TGIF

It has been "one of those weeks" around here: crazy schedule, working more hours than usual, coordinating this and that, squeezing in family meals, forgetting a few things along the way. A moment at the start of the week set the rest of my week in motion when my alarm clock (a.k.a. my hubby) forgot to wake me up at 6:30am so I could be to work by my 7:20 call time. I happened to awake at 7:20 completely disoriented and then suddenly horrified to realize that I was supposed to be at work! And I hadn't washed my hair in days. I looked lovely running through the doors at work. Just lovely.

My week was book ended by another moment that made me feel as if I was playing out some mild comedy of errors. Picture me standing in a new pediatric doctor's office (not the examination room--but out in the main office) having just come from the exam room where I had to pin my screaming daughter down to receive the H1N1 vaccination (she's a high risk case so I reluctantly let them give it her--boy was I sorry). My 10 year old is pleading (no joke) to get the flu nasal spray vaccination because he really is terrified of getting the flu (don't get me started on how I feel about the flu "monster" that has been created). As I am signing papers, the nurse, who is about to give Zach the flu spray, turns to me and says, "Do you know that your son has a fever?!"  She waves the thermometer so I can see the red neon numbers reading 1o0.4.  I drop my pen in shock. My son, who has had only a few fevers in his life, is standing there anxiously looking at me, then back at the nurse, then back at me.  I finally say, "You're joking." But not to Zach, or the nurse, but to a God I really believe in and am, at that moment, not happy with. Zach says he feels perfectly fine, but I do finally note that his eyes look a little blood shot. As I escort him out of the building the realization hits him: he might be getting the flu. His voice quivers as he tells me he feels light headed and that he might faint...not from the flu, but from the anxiety over having it. 

I drive home in the rain answering every question known to man about flu specifics. My daughter promptly falls asleep in the back seat and I try to just keep my sanity above the water line.

So here I am, 10:38pm Pacific time--everyone is asleep but me. I still have a mountain of stuff to get done by Monday but I am glad that it is at least Friday. I have pulled up my pictures from this last week and have found some outtakes that I have not yet shared. I have titled them for you...

Gutter Leaves

Picking Fairy "Cot" 

(Ask the fairies--they'll know)

How To Keep Your Man

Smoochie Pooch

Three Happy Mamas

Hooray for TGIF!

I am off to bed...

testing testing, one, two, three

Yesterday afternoon my new camera arrived, via Mr. Nice Fed Ex Man. I did not read the manual, or tweaked any of the settings--just turned it on and pointed it in kids faces to feel the weight of in my hands and hear the soft easy snap of the shutter. (Oh such a difference between a healthy shutter and a sick shutter.) 

Say CHEEZE!!!!!

Today I just followed her around before the rain began to fall. She gave me a few "cheeze's" before she went on to collect food for her fairies. Obviously feeding fairies is MUCH more important than mom's new camera. 

Off to go read that manual...

three tiny ones and one man cub

Today was a day for babies. Just a short shoot for each to capture some sweet little faces. I felt so old amongst these young moms with their first babies...mine being 10 and 7 now, I no longer wipe bottoms or nurse or pat pat pat to get the burps out (that happens freely at my dinner table now). And I stood there wishing I could dress my kids in cute outfits because they now have an opinion for sure. (Zach, no more cords mom...just jeans. And Michaela...no jeans, just dresses, or sweats.)

And then there was this little guy. If you've been around my blog, you might recognize that cap and vest. He asked if he could squeak in a picture and ran to get his picture attire when I said "yes."
I think out of all the moments today, that was the one that tickled me the most. And this shot was just him waiting while I was metering my light. Love him.

I would love to come back and do a longer shoot for each of those little ones...get all those toes and fingers and soft lips. Babies are just so fun to capture.

My fingers almost froze off, but I managed...

A quick shoot today for a friend, in freezing cold temps (well...California freezing cold temps), left my fingers a wee bit frozen, but the light was beautiful so I played through the pain. Took one for the team. Look at that smile...wasn't it worth it?

Hey Handsome...

Why must I always be envious of the eyelashes?

Kids are so lucky.

And of course we had to get Bella in a shot. 

She's made her appearance before on this blog. 

Remember this?

Tomorrow I get to go snap some babies! Three of them! I love the babies...

it's so stinkin' cold, I don't even want to take a picture

It's dipping near freezing temps here in the Silicon Valley and I am having to climb into the back of my closet to find my warmest coat. (Do I even have one?)
I once was in Chicago in the winter time and walked into a Baby Gap and was surprised to see all this adorable, fun winter stuff for kids. Where was this in my California Baby Gap?! My friend, whom I was visiting, laughed at me. Of course, we don't need the below freezing baby bundles in California...
So here we are in our sunny Bay Area, tickled to see a dusting of snow on our low lying hills. I made hot cocoa and popcorn for Bean and her friend and it was all I could do to muster up the desire to pull out my camera and take an indoor shot. Simply put, I really just don't like indoor shots. I have yet to take one I really like. Really. (I hate bumping up my ISO and I really do not like the color of the light.) Whatever.

Speaking of my camera...it is in a winter of its own. I have been suspecting it has been failing me, just a 6th sense I had. I realized that even though it is only three years old, I have easily taken somewhere between 80,000-100,000 shots on it. Uh, that's a lot. Its shutter life is winding down, unless I give it a tune up.
So I bought a new camera. And I am anxiously awaiting its arrival. I cannot tell you just how hard it has been for me to wait...

Togetherness

While editing some more pics today I came across these and had to share the warmth and love that I saw when I came across them. Is not Dad's face just the most content smile you have ever seen? And they're all together, their little unit. If you knew them like I did, you would know that they are exactly what the picture beholds: a loving family that enjoys being together. I am so lucky to know them.

Easy to please.

A friend of mine asked if I would do a short shoot to capture her kids and her requirements were as follows: close up and black and white...and don't worry about them not smiling. And then she added: if you can attempt to get some of my teen son, who never likes the camera, that would be great.
It was so wonderful to know exactly what she wanted. I love close ups. And I am learning I like to shoot teens. Umm, not shoot shoot teens, (maybe one day when I have my own I might be saying that) but you know, shoot, as in capture with a camera. (must clarify)
I love capturing them in a cool way that will cause them to perhaps stop and say, "Hey, that's not a bad picture of me." Remember when you were young, and you just wanted to know what you would look like if you were cool? Yeah. I like trying to capture that.

Happy Friday!

Off the cuteness scale...

When I was taking these pictures I was completely tickled by her cuteness. Look how soft and pink she is!  :) As I was editing the pictures, I was compelled to make them soft and sweet, because nothing else would do. I love the top right picture: her one ear peeking from her sweater. I love the bottom left picture: her pom pom visible to add to her cuteness quotient. And her name is Marea. Is that just not the most fitting name for such a sweet, soft, girly baby?

And here she is with her two brothers who willingly came and snuggle up to her. Little James, turning to give her a smooch. I'm totally melting. 

p.s. I totally labored over the direction of this photo. Should I flip it? Make it vertical? (Macaire..you will have to decide!)

What happens when two boys allow you to follow them with a camera...

There was a lot of: "Ooh, ooh! Get a picture of us smacking our faces against this pole!" And...

"Ooh, ooh! Get a picture of us smashing our faces against the glass!" And..."Get a picture of me looking like I'm blowing away in the wind!"

Not pictured: Zach attempting to throw Dane into a garbage can. A tan bark war. And two boys slapping their bellies for the camera.

Seriously..such a different world from girls.

Brothers!

When your brother gives you a wild hair-brained idea and you go for it, you better hang on tight! What I didn't catch: the look of terror as she was almost flung from the swing...and her brother laughing at the sight of it.

What can I say Bean? You were the one who listened to your big brother?!