Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Portraits

Wednesday, September 29


I really didn't get a chance to practice many portraits this last week and I'm still editing a bunch I did last month.  The ones that turn out the best are usually taken outdoors in the shade/clouds with my macro lens.  Here are a couple of a friend that I got while my daughter was at soccer practice.  She's not sad, just concentrating on cracking her peanuts.


I couldn't resist putting a few of my favorite model from earlier this summer.

Thank you!

Wednesday, September 29


I got home from my trip to Tacoma Sunday afternoon and Kevin was headed out to grade papers as I was pulling into the garage.   I went to a continuing education class on Osteoporosis to maintain my PT license.  The course was interesting and free, but I had to drive 40 minutes and be there by 8am on Saturday and 7:30am on Sunday.  I'm all caught up on sleep now and it was such a relief to come home to a clean house.  Thanks hubby!

I crashed at Julia's (a friend from high school) house and also crashed a wedding prep party on Friday.  Her old roommate is getting married this weekend.  Those are gourmet whoppers - I only tried the mint, but now I wish I would have tried pumpkin and dark chocolate too.   Yummy!

It was rather painful to sit inside all day when it was so warm and sunny outside.  I could have been staring at Mt. Rainier all day.  Here is a photo I snapped early in the morning from the car.

So glad we're having some sun this week since I missed it on Saturday.  I took a different route to the University of Puget Sound on Sunday.  It was fun to drive through some old parts of town that I hadn't seen for over 10 years.    Wouldn't it be cool to go to a high school that looks like this.    It was very rainy on Sunday.


Tonight I get to go see Plain White T's and Sunday I'm going to Jack Johnson.   It seems like forever since I've been to a concert.  Yay!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

You Capture - Flowers

Thursday, September 23


Seems like I haven't done a You Capture Challenge all summer, but I found some flowers this week.  I think my hydrangea is going to make it!  Here is the first bloom since it was dug up and and replanted by the guys who took down my neighbors tree.  


I'm loving all of the sunflowers in the neighborhood.


There are plenty of roses blooming, but my daughter dried these from our rose bush a couple of months ago. Here is me practicing with the macro lens.  I need to work on my focusing and shaky hands.


Here is a poppy that my daughter picked and stuck in a blue plastic water bottle.


Click here for more flower photos at I Should Be Folding Laundry.


Next's week challenge is togetherness, which is kind of ironic since I'm headed out of town on my own for the weekend for the first time ever (my oldest is 9!).

Monday, September 20, 2010

I had to change the name of the post to prevent spam!

Monday, September 20



Captain Hook, I mean Kevin took the girls and a friend to the pirate festival on Saturday.  Usually I love to join them, dress up and take lots of pictures, but I was busy recuperating from a cold.   He left his hook (that's just an umbrella he's holding) and the black wig at home.   Good thing too, since they got rained on several times during the afternoon.   
This pirate was getting feisty so I made her walk the plank!
The girls had a great time, got to hold a parrot, brought home some loot and got tattoos multiple times since they weren't waterproof.  
Thanks Captain - you're awesome!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

A new year and a new decade

Hellooooo?  Anybody out there?


Wow, I really fell off the blogging wagon if there is such a thing.  I haven't even been reading any blogs lately.  So I'm pretty behind on keeping family and whoever else is still reading up to date.   Now that school has started I have a little more free time, but a lot of it seems to get used up just keep the routine of school, lunches, dinner, soccer  and bedtime going smoothly.




So the girls started school last week.  Sydney is in first grade and reports that so far it is awesome.  First grade at our school is rather awesome as both teachers are wonderful and they get to do music and yoga.  We also have a part time music teacher this year at school.  


Kyla is really excited about 4th grade and is really happy with her teacher.  She gets to be a self manager this year.  I'm not sure what that is yet, but it involves perks like going to lunch 5 minutes early and stuff like that.  She also gets to start taking Spanish - yay!    We have forgotten so much since living in Spain two years ago.  


Both girls are doing soccer this fall and Kevin is the assistant coach for Kyla's team.  They had their first game last weekend.   Sometimes they overlap, so we don't get to watch both girls every weekend, but at least most of Kyla's games are within walking distance so that's pretty convenient for only having one car.


What's this new year, new dedade I'm talking about?   I know it's not January, but it feels more like the start of a new year when school starts.  I find myself wanting to make new resolutions about all the things I will get done after having a fun and lazy summer.   Mostly this includes excercising and cleaning up a bunch of junk around the house.  I also started my fifth decade a few weeks ago.  Yes, it was the big four - oh.   I don't feel much different, actually right now it feel like my head might explode, but I think that's my sinus headache from catching a cold from the girls.   It didn't seem to slow them down much.  Maybe getting older is harder than it sounds.   Anyway, I'm looking forward to the forties - the thirties was very much dedicated to the kids, which was fun, but tiring and messy.  I'm hoping the forties will be a more organized and cleaner kind of fun.  Yes, just as soon as I teach the girls to pick up their clothes, shoes, art supplies and dishes.  Ha!    


This summer I did a lot of photography  (over 5200 shots taken) and I still need to edit some photos.  I worked on some projects for friends and practiced doing some portraits.  I'll try to show some photos soon.   I haven't done the weekly photo challenge for at least a month, but look for some flowers next week.   OK, hope you all have a great weekend, 'm heading out the door for a soccer game.    


Here's a bonus for getting to the end.  Sydney's self portrait.