Eyes: Weekend Photography Challenge

This first picture is one of my all time favorites. I love it because it's so rare that my Emma will look straight in the camera for me. I didn't crop it because I loved the original composition. I have edited it and can't decide which form is the best because I like them all really.

Real

Dreamy

Dreamier

Black & White

* * *

I like this one simply because you can see my reflection in her eye so clearly.

I love the color and the clarity in this last one.

silly girls

trip to the doc

The doctor said I don't have a fracture and that I can start walking on it as much as I can tolorate it. Which, unfortunately, is not at all right now. I just can't put any pressure on it, hurts too dang bad. If I have my sexy boot on, I can. But without the boot, forget about it! You know how it feels if you jump off of something that was a little too high and it stings your ankles when you land? That's what it feels like, at a constant, when I try to put weight on it. Sucks!

He also said that it looked like I had a subungual hematoma. There was a ridge at the base of my toenail that was REALLY sensitive. So he was pushing and squeezing on my toenail, asking me to tell him when it hurt, which made me sweaty, lightheaded and nauseous, but surprisingly didn't hurt! I almost hurled when he first told me he was going to touch it! If I could have run away, I would have. By the time he was done with the exam I was a shaky sweaty useless skin tube. It took a lot out of me, all because I was deathly afraid of him inflicting pain. He didn't look like a doctor, more like a football player. The dude was huge. Not in a fat way, but a 6'5" bundle of muscle and a "I'm a professional athlete and I could crush you with my pinkie" sort of way. I prefer my much smaller regular doctor, even though he probes me. HA!

So, anyway, he said he wished I didn't have toenail polish on so he could see better (DANG! Why did I have to paint my toes 3 weeks ago!), and I just wanted to apologize profusely for having painted them. He said he could drill a tiny hole in my toenail to let out the blood that was creating the pressure before it got any worse but he could see that I was no where near wanting him to do it if it wasn't absolutely necessary. Oh really? How could you tell? Is it because I turned 5 shades whiter than my already pasty self? Or was it the fact that I'm now a puddle on the floor by my chair? I honestly don't know how I stayed conscious after I heard the word "drill" being used in the same sentence as "toenail".

But I made it out alive. And I managed to drain the blood from underneath my toenail myself that night. I was determined not to have to go back and let Dr. Does This Hurt do it. "No thanks! I got this." It is still sore and I can still feel pressure when I bend my toe, probably didn't get all the blood out. Maybe I'll take another crack at it, who knows.

Another good thing is that I can start weight lifting anytime. I should be walking normally in a couple weeks and back to running in about a month.

integrity

Yesterday, my sweet husband came home from work to take me to the doctor (more on that later). So I got in his car and looked down to see what appeared to be underwear in the door pocket thinger. I went to grab it, feeling a split second (just a split second) of panic surge through my veins when I realized it was my sheer scarf I had forgotten on our last date. HAHAHA!! I told him when he climbed in the car that at first glance I thought it was underwear and he started to laugh and said I should blog about it. So I did.

My split second of panic was due to plain old stupidity. Just a gosh darn brain fart is what it was. I have never EVER trusted anyone more in my entire 35 years than I trust Andreas. You just can't help but trust this man. He has impeccable morals and values, and doesn't much care to bend any rules. All in all, a model citizen. A freak of nature, really (and I say that in the most loving way possible). I mean, how many people can you say you know that are like that, honestly? Not many.

integrity: adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty. In a word, Andreas.

I will give you some examples of his level of integrity:

He won't let the kids use the popular "sentence enhancer" darn. It comes naturally out of most peoples mouths, at least the mouths of kids and others who choose not to use the more potty-mouthed version, damn. So, it took them a while to learn not to say it. Now, if it slips out, they instantly look at Andreas to see if he caught it and what he's going to say about it. *snicker, snicker* I personally don't care that much about it if the kids say darn or crap. I know it doesn't help their chances of obtaining perfection, but it just isn't a big deal to me. Because I'm not on his level of integrity. And that is why I am in awe of him everyday. It means something to him. And while I might tease him about it, saying it's a bit silly, maybe a little too strict, I really think it's an admirable quality. Because not many people (myself included) really care. Some people have a problem saying one sentence without a swear word and it just makes them look stupid and vulgar.

He's not a rule bender. The kids will be in booster car seats until the DAY they are the EXACT weight they need to be to ride without one. There is no exception. We will not sneak branches into the dumpster that says "NO BRANCHES" even though there are tons of branches in it already.

These examples are just a drop in the bucket. And although it may seem a little like I'm making fun of him, I'm simply pointing out that my moment of panic was foolish. I love him SO much. I respect him and admire him as much as humanly possible.

ankle

Here's a picture of what my foot is supposed to look like. Yes, veiny and pasty white.



And this is my owie. My skin has a funny texture from the sock I wear underneath my sexy boot.



Normal


Abnormal


My toe. Not sure how that happened, but it hurts like the dickens!

Going to see the ortho dr. tomorrow.

I've been able to walk on it in my boot today without crutches...yay! I've been doing laundry and I even got a mini weight training session in too! (shhh...don't tell my mom) Give me exercise or give me death!

Fun with Pappa Bear!

Props

I read that if you give people props (especially children), they can be easier to photograph. It helps them relax and gives them something to do with their hands. And it's true! It is really hard to get good pictures of Emma because a lot of the time she runs away or ducks to avoid the camera. But when I gave her the umbrella, it became fun! I was very pleased. I took over 300 pictures between her and Eden in a span of about 10 minutes. There were SO MANY keepers! It was hard to choose which ones to edit from the bunch. Editing photos can be somewhat time consuming, BUT since I'm not able to walk....:(.....there isn't much else I can do. And it makes me happy.

So here's our prop. The umbrella.

ouch!

I had a little mishap last night. I went for a nice little jog and when I came back, the kids were all busy doing their own thing so my husband and I decided it was a good opportunity for us to spend a little time together....playing basketball.

It's been so fun playing with the kids but you always have to be careful you don't step on any little toes or bonk any heads. So as long as it was just us two, I decided I was going to kick it up a notch.

It's not easy when you are 5'6" playing basketball against someone who it 6'3", especially when this person's "signature move" is sticking out his booty and butting his opponents out of the way. It's nearly impossible to get around that thing! But I was determined this time. I waited for the perfect moment to make my move. I did a little juke to the right to fake him out, then with my cat-like reflexes I swirled around to the left to steal away the ball. I don't know what happened next, but I'm pretty sure that booty swung around and knocked me to the ground. On my way down I thought to myself "well, here come the scraped up knees I knew I was going to get sooner or later". But I didn't get a scratch. I did, however, mess up my ankle pretty bad. The second I hit the ground it blew up 5 times it's normal size. I mean, it was instantaneous.

So, while I sat on the driveway, whining about how this was seriously going to screw up my plans to aerobisize my way into a bikini by June, all the neighborhood kids ran over to gawk at my distorted ankle. I felt a bit like a freak show. You know kids and their uncanny ability to comment on your appearance without regard to your feelings or insecurities. I mean, I can't tell you how many times I've almost brushed the enamel off my teeth because my kids have told me my teeth are yellow. That's just the color they are!!! I can't help it!!!! Leave me alone!!!

kid 1: "Oooooh, poor mommy!" -note, this was not MY kid

kid 2: "Loooooooooook at it! It's so FAT!!"

kid 3: "That's not very nice."

kid 2: "Well it is!"

kid 1: "Does it hurt? Touch it! Can I touch it? Would it hurt if I touched it?"

kid 2: "It's so FAT!!"

kid 3: "I think he's trying to run us over" - referring to Andreas, backing the van out of the garage to take me to the doctor.

Me: "I think he's going to try to put me out of my misery" (chuckle, snort)

3 kids staring with wide-eyed horror at me.

Me: "I'm KIDDING"

Anyway, after looking at the x-rays, the ER doctor said it looked like I had a chip in my ankle but she couldn't be 100% positive that's what she was seeing. So she would have the radiologist call me and let me know. At the moment, I have a nifty black boot on my leg, and I'm trying to maneuver my way around on crutches.




That's my pretty boot. I'm not sure what they will do if there is, in fact, a chip in my bone. I have to see an ortho doctor next Tuesday. Ugh. The weird thing is, my big toe hurts almost worse than my ankle. I can't imagine how the heck I managed to hurt my toe.

If there is anything enjoyable about this experience it's seeing how concerned my kids are about me. Right away, as soon as they found out I was hurt, they came running to my side. They are so attentive and helpful. Eden made coffee this morning before Andreas and I even got downstairs. And they want to help out in any way they can. It warms my heart to know I have such caring little peeps.

beauty

The sunrises have been absolutely breathtaking lately! I really never have been a morning person, until having kids and then you have no choice. But mornings like this make me wonder why anyone would NOT be a morning person! So much beauty.




The light was shining so brightly in Eden's room this morning. When I went in to wake her up she was standing there, like an angel, glowing in the morning sun.






There is such a sweet and innocent beauty in these photos.


See my reflection there in her eye? I love that! Not "ME" necessarily, but the idea of a reflection of a mother in her daughter's eye. I like to think there is a reflection of me in my daughters. A better version, less flawed.