My model for the day

HANNA

scary skate

Took the girls to skateland last night. The PTA has about one family skate night a month. This month, being Halloween, we got to go in costume. It was fun. I was the only "cool" parent that dressed up (as far as I could tell).




Eden's outfit she wore to school. Totally cute. I loved the socks.




And a couple of Lizzy Bear.

Hi, I'm Charlotte and I'm a photoholic

I try never to miss an opportunity to take a picture of something I find interesting. So as a result, I am usually toting my camera everywhere.

Like last night, we went to pick up Eden from dance and I brought my camera "just in case". While I was waiting in the car, I shot this photo.



This is just to illustrate how utterly and hopelessly addicted I am.

4-year-old fashion

This is what happens when you let a 4 year old dress herself.



The funny thing is, the first thing my husband said when Emma came downstairs to show us her outfit was "I had nothing to do with this", as if I would immediately assume by the mismatched articles of clothing that he must have dressed her. No, I can tell when he dresses her, the pants are pulled up to her armpits.

But does it matter when they look this darn cute?

Dreaming

I'm dreaming of lenses and tripods and filters. Landscapes and portraits and flowers. Composition and editing and canvas prints. I've been bitten by the photography bug and I've got it BAD.

I ordered my first canvas print (as a trial) and WOW. That's all I can say. I LOVE it! I only got the 8 x 10 size because it was the cheapest (yet still spendy) and because I didn't want to spend a ton of money on a huge canvas that didn't turn out. Playing it safe, if you will. But now that I know how spectacular they are, I just want to turn my house into a studio! They are gorgeous.

I love this picture of Emma. Her eyes (well, the one you can see anyway) were so crystal clear and blue.



I didn't like the way these next three came out (that was my own fault) but Emma still looks cute.





This one is funny.



some random barn



I like the next few. It really changes the composition when you lay on the ground




She looks like she is doing tai chi or something





Stinkin' wind. Ruined a lot of potentially great shots of Emma, blowing her hair in her face.

Polarizing Filter

Got a polarizing filter for my camera today. WOW! What a difference it makes taking pictures in the midday sun!

Have you ever noticed how washed out your pictures can look when the sun is high in the sky? It's a really bad time to take great pictures. Anything that reflects the sun ends up to be blown out. And the sky looks white, rather than blue. A polarizing filter is supposed to help with that.

Look at the difference:
(note: these are unedited straight from the camera)

. . . . . no filter . . . . .


. . . . . filter . . . . .


There is still a glare (possibly because I bought the cheaper of the two filters they had at the camera store - half the price) but still a big difference

What about me?

This would've been cute except for the stick Eden insisted on shoving down the back of her shorts


And here again


We'll stick to front shots today


The other night at dinner I was giving my 4 year old, Emma, lots of praise because she was eating very good (for her). It's such a challenge sometimes to get her to even try her dinner. Usually she'll just turn up her nose and ask for peanut butter bread (the old stand by).

Anyway, like I said, we were praising her highly for eating well, and throwing in a little added "Isn't she so cute?!" just because. As usual, when we tell one of the other girls how cute, special, etc. they are that Eden (our 8 year old) will pipe up, saying "Bear?". Which means, "Mama Bear, Papa Bear.....what about Eden Bear?".

It's gotten a bit ridiculous, actually. Because it's ALL the time. And it's not as though she is lacking in the compliments department. I am constantly telling her how beautiful, smart, and funny she is. I'm always begging to take her picture. She's beautiful, and she knows it.

So anyway, after she said something, we kicked it up a notch. We went crazy with the "aren't you so cute, Emma" just to tease Eden a little bit. And then Eden started to cry! So we sent her to her room. After dinner I went up to talk to her to find out why she started crying just because I was praising Emma.

"Because you were teasing me". Ok, ok, maybe I did go a little overboard, but I was only trying to prove a point. I explained to her that I praise all my children when they've done something good (and sometimes just because I think they are so darn cute) and just because I tell one child they've done something marvelous, doesn't mean I don't think Eden is marvelous too. I apologized for teasing her but told her she shouldn't expect a compliment every time someone else gets one.

I used to see jealousy like that with Hanna too. Whenever I'd tell Eden she was [enter compliment here], Hanna would say, "What about me?". She isn't like that anymore although when I develop ONE MORE picture of Eden or hang up ONE MORE drawing that Emma has done, Hanna will say she's jealous. Haha...good old competition. Now if she'd show that same competitive spirit on the volleyball court!

Eden and Emma on a walk


(Hanna didn't want to come along)