Superfluous Fluff

This post today about events that happened either yesterday or tomorrow.

The last few weeks have been go, go, GO!

It's SUMMER!!!

I've been enjoying the kiddos, enjoying the constant fun, enjoying having house guests and making travel plans. 

I've also been staying up waaaaaaaay too late at night.  I've got shoots to edit and deadlines to meet.

(I've finished the edits on my 1st newborn session but his Mom is planning to surprise the new Grandparents with the photos next month, so you have to wait until they've seen them before I show more here on the blog.  We don't want to ruin the surprise!)

Is it any wonder that my e-mailing tends to happen very late at night?

So late that it may, TECHNICALLY, be morning?

Which brings us to tonight.  Last night (or was it this morning?) I e-mailed a friend whom I had promised a photo shoot to some evening this week.  I let her know that I was looking at the weather forecast and that they were calling for a chance of showers tomorrow, rain on Thursday, and sun on Friday.  I suggested that we plan to meet tomorrow and that if the showers came we could reschedule for Friday.  This morning she replied that that sounded great, so this evening I hopped in the car and went over to her place. 

No one was home.

I bet you already realize what happened, but it took me a little longer. 

I waited a bit, then thought I got the meeting place mixed up (we were meeting at her place and then driving to another location) so drove around a bit to find her before heading back to her place.

Oh yeah, you guessed it.  My tomorrow, sent last night, seen and replied to by her this morning, makes tomorrow NOT today, but actually tomorrow*.

*I just looked at the time and realized that this is posting after midnight, so now it's tomorrow instead of today...or yesterday.  Huh? 

Anyway, there was one family member home, and we had a really lovely visit together.  She was even willing to model for me:

Beautiful!

She's big and her bark is kind of scary, and don't even think about messing with "her" kids.  But she has a secret: just look at those eyes.  Marshmallow center.  She may be the sweetest dog on the whole planet.  I was a little nervous as to whether or not she'd let me out of the car without her people around, but she remembered me and put on her very best company manners.

We sat and talked for a bit, enjoyed some quiet time, did a mini-shoot.  Waiting is never waiting if there's a dog nearby.

How about a smile?

Love her!

Lesson learned: today, tomorrow, yesterday...too confusing!  From now on I'll stick to Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday... 

Nicky, sorry about the mix up.  I'll see you tomorrow...er, tonight, er, THURSDAY! (Unless it's raining.)

I wish I could do this every day

Newborns.

I just love them.  I always have, always will. 

I'll admit it, I have a dream.  A dream to play with newborns for the rest of my life.  Luckily for me, the ladies at church seem to be giving me my needed dose every few weeks. Sweet baby A is the second born of 6 expected this summer. 

If the rest of the babies due are half as sweet as the first two arrivals, we're all going to die of the cuteness.

This sweet little girl was celebrating her 2-week birthday today and was the best behaved birthday girl EVER.  She slept through most of our session, and when she woke up a couple of times she just looked around and then was easily coaxed back to sleep with nothing more than a little snuggle.  Maybe she loves dreaming too?

Looks like she's willing to reach for her dreams and make them reality.

She just makes me so happy!  Love her!

Crystal and Mike, thanks for having me over today (Yesterday?  Maybe I should go to bed!)  and sharing your beautiful girl with me.  I still can't get over how co-operative she was.  What a treat--you made me very happy.

Put down that camera!

Yesterday was hot. Very hot.  Hot, hot, hot.  Everyone is doing their best Wicked Witch of the West impersonations.   And that's about all they're doing. 

It's too hot.

This being CANADA, the heat sets you up but the humidity delivers the knock-out punch.

We had our swimming lessons in the morning, and in a car with no air conditioning*, the drive was less than inspiring. The drive home was especially rough. 

So the kids, between fighting matches, hatched a plan.

"Let's go to the lake."

Mama didn't see it happening.  We were home for a super fast bite of lunch, and then we needed to get to the library.  It was the first day of summer program and we promised the librarian, who's a friend, that we'd be there for the kick-off and to help if needed.  As soon as the library program ended, we needed to get the Princess to her piano lesson, and then Hubby would be home and it would be supper time. 

"We can't eat.  It's too hot.  Let's go to the lake right after piano."

So we did.  We dropped the Princess at her lesson, sped home to throw all the beach toys and towels and water bottles and life jackets in the car (why does a simple trip to the beach always turn into some kind of giant expedition?), picked up the Princess and went straight to the lake. 

This is where I show how hot it was: even *I* put on my swimsuit and decided to go in.

I don't really go in past my knees.  Like, ever.  It's not that I don't like to swim, it's just that there were pregnancies, and then infants, and toddlers, and....well, I've just spent much more time splashing than swimming for the past, um, decade.

But this year, my babies seem magically grown.  Grown into playful children who don't need their Mama to entertain them at the beach.  Usually this allows Mama to sit on the beach blanket with her camera and get lots of fun photos.

But it was HOT.

Mama decided she was going in.  The kids all had life jackets on and I could see them from where I was.

Except THEY FOLLOWED ME.

Even the little guy.  The Boy who wouldn't even take a bath until he was 4 and a half, too afraid of the water was he (lest you think we didn't wash him for 4 years, he would take a shower with Hubby and I would assist).  The Boy who has failed the simplist level of Preschool Swimming lessons twice, the lessons that don't really teach any actual swimming, just how to be comfortable around the water.  Out he came, until he couldn't touch the bottom any more, and then he hollered for me to come and get him.  Not to take him safely back to shore, but to come out farther.  To SWIM. 

So I did.  And a new lake favourite was born: they call it Mama the Tug Boat.  It started with that little Boy and his Mama's desire to stretch her forgotten swimming muscles.  We swam from the public beach over to the boat launch.  Well, I swam, he clutched my shoulder and occasionally kicked his feet to help out.  It was a very touching "Finding Nemo" moment.  I was a giant sea turtle.

DUDE.

And then it became this cool thing, and Mama was called upon to do laps; ferrying the kiddos back and forth, back and forth, until her atrophied swim muscles gave in to the shakes and quit altogether.  In between there was splashing and laughing and secret smiles.  There was throwing stones for fun and sticks for a dog to retrieve.  There was silliness and sweetness and fun.  And while part of me yearned for my camera to capture it all, a perfect hour at the lake, the rest of me knew that this was better, this being in the water and in the moment.  So the shutter in my brain went on overtime, trying to save this image and that expression for cold winter nights when they're grown and gone, while my actual shutter finger was magically transformed into a tickle finger to attack unsuspecting and giggling prey.  

And it was good.

No editing required.

______________

*I actually get sick when I spend time in air conditioning, and air conditioning in vehicles is about 10X worse than in buildings.  We're without air conditioning by choice.  It doesn't mean we don't still feel the heat. 

WW: Worth the pint of blood sacrificed to mosquitos

I blame Lisa Kleypas

It was the Hathaways.

I've been reading the books, enjoying each, and waiting for the last to come out.  I grabbed the last copy off the shelf at the grocery store on Monday and started reading that night. Sadly, I'm an old lady who needs her sleep and can no longer stay awake reading all night, no matter how good a book is.  I fell asleep.  But as soon as I woke up, I grabbed the book from where it had fallen beside the bed and started reading again.

I loved every stolen second.

I was all caught up in falling in love with Christopher and Beatrix (though I was already half in love with Beatrix from previous novels) and lost track of time.

So then we were running late for swimming lessons. 

There was a bit of a mad scramble to get out the door. 

I drove to the pool and we ran inside.  We shucked our shoes and dashed to the change rooms and the two youngest were in to their lessons.  I came out and went to retrieve my shoes and started laughing.

Almost an hour from home with plans to spend the rest of the day in town, there was nothing to do but chuckle and brazen it out.

The Princess said she noticed while I was driving and thought I did it on purpose.  Apparently this makes me cool.  As it turns out, there's a bit of a fad among the 8-10 year old set in Fredericton this summer towards wearing mis-matched flip flops.  I guess I'm just fashion forward.  

Maybe I should change blame to thank?

Through the viewfinder

It's only Day 4 of Picture Summer and I've already been reminded of an important truth:

There is a world outside my viewfinder.

I know, I know--EARTH SHATTERING!!!  Tell us something we don't know!

But often I lift the camera to my face and the world ceases to exist outside what I see through it.  It can be beautiful.  It can be calming.  It can be fulfilling.  It can center you, release you, shake you up and smooth out the rough spots.

It can also be hazardous.

Besides the usual stepping backwards off a curb or bumping into walls that I USUALLY do, even without a camera, it can be hazardous to my subject.

For example, my July 2nd shots.  I stopped at the lake on the way to the library.  I had the Princess with me and had even asked her to change her shirt before we left with a mind to take a few photos.  I had her running back and forth on the shore, kicking and playing and just being silly for me.

It was fun...except...I only saw her.  I wasn't paying attention to what was going on around me.  So we were both shocked when a nice friendly dog, also at the lake with her people, dashed over and jumped her to give her kisses.

The Princess is terrified of dogs*.

She screamed and ran--straight into the lake.  Her hat was left behind and she was soaked and sad. 

I felt terrible for not watching out for her.  Her back was turned after all.

Ok, not terrible enough not to snap a photo.  

But I totally hugged her afterward.  And then we had to figure out how to get her home, since we hadn't brought dry clothes or even a towel--she was only supposed to be going in up to her ankles.

And then there was tonight.  Tonight I decided to photograph my nightly indulgence--a bowl of ice cream after the kiddos are in bed.  Except, having waited for the kiddos to go to bed, the light in our house was gone.  So I took my ice cream and my camera outside for a happy photo shoot.  I'm not sure which made me happier--taking photos or the anticipation of enjoying my subject as soon as I was done.  I set it down on the rocks that line our garden, took a couple of shots and then--BAM!

Where'd she come from?

Oh, the tragedy!  My yummy ice cream!

NOT FOR YOU, KITTY CAT!

Of course, if I had been paying attention, she may not have sneaked up on me like that.

{sigh}

So let this be a warning to my fellow shutterbugs--look up now and then.  Shoot with an open mind and open heart....but also open eyes and ears.  You never know what dangers await!

----------------

*I know! I grew up with dogs.  Plural.  Dogs rock.  I'm totally a dog person.  The idea of being afraid is SOOOO outside my frame of reference.  We've talked about it, we've visited friends with super sweet and gentle dogs, we've talked some more, but she continues to be terrified.  I'm hoping it's just something she'll outgrow?

Picture Summer

Hello Internets!

I'm working away at edits and more edits, posts and ideas for posts, along with the usual madness. Summer has pounced upon us, no sneaking up, and it seems our days are filled to the brim since the kids got out of school last week.  Seriously, they finished school at noon on the friday (June 25th) and that evening we girls were at Guide/Brownie camp.  The next day Sweetpea joined us for Sparks camp and the Boys were off to Beaver camp.  Just--POW--summer. 

But I'm doing something very cool to help me remember to slow down and cherish the days--Picture Summer at Big Picture Scrapbooking! (You'll notice the cute new button in my sidebar.)

Every day I get a new photo prompt in my inbox to help me stay inspired. The gallery is already popping with hot summer photos and my fellow students are quick to encourage and compliment. There's still time to join (until July 7), and if you've never done a class at BPS before, I definitely recommend this one! 
Since I fell off of the 365 bandwagon, I've taken away the link to that flickr album and replaced it with a link to my Picture Summer one.  Feel free to check it out and watch it grow!  I'll occasionally share, but honestly I'm feeling so inspired that I might prefer to choose alternate photos that didn't make the cut--like this one from July 2nd:

Speaking of BPS, we're also gearing up around here for another class starting up next week: Kidding Around, with the delightful Tami Morrison.  I signed up for this one as soon as registration opened and Princess asks me daily if we're starting yet.  Lots of fun, and there's still lots of time to join us there too!

BTW, if you're thinking of taking a class at BPS, Paperclipping Roundtable is offering a 10% discount.  Unfortunately for me, they offered the discount a week after I had signed up for both of my classes, so I didn't get to use it, but you can!  Just click here.  Oh, and just this week on the Roundtable Izzy said that it's bad netiquette to put links that make one open a new tab--but I prefer it that way.  So I'm going to continue to do my links like that unless I get lots of complaints.  Ok?

Happy Summer Internets!  See you in class!  

PS I thought it was about time to change up my Profile Picture too! :)

Pssst....

I'm off to spend Canada Day with the family, but look who I got to play with last night:

Isn't he precious!?  More to come in a couple of days!

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!