Flash much?

Love this laugh!

I apparently don't. Imagine my surprise when I tried to shoot in manual out in the dark and then went d'oh. This photo was after taking one of AG with the flash..she laughed so hard b/c she's NEVER seen the flash ROFL.

Thanksgiving was good...I had a great time with my brothers and my SIL and my kids and husband and Mom and Gram. My inlaws were also here. My tree is up and everything is all decorated (minus the mini trees and lights in the bedrooms). We had turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, jello, green beans, yams and pies. YUM. I love the holidays.

Downtown Lights

K was in a concert downtown for the lighting of the creche at a local church..and it was simply lovely- the lights and the singing...really put me in the mood and makes me grateful for everything going on in my life. Life is good :)

School is over in two weeks...it's crunch time and i am trying, trying to stay stress-free. Next term isn't until Jan 11th! My birthday is this week and I *think* I get to play driver for my teenager that day She has a concert (thinks she might have a speech tournament- but can't do both) and also has a dance that night for school-semi-formal. Aye ai ai...I've got no life anymore.
Shopping here is done and presents are wrapped...the newsletter is all typed out..I have to apply changes to it and figure out what to print it on but otherwise I am *set* for the holidays. I can't wait. We leave the day after xmas (hopefully) to Florida for a week. Should be a wonderful break.

Paper Flower Bouquet I made for my Gram's 95th Bday

From Our Family to Yours- have a great holiday season!

New Park, New Shoot

Here are some nuggets from today..all straight out of the camera....except for one of her at an angle!

Tons more on my FB page....will try and upload more later!!! It's EMMY time!

Another year- Another Shoot

It's that time of year again. Well a bit early but with the way my semester is set up..probably not :) I had to get the kids pics done before xmas and decide on a photo. I was going to go with more enforcements..namely their father since he can get them to laugh (although a lot of times he gets them laughing TOO much- ask Jess )...so maybe it was divine that he did not go. We got haircuts for two of the three and I realized that RAIN was moving in. I don't mind rain but the actual sky when it's overcast is FANtastic for photo taking!

The kids did well! I was amazed....we hadn't eaten lunch yet so maybe starving your kids is the way to go :) Seriously we ventured to a new park..I was a bit tired of the barn at our local one....and didn't want to brave my fave one that has a lot of unsavory ppl in it. I bribed the brood with pizza from their fave place if they cooperated and it worked! The park is fantastic and we only ventured in a few feet...they were having a blast exploring and I *think* this shoot worked better than most since I channeled my inner Tara Whitney and just did it. Let them do their thing and snapped a TON of pics. 195 is a huge amt for me. But it was a success. I have a lot of good ones..some bad ones and my faves as usual are the candid ones of us - with ME in them.

I promised the kids we'd go back and hike....there are caves and dungeon like areas inside and it was so cool...railroad tracks (active though) and other things to see....but like I said the rain was coming fast. Outtakes are all shown here. I'll put some of my faves up on my photo blog. If you want to see ALL 195..drop me an email....I'm uploading to shutterfly now.

I love their deal w/Archivers...for the last two years now we've earned our xmas photos FREE...so stinking cool...and another reason to get them done early. Now to work on the newsletter....and get them all stuffed and ready for shipping at xmas time.

If you've asked me to take your family pics this holiday- just email me...now's a good time to head out - when it's cooler but not super cold....and it's not super hot anymore either.

Painting - or gifts cheap

Yep..we are having the kids do ornaments for the family and for our tree..they did a great job with them too. I think they'll make great teacher gifts, etc. Here's some pics of them working on them. AG had more paint on HER than on the actual ornament.

I threw an extra of the dog..just because we haven't had pics of him lately...he's still cute like a puppy and full grown now. He'll be TWO in Jan :) I wonder if I have to have a dog party then? Oy.

Fee

I finally am uploading layouts

I took my whomping big pile that has kind of backed up over the last 6 mos and took pics and found homes for them in albums. :) After AG sprayed my WHOLE dining room and scrap area w/water in early August I decided that I had a death wish concerning my work. :)

I'll upload my faves here!
Fee

Owl Pellets

Yes I said Owl pellets - or more appropriately puke. I dissected some last year in Bio..and brought the skeleton home for the kids. They promptly thought it was the *coolest* thing evah and asked to bring it to school. I emailed the teachers first lest they thought my kids were killing animals :)

So when we were at the Museum (where we have that membership- so 10% off in gift shop too...score) I picked up three Owl pellets. Little did I know that K would have no desire to look at them But of course. But M's friend was over so they all worked together on them. They even provided a little chart to determine what bones they are....it occupied (as AG would say) them for a good long while.

Then we took the kids to the Milwaukee Public Museum....it had *the* best butterfly exhibit ever....a butterfly area where thousands are in there and bred. They fly free around you. Otherwise it was a quarter of the size of the MSI in Chicago and not as nice at all. But we also got Kopp's custard and their YUMMY burgers- so hey- not a bad trade off right????!

Everyone is sort of settling into their routine. AG is having a hard time with the fact that school is 7 days a week and goes for hours at a time. She started by crying her eyes out the first days..and has bad days still. She thought that since she was off on Monday (Labor day) that meant she went NO more mondays..poor dear.

Other than that..*I* am settling in to my 3 classes...2 have started...I go out in the field to do an experiment this thursday...and we get in boats at some point..I hope it's before November :)

Off to help the young one try her bike without training wheels :)

Peace out folks...

Fee

Par-Tay

I think I say that same title every year LOL..it's true though..it's party time in the house..I'm so excited....the kids are all in school and while it was true that all three were in school for the first time *last* year...this year all three are in school ALL day long. WHEEE...I don't start til next week and have already sat and just marveled at the *silence*
I had all the kids up and ready on time. No buses this year....well the only school that would bus would be middle for M but I don't like the time it picks them up and Nana is here to drive them so what the heck..why not?!
Anyway...M lost his shoes this am..so we are rushing out the door and then we had to rush around..turns out they were in the entryway where they were on the mat.....he says: I never thought to look for them there...we all had a great laugh over that one. K and M start at the same time practically -5 min apart so it will be fun getting from one school to the other. He also told me when I let him out...yeah yeah Mom- I've heard it all before when I told him have a good day. Stinker. :) K looked so grown up...took my breath away..I'm hoping she's having an awesome first day. She's in all honors and is freaked b/c a lot of her classes are in the junior/senior wing of school.
AG was freaked out..so Kev and I both walked her to school..I had the kids put up their fingers for the # of year they were in school (I saw this in a magazine once but also Jill's pics reminded me- thanks Jill!!!) and I told AG to put up her finger for 1st grade and I hear Kev say: But not THAT finger A. She laughed *so* hard and was giggling the whole time. Cute. I asked what finger Daddy meant and she giggled: My middle finger. Oy. Anyway....I can't believe another year has gone by. And I hope that they are having the BEST DAY EVER...sang in my best Spongebob Squarepants VOICE! Hugs all, Fee

More Random Photos

Lots of pics lately

a random fire escape...reminder..go without kids..since I was getting scolded for stopping in the middle of the road

I've been using the camera more and it's been nice. And just to take pics of things that interest me as you will soon see :)

the "bean" downtown chicago- loved how you could see the city in it!

a different perspective from the stroller :)

<----first day of high school....notice the happy face..actually this was only orientation day.

First day- Orientation

I can't believe it..but K started High School today....funny that a week or so ago I got the invite to my 20th HS reunion (not attending but still). I dropped her off with her friends for orientation and as we speak she is outside hanging out with the "gang" to see who has what - when :)

Such an exciting time. Tonight is the first Freshman Mixer...maybe they are breaking the parents in gently to Homecoming when she attends with ALL grades? So tonight a dance...she's going with her group of friends....not sure what I'll do when she's invited to a dance by 1 person..aka a BOY - we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. She's becoming an adult so fast it seems. I managed to snap some pics. Next week I *will* get more on the first day of school LOL

I have three kids in three different schools this year- AG is in 1st grade and freaking out.....M will be in middle school and K is in high school. Fun times. I go back on the 1st of September..nice that I have a week to settle them and my Mom into a routine!

Supporting our Museums

It started as an innocent venture. I had to go to the Museum of Science and Industry's website to get tickets to go on this monday. By the time I added in the Harry Potter Exhibit and then movie tickets for the kids to see it with Sink's kids and Sink..I realized that we would be foolish to not just JOIN the museum for the year. It's been *years* since I've been there....before they remodeled and removed a bunch of stuff. But it was only $99? maybe a bit more for a year long membership and now I can take the kids whenever I want! I have got to go alone..with just adults though..because the kids rushed me through when I'd rather have READ the descriptions of things.

My observations:
-miss the stages of development with the fetuses..they claim they will be back

-miss the heart..what is the museum without the heart.

-miss the food area...sad it's gone.

-the castle is much smaller than I remembered as a child. The room was also darker than I remembered and I had no time to just listen.

-the place is now set up more like an amusement park...everything lets out into a gift shop..clever

-I like it..being involved in Science now...I really like our museum and they have reciprocal agreements with LOTS of area museums. I can't wait to go the the Milwaukee Public Museum..I've never been or if I have it was when I was a kid. I also can't wait for the Botanical Gardens in Milwaukee and our Morton Aboretum. If you haven't checked out our museums you should!

Fee