Sound

Today's daily shoot assignment was "Make a photograph illustrating a sound that catches your ear today." Well, many sounds catch my ear through the day, but here is one that I really wanted to hear. The ipod function on my phone - I don't use this nearly as much as I would like, as our days are so full. But every once in a while it sure is nice to sit down, put your feet up, and listen to some tunes...

One-on-one

We had another beautiful day, lots of sunshine, a slight chill in the air. Perfect for getting the kids outside to play. Our kids decided to set up the pugg goals and play a little one-on-one in the side yard. They would cycle through being serious, aggressive, and silly over and over again. It was great to watch.

Live to play

Saturday is soccer day. Our son loves soccer. Since it is still winter, we are still playing indoors. Today's session consisted of many dribbling and shooting drills. Rossi had the kids running and working, each drill adding an extra step, each activity needing more focus and strength. Here is a little glimpse of our son's focus...

Signs of Spring

We've had some nicer temperatures, and we are all looking forward to spring. So much so, that we are looking closely for signs that it is finally on the way. These tiny buds were found on the tree outside our house. We are looking forward to the time when they are large leaves providing shade from the summer sun...

Peace

The daily shoot assignment was "Illustrate your idea of peace and harmony--or maybe just peace and quiet--today with a photograph." I could have taken photos of many things, but today was another busy day for us, and by the time I had a chance to pick up the camera, it was almost bedtime. I looked over at the couch, and here were two siblings, sitting together, watching TV - in peace and harmony. No picking on each other, no jumping around or yelling. Simply peaceful - together.

Beauty

The daily shoot assignment today was "Beauty is all around us. Make a photo of some naturally occurring beauty in your area today." Well, to me this is beautiful. Two kids, two books, lots of reading. It is a beautiful thing.

Another Delay

Since mother nature decided to hit us with another round of winter, we woke up to a few inches of snow. Luckily the snow had stopped by daybreak, so it only resulted in a two-hour delay. The kids slept in a little bit, had a lazy breakfast, and then we all headed off to school.

Winter, round 2

Winter is back for a second round. After beautiful, warm weather on Friday, winter is back again. A mix of junk is in the air, and snow is expected over night. This is a close-up picture of the ice pellets that collected on the sunroof of my car when we were at piano lessons. This photo is lit from above by a yellow light in the parking lot, and shot through the sunroof from the inside of the car.

Da Bears

Today we went to a Hershey Bears game. The Bears are our local AHL team, they are a feeder team for the Washington Capitals. Bears games are usually a lot of fun. Our son LOVES to cheer at Bears games. Today's game certainly wasn't the best we have seen, the Bears lost 5-0. The boy would tell you that there were some good fights, though. Unfortunately the best thing the Bears had going for them was their "special" jerseys.

BounceU

This morning the kids and I went to BounceU with some friends. They had a blast! There are two rooms filled with giant inflatable activities. Obstacle courses, giant slides, a boxing ring, basketball...tons of fun! Here is a picture of the three kids racing down the giant slide. The first person to tag the goal at the end would win. It was hysterical to watch them because they spent most of the time giggling. It was a great day.

Cookie Time!

Yep. It is that time of year again. The one and only time of the year when you can purchase Girl Scout cookies. Those little, circular, tasty treats. The ones that are so yummy you open the package with the intent to eat just one, but then you notice many more than that have disappeared. Pre-orders have arrived, so we spent an hour sorting and preparing to deliver cookies. That is not all! We have some "cookie booths" set up over the next few weekend to sell more cookies. If you want some, let us know!

Cousins

Today we had an unexpected surprise. My brother in law came over with my nephew for a little while after work this evening. My children love their little cousin. They had a great time playing and laughing together for a short time. It warms my heart to hear them giggle.

Portrait Practice

Today I had another photography lesson. We were working on the rule of thirds, blurring the background, and how to set up interesting portraits. I have a long way to go. As I was trying to capture my son focused intently on a game he was playing, he turned around and looked at me as I was taking the shot.

Something Old

Today's daily shoot assignment was "Make a photograph of something old." This is a photograph of an antique secretary. The slanted piece on the right folds down to create a writing surface. Inside that compartment are slots for organizing writing materials and a drawer that holds the key to open the two doors. Inside the glass door are some old pieces that have been passed down through the family. Glass luncheon sets and pink stemware from my great-grandmother, some footed glass pieces that were my husband's grandmother's wedding gifts, and some other colored depression glass. The secretary itself was one that my grandmother had seen in an antique shop and fell in love with. My grandfather purchased it for her for their anniversary many decades ago. Now I am lucky to have this old piece of family history in my home.

Vertical Lines

Today's daily shoot assignment was "Make a photograph featuring strong vertical lines today." Since it is Monday, and Monday is piano lesson day, I one again had some time to wander around and take some shots. I started experimenting with various settings on my camera, and was looking for vertical lines. This photo is a close-up section of the stained glass window in the chapel. It is amazing how much detail there is in these little panes of glass.

Family

I love my family. I am so very lucky to have a wonderful husband who is a fantastic father to our son and daughter. Today we had an early Valentine's day together. We enjoyed some family favorites for dinner and exchanged some meaningful gifts. We played together and just enjoyed spending time together. Now it is time to share some heart shaped brownies and cuddle up on the couch. Nothing's better than that.

Star

Today's daily shoot assignment was "Tell the story of a subject today in a photograph by photographing one specific detail of it." I took my daughter to the Science Factory for a girl scout event. As I was leaving Urban Place, I saw this small iron star on the side of the brick building of the old cork factory. After many years of disrepair, the old factory and surrounding buildings have been restored and are in use in many ways- a hotel and restaurant, science factory, luxury apartments, and commercial locations.  There were a few of these stars on the side of the building. I have no idea what they are for, or how long they have been there, but they were pretty interesting, and a part of history.

Blur

Today's assignment was "Sometimes what’s out of focus can make the shot. Create a photograph today where some/all of your subject isn't in focus." The photo above is one of the first that I had taken with my camera. The out of focus background shows the movement of the bumper car, and draws your attention to the smile on the little guy driving it.

Playground?

It's been over a week since the last big snow storm, but there still isn't any playing on the playground at school. When they cleared the black-top area, a huge snowbank was pushed up around the playground equipment. It has been starting to melt a bit with the slightly warmer temperatures and sunshine, but not fast enough for the kids!

Barn Raising

The daily shoot assignment was "Make a photograph that features a leading line through it today. Draw the viewers eye through the image." I snapped this picture on the way to school in the morning. This barn is going up along the road right near the school where I teach. It is humongous, probably about the size of the school. It has been interesting watching the building progress each day as I drive by.

Prepared?

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching! Are you prepared?
Today's daily shoot assignment was "We all prepare for things every day. Illustrate preparedness in a photograph today." I had a few ideas for this. I actually took a few shots of my daughter's planner, homework folder, assignments and gear...she was prepared for school the next day. My husband suggested a photo of my crank operated flashlight, bottled water, and canned food. But then I saw the bag on the dining room table - full of the materials the kids picked out for the upcoming holiday. Here you see the chocolates they chose for their teachers, the boxes of Valentines they chose to pass out to their classmates, and the cards we will share with others. Almost all of the are addressed, so I guess we are prepared!

Library

Today's daily shoot assignment was "Use a window or a door as a frame for your subject today in a photograph." During my daughter's piano lesson my son and I walked through the church and went to the library. He camped out in this chair to read a book, so I snapped this photo through the partially open door. I am so lucky that he enjoys reading, I took quite a few photos as he sat still and read his book. It definitely helped that he was reading a Star Wars book, those really capture his attention.

Here Comes the Sun!

Could it be? Is that really what I think it is? It is! The sun!
With all the rain, sleet, snow and nasty weather we've had lately, I couldn't tell you the last time we had a sunny day. A real, truly sunny day. No clouds in the sky. No ominous gray sheen to the world. A day that makes you want to be outside. The kids enjoyed riding scooters between the quickly melting snowbanks. I enjoyed feeling the sun on my face. I hope the sun is here to stay for a while. I've missed it.

Soccer Saturday

Saturdays are soccer days for our little guy. He is taking part in an indoor session - drills and some scrimmaging. This day in particular he wasn't sure he wanted to go and play. Of course, once we got there - he had a blast. Rossi worked the kids hard with one of my son's favorites  the "T- Rex game." Of course, when you ask my boy what his favorite part of the session was, his response is " when I was a T-Rex in the T-Rex game - and scoring goals."

Steelers Fun

The Super Bowl is coming, and Steelers Fans are excited. These two items are a terrible towel frosted shortbread cookie and some Steelers M&M's.  My husband brought these home and the kids were very excited. The three of them are looking forward to the game on Sunday!

Wipeout

One of the kids' favorite shows is Wipeout. They laugh hysterically every time it is on TV. During the last snow/ice day we did a little shopping. We scored a new copy of the wii game for $20. The kids enjoy the game just as much (maybe even more) that the TV show. Now they have daily games against each other. Such fun!

Ice Day #2

Today's daily shoot assignment is, "Pretend you're a stringer for your local newspaper today. Make a photo that captures something newsworthy to you." Well, considering today was another day off from school - due to the icing, I figured that is as good a subject as any! This is a picture of one of the trees in our front yard. As you can see, we did get a pretty good amount of ice buildup. Walkways and side roads were slick. The amazing thing was all the icicles! They formed everywhere! Click on the picture to see a larger version, and you can see all the icicles that formed in the tree.

It is now mid afternoon and everything is starting to melt. Now the big concern is the refreeze. Oh boy.

Grilled Cheese

Last night a dusting of snow and ice pellets made for a 5am call announcing a two hour delay. The two hour delay turned into a day off from school. The kids and I enjoyed sleeping in and hanging out in our pajamas for a good bit of the day.

Today's daily shoot assignment was "Fill the frame of a photograph with a single subject today." At lunch time today my son decided he wanted a grilled cheese sandwich - shaped like Mickey. When we were in Disney over the summer we came home with a Mickey cutter. We like to pull it out from time to time when we need a ray of sunshine. According to my son, a Mickey sandwich always tastes the best. I think he might be right.