Square One

Welcome Company Girls and Beloved Regulars!

I can't believe it is Friday again already! This week just flew by. Come on in, my fridge is stocked with Peppermint Mocha creamer and the coffee is always hot!

I posted these to facebook, but I don't think I shared them on here. I wasn't able to take the boys to a proper pumpkin patch this year due to all the rains, but we did venture with some friends over to the local YMCA. They had their own "pumpkin patch" {read: 10 pumpkins on a wood flat and then a gated yard area with a bunch of hay bails and decorations. lol} so we tried to take some pictures there. I had a hard time getting anything decent, but these were the best of the lot.
Port was not happy sitting amongst the pumpkins. Much like last year, he kept pushing them away from him. Then big brother jumped and and all I got was "the face".I can't believe how much Port has grown this year! Looking at last year's pictures - on my!

Oh well. Maybe I'll have better luck next year!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Go ahead, pull out the holiday cds, it's not too early!

Until,
D :)

Thoughts Before Me

Reposting an old post of mine from 2006. It has always been one of my favorites and I thought it deserved a rebirth.

Superstition, Joy and God's Whispers

Before I start, I want to apologize for being away for a few days. Our lap top is in the shop and therefore I am cut off from the world with no internet access. I pestered Hubby enough today that he signed us up for a 30 day free trial of dial up, just so I could feed my addiction and check email and such. The dry heaves have stopped, but it is taking everything I have not to log on to BabyCenter - I miss you mommas!


Anyway, I am sitting in the Junk room that is supposed to be our office, typing clumsily on the dinosaur of a desk top that we have in here. Oh, how I miss the effortlessness of lap top keys - but all is well, I have a bag of Oreos and a glass of milk and I am ready to begin!


This post has been swirling around in my head for some time now and it took something happening today for me to finally be motivated enough to sit down and write it out.


I have a hard time experiencing Joy.


There, I said it. Really, I do. Only a few times in my life I have had that feeling; when all is right in the world and I am content and peaceful and smiling; you know the one, right? I have rarely ever been just over the top happy - and I shall tell you why. Now, I am not a superstitious person per say; I don't avoid cracks in the sidewalk for fear I will break my mother's back, nor do I worry much when a black cat crosses my path. After all, I had black cats mainly when I was growing up so I actually thought of them as good luck. But some things tend to stick in the back of my mind that others would label as superstitious.

It seems like every time I have had that feeling, it was immediately followed by a tragedy. I can name a few times - when I was about 15, I had been reunited with a childhood friend and was able to spend the weekend with her at her parents house. We had a terrific time; talking, laughing, all that girlie stuff, and when we woke up the morning that I was to go home, I remember standing in the mirror brushing my hair and reflecting on the weekend. I had that feeling - the one of happiness and contentment, "joy" I guess. And I was so excited for the first time in a long time. About that moment was when her mother came into the room and told me to get my things and that my parents were picking me up early. Turns out, my cousin, whom I was very close to, had committed suicide.


I could go on and on with examples. I was given an amazing graduation gift of a trip to the Cayman Islands and the week after I got back my boyfriend (who I though was my soul mate) dumped me. Every time there was an extreme life high, I would get hit by an extreme low. When I had my son, a perfectly normal and happy pregnancy turned into a frightening delivery and a very sick child with no explanation for several days. My best friend, who was supposed to have her first born only 9 days before mine, tragically lost her baby at 38 weeks gestation.

I guess lately I have been trying to make sense of all of this. Trying to understand why every time I start to let my guard down and enjoy life something like this happens. I know everyone has ups and downs; that's how things work of course, but the fear of the downs is what keeps me from really allowing myself to experience the joys of life. I am always guarded, always afraid of the next thing that will come around the corner. And often times I can really spiral down into a depression. I try not to let it show, but I am sure people know.

In the past I could lock myself in my room and play depressing music and cry it all out until I felt better. But as an adult with a husband and a child, there is just not room for such things. It's no wonder to me that mothers are the silent sufferers. They are forced to take care of everyone first, and if there is time left in the day, maybe, just maybe we can cry in the shower or in the car on the way back from the grocery store...

I often cry in the car or in the shower. How sad is that?

But, in all of this, I have to say that I do have a saving grace. God whispers to me. He doesn't do it often, but when he does, his timing is perfect. (of course it is, right?) Shortly before I turned 21 I was at probably the lowest part of my life. The locked in the room nights were way outnumbering the normal and I was at the end of my rope. I was driving to work (crying in the car) and suddenly that feeling came over me. It was Joy - pure, untainted joy. All my troubles didn't exist and suddenly I heard a voice in my head saying "have faith" over and over. A warmth washed over me and filed all the empty places - it was like nothing I had ever experienced. That was the day I got saved; I called the preacher at the church I had been singing with through the university and asked for a meeting. I had no idea really of what being saved meant, but I knew it was what I need to do.

Fast forward to today, again driving in my car with Kiddo on the way to the grocery store. I have been down a lot lately. It gets worse around the glorious PMS time and then tends to subside a week or so after, but lately the sadness has been sticking around a lot. I don't know what it is; I can't explain it, other than the sheer fact that we, like most people, can never seem to get on top of finances; something it always breaking or in need of repair, or we have a medical bill or the insurance premium goes up AGAIN - it never ends, I know. But it has really gotten to me lately and I can't seem to shake the funk. So today we are driving and that feeling came over me - warm and fuzzy and inviting - and the song on the radio (it was Nickelback - "Far Away") played softly in the back ground. Now, the song is new and so I am not terribly familiar with the words yet, but what was loud enough to hear were the phrases "keep breathing", "hold on to me" and "I will love you". And, though it seems silly writing it now, I knew it was God, whispering - gently reminding me of His love and Grace. And I know that no matter the troubles I think I have, if I just keep breathing and hold on to Him, I will be alright.

And so I just want you all to know the same thing. Hold on, keep breathing. We will make it.

Thanks for walking down memory lane with me.
Until,
D :)

The Climb

From the living room: "Mommy, Mommy look! We're friends!" I round the corner and see this...
Sweetest. Thing. EVER!

This morning, Port figured out how to climb up on the playscape in our yard so he could slide down the big slide.

Scared the buh-jeepers out of me!

{Yes, I know. Mismatched jammies again. It is a sickness.}

I had been lifting him up and putting him at the top and then helping him down. Then he decided he wanted me to set him on the end of the platform so he could walk over to the slide and sit down himself. Then he wanted me to put him at the top of the "rock wall" climbing side so he could take the last couple of steps up to the platform. Then he ran over and climbed up all the way by himself.
Look at that determination!
The boy is nothing if not organized and meticulous.

He still wants me to hold his hand on the way down the slide. I am ok with that. ;-)

It looks like we are going to have to put a safety bar back up on the platform. The drop down if he were to fall off the back (pretty likely considering how narrow the platform actually is and how open the back entrance from the monkey bars is) he could get seriously hurt.

At nap time today you can find me with hammer and nails in the back yard. {in my best Tim Allen man grunt} ahr, ahr, ahr!

The whole thing reminds me of the first time I caught Kiddo on top of the playscape. He was a bit over 2 years old though.

{awwww! vintage Kiddo pictures!! circa September 2006}

I guess Port is ahead of him in the climbing department.

So it looks like I get to play spotter for a couple of weeks until I am confident he isn't going to dive off the platform.

So much for getting any work done.

Until,
D :)

Picture Window

Some pictures (by Hubby) from carving pumpkins right before Halloween...

Port likes anything that is just the right height for him to sit on.
Cutie Patootie!
Yum! Pumpkin slime!!
Today is going to be one of those busy days so I think I will get my post out here earlier than usual. I posted a great sneak peek on my photography blog yesterday and I would love for you to check it out. It is about my latest senior rep. I am stepping out of my normal editing style and trying a little bit edgier treatment for Kyle, to go with his unique style. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Until,
D :)

Gratitude Monday, Week 2

Well it's Monday again and since I started this thing I had better stick with it. Of course, this will probably post late because my head is just swimming right now with deadlines, client edits, client orders, bills, laundry and cranky children. After a few days away from home, the stuff I need to do is crashing down on me with brute force.

But there should always be time in my life for a little gratitude, right?

Today I am going to talk about someone I have never met, but who has impacted my life in a profound way.

Today I am talking about Baby Stellan and the MckMama family.

To know their blog and their story is to know
-how to use lots of tissues. You will cry when you read their story.
-true strength that comes only from the supernatural power of God
-miracles do happen
-that even the smallest of humans can invoke prayer and conversations with God all over the world
-that someone so incredibly cute and seemingly perfect can be so terribly sick, near death, and still amazingly perfect
-that God has the perfect plan for all of us, and that even as humans we can trust in His infinite wisdom and grace.

The MckMama and Stellan story is a world wide phenomenon that has reached people across the globe. It has brought people to their knees, started movements of picture taking and prayer gatherings, and touched so many lives that every time I check her blog I am blown away by the sheer magnitude of it. It is an amazing display of God reaching out to us, to spread His word, to reach the multitudes. It is a gift.

It has made me appreciate my babies even more. It has taught me to slow down, step away from the computer and appreciate the blessings I have. Because, it has taught me that you never know how long you have with someone.

Thank you MckMama for giving us all an amazing gift. For sharing your story with the world and allowing us into your lives so that we can lift you up in prayer, cry with you, cheer with you, and generally be involved in most every thing you do. You have taught me so much, and for that I am truly grateful.

Baby Stellan had an extremely risky surgery yesterday that, by all accounts so far, was completely successful at eradicating his SVT without any life long complications. Praise God for an amazing, mind blowing miracle!

Until,
D :)

If you participated in your own Gratitude Monday, leave me a comment in this post and I will come visit your blog. Thanks so much!

Accident Prone

We made it back home safe and sound. It was a wonderful weekend! I shot a couple of sessions and Hubby did as well.

Of course, it wouldn't be a road trip with the Fry's if everything had gone smoothly. During Hubby's photo shoot on Friday, he backed my van into a pole. We now have to replace the tail light. The bumper has some dents and a lovely smear of blue paint, and the fender is messed up a bit as well. Hubby seems to think he can buff out the majority of the scratches and straighten out the dent, but we shall see.

Port broke his car seat while we were there too. I had taken off the cover to wash it because he flooded it on the way to Houston. The bare seat was sitting on the floor in my inlaw's kitchen, and Port walked up to it and ripped a big section of the styrofoam right off the frame. *sigh*

The whole weekend was full of ups and downs, and I am now so exhausted that I can't even think straight. I will blog about it when I have had a good night's sleep and a couple cups of coffee.

Until,
D :)

Golden Light

Today was a nice day - pretty slow; no demands or important things to do until my session. I managed to get some work done on the computer. Editing on this laptop is almost completely impossible. As soon as I open up photoshop the whole thing starts running at about 1/4 speed (and it's already unreasonably slow). Any time I try to save or majorly alter a photo, the whole thing locks up for about 5 minutes. Needless to say, creating one thing takes for-evah!

My photo session this evening was fun. It was good catching up with an old friend and hanging out with her sweet boy. The botanical gardens we chose to shoot at were gorgeous; a fact driven home by the sheer multitude of professional photographers on the grounds. There was a bridal party, an engagement session, several family sessions and a baby session going on at the same time we were there. Finding space to shoot was quite the challenge.

The worst part though, was that the gardens closed promptly at 5:00. And the best light right now for sunset sessions is between 4:45 and 5:15. The obnoxious person on the loud speaker started barking at everyone to leave at 4:30, even though the parking lot and gated exit were only yards away. The announcement at 4:45 was borderline rude. I am tempted to send an email to the management. When most of the visitors are only 15-20 feet from the parking lot, a 15 minute "everyone needs to leave NOW" is not polite nor necessary. And the tone of the mysterious speaker made it even worse.

Maybe I was just cranky.

It was a bit humorous though that all the regular patrons had left, and only the photographers and their clients remained after the 15 minute warning. None of us were willing to give up that finally nice warm light.


We had dinner at a nearby Cheddar's restaurant with the family. Pretty decent food and great prices. The place was packed as usual. I have never seen so many women wearing bad makeup and gold lame'. And there were fake Coach purses everywhere! Gotta love North Houston!

Tomorrow I have another holiday session and then we are headed home.

Until,
D :)

Visit The Moon

Happy Friday Company Girls and Beloved Readers!
I am kind of off today - we packed up the fam and drove to Houston last night and so all day today I have felt like it is Saturday. It wasn't until I saw MuMo Kim's coffee post over at Musing Mommies that I remembered it was actually in fact only Friday.

So come on in, we are visiting at my inlaws home today. I just made a wonderful smelling Carmel Glazed Apple Cake and I am thinking about skipping dinner and just diving into that cake pan with my own fork!

And yes, I bake at other people's houses too! I am a nut!

I hope you all had a good week. I am still on the busy train; trying to get all my sessions edited and all the orders in. I am still shooting too - this time of year is always a crazy ride with how busy I get. I can't seem to keep my head above water, but of course it is, in my opinion, the best kind of water treading.

So this weekend will be full of photo sessions and coffee with friends, apple cake and good visiting with the family. My boys will be spoiled and we will all be exhausted, but I look forward to the time away from home.

I hope you all also have a wonderful weekend! I look forward to reading your blogs.

Until,
D :)

Wrinkle In Time

Even though we have 2 professional photographers in the family (myself and Hubby), several very good hobbyists and various picture taking fanatics, it is very rare that anyone ever takes a picture of me. And when they do it is often terribly unflattering or embarrassing.

So most of the time I am forced to take pictures of myself. This task really leaves me the only option of producing the dreaded "myspace photo".

You know the one...

Hold the camera at arms length, point it at your face, strike a pose and hope for the best.

Yeah, so try that with a 4-5 pound camera/lens combo a few times and you can see how uncomfortable and annoying it can be.

Anyway, I was on a kick a while back with doing daily self portraits, but after about 15 I lost interest. It was just too difficult to get a decent one without a remote. There is only so much you can do from 2 1/2 feet away.

But every now and then I need to take one; in recognition of my birthday or a new hair color - such as the one I took last Thursday.
Not a bad shot - and I of course love my hair.

But unfortunately, the things I do see in this photo are kind of depressing.

I see my age creeping up on me.

Now, I know I am not that old yet, but I am definitely no spring chicken. It's just that my face is really starting to show it now. My once smooth skin has wrinkled in way more areas than I notice on a daily mirror inspection. If I zoom in to that image above the results are a bit frightening.

I know not everyone is going to get that close to me of course, but since I don't carry around a hand mirror and check my reflection in every possible light situation, I can only assume that sometimes (and probably more often than not) the "face" I am putting forward is probably somewhere close to the mid point or lower on the good skin day/bad skin day scale. The wrinkles, the dryness, the imperfections can not be hidden by good lighting and Photoshop fixes in my daily life (oh how I wish I could keep a clone tool in my make-up bag!).

So, I am left with a decision. Face my face and embrace it and learn to love my wrinkles, or fight like heck to delay the aging process for as long as possible.

I remember sitting on a restaurant patio one sunny afternoon in Phoenix, Arizona. A family was seated at the table next to us - mom, dad and a few kids. The kids were probably elementary and middle school aged, and the parents probably close to the age I am now. The mom was striking - long blond hair and beautiful features; her skin a rich, deep Arizona tan. She was extremely wrinkled on her face and arms, no doubt from years of sunning and outdoor living. And I recall mentioning to Hubby how pretty she was, despite the wrinkles, and how I hoped that if I were to wrinkle that way that I could make it look as good as she did.

My mom never really seemed to age much until recently. She held on to her smooth skin and youthful looks well into my college years. Even now she still doesn't look her age. I look at pictures of her from when she was my age and I think she looks a lot younger than I do now. And at that time my dad was a 3 pack a day, in the house/car/office smoker. So she was exposed to skin damaging chemicals all day and night. She still looked amazing.

I wonder if aging is all relative. I wonder if the reality is, it has nothing to do with genes or skin care or healthy lifestyle. I wonder if it is all in the way you carry yourself. Perhaps it is all in the attitude you take and you soul, your inner most being, whether aging is a graceful or disgraceful process.

The woman in the restaurant was happy; smiling, confident, joyful. She loved her life and it was evident in the way she talked and smiled and carried herself. It was obvious in the way the wrinkles had formed on her face. They were laugh lines and eye crinkles from lots of smiling and laughing. They were from happy days and a good life.

I don't know what kind of wrinkles I have. I hope they are from laughing at and with my children. I hope they are from the beaming smiles the kids bring to my face when I see them. I pray that I can one day wear them confidently and boldly show the world the good life I've had by wearing it on my skin.

But for now I look at the images and lament the wasted youth I once had. The smooth skin, the flat tummy and the natural blond hair are all gone. I rebel against the natural aging and darkening of my hair by transforming it to colors it was never meant to be. And I like it that way. But sometimes I wish I had appreciated my youth while I had it. And I hope that I can appreciate my middle age and my old age as they come.

I look at the pictures and I try to learn these lessons.

But I can't see past the imperfections just yet.

Until,
D :)

Throwing Stones

I guess it wouldn't be a normal week if little Port made it through without a head wound.

Yesterday the boys were playing in the back yard, and for some unknown reason, Kiddo decided to throw a huge rock at Port's head.

And by huge, I mean about 6 inches long by about 4 inches wide and several inches thick.

It hit little Port right on the head, just at his hair line.

I was in the house with the back door open. I heard Kiddo grunt as if he was exerting some effort, then a loud thud, then my baby screaming.

As soon as I got to the door, Kiddo was already running half way across the yard, away from his brother, looking for a place to hide.

Upon first inspection I couldn't find anything wrong with Port, but he kept rubbing his head. Soon enough the goose egg was rising.

He is fine, but I was beyond mad. He could have been really hurt. It could have been really, really bad.

I just don't understand what on earth could have possessed my 5 year old to do such a thing. Not only is throwing anything except soft and light balls strictly prohibited at our house, but throwing things AT people is at the top of the most heinous of crimes list. And he knew he did something very very wrong the instant the rock left his hands because he was already sprinting away to the nearest hiding place.

Was this the eruption of pent up frustration? Jealousy? Was it a hurtful gesture or playtime gone awry?

Well whatever it was, I was left with finding an appropriate and memorable punishment.

Oh the joys of motherhood.

I had to get past some of the anger first. That took a while.

Once past it, I had to once again figure out the "currency".

Well, anyone who knows my son knows he loves his costumes. The boy has been wearing the Batman suit since Saturday.

Seriously

So, the first part of the punishment is that all the costumes; the super suits, the capes, the masks, the costume accessories - all of it goes away until next Friday.

Oh the wailing that part of the punishment brought.

And my dear friend Kim had the brilliant idea for phase 2 of the punishment.

He is to pick up all the rocks in our back yard and put them in one pile.

mwahahahahahaaa!

Most of you haven't seen my back yard, have you?

MWAHAHAHAHAAAA!

I know, I am evil.

But think about it. After a week or so of picking up heavy rocks and hauling them across our ginormous, ruggedly terrain-ed yard and stacking them up - don't you think he will think twice about throwing a rock next time??

Oh yes he will.

Now, lest you think I really am some evil woman and you think about calling the authorities on me - I am not going to make him pick up every single rock.

Maybe.

But he will remember this, and he will learn from it.

In some cases...child labor rocks!

{no pun intended. maybe} ;-)

Until,
D ;)

New Girl In Town

{photo by D Sharon Pruitt}

Today is my mother-in-law's birthday, so I just wanted to wish her a Happy Happy!

In lieu of a hefty post today (since yesterday's was a little late and pretty heavy), because I also posted over at Musing Mommies, I am directing you all to my photography blog today. Please head on over and take a look at one of the most beautiful babies I've ever had the pleasure of photographing (aside from my babies, and well, all the other babies I've photographed! They are all beautiful!!). Thanks!

Until,
D :)

Gratitude Monday

In church on Sunday the preacher was discussing the lost virtue of Gratitude. I was a very good message and it got me thinking about a lot of things.

I do believe that all things come to us through Him, and good or bad, we should always be thankful and grateful for the experiences. Everything that we experience, every person that crosses our path makes us who we are.

I like to think of my life as a stone wall. Always a work in progress, my life is made up of many different sizes of unique stones. Each stone, or person, is carved by God's very own hand. Each one fits into my life like a perfect puzzle piece. The gaps between the stones are filled with the mortar; the experiences, feelings and emotions of life. And as the stones are added, the wall is built, and my personality and life grows bigger, richer and more complex.

Last week, the Musing Mommies challenged their readers and listeners to tell someone how they truly felt about them. The challenge was in response to one of my blog posts, where I told the story about the DJ remembering me from a job I had long ago.

Since this is November and I am participating in NaBloPoMo, I thought I would try to take the challenge each Monday, and describe what it is like to know one particular person in my life.

The response to the challenge at Musing Mommies was next to nothing (many thanks to Shannon for her contribution), but I would like to take it myself and describe what it is like for me to know my friend, Kim.

Kim is my Musing Mommies Podcast cohost, a good friend, a relatively new friend and a fellow mommy.

I was thinking it might be too obvious to describe her, but after considering other options, I decided that sometimes it is the people who are the closest to us that really need to know how we feel the most.

So, this is what it is like for me to know Kim. :)

To know Kim is:
to know someone who is fiercely loyal,
who is good willed,
who is slightly frightening when she gets that look on her face,
who is strong in her beliefs,
who is confident in her knowledge,
who is passionate about her causes, her interests and her loves,
who is not afraid to express her opinions, but doesn't want to offend anyone either,
who is not afraid of offending someone if she thinks she is right,
who is surprising in her humor and her capacity for silliness,
who is not afraid to ask for or go after what she wants.

Kim is a supporter. She pulled me out of a place that I didn't want to be. She lifted me out of a spiraling hole of depression and she showed interest in me when it felt like no one else cared. She got me out of the house. She let me talk until her ears bled and she allowed me to spew my frustrations and hurts to her. She never makes me feel bad about dominating a conversation. She taught me how to show that same interest in someone else, simply by asking a lot of questions. She has pushed me to do things I was afraid to do, things I put off simply out of fear of failure, and things I never thought I would be able to do. She is that forceful yet loving cheer leader that someone like me needs.

I know that God put Kim in my life for a very important reason. And while I may not ever completely understand the full scope of her influence on my life, I know that she will forever be a major stone in my life's wall. And I know the mortar, the experiences and feelings and emotions we experience together, that adheres her to my wall of life will be thick and strong.

And I am so grateful to God for building my wall this way. I am so thankful to have her in my life.

I would like to extend the MuMo challenge to all of you, especially if you are participating in NaBloPoMo, to have your own Gratitude Monday. (after all, we all need blog post ideas, right?)

I even made you a cute button! Go ahead, grab it and join us this month!

I put the code in a box in my side bar so you can grab it for your site or posts. YAY!

I can't wait to read your posts! And if it is fun for you, leave me a comment so I can check it out and pass it on! If I get enough response, I may add a MckLinky at the bottom of my posts so that we can all have easy access to the participant's blogs.

Until,
D :)

Funhouse

Well, it is November 1st my friends so

Happy NABLOPOMO!!

What is NABLOPOMO you say?

It is National Blog Posting Month.

Participants of NABLOPOMO join and strive to post on their blogs once a day for the month of November.

I participate every year, and this year will be no different. I am excited for the challenge. :)

I have been visiting the NaBloPoMo site and randomly friending people in the groups that I am in so that I can find some new blogs to read this month. Some of my favs in my sidebar have slowed down or stopped blogging all together and I am in desperate need of new reads. So, if you got a friend request from me, never fear, it is just because I liked the looks of your blog. ;)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In other news, yesterday was a full and wonderful day!

I am not typically the kind of person that likes to do more than one big thing a day - it just stresses me out too much. But yesterday we had a lot planned. We got up early and had a garage sale. It was so cold that my hands felt like they were going to break as we were taking out all the stuff to line up in the driveway. Thankfully though, we sold off some things, made about $75 and cleared out a huge space in the garage.

After our sale was over, we loaded up all the remaining items into the van and hauled them off to Goodwill. We took a load of books over to Half Price Books and made a few bucks there too. A few of the more valuable items were saved and will be listed on Craigslist this week. Over all, I think it was a pretty successful event.

Midday, Hubby went over to a huge car show in town and he thinks he acquired some good leads for photo sessions.

That evening, we all dressed up (well, Hubby didn't, but I did) and took the kids over to a friend's house for a Halloween party.

{my cutie patootie Classic Batman, baby Port edition}

{he refused to wear the cape and mask}


{Kiddo's Batman the Dark Night with his vulnerable look}


{his "super hero" pose, clenched fists and all}

{releasing the mighty wind, stinky enough to bring down the toughest foe}

There were a ton of kids, including Kiddo's favorite gal pal, WordGirl,and tons of food.

We had a great time trick-or-treating in their neighborhood - almost every house in a 5 block radius had tables and chairs set up in the driveway, decorations all over and friendly smiles. It was awesome. Kiddo and WordGirl were inseparable,

so Hubby kept up with them and the majority of the folks from the party while I chased Port down the street. Seriously, the kid would not stop running.

He wouldn't go to the houses and get candy (I guess he's still to little for that) so he would just cruise on down the sidewalk.

{"baby batman!! come here batman! want some candy??"}

Thankfully some of our friends who were also at the party enjoyed the faster pace, so I tried to keep Port going with them.

{Pretty Kitty, MuMo Kim}

Every time he got too far ahead, I would squat down and have him run back to hug me. It was pretty cute (and of course, I was totally digging my sweet baby hugs!).

At one point, I asked him for a kiss, and instead of the usual offering of a cheek, my baby planted a full on puckered mouth kiss right on my mouth! It was a little slobbery, but oh how I loved it! He rarely ever offers up real kisses. I got another kiss later on in the evening as well. I guess he was trying to tell me he had a good time!

We eventually made our way back to the party house and hung out in the driveway for a while. The big screen was out on the lawn with the UT game on and neighbors had put up a huge bouncy house for all the kids. They also pulled out fire pits for a big block party s'more roast.

I totally want to move to that neighborhood.

We came home completely exhausted but in good humor and all of us collapsed in our respective beds. It was such a great day.

Many thanks to our sweet hosts and to everyone who participated in the evening. It was great to see you all again!

Until,
D :)

Speak

I am so unmotivated today. The weather is kind of dreary; thankfully it's not raining, but I sure could use a big shot of vitamin D from the sun. It is no where to be found.

It looks like we most likely won't make it to the big pumpkin patch this year. The weather just isn't cooperating. I do plan on trying out the local YMCA "pumpkin patch" but I have no idea what it looks like or if I will be able to get any good pics of the kids. If all else fails, I'll just plop them down in my own back yard mud pit and place our 6 little pumpkins around them and snap away. Surely I can get something decent from it.

{yes I know; mismatched shoes, pajama top, camo bottoms...my kids will never have fashion sense.}

Baby Port has been so incredibly cute lately. He is a particular little guy - always running behind us to close doors and drawers. If I do manage to get something closed before he swoops in, he will often reopen the drawer or door and close it again himself.

Just to make sure it's done right I guess.

The other day he was trying to get something out of the pantry and another item fell off the shelf. He actually stopped what he was doing and picked up the dropped item and returned it to the correct shelf. He also threw away his trash the other day all on his own. I didn't even know he knew what the trash can was for!

He has realized that when I put him in his high chair for lunch, nap time is sure to follow. So now he won't sit for lunch at all. He pretty much won't eat anything during the day unless it is in a ziploc bag. And his favorite thing is to take food outside. I have had to wash dirt off of so much food lately...ick. Today he stuck a drooled on hand in the sand box and then proceeded to eat some cheerios he had in a bag outside with him. He winced and shuddered at every sandy, crunchy bite, but just kept on eating. I wiped down his hands, but not before he ate a significant amount of sand.

{That would be a banana and some cheese there on the deck}

He loves the cat and does anything he possibly can to be around her. And when she is meowing and ripping up my window screens, it delights him to no end.

{Can you see his smile in the window reflection?}

For a couple of months now I have been getting increasingly worried about his lack of speech. After speaking about it to a friend, I decided I would watch it for another month or two and then if he didn't start talking more I would make an appointment with his pediatrician. Last week he wanted to go outside. As with anything he wants, instead of saying any actual words, he will shriek to get me to do stuff. He wants in the refrigerator; shriek!! He wants in the pantry; shriek!! You get the idea. I have been trying to teach him the sign for "open" so he can at least communicate with us a little more civilly.

So he was standing at the back door shrieking and I was signing "open. open. open." and saying it each time. He got excited and started bouncing and smiling, but still shrieking. After doing this over and over, I could tell he was getting impatient. Suddenly, he took 2 steps toward me and said, "OUT SIDE!"

Someone has been holding out on me...

Since then he has been speaking a lot more. It's still pretty garbled and random. But if something sounds even remotely close to something I recognize, I praise him and repeat the word louder and clearer. Hopefully it will encourage him to speak more.

Now, if we could only get the older one to speak less. heh

Speaking of, Kiddo showed me the cutest drawing the other day. I just had to share it.
They are pirate crabs. They are dressed for Halloween. lol!

Today Kiddo was walking around the house, singing a song...
"I love Uncle Wes,
I love Uncle Wes,
I looooove Uncle Wes

Uncle Wes is my name,
Uncle Wes is my name,
Uncle Weeeeeeeeesssss!"

Out of the mouths of babes...

Until,
D :)

Perfectly Clear

We get so spoiled by having nice weather for a few days that a day like today really messes things up. After a gorgeous weekend of 70s temps and clear skies, my boys have quickly grown accustom to running around in the back yard for hours. Little Port especially, was none too pleased when he got up this morning and put on his shoes, only to not be allowed outside in the 54 degree rainy day.

My back yard is once again a babbling brook in one area, mud pit in the other.

At least my garden will like it. I hope. I am afraid it may be too cold on days like this.

The Kiddo and I duked it out today in a terrible battle that just came out of nowhere. My usually completely UN-picky boy demanded that I cut his grilled cheese sandwich into the shape of a football.

Seriously. I have never done anything like that beyond "triangle" or "rectangle". Fancy sandwich cutting is just not my thing. I don't even cut the crusts off.

Anyway - after acquiring a more proper request, I cut one half (it had already been cut into triangles) into a football shape, the best way I could. I thought I did a pretty good job, personally. But I guess it wasn't enough for His Highness, because he quite emphatically crossed his arms, declared my carving skills inadequate and refused to eat his sandwich.

And in all my parenting glory I promptly took away his lunch and sent him to his room.

And thus the battle began.

I don't really know where this little attitude has come from. He not only pitches fits now, he screams and tries to think of names to call me, "You're a BIG,... a Big...You ARE A....You are SUCH a...uh....!!!!"

Thankfully, he hasn't thought of anything yet.

But he still gets in trouble for the fit and the screaming. And it sucks that I have to scream over him just to get him to hear me. And of course, my screaming scares the baby who follows us everywhere and knows how to open closed doors. And when I scare the baby it makes me even more angry.

Spiraling down, down, down...

I pulled the Batman Costume out of his room and it is sitting on the counter in the kitchen now. He's been warned that more of this behavior will result in a return of the costume and us rsvp-ing "no" to the party we were planning to attend. I sincerely hope it doesn't come to that, but I really am out of currency here. I've taken away video games for a week, he lost computer time today, and there really isn't much left that will give me immediate improvement.

And now the rainy, cold day makes it all that much harder because there is no where to go and nothing to do. Kiddo has been running from the dining room to the living room and jumping over a baby toy as a hurdle. He's going to break something, either in the house or on himself, but I haven't stopped him because he needs to blow off that energy.

I foresee several around-the-house races in my immediate future. We all need to run a little.

I have chili on the stove bubbling away, pumpkin muffins on the roster for later and hopefully a back rub coming from my better half (thus the pumpkin muffins... ;-) ).

wishing for that sunny day of not too long ago...

Until,
D :)

PS. Hop on over to Musing Mommies if you are interested in our latest giveaway and a blog post challenge! We really appreciate any and all participation!

Thump Thump

Today has turned into one of those absolutely fabulous days. It's the kind that the temperature is just cold enough that it makes me want to sit directly in the sun. And when I do, I soak up all that good warmth and I am not bothered by the heat. Because just when I think the heat of the sun is too much, the cool wind blows and cools me down again.

And I continue the relaxing dance; warm up, cool down, warm up, cool down. I turn my face to the sun and close my eyes, imagining my happy place. For me it is always the beach. I hear the waves crash against the shore, I hear the wind and the birds, and I see the world in that blue water and sky hazed over by the orange and white light from burnt out retinas. I miss the days of soaking up the sun; not a care in the world.

My imagination vacation is interrupted by squeals and cries of "Mommy watch this!". I open my eyes to see my boys playing in the yard, enjoying the beautiful day despite the mud and nastiness still on the ground from the morning rains. The potted plants on the deck are water logged, the grass in the open part of the yard is too high and the fire ants are on track to take over the world. But for a brief moment, the stress and the emotional discord and the discipline problems all melt away as I watch my babies.

They are my sun and my cool breezes. They are my blue skies and crashing waves. They are the warmth that radiates over my skin and fills my heart.

If only there could be days like this all year long. If only, I could always remember this feeling.

Until,
D :)

You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch

I WILL blog this week, and not just on Friday!

So I've mentioned that we are having discipline problems with Kiddo. From what I can tell, it's pretty typical of being 5 and being extremely bored. I've been trying to figure out his currency; that is, whatever it is that he holds valuable, and use it to bargain for good behavior. It used to be really easy with him. I could take away toys or video games and he would straighten right up. But now it seems that while taking away those things upsets him, it does nothing to correct the behavior. After a few minutes he is back to being naughty and he adds sad and angry on top of it because of the lost privileges.

So the other day in desperation I had an epiphany. He loves any kind of event - someone coming to town, some sort of celebration... and he has really been looking forward to the holiday season. His Rain Man like calendar brain reminds him daily that Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are all coming up soon and he is very excited. He is already talking about Santa and he's written a Christmas list. He studies the Part City Halloween costume book for hours, dreaming of all the costumes he can wear and he tells Hubby and I what we can dress up as too. He is a nut about these things.

So he was being particularly difficult and it occurred to me that he would do practically anything to ensure he gets to wear a Batman costume in a couple of weeks and go trick-or-treating. So in the midst of one of his fits, I told him if he didn't straighten up I was going to take away the holidays.

Starting with Halloween.

You. would. not. believe. how much nicer that afternoon was.

I still have to remind him from time to time that Halloween can go away if he gets out of line, but I have to say he has been much easier to handle lately. And now that I have actually purchased the Batman costume, and it sits in plain view in his room, he has an even more present reminder. (and, what ever happened to homemade costumes?!? Seriously, $20 was a lot to cough up for that thing!)

We shall see how far this ride will take me. I am enjoying it so far. ;-)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A little Kiddo-speak before I wrap it up...

In the car on the way to the store, Kiddo asked me how many zeros were in 1 million. Then he told me that 10 million was the last number. I told him that wasn't the case and that numbers can go on forever, and then I gave him some examples. He was blown away! lol! After discussing the number of zeros in 1 trillion and 1 billion, he says,

"Wow! Your cool mom brain is AMAZING!"

That one cracked me up!

Until,
D :)

Remember Me This Way

Hello Company Girls and Readers who haven't dropped me from their feed... I know, this blogging once a week thing isn't working for you. It's not working for me either. I really, really, really will try to get back going with this. No excuses, I should be able to do something a few days a week.

*sigh*

So last weekend was a total blast! I had a family session on Saturday morning. I pulled into the park that we were meeting at and couldn't believe my eyes! I have never seen so many people there! There was a horse show happening on one side and some sort of physical fitness training thing on the other. I couldn't even drive down the main road properly because of all the cars parked on the sides. And of course, I forgot to bring my client's phone number with me. So I called Hubby and asked him to look it up, got a hold of her and we eventually found each other. The park was so full of people there was just no way we were going to be able to do a proper session, so we decided to move to another park down the road.

On the way there, I got turned around while they were following me, and then they missed a turn when I was following them, but we finally made it to the park. After that the session went well, except for the part when the 2 year old almost fell in the creek!

I got home just in time for Hubby to leave for a project of his own. I fed the kids, put the baby down for a nap, scarfed some food down for myself, took a shower, got the baby up, repacked my gear and then when Hubby pulled in I took off again for a wedding.

I left a little bit later than I had planned and of course, being late I got behind all the slow people and caught all the lights. I had to stop for gas and a big Dr. Pepper, and when I got out of my car at the gas station I realized that my black pin stripe slacks were actually navy blue. doh! So much for my professional, all black photographer ensemble. I got back on the road and called Hubby when I got on the freeway to make sure the baby wasn't still freaking out from my departure. After I hung up, I zoned out for a few minutes (actually about 15 minutes) before coming to and realized I wasn't even supposed to be on the freeway!!! ACK!

So I drove 15 minutes out of my way. *sigh*

Thankfully, I pad my time enough that even with all the hangups I was only about 3 minutes late. Thank goodness. I called Allen (the photographer I work with) on my cell to find out exactly where he was.

Allen: Hello?
Me: Hey Allen it's Dawn
A: Oh hey Dawn!
Me: Hey! So where are you?
{long pause}
A: uh, well I am at the zoo with the kids.
Me: ha ha! No really, where are you?
A: I am at the zoo with the kids.
{kids screaming in the background}
Me: *blink* *blink* {brain trying to process information.}
{really long pause}
Me: Oh ALLEN!!! I am so sorry! I dialed the wrong Allen on my phone!!

The Allen I called was a friend's husband, and unfortunate recipient of many an unintentional phone call from me.

Sorry Allen.

A quick call to the right Allen confirmed I was indeed in the right place and at the right time (thank goodness) and so I gathered my things and headed to the ceremony site.

The wedding was a blast. The people were sweet and friendly and so much fun and the location was gorgeous!

While everyone was eating dinner, Allen, the wedding coordinators, the DJ and I gathered in the dancing room (it was separate from the dining area) to eat and sit for a minute. I had recognized the DJ from some events we had at the country club I worked at long ago (before kids). We were all eating at a table and the coordinators and DJ were discussing other events and other coordinators - apparently they all knew each other and worked together frequently. I usually don't talk much in settings like these, but I was curious so when the conversation lulled I asked if any of them had worked at the country club recently.

The coordinators both replied "no". The DJ said, "Dawn Fry!!"

lol

I had to laugh. "You remember my name?"

Shaking his head, "Dawn Fry!"

The coordinators: "Who is Dawn Fry?"

uh, that would be me.

We all talked for a minute or two after that about what I did in my past life and they asked me what I was doing now. I couldn't believe the DJ remembered my name. Suddenly it was time to get back to work.

A little later I got to thinking that I didn't ask him why he remembered me exactly. I mean it could have been because I was mean or because I really sucked. So when we had a moment, I walked over to his table and asked him.

"No, no," he said. "You didn't suck. I worked with Sloane a few times after you left." (Sloane was a girl who was brought on while I was there, then took over the department when I departed)

Smiling, he said, "And well, she was no Dawn Fry!"

I guess I can take that as a compliment. ;-)

******************************

At times I wonder if my contribution to the lives of the people I come across is a good one or a bad one. Sometimes I definitely know the answer. Other times, like in the case of the country club job, I felt like I was doing a good job and being nice to people, but it ended so badly that even though I feel like I did a good job, I still kind of wonder. But, getting that reaction from the DJ made me feel better about my time there.

I just hope that I make as good an impression on people in my life now. Though, if I think about it, I am not the same person I was then.

I guess only time will tell. Perhaps someday I will have another chance to ask someone how they remember me.

It kind of makes me sad that people only really express how they felt about someone at their funeral. If only we were so forthcoming with our feelings about our friends, family and even acquaintances when they are with us and can hear those good words, maybe so many of us wouldn't be living with depression and self esteem issues and the like.

So, tell someone how you feel about them this week. Even if it's a coworker, an acquaintance or someone you just met. Give them honest feedback - I think good or bad (as long as you are tactful), it just might make someone feel better about themselves.

I want to know how I come across; what it's like to know Dawn Fry. I want to know if I'm weird or witchy or sweet. I want to know if people actually value my opinion or if they think I am blowing smoke.

I want to know who the person in the mirror is to the world around me.

I think it would be interesting at the very least.

Thanks for stopping by!

Until,
D :)

Chilly Down

Greetings Company Girls and Beloved Regulars!

Thankfully today did not start as early as the last 2 Friday mornings, but after a week of pretty consistent 7:15 wake ups, this morning's 6:15 was kind of a shock. I believe I have a lightning/thunder storm to blame; a couple of the cracks of thunder were loud enough to shake the house.

So *yawn* forgive me if I am dragging a little.

How was your week? Mine was alright. I have been a bit on the emotional side of things this week, what with the hormone surge and whatnot. And the Kiddo and I have been duke-ing it out on a daily basis, so my brain and my sanity are about gone.

I am so looking forward to the weekend though - I have a holiday family session to shoot in the morning and a wedding tomorrow evening. It should be absolutely gorgeous, fall like weather and I am stoked to be out in it all day!

After this morning's rain it has been cold, cold all day here, so I am fighting the urge to bake and cook. Haha! Well, I guess I am not fighting it too hard - I have red beans cooking in the crock pot and fresh pumpkin roasting in the oven to make a pumpkin puree. I am dreaming and drooling over all the pumpkin goodies I will be able to make. mmmmmmm! I have to say it is so very nice though to be able to run the oven for a few hours and still keep the house cool by just cracking a couple of windows. YAY!

Well the baby started off the day by falling into the coffee table and busting either his upper lip or gums (he won't let me get in there to look) so I have his and my bloody jammies to deal with. He is totally fine - only cried for a minute at most; but he looked pretty funny until the swelling went down. And since I have a load of cloth diapers in the wash I better get them finished up so I can get the jammies in there before the stain sets.

Ah the joys of motherhood!

I hope you have a wonderful week! Thanks for stopping by.

Until,
D :)

Same Direction

I love my garden.

While it might not be the most successful thing I've done, it does produce a little and more than anything I truly enjoy working in it. I love the smells, the sights, the dirt under my nails; it is one of the few things I don't mind getting all dirty and sweaty for. It is fascinating to me; the process of planting seeds, watching and encouraging the plants to grow; the bearing of "fruit". The stages of it bring me joy and wonder, heartache and elation.

I've been considering purchasing some fruit trees; specifically apple and pear, because those are 2 of the primary fruits we eat. I would love to cut that expense out of our monthly food budget for some of the year. But I hesitate to spend the precious $30+ for each tree because I know that it will take several years of cultivating and caring and tending before I ever see fruit. And when that finally happens I will have invested way more than the initial $30.

I have to remind myself that what I get out of the things I grow goes well beyond the fruit produced. It is an outlet, a sanctuary for me to relax, spend time in nature, explore, get outside (or inside if needed) my head for a while, and a way for me to just be myself. The garden doesn't expect me to be "on" or be fun or be intelligent. It just needs me - as I am. I try to do the best I can with it and my limited knowledge and it rewards my efforts with beautiful flowers and fuel for my kitchen.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Many days I am not the parent I want to be. This stage we are in (please God, let it only be a stage) is something I don't feel I am able to really handle. I yell way more than I like. I am easily angered, easily frustrated. It seems all the endless and unwavering patience I once had just flew out the window, taking my sanity with it. I get so. very. angry. at Kiddo. He fools me with his intelligent conversation and amazing brain and I all to often forget he is just a little kid. And we (Kiddo and I) are both caught in the middle of wanting him to be bigger than he is and we both are irritated that he is still so immature at times. His frustration and completely irrational reactions to things fluster and anger me. I don't know how to get him to understand anything anymore because he either won't listen or he gets it in his head that he doesn't understand and then nothing I say can change his mind.

I am not a yeller normally. If an adult angers me, I am much more likely to go away silently or to cry. Or both. I do not confront. I do not yell. I get sad and depressed and sometimes I might confide in a good friend and be angry in the conversation, but I rarely show that anger to the offender.

With Kiddo, it's different. I don't know what it is about him that makes me react the way I do.

And I can see how unfair it is sometimes. I can see that I favor the baby right now. But that is more about the baby's age than anything else. He is just...well.

easier. For now.

And after a particularly intense moment, I feel awful. Terribly, terribly awful. I never want to yell or raise my voice in such a way. I don't want to make him cry with my words and my actions.

I don't want to scare him.

I don't want him to be afraid of me.

Sure, I know there is a healthy dose of "fear" when it comes to your parents. But somehow in the last 6 months or so we have transitioned from a fear that comes from knowing that mom and dad are the leaders and they can take the fun things away if I screw up... to a fear of, oh crap I screwed up and now she's going to scream at me again.

I am kind of out of leverage here. I can take away the video games and it doesn't really seem to bother him. Instead he drives me insane about it by asking every five minutes what day it is and what day he is going to get them back. Or worse, he will remind me every five minutes what day it is and what day he will get them back. The boy is a human calendar.

Taking away toys is tricky. One, he has so many that missing one really isn't a problem. Two, most likely the toy in question is one that the baby wants, and taking it away causes me problems with him. Time outs don't seem to work anymore.

And it's not that Kiddo is a bad kid. Quite the contrary - he is pretty amazing most of the time. He is smart and clever and funny. His eyes light up when he knows he is being listened to. He talks constantly. And I am serious about that - he does not stop talking ever. He even talks in his sleep. But he really is fun to be around and so very often I am amazed at how wonderful he is. It makes me ache that I can't do more for him. The guilt is almost too much to bear.

But I think with basic discipline, the majority of our issues lie in the fact that we don't do anything.

We, well he, Kiddo, is bored out of his sweet little mind.

He is a social butterfly. He loves being around people and kids and he loves being out of the house.

But with the baby and my work and the nap schedule, I can only do so much.

Never mind the fact that I am totally opposite. Given the opportunity, I could stay in my house for days at a time. I like being home. I am comfortable here.

But Kiddo, staying home is just not his thing. And he needs to be around other kids. He needs to talk and run and play and do something active. I want so badly to put him in something like a sport or karate; I know he would love it and thrive in the activity. I wish we could send him to school.

But of course, it isn't going to happen.

It's going to be a long year.

***~***~***~***~***~***~***

I discovered today that something is eating my lettuce plant babies in my garden. I am pretty sure it is slugs.

So I am tossing down coffee grounds and oats and anything else I can come up with to deter or kill them. I am replanting seeds and pruning and digging in the dirt. It is messy, it is tiring and it is sometimes painful (like when I step on the rake - cartoon style). Sometimes I look at my garden and sheer joy and satisfaction comes over me. Sometimes I look at it and discover something chewed on or dying and it makes me cry. Sometimes I see a pest and I get so angry that it is nothing for me to squish it between my fingers.

But I know if I keep pressing on, working through the sickness and battling the bugs and nurturing and talking to the plants I will create something beautiful. I will help to cultivate something wonderful and life sustaining and fragrant. Along the way I will get frustrated and things will get messy, but in the end it will all be worth it. The investment, be it financial, emotional or physical is an investment in the future.

Perhaps motherhood and gardening are not so different.

Until,
D

Sweet Thing

When I was growing up we had a number of pets; cats, dogs, birds, rabbits... One of the dogs we had was a little terrier mix we named TJ.

One of the things TJ loved was my dad's coffee.

I know it sounds funny, but he did! Every day my dad would take a cup of coffee in the car with him on the way to work. He would drink all but the last swallow and leave the cup in the car while he worked. When he came home in the evenings, TJ would bolt to the door and sit up for his coffee. My dad would hold down his cup and let him lick the left over coffee from the bottom.

The dog looked forward to this every day. If by some chance my dad forgot to leave some in the cup, or didn't have coffee that morning, TJ would sulk for a little while.

So here I am, 20+ years later, and I have my own little guy that likes to finish the last drops of my coffee in the morning. He will stand in front of me and paw at the desk trying to grab my coffee cup. When I oblige his request, he will stick his tongue in my cup and try to lick as much of the coffee out of it as he can. And he is every bit, if not more cute than TJ ever was.
Sometimes I let him take my cup completely. I just can't resist him.

Until,
D :)

Yes, We Have No Bananas

(that song is one of Kiddo's favorites!)

I am getting so lax about blogging lately. I really need to set aside time to do it. Right now though, things are so busy in the photography department - I just don't have much time to do anything else. And, with the weather being as nice as it's been (pre torrential rain), I've been opting to spend more time outside in the garden or playing in the back yard with the boys. I think it just might be a good thing.

Over the weekend Port decided to say his first real word consistently. "yes!" I don't really count the whole "mama, dada" stuff because I think most of the time it's just babbling. He does on occasion say other words, but this weekend's yesses were appropriately placed, perfectly clear and Ed McMahon emphatic. Most of the time they even included the appropriate head shake.

It's super cute - and Lordy I hope it is a gateway to him speaking more. We are all about tired of the non verbal Port and the shrieking. I taught him the ASL sign for "more" a while back, just so he would stop the screaming some of the time. He signs "more" now when he wants us to read a book again or if he wants more drink or food.

So here's to hoping he starts adding new words. It's about time.

Until,
D :)

3 AM

Oh good grief I haven't blogged all week!!! Mercy! Well, actually, I started a couple of posts, but never finished them. Perhaps I shall get to that today.

Welcome Company Girls and Beloved Regulars! Today I will be serving hot coffee all day long - if you happened to check out the post at Musing Mommies, you'll know that I have been up since 3:53am, thanks to a cranky baby who decided that was the perfect time to get up. ugh. It is only 1:30 now and I am ready for bed. The baby is napping - I know, I should be too, but I drank too much caffeine to sleep now - though I am in kind of a frantic haze (if that makes any sense whatsoever).

Anywho - things around here, despite the early rising (2 Fridays in a ROW!!!), are actually going great! I am almost completely booked for the holiday season, and this week, a fabulous opportunity to possibly assist in shooting 2 destination weddings dropped in my lap. Can I get a woo-hoo?!? It is not definite yet, but I could possibly be shooting in Fredricksburg and Marathon this month with my fabulous wedding photographer friend Allen. I am stoked! It is such a great opportunity - lots of time in the car to pick his brain -haha! And, I am shooting another wedding with him in a couple of weeks. I am so excited about that too!

I even have a Houston weekend of sessions booked this season as well. Business is AWESOME.

So, I am still working on those adorable twin newborn images and planting my fall garden and chasing after the boys...the house may never look decent again (sorry Hubby). But it is all good, right?

In some sad news, I found out this week that one of my past clients had a tragedy in her family. Her 21 year old son was in a terrible car accident. Even though the doctors said he most likely wouldn't survive, he managed to make it despite a multitude of complications from his injuries for over a month. However, last week he succumbed to a blood clot in his brain. It is such a sad, terrible thing and my heart is just breaking for this family. A friend of the family (and a mutual friend of ours) contacted me regarding the portraits I took of them 3 years ago. I was thankfully able to find their images (thank goodness I saved them!) and make some prints for her to give to the family. Please keep them in your prayers during this trying time.

I hope you all are having a great Fall so far - he holidays are right around the corner! Thanks for stopping by!

Until,
D :)

Sleepyhead

Good morning Company Girls and other Beloved Readers!

Yes, it actually is morning! Unlike my usual 11:55pm post, I am trying to get a jump on things today.

Of course, it helps that I was up at 4am.

zzzzzzzzzzzz

Thanks for stopping by; I have plenty of coffee and some very yummy Costco blueberry lemon muffins that are about the size of my head. They are scrumptious, but I can only eat about a 3rd of one! I also have some homemade pumpkin banana muffins if you prefer.

So yeah, 4am - so not my time of day!

Tuesday I traveled to Houston for a newborn session (photo shoot) and then drove back Wednesday. At almost 4 hours each way (counting stops for diaper changes and retrieving tossed bottles) I was exhausted once we arrived home. That night, I was up at 3am cleaning up doggie doo off the hallway floor. I didn't get much sleep after that. So last night I was in desperate need of some good sack time. Unfortunately I heard my 5 year old rattling around in the hallway at about 4. He went back to bed so I assumed he had only gotten up to use the bathroom. I laid in bed listening and dozing in and out until the baby started screaming at 5. I got up, changed his diaper, gave him some water and put him back to bed. He screamed and screamed...I went back to bed hoping he would settle and go back to sleep, and as I was lying there listening again I heard a big thud from the older boy's room.

Upon investigation, I discovered the boy up and attempting to turn on his turtle lights. He was completely without jammies. I asked him what happened to his clothes and he informed me he had wet the bed. "Mommy would you change my sheets please?" he asked. I simply did not have that kind of energy so I tossed a couple of towels over the bed along with a clean sheet and found him some clean pajamas. Then I put him back in the bed with a clean blanket and told him to go back to sleep. Poor guy, if I hadn't discovered him I don't think he would have gotten back to sleep. It never occurred to him to come get me, so he was hanging out nekked in his room and trying to sleep on the foot end of his bed where it was dry.

Port was still crying in his crib and it sounded like he wasn't going to give up so I got up with him at 5:15. He was just as happy as a clam! It is so hard to be grouchy with him when he gets up that early because for some reason he is so incredibly sweet. He was giving me all kinds of kisses and hugs and lovin' - it was just too cute!

So, *yawn* I am so very tired now. I think I may have to nap at the same time Port does today. I just don't think I will make it through the day if I don't.

Hope you all have a restful, exciting weekend, free of wet beds and doggy poo! Thanks for stopping by!

Until,
D :)

Green Eyed Girl

Ok, so remember a couple of weeks ago I mentioned what Kiddo said to me about having a baby sister?? Well since that conversation he hasn't mentioned it again. I figured it was just a passing thing and haven't really thought much about it.

Well, I do think about having another baby, but not because Kiddo told me it was going to happen.

Anyway...

Tonight as we were driving to Houston, out of the blue (and after a very long stretch of silence from him; man, it must have been like a whole 30 seconds..) Kiddo says,

"Mommy you have a baby in your belly."

[I almost drove off the road]

I do?

"Yes, and it is a girl. I can tell because your belly is growin'."

[thanks a lot Kid.]

********************************

Just for the record, my belly is doing anything BUT growing, considering I lot 6 pounds this week, so there. :P

But this whole baby thing is really starting to bug me. It's no secret that I was really hoping Port was a girl. I really want to have a girl - for many reasons, and there are times now (becoming more frequent) that I think about that little girl and I once again mourn for her.

In church last Sunday, we were standing during the music portion. All the lights were down, the praise team was rockin' it, and I was caught up in the music.

Usually during that portion of the service, I am totally focused on the stage and the people in front of me. I don't often see my husband standing next to me - often because I am emotional and trying not to draw attention to the fact that I am crying.

But for a split second this past Sunday, out of the corner of my eye I saw my husband. And in his arms was a little baby girl with dark brown hair and green eyes.

And it took my breath away.

Of course, there was no baby girl. It was a figment of my imagination. A vision perhaps. A dream.

But for a moment she was there, and she was real and she was beautiful.

And it took all my strength to stand there and pretend to sing through the tears.

Until,
D

Hair Did

Before...
During...
After!
Happy Monday! [yes, that is marker on his belly and leg...]

Until,
D :)

Too Much Food

Happy Friday!
Come in, poor yourself a cup and have a seat (if you can find one - just shove those blocks out of the way). Ahhhh!

How was your week? The usual stuff over here; still super busy, still got lots on the "to do" list and still have a trashed house. Oh well. I did take the time on Monday (or was it Tuesday) to just get the kitchen clean. My goal was to do a room a day, but the rest of the week has gotten away from me and well.... at least I had a clean kitchen for a couple of days.

So this weekend should be busy, and sometime between Sunday and Wednesday I hope to travel to Houston to do a newborn session for my friend's twin baby girls! I am so very excited!

If you visited the Musing Mommies, you read that I suddenly have little veggies in my fall garden! I can't wait to start harvesting! I planted a lot of beans this time in the hopes of growing something that my little Port will eat. He is 17 months old now, and by far the pickiest eater I've seen. We got so lucky with Kiddo (5yrs). He would try anything and he still, to this day, eats just about anything I serve him (except tomatoes, onion and rice). Kiddo loves green veggies and will usually choose them over french fries at a restaurant. He loves all kinds of fruit too - that kid is awesome when it comes to eating.

Port on the other hand, well dang. I am having the hardest time with him! He will eat chicken nuggets (I know, bad Mommy), mac-n-cheese (sometimes), string cheese, hot dogs, corn, beans (red only), bread, apples, pears, blueberries (sometimes) and almost any kind of muffin you feed him. NOTHING else! He used to eat pasta with both cream sauces or tomato sauces, and now it's hit and miss. Don't even THINK about putting something green in front of him. This week I made spaghetti with some tri colored pasta and he ate it all except for the green pasta. Stinker!

So I guess I am going to be baking a lot of muffins for him. I made some banana pumpkin muffins a couple of weeks ago that he loves. I keep them in the freezer and just pull one out for him when he won't eat the dinner I make. I am thinking zucchini, blueberry, apple, maybe sweet potato or carrot - I need to start searching for recipes. Oh and he will eat some crackers and the marshmallows out of the Lucky Charms cereal, but I don't really count that as proper nutrition. ;)

And before you even suggest it - I refuse to mess up the holy brownie by putting beans or spinach in them. I will not do that to a brownie! lol!

So, as the experts advise, I continue to offer and offer and offer and hope that one day he will eat a piece of broccoli... any other ideas as to what might work?

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a wonderful weekend. :)

Until,
D :)

Early Winter

I am so enjoying the weather here lately. The 100+ temps have vanished and the 80s are back! The mornings have been cooler too - high 60s and low 70s. Ahh, bring on the fall!! The boys have been playing outside, the windows have been open and when Port naps, the back door has been open too. Of course, I don't particularly care for all the flies that like to come in the back door, but I'll put up with them for the breeze blowing through my living and dining room area.

It is less than 100 days until Christmas now...98 I believe. It's not too early to pull out the holiday music, right? I mean 98 days of O' Holy Night is so not overkill. Who doesn't love a rousing version of Go Tell it On the Mountain at any time of year?!?

So yeah, with the cooler weather and the dry breezes and the smell of cinnamon and pumpkin spice coming from Starbucks, I have the holidays on the brain. And my itch to bake is starting to get annoying.

I am trying to hold off though for a few more weeks - trying to get my system back at a healthy level before bombarding it with pastries and chocolate and loads of sugar...

Oh the sugar!

Did you know sugar is in everything?!? EVERYTHING! Did you know trying to eat sugar free (and without all that nasty artificial sweetener junk) is next to impossible without going a bit nutso in the process?

Now try to take out bread, yeast and all starches too. mmmhmmm. Tough! There isn't much left my friends!

I've been doing ok I guess with the sugar part - I have cut waaaaay down. And I am ok without bread. But when I try to take away pasta and rice - oh NO! That so does not work for me. So I am just trying to cut back on it all, eat healthier and more natural, and overload myself with veggies when I can.

Why am I doing this you ask? Well, in all my busy-ness of late I let myself get really run down and really sick. I was eating alright, but my cravings for sweets and sugar were out of control and I was inhibiting my immune system by feeding the yeast in my body.

We all have yeast in our systems. It's a necessary evil I guess. But sometimes it gets out of control and it can make you really really sick.

Thus my situation. When, about a month ago, I broke out in a bad case of oral thrush, I knew something was very wrong. (cuz uh, I am not pregnant nor nursing and that kind of thing is usually reserved for those situations???) And I realized that I had been experiencing lots of dizziness, headaches, weakness and nausea that were out of the norm for me. (go ahead, plug all that into WebMD - you know you want to) The worst part was the foggy head. I just couldn't concentrate on anything.

Anyway, I had to do something about it, so I am taking some herbal remedies including Oregano Oil and trying to eat more appropriately. I am also putting about a teaspoon of coconut oil in my coffee each morning.

I am finally starting to feel better! The thrush is gone, and the unrelenting allergy symptoms I had been suffering have all but vanished (I was taking benadryll every 4 hours around the clock). I have lost about 5 pound this week alone and my appetite has dwindled significantly. And, my skin cleared up a bit too.

But now I am reading that oregano oil may work for a little while, but that the yeast will adapt and come back. Hmm, we shall see.

I need to knock this stuff out - I've got things to bake!

Until,
D ;)

Say What You Need to Say

Dinner was just so good tonight, I just have to share with you. I am sorry, I didn't take any pictures - you'll have to use your imagination. Anyway, I had a package of frozen whole chicken legs and a bag of dried black beans. I have never cooked black beans before, so I did a "quick soak" and then after put them in a pot with some chopped bell pepper, onion and garlic, then added chicken stock and a little spoon full of bacon grease (don't be hatin'). I let that simmer for a couple of hours on the stove this afternoon (oh and it smelled sooooo good!). Then when the chicken was thawed, I put it in a big skillet with some garlic salt and lemon pepper and browned it. Then I tossed in a can of Rotel (chopped tomatoes and green chilies), a can of corn and 2 cups of the black beans. I covered that and let it simmer until the chicken was done. Meanwhile, I sauteed about 1/2 cup of chopped onion in some coconut oil, then when it was soft I poured in a cup of uncooked rice. I stirred that until the rice was coated in the oil and started to brown a little. Then I added 2 cups of chicken broth and brought it to a boil. I covered that and lowered the heat all the way down and let it simmer until it was done (about 10 minutes or so). Served the chicken and the corn/beans/tomatoes over the rice and added a little sprinkle of cumin over the top - YUM! All of it was based off of a couple of recipes I found on Allrecipes - I so love that site! So if you have a chance to try it, do!

Next time I will use boneless chicken though.

We had a pretty rough morning this morning. Port decided to start fussing at about 5:30am, and when he still hadn't stopped 20 minutes later I just got up with him. That makes for such a long day. He didn't nap well either. He slept for about 2 hours, but he woke up a couple times during and fussed. By his bed time tonight he was exhausted. I don't know if he's getting hot in the night or what. Our air conditioner isn't running as much due to the lower night time outdoor temps, and at times it gets pretty stuffy in here. But it hasn't really been that much warmer in the house.

This afternoon I caught a cute "conversation" between the boys. This went on for about 5 minutes.



Finally, a little Kiddo speak for you...

Tonight just before bed I told Kiddo he needed to go wash his face and go potty. I asked him, "do you have any clean washcloths in the bathroom?"

His reply, "Go Fish".

What a comedian!

Until,
D :)

Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

Happy Friday Company Girls and Beloved Regulars!!

I am so glad this week is coming to a close. I have had more than my fair share of cruddy things happening this week. The boys have been at each other’s throats, and I am tired of reminding, negotiating and flat out yelling. My patience has been worn thin this week and I am done.

Beyond that, things have been good. We are finally, finally getting some desperately needed rain! Yahoo!! This has been one of the driest summers we have seen in a long time - the drought is so severe that our lakes and rivers are at alarmingly low levels. Everything that should be green is dead, communities are under strict watering restrictions and I feel terribly guilty every time I turn on a faucet. However, we are now getting some sweet, wet, wonderful rain and our temps are dropping as well. Say it with me now, Hallelujah!

I haven’t had a chance to mention yet that I did start my fall garden a couple of weeks ago. The only thing left from the spring is my cucumber vines - which, after not producing anything worth mentioning this summer, are now going gang-busters! I pulled everything else over the course of the summer as the heat cooked it all to a crisp. Two weeks ago, the morning of my Kiddo’s birthday party, I ventured out and did my first fall planting. That morning I planted (from seed) fall tomatoes (both small and large varieties), bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, brussel sprouts, peas, green beans, black beans and lima beans. I did have a few black bean and lima bean bushes that I had planted in July and they are just now starting to flower again. Since that late August planting I now have tiny sprouts of the jalapeños, peas, both kinds of tomatoes and all the bean varieties.

On September 2nd I planted two hills of zucchini, and the plants are already a couple of inches tall. In my containers I planted parsley, mint and more basil. My rosemary and basil from the spring is still going strong. In the next couple weeks I will start the greens; broccoli, spinach and lettuce, as well as carrots, onions and garlic. I think that will be enough for my first fall garden as I am still trying to determine what I can and can’t grow. I went out in the rain today to check on things and I saw the most beautiful, big earth worm wiggling around in the garden. It is so neat to see nature working her magic. There is no sign of the brussel sprouts or the bells, but I am still holding out hope.

The boys and I all got out in the rain this morning to check out a new “farmer’s market” in our area. Sprouts is a market sort of between Whole Foods and maybe Trader Joe’s (oh how I wish we had those here!) and has an amazing selection of local fruits and veggies (organic and otherwise), meat and dry goods, vitamins and health food; all at really low prices. I was very pleased with the selection, despite the small size of the store. The place was PACKED. I wish I had been there during a slower time because I missed a lot of the store just trying to get around people. I totally missed the meat section, and am now kicking myself for forgetting to check out the Pork Sirloin Roast and Chops they advertised at $1.49 a pound. I did score great buys on strawberries, grapes and pears, as well as some Hansen's Natural Soda at only $1.50 a 6 pack! They have a huge selection of vitamins and natural products, and I was able to pick up some Oregano Oil capsules at a very reasonable price. (more on my need for that at a later time)

Anyway, at check out, I was distracted by the boys and the commotion of all the customers around us, and when I got to the car and loaded up the boys and goods (in the rain) I paused only briefly to look at my receipt as we were pulling out of the parking lot. Still visualizing the receipt in my head as I drove, it soon occurred to me that the bottle of Oregano Oil had not rung up. I checked; it was in the bag, but some how the scanner missed it.

Oh the dilemma! I'm not proud to say that I thought for a while about turning around and going back to pay for the bottle. I mean, it was raining, I would have to unload both boys and drag them through the crowded parking lot again and go through the lines again - I couldn't remember seeing a customer service desk anywhere. And honestly, if it had been a small, inexpensive item I may not have bothered. But, the oregano oil was almost the same price as the entire amount of the rest of my purchase, and I just knew I would never feel right about not going back. In reality, expensive or cheap, the guilt would have stayed with me. So back we went, and God smiled upon me as He presented me a relatively close-to-the-entrance parking space. I unloaded the boys and went back inside with the bottle to pay for it. I had to wait in line again, this time without the convenience of being able to set Port in a shopping cart. We paid for the pills and trekked back out in the rain to the car.

And you know, I would love to end this story saying something amazing happened to me after, perhaps as a result of my good deed, but it didn't. And that is ok, because I shouldn't be rewarded for my actions; I did what was only fair and right and I am glad I did. Next time I am faced with this dilemma it will be even easier to make the right decision.

And because today is September 11th, I am thankful for all those little annoyances and dilemmas, because it means that I am here, I am healthy and able, and I am free to go where I want when I want to. I am blessed to live in this messed up yet still lovely country of ours, and I am thankful for those brave enough to defend it for me.

May you all have an equally blessed weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Until,
D :)