Love

I had so much fun with Kirsten and Michael on our Engagement Photoshoot.  They are such a beautiful couple and were game for anything I suggested (Woo HOO!). :)

Here are a few highlights:

 

Engaged

I’m getting ready for an Engagement photoshoot this weekend.  This young woman was one of my first Seniors.  I can’t wait to get her and her fiancé together in front of my camera.

I’ve been perusing one of my favorite sources of inspiration, Flickr, for some ideas for the Photoshoot.  These are the kinds of shots that I’m wanting to do.  Check out the talent of those awesome photographers.  The feel is sooo different than the stiff, formal studio shot that MrMama and I had taken!

Oh Baby!

I finished editing photos from my baby boy shoot today.  He was such a cutie!  Here are a few more of my favorites.

  

Kicking with Tommy

This weekend I got to attend a kickboxing seminar with Tommy Whitaker.  He was former professional fighter, a 4-time kickboxing champion, and is a very big, very nice guy.

He showed us some techniques then turned us loose.  I hid behind my camera most of the time took it upon myself to document the event.


  

I think we all had a lot of fun, especially the guy on the right. ;)

Dear Miss Munchkin

Dear Miss Munchkin,


Please have mercy on your mother!  Yes, I know I showed you Mostly Martha and Julie & Julia and Ratatouille, and now you want to move to Paris and study cooking, but do you really need to practice on me?  You are killing my waistline with your delicious homemade Olive Bread, Apple Crisp, Rainbow Sugar Cookies, Baked Potato Soup and pasta fettuccine. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing your brother wearing an apron and acting as sous chef, but it is time you moved on to the next chapter in the cookbook.  The one with the veggies and low fat recipes.  Please?

Love,
Mom

Up Next…

 

I had my second Baby Photoshoot yesterday.  Alex was only 4 days old and as good as gold – even with a full diaper!  Isn’t he beautiful?  I’ll post more shots soon.

Miss Munchkin, Model

 

Miss Munchkin had the fun opportunity to model some of Hip Mom Jewelry’s fabulous necklaces.

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I loved getting to shoot her and Ann’s beautiful jewelry.  These were shot using natural light and a reflector.  To see more of Hip Mom’s very cool necklaces, check out her website.

A Tale Times Two

 Once upon a time, the Master came across a little snake in our yard.  At first he was cautious and had to check things out from a safe distance.
     
That didn’t last long! 

That snake kept him entertained for a long time.


Once upon a time, Frodo came across a little snake in our yard.  At first he was cautious and wanted to check things out from a safe distance. 

That didn’t last long!
 
That snake kept him entertained for a long time.

The end.

Dogs and Cats, Living Together

 

What is this world coming to!?

 

 

And an Eggroll to Go

My nine-year old boy cracks me up.  He has a deadpan way of saying things and will deliver the funniest lines without cracking even a hint of a smile.  We went out today for lunch at our favorite Chinese buffet and throughout the course of the meal, Master Munchkin made the following comments:

"I love shrimp.  Too bad they only come in bite-size."

Me: Here, try some of this squid.
"I made an oath never to eat anything with more than four legs."
Me: Shrimp have more than four legs.
Pause. "Four BIG legs."

Me: Are you done with your food?
"No, I still have ice cream;  Only a fool would give up his dream."

1K Cat

Laid Back, originally uploaded by MrsMama.

You will be happy to hear that Frodo is well on his way to a complete recovery. You can read about his unfortunate accident here. Other than a limp and useless tail, he is almost back to his normal self. The other day I found him on the roof and watched him shimmy down a tree in a hurry to get to me.

He has definitely used up several of his nine lives and a good chunk of our checking account. All I can say is that he'd better do some serious mousing in the near future!

Miss Munchkin

"Look Mom, I can stand on the ceiling!"

Every since Miss Munchkin was little, she has been a very active child.  She was walking at 9 months, climbing trees when she was 2, and ran in places that she should have walked.  Along with her energy, she was very bright, very determined, and very, very busy.   I was exhausted!  I remember taking her to the library when she was two.  She ran away from me and I found her dancing on top of one of the library tables.  Honestly, there is a reason that there is a 7 year age-gap between our children.  I thought, "How can people have more than one of these impossible creatures precious children?!" 

With age came maturity and, thankfully, a drop in her energy level.  She was still determined, however.  She taught herself to ride her bike when she was 5; peddling furiously around the cuald-a-sac, sweaty and red-faced, falling over and over but refusing to give up.  It was the same with swimming and skiing.   When Miss Munchkin was 9, she decided that she wanted to go diving for treasure.  It didn't matter that we lived in land-locked Kansas.  She set her mind to it and, at age 10, became a certified scuba diver.  She passed the adult written test and all of the grueling physical and mental tasks set before her.  I remember standing on the edge of the lake, watching her disappear beneath the cloudy waters, where she had to go down 25 feet, remove her face mask, empty out the water and put it back on.

Now that she is almost 16, I see that some of that same stubbornness determination.  She's decided that she's going to be an "A" student.  She will be testing for her Black Belt in mixed martial arts this year.  As difficult as she was during the early years, she has actually been a delightful teenager.  And I'm really proud to be her parent.

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I wonder what goes through his mind when he sees us peeing in his water bowl.  ~Penny Ward Moser


Sorry, dear Readers, it's been one of those days.... :P

Struggle

I've been struggling with learning this armbar in martial arts class.  It's just not clicking, not matter how many times people patiently show me.  I think it's something I need to DO, repetitively, not just see.  To make matters worse, MrMama won't let me practice on him anymore.  Somehow he keeps getting hurt.  Wimp.

Here's a quick version of it.  It's actually a bit more complicated, once it's broken down.  Especially for me!

Homes, Sweet Homes

Every so often, I get the chance to take pictures for a local builder.  They hire me to come in and get photos for their website and to give their clients.  I love the opportunity to explore these fancy, brand new homes.  New carpet, fresh paint, gleaming floors… it all makes me a little giddy.

Last week I visited this one:

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The rooms were full of unique angles and colors and the quality was outstanding.  Granite counters, beautiful light fixtures, closets to die for.  If I lived here, I would sleep on the screened-in porch that backs to the woods.

My Favorite Sister came along to help carry my gear.  She’s nice like that.  Here she is holding my gray card.  Isn’t she lovely?

I can’t believe they pay me to do this. :)

The Dog Barks at Midnight

It was almost midnight when I was awakened by the piercing, hysterical yips from our puppy.  He had gotten Out and saw/heard/smelled Something in the Woods.

Barrrrkkk, bark, bark, bark!


I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.  

Bark!  Barkbarkbark BARK!

My daughter poked her head in my room, informing me that her little brother was awake and roaming around the  living room.  Now we were all up.  And the neighbors too, I imagined.

What a nightmare.  Our puppy, when faced with freedom, ignores us entirely.  He doesn't come when called, in fact he usually bolts the opposite direction.  So, as you can imagine, catching him is Quite an Ordeal.  Especially in the dark.  He will, however, chase our van (which is another headache entirely).  I grabbed a few cheese sticks and my keys and wearily shuffled to the garage.

"Heeeere Trooper.  Come on...."

Baaaaark. Bark BARK bark!

"Trooper!  Hush!"

Bark!

The van's tires crunching on the gravel finally caught his attention.  He switched over to Chase mode and raced me to the mailbox.  At least he had stopped barking!  I put the van in park and opened the sliding door.

"Here Puppy..."

I nosily unwrapped a cheese stick.  Sometimes this works.   "Mmmmmm, want some cheese?"

Silence came from the dark outside my van.

"I know you're there; I can hear you panting.  Come on...."

Nope.  He was having way too much fun.

I slowly drove back to the house.  Trooper happily ran nearby, frisky and wild.

I was almost out of ideas.  I walked to the front porch and sat down.  Frodo lay on the railing nearby, watching me.  Trooper trotted out of reach and stood there, panting and watching me hopefully from the corner of his eye.  Were we going to play chase again? 

I sighed.  "Here Kitty, Kitty.  Have some cheese."  I broke of a small piece and offered it to the cat.  Frodo jumped down and padded over.  Suddenly Trooper was there, right in front of me, all wags and wiggles, demanding the cat's cheese.

"You bad dog," I said sweetly and caught his collar. 

I put the kids and the dog back to bed.  It was almost 1 am now.  I hope the neighbors weren't too mad.  I vowed to bake a batch of brownies for them and went to sleep.

Why, MrsMama?

MrsMama, why, oh why were you racing up and down your driveway at midnight last night, dangling a cheese stick out the window?

Feel free to speculate...

I Wish You Could Smell This

I Wish You Could Smell This!, originally uploaded by MrsMama.

The lilacs are blooming outside of Miss Munchkin's window. I've been opening her windows and letting that sweet scent trickle though the entire house. Heavenly!

Eyes to the Sky

 

Wait, what’s that in the sky?

Is it a bird?

Is it a plane?

Hey, there’s April.  What in the world are you pointing at?

Every year, the kids from our church meet at a park with their families to shoot off rockets that they made.

We all eat together and have fun visiting and hanging out.

Look, the Munchkins are there.  And MrMama!  He’s holding a stick, not a rocket.  Wishful thinking, MrMama.  Miss Munchkin is holding a gluten-free hot dog bun.  That won’t fly very far either, Dear.

It’s just good, clean fun and something the kids look forward to throughout the year.