OBVIOUSLY.......a Tyler-ism

Tyler was sitting on me this afternoon as I laid on the couch reading a book.  He appeared to have small toy or something he was turning over and over in his mouth.

"What's in your mouth? do you have a toy in there?" I said.

He looked at me blankly.

"TYLER.  WHAT is in your mouth?"

He opens his mouth, sticks his scrawny little finger up there, points and says, "TEEF!"

The Graduate

I tried uploading this the other day and my computer was being completely wonky so I gave up in frustration.

I'm back today to post the pics...but they're completely out of order and today I'm lacking the patience to mess around with blogger's completely wacky photo placements.

Owen graduated kindy last Tuesday and we of course, are super proud.  It seems weird that he's moved beyond "kindergartner" into the rocky terrain of "elementary schooler".  It literally seems just a week or so ago that i was sniffling in the kitchen writing him a letter as he slept the night before his first day of school.  

Anyway....here he is, pictures all askew, as he graduated on Tuesday.

Good job Owen! We are so proud of you! :)

Looky Looky!

Just put a teaser up on the biz blog, but I'm SO excited about this new project that I'm working on! :)
Over the winter, I had this idea to rent an underwater camera housing for a couple weeks in the summer and offer pool shoots to new and existing clients. It would be a package deal...you'd get a DVD with a combination of video and still shots set to music, with a $$print credit and maybe a few extra prints...something something...I hadn't exactly figured it all out yet.
So I started scouring the internet for a place where I could rent a camera housing. The place that I usually rent gear from wasn't carrying housings anymore so I was totally bummed as I perused the 'net looking for something because just to RENT a housing for about a week would run me in the $600 range. Would i make that money up in sales from the shoots? I wasn't sure....1 week wasn't very much time to promote and squeeze in enough shoots to make my money back.
SO THEN I thought, "well, heck. I live in Georgia and it's warm here 9 months of the year. Why don't I just BUY a camera housing?" Lord knows I'll have plenty of opportunity to use it.

So I did.
And a video camera housing too.

And with a fluttering heart, I read (and re-read, and re-read again) the directions, packed my cheapest camera and a decent lense into that baby and sank it into the pool. GULP. I might as well have taken $1200 in cash and dunked it in.
NO WORRIES!

It worked like a champ - no leaks, no problems and we spent several hours practicing with it. Casey and I played with the video camera, and the regular camera - Steve and the boys were our subjects and they swam their little hearts out.

3 hours and 2 minor sunburns later and we had learned a few things and were ready to hit the pool again the next weekend with better methods (boat anchors, bungee chords, flippers, dive masks, weight belts, wider-angled lenses.....don't ask).

We hit the pool again yesterday with even more success and I'm starting to feel like this could be a REALLY cool thing. How many photographers do YOU know who can take professional photos of your family UNDERWATER??

Anyway....the end product isn't ready to show to the world yet, but I think it'll be pretty cool. A combination of shots in and out of the pool combined with video....I think it would be an awesome treasure for any pool-lovin' summer-lovin' family.
Plus I think the options for creative portraiture are endless.......I won't even tell you the wild ideas I've got in my head for THAT.

What do YOU think??

A.J.

Couple more to see as a teaser on the blog.
And don't YOU feel special because you guys are the first I've told about it. :)
And I'd love feedback....do you think it's a good idea? Would you pay money for it? What do you think would make it even cooler? What would give it more value for you?

The Big 3-0

Yup.
I'm 30.
Exactly 21 minutes ago I turned 30.

If you ask me right now, I'm okay with it. How often do you tell people your age? And does it really matter? Isn't age REALLY JUST a number?
But if you ask me tomorrow, I might be completely depressed about it. Because by then I'll be 20 years old PLUS one day. You know....the more I think about it - I don't think 30 is that bad. I think 31 will be bad. Because then you're not 30, you're IN your THIRTIES.

LOL

Who cares anyway?

Happy Birthday to Me.

So......in light of my 30th birthday, in addition to my newly tradition of taking a picture with Cooper (who was my birthday present from Steve 2 years ago) and a picture-taking tradition we started last year - I decided to ALSO make a list.
Because I love me some lists.

30 Things to Do in My 30th Year
1. Get a tattoo
2. Renew my passport
3. Go camping overnight
4. Take a class
5. fly a kite
6. Catch a fish
7. Take a self-portrait
8. Paint a big painting
9. Get some moo cards
10. Do some charity work
11. be crazy
12. do something meaningful
13. Start a photo project
14. Buy a lottery ticket
15. Romp on the beach with my family
16. Explore some old dreams
17. Reconnect with some important people
18. Get IN some pictures
19. Finish a project
20. Make a Blurb book
21. Visit the Little Grand Canyon
22. Stretch myself as an artist
23. Memorize a piece on the piano
24. Grow personally in tangible ways
25. Invest in a stranger's life
26. Get published
27. Do something spontaneous
28. Write a letter
29. Get a family picture that I love
30. Love. Laugh. Often. More.

AJ's 5 yr. Old Pics

More on the biz blog.....
And more to come once I get around to editing the rest. :)
Life is busy.
Good...but busy.

Personality Based Musical Skills

Several months back, Steve-o was speaking with the band director at his school, who also teaches up the hall from him. Said band teacher was talking about how he chooses an instrument for kids based a lot on their personality. Intriqued, Steve said, "really? What instrument would I play"? and without hesitation, the guy says Clarinet. I'm not sure what that means?

Owen started piano lessons a few weeks back, and he's loving it- which kindof surprised me. Pretty much, I'm planning on forcing the kids to take musical lessons of one kind or another (they can choose the instrument) but I think it's one of those things that is just good for them to learn, whether they like it or not. I tried to convince Owen to do violin, but he kept insisting on the piano. And that made me remember the conversation that Steve had and made me ponder if his personality was suited to the piano.

I found this quiz online that helps determine what instrument would suit your personality. Take it and tell me what it says. Do you play an instrument? Does the instrument you play suit your personality?

When I took it, it said that I should play the piano. Which is interesting, because I do. LOL. Although I'm not sure that this description actually fits me, especially that first sentence.
------------
You are a calm person who always thinks things through before you do them. Sometimes you can be a bit fussy and dont like to do things wrong. The piano is perfect for you, seeing as it takes a calm hand and mind to perfect the art of the piano.
-----------
You try it!

5 Years Ago This Day...

He came into our lives.

Owen was 6 months old when we unexpectedly got pregnant (we're good at that) with baby #2. Shocked, we were attempting to process that news when about 2 weeks later that baby was lost. And with that loss came questions that got us thinking....about what it would be like to have another. What it would be like to have 2 children, siblings close in age. A pregnancy that we had actually planned. LOL :)
The loss of that unknown baby led us to a surprising desire for another child.

9 months later....AJ arrived.

He slept in our bed from the day he was born -- a habit we just recently broke him of about 2 months ago.

He was born with startling blue eyes...a trait I expected to fade over time and turn into creamy brown - like mine, like his daddy's, like his brothers. Today, he is the only blue-eyed member of our family - a characteristic that I bring up frequently and praise for it's uniqueness. I always want him to be proud of his individuality.


He is full of life and laughter, thrilled by the smallest of things - a frog on the side of the house, a trip to the park, a rainbow in the sky - all are exquisite and exciting and worthy to be shouted loudly about.

He is sensitive and caring - willing to give you the shirt off his back. His eyes fill with tears and his lower lip trembles when he realizes that he's hurt his brother or done something naughty enough to warrant disapproval from us.

He is snugly and physically engaging - willingly giving hugs or begging for tickles or a wrestling match.

He is a patient big brother, playing with Ty while Owen is at school - whether entertaining him with his silly antics or sharing his cars, he is thoughtful enough to play with the things that Tyler would like, not what he would like.

He is funny and loves jokes - telling us lies with a twinkle in his eye only to shout "JUST JOKING!!" a minute later with uproarious giggling.

He is all boy - lover of legos and trucks and dirt and Star Wars. Imaginative and playful, most often around the house in costume or a land of make believe - "puming" you with his guns (it's the gun sound - "pume, pume") or "swording you" with his light sabers, jumping from furniture and racing around with his blanket around his neck like a super hero.

I can hardly believe he is five years old already.

Happy Birthday Skittle - we love you and are so proud of you and the man you will become.

Some pictures from the last 5 years....


And some snaps from his birthday celebration over the weekend: