Summer Play…

Why is it so hard to find time for things?  I remember a time, not too long ago, when my best friend and I did just about everything together.  Now that was before we were married and had children.  I guess we were roommates at the time too!  But in my mind, sometimes, that seems like just yesterday. Anyway, life has just gotten so busy for the both of us… and most of our communication these days is through text message and phone calls while we are driving between all the “have to’s” of life.

A few weeks ago, I took my dear friend up on a play date invitation.  I know that we are always trying to make an effort to get the girls together… but somehow it doesn’t happen nearly as frequently as we would like.  I sure do hope that they will be close… even though they don’t go to school together, or play soccer, or Daisies, or… well they don’t DO anything outside of just play when we get them together.  They do have a great time when we manage to put them in the same room.

Little Cam & Liv are both starting kindergarten this year!  Whoa.  How time flies.  They were both pretty excited to take pictures together.

Eva is a little “cheese” ball.  It is hard to get a picture of her when she is not scrunching up her nose and giving you a toothy grin.  I love how Liv’s pony tails are totally crooked… and the bling around her neck. (Campbelle has Aunti M’s fancy bracelet on too.)  Notice the Princess Bell sticker on Eva’s shirt too!  These images are to be treasured as memories of today!

The girls being silly and screaming.  Funny… they do this ALL the time, but when I pointed the camera and asked them to scream… they thought it was really funny.  Campbelle hung upside down and actually wanted me to take this other picture.

Sweet, sweet Maddy.  That look!  I have seen it so many times.  Especially when she is looking and loving her kids.  She is holding a sleeping and swaddled baby Griffyn in this picture.

Carpe Diem!

Life, for me, often feels like a huge “have to”! I have so much freekin’ responsibility all the time, that I find myself forgetting to just let go… and enjoy my kids! Appreciate my husband, who I spend way too much time harping on! Stop and stare and marvel at the miracle and beauty of a sunset!

Last weekend we got away! The packing and unpacking is just a nightmare, but there were a few moments that I was able to simply ENJOY! Dinner at the Fisherman, in San Clemente… cramming my family of 6 into a 4 top corner table, to eat and watch the sunset, was amazing! We especially enjoyed how everyone clapped as the sun slipped below the horizon… like we were telling God- “good job”! We slept in foreign beds, ate at different restaurants, loaded surfboards and beach gear on top of a golf cart and drove a couple blocks to the beach. We watched some tv, ate junk food, and celebrated the life of my beautiful (now) 3 year old! With a simple birthday excursion that included Build A Bear and ice cream!

All and all… I found a moment or two to stop and smell the roses a bit! I have missed that point of view! I need to try to remember how it feels, and not be so afraid to slip on over to the slow lane more often. Before I know it, I won’t have young children anymore. I’ll be worrying about cell phones and curfews:-(

I must carpe diem! I will carpe diem! At least today!

Pictures to come soon.

Summer Sadness

I know for many parents out there, the end of summer and the beginning of the school year is a time of great JOY!  There is something about the Fall, the way the air starts to cool, and the leaves (on some of the trees here in So. Cal) turn beautiful shades of red, yellow and orange.  But for me the beginning of the school year does not mean a break from my kids and more time for myself.  It means that I don’t “get to” see my kids.  It means back to the grind!  It means that someone else will be spending more time, in a given day, with my kids than I will!  When I start to see people posting count downs to the first day of school, I get sad ;o( Not to mention, it hasn’t really felt very much like summer at all around here.  The weather has been unusually cool over the past several months.  Of course, now that we’re fixin’ to go back to school, the weather has decided to feel like summer!

Admittedly, I have been putting off some things, kinda like I’m in denial that I will be forced out of my home full time in a matter of days now.  I haven’t been pushing the bottle on little Griffyn because, well, come on now, who “wants” to pump and bottle feed your infant when you can just breast feed him with so much less effort.

I also have been putting off buying back to school clothes and shoes for the kids as well as some paperwork that I need to have done and submitted to start the year.  I feel like school won’t actually be starting, as long as I’m in denial about it!  But the other day, I could put things off no more. We bought school uniforms, and finally filled out all of those silly redundant forms.

I took Wesley back to school shopping last week.  It was so fun… picture me, at Ross, with all 4 kids.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love to cruz the isles of a well stocked discount store like Ross or Marshalls, just NOT WITH 4 KIDS!  Griffyn was the best one, as usual. Wesley is getting pretty self sufficient, and the girls… well they were maniacs.  I gave Wes his budget and he set out to find clothes that he liked, which consisted of some surf brand t-shirts, several pairs of skinny jeans, an adorable hat, socks, shoes, a sweatshirt and flannel.  All and all, I think he did really great for the money.

Now I just need to get some clothes that actually fit my fat- post pardem @#$!!

This picture was taken a few weeks ago, and I just love how little Griffy is looking right at the camera.  I have a zillion pictures of him on my phone, and even several lengthy videos… so that I can feel like I am with him- when I’m not.  I expect that I will be looking at those images quite a lot over the next days, weeks and months.  I sure hope I can do this!  Leaving a 3 month old in daycare feels like it’s going to KILL me.

Please forgive that this photo is not so sharp.  I did all of the set up, but my hubby actually pushed the shutter release.  The focal point seems to be set on my face and not the little man in the center ;o)  It’s still a cute pic!

Air Guitar- Watch Griffyn Go!

I saw this bright orange shirt while were shopping at the Carlsbad outlet mall a few weeks ago. I immediately put this image of the little rocker together in my head. It took a little while to actually find time to put him into the scene, but I finally did it.
My older kids got a kick out of watching me set it all up… blankets, guitar & sock monkey! They wanted to dance around on the pretend stage too. Then I dismissed all of them to the back yard, climbed up on my ladder (literally) and snapped a few pictures on my family room floor.

I’m aiming for 12 images that I can use in a calendar for 2011. It will be so fun to look back on these ideas of what Griffyn might do, when he is big- some day! (a long time from now)

I’ll be working on a skateboarding scene soon bere, at the request of the big brother:-)

V Boyz…

The V boys were watching TV  the other day and I just had a flash!  Forward about 10 years… when Griffyn is Wesley’s age, and the two guys are watching a movie, or playing a video game together!  Oh my, I’m sure that some day I’ll think back on these very images and remember how little they once were.  That to me, is the magic of pictures.  This moment, and so many other precious fleeting sparks, captured… CLICK! Even with all of the pictures that I take, and I do take a ton, there are a few that just speak to me.  This one is all guy, the way that Griffy is all propped up, and Wes with the Wii remote in his hand ;o) Lovin’ my little V boyz!

(focal point set on his wittle feet)

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