Better Than Real Life

Autumn Grapes

2011-12-05T10:14:00.000-08:00

One of the advantages to living on the edge of town is so much agriculture just a mile away. I would have liked this photo better without the stem in front of the grape cluster, but since I was sort of technically trespassing on the edge of some farmer's land, I didn't feel right compounding my crime by vandalizing his grape vines.

Frank the Bunny

2011-12-03T14:52:00.000-08:00

I am so thrilled by this photo! Not because it is so great but because I finally got my Speedlite to work off camera. Frank the Bunny was so very patient with the repeated flash in his eyes.

Project 365

2011-12-02T14:25:00.000-08:00

My garage was so thirsty it took a cold one for itself as soon as I opened the back of my car. It smells like a bar in there now!

Always the potential for something wonderful:

Project 365

2011-11-29T23:13:00.000-08:00

A few more Project 365 photos...

What Thanksgiving dinner looks like when you work 12 hour shifts in a hospital:

I was able to knock down the fence but the gate proved too sturdy:

Streetlight behind a fogged window:

Where I spend a big chunk of my time:

A garbage truck flipped over around the corner from me. As far as I know, no one was hurt:

Soccer at the park near my house:

Visitor

2011-11-23T21:33:00.000-08:00

Bubbles

2011-11-22T16:46:00.000-08:00

Bliss!

Double Rainbow - Picture of the Day (Over)

2011-07-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

I will never see a double rainbow without thinking of that enthusiastic YouTube guy. I saw the rainbow on my way home from hanging out with my sister so when I arrived I ran helter skelter up the stairs, grabbed the lens I wanted, and ran back out without a word. While I was out taking the photo, the sun was shining and fat raindrops started to plop on my head (and camera, yikes!) When it rains with the sun still shining I always think of how it feels to be in Hawaii. It's like a momentary vacation.

Steady Hands - Picture of the Day (Spark)

2011-07-12T01:52:00.000-07:00

I took a break from blogging and photography to tend to some other areas of life. Six months later, I have finished my degree, am in the midst of an pretty amicable divorce, and am refocusing on the things I enjoy :)

This shot of the moon with fireworks has some motion blur, but since I was shooting at 1/3 sec with no tripod I think it is a keeper.

Duct Tape Rose

2011-03-01T15:52:00.000-08:00

Guaranteed to last!

Brace Face - Picture of the Day (Metallics)

2011-02-08T14:48:00.000-08:00

Stephanie had her braces put on today. When I dropped her off at school, she said her mouth didn't hurt so I hope she does okay later. I'm planning spaghetti and mashed potatoes for dinner.

Before:

We already knew she doesn't have adult canines above the baby ones still in place but the orthodontist told us today she also doesn't have any wisdom teeth. At least she won't have to have those out later. I had mine taken out six weeks after she was born and I was miserable. Dental surgery while you are job hunting and have a two year old and a new born at home is not a great plan!

After:

71 days

2011-02-04T18:35:00.000-08:00

I kind of miss my blog but I am drowning in schoolwork so I won't be posting as often for the next couple of months. However, in 71 days, I will be completely finished with school for good!

The Good Sister

2011-01-21T21:11:00.000-08:00

How does an awesome sister become even more awesome? By texting you when you are on the way to her house one foggy morning to tell you to let yourself in and she has a hot breakfast waiting for you :)

And by giving you such an adorable, smart, funny nephew.

Library Addict

2011-01-14T16:45:00.000-08:00

I gave Stephanie my ID and password for the library so she can request books. I make regular trips to keep her adequately supplied with reading material featuring vampires, teenagers, and magic.

Foggy

2011-01-04T20:28:00.000-08:00

We have fog every winter. Not mist that delicately adds charm to the scenery, we have FOG that sometimes is so thick the houses directly across the street are not visible. When I was in elementary school, my school was pretty rural and the buses actually had to go on fog delay for a few hours pretty routinely. Considering that part of the route was atop a very narrow levee bordering a river, this was probably a very good idea!

The air is so wet that water drips from the trees like rain.

There are a few trees around here with leaves still clinging to them.

Real fog is when the street lights are still on at 10 am and you have to roll down the windows to hear the traffic because the cars are invisible.

Merry Christmas 2010

2011-01-01T18:18:00.000-08:00

A Christmas stocking just is not complete without Pez!

Every year the kids get a calendar reflective of their current interests. Stephanie got a Vampire Diaries calendar and Anthony got a cool Zombie calendar I kind of want to steal for myself.

Stephanie snagged photos from my blog to make me my own calendar :)

She also made me a wreath out of her handprints. It is so cute!

Frank the Bunny from the movie Donnie Darko is one of the very few movie creatures that freak me out. Frank now sits on my desk, watching me from atop my external hard drive.

Sugar OD:

And even more sugar at Nana and Papa's house!

Anthony helped Dominic with his gifts.

Stephanie made this tutu herself. She also brought a fancy dress to change into. Clothes are her thing!

The cameo necklace is from Vampire Diaries and it is kind of neat to see girls her age into such old fashioned jewelry.

Uncle Adam is such a prankster. He bought Anthony a Justin Bieber Tshirt ;)

So much yummy food it was hard to stop eating even to open gifts!

Nana, Papa, and Daddy:

Tuning the tiny guitar that Stephanie got for her American Girl doll.

Post Impressionists & Beyond

2010-12-31T11:33:00.000-08:00

I spent yesterday soaking up paintings I had only seen in books and online... Cezanne, Gauguin, Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Bonnard, Seurat, and so many more my brain is jumbled up with them. The de Young Museum in San Francisco hosted an exhibit from the collection of the Musee d'Orday in Paris and the kids and I went got a dose of culture.

Sew Perfect

2010-12-27T11:56:00.000-08:00

Stephanie decided to sew a pair of pajama pants. Since neither of us is an accomplished seamstress, we relied upon this book. The directions were pretty simple, although last time we attempted this we successfully sewed shut the crotch of the pants.

Why the drawing depicts a girl scratching her butt remains a mystery.

I pulled out the "good scissors" for this project and mentally apologized to my mother for all the times I rolled my eyes when she would not give up her good scissors for opening thick boxes or anything involving glue. Cutting the fabric with right handed scissors was very awkward for Steph. Must remember to buy her some good scissors of her own at the Left Handed store in San Francisco later this week.

Yay, sharp objects like pins, needles, and scissors used but no blood shed by anyone!

They did turn out a wee bit short but she gave them to her Dad for Xmas and he loves them.

Fire

2010-12-22T07:31:00.000-08:00

There is nothing cozier than a warm fire.

When the log is burned nearly down to embers it looks like an alien planet of erupting volcanoes.

Tale of Two Gingerbread Houses

2010-12-21T15:27:00.000-08:00

The gingerbread house we had last week came already decorated, tasted delicious, and was devoured quickly. This week we built our own house from a kit. The gingerbread pieces were rather cement-like in nature and the frosting was reminiscent of sweetened paste.

Fortunately, there was plenty of candy to make up for the other deficiencies in the supplies.

Anthony decided to dispense with the gingerbread house construction all together and eat candy mixed with frosting straight from a spoon.

This concoction made him thirsty, unsurprisingly, so he decided to wash it down with... ORANGE JUICE.

Lunar Eclipse

2010-12-21T14:42:00.000-08:00

I spent part of last night in my backyard, bundled up in my robe, knit hat and slippers, lying on a blanket on the cement patio with my kids. Yay eclipse!

Two Left Feet

2010-12-20T12:24:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and WOW do we need some sun!

Jenny & Liam

2010-12-20T12:23:00.000-08:00

Jenny and I always have our own mini Christmas with just us and the kids. We went to Nana's house to see her. She always picks out something fun for Liam.

We had a yummy carb fest lunch at DaVinci's then hung out at my house. Liam played hard with the remote control car Uncle Steve bought for him and generally wore out his cousins.

Fire

2010-12-19T23:31:00.000-08:00

I spent my afternoon right here:

Demolition

2010-12-15T12:44:00.000-08:00

This is what happens to a gingerbread house when you let my kids at it. It was like watching locusts decimate a field of crops.

Santa is Watching YOU!

2010-12-10T12:26:00.000-08:00

Saint Nick is usually depicted as plump and jolly but I like the serious Santas. I bought this one when Stephanie was little and it hung in the hallway towards the bedrooms. She always kind of veered to the other side of the hall when she walked past this Santa. Anthony called it the Mad Santa. I think he looks maybe a bit morose but not really mad.

I think it is fun to guess what Santa is thinking. No matter where I stand he seems to be gazing just over my right shoulder.

Sad Santa is disappointed in you. He is ALWAYS WATCHING.

Always watching you. YOU!

Self Portrait Lesson

2010-12-09T16:36:00.000-08:00

I have hardly any photos of either of my parents. I am already 9 years older than my mother was when they died. It is because of this that I try to take a few of myself now and then so that my kids can have them. Also, I find taking photos of people much, much more difficult than taking photos of inanimate objects. I felt like practicing and even though it didn't really turn out how I intended, it was still pretty educational. For one, I need to get a wireless trigger so I can put the light where I want it because the window was not in the right spot and because my house is as dark as a cave. For another, I need more people to practice on! Also, my Photoshop skills need some serious work.

Drums

2010-12-06T11:54:00.000-08:00

The music store where Anthony takes drum lessons sponsored a performance on Saturday. It was the first time Anthony had played in front of an audience. I thought he would be nervous because he does not like to be the center of attention. Boy was I wrong! He was Mr. Cool, Calm and Confident.

Anthony setting up on the borrowed throw rug so the drums wouldn't slide on the slick floor. He really needs a rug of his own because that one doesn't exactly scream rock and roll.

Anthony played with his friend Shawn.

Anthony's other friend, Wesley, who played some Yngwie Malmsteen, described by the announcer as "some Swedish guy who really shreds on guitar!"

Anthony and Shawn played some Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot, and Disturbed.

Raul, his instructor, was really impressed that they sounded so good :)

Black Panthers and Pink Flamingos

2010-11-27T15:48:00.000-08:00

Stephanie took last year off from soccer and came back this year with a vengeance. The season ended with this moment:

After a weekend with 4 games in the pouring rain, while she was sick with a bad cold, the final game was tied 1 to 1. After TWO ten minute overtime periods, they had to go to a shootout. Each team got 5 chances to shoot directly against the opposing goalie. And, after a nail biting weekend, they became the Under 14 girls champions for our league! The girls were screaming, falling down onto the field, crying, and generally beside themselves with joy.

A few highlights from the season:

Stephanie playing against our former neighbor Shelby

Turning on the speed. She usually plays midfielder.

She is quite proud of her nails. I kept waiting for the refs to tell her to cut them short but she managed to keep them all season.

The rain pored all weekend. Girls were slipping on the grass and huddling together for warmth on the sidelines but no one complained.

Steve's team, the Pink Flamingos, also won first place. Anthony teased him quite a bit about the pink shirt :)

Coach Cynthia passing out the trophies:

First place duo!

Anthony, Stephanie, and Liam

2010-11-25T20:19:00.000-08:00

Several people asked me if I took these, which is a pretty big compliment as far as I am concerned. If I HAD taken them, the kids would have been goofing around instead of posing sweetly, the lighting would have been wonky, and I would have probably raised my voice a time or two. There are a couple of things I might have actually done better (limb chops and background seams) but I love these all the same. They do depict my favorite subject matter, after all!

Power Cord

2010-11-24T13:34:00.000-08:00

I am in the house. Anthony is outside cutting back the hedges. I hear him come inside with shuffling feet and he says, "Uh, Mom?"

Precipitation

2010-11-23T16:21:00.000-08:00

I had the house to myself today while the kids went with Nana to the mall to shop, take Xmas pictures, and take the younger cousins to see Santa. Going to the mall any time after November 1st is not my idea of fun but I wish them well :)

I stayed in my warm flannel sheets until 10:30am, managed to get dressed as far as slippers and my soft fluffy robe around noon, and finally took a scalding hot shower this afternoon to warm back up after traipsing around my waterlogged yard. A perfect day as far as I am concerned!

The noise on my camera is making me crazy now that winter gray skies are here. Anything over ISO 400 is a challenge. It is also very hard to hand hold a heavy macro lens while you manually focus on a plant blowing in the wind. Oh, while also holding a giant golf umbrella with your shoulder and chin because you are in the middle of a deluge.

The golf umbrella made for an interesting reflection:

Pomegranates

2010-11-12T20:31:00.000-08:00

We have a profusion of tartly sweet, juicy pomegranates dangling from our tree like early Christmas ornaments.

Saint Helena

2010-11-08T20:17:00.000-08:00

Each student chose a Saint to research. Stephanie chose St. Helena, patron saint of archeologists, divorced people, and empresses.

Halloween Part 2

2010-11-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

We went to Nana and Papa's for a spooky Halloween dinner with even grosser looking food than last year. Nana, Stephanie, and Kileigh came up with some amazingly disgusting food, like Poop Cookies, Spider Cupcakes, and Deviled Eyeballs. It was the perfect way to get ready to Trick or Treat!

Halloween Part 1

2010-11-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

Halloween is possibly our favorite holiday. Horror movies on television 24/7, parties, candy, costumes... what's not to like? Dominic came to see Stephanie at her school for the parade of costumes. He couldn't find her at first amidst all of the costumed kids :)

After the parade, I made myself scarce so she could go to her school dance with her friends. I'm not sure a dance at 10:30am in a pretty brightly lit Catholic school cafeteria is all that wild of a Halloween dance but she loved it.

After Anthony came home, we carved pumpkins. I admit I have always found this to be somewhat gross. Not many things disgust me, but reaching in barehanded to scoop out the slimey globs of pumpkin guts is not my idea of fun. The kids have picked up on this and they refuse to put their hands in the pumpkins without gloves on!

Anthony made his pumpkin into Jack Skellington:

He really got into the spirit of Halloween and stabbed his pumpkin horror movie style a few times.

Stephanie took things very seriously and wanted her pumpkin to be perfect.

She was most displeased when Anthony decided to stab her pumpkin a few times, too.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Pink!

2010-10-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

Stephanie had the chance to wear pink to school as part of a fundraiser for breast cancer. She talked me into letting her spray my hair pink, too, which is how I ended up in my front yard with towels wrapped around my face and clothes to protect them.

I almost never hand over my camera to anyone but she plans on using it when I eventually upgrade it so she uses it now and then. She bossed me around like a pro!

"Artistic" angle:

"Mom, I'm squishing your head with my thumb!

"Mom, you are sooo much shorter than me!"

No matter what it looks like, I would NEVER give the finger to one of my children. What kind of example would I be setting?

I would NEVER act so immature!

I would NEVER pout or complain about having my picture taken.

Besides, she rocks the pink hair so much better than me anyway!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-10T11:36:00.000-07:00

We live ten minutes away from the mother of all pumpkin patches. The haunted house was properly eerie and even though I KNEW at some point someone would jump out of the shadows to startle us and was waiting for it, I screamed anyway :)

For $5 you get a small bucket of pumpkin to shoot via the "Pumpkin Blaster." I tried it and it was a lot harder to hit the targets than I thought!

Of the three of us, Anthony was the best shot by far.

We went though a couple of the corn mazes and congratulated ourselves on finding our way out.

We met up with Jenny and the gang. The little cousins and friends climbed, ran, kicked dirt, fell down, and generally enjoyed themselves.

I was informed that my little nephew, formerly known as Liam, currently only answers to the name "Batman."

What's In Your Bag?

2010-10-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to the "Whats In Your Bag?" project I have meant to do since I saw it mentioned on Photojojo. I realized after laying everything out that, um, I can't take a picture of my camera WITH my camera so I had to scrounge around for my old point and shoot that had a very dirty lens and requires the user to flick open the shutter flaps with a finger tip because otherwise they only open part way.

Here is what lies in the secret depths of my bright pink purse:

1. Floral pouch with camera remote, extra CF card, extra battery
2. Ipod Touch with comfy headphones
3. Keys to my car, the mailbox, my locker at work, my house, and a bent key to Steve's car that still works after I accidentally smashed it
4. My Canon Rebel xTi with comfy and pretty custom strap and my usual walk-around lens, a Tamron f2.8 28-75mm
5. ProAir inhaler
6. Travel size fold up hairbrush
7. Backup sunglasses because I love sunshine but it gives me a horrible headache if I don't shade my eyes
8. Sugarless gum for my perpetual dry mouth from allergy meds
9. Lip balm in a fruity scent because I am completely addicted to lip balm
10. Pink Tweezerman tweezers, worth every penny and kept in my purse to protect them from being "borrowed" and promptly lost like the 247 pairs that have gone before them
11. Loreal Hopeful Plum lipstick
12. Book for my Death and Dying class this semester
13. Receipt for oil change this morning
14. Cell phone with cheesy Van Gogh Starry Night case
15. Spare iPod USB cable for charging on the fly
16. Notebook for To Do list and various scribbled notes to myself
17. Sharpie extra fine point felt tip pens and RSVP medium point pens, my two favorite pens on the planet
18. Wallet containing well worn debit card, almost no cash, rarely used credit cards, a couple checks and other miscellanea
19. Cover Girl pressed powder for shiny moments
20. Receipt for black hooded sweatshirt purchased for teen son that was deemed "dorky" and needs to be returned

Blessing of the Animals

2010-10-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

Mocha gets blessed by the priest.

Harvest Festival

2010-09-26T09:31:00.000-07:00

I love the way the sun shining through the tarps makes it look like sunlight is raining down on her. I was lucky enough to get off work early on Sunday last weekend so I could Stephanie to the Harvest Festival at her school. She went with Steve on Saturday while he worked one of the booths but she loves it so much she wanted to go again!

This band covered Metallica and a bunch of other groups that were and are my favorites. I'm certain these guys were not even born when metal was in its heyday. I know they probably would not like hearing it but they were just ADORABLE!

I am considering getting one of these rubber band guns. I can think of any number of situations where it would be useful.

Stephanie met up with her friend Lania.

I eventually convinced her not to feel bad about going to hang out with her friends. I walked around and browsed the books and ate some yummy carnival food.

The Big Three Oh

2010-09-15T23:56:00.000-07:00

Steve's little brother Adam turned 30 this week. He is still a big kid at heart.

Like father:

Like son:

POTD - Then and Now (Gray)

2010-09-13T12:59:00.000-07:00

I was considering letting my hair color grow out after several misguided attempted to color it myself this summer. I tried to go blonder and got orange. I tried to go even blonder and got even more orange. I tried to go dark brown, which started out great but ended up faded and greenish.

I abruptly changed my mind when I found this gray hair. It is the second one I have found, so I suppose the first one a few months ago was not a fluke. You can see where the dyed part ends and the gray part begins. I have already been to Donna and she fixed the mess I created, leaving me with shiny chestnut brown locks :)

POTD- Buttons (Flip Off)

2010-09-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

These come from my work as a drug pusher. If I saved every one of the caps from medicines I administer at work for a year, I could probably fill a 5 gallon water bottle. They remind me of the buttons in my Mom's button tin. She had an old cookie tin filled with random buttons and my sisters and I played with them for endless hours :)

POTD - Bloom (Goat Heads)

2010-09-11T14:54:00.000-07:00

I have a weird way with plants. Either they just up and die as soon as I put them in the ground or they suddenly go wild and try to take over the yard. Note: Spanish lavender planted around the pool will end up with tiny purple bits IN the pool and Purple Fountain Grass planted on either side of your entry will make your guests feel like they must carry a machete to hack their way to your front door.

One plant I certainly DID NOT plant is the weed that grows these tiny bits of torture known to us as "Goat Heads" that spear the feet of unsuspecting walkers foolish enough to go barefoot.

One spike?

Or two?

POTD - Where the Wild Things Are (Lizard)

2010-09-10T21:49:00.000-07:00

The advantage to having lots of ~~weeds~~ plants is that there are plenty of hiding spots. We have a whole lounge of lizards living out there. And I looked it up, the collective word for multiple lizards really is lounge!

POTD - Round Things (Clock)

2010-09-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

This clock has hung on the fence next to the pool for five years. It has been 4:00 and almost 80 degrees consistently for four years and ten months.

POTD - From the Vine (Ivy)

2010-09-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

I like landscaping that is kind of overgrown and lush. Our backyard is overgrown for sure but 50% of the growth is weeds. Luckily for me, the neighbors behind us have a pretty yard and we reap the benefit of the lovely ivy growing over the fence. I only hope our weeds don't return the favor!

POTD - Favorites (Pomegranate)

2010-09-06T22:22:00.000-07:00

Somehow our little pomegranate tree has survived the ferocious canine beasts that live in our backyard and has more fruit than its little branches can hold. Steve put a metal post in to support the main trunks but the twig-like limbs make me think of weeping willow branches with bright red Christmas bulbs on them.

For some reason I seem to have an over sharpening problem when it comes to trees and bushes. I need to work on that! The white powdery stuff on the leaves is real, though. We have very hard water here and the aforementioned canine beasts eat sprinklers like midmorning snacks so the water tends to spray everywhere. When the water dries, the leaves end up looking powdered.

Celtic Wedding

2010-09-02T16:55:00.000-07:00

My brother Chris and his new wife Laura had a Celtic wedding in the back yard of their house. They bought the house next door to the one we lived in from the time I was three until I was eight so it was really neat to hang out in our old neighborhood and see how much it had changed.

Laura made this cake. It was so pretty!

I had not seen my Aunt Roda in a long time so it was so sweet to see Chris take her out to dance a Mother/Son dance. I don't think she stopped crying the whole time we were there!

Stephanie snagged her cousin Shelby's headdress and wore it all afternoon. I could tell she didn't want to give it back!

My great Uncle Bob looks so much like my grandfather (his brother) that as much as I love this photo, its sad to look at.

They had games after the ceremony, too.

POTD - Shadows (Drama)

2010-08-18T14:25:00.000-07:00

Stephanie asked me to take a few more "dramatic" photos so she could put them on her Facebook. Not the best background, but she doesn't mind :)

POTD - Family (Fifteen Candles)

2010-08-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

Anthony turned fifteen on the 11th. Stephanie made him a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, which was served with chocolate ice cream. Yum!

Dominic wondered why Anthony wanted to open the cards first. When you are five, cards are boring, but when you are fifteen, not only have you learned how to be polite, you have also learned that the "good stuff" AKA cash is often found inside cards!

School Begins

2010-08-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

The first day of school is always exciting. Stephanie is in 7th grade and for the first time EVER was not too excited about having her picture taken in her new classroom.

Stephanie and her friend Sarah:

POTD - Nature (Almond Trees)

2010-08-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

I like living on the edge of town. One block away and I see this:

Not all of the sights are pretty but I still find them intriguing. What do all of those hoses and barrels do, I wonder?

Lucky Ring

2010-08-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

POTD - Twist (Curls)

2010-07-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

No one in our family has curly hair, so when Stephanie's hair decided to suddenly become curly this year, it was quite a surprise.

POTD - Shoes (Cleats)

2010-07-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

Stephanie has her first soccer practice of the season today. She took last year off, after playing every year since she was four, so she is so excited to be back at it! This picture is so "her" with the sparkly, girly skirt, dressy top, and a pair of size 7 mens cleats, because she liked that style the most.

She shoots, she scores!

Empty ICU

2010-07-26T01:32:00.000-07:00

This week has suddenly been incredibly slow at work. It is normal for the volume of patients to fluctuate but it hasn't been this slow in years! I think the empty silent corridors look like a movie set. Without patients, it doesn't seem like a "real" hospital unit.

I can easily picture a creepy zombie suddenly lurching out of one of the rooms!

POTD - Snacks (Anthony)

2010-07-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

Yay, I am a teenage boy and I love to eat!

I am a not so happy teenage boy who just noticed Mom has her camera pointed at me.

First tactic: Turn my back to the camera.

But I am still hungry! I will attempt to make my sandwich without turning around to face the camera.

Second tactic: Refuse to stand still and cover my face with random objects.

Third tactic: Act goofy in the hopes that Mom will give up.

All of this equals just a snack!

POTD - Dreams/Goals (Scrubs)

2010-07-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

I bought some new scrubs and Stephanie asked to try them on. She thinks she wants to be a nurse when she grows up. Sometimes I am not sure whether to encourage her or discourage her. She asked me what she could add to the ensemble to make her look more like a nurse. I told her all she needed to do was fill her pockets full of crap!

She fit the scrub pants better than I did. I was feeling too lazy to hem so I tripled rolled them under and added some paperclips and called it good.

POTD - Simple Pleasure (Going to the Dump!)

2010-07-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

I have a little time between semesters so I am back to decluttering and getting rid of crap. This involves going to one of my favorite places: The Dump! There was a sign posted that banned photos so I didn't get to take any at the actual garbage dump but my favorite part is tossing stuff off the back of the truck over the ledge into the big pit below and hearing the smack when it hits the cement floor.

I swear this stuff breeds in my back yard at night while we sleep peacefully unaware!

Anthony helped me load the truck and my mild mannered son suddenly morphed into a dictator. "No, this thing has to go there, and then this will fit there..." Stephanie and I were his unskilled labor in this process. He inherited Steve's ability to fit an amazing amount of stuff into a small space. I am looking forward to when he is old enough to drive because backing up a big truck between the tiny orange cones is NOT my favorite part of the expedition.

It was a long, hot, stinky, dirty day but worth it:

POTD - Spring

2010-07-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

If you look closely, you can sort of see my reflection in the spring!

POTD - Spring

2010-07-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

POTD - Spring

2010-07-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

POTD - Time (Caramel)

2010-07-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

Stephanie noticed that Caramel wasn't moving around in her cage much and when she did move, she was not being weight on her right rear leg. We found a vet who sees guinea pigs, which was not easy since it turns out they are "exotic" pets. After an exam and some x rays the vet called us to come back and explained that Caramel has a problem with the bone in her leg. Although he could not be 100% certain, it is most likely a tumor.

The vet was so kind to Stephanie as he explained everything to her. He suggested that putting Caramel to sleep was probably going to be necessary because she is in pain. Stephanie and I decided to bring Caramel home for now and give her antibiotics and pain medicine. It is so hard to see my baby in tears because her "baby" is sick!

Caramel is eating better and getting around better, for now. Stephanie has been so happy to spend this extra time with the guinea pig she loves and that Mocha gets to say goodbye to her sister.

POTD - Series (Three S Words for Steve & Stephanie)

2010-07-10T14:48:00.000-07:00

Serious:

Silly:

Sexy:

POTD - Handmade (Biscuits)

2010-07-09T13:09:00.000-07:00

Stephanie made these biscuits from scratch, all by herself. I ate one hot from the oven with butter and honey and it was DELICIOUS. She doesn't seem to have inherited my cooking disability and I am so glad to enjoy the fruits of her labors!

POTD - Color (Fireworks)

2010-07-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

More colorful fireworks over the water:

POTD - Sunset (Lake Tahoe)

2010-07-07T17:33:00.000-07:00

The sunset on Lake Tahoe:

Stephanie and Kileigh:

Independence Day

2010-07-05T23:17:00.000-07:00

The fireworks over Lake Tahoe were absolutely beautiful!

Captain Liam

2010-06-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

My sister Jenny makes cute babies:) I set up my background stand and some seamless paper and took some photos for Liam's birthday invitation. It was good practice for me, and although he is super duper adorable, the technical aspects of the shots leave much to be desired. As soon as I get some more time, I am going to get some seamless in a color other than white and practice some more. I am sure Stephanie will be up for the idea and if I bribe Anthony he might consent to a few photos as well!

Man of the House

2010-06-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Steve went out of town for work, and of course, as he was leaving, the garage door broke. Since I was parked in the garage, this was a big problem! Luckily for me, Anthony took his temporary role as man of the house seriously. He got a spare part for the garage door from his Papa and fixed it. He was on a roll, obviously, because then he went upstairs and fixed the ceiling fan in my room. No more clank, clank, clank all night long!

Pirates!

2010-06-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

Liam had a big pirate party for his 3rd birthday. I can't believe Jenny and Debbie made that awesome cake!

Young Love

2010-06-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

Sometimes its the man who gets swept off his feet!

Last Tooth

2010-06-20T23:53:00.000-07:00

Stephanie lost her last baby tooth recently. No more tooth fairy visits to our house :(

Flower Power

2010-06-19T22:24:00.000-07:00

I told my heavy metal music fan son that I was going to buy this van for him when he turns 16 next summer. From his reaction, I'm pretty sure he would rather walk!

When Animals Attack!!

2010-06-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, maybe the creature didn't actually attack me, but I am sure he wanted to. I was riding my bike to the Post Office to mail a package to Stephanie's pen pal in New Zealand, merrily listening to my iPod, when I looked down and there was the snake. I live in the suburbs so snakes are a rare sight.

OF COURSE, I went back and took a few photos ;) Thank God for the 100mm lens because I was too scared to get closer than 10 feet or so! I have no idea what kind of snake it is so I decree it's official species name to be ScaryCreepy Snake, of the genus ThingsThatGiveMeHeebieJeebies.

Stephanie's Party

2010-05-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

Stephanie had a luau for her birthday this year.

She is a party girl and loves everything about them, from picking out party supplies, to decorating, to having people RSVP. She just eats up all of the anticipation. I told her this bear reminded me of the first time we took her to Hawaii when she was about five. We bought her a grass skirt at a flea market and it came with accessories. She put it on and danced around our hotel room, gleefully shouting, "I have coconut BOOBS!" over and over and over.

The girls had so much fun playing and yelling and swimming.

I like my pool time to be a bit more tame so I planted myself with my iPod on a lounge chair and supervised.

Musical chairs:

We usually do family celebrations separately, and since Kileigh's birthday is the day after Stephanie's, they shared a cake and Nana and Papa's house.

Volleyball

2010-05-27T21:05:00.000-07:00

I am finally catching up on some photos from the last few months. Stephanie played on her school volleyball team this year. It was fun to see her play and the girls improved so much over the season. I think they will do even better next year. Although, since they only won one game this season, that isn't really saying all that much ;)

Secret Squirrel

2010-05-26T00:28:00.000-07:00

I should confess that I have been known to post a sign or two of my own:

Wide Angle Anthony

2010-05-24T01:43:00.000-07:00

It is impossible for me to look at this and not laugh out loud!

Talent Show

2010-05-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

Stephanie and Sarah sang Miley Cyrus' "Fly On the Wall" karaoke for the school talent show. I would never have volunteered for that and would have had to have been forcibly propelled onto the stage. She absolutely loved it though!

Dead End

2010-05-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

I saw this cast off Dead End sign when I was jogging through a subdivision that is under construction. I decided to come back and play a bit with my wide angle lens. There were a couple of construction workers who seemed a little perplexed as to what I was doing but people thinking I am weird doesn't really bother me all that much :)

Candy and Dancing

2010-05-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

When you pick up your kids up from school early to make their dental appointment, this is what they are snacking on because there was a dance with lots of yummy snacks. Of course:)

Spirit Week

2010-05-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

Instead of picking "Nerd" or "Jock" to dress up for school, Stephanie decided to combine the two :)

A Sign of the Times

2010-05-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

When you work at a hospital, there are signs for EVERYTHING. And when people start to get confused, the solution is always to hang more signs, explaining the other signs. The only thing worse is the proliferation of logbooks. I am certain we will eventually have logbooks to keep track of all the other logbooks, including logbooks to keep track of who read the signs, and signs explaining the logbooks. No patient care will ever occur because we will spend twelve hours in an endless cycle of reading signs and filling out logbooks.

Father Daughter Dance

2010-04-26T20:05:00.000-07:00

Stephanie's school recently had their first annual Father Daughter Dance. Steve doesn't like to dance and he usually gets off easy because I am not a dancer either. However, daughters have a way of getting their daddies to do things that they would otherwise never do, and Stephanie loves to dance. She even picked out his tie :) She borrowed a dress from me, and to my chagrin, it actually looks better on her than it does on me!

I can't believe how grown up she looks here. She wore no makeup, only simple pair of gold hoop earrings, no heels, her hair in little girl ringlets and a plastic headband but her friend Sarah didn't even recognize her when she arrived at the dance.

Steve hates having his picture taken, and my house is darker than an underground bunker so I even (gasp!) put my camera on auto for the first time after shooting in manual for over a year and a half and (ugh!) used the pop up flash because if I went to fetch my Speedlite, my chance at some father/daughter photos would have evaporated. Even so, these photos make me happy!

I only wish that the magic she works on her Dad would work on her brother so I could have some decent shots of Anthony!

Sunlit Stroll

2010-04-21T19:05:00.000-07:00

It is a rare event to get a photo of all three of them together. It amazes me that my kids could be so grown up looking that seeing the three of them together doesn't look like a man and his children.

It's a sad, sad day

2010-04-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

when the only cool looking thing I have taken a photo of lately is the coolant leak from Steve's falling apart car. Three more weeks until my semester ends!

Hide and Seek

2010-04-08T16:32:00.000-07:00

Jenny and Liam came over yesterday so I could take photos for his 3rd birthday invitation. They played Hide and Seek and he wore Stephanie out!

Brown (Mocha)

2010-03-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

The color challenge for March is Brown and I am just squeaking in before the month is over. Steve's birthday was Sunday and Stephanie gave him a photo book she created with Blurb's software while I was creating my blog book for 2009. She needed some Guinea Pig photos to go along with the story she wrote so we went to the park for a little piggy photo shoot. She and I had fun, and I suppose Mocha did as well, although it is hard to tell what guinea pigs are thinking.

More Museum

2010-03-15T20:43:00.000-07:00

This wooden statue creeped me out. Seriously. And Steve and I agreed it made us think of when the Brady Bunch went to Hawaii and were cursed by the tiki. We tried to explain this to the kids, but they had NO CLUE what the heck we were talking about:)

It's a good thing Steve doesn't work at the museum because he thinks it would hilarious if someone hid inside this giant cross between a pumpkin and a coffin and leapt out at unsuspecting patrons. Kind of like he used to do to me when we were dating. I'd come home to my parents' house and once my startled shrieks subsided I would deduce he had talked my mom into being his co-conspirator again and letting him hide in the coat closet. I won't admit just how many times I fell for this!

Cousin It?

I might not be the perfect wife (okay maybe I am) but at least my husband doesn't wake up to THIS in the mornings:

At least I have all of my teeth!

DeYoung Museum

2010-03-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

Photos were not permitted in the King Tut exhibit, unfortunately, but the remainder of the museum was actually even more interesting. I successfully resisted the urge to sit in all of these cool looking chairs.

For some reason, Steve and I really liked this painting. I wish I would have taken a photo of "Prometheus Bound" also because Anthony was quite smug when I blanked and could not remember the myth (I kept getting stuck on Icarus for some reason) and he got to educate me about the story. He is pretty good with the Greek and Roman gods!

Anthony has been interested in guns and knives and swords and weapons in general since he was little and building guns out of Legos. He collects pocket knives, has a few swords on his bedroom walls, and lately has been interested in guns. He thought these weapons were pretty interesting.

The grandeur of this fireplace was very impressive. I could happily spend hours in a comfy chair with a book but I doubt the museum would look too kindly on my bringing a lighter and some firewood with me.

We giggled and snickered and generally conducted ourselves like twelve year olds while we wandered through the Pacific Island art.

And all I can say for this piece is "Brains, BRAINS!"

The ninth floor of the DeYoung Museum is an observation deck. If you look really closely you can see a bit of the Golden Gate Bridge on the right side of the photo. It was an absolutely beautiful, brilliantly sunny day. I knew it would be because I remembered to bring a sweater.

Anthony, who had a good time, I swear, but refuses to permit any photographic evidence of that fact. I showed this photo at work and one person asked if he was "depressed" which is hardly the case!

Steve admiring the hieroglyphic representation of Stephanie's name. It only cost a dollar for the machine to spit it out, but I think it is a genius idea. The people viewing the King Tut exhibit were packed in there like sardines and if every kid convinces their parents to spend just a dollar, the museum probably makes a tidy profit on that little device!

Golden Gate Park

2010-03-03T19:03:00.000-08:00

It is easy to forget you are in a bustling city when you are wandering around Golden Gate Park.

Pink Converse

2010-02-27T23:44:00.000-08:00

We went to San Francisco for the day to see the King Tut exhibit. I really like long drives by myself but I hate to be the driver when there are other people in the car. And, realistically, Steve is a more skilled driver than me:) I much prefer to be chief navigator, DJ, and referee for our little family outings. And since February's color challenge is pink...

A Family Affair

2010-02-19T22:39:00.000-08:00

Steve's brother Adam decided to come play soccer and he brought his friend James with him.

Post game exhaustion:

Human Anatomy

2010-02-11T18:46:00.000-08:00

I convinced Stephanie that if we took photos of some of her school projects, we didn't really need to keep every single thing. She made this in 5th grade and was fascinated by the body parts and their functions, even if she didn't quite spell everything correctly!

The respiratory system:

The digestive system:

Heaven forbid we forget the rectum:

And the whole girl, which happens to be a tracing of Stephanie, done by one of her friends:

A Kid's View of the ER

2010-02-05T18:30:00.000-08:00

A different perspective:

Yellow Flower

2010-02-03T20:49:00.000-08:00

I found a bit more bright yellow amidst the January gloom:

Fire Hydrant

2010-02-02T16:07:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun doing the Picture of the Day(POTD)themes in 2009 but 2010 is proving to be a bit more challenging. I am going to take a hiatus from the themes and the commenting on the photos for a couple of months. I can't entirely give up taking photos, no matter how busy this semester gets, so I will continue to post on this blog, just not quite as often.

The color theme for January is yellow, and I have been peering through the rain and fog to find some cheery yellow. This fire hydrant, along with many of its fellows was put in place in a subdivision that had construction derailed by the economy.

Sunny California

2010-01-31T16:25:00.000-08:00

After days and days of rain, we had a sunny day yesterday. It was warm and the sky was bright blue and free of clouds. I soaked up every ray I could get. Today I am so glad I did because we are back to gray skies. No rain, but lots and lots of fog. It gets so foggy here sometimes that when you try to drive at night, visibility is nearly zero and you have to roll down the car windows and navigate partially by sound! Today was not quite that foggy, but at 10:45am this is what the park near my house looked like.