The Joys of Digital Photography

Subtitle: In which I take 47 pictures of grubby hands and a lady-bug.

Spring is on it's way. This was the first time I had been able to convince George to let a bug walk on him without feeling the need to pick it up repeatedly, thereby squishing it to death.

He was fascinated! I should have tried to get a video of him, because he kept saying, "Come on, lady-bug! Come over here!" Simply adorable. And what a difference from merely a year ago.


Unfortunately, a mere 1/2 hour later, he was stung, or bit, by something right up by his eye. It's all puffy now, but a bit of cuddling seemed to cure the pain. Yup, spring is on it's way.

The Two Stories of Armory

Story that we told Emma (Because, yes, we are horrible parents that, on occasion, lie to our children):

The people that Daddy works with in the National Guard have a cat that they adopted as a group. Each month, someone new takes care of him. Late October, it was our turn. A couple of weeks later, Daddy asked around and Yes! We can keep him! The guys are tired of passing him around and it's time for Armory to have a permanent home! Yay! We have a cat!

The REAL story:

There once was a stray cat that hung around the National Guard Armory and nearby restaurants. He often came inside the Armory to be played with, pet, and fed by the soldiers there on the weekends. No one there or in any of the surrounding businesses knew of any owners.

It was a crisp, sunny fall afternoon. Emma was busy with a play date and Jason had taken George for a drive to keep him occupied. They went to the Armory. The cat was there. Jason opened the side van door. The cat jumped in. The van's tires squealed as they raced away from the scene of abduction.

I got a phone call that the boys were taking a large, grey cat to the vet to have it checked out. The vet declared him healthy, (declared him an already neutered him), and said that if it didn't work out, one of the assistants there would adopt him. The cat was brought home. Quickly named Armory in dedication to the abduction site. And presented to a skeptical Emma. (Remember, she had recently lost two adorable kittens and had NO desire for an adult cat, thus the above story).

By the end of the afternoon, Armory had chosen Emma's bed as his favorite napping spot. By the end of the next day, he was greeting her at the door when she returned home from school. By the end of the next, she was calling him "her" cat and asking if maybe we could keep him. Whew!

He fits in frighteningly well with our family. Both kids carry him around the house in all manner of strange positions. He and Emma stalk each other, then cuddle for hours. He and Gracie tolerate each other. He roams the neighborhood, but always comes home and scratches at the door to be let in. And he likes to sleep in a sink that has a leaky faucet. Strange? Yes. Perfect? Oh heck, yes!

A late evening Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day to those who celebrate. We really don't but the kids had a great day and we're enjoying a bottle of wine as the day winds down.

(Yeah we look tired, but I promise we took the picture before the bottle was opened!)

Two weeks later...

And I'm still catching up!

The CD goes to the printer this week. I've already told the band that I'm frankly sick of looking at them. Adam says he'll send the MP3's of the songs, so I don't have to actually handle or look at the CD for a while. They sound great, though, I'll be sure to link the CD when it hits Amazon and iTunes.

Vegas was, quite simply, awesome. I worked my feet off, but had an amazing time. The PMA show was incredible, I saw lots and lots and lots of techno-gadgets that I would love to play with.
And seeing my friends from DSP was the best part. We laughed and talked and worked and walked and ate and drank and had SOOO much fun.

I'm hoping to join them again in San Jose, CA this summer. We'll be meeting at Adobe headquarters for an all day laptop crop. We'll be like nerdy kids in a educational toy store!! I'm hoping to turn it into a family road trip, it will depend on George's summer school schedule. I just can't imagine knowing all these incredible people being so close, and not being there myself.

On the home front, Jason was able to get a paid weekend off, so he and the kids had lots of, um, bonding time. Grandma and Papa helped a lot and Jason reaffirmed the idea that he would never be able to be a stay-at-home dad. I've never seen such a happy face as the one that greeted me in baggage claim!! But they all had a good weekend and I came home to happy kids and a clean house. LOVE that!

The snow from the other week is long gone now. We had a gorgeous day yesterday and spent the whole day outside doing yard work. Why does that feel so very good even though it's such hard work? Jason trimmed most of the bamboo that takes over our yard, along with various trees and vines. George helped make a hut and playground out of the bamboo, and Emma spent all day running around outside. Kicking rocks, running up and down our hilly field, and just enjoying the air. The best kind of day. Especially when we're due for more rain this week.

All in all, a very full couple of weeks, but we're all happy and healthy. Can't ask for more than that.

Scattered

I have so much going on that I'm having trouble finding focus these days. Luckily, I woke up to this today, so the kids are taken care of:
It's nine o'clock, and I just now heard George wake up. We live on a hill, with a busy street running right behind our bedrooms, so normally the traffic wakes them up. I love how the snow deadens the sound and keeps people from racing up and down the hill. The kids are going to FREAK OUT when they come out and see this! I'm sure there will be many photos to post later!

Because I need another project like a hole in my head, I've joined a group that is documenting the overlooked details in our lives. Our first challenge was to document our favorite coffee mug or drink cup. Dave should appreciate that this is one of the few mugs we use that isn't a part of our everyday dish set.

And mostly, I'm preparing for this:

I leave in THREE DAYS!!!! Wahoo!!!! Vegas baby!! I am beyond excited. Best part? Five hours of travel time with no kids to entertain!

Well, and I'm going to see/meet a couple dozen of my friends from around the world and be at a trade show with hundreds of the worlds leading companies that deal with all forms of photography and imaging. That stuff is good, too. ;) Drool!!

Edited to add:

I call them "Joined at the Hip"

My angels

The mighty snowball hunter

Let's play "Find the cat"

My Eyes Are Crossing

Man, I was glad to get the kids back in school! So much more time for me to put my feet up and relax.

Bwahahahahahahahahaaaaa!!!!!! Phew! Am I funny or what?

Actually, I've been busy getting making my carpal tunnel worse with a HUGE, exciting project. Jason's brother, Adam is the lead member of a band in Denmark that is steadily getting bigger and bigger. They recently signed with a record label in Europe and have their first professionally produced album coming out in a couple of months. In addition to just being totally excited for them, I'm also excited about this:(Click on the photo to go to their site!) Adam and I have been internationally collaborating on this for the last couple of months. Last night I emailed him the initial proofs for his CD cover, tray card, and 8 page booklet. Working with specs and templates written in Danish, using the metric system, and a different color mode (CMYK for you print knowledgeable types) made it all that much more interesting. A challenge, but one I've really enjoyed. Just what the perfectionist side of my inner artist needed!

Oh, and I've been taking the kids bike riding, making dentist and doctor appointments, driving kids to and from school every 2 1/2 hours, running my DSU Card Making class, preparing for the upcoming trade show I'm working, attending meetings and prepping for George's entry to Kindergarten next year, volunteering in Emma's class (and as a crossing guard after school!), and generally trying to stay ahead of the dirt and grime of a 4 person/2 animal household. Oh, and feeding my family. So, you know, not much else really. ;) Just being a mom. Gotta love it!

Cheating

Theoretically, she was in her room, as punishment, thinking about why talking back to Mommy and Daddy with major attitude isn't a good idea.

Really, not so much.
The hysterical giggling tipped me off.

As of this moment

...there are:

1 day
12 hours
35 minutes
and 46 seconds

... until school starts back up for the winter session.

Not that I'm counting.

Completed Board Book

In November I prepped a board book style mini-album for the upcoming Christmas season (see the originals here: Prepping for Xmas). I am so glad that I did! As seen in the January DSP Newsletter, I had my album completed only a few days after Christmas! I'm going to be adding some ribbon around the spines, I think, to finish off the look and cover some of the gaps between pages, but I love how it turned out otherwise! I simply added photos and minimal journaling in throughout December and was able to start printing and gluing the day after Christmas.

Click HERE to see the pages a bit closer up, if you'd like to read the journaling.

I'm looking forward to being able to pull this out again next year to share with friends and family. I didn't realize how many little traditions our family enjoys until I started putting this book together. And as someone who tends to procrastinate (just a bit!), this organizing ahead business was amazing! Maybe I should try it in other aspects of my life?

And so it begins!

Happy New Year to you all! Ours began peacefully, a bit earlier than desired, but peaceful nonetheless. Yesterday and today were spent dismantling Christmas and rediscovering our living room. Occasionally, it feels really good to clean. And as much as I'll miss the Christmas season, it felt good to vacuum up the pine needles, pack up the assorted ornaments, and put the boxes back up onto their high shelf.

Having a break in the rainy weather, we took the kids to a nearby church parking lot to practice their bike riding. George (who up until today thought bikes were only ridden in basements) received a big kid bike for Christmas. Emma is fairly jealous that his is a bit bigger than hers, but we had made the stipulation that she couldn't get a new one until she could ride without training wheels. And after this afternoon....it's time to get her a new bike. She did great!

George enjoyed riding through puddles the most!

What with spending an hour in the frigid fresh air, getting more exercise than they have in over a week, and the pride in new accomplishments, I think it's safe to say they will sleep well tonight. Of course, most likely I've just jinxed myself.

I've finished lots of layouts lately and my Prepping for Xmas book is complete, so there will be many more posts, filled with many more photos in the coming days.

Enjoy the new year!

Xmas project revealed

This picture of the sun rise was taken from our living room window as we had our coffee after the stockings and "Santa presents" had been explored and enjoyed. Not surprisingly, we were woken in the still-dark before 7 a.m. by a very excited six year old. This was the year for her. The year to still believe, the year to appreciate gifts, the year to listen for jingle bells, the year to have trouble sleeping, the year to be crying happy tears because the day was so wonderful. Can't beat that.

We did have a wonderful day. Several rounds of gift giving and visits with assorted relatives, spread throughout the day. No real melt-downs and lots of excitement. I'm sure I'll be sharing lots of pictures soon. But this one was caught today and I had to post it right away.

Introducing, Sammy's Pad:

This is Emma & Daddy's super-secret project. And this is Sammy (or maybe Freddy, his best friend. Emma can tell them apart, but I'm never sure). Sammy's Pad is a full-service buffet style restaurant serving peanuts, mixed squirrel food, and water. It's hard to see the details, but there are evenly spaced treads on the floor to keep Sammy and his pals from slipping, a removable roof for shelter (with tension wire on the back to keep roof-climbing squirrels from flipping it over), and a water-proof sealer that will act as a base paint later in the year, so Emma can give it a custom paint job.

Emma came up with the idea for this project, designed it, and, as you've seen in previous posts, did as much of the construction as was remotely safe. Sammy is a squirrel that lives in the trees behind Gramma & Papa's house and routinely comes up to the door looking for peanuts. Emma has been enthralled by him for years and decided he needed a more efficient food-procuring method. The gift was a hit with everyone. Especially Sammy.

The Quiet of Christmas Eve

The Christmas lights are lit.

Christmas Eve pajamas unwrapped and on.

Sugar cookies decorated.

Wonderful meal and great conversation with extended family enjoyed.

Cookies and milk waiting for Santa by the tree.

Kids are asleep (I think).

TBS is running a 24 hour marathon of A Christmas Story.

Presents are....getting wrapped.

Half a bottle of wine left in the fridge.

I love Christmas.

Have a wonderful, peaceful, chaotic, joyful day tomorrow.
Love & laughter from Meg, Jason, Emma, & George

Busy elves

Remember the super-secret project from October? Well, it took a bit of a hiatus through much of November and December. All of a sudden, oh-my-goodness-it's-less-than-a-week-'till-Christmas hit this house and all crafty projects are in full swing again. Here's another peek:

And yes, I did just notice that my darling, sweet, only six years old, precious first born is not wearing safety goggles while wielding a nail gun. Her daddy and I will be chatting about that fact before tonight's stint in the work room begins. (Though we may be on to the painting phase, it's hard for me to tell, the project keeps getting more and more elaborate). More photos after Christmas. Though I'm not sure if I'll be able to get any of the recipient actually using it......

I've had to make a last minute change to one of my crafty gifts. Think it's a bad idea to try a completely new technique and product three days before Christmas? Yeah, probably is, but I'm trying it anyway. I found this when I came into the kitchen this morning:

I'd like to think the kitchen is feeling my stress and wanted to brighten my day.

So, while Jason and Emma are busy at the workbench, I'm busy at the computer and in the kitchen. And George is busy dumping every toy box in the house into the middle of the living room. Joy.

And the pets find this time of year intriguing. A tree inside the house, toys scattered everywhere, and assorted wrapping materials hanging about. What could go wrong?

Simply Awesome

These guys remind me of a choir my brother was in long ago. But this holiday medley is a bit funnier than some:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fe11OlMiz8

Thoughts on a Tuesday

Why is it when I have a holiday party to go to, my hair can't decide if it wants to be straight or curly, so instead, it does a funky helmet-head-wave thing? But if it's a day like, oh let's say today, when I'm wearing sweats and don't plan on being seen by anyone other than postal workers, my hair is just the right amount of curly and looks "awesome" (as Emma put it)?

(What punctuation would have been the right choice in those sentences? I think I have a few too many commas there.)

And speaking of Emma. She has a new boyfriend. His name is Bryson, he's really nice, and they're going to be boyfriend and girlfriend, like, forever. She's six. I have no words for this one.

Jason received a paycheck from the National Guard yesterday. I know I haven't shared our Nat'l Guard drama stories with the world here, but trust me, a paycheck? Is amazing and surprising based on our experience with the Guard thus far. I never thought I would find the Army more efficient with paperwork in any instance.

I'm going to Vegas in a couple of months to work at a trade show for Digital Scrapbook Place. We'll be sharing a booth with Adobe and Wacom. Think they'll be impressed with my mad skills on our IBM Thinkpad, circa 2004? Oh well, I'm going to Vegas, baby! That's good enough for me! (Note to self: Stop dream-surfing Dell.com and HP.com and get back to work!)

Christmas is exactly one week from today. 'Nuff said.

Shower Time

I took these photos tonight and just had to use them right away.

Journaling:
Shower time is play time for you, silly boy. (Except for those awful hair-washings!) I love listening to you sing and act out stories, enjoying the great bathroom acoustics. And the shower door is your favorite canvas. It was there I learned you could draw a face (on a snowman, no less)! You stay in there long after the water is off, just to play! And then there is the dancing you sometimes do. . . .

(Oh, and you crack yourself up, too!)

Gingerbread fun

Thank you to Grandpa Rocky for this great project! Stay Up Late Night (Friday evenings) has never been so much fun. I'm pretty surprised that the roof hasn't caved in from the sheer mass of candy on it!

These pictures will definitely be added to my Christmas album. What a great memory!

I should be folding laundry...

but instead, I'm completely wasting time:

http://www.spotthedifference.com/

Enjoy! (Wait until you get to the "mirrored" level, wow hard.)

Loving the furnace these days

Journaling: Four generations of my family have lived in this house. Four generations have stood on this heater vent in the winter, enjoying the strong blast of hot air. Four generations of little girls have watched their nightgowns billow into bell-shaped containers of heat. Four generations of boys have stomped on the noisy metal grate as their hair blew skyward.

Scrapbooking.com & Autism

Scrapbooking.com Magazine, a digital "ezine", will be featuring our family's story in an article about Autism, in their January 2008 issue. They are looking through the many layouts I've done regarding George, and will choose some to highlight.

They are working directly with the Autism Society of America. I'm so proud to be a part of this. Every time something gets written, shared, and talked about, we are one step closer to even better help for our special kids.