busy

But it's a good busy.  It's the busy-ness that comes with summertime.  Being busy by my own choosing - which is infinitely better than being busy because of somebody else.

This week was week 1 of our summer routine.  A routine that is about to be happily interrupted with visitors and vacations - but a good routine nonetheless.

Every morning I wake up and get the girls and myself dressed and fed.  We take Kyle to work and then  I typically head to the gym for either a little run or a little weights.  The girls are getting better with the gym daycare.  Well, Abby is fine - E is still hit and miss, but the ladies know her a little better now and they haven't come to get me this week.  Although, one poor lady did hold E for about an hour today.

After the gym, we run errands if needed and head home for lunch and naptime.  During naptime, I've started the Insanity videos.  I'm enjoying them so far.  The workouts are manageable at this point - I'm good and sore and they push me, but it's not like they're completely unreasonable or anything.  The hardest part of the program for me is that you're supposed to do them 6 days a week.  I REALLY have to plan my day around getting them done because if I say "I'll do them when I have time"  well, y'know.  So, for this week, naptime is working well.

After naps, I clean and play with the girls and we run more errands if we need to.  We pick up Kyle most days around 5, head home for supper and bed.

After the girls are in bed, I try to spend that time answering emails, editing photos, and catching Kyle up about our day.  I've been fortunate to have several people want pictures lately and I have a few more shoots coming up.  I love taking pictures - and it's great practice too - I just have to make sure I carve out the time to work on that side of my life too.

And then I crash.  Wash, Rinse, Repeat.

I know I've neglected this blog, Sorry about that.  I hate that I've not documented all of the funny things the girls are doing.  They're getting so big.

Last night while Kyle and I were cleaning up after dinner - Abby and E were playing together.  Like, really playing.  They were playing hide-n-seek...which was funny.  Abby would hide and then giggle and E would find her.  Abby chased E around and E squealed.  They held hands and trotted around the house.  Kyle and I enjoyed watching them entertain themselves so happily.  They're great.

And with that, my blogging time (aka the Octonaut episode that Abby is watching) has run out.

morning rain

I knew it was going to rain today.  I felt bad that I wouldn't have time to take Kyle to work and that he'd have to walk.  I know he doesn't mind doing it, but I like to give him a ride on rainy days when I can.  I got dressed and went downstairs to grab my bag and go.

I got downstairs and there was something about how the morning light was coming through the windows.  I dunno.  It was raining, but not bad rain - just a calming steady rain so the light coming in was soft and grey.  It was really pretty in a weird way.  The raindrops on the window were making raindrop shadows on my kitchen counter and I thought about trying to take a picture of it.  Instead, I just stood there and watched the water run down the windows and watched the shadows on my counter shimmy around.  It made me happy, relaxed maybe.

So, I decided that I would break the rules and go to work a little late.  I decided I would surprise the girls with breakfast.  I mean, they always eat breakfast, but I don't usually get to make it.  So I set about to making apple cinnamon muffins.  I decided to cook up some breakfast sausages as well.  The sausages got a little smokey, so I opened our back door to clear the air.  And it was so nice.  I left the door open while I cooked and just enjoyed hearing and seeing the rain fall.  It's such a peaceful noise - everything was quiet.  The only sounds I could hear were the pitter-patter rain drops and the sizzling sausage.  Every once in a while a mild breeze would drift inside.  Perfect.  There's something about that kind of morning quiet that makes you pause and reflect and slow down.  I stood there turning the sausages and thinking about all the things I'm thankful for.  Then I put on some coffee for good measure.  This moment begged for coffee.  Then I was on a roll.  I took out the trash, I put dinner in the crock pot, I tidied up.  I cut fruit and poured milk and got the girl's breakfast on the table.

Kyle and the girls eventually came downstairs and were surprised I was still there.  Abby and E were excited about their "special" breakfast.  Abby was most impressed that I put her ketchup in the shape of an "A" on her plate.  It's the little things. We all sat around together and had breakfast and talked and laughed.

When was the last time we all sat down for breakfast together?  It's not even in my memory.  It was nice.

But alas, work.  I dropped Kyle off at BC and made my way to the school.  Now I'm here, with my coffee.  I have 3 reports to write today and then I am, essentially, done for the year.  I still have meetings and a TON of paperwork to sort through - but my testing and report writing duties will be finished.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel ( /week).

I probably shouldn't have come to work late, but I have a feeling that I'll never regret spending this quiet rainy morning with my family, either.

Concentration

She's getting better at stacking. Not really sure when she got so big.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

new lens

I've been lucky enough to have had several people want photos this month, I also decided to sell a few things I wasn't using- which has allowed me to save up a modest pile of pennies to re-invest into this (unfortunately expensive) hobby of mine.  After much hem and hawing about how to spend said pennies  - I decided to invest in a lens that would give me a little more room than my nifty fifty.  I got a Sigma 30mm 1.4 and I'm pleased with it so far. 

It has rained all week.  And been cold.  It's June - and this is making me a little cranky.  But last night after dinner, the sun came out for a few minutes and I rushed the girls outside to play with my new toy. I got Abby to wear the little romper I got her (I think it's adorable...but in general,  I think rompers should be reserved for supermodels and the under 5 crowd).  I'll probably eat those words eventually, but whatever.  Poor E is just in her messy pasta-sauce covered christmas themed onsie.  But that's ok. I bought her a dress this week that is adorable.  It just screams "depression era" and I love it. ;)  I totally have a shoot her her mapped out in my head. 

Here are a few shots from yesterday

I missed my focus on this shot, but I liked it anyway.

So, this is *actually* E playing peek-a-boo with one hand...but it totally screams "brain freeze"  right?

sweetness.

both my girls laughing in the same picture?  Yes please.

they just adore each other!

foot shot

this picture, I think, best summarizes what I like about this new lens.  I was able to get her in frame (this is a cropped picture) and I'm able to get tack sharp focus on those eyes.  If you zoom in 100% - you can count every eyelash on both eyes...which is of course, my main measure of spot on focus)

So yay for new toys and a gratifying hobby and mostly yay for pictures of my two sweet littles together.  Oh, and I should also send a yay out to Kyle - who lets me spend this photo money on photo things even when we could use it...and probably SHOULD use it on way more practical things like groceries and student loan payments.  Thank you Kyle for letting me pursue this hobby.

my current fave

I've already posted this pic on FB and elsewhere, but I wanted to put it here too.  It's my current fave of Abby.  She's so happy and smack dab in the middle of playing with me.  It really captures her.

weekend

It's been a really great weekend.  The first in a while that has seemed, dare I say it?  Restful.

I think it started on Friday.  We had a staff meeting, which ended in a potluck/lunch thing.  I hung out with my co-workers and a group of us decided to go out for a drink after work.  I don't get to do that sort of thing very often - but it was nice.  We sat outside, chatted, laughed, talked about work and non-work.  It was relaxing and fun.

On Saturday - it was raining.  I woke up on my own.  Before the kids.  It didn't matter that it was 6:15am. All that mattered is that I was awake, on my own time, and not because somebody crawled on me or cried in my ear.  I stayed in bed and was lazy for a little while.  The girls got up eventually - but both of them slept later than usual.  It was just a perfect - grey, quiet, rainy morning cuddled in bed.

Eventually, we all got up and Kyle and the girls and I went to the gym.  I was nervous about how E would do - as last time she cried and cried and wouldn't calm down.  I dropped them off at the play center and Kyle and I hit the gym.  I decided to run fast in case they called me back in 10 mins.  One of my co-worker friends joined us at the gym and told me that Elizabeth wasn't crying anymore when she walked in.  Whew.  So, I slowed down a little bit.  We got a good work out in and headed home.  It was time for lunch - so I actually cooked a little something instead of just microwaving hot dogs.  Abby declared it a special lunch day.  After lunch - naps.

Oh how I love naps.  We all took one.

I slept for an hour and then I heard E fussing.  It took me a minute to wake up - and by the time I had - E had gone back to sleep.  I spent the next 2.5 hours laying in bed just being LAZY.  I read on my phone, caught up on photography stuff.  The girls slept and slept and slept - as did Kyle.  It was all because of the rain....more lazy rain time.  Perfect.

I'd had the foresight to cook a roast for dinner.  It had been cooking all day, and so it was pretty much ready by the time we all woke up from our naps and got ourselves downstairs.  We played, we cleaned, we played and cleaned some more and then we put the girls to bed.  I wasn't far behind.

It was a lazy day for the most part - but it was good.  I think I needed a lazy day.

Today was also good.  We did our normal Sunday routine of wake, church, lunch, and home.  After the girls were napping, I escaped to the gym again and ran a personal best of 6 miles.  I was happy with that.  It felt good and I ran the first 5 miles before I took a break...and the break was only for 60 seconds or so.  Next week I'm supposed to do 7...which will definitely be a challenge - but I'm happy that I've got 6 under my belt now.

I left the gym and went grocery shopping and came home.  Kyle took Abby running and when they got back we all had a nice little dinner together.  After dinner, we played loud music and danced with the girls - they so love that.  We cleaned, and played, and cleaned and played and put the girls to bed.

Now?  Now I'm waiting on the brownies to cool.  I can't even remember the last time we made brownies.  I'm not sure we've done it yet this year, actually.  But, the celtics are playing and I ran 6 miles - so I'm ending this perfect weekend with a chocolaty treat and a glass of milk.

mmmm.