at the car wash.

Going through photos from last year and I thought these were appropriate to post on this very windy, below zero temps with wind-chill, snowy day. Just last weekend it was sunny and 50 and Eric washed the car. But I guess winter isn't over just yet.

slice of life: wall-e and eve.

This boy is so silly sometime. When he got home from school I gave him his very, very late birthday present - Wall-E and Eve figurines. We both love the movie Wall-E so much. He followed me upstairs while I did some things in my room. He was just happy playing on the floor. I almost didn't run downstairs to get my camera. But I'm very glad I did. I'm glad I captured his joy on this day.

five minutes.

Okay, so maybe it was more like ten minutes with Max.
(I am not going to call this a new project because I'll surely fall flat on my face and never shoot another five minutes again. HA!)

seven.

And just like that - he is seven.

How did that happen?....

skyping.

oh you know...just a little skyping each other while they sit on the couch.
doesn't everybody do that?

(can you find me in the photos?...)

gru.

One of my favorite photographers out there in the big old world of photography is the lovely and talented Melissa Gibson. Please, I beg of you, take the time to click on the link that is her name and check out her photography website. Oh my goodness - you will fall in love just as I did!
She has recently been taking photos of her daughters' toys and they are amazing! Just go look for yourself - please! She talked a little bit more about the project here on the Clickin Moms website.

The other day I went to Barnes & Noble to pick-up a couple of books and looked around at the toys a bit. And I found Gru! I had to buy him. And having a boy who is totally into Despicable Me right now was the perfect excuse (cause really I just wanted to by Gru for me...still a bit of a kid when it comes to cool figurines...I digress...) Then today we woke up to fog. Thick, thick fog...and it was the perfect set-up for a Gru portrait.

(I'd like to think he's scheming up a way to get rid of the fog that's lingered for weeks...)

My goal for the month of January is to take at least one photo a day. Who knows? Maybe I'll get crazy and turn it into a 365 project. Time will tell. In the meantime, I'll be challenging myself to get out of the box and take some different photos this month. Today was just the beginning.

a.

thankful: for photography and snow.

We got snow last Friday. Eric was taking the Passat into the dealer for work and I wasn't about to drive the new Pilot up the big hill to school, so Max had some time to play before dad got home and took him to school. We don't get snow often, and when we do it kind of wrecks havoc on the roads. Let's just say we don't get much practice driving in snowy, icy conditions...
Anyway, Max got all bundled-up and headed out to play in the snow. I grabbed my camera (again, not many opportunities to take photos of the snow...) and stood in the garage and snapped away while he played.
I'm thankful the for snow we get on occasion. It brings out the child-like wonder in all of us. I still get a little giddy when I see the snow falling before I head to bed, or when I wake-up and find an inch or two on the ground. It's fun. It's magical.
Max decided to try some snow and see how it tastes.
In these pictures I can see in his face just a hint of the baby/toddler face he once had.
Perhaps I see it more now since I'm pregnant and getting ready to welcome another little face to the family - I don't know... But it does make me realize just how big Max is getting. It makes me happy and a bit sad all at the same time. There is a part of me that wishes I could keep him little forever - with big hazel eyes, long lashes, round cheeks, the perfect little nose... I know I can't keep him little though.

So with a grateful heart I pick-up my camera and try to capture a bit of his littleness while I still can.

slice of life: lately.

The past two weeks have been a blur...

Max was sick with a stomach bug a little over a week ago. Why do kids always - ALWAYS! - get sick in the middle of the night? What's that phenomenon all about? We did the hard parenting work of changing sheets, and putting laundry on to wash, and holding buckets all night long. I stayed in his room all night in case he got sick again (which he did). I think it's a mom thing - I couldn't stand to see him so sick and I just had to lay on his bed and help him through the night. We dozed a bit but I was wide awake with any sudden movements. It was a long night and day, but we survived.

We headed north to Tacoma for Thanksgiving this year. Eric's sister and her boyfriend hosted for the first time. It was a good time. Though the car ride up was a bit of a disaster with a not so happy boy in the backseat who really just wanted us to stop the car and leave him on the side of the road so he could go home. But as soon as we got to our destination he was all smiles and was entertained. It's amazing how kid emotions can swing so wide and so quickly.

We've spent the long weekend getting holiday decorations out and up around the house. Eric put up the outdoor lights, I have put up some of our decor. But mostly we've just been enjoying the time to just chill-out and relax and enjoy our time together.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
a

children.

The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity

in which we are permitted to remain children

all our lives.

~Albert Einstein~