the good stuff

get your search on

Check out the new search engine....you can't miss it....move your eyes about 5 inches to the left...a little more....a little more.....THAT'S IT!

TK brought this service to my attention tonight, and I have to say, I think it is DARN COOL.  It's a way to search the places where I regularly parade my thoughts and photos for the whole world to see.

Type something into the search engine.  See what pops up.  And not something EASY like SAM.  Come on, people.  Try motherhood.  Or sharks.  Or Guitar Hero.  Or Sprinkly broccoli.   

Now for some fun....click "surprise me" and see what gem pops up.  I was just directed to Sam's guitar hero performance that I posted on You Tube...."THANK YOU PROVIDENCE!"

*sigh*

I love technology. 

(want a fancy searchy thing too??  Go to lijit.com and get your own.)

and a half

Tonight Sam and TK went to the pawsox game (it was TK's father's day present!) and Janie and I had a girls night!

As soon as the boys left, I  said, "Jane, do you know that today you are EXACTLY three and a half??  It is your HALF-BIRTHDAY!"

"IT IIIIIIISSSSS?????"

I explained that from this day on, when someone asks how old she is, her answer can be "three and a half!"  Well, this was very VERY good news for Jane, who is just so desperate to be bigger than she is.

We decided we needed to celebrate.  With manicures.  Off to the salon we marched, picked out our nail polish, and had them done.  "I'm three and a half!" she told anyone who stopped and smiled at her. She was so enthralled with the woman doing our nails that she announced that when she grows up, THIS is what she wants to do.  I said, "you want to paint people's nails when you are grown up?" and nearly fell off my chair when she answered with,

"Yes, mom.  I am going to be an artist."

(for the record, my children have gone from the big dreams of being a paleontologist and a mermaid to being the guy who hands out membership cards at the Museum of Natural History and a nail technician.  SOMEONE tell me where I am going wrong here.)

We finished our manicures, stopped by the grocery store for a little mini-cake, came home and scarfed down delicately and very lady-like nibbled at her half birthday cake.

One of my favorite conversations happened on the ride home.  She looked out her window and noticed the moon.  She said, "It's leading us home!" I pointed out that it was a half moon.  "Like me? A Half?"  and then in her tiny pretend voice, she said, "Moon?  How old are you?  [very squeaky tiny voice:] five and a half!  MOM! Did you hear her?  She said she is five and a half!  A half like me!  She is a half too and she is so beautiful.  *sigh*  I love the moon. "

My thoughts exactly, my sweet three and a half year old girl.

sam's sanctuary

Welcome to Sam's room!

We've made some big BIG changes in here recently, and Sam and I thought it would be cool so show the entire world.

The first thing that changed was his bed.  Sam has been in a twin bed since we stole his crib and gave it to Jane. That's about how it went, too.  Jane was lucke enough to slide right into the full sized bed we'd been using as the guestroom bed (heaven forbid the Queen sleep in a TWIN bed, right?) Sam has been very clear recently that he too would like a BIG bed.  You might remember that TK used to work in New York, and bought a full sized bed to keep there for his weekly visits.  So when Mike decided to move from New York, the bed found its way home, and right into Sam's room. 

This meant that I got another crack at choosing bedding!  I remember how LONG it took me to find just the right bedding for his crib (you can see the quilt with his name on it over the bookshelves on the right side of the photo) how it had to be just right, and I will never forget opening that box from pottery barn and looking at the bedding for my boy...there were tears, people. 

This time, I let Sam have some say in what he wanted.  He had only one request:  "Dinosaurs."  So my mom found the crazy awesome sheets, and I chose a patchwork quilt and shams (the quilt won't arrive until the end of next month,  but you can see the shams behind his pillows).  Grams scored MAJOR points with the dinosaur lamp--it is a little blown out by the light source, but it TOTALLY ROCKS.  I'l have to take another photo, JUST of the lamp. 

The giant T-Rex on the wall was a christmas gift from my wonderful Auntie Jan, though the package was missing one leg and one arm piece, (I am working on replacing that!) "Rexie" is Sam's favorite addition to the room decor.  You can't see the other wall, but it is covered with dinosaur and shark posters...just as Sam wanted.

I love his room.  I love that it reflects not what I wanted for his room, but what SAM wanted.  It is full of the things that he loves, and it is really really his room.  I am sure there will come a day when he wants to paint the walls black, and padlock himself inside, but until then, I will bask in the moment of watching him sleep in this room of his own.

king of pop

There will never be another like him.

I could go on and on about his contributions to the world of music, style, pop culture.  But I won't.

I could talk about how nuts he went at the end of his life, so weird, so off the grid.  But I won't.

What I will say is that I am a child of the 80's, and the soundtrack of my entire adolescence is FULL of his music. 

Even tonight, watching some of the clips of his old music videos, Rebecca and I could remember so clearly how watching his black loafers light up the sidewalk in Billie Jean seemed like the most magical thing EVER.  And that's what I am going to remember, as I blast "P.Y.T" on my iPod, the glory days of red leather jackets, ONE sequined glove, and dancing zombies. 

The good news is that MJ's legacy is already carrying on to the next generation...we had the radio on upstairs before bathtime, listening to the Michael Jackson marathon, and when "Beat It" came on, Sam went nuts.  He recognizes it from Guitar Hero and shouted, "THIS IS MY FAVORITE SONG IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!" 

That's my boy.  With any luck, MJ's music will be a part of the soundtrack of Sam and Jane's adolescence and beyond....

she is

I really wanted to talk about Jane today.  Jane Louise should, by all accounts, feel very neglected this time of year, with my birthday, Sam's birthday, father's day, and this year throw in Sam's kindergarten graduation to the mix...and by all accounts, she has been just FINE.  With the exception of the few days before Sam's birthday, when we were wrapping presents, and she was wondering if SHE was getting any?  Thankfully, Grams was ahead of me, and along with Sam's birthday box, one arrived for HER, with some presents too.  (Way to go, Grams!!)  And in the midst of it all, she remains the sweet, funny, smart and sassy girl we adore so...

She is so funny.  She loves to get in on the jokes with Sam and Dad, but is absolutely unable to make an actual joke.  One of the boy's favorite jokes is "Guess what?" "what?" "CHICKEN BUTT!"  But Jane misses the boat completely. "Daddy, guess what?"  "What?"  "CHICKEN HAIR!" The lack of an actual joke does not deter her from rolling on the floor in hysterics, though. 

She has the cutest lisp.  Her little speech impediment keeps her from making some of the sharper sounds--like |ch| in chicken...it comes out as shicken.  Jane is Zhane.  She will correct people on her own name pronunciation and say, "It is Zhane-ee  Ah-weez."  Okey dokey, Janie Louise.

She mixes up words all the time--my favorite one in recent days shows up when I am combing the birds nest that is her hair in the morning and come across the inevitable tangle.  "mommy?  Are there lots of nuts in my hair?"  "Yes, darling, there are lots of knots."  "Mommy, I do not like when there are nuts in my hair.  Did you get all the nuts out?" 

She is a peanut!  TK came down with her one recent night and told me that he had just put Jane up to the door jamb in Sam's room, where we mark their height, he wanted to see where she was compared to Sam at her age.  He said, "I don't know what all the fuss is about her being so small!  She is EXACTLY the same size that Sam was at two and a half."  It took a minute for that to register, before I realized, "yes, but she is three and a half...." 

She has an intermittent imaginary friend named Mini-Morrison.  (I have NO idea where she got that!) It started as the normal imaginary friendship, Mini-Morrison got to do all the things that Jane couldn't, like she was 2, and about to have her birthday party where she got to turn 4, instead of the dreaded 3!  Lucky!  But before I knew it, the stories about Mini Morrison were about how she hits Jane, doesn't want to play with her.  I finally said, "YOU TELL THAT MINI-MORRISON that if she doesn't stop hitting you, I am NOT going to let you play with her again!"  And all I could think was man, when your IMAGINARY friends won't play with you.... 

She is KIND OF counting:  She gets to ten without a problem, then it is "eleven, twelve, furteen furteen, fifteen, sisteen, seventy, eighty, ninety, twenty-one!"

She knows exatly the time when I am feeling lowdown to come over and hug me and say, "mom, you are my best mom in the whole whole world.  And you are my best best friend."

that's my girl.

birthdays, graduations, and Jimmy the Fish

This past week totally kicked my butt.

It started on Saturday--Sam's very best buddy from school, Mekhai, came over.  They watched a little Jurassic Fight club (Rebecca said, "look!  They're having a nerd-off!") then we hit the mall.  Airbrush tattoos...pizza...a candy store run...and the movie UP.  (totally not prepared at how that little gem would tug on the heartstrings).  They had such fun, and I was completely exhausted by Saturday evening. 

Poor Jane...she wanted SO badly to keep up with them, but they were so involved in their own play, and though they did an okay job including her, they were just too fast for her.  TK took HER to a movie at the same time, so she wouldn't feel totally left out, but sh has such a tough time being SO MUCH YOUNGER than he is.  Poor thing.  And she is just so irresistible when she is trying to play with them....("Hey guys!  Watch me jump! Guys!  GUYS!!")

Monday started with a birthday for me, the amazing new computer, and a red velvet-strawberry ice cream cake.  Perfect-o.

We had a brief day to recover on tuesday, then ANOTHER birthday on Wednesday....I still can not believe Sam is SIX!  He came down to breakfast to a birthday present on the table....his very own fish.  He has been asking and asking for one, and even came up with his name.  I vetoed his first choice for a fish name, Mr. Pizza Delivery Guy, and we went with his second choice...

World, let me introduce to you....Jimmy the Fish:

 

Sam was so pleased with his present, and Jimmy has since found a home next to Sam's bed.  Now...how do we keep this guy ALIVE.... ;)

Sam went off to school, happy as could be that he was FINALLY the same age as Mekhai...And being the kind of parent who feels the need to show up EVERY OTHER PARENT, I made THESE:

Cute, and CRAZY delicious.  After botching some buttercream, I made my favorite swiss meringue.  Which is like marshmallow.  JUST like marshmallow.  And when you top that with crushed graham crackers, like on the little beach ones, you end up with a s'mores cupcake.  WHICH IS AWESOME.

That night we had Auntie Becky, Granny and Auntie, and the Millers over for spaghetti and cake.  At the birthday boy's request.  Some kick-butt cake and presents, and it was a damn fine birthday.  He cleaned up in the cash department, ("WHAT??? $16??") and when he opened a card from our friends the Guenards, and found a gift card (to the incredibly delicious Bliss Dairy in Attleboro...yay ice cream!) Sam held it up and said, "I HAVE A DRIVING LICENSE!! A LICENSE!!!"  He hasn't asked to borrow the car yet.

(sigh, I love those....thanks, Auntie Beck!)

I love that Sam can read his own cards now...

WHAAAAA---????  A BIONICLE DINOSAUR??? SHUT UP!!!! 

WHO WILL PUT THIS AWESOME THING TOGETHER???

Right.  Me.  Remind me why I thought this was a good idea???

Another day to rest on Thursday, before today's EXTRA big day. 

KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION.

Tell me what is cuter than 6-year olds in little silk caps, singing songs. 

RIGHT--them getting up and reading poetry in little groups. 

Right.  Yes.  What's cuter than THAT??

Oh--yeach kid coming up, reading out the list of "what kindergarten means to me".  Sam's list went something like lunch, gym, music, art, snack, recess, books.  Atta boy.

Jane COMPLETLEY enjoyed the whole thing.  Especially the singing.  This girl CAN NOT WAIT to be in school. 

One last song...that HAS to be it for cuteness...WAIT--they aren't going to.....

Yup.  They all cheered and tossed their caps in the air.  I am officially on adorable-overload.

They each were called up and recieved their diploma, a little goody bag, and Mrs. Bowler said something wonderful about each kid as they came up...it was thoughtful and touching!

See the silhouettes in the back?  The teachers said it was a challenge to see of the parents could pick out their own kids....needless to say, we had NO problem...

Doesn't he look like a Peanuts character???

A little reception in the classroom, and Sam pulled me from friend to friend, asking me to take their photo....when your mom's a photographer, I guess that's what you do, huh?

With his teachers, Mrs Bowler and Mrs Tasca.  Wonderful women, incredible teachers.  We're grateful.

ANd just like that, he's 6, and finished with kindergarten AND special education.  He'll do one month at the start of the next school year in speech therapy before he is officially moved out of the special ed program.  I am beside myself with pride--I find myself walking a little taller, just thinking about it.  It is an amazing thing, watching your tiny baby turn into this bright, loving, kind and funny kid....You make us so happy, Sam!!  Onto FIRST GRADE! 

 

SIX

I am not entirely sure how it happened, but I am suddenly the mother of a six-year-old boy. 

To say that I am proud of our son is a terrible understatement.  This bright bubbly dinosaur-loving boy is our absolute joy.  I am the kind of mom who sees these milestones as "little bereavements" too, and just like the night before his first birthday, I spent a moment over his bed and watched him sleep, knowing that a little piece has slipped through my fingers.  Though I am so excited to see what year SIX has in store for him!  I read a cute little book before I was married written from the point of view of the mother of the bride.  She remarked that although the umbilical cord is cut right after birth, there is always an invisible string that connects a mother to her children, and though it gets longer and longer the older they get, and the further they travel, that connection is ever-present.  Today that invisible string that connects my heart to my son stretches a little longer, but it is with a full and happy heart that I send Sam out into the world of being 6.

(now, I KNOW that the song plays twice.  It was just THAT perfect.)

fixed

well, if there was ever an example of the power of positive thinking, here it is....

So you know the little iMac died.  Rushed it to the ER (apple store) and the prognosis was not good, and that MAYBE the entire memory would be wiped during the fix.  They'll try one thing first ($150 part) then another ($600 part).

Hem, haw, what do we do, I need a computer, the most important tool next to my Nikon. So we decide to buy a new iMac.

Wait--I think I get a discount as a member of the Professional Photographer's Association! YES!

Okay, order placed last thursday.  Will arrive on Monday.  YAY!  My birthday!

Then we get a note, delay delay delay, maybe not until Wednesday.  Or Thursday.

Grumble grumble grumble.

Yesterday, we get the shipping notice...will arrive on Monday after all!  YAY!  My birthday!

But still, I am going to lose a LOT of personal stuff from the old computer.  Chin up, carry on.

Today. 

My birthday.

New iMac arrives.  It is love at first sight.  The 24-inch monitor is heavenly, and I can't wait to get back to editing.

Phone rings, as I am playing with the new baby.

HI!  It's the apple store!  We fixed the iMac!  The first (and cheapest) fix worked.  Wanna come and pick it up?  We'll tell you how to transfer over all of your files to your new computer! 

(pause for heart to joyfully flutter for a moment)

Today's happy birthday brought to me in part by Apple.  And silver linings.

Birthday post to follow.  As soon as I stop swooning over the iMama.

broken

EVERYTHING seems to be broken at this moment.

On Wednesday, my computer died. DIED. And while all of my images and most important things are safe and sound on my external hard drives (let this be a lesson--BACK UP YOUR FILES.) there are still plenty of things I am going to miss should the files turn out to be unrecoverable.

It was the last straw in a long string of broken things and I thought I was going headfirst over the deep end. It started a month ago when a memory card jammed up during a photo shoot, and it was recovery software that had to rescue the images. (which it DID). A few weeks ago, I snagged my engagement ring on a mattress that TK and I were carrying upstairs, pulling a prong out enough to make my diamond rattle around in it's little socket. Until I can get to my favorite jewelers in Medfield, it is tucked away, and decidedly NOT on my hand, where I prefer it to be.  And now, my beloved iMac G5 is in the morgue.

BUT.

Because, despite myself, I am a silver-lining girl, here's the upside:

This mommy is getting a big fat super-fast, 24-inch NEW iMac.  Arriving on Monday.  My birthday.  Thank you, birthday fairy.  And should the old G5 end up being repaired, it will find a new home in the kids playroom, where they will learn how to google things like "college courses for aspiring paleontologists" and "how to track down the home address of your gymnastics teacher".  Aaah, the circle of life.

A trip to Medfield to drop off the ring means I get to visit my cousin Michelle in her new house, and Sam and Jane get to play with their cousins Maxwell and JJ.  That's pretty sweet. Not to mention that my ring has not been properly cleaned in about 3 years, so the sparkle factor alone will be worth the trip.

And the jamming of the memory cards, well, there is no real upside to that, except for the hope that one is allotted only a few real episodes of "worst case scenarios", and I am hoping that I have met my quota.

Aaaaaaand, it is my birthday weekend.  And Sam's.  And tomorrow his best friend Mekhai is coming over for the day, I am taking them out for pizza and to see the movie Up, and celebrate Sam in all of his almost-six-ness.  How can a person see ANYTHING but a silver lining in that??

(I DO promise lots of photos, but you're not going to see them until the new iMama is up and running.)

favorite overload

I hope you know by now that if you don't see me for a few days, it is because I am a photo-editing fool.  This last week was no exception, and I am here today to share an absolutely amazing engagement session.  I met Jaimie and Rich at Megan & Jeff McGuinness' incredible wedding last summer and was so thrilled when they hired us to shoot THEIR wedding this summer.  We met up in South Norwalk, Connecticut a few weeks ago on a perfect evening, and strolled through the cutest little town,and the marina down the road from their house.  They are both so fun and photogenic (a killer combination) and I was exited to sit down with their photos. 

As I edit photos, I tend to find one or two that make me shout "Favorite!!" aloud at my desk.  As I was editing these photos, I heard myself hollering throughout the entire edit!  So many of these are going to be forever favorites of mine, and I couldn't wait to share a bunch....

Jaimie & Rich, can't wait for July!

super extra favorite coming up....

 

 

and hellooooooo, solar flare.