ONE shot I LOVE of him.

I tried to get Kate to give me a few seconds, but I got one yes ONE shot of her giving me the don’t bug me Momma look.  I will have to try again to get one in that spot of her — to match the canvas I already have of John.  I also want a series of her and her face in the holes just like John’s – I never want to forget this time in life when they are so young and the world is still so fresh and new to them!

I have always made my son’s birthday cakes, and they have always had a theme.  Some years it’s a lot of work doing the stars and making Thomas or Lightning McQueen come to life others it’s been easy. The year he wanted a Nemo cake was one of those easy years.  That year I made  fish bowl, which was easy but impressive.  This year he wanted a mountain biking cake.  I thought this will be a snap, the instructions were easy and it was mostly just layering cakes and frosting them.  I was wrong., I was just plain wrong.  The first cake looked good (it’s the one on the right) but it fell flat by the next morning. I prefer to think of it as it experienced an earthquake or there was a mud slide.

So like every good Mom I went and I made ANOTHER cake, this one shorter and much more sturdy.  That is the cake he is blowing candles out on — the lessons I learned are you can never have too many boxes of cake mix (LOL) and that you need wooden dowels when building a mountain of chocolate cake.

This is the first Monday of 2010 and so far so good. I know this set of images is actually from last fall, but it’s too cold to do photos outside and well I just got around to getting these off the memory card and into the computer (yes bad bad Mommy).

Kate just loves to be out in the snow and so I knew when we had a snow fall in October it would be the best time to let her out for some old fashioned fun!   I am also doing a 365 project this year and I am happy to report that I have at least one image of the at least one of my kiddos everyday this year. In February I am going to start doing an alphabet book, then do colors and numbers for Kate so that will be fun!  A letter a day.

This week I have some fun things for my Five on Friday:
1. Someone posted on Facebook — That we tell kids not to take Candy and things from people they do not know, but on Halloween we go door to door and collect candy. This is such an odd message. I tend to agree, but we will be out on Halloween!

2. I am blessed to have photography in my life — I have some amazing friends and that means the world to me! You all know who you are and THANK YOU!!

3. I want this lens — I can’t have it right now but I want it!!

4. I am so thankful for my family and their continued good health.  (I told you my thoughts were totally random).

5. I love my children — they are the world to me.  However, sometimes my favorite time of the day is when they sleep.

I had the pleasure of meeting up with the M family lhast week.  They are so much fun.  I have been documenting their lives for the past three years.  In that time I have watched Mr. N go from a baby to a pre-schooler and have seen Ms. A learn the joy of reading — her favorites are the Box Car Children.  Her sister Ms. B well she has so much personality it’s clear that she will rock Kindergarten this year without any issue.