Denial helps me

Posted on April 28, 2012 by admin

Over the past eight years my husband has learned to become a forgiving man. He has learned that no matter what he suggests that I typically smile take his suggestions and eventually do it my way. He has developed a fine skill at ignoring the majority of my habits and overlooking my “quirks.” Which is great for both of us because I live in a perpetual world of denial believing he actually thinks all these traits are cute. It works.

He loves it when my work and sketches take up half the living room ottoman

The yarn explosions make him smile

And he found my joke comparing my yarn explosion to the crazy reproducing Tribbles from Star Trek so funny that he had to leave the room and catch his breath….Ya, that wasn’t a sigh…

And he loves the way I reorganized

See, it’s the little things.

I know how to keep my man happy.

Proper Carpool line etiquette. How to avoid the finger!

Posted on April 25, 2012 by admin

This morning I was irritated. Very irritated. I was dropping my son off at school and my car decided to stall out causing a half a second delay of moving out of the line. The Grandpa behind me gave me an ugly look and I promise you if I delayed any longer I would have seen the finger from Gramps.

This is my first offense against the school carpool lane law. I should be granted a bit of leniency but the carpool lane drop off and pick up is a dog eat dog world. If you can’t do it right then be prepared for the onslaught of stink eyes, frowny faces, and possible fingers. In order to help the newcomers or people that just can’t get it down here are some tips.

Carpool Tips 101

Never stop moving in the carpool lane

1. NEVER stop and park in the carpool lane during drop off. Just keep on moving. Teach your child to tuck and roll.

2. Say your goodbyes and give your kisses BEFORE you get in the car. Nothing irritates other carpool drivers as a mom getting all sentimental with their children while they are getting out of the car.

3. Do NOT get out of the car! If your children cannot tuck and roll please park and help them unbuckle or buckle up (if you are picking up)

Surviving the Carpool lane

4. Do no linger while driving out. I have witnessed a many mothers watching their children walk into the school grounds and backing up the lane…Stink eyes were everywhere. Please refer to rule #1.

5. Have your child ready to tuck and roll before you enter the carpool lane. This means unstrapping the moment you enter the carpool lane and putting their backpack on. The backpack really helps with the tuck and roll by protecting their back.

6. If you MUST see your children walk into the school skip the carpool lane all together. Go and park and walk them up. No one is really going to care that you are in your sweats and ugly t-shirt, we are wearing the exact same thing in our cars. Moms only judge the other moms that look great while dropping of their kids….or the moms in the super tight work out clothes and look good in them. (Those moms really do get the finger except it is hidden under the steering wheel)

There may be different rules depending on the state or the school. These are just a few helpful guidelines that should get you going fairly easily. I don’t want those new Kindergarten moms to go home crying their first week dropping off their kids to school. Just remember we all fail at one time or another. The carpool lane doesn’t have to be a scary place. Hold your own and get your stink eye ready.

**Disclaimer- I don’t really have my children tuck and roll out of a moving vehicle and I always have my children buckled until the car has stopped. Please don’t take this too seriously.**

Behind the scenes of newborn photography session

Posted on April 17, 2012 by admin

When you see a picture of a newborn in a hat, sling, pod, or in a strategic position the first reaction is always “AWWWW, that is adorable!”. What you don’t consider or even think about is what is actually going on behind the scenes. The pink baby is always so cute that it is almost impossible to imagine anything else.

Here is a small glimpse of the behind the scenes work:

I am hopping around on the sidelines trying to convince her to look at me while the photographer works her magic….

Yesterday we had a session with a newborn and I don’t think it could have gone better. However when you see the amazing shots (they haven’t be edited yet) you will know what it looked like to us.

Prepping for the shoot with different props

Okay, he is asleep and the light is perfect. Take the picture NOW!

Interrupting a sleeping baby is never fun especially when you have to put a hat on his head

Luckily he was a forgiving boy and went right back to sleep even after the last minute touch up.

This isn’t the final shot from the photographer but it will give you an idea

Newborn photography session are always a crap shoot. We have worked with babies that did not want to be handled or asleep and then we get the babies like this little guy, perfect and adorable. After these sessions and final photos I am reminded why I love my business.

If you would like to purchase anything you see or are curious for more items check out my STORE.

Science Fair of doom or is it?

Posted on April 13, 2012 by admin

Science Fair. Two loaded words that are filled with possibilities of tears, frustration, hours of observation, tears, glue, construction paper, and tears. The Science Fair has entered our home and the world will never be the same.

I remember the first time I received my first Science Fair project. I was in 3rd grade and my homeroom teacher, Mrs. Zara, announced a special new project that was going to be great fun. If I knew then what I know now I would of called out Mrs. Zara for what she was, a liar and fraud.

That day I ran to my car and announced to my mother that I was given a Science Fair project. I was so excited and my mother started coming up with the ideas for me. (That’s how it worked back then, the parents came up with the idea and passed it off as their child’s) Mold. ”We” chose to study mold. I lived in Florida so with the heat and humidity, mold was a frequent guest in our home. For six weeks I had to watch and record the growth of mold on wheat bread that were strategically placed through out my home. During those six weeks I discovered that not only did I not care about mold but this Science Fair crap was not for me and Mrs. Zara was going straight to hell for her lies.

At the end of six weeks I turned in the Science Fair project and ended up winning first place. It was a bitter win. I was forever changed by the Science Fair. The tears, arguments and glue sticks had turned me into resentful child that lost all faith in Science teachers. So when my son came home with his very own Science Fair Folder and a glint of excitement in his eye it took every bit of self restraint not to squash his hopes and dreams into little bits. Instead I gave him a small smile, excused myself to my bedroom and curled up into a ball and started rocking in the corner…..

No Science Fair…No Science Fair….No Science Fair…No Science Fair

My son is so eager to begin. He looks at the sheets and his assigned project with anticipation. I don’t have the heart to tell him the harsh cruel reality that this may stink and that he may hate it. This is what I call a life lesson. It’s hard but he is going have to learn it on his own…..Unless, he doesn’t hate.

What then? How will I handle it? (Because, apparently, this is all about me.) He may find pleasure and joy in the entire process. He might just WANT to find out how and why things happen the way they do. This is a life lesson that I might not be prepared for, a child that enjoys a Science fair.

My seven year old is a kid that actually does math for fun. He actually LIKES challenging himself with increasing difficult math problems. They are studying birds in science and he loves tell me all about it. I might just have a math/science kid on my hands. What kind of sick joke is this?! I am literature/history loving kind of gal. I enjoy learning about the past far more than how things actually work. I strategically avoid all things that have equation like qualities. For example, take a look at this blog. It is fairly simple. This is because going behind the scenes is difficult and frustrating. If I work on the html code for too long I inevitably want to toss the laptop out the window. So how am I supposed to handle a child that likes to do the very thing I avoid?! Is this supposed to be my life lesson?

I feel tears coming on again…Science Fair tears…

I think I need to go back to my dark corner.