Week in the Life | Monday

I'm breaking back into the blogging world by sharing a few photos from today:  Day One of Ali Edwards' Week in the Life project. Oh yes, I am totally tackling this project this year. I've been "this close" to completing this project in the past but have never finished it. I've taken all the photos or done the journaling (or both!) but haven't completed the album. This year I'm hoping to keep the project up for the full week and finish my album next week.

A few observations from Day One: 

• My DSLR was having some issues this morning and I almost let that discourage me from continuing the project. Unfortunately my photos today didn't turn out quite like I had hoped, but I still got a few good shots. 
• I love black + white pictures, especially portraits. They are classic and timeless and allow the subject to shine. Plus, they hide messy car seats and bad lighting. Win-win. 
•  I need to do a better job of taken photos in the morning, before school. Jack was crabby this morning and Evan and I aren't naturally morning people so I (often) forget to pick up the camera. 
• Teaching in a window-less classroom isn't ideal. The photo of Jack sitting on a desk is lightened, I upped the contrast, then added a filter before running a B+W action. That is a lost of post processing for one camera photo! 
• I forgot to get photos of the kids at the book fair and doing homework. I'm choosing not to stress about it; there is always tomorrow. 

A before school selfie. After a good breakfast and finally getting out the door, we had a nice drive to school.

I didn't tell Jack that I was teaching his class today and he was super excited when he found out. 

I had two teachers tell me funny stories about Jack today. 

First, his math teacher told me that she made an announcement in her class last week about missing an upcoming math class. Jack then said to her "please let the sub be Mrs. Taylor". She didn't get to pick the sub and I was already booked in another classroom so she had to break the bad news to him and he was so sad! I love that he wants me to teach him. 

Then, one of the second grade teachers told me that she made a comment to another student about having a good day and offered a hug. Jack, who was standing behind her, piped up and said "I've had a great day, too!". The teacher asked Jack if he would also like a hug and he said "yes!" and gave her a big hug. He is such a sweet little guy. 

Pizza + salad for lunch, courtesy of PCCA. Yay for a yummy free lunch. 

A little reading on our way home from school. We stopped at the book fair after school and the kids each picked out two books. The spring book fair had an awesome selection for older kids and Evan didn't have any problems finding something. Jack was much more difficult. He wanted bookmarks/erasers/Lego sets and not books. Sigh. He is a great reader but all the "shiny stuff" grabbed his attention. After some back and forth he finally settled for two chapter books, which he has already started.

Pretty Mother's Day flowers from my mom. I posted a photo of them on Instagram yesterday but I wanted to include them in this album as well. I love fresh flowers and this arrangement is especially beautiful. 

Mirror selfie. I was wearing a shirt with tiny horizontal stripes that went a little crazy in the photo. I'll choose a less busy shirt for my next selfie. 

Kitty stretches in the afternoon sun. Lilly found herself locked on the patio for a bit this afternoon and was not a happy cat. She likes to go in and out to the patio but does not like being locked on the patio. Panic sets in and she meows like crazy. She was not amused when Jack accidentally locked her out there for 10 minutes this afternoon. 

A little rest before we head to the pool. Jack was super sleepy today, which probably contributed to his crabbiness this morning. 

Pool necessities: good book + ice water + sunscreen + chapstick + cooling cream + cute pineapple pouch to carry it all + beach towel. I have a "pool bag" that is always packed and ready to go. We go to the pool a lot and having the essentials hanging on a hook by the door cuts down on the amount of time we spend running around looking for stuff. 

Pool time. Evan always brings his football, and Jack brings his goggles and sometimes his rings (if he remembers). 

It was not especially warm out today (for us Floridians) and Jack only lasted about 40 minutes in the pool before requesting a towel, teeth chattering. I wrapped him up and we watched Evan play for another few minutes. 


The boys started working on a Lego set Evan received for his birthday while we waited for the pizza to arrive. Evan's favorite character from the new Star Wars movie is Kylo Ren and I was thrilled to find the Kylo Ren Lego set a few months ago. 

 Winding down before bed. Lilly has claimed the leather chair as her own and Jack wanted some cuddles before heading to his room for the night.

 Before bed reading. Evan gets a little extra time in the evenings to read before I turn out the lights. He looks so sleepy here! He didn't last very long after this photo was taken.

I always have this sense of relief when I've reached the end of the day and I remembered to pick up my camera throughout the day. I have a loose plan for tomorrow as our schedule is a little different, plus Evan is having a play date after school. Hopefully it works out and my big camera decides to cooperate. I did some Googling this evening and I think I fixed the problem. It was user error, of course! 


I was featured on the Studio Calico blog as the Member Spotlight last month. If you want to take a look at the blog post you can click here. Thanks for stopping by!

Merry Christmas Eve!

I hope everyone has a wonderful & relaxing Christmas Eve. We are getting ready to Skype with my parents and sister so they can watch the boys open their Christmas presents. We did this last year, and while it was chaotic, we enjoyed feeling connected to our family... from 3,000 miles away.

I pulled out my iPod today and took a few pictures of our Christmas decorations, baking projects, and our tree.

(left to right, top to bottom)

1. At the beginning of the month I created a December calendar on our chalkboard in our kitchen. Everyday Evan crosses off the day and tells me how many more days until Christmas. He took great joy in telling me today: "Only ONE MORE DAY!!". And I love the notes Evan has written at the bottom of the calender.

2. Mint drop cookies. Yum. My mom made these cookies every year when I was a kid, and I have continued the tradition. They have become a favorite of Mark and Evan's, too.

3. Our tree! I love how it turned out this year. It's sparkly & festive, and we have a great selection of ornaments. One of Mark's co-workers, Scott, helped us decorate this year & we had a great time. Jack was so super helpful & tried to put every icicle ornament on one branch.

4. My cute little snowman salt & pepper shakers. I purchased snowman dishes from Target almost 8 years ago, but we've only used them once (the first year). They have been packed up since them... but not this year! We will be using them tonight & tomorrow.

5. My mom sent me this beautiful Lenox Santa in our Christmas box, and I have it sitting on our side table in the living room. Jack likes to touch the tree Santa is holding and shriek: "I touched Santa's tree! No touching!". That kid is going to be the death of me!

6. Nativity scene, also from my mom. She found it after Christmas last year & it has been stored in our closet since then. I placed an Ikea star behind it and I love it. :-)

7. Poinsettias and a very silly snowman. I really wanted to have poinsettias in the house this year, because they are so festive, but I was concerned I would kill them. I am proud to say that after 4 weeks they are still looking good & haven't dropped any petals. Go me! I can't remember the story behind Mark's snowman, but he loves it so I proudly display it... this year on our bookshelf in the living room next to one of my poinsettias. The red and white doilies under my poinsettia are made from Papertrey Ink's Persian Lace die.

8. A few years ago, for Christmas, my Uncle gave me a set of three crystal candle holders. They, too, have been sitting in our closet, waiting for the perfect place to put them. I purchased 3 green candles from Michaels and I am displaying them next to the other poinsettia in our living room. So far Jack hasn't tried to touch (or break) them, so I plan to keep them out year-round.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Erin.

Before and After

Mr. Jack desperately needed a haircut, which he finally received earlier this week. After two people asked me if he was a boy or a girl, I knew it was time to cut off the curls! Doesn't he look so much older? I think he does. And he isn't constantly wiping strands of hair out of his eyes anymore... he is very happy about that. I'm sorry for the horrible pictures... I quickly pulled out my cell phone so I could get before and after shots, which resulted in grainy photos. But grainy photos are better than no photos, right? (And his haircut isn't uneven in real life... he kept running his hand over his new short hair & the front got swept off to the side.)

I have been home with Evan all week, who is really, really sick. I thought he was on the mend & ready to get back to school, but his fever spiked again tonight. It looks like I am going to be home with an antsy 2 year old and a sick 5 year old again tomorrow.... lucky me!

Erin.

Vignette Photos

Happy Friday!

I just have a few photos to share today. These were all taken with my smart phone and the Vignette photo app.

(left to right, top to bottom)

1. Evan has never liked stickers, but Jack loves to be covered in them!

2. My three boys... and part of Rocket's leg.

3. Evan loves it when I bring Rocket with me to pick him up from school. I love Ev's grin!

4. Jack has been putting Pup-pup on his head while we wait for Evan after school. I have no idea why, but it's cute!

5. Rocket likes to take a nap wherever his people are.

6. Jack loves his Leapfrog Leaptop. It's one of his favorite toys right now.

7. Another Pup-pup-on-the-head picture. :-)

8. Our cute little puppy turned 1 last month. He is such a good boy (except for the occasional barking), and he is doing really well with our training. Liver treats are a huge motivator for him!

Have a great weekend!

Terri & Jayden

This past week has been so much fun for us because our friends, Terri and Jayden, flew from Washington to Florida. I have known Terri for 15 years, and her adorable granddaughter, Jayden is one of Evan's good friends. We had a ton of things planned during their stay, including a trip to Magic Kingdom, the beach, eating out, trips to the pool, a couple of photo sessions, and lots of squeals from the kids (and a few tears, too).

I have a ton of photos from the past week to share, but I am currently uninstalling Photoshop CS4, and reinstalling CS5 & Lightroom, so I can't edit any of them. My hard drive is also full, and I need to move a ton of photos off my MacBook and onto the server. For now I am going to post a few camera photos I took last week. Hopefully I will have all my computer issues figured out within the next couple of days & I can edit and post some better quality photos. I used the app Vignette for all the photo effects and borders.

Our first stop after picking them up at the airport: dinner @ TGI Fridays.

Walking into Magic Kingdom. I love that they are holding hands! So cute.

I took Evan and Jayden on Splash Mountain, and they wanted me to take pictures of everything... including the Slippin' Falls sign right before the 50 foot plunge.

At the bottom of Splash Mountain.

The kids were really well behaved despite the heat and humidity. And they didn't mind smiling for the camera. :-)

We had lunch at the Crystal Palace. It was a nice break from the heat, and the kids loved meeting Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet.

This photo was taken right before we left the park. Jack was so exhausted because he didn't have a nap, but he did really well considering.

Evan was so hot and tired by the end of the day! But I know he had a great time at Magic Kingdom.

Ice cream @ the mall. Evan picked triple chocolate, and Jayden had a snickers ice cream cup.

It was a wonderful trip and the perfect way to end our summer vacation. Thanks for the visit, Terri and Jayden! We miss you already!

Only six more days until my little boy starts Kindergarten. I think I need to buy a few boxes of kleenex. :-)

Stuck

Rocket tried to follow Evan up the basement stairs, but he got scared and froze halfway up. Luckily Mark was there to rescue the poor puppy and relocate him to solid ground.

Happy Sunday, friends.

What I haven't accomplished (plus a few photos)

My Christmas photos are still on my camera.

The tree is still up.

None of the kids' presents have been put away.

Thank you notes have not been made.

Our Christmas cards have not been mailed.

And I am not stressing about it.

We had a lovely Christmas Eve & Christmas Day and I am spending all my spare time with Mark and the kids. While I would like to have my to-do list completed & all my Christmas photos scrapped, it just didn't happen this year. I have made the choice to be okay with what I have accomplished, and focus on one new item from my list per day. Today's item was to pay bills (which I just finished). Tomorrow I will tackle my Christmas cards. Wednesday I plan on taking down the tree and putting the kids' toys away (which is technically two things, but having the toys sitting in the living room without a tree would look silly), and Thursday I would like to tackle the memory card on my camera.

Because my Christmas photos are still unedited, I want to share a few camera photos we've taken the last few days. I love the convenience of having a camera on Mark's android phone. The indoor photos tend to be a little grainy, but I would rather have grainy photos than no photos at all.

(you can click on each picture to make it larger)

On our way to the children's program at church on Christmas Eve.

While I did a bit of shopping at Baby Gap, Mark kept the kids entertained by trying on these adorable hats. I love looking through the photos on his camera and finding these gems!

After spending several hours at the mall today, Jack fell asleep within minutes on our drive home (clutching pup-pup, of course).

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas.

xoxo,
Erin.