Crazy Sunday

Good morning!  Would you mind terribly if I wait to post my P365 until tomorrow?  Its been a bit of a crazy weekend, our family scattered in three different directions and we're still in the thick o f it all.

If you are local and are looking for something to do for Valentines Day, go see a show tonight in East Hartford!



Blessings on your week!

Random Wednesday

Today was supposed to be a walk down memory lane, but I'm feeling random.  Is it me, or are my musing/random posts coming more frequently? :)

I had a couple meetings scheduled for today, all of which fell through, but not before I had asked my mom to watch the kids.  Since she was still happy to come, I took the opportunity to pack up my laptop and head to a charming little coffee shop on Main Street.  As I sit here I wonder....how do people find it helpful to get work done at such a place?

I love the idea, but the internet is slow, and its packed with people who are begging to be watched over the top of my flipped open computer.  Maybe I'm just too nosy, but I find myself entirely too distracted.  Young college couple chatting in what has to be their first or second date...its a bit awkward and...new.  Mom and daughter having an important chat that keeps getting more heated, dude in the corner who has some good tunes going, judging by his body movement.

Maybe next time I'll find a quiet corner of the library. :)

Last evening, a minute and a half from voice lessons, I rear-ended someone in a busy intersection.  It was at a stoplight so I was going about one mile/hr.  We are all totally ok, it was just such a bummer.  I wasn't even able to talk to Shaun until five hours later and didn't see him until this morning.

I was feeling really sad about it, but I had a good run this morning, a big I'm-glad-you-are-ok-I-love-you-no-matter-what hug from Shaun that made me cry a little and I'm pretty ok now.  Oh...I love that man!

Being a mom really brings out the grown-up in you.  The kids were fascinated by the whole accident/police thing, happy to chat with everyone hanging around and thought the sidewalk where we stood for 30 minutes was a great place to sing, dance, laugh.  While I always want to be honest with them, I also want to be the best example I can be.

We went on to both girls' dance classes and people since have been hearing all about how momma "cashed into that guy".  In case you didn't know, there are NO secrets when you have a 6,5 and 2.5 year old in the house.

Speaking of the two and a half year old, he is just so amazing right now.  I don't know why two year olds get such a bad rap...to date, it might just possibly be my favorite age, 3 for 3.  I will do a post soon just for my Aiden-guy.

A boisterous group of 60-something women just settled into the table next to me.  They obviously have a close-knit group and are quite happy to be reunited for the afternoon.  Swapping grandkid pictures and tales about a 17 lbs three month-old??

Time for me to go anyway...I've got a bazillion few more things to check off the list.

Latest Installment of Kid Quotes

We were visiting my husband's grandparents and they had one of those white handicap seats stretching the width of the shower.  Aiden said, Mom, look!  Its a diving board!

Somehow Avery and I got talking about the fact that I was a teenager (technically, I guess) when I got married.  Wise Avery said, Mom, don't you think that's a little young.  I said, Well, yes...now I do (thinking...YOU better not get married when you are 19!) but back then I was ready.  Me and Daddy had dated for a long time and I was sure that he was a good man and the one for me.  Avery said, Oh, so you knew he was good and he didn't smoke?

I actually had a few other requirements, but I guess its true...non-smoker was definitely in my top ten.  ;)

Aiden, where did you get that gum?
From Manda's bed.  Oh right...of course....as I recall, they call that ABC gum.  :)

Avery was playing a game on my phone in the backseat.  Aiden said, Avery, I want the phone!  Then dramatically, I. have. a. headache! (palm to forehead).

Avery: Mom!  Did you hear him?  (We were both laughing.)
Avery: Do you want your phone to text?
Me: What do you mean?
Avery:  You know, to tell someone what he said.
Me: (laughing) No, I'll just blog it.  :)

Amanda in the back eating a grinder on the way home from our busy Tuesday:
Mom, they put spices in this.
No, they didn't.  I watched them make it.
It tastes spicy.
Oh!  It must be the red onions...I'm sorry, I thought you liked them just like Avery does.
Mom, have you seen me?  They wobble my eyes!

The girls and I have been working through Toy Story 3.  We came to the last couple pages and I was crying too much to finish reading so Avery did.

Avery: Mom...that's so weird.  You're crying at a kid's book.
Amanda: Its ok Mom...I cried when I watched the movie.

From the same book Avery read, He picked Jessie up and carried her out of harm's way..."wait...who is harm?"

And then, Quick!  Grab something metal! Buzz yelled.  He grabbed hold of a lunch box.  The magnet immediately pulled Buzz and the lunch box upward.  Avery scoffed and then giggled...."lunchboxes aren't metal...they're made out of rubber!"

Happy Monday!!

Project 364, Week 5

Hi!  Can you believe we are safely into February already?  We hardly even noticed, its been such wonderful weather.  Looking forward to the month of love!  :)

January 29

The day was ordinary, but the weather was extraordinary...the kids did quite a bit of exploring outside.  

January 30

These are from my dad's camera.  He and Kiki invited Aiden and Amanda on an adventure day.  Among other things, they got to go bowling for the first time ever.  There's a rumor that Aiden came in second place, just behind Pop. :)

 Love this one!

 So sweet!

 January 31
The kids were out playing with the dogs and suddenly I heard quite a ruckus.  When I went to investigate, I saw that Woody was holding a dead squirrel in his mouth.  My first instinct was to freak out, but I knew that wasn't an option with the kids watching.

Eventually I was able to entice Woody to drop it.  While I was tying him up, Trot grabbed the squirrel and carried it over to where Woody was tied.  Once I got Trot to drop it I tied him up too.

Now I had me freaking out (inside), two screaming yet fascinated five year-olds, two dogs I never wanted to touch again and a stiff, dead squirrel staring back at me.

Since it was Tuesday, there was a chance Shaun was coming home, but I didn't know when or if, so I inhaled deeply, said a swift prayer and went to get a garbage bag and shovel.

After a scare-tactic lecture about the dangers of rabies, I charged the five year-olds with holding the bag open.  They were screaming/amused/fascinated/running away and my heart was pounding.

I had finally gotten the thing onto my shovel and was working up the nerve to put it in the bag (and also waiting for Amanda and Trevor to hold still enough) when my knight in shining armor pulled into the driveway.  He must have assessed the situation quickly because when he emerged from his car he had an amused look on his face.

It wasn't til later that evening when I started to physically recover.

Shaun asked if I had taken any pictures and I did not.  It was that bad.  :)

 February 1
What better way to celebrate February than with a sunny 60 degrees??  After picking up Avery from school, we continued our walk down Main Street to the bank, the library, the post office, the town hall and eventually came to the park.  (Love living in the city, being able to go days and days with my car parked in the driveway!)

Our first park trip of the year...yay!!

 This little bunny kept asking for carrots.

 February 2
It was Catholic Schools Week so they had fun activities going all week.  Parents were invited to lunch this day.  I had pictured a nice quiet lunch, Avery and I with our heads together in deep conversation over our meal, but actually it was insane in that cafeteria and we sat with the family from basketball.  Oh well.  :)

 February 3
My first time bringing something to school that Avery had forgotten.  We timed it so we could be there during her lunch.

Avery's teacher thinks Amanda is just so cute.  She said, "Amanda stopped me as I was walking to my table and said Mrs. M, would you please go put your tray down and come back and sell me an ice-cream?  She's so cute!"

Then she said, she's not like Avery is she?   Ha...not even a little, and don't say I didn't warn you.

So, where was I going with that?  Oh yes, on our walk home the kids and I noted what a perfectly blue sky we had.

The kids were taking a break after helping me go through my dresser drawers.  You can't tell it from the picture, but I'm on a de-cluttering kick.

 Aiden's been wearing his 3-D glasses and Boston hat to be every night.

February 4
Shaun was out of work "early", home just after 7:30!  He took us out to dinner and it was SO good to spend some time with him....the first evening the kids have seen him in a couple weeks.

Avery said, "Poor Daddy...he only gets to see Trot-Trot every night."

Basketball Saturday

Did I mention we're having so much fun with basketball?  Today they worked on dribbling and one-on-one, two-on-two stuff.

 This was during a three-on-three drill...the two girls were having so much fun "guarding" each other, they missed the entire up and down on the court.

 Avery was in charge of getting Aiden dressed.  Not sure if he picked out his clothes/shoes or she did, but this is what they ended up with.  I am so past caring how my kids look out in public....Avery cured me of that many years ago.  :)

 After an hour break which was enough time to go grocery shopping, we were back for Avery's turn.

She was the woman!

 Amanda's BFF wasn't there today, but Amanda was more than happy to chat her BFF's mom's ear off for the duration.  I made a couple attempts to rescue, but they both seemed happy.  I'm sure the lady knows more about our family from those 30 minutes with Amanda than she would have gotten out of me in three months....or ever.  :)  (See them on the left?)

 Avery took the ball down the court and scored!!  You go, Girl!

Snow Days

I'm wildly excited about the winter we've had.  Temps have been above average and snow has been scarce.  We did get some snow a couple weeks ago that lasted for two days, and I'm finally getting around to posting them.  

 We weren't outside five minutes before Aiden had located a shovel and started working.  That boy has "work" in his blood....its instinctual for him.

 Amanda showed him the fine art of mixing snow and syrup.

 My sweet princess.

 More work.

 The next day...

I don't think the way you think. The way you work isn't the way I work." God's Decree. "For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don't go back until they've watered the earth, Doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They'll do the work I sent them to do, they'll complete the assignment I gave them.

Isaiah 55:8-11

Back UP

Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it's a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from. ~Al Franken

Today I'm here so you can learn from me.  :)

BACK UP YOUR PHOTOS!!

Yes, I just yelled that.   And this isn't the first time you've read or heard that you should do so. Before I even get into my story, STOP here and come up with a plan for how, where, when, etc you will back up your photos.


In September 2010, I invested in a new computer to be dedicated to my photography business.    I cleared all my photos off of my old computer, transferring them all to a brand-new external hard drive.  Then I deleted them off my old work computer so it would be more efficient.


Having no idea external hard drives were fragile, I left it on my desk for a couple weeks while I fully made the switch-over.  Then one day a wild puppy, who will remain nameless, Trot, came tearing through my office and ran right through the cord, bringing the hard drive crashing to the wood floor.


At the time I did not understand the gravity of the situation because, like I said, I didn't realize those things were so darn fragile.  Alas, when I tried to use it, nothing.  Dead.  


To make a long story short, I took it to two different experts, who both told me they could do nothing.  They suggested I send it away, so finally, I got up the courage to fork over the $1000 it was going to cost and sent it away this past month (it was one of my goals to deal with it this year).  After some research and asking around I used Drive Savers.  I was totally impressed with their customer service throughout the process.

Sadly, there was nothing they could do (they charged me nothing, by the way).  The tens of thousands of personal photos I had on there from 2004 to September 2010 were gone.  Thankfully, I had backed up on DVD years 2004-2008.  However, January 2009-August 2010 are gone, the highlight of the time period certainly being Aiden's entire first year of life.


I'm not a big "cry over spilled milk" kind of person, so I haven't.  Cried, that is.  I haven't even allowed myself to dwell on it a whole lot.  My saving grace is that I blogged regularly during that time period, so the majority of the photos I would care about can be seen online and in my blog book.  Its mostly just the year and a half of videos that will never be seen again.  You know, of Aiden's first year of life!  But hey...you've seen one kid take their first steps, you've seen them all, right?  :)


The moral of the story?  STOP stalling, making excuses, pleading ignorance.  Take steps today to ensure you will always have your photos!


The other thing that's come of it is me going through lots of files of "old" photos.  I'm going to start doing a memory post every so often.  I'm going to shoot for Wednesdays like I did a while back...Wednesday Walk, as in walk down memory lane...we'll see how that goes!


Why are you still here reading?  Go back up some photos!  :)