So I'm thinking I'm done with this blogger blog. It's been good to me but I'm kind of tired of it. I've started a new wordpress blog. Here's the address:
http://jhintze.wordpress.com/
I'm not sure that I'm sold on the template yet or anything else but the address. It's nothing fancy. So anyway, that's where you'll find me from now on. Update your feed reader and bookmarks and all that stuff.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
lighting stuff
So my lens sold. Someone did the buy-it-now after it had been on a few hours. I'm glad that it sold but I'll be sad to see it go.
But I just bought this....
I purchased a used 580EX II flash, a light stand, and an umbrella. The stand and umbrella are for the dreaded formals for a wedding in May. I'm wondering if I'll get much use out of these two things with the regular stuff that I do. I'm thinking it might benefit me from time to time in peoples' homes. I've encountered some pretty awful lighting in homes.
I know there will always be things that I think I need but I'm thinking I'm almost to the point where I won't really need anything else. Much (most) of what I've made has gone to equipment. It will be nice to actually start making decent profits.
But I just bought this....
I purchased a used 580EX II flash, a light stand, and an umbrella. The stand and umbrella are for the dreaded formals for a wedding in May. I'm wondering if I'll get much use out of these two things with the regular stuff that I do. I'm thinking it might benefit me from time to time in peoples' homes. I've encountered some pretty awful lighting in homes.
I know there will always be things that I think I need but I'm thinking I'm almost to the point where I won't really need anything else. Much (most) of what I've made has gone to equipment. It will be nice to actually start making decent profits.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Random
We joined some Disney movie club thing and got like 6 Disney DVDs for about 20 bucks. Jackson is excited.
I now have 2 pez dispensers to decorate my camera with - Donkey (from Shrek) a that chef guy (from Ratatouille). I need to get some other ones.
Mikey is fascinated with birth marks. He discovered his own in the bathtub the other day. He has a mark about the size of a man's thumbprint on his upper right thigh. When he realized it was there he was trying to peel it off like a sticker or rub it off. I showed him my birthmark, a gross black mole thing about 4 inches above my belly button. We also showed him that Phillip has a birthmark on his ankle and Jackson has one on the left side of his jaw. Mikey just thought all of that was so cool. So if you want to show Mikey your birthmark or "spot" as we call it, then go ahead as long as it's not in a place that shouldn't be shown to a toddler. He'll be pretty impressed. Promise.
I'm blogging because I don't want to edit wedding pictures. I have narrowed it down to 270 images and am almost done with my initial editing in Aperture. Once that's done, I'll have a good 3-5 hours of editing to go. I have to finish these and proofs from three other shoots by the end of this weekend. I need to stop procrastinating.
I'm putting my Canon 28-70 f/2.8 L lens on ebay tonight. Which reminds me, I need to take pictures of that lens. Be right back.....
Okay, that was fun. I really needed this lens to take pictures of this lens. Our house is a little too small to get far enough away from it with my 70-200. We have a puzzle in our house that is light activated. So with every flash of the camera, I heard a rooster. I really hate to part with this lens. Even now, I'm having second thoughts about putting it on ebay. But I really don't need it. Once I get the lens I just ordered, a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 and the Canon 24-205 f/4, I'll have pretty much all the focal ranges that I need covered. I need the money from this lens to buy another flash and a few other doodads that I need for a wedding in May. And this lens is dang heavy. But I REALLY hate to sell this lens. The majority of the pictures I have taken in the last year (?) have been taken with this lens. Dear Lord, is there another way?? The new version of this lens sells new for about $1,200. I'm hoping to get $650-$750 for this one. It's probably about 10 years old but still in great condition. Here's a picture. Sexy, huh? Maybe I'll wait until tomorrow to put it on.....
I had a nightmare (during a nap today) that someone broke in and stole my computer and replaced it withe the horrible piece of junk we had before we went Mac. I woke up terrified and in a cold sweat.
The repair and painting of our house should begin soon. Phillip is going to need to call those guys tomorrow and find out for sure when they're starting. I'm having a hard time deciding on paint color. I'm thinking kind of a light khaki for the main color and a dark green and a dark red for trim stuff. Our house will look like Christmas. I like Christmas.
Jackson has had kind of a rotten attitude with me lately. He's beginning to act like a teenager. He disagrees with everything I say. It's like I'm his arch enemy. It's really getting on my nerves. I think all the time I spend on the computer working on stuff is starting to get to him. Which is why I should stop farting around and get to work.
Mikey is fascinated with and allergic to ants. Have I written this here before? I think maybe I have. I need some new material. He very intentionally sat in a huge ant bed yesterday. I was right there thankfully. I'm not going to survive that kid.
I now have 2 pez dispensers to decorate my camera with - Donkey (from Shrek) a that chef guy (from Ratatouille). I need to get some other ones.
Mikey is fascinated with birth marks. He discovered his own in the bathtub the other day. He has a mark about the size of a man's thumbprint on his upper right thigh. When he realized it was there he was trying to peel it off like a sticker or rub it off. I showed him my birthmark, a gross black mole thing about 4 inches above my belly button. We also showed him that Phillip has a birthmark on his ankle and Jackson has one on the left side of his jaw. Mikey just thought all of that was so cool. So if you want to show Mikey your birthmark or "spot" as we call it, then go ahead as long as it's not in a place that shouldn't be shown to a toddler. He'll be pretty impressed. Promise.
I'm blogging because I don't want to edit wedding pictures. I have narrowed it down to 270 images and am almost done with my initial editing in Aperture. Once that's done, I'll have a good 3-5 hours of editing to go. I have to finish these and proofs from three other shoots by the end of this weekend. I need to stop procrastinating.
I'm putting my Canon 28-70 f/2.8 L lens on ebay tonight. Which reminds me, I need to take pictures of that lens. Be right back.....
Okay, that was fun. I really needed this lens to take pictures of this lens. Our house is a little too small to get far enough away from it with my 70-200. We have a puzzle in our house that is light activated. So with every flash of the camera, I heard a rooster. I really hate to part with this lens. Even now, I'm having second thoughts about putting it on ebay. But I really don't need it. Once I get the lens I just ordered, a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 and the Canon 24-205 f/4, I'll have pretty much all the focal ranges that I need covered. I need the money from this lens to buy another flash and a few other doodads that I need for a wedding in May. And this lens is dang heavy. But I REALLY hate to sell this lens. The majority of the pictures I have taken in the last year (?) have been taken with this lens. Dear Lord, is there another way?? The new version of this lens sells new for about $1,200. I'm hoping to get $650-$750 for this one. It's probably about 10 years old but still in great condition. Here's a picture. Sexy, huh? Maybe I'll wait until tomorrow to put it on.....
I had a nightmare (during a nap today) that someone broke in and stole my computer and replaced it withe the horrible piece of junk we had before we went Mac. I woke up terrified and in a cold sweat.
The repair and painting of our house should begin soon. Phillip is going to need to call those guys tomorrow and find out for sure when they're starting. I'm having a hard time deciding on paint color. I'm thinking kind of a light khaki for the main color and a dark green and a dark red for trim stuff. Our house will look like Christmas. I like Christmas.
Jackson has had kind of a rotten attitude with me lately. He's beginning to act like a teenager. He disagrees with everything I say. It's like I'm his arch enemy. It's really getting on my nerves. I think all the time I spend on the computer working on stuff is starting to get to him. Which is why I should stop farting around and get to work.
Mikey is fascinated with and allergic to ants. Have I written this here before? I think maybe I have. I need some new material. He very intentionally sat in a huge ant bed yesterday. I was right there thankfully. I'm not going to survive that kid.
This is absolutely genius
I wish I had come up with this.
I'm now collecting pez dispensers so if you have any lying around, I'll take them off your hands.
I'm now collecting pez dispensers so if you have any lying around, I'll take them off your hands.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
From the Jackson archive - Underwears
Mikey might soon be ready for the wonderful world of underwears!! Yes, if they're this small they're underwears with an "s". I did not touch this photo. I didn't feel the slightest need to make it look better than it does. Okay, I felt the need and I fought it. And I won.
Mikey has been tee-teeing in the potty! Go, Mikey. But it's so scary to let an unpredictable 2 year old run around in underwears indoors. Maybe I need to get some valium and just let him learn.
Mikey has been tee-teeing in the potty! Go, Mikey. But it's so scary to let an unpredictable 2 year old run around in underwears indoors. Maybe I need to get some valium and just let him learn.
I want a new blog
I'm bored with this blog. I'll be bugging Phillip to help me create a wordpress blog to replace this one. My business blog is a wordpress blog. I won't be moving the content of this blog. I'll just put a link to the new one once it exists. Okay, then. See ya.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Catching up
So the wedding on Saturday went pretty well. I had none of the stomach issues I was so worried about having, thank goodness! I'm thinking lighting is always going to be an issue at weddings. This one in particular was a little tough because it was in a country club and the ceilings were covered with some kind of stuff that wouldn't bounce light. So I had to do some stuff with my diffused flash pointed directly at people (not the most flattering) and I used my pocket bouncer some and I used a combination of both the diffuser and pocket bouncer together. I really need a wide angle lens and a full frame camera for these kinds of affairs. I'll most likely be buying this lens soon. I'm not really sure how I'll like it. Guess we'll see. I'll be getting the older model 5d and the 24-105 f/4 L in a month or so. I'm thinking I might sell my 30d and my 28-70 and get a 40d for backup. And....I still want to get a lensbaby. And maybe a good 50 or 85 mm prime. Not sure about all that stuff yet. Anyway, who cares?
The pit bull next door is becoming quite a nuisance. She has jumped into our yard three times now that I'm aware of. She's gotten out of the yard almost every day lately. I've been calling animal control every time I see her out. Is that kind of tattly of me? Yes but I don't care. Her owner told us this evening (after she jumped in our yard to play with us) that he was going to get some kind of rope to tie her to in their yard. And I'm wondering how long it's going to take him to actually do that. It's been over a month since she started getting out of their yard and they haven't done anything about it yet. They don't even have a collar on her. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she's never even been to the vet in her life. I feel sorry for her. I really, really do. They are a horrible family for that dog. On one hand I want to pet her and give her some attention but I don't want to encourage her to jump the fence to play with us.
I'm excited about a newborn session I have coming up on Friday. It's going to be so cool!
I might be photographing a birth soon! I'm very excited about that. Hopefully it will work out for me to be there. People get weirded out about birth photography. They think that you actually take pictures of the emergence into this world. Um...yuck. No, it's everything else surrounding the birth that you photograph. And then of course lots of pictures of the baby just as he/she takes that first breath, screams, cord cutting, weighing, excited grandparents...... all that fun stuff.
I'm thinking about just taking off for the entire month of June or July. I need a break. I will definitely need a break by then. I need to get away for a couple of days. I will need to start getting our house ready for homeschooling Jackson. I will also be getting curriculum stuff situated. I am so ready to not have to sit in those pick up/drop off lines at the school anymore. Those lines are horrible! That's really why I'm doing it, you know.
We will be getting our house painted soon. It's way overdue. Phillip and I knew what colors we were going to use but I think we lost our color swatches. Back to square one. And I want to get some very basic landscape work done....like a hedge and a tree. Maybe a cactus. Just kidding about the cactus.
I think I might be finally honing in on what I actually love to photograph. I like photographing people of all kinds but I love photographing babies in the 9 month-15 month range and teenage girls. Is that weird? (Generally speaking) Newborns are probably a little tricky. I'm not really sure about that yet because I haven't done that many newborns. 2-4 year olds are tough because they never stop moving. 6-10 year olds are tough because they've been taught to say "cheese" and are very self-aware and it's hard to crack that and catch who they really are and not who they think you want them to be. And men and teenage guys are just plain difficult. I've run across a few men/guys here and there who were naturals in front of the camera. But generally speaking, they don't have a clue how to look natural in pictures. I hope this doesn't offend any of you men out there.
Mikey is starting to learn colors. He likes blue and likes to point out anything that is blue. He says is like "bwuah!" And he can identify some other colors but can't really say them yet. He is saying "eggs" but it sounds like "as*." We like to get him to say it over and over again. Bad parents!
Jackson has been sick a lot lately. He has missed at least 8 days of school this year. I'm not sure why he's catching everything under the sun. I'm taking him to the doctor on Wednesday to alleviate any guilt I feel about letting him remain sickly for so long.
I've been packing on the pounds since I started working at the preschool. Not taking the time to eat a healthy breakfast and snacking on various kinds of preschool snacks is starting to take it's toll. I think I've gained 8-10 pounds since I started working there. I think the entire 8-10 pounds is in my upper thighs, butt, and gut. I don't want to buy new jeans one size bigger and I'm getting the unattractive "her thighs are too thick for those jeans" wrinkles in my current jeans. Time to do something drastic. I've eliminated sugar from my coffee but it might be time to cut out candy and exercise. NOOOO!!!! Some might say, "Who cares?? It's just 8 pounds!" Well, 8 pounds becomes 15, which becomes 45 and so on and so on.
I'm beginning to realize that I am much more of a rule follower than I thought. I'm not happy about this. I thought I was a rebel. A free spirit. I'm really disappointed to learn that I'm not. I need to work on that.
The pit bull next door is becoming quite a nuisance. She has jumped into our yard three times now that I'm aware of. She's gotten out of the yard almost every day lately. I've been calling animal control every time I see her out. Is that kind of tattly of me? Yes but I don't care. Her owner told us this evening (after she jumped in our yard to play with us) that he was going to get some kind of rope to tie her to in their yard. And I'm wondering how long it's going to take him to actually do that. It's been over a month since she started getting out of their yard and they haven't done anything about it yet. They don't even have a collar on her. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she's never even been to the vet in her life. I feel sorry for her. I really, really do. They are a horrible family for that dog. On one hand I want to pet her and give her some attention but I don't want to encourage her to jump the fence to play with us.
I'm excited about a newborn session I have coming up on Friday. It's going to be so cool!
I might be photographing a birth soon! I'm very excited about that. Hopefully it will work out for me to be there. People get weirded out about birth photography. They think that you actually take pictures of the emergence into this world. Um...yuck. No, it's everything else surrounding the birth that you photograph. And then of course lots of pictures of the baby just as he/she takes that first breath, screams, cord cutting, weighing, excited grandparents...... all that fun stuff.
I'm thinking about just taking off for the entire month of June or July. I need a break. I will definitely need a break by then. I need to get away for a couple of days. I will need to start getting our house ready for homeschooling Jackson. I will also be getting curriculum stuff situated. I am so ready to not have to sit in those pick up/drop off lines at the school anymore. Those lines are horrible! That's really why I'm doing it, you know.
We will be getting our house painted soon. It's way overdue. Phillip and I knew what colors we were going to use but I think we lost our color swatches. Back to square one. And I want to get some very basic landscape work done....like a hedge and a tree. Maybe a cactus. Just kidding about the cactus.
I think I might be finally honing in on what I actually love to photograph. I like photographing people of all kinds but I love photographing babies in the 9 month-15 month range and teenage girls. Is that weird? (Generally speaking) Newborns are probably a little tricky. I'm not really sure about that yet because I haven't done that many newborns. 2-4 year olds are tough because they never stop moving. 6-10 year olds are tough because they've been taught to say "cheese" and are very self-aware and it's hard to crack that and catch who they really are and not who they think you want them to be. And men and teenage guys are just plain difficult. I've run across a few men/guys here and there who were naturals in front of the camera. But generally speaking, they don't have a clue how to look natural in pictures. I hope this doesn't offend any of you men out there.
Mikey is starting to learn colors. He likes blue and likes to point out anything that is blue. He says is like "bwuah!" And he can identify some other colors but can't really say them yet. He is saying "eggs" but it sounds like "as*." We like to get him to say it over and over again. Bad parents!
Jackson has been sick a lot lately. He has missed at least 8 days of school this year. I'm not sure why he's catching everything under the sun. I'm taking him to the doctor on Wednesday to alleviate any guilt I feel about letting him remain sickly for so long.
I've been packing on the pounds since I started working at the preschool. Not taking the time to eat a healthy breakfast and snacking on various kinds of preschool snacks is starting to take it's toll. I think I've gained 8-10 pounds since I started working there. I think the entire 8-10 pounds is in my upper thighs, butt, and gut. I don't want to buy new jeans one size bigger and I'm getting the unattractive "her thighs are too thick for those jeans" wrinkles in my current jeans. Time to do something drastic. I've eliminated sugar from my coffee but it might be time to cut out candy and exercise. NOOOO!!!! Some might say, "Who cares?? It's just 8 pounds!" Well, 8 pounds becomes 15, which becomes 45 and so on and so on.
I'm beginning to realize that I am much more of a rule follower than I thought. I'm not happy about this. I thought I was a rebel. A free spirit. I'm really disappointed to learn that I'm not. I need to work on that.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Crazy Mikey Video
Debbie took this little video over the weekend. When I first saw it, I thought it was sped up or something but it's not. This is what we live with every day. Incase you can't tell, Mikey really likes this song.
Friday, February 06, 2009
TMI
My stomach has been in bad shape since Wednesday. I don't know what I ate or how long it's planning on wreaking havoc on myself and those around me. I'm photographing a wedding tomorrow and I'm TERRIFIED that I'm going to accidentally rip one during the ceremony. That could be the end of my wedding photography career. I found this video and thought it was worth sharing. So do any of you have medicine suggestions that actually work? I have to know by 10:00 in the morning.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Mikey fashion and other nonsense
Layering is all the craze this winter. Here MIkey is wearing a long sleeve striped tee from Children's place, a hula dog t-shirt from Nana and Granddad, Hanes jogging pants, Prospirit shorts, and Victoria Secret boy short panties (someday he'll need therapy).
On a completely unrelated topic, I will be leaving at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning to go to a Methodist Preschool worker conference. We will be there all day Thursday and Friday. I would be lying if I told you I wasn't totally stoked and excited. (I'm lying to you.) Don't tell my boss but I'm pretty certain I won't take home any useful information. Which means that I probably won't. But I'll try really hard to fake it. I am doing one little class entitled "What do I do with this child!!??" Maybe I'll learn something there. Maybe I'll be able to teach that class in another few years. Our moms are pulling double duty to take care of the kiddos for this thing.
Saturday I will be photographing another wedding so that will be fun. The last wedding I shot was outdoor in freezing weather and it really didn't end up being worth my time. Probably shouldn't say that but oh well.
This school year has been really hard. I knew it would be. And I LOVE my preschool kids but I'm so ready for summer. I don't feel like I'm doing much of anything 100% lately. This has probably been the busiest I've been since I graduated from college. There are days when I just to run away. I hope I haven't done irreparable damage to friendships and family relationships during this busy time. I'm planning on taking a much needed breather once May is behind me. I think there are a lot of friends I need to take to lunch, have over for dinner, babysit for, shop with......the list goes on and on. I hope they haven't given up on me. You know who you are. I'll be back to the land of the living once school's out. Let's make a date. Except for Andrea. I'm just going to have to make time for you now before you up and leave me for stinkin' Singapore.
Okay, I need to get busy working on Miss Kendall's pictures. She's one year old today! Happy Birthday, Kendall!
On a completely unrelated topic, I will be leaving at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning to go to a Methodist Preschool worker conference. We will be there all day Thursday and Friday. I would be lying if I told you I wasn't totally stoked and excited. (I'm lying to you.) Don't tell my boss but I'm pretty certain I won't take home any useful information. Which means that I probably won't. But I'll try really hard to fake it. I am doing one little class entitled "What do I do with this child!!??" Maybe I'll learn something there. Maybe I'll be able to teach that class in another few years. Our moms are pulling double duty to take care of the kiddos for this thing.
Saturday I will be photographing another wedding so that will be fun. The last wedding I shot was outdoor in freezing weather and it really didn't end up being worth my time. Probably shouldn't say that but oh well.
This school year has been really hard. I knew it would be. And I LOVE my preschool kids but I'm so ready for summer. I don't feel like I'm doing much of anything 100% lately. This has probably been the busiest I've been since I graduated from college. There are days when I just to run away. I hope I haven't done irreparable damage to friendships and family relationships during this busy time. I'm planning on taking a much needed breather once May is behind me. I think there are a lot of friends I need to take to lunch, have over for dinner, babysit for, shop with......the list goes on and on. I hope they haven't given up on me. You know who you are. I'll be back to the land of the living once school's out. Let's make a date. Except for Andrea. I'm just going to have to make time for you now before you up and leave me for stinkin' Singapore.
Okay, I need to get busy working on Miss Kendall's pictures. She's one year old today! Happy Birthday, Kendall!
Sunday, February 01, 2009
New lens at the park
I got a new lens a few weeks ago. I've used it on a few shoots and I love it! But I haven't really used it a whole lot in no pressure situations. Also, I've been practicing more with using my flash outside for fill. I still need to work on it much more, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. I still certainly prefer shooting in shade. I have been shooting in fully manual mode on my camera for several months now and can't imagine going back to AV. I love having so much control over my shots. Anyway, enough camera blah, blah, blah....here are some pictures of the boys. We went to the park earlier today.
Because I don't want to give captions on each picture, here's the lowdown:
- Mikey eats dirt. I don't really care that he eats dirt.
- Jackson did not want to be photographed and that's why there are so many more pictures of Mikey.
- Mikey found a cat and I'm not quite sure what's he's telling him in the picture of the two of them walking away. Maybe he's telling him our address. That would be cool. I like that cat.
- Mikey needs a haircut. Bad.
- I don't know why my boys wear their hats like that. We didn't teach them to do that.
- The black & white picture is not "technically" a very good picture. But I like it anyway. Sometimes pictures that aren't very good look better in black & white. I don't know why that is. Maybe that's just my opinion.
-These pictures are in complete backward chronological order. So, if you want to see them in the order they actually happened, start at the bottom.
Because I don't want to give captions on each picture, here's the lowdown:
- Mikey eats dirt. I don't really care that he eats dirt.
- Jackson did not want to be photographed and that's why there are so many more pictures of Mikey.
- Mikey found a cat and I'm not quite sure what's he's telling him in the picture of the two of them walking away. Maybe he's telling him our address. That would be cool. I like that cat.
- Mikey needs a haircut. Bad.
- I don't know why my boys wear their hats like that. We didn't teach them to do that.
- The black & white picture is not "technically" a very good picture. But I like it anyway. Sometimes pictures that aren't very good look better in black & white. I don't know why that is. Maybe that's just my opinion.
-These pictures are in complete backward chronological order. So, if you want to see them in the order they actually happened, start at the bottom.
Because I have nothing to blog about....
This is my 25 random things about myself from facebook. If you're one of my facebook friends, you probably already read it.
1. I have abnormally cold hands and feet. I've had blood work done to see if there's some kind of "condition" and there's not.
2. I spend lots of time looking for things I have misplaced.
3. I pick at my cuticles.
4. I like trying new kinds of soap. But not anything that smells like peaches. I don't like peach smelling things.
5. I never wear my wedding ring on photo shoots. You never know who you're going to meet.
6. My truck is filthy.
7. Sometimes I drink straight pickle juice from the jar.
8. I can't stand pen clicking. It makes me fighting mad.
9. I like to sit outside in the grass but I rarely take the time to do it.
10. I used to have a Bart Simpson blue jean jacket. I felt really cool in that jacket.
11. I have a belly button ring and I kind of wish I didn't but if I get rid of it I'll just have a strange looking belly button.
12. I became an aunt at the age of 6. Thanks, Kevin. I'm sorry I've been a sucky aunt.
13. I will be homeschooling our son for 2nd grade and I'm very excited about that.
14. I played the saxophone for about 9 years. But I never got all that great at it.
15. I am really, really bad at remembering numbers of any kind. I think I have some kind of number learning disability thing. And I'm fine with that.
16. I'm an affiliated NILMDTS photographer but I haven't had a shoot yet. And I'm afraid when I start doing it regularly, it will change me forever.
17. I have an uncanny ability to remember children's names. Once I meet a kid, I can see them years later and almost always know their name.
18. I get really nervous sometimes about Phillip driving back and forth to Houston everyday and I wish he didn't have to do that. And it's not because I think he's a bad driver.
19. We have one biological child who pretty much looks like a boy version of me and one adopted child who looks like the baby version of Antonio Banderas.
20. I have always wanted to meet Robin Williams but I think he would freak me out.
21. I don't like doing things out of obligation and I don't like when people do things for me out of obligation.
22. I like free t-shirts.
23. I have a wart inside my nose on the right side. I had it removed one time it grew right back. I figure it's meant to be.
24. I think back tattoos look pretty skanky.
25. I love my bed like a family member.
I forgot to put on there that I hate handling raw meat of any kind, especially chicken. I have almost perfected cooking chicken without ever having to actually touch it. It's really something to behold.
1. I have abnormally cold hands and feet. I've had blood work done to see if there's some kind of "condition" and there's not.
2. I spend lots of time looking for things I have misplaced.
3. I pick at my cuticles.
4. I like trying new kinds of soap. But not anything that smells like peaches. I don't like peach smelling things.
5. I never wear my wedding ring on photo shoots. You never know who you're going to meet.
6. My truck is filthy.
7. Sometimes I drink straight pickle juice from the jar.
8. I can't stand pen clicking. It makes me fighting mad.
9. I like to sit outside in the grass but I rarely take the time to do it.
10. I used to have a Bart Simpson blue jean jacket. I felt really cool in that jacket.
11. I have a belly button ring and I kind of wish I didn't but if I get rid of it I'll just have a strange looking belly button.
12. I became an aunt at the age of 6. Thanks, Kevin. I'm sorry I've been a sucky aunt.
13. I will be homeschooling our son for 2nd grade and I'm very excited about that.
14. I played the saxophone for about 9 years. But I never got all that great at it.
15. I am really, really bad at remembering numbers of any kind. I think I have some kind of number learning disability thing. And I'm fine with that.
16. I'm an affiliated NILMDTS photographer but I haven't had a shoot yet. And I'm afraid when I start doing it regularly, it will change me forever.
17. I have an uncanny ability to remember children's names. Once I meet a kid, I can see them years later and almost always know their name.
18. I get really nervous sometimes about Phillip driving back and forth to Houston everyday and I wish he didn't have to do that. And it's not because I think he's a bad driver.
19. We have one biological child who pretty much looks like a boy version of me and one adopted child who looks like the baby version of Antonio Banderas.
20. I have always wanted to meet Robin Williams but I think he would freak me out.
21. I don't like doing things out of obligation and I don't like when people do things for me out of obligation.
22. I like free t-shirts.
23. I have a wart inside my nose on the right side. I had it removed one time it grew right back. I figure it's meant to be.
24. I think back tattoos look pretty skanky.
25. I love my bed like a family member.
I forgot to put on there that I hate handling raw meat of any kind, especially chicken. I have almost perfected cooking chicken without ever having to actually touch it. It's really something to behold.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Favorite quote of the day
Stop it, Mike! You're destroying my cutie! - Jackson
Revision to original post. It should be Cootie, not Cutie. Like the game with the bugs. It was funny in person.
Revision to original post. It should be Cootie, not Cutie. Like the game with the bugs. It was funny in person.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
More Mikey Mischief
I know I just blogged about some Mikey shenanigans this morning but I have a little time so I thought I'd do some more. You know those door knob covers that are supposed to keep a kid from opening a door? Well, Mikey can just pop those things right off without any trouble at all. We have 6 doors in our hallway. Three are bedrooms, 2 closets, and the bathroom. We keep those door knob things on all of those doors except Mikey's door. He can pull every one of them off in about 1 minute. We've tried two different kinds and he can get them both off. We've tried wrapping packing tape around the door knob covers to keep him from popping them off and he just carefully finds the end of the tape and pulls it off. We have to open doors for Jackson all the time because these door things keep him out of rooms instead of Mikey. So you might wonder why we keep them on at all or why we keep putting them on all day long. It's because it buys us some time. We hear them come off and we know he now has access to that room. And we go and stop him or remove him from the room and put the thing back on so we can do it all over again. This morning I only needed about 15 minutes to finish getting myself ready for work. It probably actually took me about 30 minutes because I had to keep stopping and getting him out of various rooms or closets. A friend asked why he can't just be in the bathroom with me while I get ready. Because he will put anything he can in the toilet (including himself) faster than humanly possible. Getting ready to go anywhere without Phillip home is next to impossible. Oh...and baby gates. That's another thing. He can knock those over if he wants to bad enough. He just kind of rams his shoulder into the gate over and over and over again until he gets one of the corners of the gate out of the doorway. Then he just knocks the whole gate down and walks over it. That takes much more time and effort than the door knob things. So, any suggestions? Other than tying him up? I don't think we're allowed to do that.
The bandit
Usually Mikey is in his highchair while the rest of us are eating dinner. But occasionally he finishes before us or refuses to eat all together so he's loose while we're eating. This is dangerous. This is dangerous because we have a small round table and he can reach anything that's not in the absolute middle of it. He likes to play this "game" where he innocently approaches the table and then quick as a flash grabs something off the table and runs away as fast as he can. Usually it's something harmless like a napkin or a cracker. But the other night it was a full glass of Sierra Mist. He's a funny kid.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Playing hooky
Jackson woke up with a debilitating leg cramp this morning. He's been limping and howling and crying all morning. I believe that it hurts. I really do. But I also know that Jackson's tolerance for pain is pretty nil. He had this kind of thing before a year or so ago when he had the flu. His electrolyte levels got too low and stiffened up his legs. That's most likely what this is too. I noticed a little while ago that he feels like he has a fever. My almost nurse sister-in-law said that when you've got a virus and/or fever you're more likely to have an electrolyte imbalance. So we'll just be pushing orange juice, bananas, gatorade, and pathetic attempts at walking all day. My mom came over to bring us some gatorade and orange juice. She's compassionate in ways that I am not. She believes he's in excruciating pain and I believe he probably hurts but needs to suck it up. He was milking it while she was here. Now he's stuck with his mean drill sergeant mommy again.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The Bear Hunt
I have a cd of children's music that I copied from a preschool I worked at. Yes, I copied music. Let me explain. For those of you think there is no explanation, then just skip this part. We had about 25 or more children's cds. There were probably only 2-3 songs per cd that I ever used as the music teacher. So, I compiled the songs I liked onto one disk to use at the school. I had the numbers pretty much memorized so it was very easy for me to get to the right song quickly. Before I left, I made a copy for my "records."
Anyway, we have Greg and Steve's "The Bear Hunt" on it and Mikey loves it. He dances and makes up his own little moves and has a lot of fun with it. He will let us watch him do it but if we start to try to do it with him, he gets all bent out of shape. He just stops dancing and closes his eyes and shakes his head and wrinkles up his nose. It's just his own little private activity. He's not very good at sharing stuff. If ever we get a video camera thing, I'll record it. It's pretty funny.
Anyway, we have Greg and Steve's "The Bear Hunt" on it and Mikey loves it. He dances and makes up his own little moves and has a lot of fun with it. He will let us watch him do it but if we start to try to do it with him, he gets all bent out of shape. He just stops dancing and closes his eyes and shakes his head and wrinkles up his nose. It's just his own little private activity. He's not very good at sharing stuff. If ever we get a video camera thing, I'll record it. It's pretty funny.
Monday, January 19, 2009
The dark side
I did not have Darth Mikey's permission to take these pictures. He was getting pretty ticked off by the end. Oh well, he got over it.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Endorsement for Seagate throat spray
I've been using Seagate nose and throat spray for over a year now when I start to feel the slightest inkling of sickness. I have been so much healthier the last year. If you have ever been around me much or especially if you've ever worked with me then you know that I get sick alot. I get sinus infections, strep throat, ear infections, colds... very often. But seriously since I've been using this stuff I have been really well. I woke up yesterday morning with a tickle in my throat, which is what led to the accidental use of the anti-itch spray in my throat. I think I was so traumatized by that that I only used my real throat spray a couple of times yesterday. Last night I went to bed about 9:30 with a very sore and very red throat. I really thought it was strep throat. I've had it many times and I know what it feels like. But I woke up several times during the night and used my throat spray and nose spray and my throat feels almost normal this morning. I still don't feel great. My body is little achy and I just don't feel well. I'm not sure if I should go to the doctor or not. I hate to go and be exposed to who knows what at the doctor's office. But if what I had/have is strep throat then this stuff has basically cured it. Even if it wasn't strep, it was something very unpleasant that went away over night. And it's not a placebo because I really didn't think it wasn't going to do any good but I used it anyway. Also, there was a time a couple of years ago that I used their ear drops for an ear infection and it cleared it up without antibiotics.
I wouldn't be telling you about this stuff if I didn't whole heartedly believe that it works. You can buy the throat spray and nose spray and ear drops at the health food store next to Food Lion on Oyster Creek Dr. The store is called Peak Nutrition. The sprays are about $10-$15 a piece.
I wouldn't be telling you about this stuff if I didn't whole heartedly believe that it works. You can buy the throat spray and nose spray and ear drops at the health food store next to Food Lion on Oyster Creek Dr. The store is called Peak Nutrition. The sprays are about $10-$15 a piece.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Throat spray
Just in case you're not one of my facebook friends and didn't see my status today, I thought I would share this embarrassing story. Today is my 31st birthday. Not that I'm fishing for happy birthdays or anything like that. I just think it's important to note that the first thing I did when I woke up this morning was spray anti-itch spray in my throat. I actually sprayed twice before I realized something was very wrong. I really wish I had a video of myself doing this. I think it would probably be very funny to watch. I pretty much freaked out and kind of screamed and started frantically gargling water and spitting it out. My throat has felt weird all day. I'm not sure if it would have felt kind of bad today anyway or if it's the Wal-a-dryl spray. So I hope the rest of my 31st year is not full of similar sorts of calamity. Maybe it will be full of unexpected surprises. The anti-itch throat spray was certainly an unexpected surprise.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Jackson's school work
Okay, I had to take a minute to post a few pictures of Jackson's recent school work. The first two were brought home today. They were done in honor of Martin Luther King. Of course I mean no disrespect to Dr. King (and I'm sure Jackson doesn't either). We all know he was an incredible man. But.....apparently he had green eyes, fangs, and two caucasian daughters. I guess they're fangs. I'm not positive about that.
UPDATE: I confirmed with Jackson this morning....these are indeed fangs. Jackson wanted Martin Luther King, Jr. to look like a vampire.
This is another drawing Jackson brought home before the Christmas break. Just read the directions and see what Jackson decided to draw. I don't think he actually read the directions very carefully. The person is crying and I'm pretty sure that's blood or entrails coming out of his body. This horrible scene was drawn inside a wreath with a happy little bow. Isn't that sweet?
Q: How did you help someone this Christmas season.
A: Well, I called 911 when they got hit by a bus....does that count?
UPDATE: I confirmed with Jackson this morning....these are indeed fangs. Jackson wanted Martin Luther King, Jr. to look like a vampire.
This is another drawing Jackson brought home before the Christmas break. Just read the directions and see what Jackson decided to draw. I don't think he actually read the directions very carefully. The person is crying and I'm pretty sure that's blood or entrails coming out of his body. This horrible scene was drawn inside a wreath with a happy little bow. Isn't that sweet?
Q: How did you help someone this Christmas season.
A: Well, I called 911 when they got hit by a bus....does that count?
The great homeschool debate
So, I'm thinking I'm about 85% sure that we (I) will be homeschooling Jackson for 2nd grade. I need to make an absolute decision very soon. Phillip is supportive either way but thinks it's kind of my decision since I will be the one doing it. If we decide to do it, we'll take it a school year at a time. We could certainly go back to public schooling at some point. I used to be very anti-homeschooling. I didn't see any legitimate reason to do it. Now I pretty much think that it can be really great thing or a really bad thing depending on the individual situations within that family. Jackson has done extremely well in public school so far and I have no major gripes about his public school experience. But he is rather bored and unenthusiastic about school in general.
We've weighed the pros and cons that we can think of and I just really think it could be a good thing for both of us. It would provide him with much more time to spend with his entire family, including extended family, which is very important to us. And I think it will give me the chance to really hone in on his interests and help him explore those things more than can be done in a public school environment. There are lots of reason to do it. There are lots of reasons not to do it. One of the things that keeps coming up from people I talk to is the whole "social aspect." But I haven't heard a lot of real specific questions or concerns related to this. Just the worry that the child won't be "socialized." If they mean learning how to fit into a crowd even though you really couldn't care less about that crowd then I'm cool with him not mastering that. If they mean placing more of a value on friends and activities than family, then I'm okay with him skipping out on that too. Those are most of the social things I learned in school and I think it took me a lot of years to relearn what I knew when I was little. And that's that God made me who He wants me to be and I should be proud of that and not try to change myself to be what others think I should be. Our primary motivation for homeschooling would not be to shelter Jackson from "the world." It's first and foremost an opportunity to spend more meaningful time with him. Secondly, to provide him with a top notch education where he's not spending half his day sitting and waiting. And thirdly, to help him learn who he is without being told who he is by others.
I know by posting this, I'll get opinions on it and I'm totally cool with that. The decisions is ours to make but I'm not opposed to hearing what people have to say about it...good or bad.
We've weighed the pros and cons that we can think of and I just really think it could be a good thing for both of us. It would provide him with much more time to spend with his entire family, including extended family, which is very important to us. And I think it will give me the chance to really hone in on his interests and help him explore those things more than can be done in a public school environment. There are lots of reason to do it. There are lots of reasons not to do it. One of the things that keeps coming up from people I talk to is the whole "social aspect." But I haven't heard a lot of real specific questions or concerns related to this. Just the worry that the child won't be "socialized." If they mean learning how to fit into a crowd even though you really couldn't care less about that crowd then I'm cool with him not mastering that. If they mean placing more of a value on friends and activities than family, then I'm okay with him skipping out on that too. Those are most of the social things I learned in school and I think it took me a lot of years to relearn what I knew when I was little. And that's that God made me who He wants me to be and I should be proud of that and not try to change myself to be what others think I should be. Our primary motivation for homeschooling would not be to shelter Jackson from "the world." It's first and foremost an opportunity to spend more meaningful time with him. Secondly, to provide him with a top notch education where he's not spending half his day sitting and waiting. And thirdly, to help him learn who he is without being told who he is by others.
I know by posting this, I'll get opinions on it and I'm totally cool with that. The decisions is ours to make but I'm not opposed to hearing what people have to say about it...good or bad.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Delayed? I don't think so.
It is accurate to say that Mikey has a speech delay. It is probably even accurate to say that Mikey has a significant speech delay. I accept that as fact. I don't like it and I wish that weren't the case but I accept it. But it is not accurate to make the blanket statement that he is significantly delayed. There's a big difference between these two statements. And it's really not just semantics. He is not verbally speaking on the same level as other kids his age, granted. But he is not overall delayed. I know some of you without children or perhaps some of you with Jackson type children might think I'm overreacting. And many people may think that we are blind to the truth...unwilling or unable to see Mikey objectively. And you know, that's true. I can't totally look at my child without feeling or emotion getting in the way.
So, Mikey might not be able to speak in complete sentences yet. But here are just a few things that he can do and do very well.
- He can verbally say about 10 words...give or take...depending on his mood.
- He can sign about 20 words. He does these on his own and absolutely knows the meaning. This number could be much higher if I would get more aggressive with teaching him more signs.
- He understands just about everything we say and follows directions....if he feels like it.
- He can jump like no 2 year old you've ever seen.
- He can match shapes and colors.
- He can stack blocks very high....just so he can knock them down and do it again.
- He can throw a ball very hard and pretty accurately.
- He can run around almost the entire block...yes run, without stopping.
- He can hold my hand in the mall willingly for about 45 minutes...that's the new record.
- He can feed himself using a fork and a spoon. He holds them "correctly" and doesn't make *too* much of a mess.
- He can blow kisses and give kisses.
- He can remember things that he saw or experienced months ago.
- He can notice and point out differences in his surroundings.
- He knows what objects in the house are for and tries to use them appropriately. For example, the phone, the remote controls, toy guns, keys, vacuum cleaner, computer keyboard.....
- He can interact socially with people very well, even people he doesn't know.
- He can be sneaky and conniving.
- He can sit in one place and watch an entire Wubzy episode...or two. (We really need to limit his t.v. more.)
So when someone tells me that my kid is significantly delayed it bothers me just a little. It bothers me not because I'm scared it's the truth and unwilling to face it. It bothers me because he is so much more than his speech delay. I know that can't be ignored and must be addressed and worked on. We see an intelligence in this kid that trumps any inability to express himself verbally. I want the help and advice of others. I really do. But more than that, I want people to see the whole Mikey package and not just what he can't do...or isn't doing yet.
So, Mikey might not be able to speak in complete sentences yet. But here are just a few things that he can do and do very well.
- He can verbally say about 10 words...give or take...depending on his mood.
- He can sign about 20 words. He does these on his own and absolutely knows the meaning. This number could be much higher if I would get more aggressive with teaching him more signs.
- He understands just about everything we say and follows directions....if he feels like it.
- He can jump like no 2 year old you've ever seen.
- He can match shapes and colors.
- He can stack blocks very high....just so he can knock them down and do it again.
- He can throw a ball very hard and pretty accurately.
- He can run around almost the entire block...yes run, without stopping.
- He can hold my hand in the mall willingly for about 45 minutes...that's the new record.
- He can feed himself using a fork and a spoon. He holds them "correctly" and doesn't make *too* much of a mess.
- He can blow kisses and give kisses.
- He can remember things that he saw or experienced months ago.
- He can notice and point out differences in his surroundings.
- He knows what objects in the house are for and tries to use them appropriately. For example, the phone, the remote controls, toy guns, keys, vacuum cleaner, computer keyboard.....
- He can interact socially with people very well, even people he doesn't know.
- He can be sneaky and conniving.
- He can sit in one place and watch an entire Wubzy episode...or two. (We really need to limit his t.v. more.)
So when someone tells me that my kid is significantly delayed it bothers me just a little. It bothers me not because I'm scared it's the truth and unwilling to face it. It bothers me because he is so much more than his speech delay. I know that can't be ignored and must be addressed and worked on. We see an intelligence in this kid that trumps any inability to express himself verbally. I want the help and advice of others. I really do. But more than that, I want people to see the whole Mikey package and not just what he can't do...or isn't doing yet.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Mikey turned 2
As I write this, it has been two years exactly since Brandon brought that beautiful baby to our home. In some ways it seems like it has passed in a blink. But on the other hand, there have been many days with this little one that I thought would never end. When Mikey was about six months old I wrote on this blog that he is fearless! That he is going to be the complete opposite from Jackson in every way. At six months old (if not before) we knew that this child was going to make us work. And he has, there's no doubt about that. But I simply cannot adequately put into words what he has brought to this family. But I'll try. He has brought hope, healing, boundless joy, love, laughter..... We love him fiercely. We love him wholly. We were made to love him. If we don't discover any other reasons to have been put on this earth other than to love and protect these two boys, that will be enough. And for Phillip and I to be privileged enough to do this job together is a gift.
In May of 2005 we were facing a very scary situation with a baby boy we ended up losing. His name was Evan and he was very wanted and loved and grieved for. During that time I wrote these words "Someday in the faces of whatever children God gives us I will see the reward. And I hope that the desperation I feel now never completely goes away. I do believe with everything that is in me that someday this will all make sense and I will feel that it has all been worth it."
I get to look into the face of one of the most gorgeous children God has ever created every day of my life. And this child didn't come from my body. He is not biologically related to me in any way. I never felt him kick or have the hiccups as he grew within me. He doesn't have my eyes or Phillip's nose or Jackson's skinny frame. And yet, he is completely ours. We could not love him more. And as hard as the road was to get to him, I can honestly say that he is absolutely worth it. I would not change one single second of my life if it meant that he couldn't be in it. I would go through it all again to get to be his mommy. I hope he always knows this.
So, here are few pictures from my baby's 2nd birthday party. Jackson and I made Mikey a birthday banner and Jackson made tags for Mikey's gifts.
In May of 2005 we were facing a very scary situation with a baby boy we ended up losing. His name was Evan and he was very wanted and loved and grieved for. During that time I wrote these words "Someday in the faces of whatever children God gives us I will see the reward. And I hope that the desperation I feel now never completely goes away. I do believe with everything that is in me that someday this will all make sense and I will feel that it has all been worth it."
I get to look into the face of one of the most gorgeous children God has ever created every day of my life. And this child didn't come from my body. He is not biologically related to me in any way. I never felt him kick or have the hiccups as he grew within me. He doesn't have my eyes or Phillip's nose or Jackson's skinny frame. And yet, he is completely ours. We could not love him more. And as hard as the road was to get to him, I can honestly say that he is absolutely worth it. I would not change one single second of my life if it meant that he couldn't be in it. I would go through it all again to get to be his mommy. I hope he always knows this.
So, here are few pictures from my baby's 2nd birthday party. Jackson and I made Mikey a birthday banner and Jackson made tags for Mikey's gifts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
