~ a week in photos and words ~

c is for contagious

d is for drinks

e is for enjoying the iPad with elmo

f is for fork

Friday, I got a call from daycare...fever and complaining of an owie in her ear.  So I made an appointment, and after an hour and a half of various tests (none of which made her happy) we came home with nothing but a 102.9 fever and a diagnosis of virus.


Saturday evening, my older daughter watched B. while we went out for supper to celebrate with friends.  A close friend of mine turned 40 and her husband pulled off a surprise party. We almost didn't go because about a half hour before we left, B. vomited. I like this iPhone photo because the drink is the focus, but the party is still shown in the background.  We came home after just a couple of hours to a kiddo with a 103.5 fever! Scary!

lime light (g is for green)

h is for hearts

Sunday was a little better.  Still a fever, and stomach things, but times of "normal". I love this photo because1) B. set it up. She wanted the blankie on the floor (I helped) and then she set up the gorilla, and they played with the iPad.  2) The hair twirl.  She twirls our hair and her own, especially when tired, or sick.



Monday, I was home with B all day.  While still a bit pale and cranky, overall much better and no fever! Yay!  Continuing with the alphabet theme...I chose a for, macro style  for "macro monday".





Tuesday was my first night of class for this semester, so a quick shot of a lime for g is for green!









Wednesday I decided to try an idea that my older daughter, H. found on Pinterest! Fun shape bokeh.  H is for heart, of course! (and I had to get a bit of orange in there somewhere)

I've been thinking a lot about my word; balance. Sometimes I think I even see it in the distance, but mostly it hasn't found me yet.  :-)  I need to go to a show or two I think!  I miss music and spending time with C., just the two of us.  Since B. has been sick I have gotten to spend more time with her, which is nice (the time, not the sick, of course).  And I even had a minute or two to work on a layout (not quite finished, but will post soon).  So maybe balance isn't so far away after all. Notice I haven't mentioned any sort of exercise though!

One thing is for sure, I have not been spending enough time with my parents.  And even more important, B. hasn't been spending enough time with them.  It doesn't help that she has spent the last two weekends with a fever!

Over the last few weeks my father has had several procedures to remove cancerous and pre cancerous cells on his skin.  He worked outside most of his life, so it isn't surprising that it would be catching up with him at this point!  This most recent procedure required quite a bit of tissue to be removed from his nose (dead center, of course), enough to necessitate skin grafting.  This is something they will actually need to knock him out for and it makes me nervous!  He suffered a stroke nearly 15 years ago, and we do believe that there have quite likely been other mini strokes in recent years (there are signs).  Also since the kidney transplant, over four years ago, his health has deteriorated a bit due to the drugs that they have him on to keep him from rejecting my kidney.  AND he has diabetes.  So all of these health concerns are why I am a bit anxious about this upcoming event.  It will be weighing heavy on my mind over the next week!

In my near future:
1.  A show (or two).  I have several on my calendar and I'm ready to go!
2.  A night away with my soul mate.  C. and I have several ideas about how to make this happen.  It involves grandparent babysitters and reservations!
3.  Finish that layout!

And I leave you with a B. story that makes this literacy coach very happy.

B. brings me a pile of books and says, "Mommy, talk these with your mouth."  And that's what I'll focus my orange-colored-glasses-view on this week!

~ explored ~

Busy, busy, busy around here!  I've done a few of my December Daily pages, but I'm still not done!  I will finish!!  :-)  The good weather that we were having when I last posted has left us, and we are experiencing full on winter!  The girls have enjoyed playing outside on occasion.  More snow predicted for later this week!

12/365

M & B on sled

M saying "cheese"

 The last two days I've had photos "explored" on flickr.  This is all new to me, and kinda silly, but also kinda fun!  I find it interesting that I would consider both shots "over done" or a bit cliche.  But, oh well, I'll take it! Here are the two photos.

~ minimal liquid ~  16/365 and 2/52 weeks (theme "liquid") and "minimal" for We're Here! group

 ~ bright & colourful ~  17/365 and "bright and colourful for We're Here! and 112 pictures in 2012

I cannot leave you without a B. story.  She loves pistachios!  I have photos of her eating them.  She can even say the word, and it's quite cute!  Last night, we were watching Pinocchio and B. looked up at us and said, "Can I have some Pitocchios?"

~ balance ~

Happy New Year!

I've started many new projects today!  Last year at this time I began my first 365 (photo a day) project on flickr.  I failed in August.  When I say "failed" I mean that I didn't complete the project, started missing days and gave up.  However, I did (virtually) meet some wonderful people along the way!  Many of them completed their 365's yesterday and are beginning a new one today.  I, too, am beginning again, today!  I am hopeful that I will succeed this year.  Many of the people that I met through the 2011 project, are also doing a 52 week project (one photo per week).  I'm doing that, too!  The social aspect of these flickr groups are really powerful, encouraging, and helpful along the way.  I'm very excited for these two projects!  I will continue to participate in several other groups like 112 pictures in 2012 (I failed at that one last year, too) and one of my favorites, the group We're Here!  I think both of those groups will help move the 365 project along and I will be less likely to get into a rut.  I will overlap photos for these projects as needed.  That should make it more manageable.  Now that I know a bit more about myself and the groups and how it all works, I think I have an advantage as I begin this year.  Overall, my goal is to have fun and learn a little more about photography along the way.

Another project that I started today is called One Little Word 2012.  This is an online class, taught by Ali Edwards through Big Picture Classes.  The basic idea is that you choose a word for the year (or let the word choose you).  This is a word to "focus on, meditate on, and reflect upon" throughout the year.  This year long class guides you through the year with your word by providing monthly prompts to help you get to know your word, focus or refocus around the word, and make your word more visible in your life.  I'm super excited to begin this project!!

I had a difficult time choosing my word!  If you know me at all you know that I have a difficult time making decisions or making up my mind sometimes!  Well, this was no exception!  I thought about the word "present" or "presence".  I thought this might be a good word for me because sometimes I am not "present" with my family like I should be.  Instead of being present, I will be thinking about work, photos, scrapbooking, you name it!  I can't tell you how many times B has come over to me and shut my computer for me!!!  But the word I kept coming back to was "balance".

In my work, it is important to create the perfect balance when providing instruction for students.  That's where I first met my word.  I found myself, over the last year, using the word "balance" a lot when discussing professional books that I was reading, when coaching other teachers, or when working on other projects with my colleagues.

Then I had the miscarriage, another encounter with the word.

After I miscarried my mother gave me a necklace.  The necklace had a gem on it and a round, silver charm with a symbol on it.  My mom isn't really into zodiac signs, but the symbol on the charm is the libra "sign" (which happens to be my sign).  I looked up more information on the symbol and it lead me to read about what a Libra "is".  "Balance" kept coming up.  Here is one example of what I saw when I searched:

Part of balance in my life is balancing work and play, creative times and family times, and realizing that balance doesn't always mean "equal".  Another part is related to food and exercise, which includes a balance of good food and fun food!  :-)  And still another is related to my first encounter with the word, as it pertains to balanced instruction within my professional life.  So, balance it is.

My first photo of the year, taken with my new macro lens, "balance" :

the necklace that inspired my OLW

I think I might be using this photo on the cover page of my OLW project as well.  I will share my pages as I finalize them.

Oh, and by the way....I have NOT finished my Dec. Daily project!  I've had an extra busy winter break that has put me a bit behind!  I will not allow it to go onto the "failed in 2011" list!  :-)