Home with a sick Quinn.

I am home with a sick Quinn today :(  Poor kid.  He has whatever viral thing it was that Lucy had a week ago.  This started late Saturday night and has been going very off and on since then.  He is either running a fever of 101*+ or he has none.  Of course Quinn has to do things his own way :)  He looks miserable too as his eyes are all watery.  He is still unstoppable though.  He will lie down for as few minutes as possible to recharge and get going again.  He was also fine (as in lower than 98.6*) when he went to bed last night and crawled into bed with us at 4:15 this morning with a fever of 101.7*.  So I am home with a sick Quinn and a healthy Lucy today.  I am working part of the day and "off" the part where they are both awake and need me :)  Right now I am trying to procrastinate.  I don't really want to move the party upstairs to put laundry away just yet, but it's beckoning, I can hear it.  So, here are some pics of Quinn.  Don't let them fool you though, for as miserable as he looks he is still trying to make funny faces (not posted as he moves too fast for the camera :)).

Lucy is almost 2 going on 13....

It never ceases to amaze me how fast time really does go.  I feel like it was just yesterday that Jude was born (or I got married, graduated from OSU, etc).  But for some reason, Lucy is dead set on making it go even faster.  She is just so far beyond where even Quinn (as the second born) was at this age.  She doesn't seem to understand that she is still a baby.  And she's my only baby that I have wanted to keep that way, since she is my last.  I want her to stay little and dimpled and innocent forever.  Obviously that can't happen.  But I am almost positive she'll be riding a two wheeler with training wheels this summer rather than the really cool tricycle I bought her last summer.  And we've been over her level of comprehension with technology.  They will all surpass me.  It isn't that she is necessarily capable of everything she is trying to do, but she still wants to do it.  She wants to keep up with the 4 year old (who is trying to keep up with the 7 year old).  Jude will turn 18 and they'll all be "18".  I know this is an over exaggeration, but I want it all to slow down.  Slow down!

I'm going to be a bridesmaid.

I KNOW it should be "Matron" as I am OLD and MARRIED.  But I don't like being called ma'am and I don't like matron :)  Anyway, I got to pick up my dress and shoes today so they are my blog post.  I don't normally wear heels, and I keep referring to these as hooker heels, but in all honesty I love them!  They make me feel so feminine (which is just something I am not, I'm a tomboy).  And the dress is awesome - it has POCKETS!!!  When did someone add pockets to wedding style dresses????  I love it.  I don't really like the pics but they are self portrait with my remote and tripod (two things I love) and I'm a work in progress.  I may actually wear make-up and have my hair done for the day of the wedding :)  OKAY Rachel, I promise I will :)

I left my warm and cozy spot on the couch.

It is sort of crazy to me that Sunday through Thursday night I am up until 11pm regardless (for the most part) of what I am doing and what needs done.  And then I wake up at 5am(ish) the next morning for work.  Yet Friday night rolls around and I struggle to keep my eyes open while relaxing in a fetal position under a cozy blanket on the couch :)

Travis' grandmother made this quilt for him in 1984.  I usually claim it before our butts even hit the couch.  It is the best, warmest, coziest blanket ever.  It's almost like that old sweatshirt or jeans that you have worn in just right.  Only I can wrap my whole self up in it, occassionally even add in a few kids.

I took a macro pic of my fave material on it.  I really do love macro, but I would love to really figure it out!

TGIT(AF)

I knew this would happen.  Tuesday was way too easy.  I'm tired now and cranky and back to needing sunshine.  I know it was around here somewhere, but I lost it.  How did I lose it?  (I think "it" has always been missing :)  Just getting that in there before someone else could!)

Anyway, just some random thoughts from the mind of Anne.  Something that for some reason has been on my mind pretty much all day and I need someone to clarify the meaning of for me, if you would.  I read the boys Shel's (we're on a first name basis) "The Missing Piece and the Big O" last night.  To me this story is a fantastic life lesson about the importance of being whole within yourself before "rolling" with someone else.  How a person cannot fit themselves into another's life and be happy.  And vice versa.  So, I was trying to decide if I am a Big O.  And I think I am.  But alternately, I don't know that I am.  I am whole, but I have pieces.  Completely independent of me.  They came from me but they are no longer "me".  And my happiness is somewhat directly reliant upon their happiness.  Because I live to make them happy, even if I am happy due to other events along the way, my overall purpose in life has become these pieces.  So, I still have parts of me that are mine and always will be (this blog, sewing, pizza, sleep, etc), but my main purpose in life is no longer (if it ever even was) to be able to roll alone.  Maybe it never was?  Maybe the whole point of the book is different than my initial interpretation?  Maybe the point of the book is to help other "pieces" learn to be whole?  Like my children?  Raise them in such a way that their corners are worn and they become well rounded?  I know it's a children's book.  And I know I am way over thinking...but help...before I implode.

The boys posed for me tonight.  Lucy was already in bed as she was a tad bit cranky and got put to bed on time (the boys are still up waiting on Travis to get home!).......

And as always on Thursday night - tomorrow is FRIDAY!!!  Woo hoo!

Fred.........

While talking on the phone with a friend of mine this evening, I realized three things.

1. I hadn't yet taken my blog picture for the day.
2. All of the children were in bed and Travis was at the neighbor's house.
3. We have a pet hamster.

What?!  We have an animal ("family member") that I have failed to introduce on my blog?!

So, meet Fred.  He's cute, he's soft, he's nice once you get him out of the cage....He doesn't pose well for the camera.  Darn him and his nearly non-existent brain, not following directions.

I know it's Tuesday....

But today wasn't really all that bad.  It doesn't feel like Tuesday.  Which should worry me because I'll probably wake up Friday wondering why my alarm is going off (shouldn't it be Saturday?!).

So tonight was just a really relaxed evening in our house.  Lucy and I lay on the couch for a while watching Barney while the boys played in the basement and Travis made dinner :)  I actually pretended to be awake while Lucy watched Barney.  I responded at the proper moments to any exclamations she made about the oh so interesting purple dinosaur, that's what counts, right?  We had stir fry for dinner tonight (YUM!).  You just can't go wrong with beef and noodles.  Then we all hung out together doing the same and then different activities.  But all coexisting without being clingy!  This was especially important I think to my frame of mind at this moment.  Lucy is feeling so much better that she wanted to play independent of my hip or lap.  Nice!

So, tomorrow is already Wednesday...I think I can see the light of the weekend coming my way already, so I may survive!  Enjoy the pics of Lucy in her hideout.

*Disclaimer ~ Blogger's feelings about this week can change at any time and without warning.  Blogger cannot be held (entirely) accountable for her mood at any given time.  The weather and mood of aforementioned family members play a large role in said mood and overall tone of the blog.*

100 miles

I know, I know, more running talk.  But, even though I haven't lost a single pound (no, not ONE) and I get disgustingly sweaty pretty much every work day at lunch, I LOVE to run.  I don't have any more energy than I did when I started.  In fact, I am probably more tired :)  However, I have run outside in the middle of one of the worst winters we have had in a very long time.  And I have done this more than once.  I have run 6 miles at one time without stopping to walk :)  I have run 100 miles.  Yes, I have hit the 100 mile mark.  I am not sure that this is a big deal, but these milestones are what keep me going.  That and the shoes.  I don't even wear running shoes (or other athletic wear) unless I am running (or doing something else athletic :)).  But I love to shoe shop.  So today, for lack of anything better to take a picture of due to me being so tired, meet my new shoes and my Nike+ sportband.  Two things I really rather enjoy :)

Sunday...

I made pancakes, real bacon, and hashbrowns for breakfast today :)  I love breakfast food.  I love real bacon :) It's too bad someone decided real bacon daily is bad for you :(  Anyway.  We've done some laundry, some cleaning, and I hemmed a pair of pants for my mom.  Other than that I feel really lazy and sort of tired today.  No nap was had by me though.

So, for my pics today.  I give you Jude's finally (sort of) visible on camera fading black eye and one of Lucy because she sat down next to Jude and started yelling "Smile" until I took a picture of her as well :)

 

My blog has been hijacked!

My blog has been hijacked by my kids!  Not in the sense that they are all I post, I am okay with that.  In the sense that they are now dictating what my daily picture should be, daily.  Jude really wanted me to post a picture of the game he was playing on Webkinz.  So I am.  Quinn wanted another picture of him with a random dog.  Meet Tressel, our neighbors dog that we are watching this weekend.  They have been so well behaved (Fuzzy is the white one) that I think we'll put Tyler at their house and keep their dogs :)  And Lucy tried to dictate that I not post any pictures of her, but I am ignoring that request and posting one anyway just because of how cute (can't believe I think that) her hair looked today.  I am against this style, but I did it anyway and then just had to get a pic of it.  Which makes me laugh because they aren't even EVEN.  They are in different positions and not smooth or tight to her head....My OCD is having a hard time in retrospect, but still adorable!!

Today was sort of a lazy day otherwise though....ran, made lunch, napped, made dinner, went grocery shopping with the boys.  This was actually fun.  They are two of the goofiest, sweetest kids ever and it was just really nice to get out with just the two of them and BE.  Hope everyone had great Saturday!!  I get real bacon with breakfast tomorrow morning!!  Woo hoo!!

I'm tired...

It is really hard for me to find the time to clean or keep up on my laundry.  So why is it then, when I make a schedule (I'm OCD and enjoy making schedules and lists) for cleaning I cannot manage to stick to it for more than a week or so.  So I end up reverting back to old habits of catching laundry back up or cleaning the whole house on the weekend.  Yet, I commit to something as pointless as a 365 photo blog that serves no practical purpose in my life (or anyone else's for that matter) and I can't even bring myself to skip a day.  I took exactly one picture today.  Quinn requested that I take a picture of him with Justin, Alison, and Chloe's dog, Zoe.  He posed for exactly one picture, looked at the miniscule screen on my camera and said "that's good".  So check it out.

**I didn't even bother editing it, because I really don't think I could do anything to make it better.  Not that it's text book perfect (far from), but I just don't think it could be made better.  I love Quinn's smile in this. :)  Don't mind the blown spot on the couch - the sun was nice and bright and warm today :)

Fat whun it is keading with the rids!!!

We LOVE Shel Silverstein in this house.  Jude checked out Runny Babbit from the school library this week.  We read some tonight and I would have to say this one may very well be my favorite Shel book.  Though I do love The Missing Piece and the Big O - fabulous life lesson in that book!  But in general, I just love Shel Silverstein.  And so do the boys!  But Runny Babbit is especially funny, with the sea poup and pea tot, just to name a few.  The boys and I, in all of our maturity, were laughing it up on the couch reading this while Travis just stood by shaking his head at our odd (juvenile) sense of humor.

Jude and his facial injuries.

This doesn't look nearly as bad in a picture as it does in real life.  I am sure he will have a black eye by morning. I think he's proud of it though as he asked if he could be my blog picture for the night.  We'll just have to make up some great story to go with the tough guy look.  Like "I got the black eye while protecting the princess and castle from the incoming ninjas", not "I ran head (cheek bone) first into our play kitchen".  Sadly, this is not the first time he has had a pretty "bad" looking facial injury...When we bought our house he managed to get two black eyes and a nose that looked broken (though it wasn't).  Pair that with his missing front tooth and Travis always said Jude looked like Jody Shelley.  There have been other facial injuries as well, too many to recount for you here.  Enjoy my tough guy!

I noticed tonight that I am somewhat partial to a left lean when angling the pic - I'll have to be more aware of this!

I heart my family =)

I have nothing really to say other than today was just a great day.  I love being home with my kids.  The thought of going to work tomorrow is already bringing me down! =(

***Jude was at school while I was taking pictures today, in case you wondered why he's missing =)***

What a day... :)

As I said yesterday, we already did our Valentine's celebration, on the weekend, which just makes so much more sense :)  Jude and Quinn both had parties at school today and brought home obscene amounts of candy (thankfully!).  Lucy had a party at Riverview Surgical Center getting tubes placed in her ears.  She did great and I don't know WHO lied to me but the kid did not sleep any more than normal today.  In fact, it was almost as though she was on something, something that made her wired.  I am glad it was apparently so easy for her that she felt the need to bounce all over the house most of the day making me even more tired :)  Travis worked late tonight so I made a calzone (or something) for dinner.  The kids liked it :)  I got pictures of my heart(s) at the dinner table just to keep up with the "that's so sweet" valentine's theme that ends today.  I attempted to do more angular type angles (lol) with the pics, so these were taken on auto.  I can work on one aspect of great photography at a time thank you.  I think the cool angles actually help to draw the attention away from the fact that they were taken on auto.  I like them anyway :)  Please ignore the dinner in Quinn's teeth.  I may edit it out at a later, closer-to-printing point, but I like the picture of him and don't feel like editing at the moment.  Enjoy my loves!  My life!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Okay, I know it's actually tomorrow, but I celebrated today because tomorrow two of my three kids have school and one has surgery :)  So tomorrow is kind of full already :)  Today was an awesome day.  The sun was shining, the snow was melting, the air was warm when the very cold breeze wasn't whipping through my neighborhood.  I painted my toes and wore flip flops all day :)  The kids got to ride their bikes outside.  Jude and I got in our first run together ever.  He did really well.  I made heart shaped chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and the kids each got a new Webkinz and a tiny box of chocolate.  I didn't edit any of these photos (because I am just out of time with so much still to do today) but I still like them.  I think I prefer close up or weird angled shots so much better than portrait photography (if that's what it's called?! lol)....kind of sad since I wanted to learn to take better pics of my kids :)  Oh well!  I guess I could play with a more artsy style of shooting with the kids.....Anyway!  I hope you all have a great Valentine's Day tomorrow and Cupid shoots you in the butt with an arrow!!!

Saturday.

I got to sleep in again this morning.  I don't know if this is "nice" or if I should start worrying about the fact that I am ALWAYS so tired.  I also woke up with a killer headache and a sore throat, so it's been a pajama day on my end.  After I woke up, the day was just sort of weird.  It seems like there were many more hours in this day than a normal day.  Between the 6 or so episodes of Psych the kids and I watched (maybe three, really), they ate lunch, they ALL pretended to nap, and then we sort of finished Jude and Quinn's room finally.  Sort of.  But we did make some great headway on it.  We had swapped Jude and Quinn's room with Lucy's just after Christmas so the boys could have regular beds rather than bunk beds.  It had been in disarray ever since.  Now it looks like a bedroom again.  Only thing left is hanging their reading lights by their beds tomorrow.  After that was another episode of Psych (I love Netflix and apparently lazy, worthless Saturdays).  Then Travis and the boys went to decorate Valentine's cookies with Connor and Jarod to be given to the Faith Mission for lunch on Monday.  They are all such good boys!  Lucy and I hung out, had a picnic dinner while watching Psych (see a theme here?).  Then we had fun doing a bath, potty, tooth brushing, books, song, bedtime.  She is so cute...talking so much.  She gives the cutest kisses, sweetest hugs and pats on the back.

Anyway, onto the pics.  I took these during lunch.  I really do LOVE my macro attachment...And I love the natural light I get in through my huge front window in my dining room....

Some lessons in photography...

Or at least some suggestions on some things you may want to learn while attempting to better your photography skills :)  Tonight I took some pics of the boys with some cute hearts....just to stick with the V-day theme :)

Lessons to learn prior to attempting to become a better photographer.
1. How to use your camera
2. How to edit (and what editing program is worth it and affordable, I don't know, I am still using a free one :) Though it is downloaded to my computer).

The first picture is one taken with my light scoop....it's a poor mans something or other (don't ask me!).  It is a really cool reflector thing that bounces your flash up and out instead of letting the flash directly hit your subject.  This allows a more natural skin tone and a warm, all over light.  My living room is pretty dark though, so I don't know how well I like it in my house.  Perhaps I should buy a lamp for my living room.  Because it is dark in my living room I find the need to use Noiseware (I hate a noisy pic) which I think often times makes the photo too soft, but again, I don't know how to really edit.  I guess it's good that I am still learning, right?  The second and third pics were taken with standard, direct flash.  I still ran them through Noiseware, because again, I hate noise.

Despite my ambiguity on the outcome of my pics for this evening, I will say this was a fun photo shoot.  I set the camera up on a tripod and used my remote so I could actually play and have fun to get more natural looking smiles, etc.  It was fun and I love the boys so much.  Once I let go of control :)  The second pic was remotely taken by Quinn and the third by Jude.

By the way, Lucy goes for tubes on Monday - so keep her in your thoughts and prayers!

The Shark

So tonight, apparently, Quinn couldn't find his lovey, Shakey Bear.  So Jude gave Quinn his coveted shark to sleep with.  How sweet is that?  And a slight role reversal as Quinn is usually the peacekeeper. :)

Maybe tomorrow I'll actually get to take a picture BEFORE the kids are all in bed...I already have something in mind too :)  We'll see how it works out!!!

I present to you - Quinn and The Shark.

Lucy's lovey cont'd

So I KNEW that Lucy was given a mini version of her beloved dog by a great friend of mine and her son (Lucy's future husband? :)).  I hadn't seen it for a while.  But while Quinn, Lucy and I were reading in her room after bath tonight (Quinn and Lucy were reading, I was organizing drawers, other books, lotioning kids, etc), I made the executive decision to dig through Lucy's awesome Ikea collapsible hamper that houses thousands of neglected stuffed animals.  I had high hopes at one point that Lucy wouldn't like trains or hotwheels.  Fail.  Anyway, I found the mini dog.  Which Lucy immediately snatched out of my hand and started loving on.  With any luck THIS becomes her lovey :)  If not, then maybe the stuffed platypus I bought her for Valentine's day THIS year will become her lovey :)  MAYBE I should give up, move on, and stop buying stuffed animals.

The boys really enjoy their stuffed animals though.

So, without meaning to, this week has been about Valentine's day....so I will continue this theme up to and including 2/14 with pictures of things that are loved.  Stay tuned!

Lucy's lovey....

I have been trying for just about 20 months to get Lucy to attach to a lovey.  I don't know what "leading experts" say on this subject.  But I personally feel that a lovey is a wonderful thing.  Both of my boys still sleep with their lovies every night.  I think it is good for a kid to have something to turn to when times get tough (as every kid knows they can)....For example, Jude and Quinn have both had to handle the addition of a baby to the family.  They have also both had to handle moving into our house.  These are events that can be stressful enough for full grown, well coping adults to handle.  So I like the lovey :)

Lucy on the other hand, hasn't really taken to a lovey, aside from her thumb, until now.  And of course it can't be a cute little blankie with a head, no.  It has to be the large stuffed dog she got last year for Valentine's Day.  She hasn't asked to take it out of the house yet and I'm not sure what we'll say if/when she does.  But she sleeps on it like a pillow in her bed at night and drags it back down in the morning.  She cuddles with it while watching a show, rides it around like a horse, etc.  I think the pillow pet has grown jealous and may rebel with the rest of Lucy's neglected stuffed animals.  I swear I bought no less than FIVE perfectly acceptable pink and girlie lovies before she was born.  Does she want any of those?  No.  It has to be the dog.

Play-dough and pinch pots...

Quinn was given 5 balls of what I will assume is homemade play-dough today at preschool to celebrate a classmate's birthday.  I assume it was homemade because it has glitter in it :)

Anyway, Quinn was apparently in need of extra attention from me tonight, more than usual.  It's always hard when you have more than one child, and even harder when you have more than two.  As much as I hate the phrase "middle child" that would be the correct term for Quinn.  Obviously, since he was born second out of three he is in the middle.  Sadly, this usually gets him lumped into activities on one end or the other.  While we do make sure to give him one on one time as well, and he does have his own activities, I think this is the life of the second born (out of three :)).  So tonight he wanted me to play a board game with him, so I did.  Just him.  And unfortunately, I won.  I tried to lose, I did....it didn't work.  He did well with this though and came in second place.  Then he wanted me to teach him to make pinch pots with his new play-dough.  He caught on quick and the results were beautiful.  I think we'll buy some real clay this weekend and maybe ask my art teacher neighbor to fire and glaze it for him :)  He would be so excited to have a permanent pinch pot next to Jude's on my bookshelf!

After the pinch pots I surprised Quinn with a little Shel Silverstein reenactment.  Jude really liked this too.  So in honor of the upcoming Hallmark holiday enjoy the second pic on the house!

You don't need Valentine's Day to say "I love you"

My friends hosted a super bowl party at their house tonight so I took this opportunity to get my 365 photo for the day.  I knew they had been working on a new pendant design for their jewelry store on Etsy.  

I love their work.  I love the simplicity and versatility of their items.  They are just beautiful.  So I took a few pictures of their latest creation.  I don't know what they are calling it, but anything given as a way to show love is perfect in my book.  What better way to feel loved than to wear a heart?  I love them.  In case you didn't get that :)

So, I had some more fun tonight playing with my macro lens.  I am sadly still a work in progress but at least I am still a something :)  Right?  Sorry again for not being able to pick just one picture.  I seriously think I am in LOVE with my macro lens and cannot wait for things to start blooming or at least budding....HELLO sunshine - where are you?!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JMBeadjeweled

Joey Stivic

If the name of my post today means anything to you, you are older than most of the people I know.  :)

Travis had to work today and I really wanted to get a run in (not that I would have done this outside with the craptastic weather we continue to have).  So I set my alarm for 7am on a SATURDAY morning.  I am not sure what is wrong with this picture.  So we all get up, shower (before a run, yes), eat breakfast and go out in the ice/rain/snow to my parents house so I can use their seriously awesome treadmill.  Background, if you don't know my parents, they are collectors.  I grew up going to antique shows and flea markets.  Vacation routes were planned around hitting up places along the way.  Oddly enough, most of the time I enjoyed this and as an adult I still do.  So, after I finished running (in their basement) I started perusing their most recent gathering of auction items.  And then I spotted this.  I just had to have this for Lucy.  And my parents were nice enough to oblige :)  Thanks Mom and Dad!!  How awesome is it though?  An anatomically correct "Betsy Wetsy" style BOY doll from some time in the 70's and from Archie Bunker no less?  Can't get much more anti-PC than this baby.

Sorry that the picture is so non-artistic but I am running out of motivation.  Maybe if the weather would change I could actually get something other than the kids on my couch or the dog in his bed.  Specifically WARM sunshine!

The best part....

My favorite part of a nice, chocolaty, yummy pan of fresh baked brownies is the middle.  Yum.  I think they are always the best.  Some people like the edges better.  And don't get me wrong, I'll eat them, they ARE still brownies....but the middle is just the best.  Technically if you cut the "crust' off the whole way around you would have one big middle brownie.  Hmmmmm, how awesome is that?  Thanks Amanda, Claire, and Reagan for coming over tonight!  And thanks for bringing the brownies :)