2010, A Year in Pictures by Holly

Bookmark my new site!!!

2011-02-24T22:14:00.001-06:00

My new website, Holly Anissa!
www.hollyanissa.com

And my first post!
Hello, hello! Welcome to my new site!!!

I've invested in a real website and I'm using a self-hosted WordPress blogsite powered by ProPhoto Blogs as my interface. I am so excited to share it with everyone! This blog is being retired, so bookmark my new website!!! I hope you all follow me there! Holly Anissa is my first and middle name. :)

Ready for 2011

2011-01-11T19:34:00.000-06:00

Continuing the journey in 2011 with Project 52. Click the link, become a follower, leave a comment, feel my love. :)

Holly's 2011 Project 52

Thanks for following!

My Top 10 for 2010

2011-01-01T18:28:00.001-06:00

I've spent the last hour going through my Flickr set of 365 photos for 2010. I marked 20 photos as faves then narrowed it down to these ten. In no particular order...

I love this one because it reminds me of my Nanny who passed away many years ago. She loved butterflies and every time I see one, I think of her. This one fluttered about my head and beckoned me to follow so I did. I am so glad that I had my zoom lens on my camera that day.

This one I took of Dominic sitting in the bluebonnets in the spring. I love the bokeh in this shot, the pure exuberance evident on Dominic's face, and the slight vintage touch I added in post.

Jenny is so pretty! She often gets compliments on her eyes and I got this shot really showing off those baby blues. I like the focus and DOF on this shot too.

There were several things I invested in this year that made a big difference in my photography. The first was paying for a membership to Clickin' Moms. This is a forum with over 8000 members, most of them moms, who share a passion for photography. It was on this forum that I took a class to learn how shoot manually and really took my photos to the next level. They also offer creativity challenges and this photo is from the "Photographer in the Frame" challenge where you put the viewer in photographer's perspective. This photo was featured on the Clickin' Moms blog and now graces their home splash page too!

This is one of my favorites this year because I have very few photos of Anna looking directly at me and even fewer without her glasses on. I had to use a really high ISO on this one because it was dark in her room so it turned out really grainy. But because Anna's been wearing glasses since she was 11 months old and because her autism makes it hard to make eye contact, this photo will always have a special place in my heart.

I love this photo of Charlie for three reasons...
1) It is the first photo I took with my new (used from Craigslist) Nikon D300 camera.
2) I love his expression, the processing, and how his coat turned out looking.
3) It made Pioneer Woman's Group One for the 4-legged friend challenge. (PW has a huge following and to get chosen to be on her blog is a big deal!)

I was just finishing up RYC101, learning to shoot in manual mode and I got this shot of Town Lake in downtown Austin. I've had a few people tell me that they've used it for their desktop background!

Another very genuine smile with great eye contact photo of Anna. This was very unposed and spontaneous and it is definitely one of my favorites!

This shot of Jenny was taken in the cafeteria of her high school where an arts and crafts show was happening. Santa (just barely visible behind her on the left) was visiting and posing for photos ops so we took Dominic and Anna to see him. I'm so pleased that I got this shot of Jenny while we were there, it's such a great photo of her!

And finally, I *super puffy heart* this picture of Dominic. He had looked up to see an airplane going overhead (I wonder when little boys outgrow this fascination?) and I caught the wonder on his face. I adore this boy!

I will be continuing to take photos quite frequently and I've committed to Project 52 this year so I'll be posting once a week. I'll probably end up using this blog for it for a bit, though I do have some exciting changes coming soon. Thank you all for following and commenting... getting feedback along the way has been icing on the cake of this project!

Day 365

2010-12-31T20:48:00.000-06:00

Wow. I made it! Day 365.

I had a vision for this photo and of course the picture in my mind couldn't be created in reality. I finally found Anna a pair of jeans ("jeggings") so I wanted all three kids to wear jeans, take off their shoes and socks, and sit on the dock at the pond near our house. I had this vision of them dangling their feet and holding hands while I got a photo of them from the waist down with maybe a hint of their reflections in the water. Well, the water is high and their feet would've been in the water had they sat down on the dock! So, plan B. But I didn't have a plan B!

Instead we wandered. I had them sit on a picnic bench and dangle their feet.. then hold hands. Nah. It was 4 p.m., so the lighting was harsh but it was the only window in which I could have Jenny today. So I tried getting all the kids to jump at the same time. Oh my goodness, this is much harder to pull off than it looks! But I got a shot that I didn't hate (though I wish the dock wasn't behind Pickle, oh well) so here it is... my last photo of the day for Project 365 of 2010.

It's been an amazing journey. As I look back over the year, my eyes fill with tears. I've watched Dominic grow from a fidgety 5-year old kindergartner into a mature 6-year old first grader. He is SO smart, seriously... he's doing algebra already in his head... and he is so very patient, loving, and kind with Anna. He reminds me so much of Jenny when she was his age. Anna started the year in a premature puberty caused by the medication she was on which we've since changed. Her health was poor, her behavior was all over the place, and she was not very happy. She turned nine this year, had a big academic setback, but is now, finally, healthy and happy. Moving her to Life Skills was the best move we could've done for her to help her cope at school. She hasn't had a seizure at all this year and she continues to get us all giggling nearly every day. Jenny graduated from high school, moved away to attend college, celebrated two years with her boyfriend, Chris, and turned 19. What a year! Seeing her drive off in August for Corpus Christi was gut-wrenching. It turns out that it was hard for her too and she has moved back to Austin to attend school here. We couldn't be happier.

Curtis and I started the year separated. I wasn't sure we were going to make it. We celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary this year and though we have some work ahead of us, we are stronger than ever. He has made huge strides in his job, has been to India and rode an elephant, and has gotten a promotion. I too have made big leaps this year. Starting the year shooting in auto mode or on P mode with my Nikon D40 and kit lens to now shooting in full manual mode with a Nikon D300 and a 35mm f/1.8 prime lens has been a big learning curve and I've loved every second of it! I discovered a photographer living inside of me and I have HUGE goals for 2011. I can't wait to see what this next year is going to bring me and I can't wait to share some of my exciting plans with all of you. Thank you for being such a great support as I photographed my daily life, documenting the mundane, the boring, the holidays, the celebrations, the scary stuff, and the everyday joys. This is what life is about.

For those who've wondered if I'm doing it all again for 2011... not quite. Doing the photo a day was a huge commitment of time and though I've loved doing it, I want a few evenings back to myself. I have committed to doing Project 52 where I'll share photo(s) once a week so be on the lookout for something from me in about a week or so!

I hope you all have a very Happy New Year and that 2011 brings you as much contentment as 2010 has brought me. Life is good. :)

Thanks for looking!

Day 364

2010-12-30T22:19:00.000-06:00

In thinking about what photography goals I had at the beginning of the year, there are a couple of shots that I haven't gotten yet and this was one of them. I wanted to try a night scene capturing headlights and taillights in motion. It took me 18 tries to get this but I'm pleased with the result. Next time I try this, I'll get a better location but since this is in our neighborhood, it will be fun to show the kids when they are grown up.

I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of this project! I'm hoping to end it with something really special.

Thanks for looking!

Day 363

2010-12-29T20:57:00.000-06:00

Feeling a little blue, a little bleak, a little blah... Christmas has passed and the sky is gray. I let the dogs out this afternoon and looked up at our chinaberry tree to notice all of the leaves have finally surrendered to winter. The berries looked so stark against the winter sky that I felt compelled to take a photo. I wonder how many others are feeling a little like me right now?

Thanks for looking!

Day 362

2010-12-28T20:42:00.000-06:00

Well into the second week of Christmas break from school, the kids are bickering and we all are getting a little edgy. But in between "stop it" and "noooo" we get sweet little moments like this. This is what makes playing Poke Park all day on the Wii with Dominic and having the same four conversations over and over again with Anna worth the effort.

Thanks for looking!

Day 361

2010-12-27T20:35:00.000-06:00

Anna LOVES her new baby reborn doll, Zachary. So much so that it reminds me of a new mother! She gets anxious if someone else holds him for too long and she has hardly put him down at all. We took a little road trip earlier and of course we had to take him in the car with us. We have a tiny baby doll carseat (it was almost too small for him) and she buckled Zachary in rear-facing in the middle of the back seat then sat next to him. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen. She keeps saying, "Santa rocks!" It is very nice to see her so happy. :)

Thanks for looking!

Day 360

2010-12-26T20:59:00.000-06:00

My family spoiled me this Christmas! Curtis got me the Epiphanie Belle camera bag that I've been wanting since June. It's huge! It fits my camera and lens, extra lens, speedlite, cords, wallet, calendar, and other essentials and I haven't even touched the outside zipper pockets. Wow! Thank you, honey!!! I have been wishing for this bag for so long that I actually had my camera strap custom-made months ago to match it from PhatStraps. :)

Jenny got me the BaLens white balance lens cap. It makes setting custom white balance a breeze! Thank you, Jenny!

And my mom got me Lightroom 3!!! She lucked out and got the Amazon Gold Box deal of the hour on Black Friday and got it for a steal! I have soooo much to learn, but luckily I've been studying and practicing editing RAW files in Adobe Camera Raw so hopefully the transition won't be too rough. Thank you, mom!

I feel so blessed, I really do! I can't believe this 365 project has led to me becoming so interested in photography. I'm so happy!

Thanks for looking!

Day 359

2010-12-25T22:05:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas, everyone!!! I had SUCH a hard time choosing which photo to pick for the photo of the day today but I think this one really conveys the wonder and magic that was brought to Anna today by Santa. For you see... he brought her the most coveted possession that she has been obsessing on for months... a baby reborn doll.

What is a baby reborn? It is an incredible detailed sculpt of a realistic looking baby which is hand-painted, filled with heavy tiny glass pellets to make it about the weight of a newborn, then mohair is micro-rooted one to two strands at a time to look and feel like real hair. Baby reborn dolls are collector's items and are incredibly beautiful. Anna discovered them a few months ago and fell in love. (You know about George and Audrey, right??? This girl LOVES her baby dolls!)

Santa brought her baby Zachary. Born on March 25th, weighing 4 pounds, 4 ounces, Zachary is 18 inches long and came with a magnetic pacifier and bottles of milk, formula, and apple juice. Anna has been entranced all day. So have we.

We will share many more photos tomorrow but I had to share this one of the new mommy. She has not let him go all day. He really is beautiful!!!

Thanks for looking!

Day 358

2010-12-25T00:17:00.000-06:00

I was playing around with my Speedlite trying to see if I could get a good setting for tomorrow morning and I caught our old Lab, Rocky, snoozing in front of the tree. He is 11 now and having trouble with his hips. I hope this isn't his last Christmas with us but I'm very happy I got this photo of him. We are ready for Christmas!!! :)

Thanks for looking!

Day 357

2010-12-23T20:29:00.002-06:00

Jenny got all dressed up this afternoon to go to a church function with Chris. She's been such a huge help since she's returned and I've seen tremendous growth and maturity in her. Plus, she's drop-dead gorgeous! I <3 you, Jenny!!!

Thanks for looking!

Day 356

2010-12-22T22:58:00.000-06:00

I had a full day playing with Anna and she was in such a good mood most of the day. We even got to play with some of the neighborhood kids. Here we were outside just before the garbage truck came (she is very afraid of the garbage truck) and we were getting ready to give the crew some Christmas cookies. This is one of the best genuine smiles with perfect eye contact photos I've gotten ever. Out of the 20+ photos I took of her, this is the only one where she is looking right at me. I *super puffy heart* this picture!

Thanks for looking!

Day 355

2010-12-21T21:15:00.001-06:00

I haven't done a creativity challenge for Clickin' Moms in quite a while but this one really caught me... Creativity Challenge #7: Off with their heads! "One of the first things to draw the viewer’s eye in any given image is the human face. For this exercise, your image has to draw the viewer in in other ways. Present a portrait of a person that EXCLUDES the head. Cut off should be no higher than the neck, no lower than the waist. Do your best to include some clues in the image that tell us something about the subject’s personality (even though we can’t see his/her face), tell a story, etc."

So I caught Anna in her typical stance. She often stands like this, with her hands on her hips. She gets distracted by the simplest things. Today she was watching SpongeBob on TV while standing in the living room. She was so still that I got enchanted by her for a moment... watching her absorption in the show. Then I noticed the friendship bracelet on her wrist. Jenny made it for her a few days ago. In fact, Jenny made matching bracelets for herself, Anna, and Dominic to wear. Isn't that the sweetest thing? This seemed like the perfect thing to capture for this challenge.

Thanks for looking!

Day 354

2010-12-20T23:03:00.000-06:00

I didn't get any good photos today and nearly skipped it altogether. We started the day early at the dentist where both kids got good checkups. It was a warm afternoon so we played outside. I'm super tired so I'll just share this semi-cute one of my pickle. Night!

Thanks for looking!

Day 353

2010-12-19T20:56:00.000-06:00

Curtis finally triumphed over the outside Christmas lights and our home is a beautifully lit homage to the season. Well done, sweetheart! We are truly in the spirit here and are anxiously awaiting Santa Friday night. :)

Thanks for looking!

Day 352

2010-12-18T18:44:00.000-06:00

Curtis took the kids out to run errands and get some lunch today, as he usually does on Saturdays (he is so sweet to me and such a good daddy!). The kids came home with Santa hats and I couldn't be more tickled! The first thing I thought of was posing Dominic for a photo... but this one was totally spontaneous. Look at that big, cheesy grin! :) My mom and Jenny are keeping the kids tonight... that's why I'm getting my photo done early, so I can go on a date. Yay!

Thanks for looking!

Day 351

2010-12-17T21:46:00.001-06:00

Have I mentioned how happy I am that Jenny is home? Today I wasn't feeling well (fibro+head cold+very swollen knee {surgery is booked for January 4th}) so Jenny and her awesome BFF, Anessa, went to the school for me today to attend Dominic's and Anna's holiday parties. Yesterday she went to the grocery store. And tonight, she gave me the sweetest appreciation speech about how much she learned by living away from home about how much we did for her. Awww! Jenny is uh-mazing!!!

Thanks for looking!

Day 350

2010-12-16T21:25:00.002-06:00

Jenny is home!!! She got home last night and she is home for good, WOOT! Dominic is beside himself with happiness and declared that Jenny could not have possibly missed him as much as he missed her. It was so cute! They had a who missed who more contest. It is wonderful to have her here.

Thanks for looking!

Day 349

2010-12-15T18:10:00.001-06:00

The holiday party went great and I only flubbed up in an obvious way on the first song (of course!). Curtis was so sweet to attend and take some photos with the D40 (on auto *wink*) so maybe if I'm brave later, I'll upload one to share. But I have to brag on Lupita who heads up this division of HHSC at my mom's office. She did all of these table decorations herself and they were so beautiful and elegant. I just had to share. :)

Thanks for looking!

Day 348

2010-12-14T21:45:00.000-06:00

I mentioned earlier today on Facebook that I volunteered to play a flute duet with my mom at her office holiday party tomorrow during the lunch hour and also said, "What was I thinking?" Ha. I've been practicing a lot today. It's funny how quickly playing comes back to you, especially when you play a song you've played hundreds of times. My mom reassures me that I won't embarrass her but I am really nervous! At least most of the songs are traditional holiday tunes that have very easy melodies. I hope we have a great time!

Thanks for looking!

Day 347

2010-12-13T21:12:00.000-06:00

Just playing outside this afternoon on a brisk, winter day. I love my sweet Booski so very much! I am super DUPER excited about her Christmas this year. Trust me, this one is going to be very, very special!

Thanks for looking!

Day 346

2010-12-12T21:19:00.001-06:00

I was feeling a little under the weather today but nothing could stop me from trimming the tree. Dominic and I have been a power team! We put the tree together Friday after school, got the lights on it yesterday and put out the house holiday decorations, then Anna joined us today to decorate the tree. I think it has over 1300 hundred lights, 8 strands of beaded garland, countless snowflakes and other ornaments, and some pretty red bows. So here is a photo of most of the living room with the mantel and tree. :) I got some other shots too that will be in my Flickr photostream.

I've also been on a cleaning out kick so I can count another closet finished. I'm hoping to have the whole house really cleaned out (like throw away a LOT of junk) before Christmas.

Thanks for looking!

Day 345

2010-12-11T21:25:00.000-06:00

So I'm finally getting up the Christmas tree and decorations this weekend, yay! Dominic has been so helpful, especially with the tree. We got the tree up yesterday, got over 1300 (!!!) lights on it today, and will put the ornaments and garland on it tomorrow. So you have a Christmas tree photo to look forward to for tomorrow. :)

I used to cross-stitch a lot when I was younger. This is a photo of my masterpiece. It took me nearly a year to make and it's my mother's stocking. She has always loved music and is a musician in her spare time (jazz flute, cool, eh?). I thought this would make a pretty photo. I still need to make Dominic a stocking, I got one started when he was a baby but haven't picked it up in years. Maybe I'll start working on it in 2011.

Thanks for looking!

Day 344

2010-12-10T21:51:00.000-06:00

Every year in our neighborhood, our community has a luminary event complete with lighted trails and an authentic Santa. I didn't have time to take the kids tonight, but my mom was generous enough to hang out after the kids went to bed so I could take some photos. Pretty, isn't it?

Thanks for looking!

Day 343

2010-12-09T20:57:00.000-06:00

Dominic was exceedingly sweet with Anna today offering unsolicited hugs and kind words. After school, he climbed into Anna's lap and snuggled in. She sometimes won't hug him back but today she did. Lucky for me that I had my camera nearby. This makes my heart go pitty-pat.

Thanks for looking!

Day 342

2010-12-08T20:16:00.000-06:00

Outside playing this afternoon, Dominic spied an airplane way up in the sky. I swear he gets as excited about seeing one as he did when he was two! You can see the wonder in his eyes... maybe he'll be a pilot when he grows up. Though right now he wants to be a fireman. :)

Thanks for looking!

Day 341

2010-12-07T21:53:00.000-06:00

Another basketball practice tonight! This was the third one and I see a bit of improvement though he is still miles behind the other kids. Dribbling is not coming naturally yet so I see lots of practice on that this weekend. He is having fun though and that is all that matters. :)

Thanks for looking!

Day 340

2010-12-06T20:54:00.001-06:00

Curtis brought me flowers. :) I was really touched because he was celebrating a few things with me and he seems to really get what has become important and meaningful. <3 Thank you, honey! I love you. :)

Thanks for looking!

Day 339

2010-12-05T21:56:00.000-06:00

Today was a big day for me! Our neighbors asked me to photograph them for their Christmas card... so this is my first photo shoot! :) Meet sweet little Hallie, she is two years old. This was my favorite shot of the day and my neighbors said I could share it (though I wish I hadn't clipped the front of mom's boot, darn). Hallie's dad is so kind to Anna and talks to her like she is a typical child... he has a special spot in my heart for that. And Hallie just adores Anna, she always wants to come outside to play whenever she sees Anna outside. She is a doll baby!

Thanks for looking!

Day 338

2010-12-05T01:38:00.000-06:00

We celebrated Jenny's birthday today (her birthday is on Monday). We started the day by visiting Santa (see him in the background?), opened birthday presents, went to the Cameron Park Zoo, then had pizza and cake at home. We have oodles of great photos that I hope to share tomorrow or Monday. It was a great day!

Thanks for looking!

Day 337

2010-12-03T23:55:00.000-06:00

I have the CUTEST story to tell about Dominic from tonight, but it's very late so I'll share it tomorrow. Pickle had his major cute on today.

Thanks for looking!

Day 336

2010-12-02T22:17:00.001-06:00

With Curtis still in Ohio, I had to take Dominic to Boy Scouts this evening. I suspect he's a little bit better behaved for Daddy, lol. The boys learned all about the Pledge of Allegiance and what the words mean that comprise our pledge. They also played the game where someone whispers a sentence to their neighbor, then they pass it on to their neighbor, and so on. Then at the end, the real sentence is revealed. This taught them that even though someone may tell them something is true, to always check facts first. These little blue boxes hold their next project... a pinewood derby car kit for a race in January. Daddy and Dominic should have fun building this!

Thanks for looking!

Day 335

2010-12-01T20:30:00.000-06:00

The sunset tonight was one of those take your breath away skies full of wispy pink clouds that make you want to eat cotton candy. Beauty.

Thanks for looking!

Day 334

2010-11-30T22:09:00.000-06:00

It got REALLY cold here today! The kids wanted to play outside after school so I suggested hat and gloves. Little did I know that would turn into a 20-minute hunt for Dominic's old Bakugan hat and gloves he had last winter. Oy! We finally found them and he wanted to vogue with them. What a cutie!!!

Thanks for looking!

Day 333

2010-11-29T21:10:00.000-06:00

Dominic wanted to pose with our inflatable Santa this afternoon and he really wanted to hold hands with Santa. Shortly after this, he started misbehaving and I reminded him that Santa is watching and has a naughty list. This provoked a lot of questions... How does he hear me? How does he know what I'm doing? Where is he right now?

My answer: Magic.

Thanks for looking!

Day 332

2010-11-28T21:35:00.001-06:00

Thank you for all of your prayers. Our nephew's father passed away yesterday morning. How do you tell a 12-year old boy that news? (((Myles and Shelley))) Curtis has flown to Ohio to be with his family. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Cliff's family.

I *tried* to get a group photo of the kids today for our very first ever family Christmas card... but I'm not confident any of the shots are good enough. I've become a very tough critic of my own photos. Like this one... I like Dominic's pose, the exposure, and the light in his eyes, but his smile is awkward. He is so cute though, isn't he? I've already fussed with three photos, doing a head-swap and melding the photos together. Maybe we'll try again next week.

Thanks for looking!

Day 331

2010-11-27T20:40:00.000-06:00

I nearly didn't take a photo today because my husband's family got some very sad news today and we've been thinking of them nonstop. If you are the praying type, our Ohio family could use some prayers right now. Thanks.

My mom went to Pennsylvania to see her sister for Thanksgiving and brought back this delicious dark chocolate with almond bark. The picture does not do it justice. This is so rich and decadent that my mouth is literally watering looking at the photo. Thanks, mom!

Thanks for looking!

Day 330

2010-11-26T17:56:00.000-06:00

We were in the car running errands, when this song came on the radio:

Look at Pickle's face when he listened to the lyrics! What a hoot!

Thanks for looking!

Day 329

2010-11-25T21:46:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving. Family, food, gratitude. And traditions. Starting the morning with the Macy's Day Parade, digging out the inflatable holiday display for the front yard, and finishing the day with our family meal followed by football. Dominic started bugging Daddy early this morning to put up our blow-up decorations. It was a happy occasion! We usually wait to put up the Christmas tree until after Jenny's birthday on December 6th so this is just a little tease of what's to come.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Thanks for looking!

Day 328

2010-11-24T21:18:00.000-06:00

Jenny is home for Thanksgiving and she seems so much happier now that the decision has been made for her to come home for good at Christmas. I am so grateful for her presence in my life, I have really missed her. Today she is spending the afternoon and evening with Chris. They are preparing their own Thanksgiving meal together and putting up their own Christmas tree too. I love that they have their own traditions.

Thanks for looking!

Day 327

2010-11-23T20:59:00.000-06:00

We were playing outside after school this afternoon (gosh it was a perfect afternoon weather wise) and Dominic wanted some grapes. I asked him, "Do you want a few or a lot?" He replied, "I want 8!" I laughed, saying, "That is very specific, Dominic." Then he sat on a bucket and I grabbed my camera and asked him again how many grapes he wanted. He said, "15!" I keep goading him... "15? Are you sure?" "YES!" "You want 15 grapes?" And that's when he got in my face, yelling, "YES, 15!!!" That is this photo. :)

Thanks for looking!

Day 326

2010-11-22T21:22:00.000-06:00

So Curtis signed Dominic up for a youth basketball league and tonight was the first practice. Pickle is one of the youngest kiddos and the most inexperienced. It was such a hoot watching him bumble around (he can't even dribble a ball yet). But this is for fun and learning and everyone has to start somewhere. I love this shot... look at his right leg. This is so Dominic and I love that I captured it. The gym was dark, I had to shoot at 3200 ISO and wide open so my shutter speed wasn't nearly as high as I needed it to be. But you get the gist. :)

Thanks for looking!

Day 325

2010-11-21T22:04:00.000-06:00

The Boy Scouts had an event today called the Rain Gutter Regatta. Curtis and Dominic (cough, Curtis) made a boat out of wood yesterday, then painted and assembled it today. The boys met up with the pack at the annex this afternoon for the big race. Dominic won third place in his first race and first place in his second! Yay, go Dominic! He was so proud of himself when he got home. These are the first ribbons on his cork-board in his room. :)

Thanks for looking!

Day 324

2010-11-20T21:52:00.000-06:00

One of our weekly traditions is that when the kids have a good week at school, they get to go shopping or go on a special outing with one of us. Anna usually goes to Goodwill with Daddy to buy George or Audrey a new baby outfit. Today, Curtis challenged her to pick out her outfit, take it to the register, interact with the cashier, pay by credit card and sign the slip (!), then say thank you all while Daddy watched from a safe distance. Guess what? She did it!!! WTG, Anna and Daddy! You both rock!

I took this photo playing outside this afternoon. Of course, Audrey accompanied us and wore her new outfit. :)

Thanks for looking!

Day 323

2010-11-19T21:32:00.001-06:00

Just playing outside this afternoon on a lovely fall day. Dominic had a good week, 3 green days and 2 yellow days. I'm going to take him out to eat tomorrow as a reward to Chuck-E-Cheese (he loves that place!). It makes me happy for him that he's turned over this bad spell of behavior at school. I hope the weather stays this nice for our Thanksgiving break.

Processed with Florabella's Gypsy action from the Luxe collection.

Thanks for looking!

Day 322

2010-11-18T20:10:00.000-06:00

I realized last month that I totally forgot to get the children their annual well-child checkups! So today I took Anna and Dominic in together to see Dr. G. It's nice to visit him when the children are healthy!

Anna is 9 years old, weighs 96 pounds and is 57.5" inches tall. That puts her in the 90th percentile for height and weight. I should really go back to the child hypotonia board on iVillage to post that update... from 6 months to age 3, Anna was never on the chart and was considered failure to thrive. Look at her now! There are some concerns about her low tone causing some physical issues, but there isn't really anything we can do about it. She is otherwise doing well.

Dominic is 6 years old. He weighs 47.7 pounds and is 47.75 inches tall. Isn't that funny? 47 and 47? That puts him in the 46th percentile for weight and 60th percentile for height. He is doing very well overall.

They both got their FluMist vaccines and we were done. It went well but I swear I'm never taking them together solo again, lol! In this photo, I was having Anna practice laying down and tilting her head back to get the FluMist so she wouldn't be so scared. She looked so cute that I got a quick photo.

Thanks for looking!

Day 321

2010-11-17T22:04:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, I nail one. A good shot that is! I love the exposure, focus, catchlights, white balance (though I had to tweak it in ACR), and most of all, the smile. The boy. His spirit. His love. Being his mom. I love.

Thanks for looking!

Day 320

2010-11-16T22:03:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, it's not about the photo... it's about the memory. And Dominic requested this one.

Daddy took Anna and Dominic to the Snake Farm on Saturday. It's about an hour south of us and houses snakes, lizards, spiders, monkeys, big cats, and goat, deer, and horses. Basically, everything a 6-year old boy loves.

On the way out, Daddy bought Anna a snake toy and Dominic this alligator toy. They were a fraction of this size to begin with, then you put them in water... they've been in water since Saturday. You can see how much the gator has grown! Dominic is thrilled with this thing. I like how his head ended up upturned.

So, here's the photo and the story for Dominic to enjoy in the years to come. :)

Thanks for looking!

Day 319

2010-11-15T20:34:00.000-06:00

Jenny just couldn't bring herself to leave yesterday. And she had a really hard time heading back today. She left in tears which made me cry too... she hasn't made very many friends in Corpus and is terribly homesick. Most of the kids go out and party and that's just not her scene, so she feels like she doesn't fit in. Isn't that the worst feeling? I think we've all felt that way one time or another. We'll definitely get her back here for her sophomore year. I'm so super proud of her, it makes my heart ache and my throat get tight.

Thanks for looking!

Day 318

2010-11-14T23:28:00.000-06:00

Today, Curtis and I took the kids (all of them! Jenny was home this weekend too) to Innerspace Caverns in Georgetown. I was really excited to take my new camera underground and bump up the ISO (I went up to 3200). I ended up with some really cool shots (there are more in my Photostream). This cavern is amazing, full of unusual formations and tiny bats. We had a great day!

Thanks for looking!

Day 317

2010-11-13T22:01:00.000-06:00

It was late evening and the children and I were at my mom's house. I looked over to see her cat sitting on the nightstand and the lighting was so dramatic that I had to snap a photo. I blew the highlights, but captured the drama and ambience. He is a gorgeous cat! And I really, really love this camera. Happy sigh.

Thanks for looking!

Day 316

2010-11-12T21:46:00.001-06:00

This was one of the most perfect days I've had in a long time. I woke up to two pieces of good news... 1) (and this is HUGE!!!) I was accepted to the Art Crew at 9th & Bloom!!! This digital scrapbooking store houses my favorite designers and has some of the industry's best scrappers on board. It is an incredible honor to be on the site CT here and I am singing with happiness! 2) The second piece of happy news this morning was that the "Dreaming of Christmas" layout I did yesterday with AnnaBV's new kit, Letter to Santa, was featured on ScrapOrchard's Facebook page! Woot!

But the day didn't end there! I got a new pair of glasses, my first in years. It's so nice to see well after I take my contacts out. THEN, right after I got home from my eye exam, the doorbell rings and there is a bunch of flowers being delivered to me. What?! They are from my mom and the card says, "Blooms for the newest 9th & Bloom Creative Team star. Love, M." OMG, I got so choked up. How lucky am I to have a mom that "gets" what a big deal this is? Thank you so much, Mom!!! I love you! Aren't the flowers exquisite???

But there's MORE! I picked up the kids and guess what?!?!?!?!

Dominic got a BLUE day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the BEST possible behavior mark to get! I am so stinkin' proud of him!!! I also got a note from his teacher about what a good day he had. You all have NO idea how happy I am about this and what relief I feel in my mommy soul to see him proud of a good day. Gah, I'm all teary-eyed!

But the day doesn't end there either! About an hour after the kids are home, my cell phone rings and it's the local camera shop. They have my new (used) D300 cleaned and ready to pick up. I nervously ask about what they found. Guess what? (A little backstory... I bought this camera from Craigslist last week and the guy was vague about its history and once I got it home, realized the box said "reconditioned product" and I had that horrible sinking feeling that I'd been scammed. I was so embarrassed about it that I couldn't even celebrate the purchase.) The camera checks out great! It's in perfect condition! Woot!!! So now I can really relax and enjoy my new camera, I can scrap with my favorite designers and their products, I can relax a little about Dominic, and I can enjoy my bouquet of gorgeous flowers.

What a freakin' good day. I sure needed it!

Thanks for looking and celebrating with me!!!

Day 315

2010-11-11T20:29:00.000-06:00

I was outside late this afternoon on our back deck taking photos of the sunset when I looked over and saw this rose in the side yard. So pretty! So I cut it and took it to my kitchen. I love playing with texture so I added Jessica Drossin's Murmur texture to this it and I'm quite pleased with the effect.

Thanks for looking!

Day 314

2010-11-10T18:25:00.000-06:00

My sweet pickle... I don't know what I'm going to do with him! Curtis and I met with his first grade teacher last week and discussed his behavior problems. They are significant. We put a few ideas on the table and this week started off better. But yesterday was another really bad day and the teacher emailed us a long letter last night.

I think we're going to invite the behavioral therapist to observe him as well as the school's psychologist. His teacher wants to start him on a behavior plan. Really? I look at this sweet face and wonder why things have to be so darn hard!?!

Thanks for looking!

Day 313

2010-11-09T20:19:00.000-06:00

I'm shooting with my D40 and kit lens today, sob. I bought the D300 last week from Craigslist and took it to the local camera shop today to get cleaned and checked out. They're cleaning my prime lens too. I haven't used this zoom in so long, I forgot how nice it is to be able to zoom in closer on your subject.

Today's photo is inspired by this week's creativity challenge at Clickin' Moms: Groups of Three... "There’s something special about threes in art; the Rule of Thirds is obviously a good example of the prominent role of three in artistic composition. Notably, elements in groups of three can also strengthen an image’s composition - perhaps because many people unconsciously impart religious and/or cultural significance to such a grouping. Three items together creates a pleasing sense of balance and repetition." When I saw the three birds on the wire, I knew this would be a great photo for this challenge.

Processed with Florabella's Mademoiselle action from the Luxe collection.

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Day 312

2010-11-08T21:27:00.001-06:00

Happy 41st Birthday, Curtis/Daddy/Pa/Honey!!! We love you so much!

Thanks for looking!

Day 311

2010-11-07T22:01:00.000-06:00

Today Curtis and I took the kids to Congress Avenue near downtown Austin. We strolled, we window shopped, we ate at a place called HopDoddy's, we strolled some more, we took a LOT of pictures, we got ice cream, and I got a Free Hug (see my photostream!). I love this shot of my little family, but I was missing my Jenny. This silhouette makes me very grateful for all that I have. I am very, very lucky.

Thanks for looking!

Day 310

2010-11-07T09:15:00.000-06:00

Ack, I'm a day behind! This photo is from yesterday. I had the family outside to take some staged photos for a Thanksgiving gratitude project when I snapped this quick one of Anna gazing out at the field. I don't know what she was thinking but I wish I could step into her mind at this moment.

Thanks for looking!

Day 309

2010-11-06T18:17:00.000-05:00

I actually ended up falling asleep with Anna last night and slept for 12 straight hours! So I didn't post my photo yesterday but I did take one. This is a leaf from a really gorgeous tree that is in bloom from our neighborhood. The leaf is comprised of three petals and one of my creativity challenges this month at Clickin' Moms is to find groupings of three or naturally occurring objects with a pattern of three, so I thought this leaf would be perfect. I think the shot I'm going to submit will be a different one with a lower f-stop where the background is really blurred, but I like this one for now... the shape and bokeh.

Thanks for looking!

Day 308

2010-11-04T20:55:00.002-05:00

Have I mentioned how lucky I am that my mom lives next door? I am so lucky and feeling especially grateful that she wants to be involved in our lives. While shopping for a new router yesterday, Nana picked up a new Wii game for Anna to play at her house. Tonight after dinner, Anna got to try it out and she was having a little trouble maneuvering so Nana hopped up and helped her hand-over-hand. You should've seen Anna's face when she got to the goal, she was so happy! Thank you, Mom. We are so lucky to have you!

Thanks for looking!

Day 307

2010-11-03T21:13:00.000-05:00

Charlie... he turned one this summer and seems to have finally stopped growing. He's turned into a really sweet dog and has a huge personality. Rocky gets tired of him constantly tugging at his ears and nipping his legs, but he's been a good addition to the family.

For this photo, I was playing around in ACR and Photoshop. I wanted to really show a high contrast with Charlie's dark fur. I've also upgraded my camera. :)

Thanks for looking!

Day 306

2010-11-02T20:38:00.000-05:00

Mom and I were in the kitchen chatting about Jenny after dinner. Anna stayed by herself at the dining room table playing quietly. When I came in to check on her, I found Woody upside down in the plant and this other guy trying to beat him up! Anna was cracking up. So I sat down and joined the fun. There is nothing like a child's laughter to take away all of your stress.

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Day 305

2010-11-01T21:44:00.000-05:00

Curtis came home this afternoon from his 16-day trip to India. The timing worked out so that I could take Anna and Dominic with me to pick him up at the airport. I managed to snap this photo of them just as they spied Daddy on the escalator! I love how Dominic has his arm around Anna and he's hollering, "I see him! I see him!" So sweet!

Thanks for looking!

Day 304

2010-10-31T23:11:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween! Dominic got so sick with a virus Friday night that I was worried he wouldn't be well enough for trick-or-treating tonight. But his fever broke this morning so I let him go out for just two blocks.

He was Dracula and here he was practicing his serious, scary look. He's still too cute, I don't think he quite pulls it off. :)

Thanks for looking!

Day 303

2010-10-30T23:19:00.000-05:00

So I sent Jenny to my hairstylist, Zena, today! She wasn't loving her blonde locks anymore and wanted to return to darker tones with hints of red. Don't you love it? The cut is to die for too. She is soooo gorgeous!!!

Thanks for looking!

Day 302

2010-10-29T21:23:00.000-05:00

Jenny is home this weekend, yay!!! I've decided after studying and learning all of the rules about photography to throw them out the window and follow my heart. I love post-processing, I love drama, I love finding something special in an ordinary photograph. Don't get me wrong, there is a place for clean processing, but most of the time, I want that extra punch that screams, "I am art!" And my gorgeous Jenny is art.

Processed with Florabella's "Musette" action from the Luxe collection as well as my own touches. :)

Thanks for looking!

Day 301

2010-10-28T23:11:00.002-05:00

So I didn't get a photo yesterday. I'm in a bit of a funk... Dominic's ER visit triggered a fibro flare. I knew it was going to be a bad one, I get these little red bumps on my right index finger before a bad flare. It's been a rough couple of days physically.

Plus Dominic has had a really rough two weeks at school. I don't know if it's because Daddy's been in India, but I'm feeling so discouraged by day after day of "not following directions," "difficult day," "pushing," "not getting along with others." And on and on. His last "green" day was on October 18th. I've requested a conference. I look at him, those gorgeous big blue eyes, and I'm heartbroken for him trying so hard every day and not succeeding. Ugh.

Jenny is coming home tomorrow for a visit and I'm really, really looking forward to seeing her.

Thanks for looking!

Day 300

2010-10-28T23:11:00.001-05:00

No photo. Boo.

Day 299

2010-10-26T21:43:00.000-05:00

I read a tutorial this morning about how to capture sunbeams and wanted to try it. It worked! You have to close up your aperature. This was shot at f/22.

Thanks for looking!

Day 298

2010-10-25T21:13:00.000-05:00

Dominic has bounced back just fine from his fall yesterday. His head is sore, the gash is swollen, and a bit oozy, but overall he is just fine. Tonight we played outside but kept is easy. Anna had a fantastic day at school, this placement change has been the best thing ever. She is much happier.

Thanks for looking!

Day 297

2010-10-24T20:29:00.000-05:00

It was inevitable... you take a rambunctious 6-year old boy and a playscape and there is likely to be a visit to the emergency room. I'm surprised we made it this long.

I took Dominic and Anna to the park this afternoon. I had intended to go to the park by our community center so I didn't even take my purse, but our park is closed for renovations, so we headed over to Springwoods Park about 15 minutes away. We had only been there about 10 minutes, Anna had just gotten on the swing, and Dominic was climbing on the playscape when I heard him scream.

I ran over to him and he was holding the back of his head and really crying, so much so that he couldn't talk yet to tell me what happened and I didn't see him fall. I looked at the back of his head and I saw blood, then investigated further and saw about 1-inch long gash that looked pretty deep. Mommy instincts kicked and I swooped him up, hollering loudly, "Does anyone have any towels? He's bleeding!" A mom pulled out a disposable diaper from her diaper bag and asked if it would work. Yup! I opened it up and smooshed on his head having him hold it over his ears. Anna was frozen on the swings. I knew I had to take him to the ER, the gash was just big enough that I thought it would need stitches. Thankfully a nice man carried Dominic to the van so I could coax Anna to come with us. I called my mom and asked her to grab my purse and meet us at the hospital.

Dominic calmed down pretty quickly and we got to the ER within 10 minutes. He had stopped actively bleeding and it didn't look that bad. Mom took Anna home and we waited to be triaged. And waited. And waited. They were packed! It took over about an hour and 25 minutes for Dominic to be initially screened and the nurse said he's probably need 2 staples. Gulp, staples?!?

Another 30 minutes pass then we are taken to Quick Care (ha, that's an oxymoron). The doc took a quick look and said it was our call. She could put in a couple of staples after numbing it or I could commit to washing it with soap and water twice a day and gooing it up with Neosporin. Guess which option Dominic voted for? She said that the scar may end up bigger without staples but it's at the base of that knobby part of his skull so it won't show.

So we are home, both kids are asleep, I relayed what happened to Curtis who just woke up a bit ago (it's Monday morning in India), and I'm sitting here now very, very grateful to my mom and equally grateful that Dominic didn't suffer a concussion or a worse injury. The laceration is not closing up yet and it has started bleeding again a couple of times. There is no way to put a bandage on it and I tried a butterfly closure but it just stuck to his hair. So I'm not sure how it's going to go at school tomorrow. He is so hyper that I'm worried he'll bust it open again but we'll deal with that if we have to. I guess I can always take him back in for those staples if we need to.

My sweet little, brave pickle. I love him so.

Thanks for looking!

Day 296

2010-10-23T19:07:00.000-05:00

You are looking at $500 feet. Yup, that's right! I was noticing that Anna's cheapie tennis shoes from Payless were already looking worse from wear after two months. She had some inserts (faux orthotics) from a speciality children's shoe store in them but her right foot was pronating so badly, she was nearly walking on the side of her shoe. So I took her to real pedorthotist today to get custom-made orthotics. The process took about 30 minutes and she was awesome. She got two pairs of orthotics, one treatment pair and one maintenance pair. Over the next three weeks, she will wear the treatment pair one hour a day, increasing another hour each day until she is comfortable in them all the time. The maintenance pair is for the off-time. These orthotics are guaranteed for her entire lifetime which is why I decided to shell out the $400 for them. Whenever she grows, she gets a new pair free of charge. I also invested in a really good pair of tennis shoes since that is all she wears on her feet. I've never spent $100 for a pair of shoes for myself let alone for one of my kids, but her posture has gotten so bad as well as her pronation, it's a very smart investment. I was noticing some oddly placed calluses on her feet also. Already I can see a difference in her feet and her posture with the new orthotics and shoes. I hope this helps with her knee and back pain too.

Thanks for looking!

Day 295

2010-10-22T20:28:00.000-05:00

I just didn't have a good opportunity yesterday to take a photo... kind of a blue day. Today I was super productive to make up for it and cleaned the entire house. It took me three hours but it feels so good and smells good too.

Walking through the neighborhood this afternoon, I spotted this bush with berries. I'm not sure what it's called, but the red berries were so colorful that they cried out to be photographed.

Thanks for looking!

Day 294

2010-10-22T20:24:00.002-05:00

No photo today.

Day 293

2010-10-20T21:32:00.000-05:00

Today is a 2-part photo and you'll understand why at the end of this story. The kids finished dinner, were excused from the table, and Dominic disappeared outside with the sidewalk chalk. A few minutes later, he pops back inside asking Anna to come outside... he's made her something. I see Anna in the doorway, hanging her head and wiping her eyes. She's crying happy tears, something she's started doing this year when something touches her deeply.

Then I look out the door. Dominic has drawn a big star and written Anna inside of it. Then he wrote the words, "This star is Anna." (Oh and a little further to the side, "made by Dominic" *snort*.) He was so excited to show her the star and it made her so happy. What a great moment between the two of them. I had to get my camera! I know these aren't the best pictures in the world, but wow, what a memory!

Thanks for looking!

Day 292

2010-10-19T20:44:00.000-05:00

Right before dusk, Dominic and I hopped into the van (mom is keeping Anna tonight... didn't want you all to think I'd ditch her, ha) and headed to the duck pond. Did you know that ducks LOVE saltine crackers much more than bread? Well, now you do!

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Day 291

2010-10-18T21:22:00.000-05:00

Today's photo was inspired by the i heart faces photo challenge this week called orchard. Since we don't have any orchards around here, I snapped a picture of my pickle eating his favorite kind of apple (Gala, for those that are curious!). I have another photo that I think I'm going to submit but this one was so sweet I wanted to share it for today. :)

Thanks for looking!

Day 290

2010-10-17T21:35:00.000-05:00

Since Anna was sick last weekend when the whole family went to the Elgin Christmas Tree Farm's Pumpkin Festival, I wanted to go back so that Anna could join us. With Curtis now in India, I went solo with Anna and Dominic and they were pretty well behaved. It was much more crowded today and tons of little kids so Anna's anxiety was higher than usual. Here we are on the hay ride. She was nervous but handled it well. I'm glad she got to paint a pumpkin and see the sights. Right at the end, Dominic wanted to go on a pony ride (actually they are full-size horses, lol) and I asked Anna if she wanted to try. To my surprise, she said yes. The staff was wonderful when I explained that she has autism and anxiety... they got the most gentle horse and the staff was incredibly patient. It took her nearly 10 minutes to get up on the horse, but she did it! I am so proud of her!!!

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Day 289

2010-10-16T22:22:00.000-05:00

A quick shot of Dominic's new smile! He lost his first tooth on Thursday. My poor pickle woke up vomiting yesterday and ran a fever for a little while. He finally ate something today but he still looks puny.

Thanks for looking!

Day 288

2010-10-16T22:20:00.000-05:00

A new creativity challenge on Clickin' Moms... assignment: forks, knives, or spoons. I choose forks and in this photo, I wanted to join them together. I picture a couple holding hands, eternal love, and endurance. The more I look at them, my mind starts seeing an optical illusion and it looks like the closet fork is bent inward. I really like this simple photo!

Thanks for looking!

Day 287

2010-10-14T20:09:00.000-05:00

The first graders went on a walking field trip to our local fire station this morning and I got to chaperone. Dominic was so well-behaved, I was really proud of him. He really has matured a lot since last year. There was another mom with a camera in our class... but she is a pro. It was fun to chat photography with her.

Both Dominic and Anna lost a tooth today! Anna lost a molar at school and Dominic lost his very first tooth tonight while brushing his teeth. So cool!

Thanks for looking!

Day 286

2010-10-13T20:47:00.000-05:00

Dominic found Jenny's old safari hat in a dresser drawer this evening. He looks almost as cute as she did... I'll have to dig up that old picture of her. He says he's going to wear it tomorrow on the field trip; we are walking to the local fire station in the morning. Is it bad that the first thought I had was "Oh, great opportunity for cute pictures!"? ;)

Thanks for looking!

Day 285

2010-10-12T19:51:00.000-05:00

Oops! Nearly forgot to take a photo today. :) Dominic was kind enough to pose right before bedtime. What a sweetpea!

Today was Anna's ARD and we made it official... her placement has changed from inclusion to FAC (life skills). I requested that Anna attend the meeting near the end to encourage self-advocacy and they thought it was a good idea. So for the first time, Anna signed off on her own ARD! She is excited about starting in FAC tomorrow and the visits have gone well so far. She isn't even experiencing any anxiety yet and has been excited to push Caroline in her wheelchair. It's going to be okay, I think.

Thanks for looking!

Day 284

2010-10-11T19:54:00.002-05:00

Here's a hint of Dominic's Halloween costume... ::wink:: He wants to wear his costume every day!

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Day 283

2010-10-10T20:36:00.000-05:00

This is a photo of Dominic and Chris's sister, Morgan. Since Jenny was in town this weekend and Chris's 20th birthday was Friday, his family invited us to a family brunch at IHOP this morning. Dominic very politely requested to sit next to Morgan. ;)

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Day 282

2010-10-09T21:22:00.000-05:00

Jenny's home (and she's blonde)!!! She came home for the weekend and we have had such a great visit! Chris's 20th birthday was yesterday and they went to a concert last night. Today we planned a family visit to the Elgin Christmas Tree Farm for the pumpkin festival. Unfortunately, Anna was too sick to come so she stayed home with my mom (thanks, mom!). It was a perfect day, about 84 degrees, and the farm wasn't even crowded. I took TONS of pictures and I'm hoping to share some of my faves in the next few days... but here is a rare, almost entire, family photo. I love these people SO much!

Thanks for looking!

Day 281

2010-10-08T20:52:00.000-05:00

Anna has a chest cold and came home sick today at 10:30 so by the time Dominic came home from school, I was especially missing him. He came outside to play for a while and was in a sunny mood. We have an extra-special visitor this weekend but you have to wait until tomorrow to find out!

Thanks for looking!

Day 280

2010-10-07T21:11:00.000-05:00

We ended up outside after dinner (I'm loving this weather!) while Curtis and Dominic went to Boy Scouts. Our sweet neighbors, Renee and her 3-year old Ian, were outside too. Anna rode her new trike for a while while I took some photos of Ian, then Anna and I played soccer. Ian came and joined the fun for a while and Anna wanted Audrey to play soccer too. She got a little tired and took a short rest... I just love how the sun was shining on her hair and face. I *heart* my sweet girl.

Thanks for looking!

Day 279

2010-10-06T20:34:00.000-05:00

Anna got new glasses today! I goofed and missed scheduling her annual checkup with the pediatric ophthalmologist so it's been about 18 months since her last pair and they had seen better days. Her prescription got a bit worse... it's -7.5 in one eye and -8.0 in the other but her astigmatism got much worse which is probably why she was having trouble reading. She said, "Wow!" when she put them on so I think it was enough to make a big difference. I like these brown, square-cut frames on her! I couldn't quite manage to get an angle to reduce the glare, but you get the idea.

Thanks for looking!

Day 278

2010-10-05T20:53:00.000-05:00

Several years ago, Anna could ride her bike with training wheels quite well. Then she had two bad falls in the space of a month and sprained her wrist. Ever since, she's been too scared to ride. Just in the last month or so, she's been wanting to ride her bike again, but she is just too big to fit on her little girl's bike with the training wheels (and she is years away from balancing on two wheels). So we've been looking at options and thought an adult tricycle might work. Curtis (who LOVES shopping on Craisglist) found this gently used adult trike for a very reasonable price and picked it up this afternoon. Anna could easily pedal it and she was soon all the way up the street! I love that it has a basket on the back too, so she can bring along her baby dolls. Coming back down the hill to our street is going to take some time to build her confidence and get her comfortable using the hand brakes, but this is such a good option for her. It will be so nice when all the kids are outside riding their bikes, Anna can join in on the fun. Go, Anna!

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Day 277

2010-10-04T21:17:00.001-05:00

Dominic had a GREAT day today at school! Woot! He was in such a good mood after school that he zoomed through his homework and came outside to play. I talked him into trying to ride Anna's bike (with training wheels of course). The neighborhood boys all ride bikes so I'm really pushing him to learn. He tried and did pretty good. My sweet pickle is such a goofball and I love him!

This was processed with My4Hens new free Tool Box action called "Added Vintage" with Vintage Tone 2 and added contrast turned on.

Thanks for looking!

Day 276

2010-10-03T21:22:00.000-05:00

We went down to the UT campus this afternoon to see a museum exhibit on the history of photography. On the way from the parking garage to the museum, we came across some gorgeous colored walls. Dominic was being so cute peeking out from behind this doorway and I just love the richness and texture here.

Thanks for looking!

Day 275

2010-10-02T21:13:00.000-05:00

We had a good day today. The kids got to play with a sweet girl in the neighborhood for most of the afternoon (though they had to take turns) and the weather was wonderful. I went back to Weight Watchers this morning after not weighing in or tracking points for the last five weeks and was delighted to learn that I maintained. It was so pleasant outside, that we decided to take a family walk to our local Mexican restaurant for dinner. Dominic decided to ride in the wagon and Anna pushed George in the push-buggy. It was such a nice evening!

Thanks for looking!

Day 274

2010-10-01T22:16:00.000-05:00

Anna had a better week overall and one of her rewards was that I joined her for lunch today at school. Here I was making her laugh by doing funny voices. It is SO good to see her happy!

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Day 273

2010-09-30T21:12:00.000-05:00

Dominic playing outside this afternoon. He had just finished writing, "I love Anna" on the driveway in chalk. Oh be still my heart.

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Day 272

2010-09-29T21:33:00.001-05:00

No photo today.

Day 271

2010-09-28T20:19:00.000-05:00

Another Tuesday, another doctor's appointment... our 4th in a row. And yep, next Tuesday, we have another one. Today was the endocrinologist who we have not visited with since late spring. Anna's weight has steadied which is a good sign that the Risperdal she was on was the culprit. Her prolactin and thyroid levels have also normalized so that's good too.

Anna was a very good girl for us this morning and she had another decent day at school. I love this photo I got of her in the exam room. She was being a ham which I haven't seen her do in quite a while. I also did not do hardly any processing or editing on this photo... maybe I'm getting a little better with this photography thing and using manual.

I'm glad I have this photo to look at tonight, because I got an unexpected call from her special ed teacher this afternoon. I'm still dealing and reeling from that but I will write about it soon on Elusive Tranquility.

Thanks for looking!

Day 270

2010-09-27T20:49:00.000-05:00

We met the behavioral therapist today and we loved her. She is confident that she can help Anna and Dominic behave better in school and get along with each other better at home. I'm really glad... 'cause I need a lifeline. Anna and Dominic actually had decent days at school today, only one incident apiece. But Pickle had a hard time with homework; it took us 50 minutes to complete about 20 minutes worth of work. The BT (behavioral therapist) thinks a trial of ADHD meds for Dominic might be worth looking at. Anna and Daddy went out to run errands and she did so well until the very end. She was sent to her room when she got home.

So there wasn't much opportunity to take a photo today. Anna volunteered for one after her bath. I didn't have good light. At all. So I decided to embrace the noise and upped my ISO to 1600 and shot wide open at f/1.8. I even decided to leave the noise after converting to black and white because I liked the gritty feel to this image. Look at that, direct eye contact! And her eyes are even in focus. Love.

Thanks for looking!

Day 269

2010-09-26T20:29:00.000-05:00

It was a beautiful day here... we got a "cold" front that dropped it into the mid-80s and all the neighborhood kids were outside. Dominic spent part of the day playing with Rocky, a sweetheart of a boy that is in kindergarten (hi Sarah!). When Ian, the adorable 3-year old came out to play with his electric Jeep, Rocky first hopped in with him, then Dominic took over. Look at their faces as they drive away from Ian! So mischievous!

This was processed with My4Hens Black and Whitish action with customizations.

Thanks for looking!