Wet & Wordful Wednesday

Today is a dreary wet Wednesday. Maris had preschool and learned about vowels while Jackson and I build a train town on his train table. We stopped at the dollar store (snapped this pic of them in their rain gear!) and got ourselves a 100 piece Princess puzzle. Jackson is causing chaos but Maris is intent on finishing it :)
This past week has been particularly busy (even for my always going lifestyle). We had a visit from Uncle Rob (Jim's brother who lives in California) and went to the Beacon Pumpkin Festival the morning after Megan's wedding. then went to work. The whole family came to visit me at work! *pictured below*... we celebrated our anniversary (kind of) by going out to dinner after I had traffic court. I got out of my ticket bc the cop didn't show up! Yay!

Uncle Rob got to squeeze between the carseats! lolpumpkin face!
checking out the Clearwater - a ship at the festival with free tours.





on another note : my Sister in law gave birth to her second daughter, Ava Marie... joining big sister Naomi :) This morning within the hour of 10am. She weighed in at 9lbs 8oz! BIG BABY GIRL! I wish I lived closer (they are in the Tampa area) so I can take ridiculous amounts of photos. Maybe a trip this winter/spring is in order. I've only met Naomi once - at my wedding 3 years ago. I keep saying I need a newborn to take artsy practice pictures with :) :)

Look how glowingly beautiful and happy Angela is with her sweet babies :)

I think we are caught up now! Smashed it all into one post. Go me! haha now off to make dinner. Taco night!

It Was 3 Years Ago Today...

Today marks our third anniversary... it feels like more but still weird to think its been that long. We've been together FOREVER... this is year 9....
we have nothing planned... I might make something nice for dinner and definitely get some cheesecake when we go grocery shopping today :) I HOPE he doesn't have anything secretly planned if I go through the trouble to cook something nice... haha. I wish I could get that stuffed sole we had at the wedding (and the tempura!!!!)mmmm
Guess since I have a traffic court date that just had to be tonight, we won't be doing much of anything. Maris told me to wear a pretty dress like in my picture.. I asked her which one and she said I can pick. :)
Is it bad that it feels like just another day to me?!?!?! (and to him as well) We are both acknowledging the date and all but we didn't do cards, gifts, plan anything... ahh well. I had my magical trip to NYC last year so I'm good. :)




***UPDATE**** courtesy of Mom and Bobby, I will now have money t go out to eat with Jim tonight AND they are taking the kids for the night. Score! I get to eat some yummy food I dont have to cook! Still might stop for cheesecake!

A Change...

My life has been full of work, play dates, preschool, errands, events, places to be, places I SHOULD be... being a full time Mom and working 6 nights a week (unless I take a night off for said previous events...) . It is taking a toll on me. As much as I was looking forward to the wedding and it was amazing.... I'm glad it is don. Now I am spending all my time editing, sorting, and uploading the pictures I took. The photographer they had was kind of a flake and missed A LOT. I kind of took charge (with help from Dane - a fellow bridesmaid and my sister Miranda). The picture I posted above is one of my favorite pictures because it was taken in the moment I "took over" in my mind and started acting like a photographer. It is funny bc it is how I look at most functions like this. A drink in one hand and camera in the other. and ALWAYS where the action is for getting the shot I live and breathe to photograph things. It doesn't even matter what it is... I just look calm and in control and happy. I am all over the place in this post...
The title "A Change" is meant to be a change for the better in my life. I took a step or two back and looked at what I am doing. I scoop ice cream and it is sometimes a stressful job and LATELY there is a lot of drama. You would think I could go in, do my job and go home. Life isnt always that simple . Sometimes you get thrown a curveball. I took this job as a part time for some extra cash so I can get ahead in life and start my photography and free my days to stay with the kids. Over 2 years later, I am working 6 nights a week as a certified trainer and seemingly the only person able to function in the position... it is frustrating. In the back of my head on bad nights I yell at myself to get off my ass and BE A PHOTOGRAPHER. Many people yell the same thing at me, but where do I start??? I take on side jobs here and there for a party or shower. I do them for personal friends and family... but can you really use that as experience? I think I lack the confidence to proclaim myself a professional. There are people who go through life not knowing what their passion is... I am lucky enough to have found mine. Next step : maybe look into taking some courses to fine tune my abilities and maybe get some business background and know how to run my own business. That would be my ultimate goal. sigh... I thrive in creativity and need to surround myself in it to make myself happy. My life needs some change for the better. I feel stagnant.
Well there is my slightly schitzo rant for the day... I am currently uploading the faves from my cousin Megan's wedding. Later posts shall include the wedding and brother Rob's visit, the pumpkin festival, and also the impending birth of my new niece! Due Oct 19th <3

Wedding Highlights

The wedding went well! Here are a few pics -




It was great to dance and have fun with friends and family and also to witness those two getting married. They just exude happiness :) PLUS, I got to take oodles of pictures which makes ME exude happiness :) :)

*Happiness* What Makes You Happy?

A friend of mine posted on the subject of happiness and on what makes her happy in life. It got me thinking about the things that make me happy.... and she invited others to join and make lists of their own. I couldn't resist :) ******Her blog entry*****
She briefly touched on a valid point in that sometimes as a Mom, you get lost in being ONLY a Mom and lose your sense of self. (thats what I took from it anyway) I know I certainly feel that way at times. Your kids start to become your identity as they are a reflection of yourself.... but... yeah! I love being a Mom and it truly makes me happy but you can't forget the other things that make you a person too!

Here is a list in no particular order of the things that make me happy....

1. Taking Pictures/Photography

I take pictures literally every day and could not imagine not doing so. If I do happen to forget a camera (VERY rare but it does happen) I dwell on it all day or turn around to go back and get one. My husband says its a compulsion to photograph things... he's right. Something about hearing the shutter release even makes me happy. Enjoying other peoples photography, creating my own, creative editing... I love it all. I collect cameras and have I think just under 20 of them - and I always have my eye on another one :) Before kids, when I was feeling down or stressed, I would take long walks and just photograph fields or the sky or flowers or snow.... whatever I saw just to get my mind off of things. I still do it with the kids but I can't just up and leave like I used to. I tend to take them somewhere and they help me find things to photograph :) They love it. The picture posted is from the beginning of summer when we had the "super moon" - one of the brightest nights and the moon appears the biggest. We had friends over and where was I? Outside with my tripod :)

2. Music (especially The Beatles)

I know it's a general statement... who doesn't like music... but I'm saying that music tends to make me really happy. I use music as therapy in a way. I pay a lot of attention to lyrics and make playlists according to my mood. I could hate a song, but sometimes if it is playing during a good memory/event, I then like it :) Songs can have a profound effect on people... If I am around, music is probably playing somewhere. I always have a playlist going on my phone or computer. It drives some people (ahem, Jimmy) nuts... but I need music to function!
personally, I adore The Beatles as I grew up on them and grew to love most everything about them. I love reading about them, listening to their music, learning as much as I can about their journey through crazy fame and even beyond the Beatle Years. One of my favorite memories of how music makes me happy is from last year. My husband took me on what we called the "Magical Mystery Anniversary Tour" and surprised me with a trip to NYC... during our time there it was getting late to do much of anything so we decided to take a walk through Central Park and check out the Imagine Circle (I love love love going there). As we got closer and closer, we saw a glow and heard music playing... closer and we realized that people were playing live music. We turned the corner and there was a candle light vigil of sorts celebrating what would be John Lennon's 70th birthday (it was the day before we got there). Just being in such a beloved place and hearing others with the same love for him and his music made me so immensely happy. It is hard to put into words but I teared up. It was almost magical. There was a makeshift band and you can tell others kind of just joined in and the crowd around the circle was all singing Beatles songs. The high of being surrounded by and hearing like-hearted people was just... inexplicable. But yes. Music makes me happy. :)



3. Being Crafty and Creating!

I feel most like myself when I am drawing/painting/sewing/writing/taking pictures... creating anything. The feeling you get when you finish something that you made yourself is just fantastic. I love making something go from inside my head onto paper or whatever medium I am using. Over the years I have kept many sketch journals... I doodle when I am stressed or distracted.... I love drawing detailed little notes to people and filling the outer edges of notebook paper with drawings. Recently I have gotten into sewing more than before and I've made a few things for Maris. It is great to see her enjoy them and know I made them :) Just having a creative mind makes me happy. I can brainstorm and think of ideas for projects or lines for a song or something and just smile knowing I have the ability to create. Pictured is a photo block project that I made from having Jim cut blocks out of a wooden spindle thing and I sanded them and printed out pictures that I took myself and cut coordinating scrapbook paper pieces.. then modge podged them onto the blocks. I really love it :) In a previous post, you can see the Hello Kitty kitchen apron I made my daughter too.


4. My Kids' Laughter


I KNOW I KNOW.... supposed to be a kid-free type list but this truly makes me happy. Just hearing those little belly laughs *especially when they are BOTH cracking up* just warms my heart. They are the best kids... great sense of humor and smart :) That about sums that up... they have great laughs :D


5. Ice/Iced tea

It is a bizarre one but let me tell you.... chewing/eating ice is my biggest vice? haha that sounds like Dr Seuss... but really... something about eating ice soothes me. I craved it big time when I was preggo with my daughter and ever since then, I found great comfort in it and its a hard habit to break now. I bet my teeth will pay for it in the long run but hey... its better than smoking! The first thing I do when in hotels is find the ice machine.... :) iced tea goes along with this. I drink tea every day and it also soothes me.

well, there are 5... this is time consuming! It is almost time to go get Maris from pre-k. Day 2 and she LOVES it. :) I might make a part II list being that I like 10 better than 5. There ya go... even numbers make me happy! boo odd numbers! Yeah... well hope you enjoyed the rambling trip into my head...
quickly and picture/video free, here are a few more.

6. Frasier. This show (the Niles and Daphne aspect especially) makes me ridiculously happy. It is brilliant and all the characters are great. I even named my daughter after a character in the show.

7. Nostalgia. it is probably why I love photographs and scrapbooking so much. I love to look back and see where I was years ago and see how it affected who I am today. Plus its funny to look back on the "what was I thinking?!" times :) Looking at pictures of loved ones and having a good cry bc you miss them... lots of reasons... nostalgic moods are frequent for me.

8. 90's Music
this is somewhat of a repeat/combo of 2 previous on the list... but it deserves its own spot due to how much I love it. Nostalgia and my love of music.... the 90's were my formative years when I became a person instead of a kid and I had so many life events in the 90's. Many memories formed with songs. School dances, heartaches, tortured preteen/teen years with lots of music therapy!, Big Wheel roller rink just about every weekend... sleepovers with the karaoke machine :), singing in the car with my Mom/Dad... yep. good stuff.

Not-So-Wordless Wednesday

Just wanted to share my mini score at ShopRite :) I got a pretty red mum plant for a buck! Yay!

update on the kiddos:

Jackson is a bit moody today and his eye cut still looks gnarly. It doesn't seem to be opening back up or infected or anything... just red and angry looking. I am hoping it doesn't leave a big scar across his face

Maris starts her official first day of Pre-K today. This is the real deal before kindergarten and we are excited. She keeps asking when we go but it doesn't start until 12:45! Gonna be a long day of anticipation while I clean the disaster area/house (hubs has neglected to help me for days and it SHOWS)

Our Ouchie Today...

so today we went to the mall to meet up with one of our friends for lunch.... we were there a little early so we walked around Target to check out what they had. Jackson was not feeling the stroller so I let him walk around a bit but he was being rambunctious so I tried to make him sit in the stroller. He was being impossible so I told him walk near me or ride. He listened for a while but kept falling behind to look at stuff. I turned a corner and called for him to come to me and as he turned the corner, his eye caught the edge of the shelf on a broken plastic sign holder that was sticking out. the corner of his eye across his face towards his ear was BLEEDING profusely... It was terrifying. At first I thought he just cut his face... I went to wipe it calmly while he screamed but then I saw that the blood appeared to be in his eye. That's when I almost lost it. I had to keep it together for him... looked around and couldn't find anyone but I picked him up and started running towards the customer service desk. (meanwhile my friend Kim was trying to find me in the store.... heard Jacks screaming and came up front to see all the commotion) I stood there waiting for someone to come because I didnt want to wipe his eye with a baby wipe and have it sting with chemicals... didnt want to take him in the bathroom... so I wanted firstaid kit or assistance. They gave me some ice in a paper towel and I began to try and see if his eye was damaged. THANK GOD it wasn;t/// the cut went all the way into the corner of his eye, but didnt actually get his eyeball. Although the cut was rather deep, I was relieved none the less. They said he didnt need stitches and we filled out an incident report and Kim sat with the kids while I took them to where he got hurt. They took pictures and took the shelf piece down. Everyone was so nice.
Kim later told me that during the commotion, TWO different Friendlys regulars came up to see if we were ok. (I DID NOT notice they even were there. I was trying not to cry...) one even gave Maris some animal crackers she bought. the other stopped and made sure I was ok and that he was ok before leaving. Sometimes people can be so kind... one regular also went over to the snack bar and came back with ice water and more ice for Jacksons face while I talked to the managers and EMT guy. I feel bad that I didnt know any of that happened. I have to be sure to tell them thank you when they come into work next. I was starting to lose it for a while when Jackson didnt stop screaming. He was gripping on me so tight and just screaming.... normally (those of you who know my kids know this...) my kids ALWAYS fall and NEVER cry about it. Jackson fell off the couch backwards onto his head and got up like nothing happened... Maris walks into stuff, falls down.... they barely ever cry unless its bad. I wanted to fix it... tough guy.
once all the drama had passed and the forms were filled out and he calmed down... we headed to Johnny Rockets for some milkshakes and burgers and he has been fine since. Its just going to look yucky for a while and we will watch it for any infection. It scared me so bad when he looked up at me with blood in his eye... my adrenaline was pumping and I was nauseous for a while. What a Goober! . He s so cuddly now... maybe its bothering him a bit. Well, off to eat dinner and go to work. It never ends!