Storytelling

I joined an informal group of ladies for a challenge to tell stories through our pictures for the next month. I love these sort of mini challenges because they always lead me to see different possibilities in my photography. This one in particular pulled at my heartstrings because I've been feeling like childhood is rushing along lately. It's going so fast suddenly that I feel it sliding through my fingers. So, I've been trying to take pictures each day to tell the story of life in our family right now. It's rather kid-centric, but so is our current reality. Honestly, there should have been a whole lot more soccer in these pictures. I think I'm really avoiding telling the story of just how much time we spend at the soccer field. {And thanks to my husband for taking Mia to soccer right now so I could finish this up!} You'll see a couple of these again later because there's a blog post percolating about them. :)

 

Head on over to Erica's blog to check out her take on storytelling. :)

10 Questions with Ben

{1} Who's the smartest person in your family?
You... and Dad.

{2} What's your Daddy really good at doing?
He's good at cooking like you and that video game he's been playing.

{3} How are you like Mommy?
We have the same coloring skin.

{4} How are you different than Mommy?
You have black/brown hair.

{5} How old is Mommy?
25.

{6} If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
It would have to be... eye lasers.  Or super power punches.

{7} What did you and Daddy do together that you'll always remember?
Wrestling! Oh yeah baby!

{8} What chore did you do last?
Making my bed; that's really the most boring.

{9} What's your favorite song?
 Hey Soul Sister {No hesitation whatsoever}.

{10} Where would you like to go on vacation next?
Michigan.  Wait, no.  Actually Florida and go to Disney at the Mansion.  Sometimes it freaks me out, like the elevator.  But it's a good freak out.

Toothpaste and Mouthwashe and Eye Drops... Oh, My!

10 Questions with a First Grader

As our resident six year old girl in the family, we felt it was important to check in on her view of things lately.  Stay tuned for Ben's later.

{1} Who's the smartest person in your family?
 Mommy {points and whispers so Daddy doesn't hear even though he's inside}

{2} What's your Daddy really good at doing?
Drawing pictures.

{3} How are you like Mommy?
We have the same eyes.

{4} How are you different than Mommy?
Umm... Mommy's hair color.

{5} How old is Mommy?
Umm... 14?

{6} If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
To turn into animals.

{7} What did you and Daddy do together that you'll always remember?
Wrestling!! {Big SMILE!}

{8} What chore did you do last?
I set the table and picked up my shoes.

{9} What's the nicest thing you've done lately for someone in your family?
Saying, "Don't spray Dad, Ben."  {During a water fight in the driveway}

{10} Where would you like to go on vacation next?
I want to go camping in the Smokey Mountains, and ride my bike on the road, have fund with my family, and roast marshmallows.

A Tale of Two Kids Update

First grade is in full swing around here.  If you're blessed with school aged children, you know that this means reading and packing lunches and math facts and sight words and packing lunches and phonics readers and packing lunches and soccer practices and spelling words and general back to school busyness.  {Guess who's already sick of packing lunches... THIS girl!}  We try to take care of all the homework as soon as I pick up the littles.  In my ideal world, after our nutritious after school snack, we would all smile our way to the table to engage in thrilling discussions around each of the items on their pint-sized to-do list.  Checking off each in record time, we would then have oodles of free time to giggle, play, and just enjoy each other's company immensely.  That fairy tale ending to this afternoon routine that hasn't panned out yet, but it's only September. ;) Instead, I'm treated to a daily reminder of just how different twins can be.

Always remembers her finger spaces.

"Mom, I'm going to write a letter to Cage about our play date."

"I can spell that!  It's one of my sight words!"

First, let's take our eager learner.  She loves school and takes her work up to her room after she's finished to teach it to her dolls and stuffed animals.  Lately she's been complaining that her walls in her room are too bare and need posters like a real classroom.  For FUN, she makes lists of her sight words and writes letters to her friends.  She asks to do extra sight word practice and makes extra sight word "cups" with the challenge words.  She wakes up every morning excited to go to school and several times a week comments on how fun school is.

It's hard to get started when you can make such cool shadows on your page.

Seriously, are you seeing what his fingers can do?

"My teacher needs me to write all of those words?"

Next, let's examine her twin brother.  Though he also loves school, you can be guaranteed two mornings a week he will complain about having to go to school because he'd rather stay home an play.  You can also be certain that he'd rather chew off his right hand than write ANYTHING, much less sight word lists.  It takes much cajoling to get his homework completed and he probably will tell me that I'm being mean at some point in  the process.  He picks up on things very quickly, but would rather not have to work or practice much.  The letter "s" is the source of intense frustration.

"I always write the "s" backwards."  :(


As a teacher, I had both of these kids in my classroom many, many times over.  It's funny to be on the opposite side of that fence.  So, while we may get for those fairy tale afternoons later in the year, I'm focusing right now on finding a way to make that letter "s" go the right direction. ;)

Wordless Wednesday: Oops!

PS- Can you see her dilation drops at work? :)

Wordless Wednesday: After School Snack {and a little Brainpop}

Start

As life has been plotting along lately, Love has been on my mind in all sorts of ways.

How do we love those we love well?  How do I make sure my stubborn daughter knows my love for her?  How do I make sure my little boy feels my love an acceptance for is uniqueness? How do I show hubs love beyond the every day type?  How do I love myself well?

This is also combined with a certain lack of action on my part.  I've felt lazy and unwilling.  There's a need within me to start, but I'm still not sure what it is I want to start.  Words evade the feelings within me, and I'm left wondering where to turn.  As I was weeding my garden yesterday, I began to consider where I invest my time.  I'm mostly proud of how I've prioritized my life in this season.  Very consciously I've been putting those I love first and setting aside the things that aren't fueling me.  This isn't foolproof and there are still places I can improve, but progress is progress.

In March, {March!  Are you kidding me!?} I wrote about the need to pursue passions.  I truly felt that pull, but I was also paralyze by the circumstances of the life I was living.  Pulling the pricker weeds had me contemplating photography again.  It does fuel me.  I enjoy it and I have a soft spot in my heart for the images of my little ones from the times I was often seen with a camera in hand. I still need to get through this frozen time for me; I'm moved to go back to that place I was in March and make a start to pursue those passions.

For the girl who hasn't picked up her camera in months, it's a commitment to knock that off.  To dust it off. To move forward and commit.  To grow and learn again.  To experiment.  To fall in love with it again.  To start.