Letters to Santa

The boys are catching on to the whole idea of Santa and it's actually a lot of fun. I was never going to tell my kids the whole Santa line (lying to your kids, making up mythical entities, missing the whole point of Christmas, etc. etc.) BUT...this whole Santa thing is wicked fun. They totally dig it...and they talk incessantly about Santa and when he will be coming, and how we have to make him cookies, and how will his fat butt fit down our tiny chimney. Ok...that last one is just me....because seriously, our chimney is SMALL.
Anyway...the boys were really geeked about writing a letter to santa to tell him what they want...all like, WHAT?! WE JUST LIST WHAT WE WANT AND HE BRINGS IT?? So I had to clear that up a little.
So....writing letters to Santa - yesterday's project. We mailed them today.
Now I just have to figure out a way to explain that we can't actually RIDE on the Polar Express to go see the big guy in the red suit....




I helped AJ pen his letter to Santa....but the thoughts and words are all him. :)
Oh...and when I asked him..."why do you want another Lightening McQueen car and another Chick Hicks car when you already have those?"
"I need two"
AAllllll-righty then.


#4?? "A Big Car that I can Drive"?? That would be one of those battery powered cars. He saw one in Toys R Us the other day....LOVED it. Sat in it. It was $500.
I guess he's got good taste.
And a vivid imagination. Because no way will that sucka be sitting in our living room on Christmas day.


I was SO proud of Owen, who addressed his envelope and wrote everything in his letter except for his list, which he dictated and I wrote for him, because telling a 5 yr old how to spell every single word and painstakingly print them out would have taken about 458 minutes.
Oh, and if anyone could tell me what #1 is....A "Thomas and Percy Race"....??? I have no clue. And he's been pretty adamant that BY GEORGE I MUST HAVE THIS FOR CHRISTMAS OR ALL IS LOST so I'm slightly concerned about it. Any insight is appreciated....

Soulja Spongebob

Does it make me a terrible person that my kids *love* to watch this video? And I let them? And I think it's funny?





disclaimer: I *despise* SpongeBob...and i don't let my kids watch Spongebob. So, what are they freaking obsessed with?? Why, Spongebob of course!

clarification for those of you who live under a rock or are not hip to what's cool: this music video (not the spongebob version) and the accompanying dance that goes with it is the most popular dance to sweep the nation since the Macarena. You are like, SO not cool if you don't know about it. What-EVER. **flips her hair**

Elf Yourself

Many thanks to Amy, who has offered up countless hours of entertainment to our family, and to my boys, who repeatedly ask me (like a million times a day)..."let's see the dancing elves!" at elfyourself.com -- click here for a good laugh.....and to see Steve dressed like an elf. With boobs.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9617073037

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to:
my husband.
the father of my beautiful children.
the man who takes me to a demolition derby for a date and we laugh about it the whole time.
the guy who buys me a puppy for my birthday, even though it's ridiculously impractical.
the man who makes me laugh like no other.
the man who knows where I'm most ticklish.
the guy who provides for all 5 of us - financially, emotionally, spiritually.
the dad who my boys absolutely adore.
the guy who builds the best train tracks, and plays the best pretend with the race cars.
the man who still holds my hand in the car.
the guy who changes the cat litter just because i hate to do it.
the guy who has to have all the lights off when he's sleeping at night. and a fan on. in the winter.
the guy who loves Christmas more than anyone I know.
the teenage boy trapped in a man's body who still pines for a video game system (the answer is still NO!)
the teacher that the students adore.
the coach that the athlete's love.
the friend who makes you laugh.

the man that I love.

happy birthday steve-o!

(click the photo to enlarge)

A Few Miscellaneous Pictures...

...From our weekend in Atlanta.

Cooper, of course...who is quite handsome, I must say.


And his "cousin" Wrigley. They tire each other out quite nicely whenever we get together.



She's no canine, but I loved this picture of my little niece Sammi. Isn't she a beauty? :)

A Few Things....

ok, first of all...new photos to look at of my nieces and the family of 12 (yes, TWELVE!) that i photographed today over on my photoblog. check 'em out!

second thing.....please satisfy my curiosity. When you play Free Rice (see link on the right) could you PUH-LEASE tell me what you're average vocab score is?? I'm curious as to how I stack up against others.....
It's like penis envy....only with words.



Did i really just say that??

Happiness Is....

Running through the crisp autumn leaves in grandma's backyard....

Runneth Over...On Being Blessed

Thankful.

I am.

And I don't mean to sound like Yoda when I say it, but I'm just a little overwhelmed, especially this year by everything that I have. I am truly very, very rich.

We're in Atlanta, and there's a major drought here. Lake Lanier is at the lowest point it's ever been...they've been considering rationing water, etc. etc. True Story. Google it.

So while we've been here, I've been extra aware of how much water I use. Or waste. How much we all use (and waste) on a regular day. And I think about people in Africa who have to walk upwards of 4 miles one way to get a few gallons of clean water. How the water in our toilet is probably more sanitary than what some people drink. Did you know that $1 can provide clean water for an African for A YEAR?? Here is the part where I want to say, "God, I am blessed"...where I actually did just type that, but then deleted it. If I am blessed because I have clean water, food to eat.... what does that say for those that don't? That they aren't blessed? What am I then? Lucky? Spoiled? Fatefully born into the "right" country? The "right" family? I'm wrestling with a lot of ideas like this lately. Don't mean to be a downer on a holiday, but it kindof is a downer, doncha think? Millions of Americans gorging themselves on huge meals today, when other people are starving, or cold, and the leftover and scraps thrown into the trash today could've fed a small country?

But I still ate too much. And didn't do anything about those other people, or that small country, and I'm honestly starting to despise myself for it a little bit. But I think that could be a good thing. Because when we despise a part of ourselves, we hopefully make moves to change it.

There's a glimpse into my personal journey right now.

Blessed? Maybe.

Thankful? For sure.

For food to eat and clothes to wear.

For my husband and the fact that he's been extra nice to me the last 2 days (2 days of sleeping in! Does miracles for my disposition:) )

For my beautiful healthy boys and their lovable quirks, silly moments, horrid messes, and squealing laughter.

For my family, both near and far and their support.

For my camera. (Hey, I can be thankful for a possession!)

For Lisa, who has become the closest friend I've had in the last 5 years.

For Dan, who is my big brother in a Marine's body, living in Albany, to make me laugh and break my ribs with his hugs.

For Ginny, who I miss a lot. Who can make me laugh. Not a chuckle, but a rip-roaring, snort your coffee out your nose laugh. I miss those times.

For Erica, who is the best babysitter ever and has somehow, over the last 2 years, evolved into a member of our family.

For friends like the Nobles, who we've been circling, eyeing each other up, deciding we like, deciding they're our kind of people. Whatever that means. :)

For friends near and far...the Cox's, The Porters, The Pottengers, The Titus', Bookclubbers, and I'm sure I'm missing others who will read this and be all WHAT? SHE DIDN'T MENTION US? And probably call me a bee-atch. I'm thankful for you too.

For this blog. And the outlet it's been to me. And the people who read it. My connect with the world and friends and family.

For a God who confuses me, astounds me, terrifies me, loves me, gives me a sense of wonder, and lately seems to be pricking my conscience with social action matters. I hope it keeps making me uncomfortable until I do something about it.

For a regular income (however small), and healthcare, and vehicles to drive, and food in our pantry, and clean water from our faucets, and hot showers in the mornings, and not having to worry about being bombed or killed at any minute, and never knowing hunger, or famine, or a cold night alone.

I'm just......thankful.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Chehaw Native American Cultural Festival

Some pictures from the festival yesterday....taking pictures with two boys in tow was difficult to say the least so I was a little disappointed with the photos I ended up with. I always seem to have this ideal in my head of what I *want* to capture, but I rarely do it.

This guy was one of my favorites....

Is she adorable or what? I can't even get my 4 year old to wipe his own butt and this kid can do complicated Indian dances.

No pheasants were harmed in the making of this headdress .
Five birds died to make this.

<|

Lizard and frog

Remember that lizard that I told you about? Well, I found it. Or I should say that AJ found it.

He came out to the kitchen on Thursday with a little brown lizard, upside down, stiff, pinched in his little fingers.
"Eeelwww!" I said. "He's dead. Give him to me so I can throw him out"
He holds his hand out toward me so I can take the lizard.
I reach out to grab it and it flips onto the ground and scurries under the kitchen table.
I squealed. "Eeeeee! It's alive!"
He giggled.
"Catch it!!" I commanded.
He caught it an we stuck it in a jar, along with a frog that we had caught the night before.
They took them to school for show and tell and then brought them home, where I insisted that we let them go.
After some protesting, they agreed and we took them outside to release them. The lizard made a run for it as soon as we opened the jar....the frog stuck around for a minute....
Poor reptiles. Amphibians. Whatever the heck they are.

More of the boys....

Few more that I was playing around with tonight.....

Cultural Owen-ism

Today we took the boys downtown for a dog festival. There were a bunch of canine vendors there...Pedigree, various pet stores, veterinarians, pet spa...you could bring your dog and let them do a dog obstacle course, or a race track (chasing after a decoy like greyhounds do). They were giving away free pet stuff, having dog contests....it was a lot of fun.
After we got home, I took the boys out to the Parks at Chehaw Native American Cultural Festival.

Lemme just say, it was REALLY, really cool. A photographer's dream. What was NOT a photographer's dream, was having two kids in tow at the Native American Cultural Festival. *sigh*
But I digress....

Well, tonight as Owen is laying in bed and I'm laying by him doing our bedtime routine, he grabs my hand and says,

"Mama?"
"Yes Owen?"
"I had fun with you today with the aliens"

I'm totally confused, racking my brain. A strange looking dog? Something at the playground? We watched this weird monster Scooby-Doo movie this afternoon.....?

"The ALIENS?" I ask quizzically.
"Yeah" he answers sweetly with a smile. "The Aliens"
:::::::silence:::::::::

"Oh!" I exclaim. "The INDIANS???"

"Yeah. The Indians!"

:) LOL

Check THIS Out

ok....so, you're a what? Photographer? Teacher? Firefighter? Doctor? Banker? In Sales? Accountant?
is that what you always imagined you'd be? Was that your ambition?

Rarely we turn out actually doing what we thought we wanted to do. Me? I always wanted to be a marine biologist, but when it came time to actually choose my college, act on my dream, I took the easy way and went to a school close by...just because it was familiar, close, easy. And I ended up with a worthless degree in something that I'll never use and have no interest in. Sometimes I still regret not pursuing that whole marine biology thing.

ANYWAY.....so if you go HERE, you can "test-drive" another vocation. Try something new, shadow somebody who already does it, see what it's like. Always wondered what it's like to be a rancher? A boat captain? A chocolatier? A horse trainer? A Voice-Over Artist (?)? Give it a try!

How cool is that? And even if you don't want to do it, you can get a gift certificate for someone else. What a cool gift idea, huh? And what a fun thing to try...

Check it out! And then tell us....what would you be if you weren't what you are now?

Bloggers Anonymous

I subscribe to a lot of blogs.

A LOT of blogs.


Photography blogs, mom blogs, spiritual blogs, funny blogs, recipe blogs, LOTS LOTS LOTS of blogs.

I'm a little embarrassed by it. But I NEED them....for inspiration, for a laugh, for a human connect.

Hello, my name is Tammi and I'm a blog addict.
As of yesterday I subscribe to 95 blogs.
It has been 2.5 minutes since my last blog read.

Your turn.

Might be getting myself in trouble here....

I was just invited to read the most outstanding blog...

Sarah Beth's blog is open only to invited readers, but if you're interested in reading the blog of a thoughtful, poetic, wise young woman, whose thoughts and ideas are deeper than they seem, you might want to email her and ask if you can read too.
I first met her through Steve-0, sortof, when she started coming with her fiance to our top-secret book club. :) lol She's fairly quiet, mildly content to listen to the blatherings of everyone else in the room, but beneath the surface lurks a wise intelligence and when she opens her mouth to speak, you know she's got something good to say.

Sarah, hope you're not upset that I could possibly be sending a bunch of email and potential blog readers your way, but your words are too good NOT to share. And I'm glad I'll get to watch you grow and figure things out in words. What a gift you have.

Facebook Clarification

Yes. I signed up for Facebook.

I've received a few friend invitations.

Don't be offended that I don't accept them.

I only got on facebook and made an account to find a friend that I heard through rumor was on facebook. Facebook, Myspace....it's too much for me to handle. I can't keep up with anything other than this dang blog, so sorry for any confusion but I won't be frequenting the Myspace or Facebook world. We'll just have to be blogging friends.

It's not you....it's me.
We can still be friends though, right?? :) LOL

A Good Day

2 Hours Babysitting for Tyler..................$20

Ice Cream Bribe......................................$10

Camera and One Rock'n Lense...............$2,500

Pictures of my gorgeous boys.............priceless.




Just cracked open a few of these because i couldn't resist playing around with a few. You'll have to forgive my current obsession with grungy, textured photos. If you don't like it, that's ok....I might not like it in 2 weeks either. :)

I think he is so soulful.
His eyes have so much depth.

And this kid just makes me smile.
This photo makes me smile every time I look at it.

The two of them.

::be still my heart::
*sigh*
How I love them.

Baby boy

Just playing around today....How does this strike you??


Or do you just like the regular black and white better?

Check it

This is addicting...fun....and for a good cause.

Check it out:

Me 'n My Baby

Steve took these of us today. :)


I'm thinking of cutting off a bunch of my hair. Or dying it. Whaddya think?

Family Shoot

I posted this on my photoblog as well, but I wanted to throw it up here too, because it's just so fun. :) This is one of my most favorite shots for a family or group, but you should see the looks that I get from people when I tell them what to do! :) lol
"You want us to do what?" "WHY?" And then I get that look. Like..let's just do what she says, crazy woman.

Anyway...fun, huh? :)

Leaves

My parents sent a box this week with gifts for Owen's birthday. But inside...was a little gift for me.

Fresh leaves from Michigan.....







1. Clip leaves on clothes line with clothes pin
2. Point camera toward leaves/sky
3. Become blinded by sun. See spots. Move Camera.
4. Move back to get leaves in focus.
5. Inadvertently step in dog poop.
6. Curse loudly





So.....tell me: which one do you like best??

Self Portrait 2

{click to enlarge}

Pass the Popcorn Please

These are some movies currently playing that I would like to see. Considering the fact that with 3 kids and a teacher-salary income, nights out at the movies require winning small lottery, the odds of me getting to see more than one of these is very slim.


--------->Martian Child.




Dan In Real Life <------







---->Fred Claus (although i'll wait until it feels more "christmasey" to watch this one)







Beowulf <----------

It looks weird and the movie itself will probably bomb in the box office, but I still want to see it. Beowulf is one of my favorite stories....



---->And of course the boys want
to see Bee Movie. I think it looks funny, but it's not tops on my list of course.






Anyone seen any of these and if so, what did you think?? Oh, and also....if you wouldn't mind donating approximately...let's see...tickets for me to see 4 movies...$32...popcorn and drinks...also $32....oh wait, don't forget the boys at the Bee Movie....$12 more...popcorn for them...$20....oh, steve might want to come to the other movies with me...$32 more...oh, and a babysitter for during those movies...$85.....You know what? Just sell your car and give me the money to go to the movies, ok?