If you ask me

where I was last night, you'll most likely hear......"at the ballpark."

Other Website

So, some of you know that I take pictures. I see a great photo op everywhere I look. It's in my blood and I believe it is what I was meant to do. I play around a bit with photography and have been lucky enough to have been able to contribute a little to the family finances with it. However, I get very uncomfortable when people call me a "professional" photographer. That, I am not. I love what I do but don't like the responsibility associated with being a "professional." I'm an artist. How's that? That way it is my vision, and if you don't like my vision - that's okay. If I'm a professional and you don't like my work, I'm in trouble. Anyway, thought I'd put my site out there if anyone was interested in taste testing some of the work.

grandphotography.info - you can follow some of the more recent links and view other albums as well. Enjoy!

My Funny Friend

My friend, shannonofthewoods (her new blogger identity!), makes me laugh. We became friends when we were roommates in college. We both hung out for summer school one year and I'm telling you, she is flat out funny. She says what she thinks and whatever she thinks is usually funny or deeply insightful. Sometimes both.

I could go on and on about how stinking great she is. But I won't. Just go check out her blog. Someone should pay her for writing it - they probably do. Shannonofthewoods.blogspot.com. Enjoy yourself while you're there.

Play Ball!

We're back at it again. It's baseball season and here we go! Trial run last night - first night at the ball park and we survived, but I've got room for improvement.

WE PACKED:
pretzels
water bottle for everyone (sidenote: bought CHEAP waterbottles and right after I filled them with purple koolaid - a treat - IMG dropped hers and it shattered on the tile floor!!! Yes, it did splash onto the new carpet and yes, the new carpet's claim to be stain resistant is true!)
crayons and books
camera
"the bench" - photo soon!
jackets
tiny plastic toys to play in the dirt
wet wipes
princess potty chair (no potty at the park????!!!)
hand sanitizer

ON THE WAY TO THE PARK WE:
picked up BN's friend
picked up secret teacher gift stuff from room mom
picked up 30 nuggets to feed 6 kids
arrived on time to the ball park
delivered pull-over to ballplayer son

AT THE PARK:

Set everyone/everything up.

Enjoyed awesome first game!

Visited with other ball moms and grandmas. Put out occasional sibling fires - quite a few actually (She's sitting on my chair. He's touching my red crayon. I want to go to the playground WAAAAAy over there by myself.)

Took many trips to the van so small people could sit on princess potty.

Emptied princess potty on nearby tree. Gross, I know.

Guess what! One time it was #2~!!! Even MORE gross! Not the worst poop story I could tell, though.

We lost the game. The camera battery went dead. And, I just realized right now (lunch time the next day) that I forgot to give chicken nuggets to the other son who rode with hubby. He didn't get dinner last night. Guess we'll have to count that bag of pretzels and bottle of kool aid he drank!!

Mom...Mom....Mom....STOP CALLING ME THAT!

Trying to get ready to leave town - a conversation with my ever-loving-hardly-around husband earlier tonight.

So what are our travel plans for Friday?

NJ from the other room: "Mom...Mom...Mom...these are the Scooby Doo books that Grandma gave me last time I was in Mitchigan and..."

Can we have a decision if it's the green van or the Honda by noon on Thursday so I can get ready?

RM: "...because God was giving the trees and the grass and the garden more water. And the flowers. Mommy, that's why the rain is out..."

What difference does it make?

BN and her friend BL in the other room just being loud.

Because I want to be packed and ready Thursday. Everything in the car except the people!

NC: "Mom, you know we practice too much. Three times a week is just too much for a nine year-old..."

Not sure why you care. I'm the one who will load the car.

NJ from chair..."Mommy, and I want to sleep on the top bunk..."

I'm the one who packs and if we have to put it all in the cartop carrier, it matters.

RM from table..."and I can color if I want to. He's not the boss of me..."

You will come home from Nathan's practice and be too tired...

BN..."Mommy, um, not at the door, but in my room she was asking to stay for dinner..."

I will not.

IM "Mommy....OOOOWWWE (fake crying). I pinched my finger in the door..."

NJ: "Mommy, what is this? Do we have the Leder, Leadster, Leapster still?"

Whatever, I'm just saying that if we are ready Thursday nite...

RM "I don't know where the super hero went. I think it went back in the cabinet. Mommy, I want the princess book..."

Okay. You just let me know when it is convenient for you and I will get it done. I'm the wife. That's what I do.

RM: Mommy, he gets to play Leapster??"
NJ: "Yes, she said I could. It's not your turn."
RM "Mommy...am I doing good choices?"

Are we still planning on coming home Sunday afternoon?

IM: "Mommy, she won't help me clean..."

I'll make sure *** can keep the dog until then.

IM: "Mommy, what kind of train sneezes? A choo choo train. Get it? A choo choo train."

RM: "Mommy, and I doing good choices?

I love you honey and you drive me nuts.

RM: "Mommy, am I doing good choices?"

Yes. You are doing good choices.

RM: YES!! I AM DOING GOOD CHOICES AND I AM COLORING AND I AM NOT DOING BAD CHOICES!!

Welcome to my world. :)

The Mom Song

You have to listen, laugh, and maybe even pee! (sorry to those who haven't had children - those who have, understand that last part!)

Snow ...

Okay - so some day my kids are going to talk about how mom would go into these rages of "I must take a picture and I must take it right now!". The other day was one of those. It was snowing great big flakes and I had seen an image that inspired me. So, we went to the backyard and took some pics. I think they had fun and hey - they got a sucker out of the deal!