Friday Photo Challenge

My friend Jen and I decided to start a Friday photo Challenge. She is attempting a photo a day, for a whole 365 days! Very brave of her, I'd never be able to keep up to that. So we had an idea to come up with a topic challenge each week, in part to help her with ideas in capturing those photos everyday. I started and made the first challenge to capture details that show who your kids are at this age. Since they change so quickly at this age, I thought it would be fun to document this. Here is what I came up with.

There are a details about this photo of Abby that show her at this age:
Her feet (the focus of the photo) and how they are big yet still tiny!
She loves to read picture books still,
And the fact that she is in her PJs...a daily struggle for us all!

This one of Gillian captures the details of what she likes to play with -
the My Little Ponys, taking each one out of the bag and trying to stand them up.

And what better way of capturing
who kids are at 3 than this?
No more explanation required!

I look forward to seeing what Jen comes up with for this week!

As for the rest of the week, it was long. With two days of Dr's appointments (Gillian's eyes are still strong), a huge snowstorm and a bus strike, if felt like I spent A LOT of time in my car, and that made for a tiring week! The one highlight is that I got to go see Twilight with my colleague Christine, and I loved it! I really loved the book as well, so it was fun to see all the characters come to life on screen. I also think I'm getting back into the idea of going to the theater more often. Really, before Eric and I saw Quantum of Solace a couple of weeks ago, I think it had been 3 or 4 years since we stepped foot in a theatre! Crazy isn't it. So now it's like a novelty!

The Dentist and Tuesday Scraps

The snow was crazy today!! And thus the traffic was even more crazy! I had to take both girls to the dentist this morning, and it was to be Abby's first time. I was pretty nervous about taking her because I thought she would be scared and not want to open her mouth, being 3 and all that isn't uncommon. Eric's Dad joined me to help take care of Abby when Gillian was being checked and vice versa. We left around 9:00 am and got there at 10:25 - almost an hour and half for a normally 40 min drive. I was actually quite shocked that we got there on time, as were the dentist's office, so they put us through right away to try and stay on schedule.

We are lucky to be able to go to a Paediatric Dentist specialist, because of Gillian's wonky teeth, and lucky because he was willing to see both girls. Gillian is doing well, her teeth are progressing as to be expected, the front teeth haven't come down much but things go pretty slowly in her mouth. So all was good on her side. As for Abby - she was amazing! And that had a lot to do with the fabulous staff and the way they handled a new, 3 year old, patient! The hygienist brought her in and she slowly showed her how the chair moves around, giving her "rides", then she got to choose a funky pair of sunglasses to wear to keep the bright light out of her eyes, then showed her the little tiny mirror and let her play with it and stick it in her mouth, let her feel the pointy "teeth counter", gave her a cute pink (of course!!) mirror to hold while she opened her mouth, and had her teeth counted. I have been talking up the dentist for a long time now, practicing with Abby to open her mouth when asked and say AH! So when it came to doing it, she practically had her mouth before she even sat down! It was so cute. I could tell she was a little nervous, but was being really brave, so the hygienist decided to show her the polishing stuff. She let Abby choose a flavour (cherry), then let her feel the polishing brush while spinning with her finger, then best part of it all, let her play with the water squirting thing and the suction instrument. She would squirt a bit in a little cup, then let Abby suck it up. When she was ok with that she let Abby put it in her mouth to try. Then she polished up her teeth and actually got to do each one.

After she was done the Dentist came over to check her out, measured her Dyastima (3), and then told Abby he was going to put the tiny mirror in her mouth to check things out. Abby was so cool, calm and collected that she actually said to him, "Oh, give it to me, I can do that". Too funny! So, all in all, her teeth are healthy, he noted the space between her teeth (dyastima) and the large freneum ligament, which Gillian also has, and when they are both around 5 they will determine if it needs cutting. I see braces in our future.... better start saving.

Did a couple quick pages tonight:





What's in store for tomorrow you ask: Transit strike in Ottawa (fingers crossed they don't), more snow and freezing rain, and a trip to CHEO for Gillian's Ambliopia check up.

Sunday Recap

The kids are still sick, runny noses and coughing. I'm still coughing and it's driving me insane!! It snowed last night so we took the kids out and did some sledding in the backyard. Gillian basically cried the whole time, because she is still too short to walk through the snow and was getting mad. Then of course she wanted to slide with Abby, but the sled is too small for everyone! Let's hope Santa bring us a big toboggan for Christmas! It was my Mom's birthday last week, so I invited them for dinner. I made her this card:

I used Mindy T.'s new kit at DD.

I hope you all had a good weekend!

Looking for a photographer?

For anyone one out there with kids, you've come to the right place because I'm specializing in children's photography. If you are looking for someone with a knack for working with kids, a special "child-whisperer" type aura, and the ability to ALWAYS make a kid smile... I'm the one for you!! Just take a peek at my work:

Just imagine your child in this beautiful shot.

capturing the love between siblings...


These memories are FOR LIFE... so you've found the right person for your next shoot!

But really I did manage to capture a few nice ones today:








ps: Jen, we should have gone with "conflict"...

Letter to Santa

I thought it would be fun for Abby to write a letter to Santa this year. So I created this:


I'm just not sure if she will get it, but hey worth a try eh?

Mommy, I want a Gingerbread House...

Uh, oh! Abby uttered those terrifying words to me yesterday. My heart stopped, I started to panic, breaking out into a cold sweat. "Maddie (her friend at daycare) has one... I want one like her..". I had flashes of my "gingerbread house" a la Martha last year - burnt, overdone rock like figures that sort of resembled gingerbread men; Gingerbread house parts, three walls and only one roof piece (of course I didn't make the right parts to actually put the house together); Lots of sticky royal icing, which hardened into granite before I even got it on the house. I could go on and on.... And I wasn't even working at the time, so presumably I had more time to do this! Now I'm officially on a mission to find a Gingerbread House Kit. Please if any of you out there, living in Ottawa, see a Gingerbread House Kit, let me know. I need it! Or, Mom, if you want to make one and bring it over, I'll pay you!! :) We could all decorate it together, just imagine the fun we would have.... please!! (can you tell I'm begging now?)

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Pioneer Woman had a short tutorial on how to quickly fame a photo, and I liked it! this will probably be my new frame for photos now:

Is it Wed?

It's my Mom's Birthday today! Happy Birthday MOM!!! Here she is with Abby looking at photos.



It's been a busy week... taught/took 5 spinning classes, working all week and we have Eric's Christmas party tomorrow night.. wow will I ever be tired on Saturday. 3 of us are sick also, started with me, coughing, went to Gillian, now Abby came down with it today... I hope she doesn't break out into a fever. I guess it's the start of cold and flu season.

I took this photo last week, but never posted it.

Off to bed.. blog more on Friday, since tomorrow we are out.