A Lil' Bit of Pixie Dust

Snow Day 1/30/10

2010-01-30T11:35:00.000-08:00

Snow Day 2010 is here and 4 1/2 in later the kids have played outside and had a blast.

Change is in the wind.

2009-09-17T05:50:00.000-07:00

They say that change is good. I am not quite sure who said it first and where they got that idea, but it is different. Some changes are easy, like letting Brendan go off to school, while some are harder, like letting go of something you helped create. I know they sound almost the same ( I did create Brendan last time I checked) but never the less, they are different. They feel different and different parts of me went into both of them. With Brendan I have been looking forward to this day for awhile now and so has he. Maybe that is why it was so easy.

The other change I am talking about is the change within CPM. I have been an admin on that site since it first opened almost 3 1/2 yrs ago. I have sat there through the calms and the violent storms that occurs in this setting. I love it and I hate it, but mostly I got a laugh out of it. The things that can happen when you get that many women together is amazing and might make you cringe. High school hasn't got anything on a mom's group......

So in 3 1/2 yrs I played counselor, referee, judge, jury, enforcer, fundraiser, promoter, greeter, teacher, recruiter, plus more and all at once. It is an addiction and an obsession. A headache and a joy. A comedy and a tragedy. All rolled into one. How could you not get just a tad upset when you realize it is time to step away. Not from the whole thing, just from the "fun" parts. I am so not knocking a regular member, but after seeing what goes on behind the scenes, it is extremely hard to see nothing and be nothing. Maybe it is missing the power. I am not sure. Anyway you look at it, it is hard. Just plain HARD!

I know in time it will get easier, but for now....I think I am just going to sit here and remember the days when I could ban at the touch of a button!!!

They're off!!!

2009-08-25T06:18:00.000-07:00

Its here!! The first day of school. WOOHOOO!! This was a great morning. The kids were so excited and were awesome getting up. Taylor even took a shower this AM. All dressed and ready to go in no time and pics taken out front with time to spare.

After finally meeting their teachers yesterday at open house and getting all their paperwork done, it was time to finish the school shopping, get haircuts and grab the new outfits out of the closet/drawer. Book bags were packed, and they were ready. Look back later to find out how the day went.

A few sore hinneys.....

2009-08-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

This is about where we are right now. Today, before Tom left to go back to work we decided to take a ride at the Eagle Point Nature Preserve. After 2 1/2 miles of wooded trails, needless to say, the kids and I have really sore bottoms. LOL. Not one of us is used to something like that, but we will do it again. Maybe not as much, though we all did make it. It was a fun day. We say 3-4 box turtles within the first 10 min on the trails. The kids were so excited. Here are some pics from our time there.

So where to go tomorrow..... We are not sure right now. Depends on the weather. Will keep everyone posted!

Starting the week off right...

2009-08-18T10:33:00.003-07:00

Well hubby is home and will be here until Friday. Not a long "visit" but not bad either. Tomorrow night is Tay's 9th b-day party and we are having a sleepover. 8 kids ages 4-9(3 boys and 5 girls) will be here total. Should be a lot of fun. Pictures will be taken and posted.

Yesterday after we picked Tommy up at the airport, we ended up going to Pebble Beach for like 1 hr. The kids had a blast and it was a nice relaxing time for me. LOL and T too, I am sure. This place is too cute. It is a roped off swimming area on the lake we live on and it is usually empty during the week so it is the perfect thing to do with the kids. Not many people and a ton of room. Yesterday when we got there, there were only 13 people in the water. Can't beat that. Here are some pics from our time there:

They also got to see a police man who gave them all "Deputy Sheriff" stickers which they loved. Brendan was so proud of his sticker, obviously....

Today has been a lazy day for some of us. Not going anywhere but just hanging out at home. T has been doing work around outside while I have been playing SA. Lots to do on there but it is still fun. Other then that is has just been a lazy day.

A little bit of fun

2009-08-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

Well it has been awhile since I have written so I decided it was time. Things have been good but hectic around here. T is gone alot, I am alone with all 3 kids and no school, and just trying not to go crazy in the process. It hasn't been easy but we are making it. After a small vacation in NJ we are back home and trying to find stuff to do while I am working out my new camera, a Kodak C913. Not the DSLR I wanted but this little thing rocks. Tons of settings and a lot of options. I have been having fun with this little camera. I still like my SLR but that is more for shots I know will turn out or just for the fun of it now. I think I may be able to get my mom the updated pics she wanted. YEAH!!!!

Over the past few days we have been doing all kinds of fun stuff. On Friday we went to the NC Transportation Museum in Spencer and had a blast seeing all of the huge trains up close and personal. Watching the train turn on the roundabout was worth the trip in itself. We also got to see a ton of older vehicles, planes and more. It is truly an interesting adventure and a fun time to boot.

Here are some pics from our time there:

On Saturday, aka..today, we went to the Dunns Mountain Nature and Historic Preserve. This place is amazing. Not very big but it is a 3/10 mi walk up hill to the top which is over 1000 ft above sea level. You can see for miles around and on a clear day you can see over something like 27 counties. It was a slightly hard walk up and a fast one down but all the kids had fun. They loved the views of the quarry and huge rocks we saw. We got some really cute shots of all the kids and some awesome shots of the area

Hoping tomorrow bringas another fun day. Gotta clean a little around here but other then that we are looking to do something special again.
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My first Shoot

2008-10-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

OK well today I had my first shoot. Not sure if I would call it my first "official" shoot since I am not getting paid, but I was my first that didn't involve my kids. It was fun. One of my CPM mommies allowed me to take pics of her adorable 9 mo old. It was sun. A little different since I had to try and connect to her quickly, but I think it turned out OK. I will be dropping the film off tomorrow whenI get done with a maternity shoot in the AM. Then wednesday I get to take pictures of a 3 yr old and 17 mo old. I can't wait. I am really excited about this. As I had posted before, I was scared about posting this to my site but.....in less then 24 hrs I had over 10 offers for all different types.

I think if I manage to make a few $ on some of these shoots then DH will be better with it. I know he is nervous also and he is looking to change jobs but this is for ME. Not for the $, but it is a good perk. I really want to make this work.

I did do a test run with the kids and here are some of the shots.

OK well here it is my first real post.

2008-10-10T13:28:00.000-07:00

I am going to try to start something today. I want to start a photography business. I know there are a TON out there and especially in my area, but I am going to try anyway. I am scared and a little excited. I am unsure as to how I will start this. I am not digital and I LOVE my film camera so I am a little worried on how to do this. Do I buy rolls, take the pics and then give the rolls to the person? OR....do I buy the film and develop then let them pic the prints???

On top of that, DH isn't liking his job anymore and wants to find a new one...in this economy. He has mentioned about me getting a job, but I refuse, REFUSE to get a job at Walmart for peanuts. So here I am. Trying to start something in an economy that is steadily going deeper in the toilet and not knowing where to start. Wish me luck!

A Friend told me...

2008-10-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

That this is a good thing so I will try it and see. There are a lot of things I would like to do with this so we will see what happens. I will look around and come back and post more.