family photo time

Being a mom who is obsessed with preserving memories of her family is a big job.  At least I make it one.  I've learned a few lessons.  I got a card for a free newborn sitting and a digital 8x10 so I took Maximus because I thought, "Hey, it's free.  What could go wrong?"  Well, we enter the "studio," which happens to be in the lady's basement, and the scene from Napoleon Dynamite comes to my mind where Deb is taking Pedro's photo and needs something soft and billowy.  The process was long and slow.  The photos were fine.  Of course I thought they were cute.  They were my newborn.  But I didn't really like her style, and I won't even say how much they were because it is embarrassing that I paid that much for photos that I don't LOVE.  I am a wimp, and didn't have the guts to just walk out with the free one.  So, when Maximus is 18, he will say, "Well, I can't go to college because my parents spent the money on a photo shoot.  But, hey, I have these sweet pictures of me as an infant sleeping and for whatever reason I am butt naked on a soft and billowy blanket."  Just kidding, I didn't spend that much.  And maybe when I am not so bitter about the whole experience, I will post the photos. 

Fast forward a month and it is time to think about Christmas cards.  

There are reasons why we haven't had a family photo taken since Samuel was 10 months old.  The biggest one is that it is a pain.  Thinking up outfits, getting everyone dressed, getting to the appointment on time.  All of this while trying to keep everyone happy enough to smile for a photo.  And, well, for the reason that I wrote about above, our photo budget was just about spent. 

I'll admit, a certain six year old made a few of my photos really really hard to smile for but we got one.  ONE.  One photo good enough for a Christmas card.  That was all I was asking for.  So the rest of these are just a bonus.  What a more than pleasant surprise.  

I got a photo that I love of each of my kids (that I love, too :)).  Merry Christmas to me (in my head, I sing it to the tune of the Happy Birthday song).  All for a mega reasonable price.  And that, in my mind, makes things even more beautiful.

The photographer started off with some individuals of the older kids...

She was the gem of the family.  Agreeable and helpful.  Thank you, Eva.

 I think he doesn't know how to fake smile or be happy on demand or whatever it takes to get a natural shot.  But this one works for me.  

 I want to kiss those creases on that forehead.  

 Can you believe this shot?  He was so fussy and somehow she got this one.  I need to blow it up and hang it on my wall.  Automatic smile on my face every time I see it. 

 I wanted to show off the "Big Bro" and "Big Sis" t-shirts that I bought for Eva and Samuel but they didn't really show.  But I guess it doesn't really matter, my eyes go right to their faces.  Yeah, and we kind of thought that Maximus might have the Lisa Ling eye thing going on (and if you don't know what I am talking about that is because you are nice and those things don't matter to you) and this photo kind of confirms that thought.  Figure he will outgrow it.  

 Can't speak for Karl, but it turns out the experience wasn't all that bad.  It only took an hour.  And when I saw the photos, it was totally worth it.  I swear the kids have already grown since these were taken.  And it has only been three days.  

Lessons learned:  All photo shoots are not created equal.  A crappy photo shoot can, if anything, make you really really appreciate a non crappy photo shoot.  

eva reflects

Ever since Eva won a trophy for her Reflections art contest entry when she was in kindergarten, the pressure has been on each year.  Okay, maybe she feels no pressure.  It is just me.  

This year, Eva wanted to do a sculpture again.  The theme was, "Together we can..." and Eva made a sculpture titled, "Together we can help each other."

I know it's a mom's job to be impressed by her kid's skills, but Eva's 3-D skills blow me away every time...

and while we are on the subject of art...

Tonight Eva and her cousin were crafting.  They were getting ideas from a craft book that Eva got from the library or something.  The book showed Eva how to make a sorter out of empty tissue boxes.   Well, crafty, creative, Eva went one step further and made empty tissue boxes out of perfectly full tissue boxes (and as I typed the first line of this paragraph, my nose felt a little drippy, reached over for a tissue on my night stand and...ugh!).  

this is how we announced him

still so eva, still so samuel

The library is one of my favorite places to take the kids.  

It's like shopping but it doesn't junk up your house and it is free.

Samuel's free movie choice (and a perfect description of Samuel if for some reason you had to describe him in a movie):

 Eva's free movie choice (and if you were still playing the game where you describe a person with a movie, this would be it):

It's just so them, I had to chuckle when I saw their choice. 

 And I had to hide my chuckle when fast Samuel kept calling Eva's slow choice, "Little Poop on the Prairie."  

honeymoon over and still grateful

The super cute, always snugly, never sad, always sleepy stage is over. And maybe I am feeling like quite the cow.  Baby being hungry every two hours might be part of the reason.  Moo.

I get a little confused sometimes because I don't always know what all the squeaks, grunts, honks,  wiggles, and cries mean.  I am hopeful that I will eventually catch on.

But the feeling of gratitude comes out on top. And I think I would be grateful even if it wasn't the season.  Who needs sleep anyway?

Little guy is chunking up. Those cheeks and those creases are new. Love them.

okay winter, if you must

It's getting cold.  I'm not a fan.  Um, Hawaii, anyone?

Was looking at Shutterfly.com.  Forgot I had uploaded these photos long ago.  So glad I did since my photos are all a big fat, digital hoarding mess, and I never would have found this.  

This may be one of my all time favorites ever and forever:

This is what I mean when I say Samuel lives big.  Even at the age of three.  

And just a few minutes before I found this photo, I saw a picture of a chocolate turkey cupcake and it reminded me of Thanksgiving the same year this photo was taken.  

We were at my sisters.  I had just sat down to enjoy my feast when Samuel came from the kid table and asked if he could be done.  I told him he needed to eat his turkey first.  He came back about two minutes later, with chocolate all over his mouth, and asked, "NOW can I be done?"  I said, "But you have to eat your turkey."  He replied, "I did!"  

My sister had put a foil wrapped turkey shaped chocolate on every plate for decoration.  Samuel must have wondered why, but been delighted that, I would make him eat chocolate before he could leave the table.  


Here comes the cold and the busy of the holidays.  I am not forgetting all the great memories to be made and lovely food to be eaten.  But I do need to brace myself for all the mostly self inflicted craziness that is about to come...

halloween 2010 continues

When Halloween falls on a weekend, it gets stretched out over what feels like many many days...

Karl's mom outfitted Maximus with some Halloween gear.  

 Karl wins the Uncle of the Year.  

He rounded up the kids and the pumpkins and helped them create the Jack O Lanterns of their dreams.  It cracked me up to see the typical situation where the kids get all excited and then then after about after 10 minutes the adult is left with all the dirty work.  

No pictures of the finish products.  Whoops.  Eva and Katie did a self portrait and Samuel and Brighton made scary guys.

The Uncle Award is also because he dressed up and took the kids trick or treating.  In the rain.  

Samuel said, "I have been Astro Boy two times already" and then put on his too small hand me down Super Man pajamas and his multipurpose red cape and called it good.  He let Karl do his hair.

With the right product (Got2B Glued Spike Spray) the hair possibilities were endless.  Karl's greaser hair was indestructible.  

The night was rainy and wet.  Maximus and I stayed in and enjoyed some Halloween snacks. Karl got a new toy, a Droid.  The thing is pretty amazing.  When Karl first got it, it was practically glued to his hand.  So I made Maximus a Droid t-shirt.  I love this photo because of the way he is laying.  I forgot how cute infants are.

 I couldn't believe how long the kids and Karl stayed out.  

Samuel came home and immediately started counting.  Eva came home and immediately changed into warm dry clothes.  Smart girl.

I have found a very positive thing about all this processed sugar...

For some strange reason, my kids cannot hear me until I have said the same thing about 5 times or I turn my volume way up.  Now, I start my sentence with, "If I have to say it again, I get a piece of candy," suddenly their ears work better.  It's amazing.  

samuel is six

It's hard to think that there was once a time that Samuel couldn't run and jump and climb and run and jump.

I had to look back in my photo archives to remind me that he was once a tiny baby that just laid there.  I actually still can't believe it.  Even though I have these photos for proof.  In my memory he must have been moving like mad when I was taking these.

 It is also hard to believe that he once had some chub on his body. 

 You were such a pretty baby with your big juicy lips (I know boys don't want to be pretty, but what do yo say if you are?).

Karl's arm makes me chuckle because it has the camel color paint of our old living room on it. 

He must have been painting that day.

Six years later...

Samuel,

You know just what to say to get your dad riled up

You can jump enough stairs to make people cringe when you take off and sigh with relief when you safely land

You can out eat most adults

You spend more time laying, jumping, climbing, crawling, than you do standing or sitting up right

You can burp the ABC's

You are deathly afraid of dogs.  The smaller they are, the more they freak you out.  I think it is because you like the be the fastest loudest one in the room and don't know what to do when you are outdone.

If someone gives you one, you want two.  Grandma thinks you are going to be rich one day.

I still have a hard time getting a non blurry picture of you.

You always show us that you are so much smarter than we realize.  

Your dad and I wonder what you are going to do in college because you've pretty much mastered the college boy sense of humor.  I am actually a little nervous.

Getting you to show a natural smile for a photo is impossible.  You will, however, pull a billion other faces.  

 You got to celebrate your birthday twice.  Once on the real day and once with your grandparents and cousins on the weekend.  Lucky kid.  

You got this headlamp from your uncle.  And you spent the night looking at everyone with your bright light.  And just because it was your birthday, we let you.  

We asked you what wanted for dinner for your birthday dinner and you said you wanted (Japanese) curry rice and pizza.  You wanted both.  So that is what you got.

Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.  

 We celebrated big time at Incredible Pizza.  The pizza was fine but it was the games and the laser tag that you thought were incredible.  You are obsessed with red and blue is your second favorite.  Your grandma was so nice and made you this cake with your favorite colors.

 I don't know if it was you or your dad that this game so much.  You guys spent a lot of time on it.  We love how we can tell you are focusing when your lips stick out like this.  Looking at these photos, I wonder where you get it from.  Maybe he was just talking but, either way, it made me chuckle.

 You looked so tiny on those  bumper cars.  You were barely the required 44 inches to ride it.  

Here you and Eva are showing your stash.  I bought you those skinny jeans and they are so baggy on your skinny 6 year old legs.  

You keep things lively.  You live big.  And the best part?  You love big.  And that makes me feel really really lucky to be your mom. 


Happy Birthday Samuel!  I hope you love your sixth year of life.

photos and gratitude to the maximus

Aaahhh, a post that is not from my phone.  It is so much easier on the eyes.  Too bad the posts from my phone are just plain easier. 

I saw these pictures and I wanted to kiss them.  That means I love them.  I actually love Maximus.  But these photos remind me how much I love him.  They also remind me of how much I love my best friend for coming to the rescue when I broke my camera lens and taking these for me.  These are straight from the camera, no editing.  Uh, mostly because I don't know how to edit.  

I love his expression here.

and here

and baby feet...

I know this pose is cliche, but it isn't long before they aren't so cute anymore.  So we had to capture them now.  Samuel smelled his feet and said, "They don't smell sour like mine."  That is right.  I will treasure this time where my boy has tiny, kissable, sweet smelling feet.  

and since it is November, the month of Thanksgiving, I would like to share:

I AM GRATEFUL

-that Maximus is no longer in me, I was sick of being pregnant and now I get to hold him in my arms instead of my giant belly (I hated having a belly.  That word is for Santa and Buddha).  My original due date was November 4.  I am glad he wanted out.

-that I can now lay on my stomach or safely on my back.  
-for my ankles.  Depending on how much sugar I ate, my ankles would just disappear.  Along with the bones in my feet.  They looked like the people on Wall-E.  But they are back now.  I missed them.  

-that when I am in bed and I need to roll over (for the 40th time because I can't get comfy or because my bladder is the size of a walnut and it is time to make the trip again), I don't need to get momentum going to make the roll.  AND I don't have to brace myself for the aches and pains and pulls that come from just plain moving.  Did I mention I am glad I am not pregnant anymore?

-that I got some time of calm to re-coop and connect with Maximus before the storm... (Halloween, Samuel's birthday, Thanksgiving, on to Christmas, then New Years and Eva's birthday).
-for big giant cups with lids and straws like the one they give you in the hospital.  Maybe I could never have a home birth because then I wouldn't get one of those giant mugs (and someone to fill it with that great ice whenever I asked for it).  When I have the right kind of cup, I can drink a lot more water.  It just has to feel right.

-that someone invented stretchy pants.  

-that Halloween is only once a year.  Maybe it is the extra calories I lose from nursing but my will power is at an all time low and I am eating candy that I don't even love.  Lame.

-that Maximus is healthy.  At his two week check up he had not only recovered his birth weight but another 10 oz and an inch and a half in height.  

-for family that has helped me and Maximus so much.  

-that I have finally learned how to let people help me.
-for my mom's food.  I swear that if I somehow made the exact same stuff she did with the exact same ingredients, hers would still taste better.  I think my food all has a dose of impatience that I can taste when I eat it.  Impatience tastes yucky. 

-for friends that have visited.

-for my phone that helps me sit still while I nurse.  I seriously have a hard time sitting still (unless I am asleep).  I can blog, keep track of baby feedings (there seriously is an app for everything), shop, check my e-mail, do facebook, research baby stuff, all with my phone, all while sitting still.

-that Samuel and Eva love the baby so much.  That is what they call him, The Baby.  Maximus is kind of a mouth full and for nine months he has been The Baby.  We haven't made the transition quite yet.  
-that I forgot how much labor and delivery hurts and how inconvenient recovery and how many diapers babies need changing and how often they eat and that sometimes they are sad just because and that laundry somehow triples even though they are only the size of a bean because somehow they manage to pee on six different things in a matter of seconds.  I am glad I forgot all those things because then my senses wouldn't have let me have another baby.  


And I am so grateful that I did.