The Ghetto Bento.

Just call me super mom. No, seriously.

Okay, so I've never really considered myself much of an over-achieving mom. I mean, I'm a decent mom, for sure, but I'll never win the MOTY award (mother of the year award. Bwahaha!) Although, this year, I just *might* be in the running. I'd have to keep up my antics, though, in order to stay in the running.

Remember how I started the girls in dance? That was step one. Tonight, I unveil the next step in my plan to win the MOTY. That's right, fellow moms. Try to keep up. (I kid, I kid. Ha!)

I'm potentially late to the party, but I've just recently discovered Bento Box lunches. You really should check out the link if you'd like to know more about Bento because I'm just beginning to research it & understand it. Apparently, though, it's a Japanese thing. They pack small amounts of lots of different foods in a Bento Box. If the food is chosen & packed correctly & according to the Bento formula, the size of the box directly correlates to the number of calories in the meal. For instance, if you were to pack it correctly, a 350mL box would equal around 350 calories. (I think.)

It's more than just packing a lunch, though... it's an ART. SERIOUSLY! You should head over to flickr and search for Bento. You'd be absolutely AMAZED at what people do with their food.

So, anyway, like I said... it's Japanese. This is why I call what I created Ghetto Bentos. :-) Ha! My Bento is completely American-ized. In fact, I'm not even sure that you could call my lunches Bento at all. I guess they're Bento in style. Basically, I crammed a little bit of a lot of different foods into a box. That's what my lunches and the Bento lunches have in common. I liked the idea of it, though, because it creates little to no waste. That appealed to me. Working in a preschool classroom, you should SEE how many little sandwich baggies one single class goes through in ONE day. It's CRAZY! Multiply that by all the classrooms in America. WOW. So, yeah... in my first set of Bento style lunches for the girls, the only thing that will go in the trash is the little piece of Saran Wrap on the end of the banana. Many days, though, there will be no waste at all. Yay!

Oh, I do have to point out that I cut the sandwich into two little hearts. :-) Aren't they cute? I guess that's a little bit of the "artistic" part, right? Each girl got half a sandwich.

So, yeah... I've rambled on and on AND on about this. I've got pictures to share. I do wish, though, that there was a tad bit more color variation in their boxes. But, I let them pick what they wanted in there this first go around. They'll also take little bottles (reusable) of water.

Emma's first Ghetto Bento:

Maya's first Ghetto Bento:
Aren't they so fun & cute!?! :-) The containers that they're in are made to hold a single sandwich, so that should help you visualize the size. Anyway... let's see if I can keep this up!

Thanks for stopping by!

Four parts.

Curt woke up yesterday with the idea to have Heather, Jimmy & their family over for dinner last night. I was afraid that with the last minute invite, they might not be able to hop in the car and make the hour & 15 minute drive, but they did! YAY!

They got to our house just after 4:30, so we rushed the kiddos outside in an attempt to get some photos before it got dark. It seems rare that I get to take pictures of their family. Plus, my gosh, if they don't have the single most cooperative two-year-old-red-headed-maniac-child in the world, I don't know who does! And, honestly, I think I'm gonna have to stop calling him the maniac child. He's not so much a maniac anymore. He's settled down quite nicely, although I think he's passed on his mania to his little brother Kyden. The thing about Kyden, though, is that he already had his own share of mania before acquiring his brothers. So, yeah... he's doubly maniacal. Haha! Sweet little guy. He's just as cute as he can be. He's just... well... busy as ALL GET OUT! Plus, he doesn't seem to like me much.

ANYway. So, like I said, we went out front to try to get some pictures. Camden was perfect. Seriously. I wouldn't think a two-year-old could be that cooperative for pictures. My girls never were, that's for sure. He'd stay put but give you the most genuine interactions. I got several sweet shots of him.



One of Camden with big brother, Ryan. I'm pretty sure Ryan was trying to reason with him about something. I'm not sure what. (This one looks fairly dull. I must have forgotten a step in post processing. Ha!)
A quick one of Summer & Ryan. I say this every time I mention them, and I'll say it again... they're growing RIGHT up. Man. (They share such an interesting eye color. It almost looks fake!)
And then there's the four of 'em. Summer, Ryan, Camden, Kyden. I just thought it would be nice to get a picture of the four kids together. Unfortunately Kyden did not. I tried to bribe the kid with Smarties. That didn't work. But, Heather says this is pretty typical of their family dynamics. Kyden cries, the rest sit patiently. Haha! So, I snapped the pictures. You've GOT to notice Camden's eyes in this first one. Ha!

So, yeah... now you understand why I don't have many pictures of Kyden, right!?! :-)

Anyway, dinner was nice. We made manicotti, which is a treat for our family. We were raised thinking manicotti is too much work. And it is, really. It's something that Mom makes only occasionally, but always for Heather's birthday dinner because that's what she always asks for. Heather said she hadn't had manicotti in years. You know... since my parents have lived in China & all for the past several years. We cooked together, and it was fun. I'm finding that as I get older, I really, really, REALLY enjoy cooking with others. They don't even have to help. If there's someone hanging out in the kitchen with me, I'll be pleased as punch to make all the "time consuming" dishes! Ha! But, Heather did help. Thanks Heather!

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On to part two of this post. So, Maya woke up yesterday & dressed herself. Because, you know, I don't like to get out of my pajamas if I can help it? Remember that? Anyway, she dressed herself. She chose a pale pink with white polka dots three ruffle tiered skirt. (Got that?) She likes that skirt. A lot. And, the funny thing is that she's decided that the skirt goes best with a polka dot top, too. And, why not? You know? Well, it inspired me. The outfit looked JUST like the little setup I we had going on for the "super sweet family" shoot. It mirrored it perfectly. So, what did I do? You betcha... I headed out to the garage & tacked the fabric to the wall, put the stool in front of it & called sweet Maya Papaya out to sit for me. Thankfully, she was happy to oblige (this time,) and I got some of my most favorite (recent Ha!) pictures of her.

New fave:

Isn't she just the cutest stinkin' thing? I can hardly stand it.

And, on an unrelated note... Emma & Maya started DANCE today! Wooohooo! I've never been much of a girly girl mom. I really thought I'd try to steer them towards soccer or something. But, yeah, they guilted me into the whole dance thing. Funny thing about it, they never asked to take dance. They never said a word that guilted me. It was the endless hours of "dancing" that goes on around our house. They try SO, SO hard to do ballet, especially. And, they're SO proud of themselves. Poor little things dancing around in the kitchen... that's when the guilt kicks in. So, yeah. They went. They LOVED it. My gosh, you should have seen them. Today was one of those days when my little mommy heart swelled with pride. You know, when you watch your kids so intently as they try something new? Every little move, every step or misstep... you can't take your eyes off them. And, you realize that you're smiling from ear to ear, giggling audibly at their cuteness. And, not a soul around you cares one iota. Haha! It was one of those days. I love those girls, and they love dance. Ballet and tap to be exact.

I have to say, though, that we were running so late that I didn't get to take any pictures today. Rest assured, though, that there WILL be dance pictures soon. :-) Watch for that.

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Did you know what you were getting into today by stopping by my blog!?! That's right... part three! I have to tell you that I'm counting down to February 1st. I'm anxious for it to get here. Do you know why? Because, on February 1st, I'll be able to say that my parents are moving back home NEXT MONTH! Yay!!!!!! They've lived in China for several years. They moved there for the first time less than six months after Curt & I got married. In March, we'll be married for eight years. We've missed them so much over the years, always selfishly wanting them to be here. With us. We're in the home stretch. It's almost unbelievable to me! Seriously... do you know how long we've been waiting for them to come home?

I remember just crying & crying & crying when they told us they were moving. There have been countless moments along the way when I so ached for their presence, when just being in the same room as them would have invoked a sense of safety, security, comfort. I know why they went, and I'm at ease with that. The other side of the world borrowed them for a time, and you should see the way they're leaving it... such a better place. I'm just so selfishly happy to have them coming home. My girls adore them from afar, and it makes my heart happy to know that soon enough they'll be a constant in their day to day lives. So, yeah... February can't get here soon enough. :-)

And, on a side note... I was able to ask my mom to babysit on March 14th! She said yes!

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And, unfortunately, there is a part four. I wish with my whole being that there was not a part four. To my two very, very dear friends who are independently dealing with major heartache, know that my heart aches with you guys & for you guys & your families. I'm really bad at knowing what to say in times like these. Please just know that I'm deeply saddened. You guys are in our prayers.

Family Fun Time

Oh, yeah! We were seriously ambitious today. Most winter Saturdays are spent being LA-ZY! As much as I dislike the cold, I have to admit that I love being forced to stay inside. In my PJs. All day. Yep. I admit it. We like to stay in our PJs ALL day. Well, what I should say is that the girls & I like to stay in our PJs. Curt will only stay in his all day about 20% of the time that the rest of us stay in ours. Confused, yet?

Whatever. That's SO not the point of this blog. Oh, and, yeah... I live in Texas where the winter isn't really very cold. It's cold to me.

ANYway... today it was unseasonably warm. It surprised me, really, since we had a chance of ice yesterday. I asked the hubster what the temperature was outside (he'd been out jogging.) He says, "oh, it's hot. Like, 80 degrees hot." And, then remembering that he ALWAYS overshoots the temperature, he says, "Well... okay, maybe it's not that hot. It's probably about 75."

That's what he says. What I hear, however, is that it's about 65 degrees out. Even when he compensates for overshooting the temperature, you can count on subtracting at least ten degrees from whatever he tells you before you're even in the vicinity of right. This is also not the point of this post. I'm just amused with the whole thing, and I wonder to myself (and to you guys, now) when the man will figure it out & subtract the extra ten. You know? Because it was actually 63 out...

So, Spring-like temps motivate me to want to get outside & take some photos! Can you believe it!?! I'm actually WANTING to pick up my camera!?! We get the girls dressed & head out.

Curt took his camera, as well, so when we got to our location, we divided and conquered! Ha! Okay... if I'm being honest, we definitely did NOT conquer. I totally thought they'd be more cooperative if we split them up. What I forgot to factor into the equation was just how much disdain they have for taking photographs. So, after a few photos & much frustration, we decided we'd photograph each other.

I thought I'd share a couple of each of us. I made a storyboard for each of us, although I'm kinda bummed that you're not seeing each picture as big as normal. I don't much like change.



Just one more of each of the girls:

Super sweet family...

So, on Sunday I had the privilege of photographing the sweetest family. It's a family full of girls (except poor, outnumbered dad,) and... well... everyone knows how I feel about girls! They're just so much fun and so stinkin' cute even when they're being rambunctious & crazy! Haha! I mean, with boys it's a whole 'nother kind of crazy. You know?

I know that mom & dad were afraid we wouldn't get what we were after, but it went WONDERFULLY! The girls are all under the age of 3 years old, so I have to admit I was a little afraid, too. But, honestly... they are just the sweetest little things. They seemed to really enjoy the camera, and they're so full of personality!

Anyway, the newest addition to the family was just under two weeks old when we took these. What is it with the newborns lately? They're bombarding me with their tiny-ness! I just love 'em! I've got to say that I've most definitely been enjoying photographing them. I'm finding that the possibilities are endless. It's something new for me, you know? It's just fun.

So, like I said, we did these on Sunday. It was a bit of a challenge, technically speaking. I mean, we had to find somewhere warm & heated for the littlest one, but I also needed the room for my seamless paper & adequate light for my shooting style. Ack! But, we found a room. It was a tad too small for my widest lens (thus the subjects being so close to the backdrop in these,) and it wasn't quite bright enough with the overcast skies. I had to use my flash. I think this is the first time I've used my flash for an entire family shoot. We must be becoming friends, the flash & I. I never thought it would happen. I've still got quite a bit to learn on that whole front, but it's nice to know I can use it if I must. But, what I'm getting at is that these aren't perfect technically. I'm hoping the family will be pleased with them, though. :-)





Love, LOVE this little series of Dad & sweet little one in Gap Crazy Stripes! :-)

Especially this one:
Look at those big, bright eyes! Isn't she the cutest little thing!?! I thought she was getting ready to smile at me.


Okay, and this one. I just love it. I think it's too stinkin' sweet. I felt like this picture did not call for full, bright color. It just overpowered the baby, I thought. So, I like this more muted version.
But, then I converted it to black & white, and, well... it's a really dull conversion for the most part, but I LOVE it on this photo! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the old-timey feel the conversion gives it. So, now I can't decide if I like the muted colors better or the black & white better? What do you think?
So, yeah... this is what I've been up to lately. :-) Thanks for stopping by!

Have I seriously never shared these?

I was just going through some of the pictures from when I was in China, and I thought it would be nice to share some more. I mean, I do have a TRILLION, yes, a TRILLION photos from that trip.

Anyway, so I was looking through the ones I've already post processed, and I don't think I've shared my two most favorite of Annie with you. I think she is just incredibly stunning, and I had SO much fun taking pictures of her. So, forgive me if these are repeats (though I don't think they are!)

And, Julie, here's one you haven't seen:

I'll probably have plenty more China pictures to share in the coming days. Plus, I've got a fun family/newborn shoot to share. :-)

Happy Birthday Miss Maya!

Aw, my baby is FOUR! That's crazy business, right there. I just don't know where the time goes. I know I've said this a million times before, but it truly is baffling. With Maya, I remember looking at her and thinking to myself, "oh... no matter how big she gets, she'll always be my little ball of cuddle." I mean, she's such a sweet little thing... always wanting to snuggle. And, that's true of her still, but there's nothing little about her anymore. She used to roll into this perfect little ball of baby chub right in my arms. It's like she was made to fit RIGHT there. Now, though, she has these lanky appendages flailing around. No more rolling. No more chub. It's sad, really. Sweet little thing's growing right up on me.

And, you know, it's almost sickening to me that I wasn't "into" photography back when my babies were babies. I missed it by just a few years. So, instead, I'm stuck with these crazy point & shoot pictures. You know the kind... the subject's washed out by the flash, while the entire background is dark. EVERYthing's either in focus or out of focus... forget bokeh. There are some seriously HEAVY shadows & it's oversharpened. Yeah... that's what I've got. Despite it all, I look back with an insane fondness. It's funny how the quality of the photo matters not when it comes to jogging memories. And, well, I guess that's the main point of a photograph, right?

I looked back through some of her newborn pictures today. I'm sharing my favorite with you even though you can't even see anyone's face. It's just... it's the way I felt about her from the get-go. It's pure adoration. Absolutely in love. Nothing's changed. If only I could wrap her in my arms and protect her from the world forever... If only she wanted to be in my arms forever...
And then there's this. This is what she's turned into. Haha! No, seriously. She looks like this about 90% of the time that we're home. Maybe even when we're not home. This kid has her own sense of... umm... style?
Happy Birthday, Miss Maya!

So... uh... I got nothing.

Seriously. I have NOTHING new to share. But, I feel like I've GOT to keep sharing on a regular basis, or I'll fall WAY behind again. So, I made Maya sit down for about four photos today. That's all I could get out of her. She was not interested, and, honestly, I was not really interested in taking photos, either.

Here she is. She's growing right up, I tell ya! She'll be four years old on Thursday! Crazy, huh!?!

Just a quick one

Here's one single photo from Christmas morning. And, well, it's honestly the best shot I got the whole day. I was feeling extremely lazy, and didn't feel like taking pictures at all. So, rather than deal with wide open apertures & fixed lenses, I slapped on the flash. Makes snapshots just a little easier! :-)

I'm honestly surprised I got them to both LOOK at the camera before they got to open any presents. This is literally maybe 10 minutes after they woke up. It was a fun, fun morning! They're at such great ages for this.

Thanks for stopping by! :-)

So...

Okay. This is a question for all you procrastinators out there. You know how when you continue to put something off over & over again, it just becomes seriously overwhelming? It's almost like the thing snowballs, even though it really hasn't. Well, that "something" or "thing" is updating my blog.

I found that last year around the holidays, I so needed a break from photography. I told myself I wouldn't let that happen again this year, but alas... it did. I'm sorry. I've been a TERRIBLE blogger. But, I've literally had nothing I could share until I took a few pictures on Christmas morning and then again of a sweet little newborn a few days ago.

So, I'm gonna share some pictures of the little guy that I photographed recently. His name is Easton, and he's the cutest little thing. He is the third son of some really great (and really missed) friends of ours. I have to say that I've really enjoyed photographing the newborns lately, though I definitely have a way to go on that. This is only my second attempt.

Oh, and while I'm talking about newborns, head on over to Michael Norwood's blog & check out their super exciting news! Congrats sweet Norwood family!

Okay, okay... on to some pictures.




And, hands down, my favorite:
Although, I can't decide which composition I like better. I kinda like this next one because it seems to show his smallness more, you know?

Well, thanks for stopping by. I'm hoping to jump back on the blogging wagon. My one year blogiversary is coming up! :-)