Migraines and other reasons it's good my bills aren't paid by photography

Saturday went something like this:

7:30 - Wake up. Breakfast, laundry, gather donations to "treasure store"

10:30 - Depart home

10:40 - Drop off donations, quick run through "treasure store" (no purchases Daddy)

10:50 - Arrive at Fox & Hound, enjoy Spartan victory, eat lunch, play (James)

2:00 - Arrive home, Mama takes a Sudafed in hopes of getting rid of sinus pain.

2:15 - Mama takes nap, James watches Dora / Kipper

4:00 - Mama wakes up, tells herself she feels better because she doesn't want to miss out on the evening's plans.

5:00 - Depart home for Sophie's house - SLUMBER PARTY (for Mamas and kids). Car loaded with photo props and equipment for 7 a.m. photo shoot.

5:30-7:30 - Hang out, be merry, cook dinner, drink wine, eat dinner.

8:00 - Kids in jim-jams, mamas on couch.

9:00 - Suddenly I feel much worse. Can't. give. up. This is my "night out!"

9:30 - Barfing.

10:00 - Kids wide awake watching videos. Mama in bed. Carolyn taking care of 3.

10:15 - More barfing. Cancellation of 7 a.m. photo shoot (for fear that at 6 a.m. I will still feel like poo whilst family of four struggles to dress, prepare, arrive).

I awoke Sunday to Jaybird at about 7:45. Luckily the migraine was gone, but not without the frustration of 1) cancelling a photo shoot last minute and 2) raining on an evening of fun. Carolyn as always was an amazing friend to deal with such hilarity.

We went to the intended photo location arriving around 10 a.m. Despite missing out on the "magic sunrise hour" of lighting, the spot was excellent for portraits as it offers plenty of shade from the direct sunlight. I look forward to bringing other families here (if they'll have me!)

Little Lord Fauntleroy, and Sophie

More to come. These were to be birthday pictures for each of the kids, although I have another shoot planned for Jaybird.

After photos we went to Shipley's in OTS, which is the best Shipley's ever. There's a gentleman there who's probably been there forever and he wears a fine hat and amazing jeans that I'm sure are from 1972 but don't appear to have been worn once before. Please go.

e

Nearly a year

and there's no point in trying to catch you up. Looking back through this blog I'm rather perturbed at myself for not keeping up. I never realized how many memories which seemed relatively insignificant at the time can actually mean so much in a year or two's time. James was just a baby when I endeavored to start this blog. Now here he is about to turn 4.

My Aunt Amy sent a challenge to update at least once a week. I have to hold her accountable too. I think I can add one more spinning plate...

So for today, James and I have been sharing in an evening ritual on the couch playing Mario Kart Wii as rented from GameFly. Our subscription is about to expire, so I suppose Father Christmas will have to consider bringing that this year. Remember how we're going to London? Keep your fingers crossed that my attempt to schedule an appointment at the Harrod's Christmas Grotto will pan out!

Tomorrow is picture day and this evening James tried on the suit Anthony wore to our wedding. The pants and jacket fit but the shirt is too tight and he refuses to wear it even just for the photos. So we agreed on just the pants paired with a polo shirt.

Mike is supposed to come home tonight after 3 days in San Fran. He's flying a corporate job now for those of you keeping up. He loves it!

And finally yours truly started a new at-home workout regimen this morning. It requires getting to bed by 10 (fail) so I can get up at 6 and be in the shower by 6:40. I already get a "rest day" tomorrow so I guess my slip on tonight's bedtime isn't so terrible. Please ask me how this is going so I will be too embarrassed to quit and have to tell you so.

How is that for a potpourri?

His First Musical

I liked the loud part. And the singing.

When I heard Billy Elliot was coming to town, I wondered if it might be a good introduction to musical theatre (well, besides Yo Gabba Gabba - oops, I didn't blog about that) for Jaybird. Then I moved on to my next fleeting thought.

Until I read Babysteps on Friday. After reading about the success of HJ's experience, and the questions that came out of it, I decided it was worth a go. And I lucked out and found that there were still two cheap "limited view" seats available for today's 1:00 show.

The show was really fantastic, and James was engaged through the whole thing. Our seats were limited view, but they were in the front row, and also right by the tiny ladder at stage left which many of the characters used for entry (opening scene and first scene after intermission) and exit. Pretty cool!

Jaybird asked a few questions during the show, but not a lot after. He did wonder why the daddies were so mad and why there was so much yelling at times. The pre-show discussion about how there would be some "naughty words that we don't repeat" seemed unnecessary as James doesn't seem to even notice. To him, poop and stupid are the worst of the worst, the others aren't even on his radar (despite the fact that he's certainly heard them from his parents).

So in short: We loved it, and I see more musicals in our future!

London Calling

My old brother from another mother is getting married. In LONDON.

To this pretty lady (who it doesn't seem right to call my sister from another mister because that sounds a little too much like incest):

(See cupid's arrow?)

And what that likely means is that there could be something like this in my future:

Maybe even a little of this:
And probably not this, but we can reminisce!:

It's been a long time since the days of Westcreek. I love my life now, but the friendships forged in those courtyards are treasures. I really don't want to miss the opportunity to have these folks together again. Since we are stretched from Vancouver to (greater) Houston to Switzerland to England, the opportunities now are few.

SO. I just checked my Kellogg's stock. It's a decent travel nest egg, but I'm going to need to get creative and work very hard if I want to make a trip happen. I have until late November.

It's worth it for me to give up my treasured evening couch/craft time in order to earn extra cash. If you or anyone you know is in want of some photography services, I'm in. Stay tuned for a more business-proposal like post.

I haven't been to Europe in 7 years, and I've never been to England, so there's that too. James will be 4 by that time, and I think we can pull off a trip across the pond (hopefully with Daddy too!)

Be Mine - 2011

The weather was kind today, so we got out to take the Valentine's Day pictures I've been planning. Since I failed once again on the Christmas card front, I figure I can send these out and make up some brownie points. James was fantastic, especially because I cut it close to nap time (which may be evident in some of the photos - although I like the melancholy effect it gave those few).

Create your own picture slideshow

Pine Cone

When Jaybird moved up to the Yellow Room, he started bringing home some new language learned from the big kids ("stupid baby!" and various potty terms primarily). We've been gently working on using other words, and talking about how it's appropriate to say "I don't like that" or "that makes me feel mad" but not appropriate to call names.

It appears we have our first bad-word substitute. When he feels like saying something bad, or just being silly, "pine cone" is now the go-to term.

Although I still get a lot of "you're not my best friend" I seem to get more "Let's be best friends, ok?" so I can't complain.

Look

Have we established that I stink at blogging? I thought so. I've resigned myself from seeing this as a success for either keeping our family apprised of happenings in our life or sharing my few remaining crafty outlets. Still, it's like this portable favorites list for all the blogs I like to read.

So here it sits.

James and I (and Mike and Anthony) are still doing great.

Just busy.

XoXoX

Ems

(Licking Trilbie batter before Christmas)

Three

Jaybird has had a lovely few days celebrating his third birthday. Today he shared mini cupcakes with his class and got to do a really neat classroom ritual, which I joined the class to watch. I'll have to detail it in another post because I'm super-tired and can barely get one subject blogged tonight.

For now, I'd like to report that Jaybird's birthday party was, I believe, a success. As always, it was a whirlwind, but everyone seemed to have a lovely time, including the birthday boy. I can't thank all our friends and family enough for sharing the day with us.

Unfortunately, Daddy had to work this weekend, so we will have a quiet family celebration (including Anthony) this weekend. James is looking forward to that too. :)

Mental Video Camera

There are so many moments that I think "I've got to write that down in his baby book" and it never happens. Here are a couple I've managed to remember until I could get them from my brain to my fingers to this blog:

Last week it started to cool down again in Houston, and I needed hose. Pantyhose. I don't wear them if I can avoid it, and I can avoid it here because it's 1000 degrees Kelvin until late October. Well, Jaybird was watching me put on my pantyhose, and he said "Mama, why you do this?" and then he did that jerky plie (I had to use Google to spell that) move that anyone who wears hose is familiar with - you know, that move you have to do to get them up and over your thighs). It was just so hilarious to see him imitate that move, of all things. It made my morning. I started laughing and then he started laughing - it was tremendous.

Tonight, after eating an acceptable portion of a mildly healthy dinner, James asked if he could have a Halloween treat. I've been presenting him a limited selection on school nights and saving the larger treats for weekends. Tonight he chose a cherry flavored Tootsie Roll. He'd never had anything of that consistency, and the look on his face when he bit down, and then opened his mouth only to find that the treat was firmly in place around his bottom teeth - he was just so beyond himself. It was like amusement and shock, it was so much fun to just watch those moments unfold. And I told him how much I love to watch him experience all these things.

To make the story better when I put Jaybird to bed he told me how tomorrow he wants to wake up and eat breakfast and come home and eat dinner and then he wants to have a Halloween treat. This is definitely my spawn - never will we wonder if there was a hospital mix-up.

Milking OTS Photos

I'm so busy. So here's another photo from our shoot in OTS.