Say cheese

July 5, 2010


I don’t really get jealous over people with bigger houses than mine (too much to clean) or better bodies (they must never eat chocolate) or who drive fancy cars or wear expensive shoes (too much to worry about when they get scratched or muddy).


But, there is one envy I feel to the middle of my bones: It is jealousy for people who are great at photography.

Every time I see a baby photo that makes my heart stop, I think, why didn’t I do that when my babies were little?!?!

If I go to the zoo, I don’t even bother taking out my camera because I know I’ll end up with a bunch of teeny animals swimming in the middle of a big circle of nothing.

Even my pictures of food don’t look like anything I’d want to actually eat.

I know, I know part of my problem is ignorance. I know nothing about the mechanics of photography except Use Natural Light and Shoot Your Subject Off-Center, and I know both these “rules” have asterisks after them for the exceptions.

But, I finally got a “good” camera, though it is a point-and-shoot, not one of those SLR jobbies. Hey, if it doesn’t say “Auto”, I’m in trouble. And, I’m trying, I’m trying. I actually signed up for month-long photography workshop after I reviewed it for Cool Mom Picks.
Picture Summer isn’t a class, per se. But, with such limited time and brain space for photography lingo, I like that it’s forcing me to actually bring my camera with me and, this is important, use it.

How’s it going? Well here are my favorite shots from each day (I upload about three each day to the gallery). I’m still working to capture action and emotion up close, and learning how to keep an eye on the background so it doesn’t distract from the subject.

And, I’m also taking the photo on the same day as the prompt. No searching archives or, worse, using one of my husband’s pictures as my own.

Day 1: A sign of summer

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have a seat

Day 2: Splashy (water shot)

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bike wash

Day 3: Getting Centered (see the photo on my July 3rd post as well)

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dirty angel

Day 4: Holiday Traditions

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up for air

So, if today you see me taking a photo of a glass of water in various places, please don’t look at me funny. I’m doing my homework.



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Filed Under: Blog Love, Fairly Odd Me 26 Comments

On the eve of her birthday

July 4, 2010
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We just finished our third year of history, following a program called Story of the World which moves along in chronological order from ancient times to modern over four years.


This year, we covered such big subjects as the Revolutionary War and the Trail of Tears—moments that made me feel so proud to be an American, and moments that I can’t believe we don’t have to apologize for every morning, first thing, when we wake up.


As we closed our third year of history, America still had slaves and Native people had been driven off their homelands. Slums surrounded every major city, and outlaws ruled the west which has been driven mad by the prospect of gold in that thar hills.

An imperfect past, I’d say. And I don’t need to think too hard to come up with more problems going on in this country right now.

But, today, my children shared candy at the parade with little boys too young to grab the stuff fast enough as it was tossed by those marching by. We came home and made mud pies in the comfort and safety of our yard. And the only explosions I hear are from fireworks going off all around my house.

I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, though I hope we continue to try to make this a better country for those in it, and those who will follow.

Happy Birthday old girl.


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Filed Under: Fairly Odd Me 4 Comments

When the walls come tumbling down

June 29, 2010


My youngest is almost six. The baby gates were removed long ago, as were the drawer latches. The outlet covers are there mainly because I’m too lazy to remove them, not because I really think they are needed anymore.


And, oh yeah, the bookcases are still anchored to the wall, probably forever.


Except they aren’t.

We found this out last night when D, my almost six year old, tried to reach something on a higher shelf and pulled his six-foot-tall bookcase down on top of him.

The anchor behind it? Snapped like a small twig.

I was in the next room, tucking the girls into bed when I heard a scream and loud BANG! I ran into his room and, to my horror, a scene that will be forever seared into my brain, saw that bookcase lying on the ground, no child in sight.

Oh please, oh please, oh please is all I could think as I pushed the bookcase up. My husband, who was right behind me, jumped over me and into a pile of shattered glass from the picture frames. Our son screamed in fright and pain and reached up to him.

If there is any “good” in a bookcase falling on a child, it’s that this particular bookcase was a piece of crap. The shelving “floated” on plastic clips so, instead of pinning my child to the ground and breaking every bone, they collapsed on impact. The wood was cheap particleboard, not heavy hardwood. The only books on it were on the bottom two shelves; the upper shelves were just a few picture frames and nicknacks.

And our little guy escaped with just some bruises and cuts. A quick trip to the ER and an x-ray confirmed that he may be sore for a few days, but no major problems (mad props to Norwood Hospital and Dr. Kim for their amazing ER).

My husband had checked and replaced all the bookcase anchors that had grown old and brittle, though this one, on a bookcase we were tossing just “as soon as we buy a new one” may have been overlooked.

So use our late night experience to your benefit and make sure you don’t have any anchors that are no longer holding your furniture to the wall. We were so, so, so very lucky. I can’t even think about what would have happened if our luck had run out.


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Filed Under: Fairly Odd Husband, Fairly Odd Kids, Fairly Odd Me, Health n Food Talk 48 Comments
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