Monthly Archives: September 2010

One Car, Stir Crazy

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Micah and I have been holed up in the house for over a week now and I am going nuts. You see, it all started when Eric replaced the mass air flow sensor in his Corolla. Apparently, fixing one problem revealed several others. I don’t know anything about cars, but what I do know is that car rides like  a donkey in the grand canyon, and that can’t be safe.

I’m a positive person. I don’t see a blue decrepid piece of crap sitting in our garage. I see an opportunity: an open door to a new mode of transportation that doesn’t involve deciding whether to bring the stroller based on whether we’re bringing the booster seat. I see a van in my future. A bright, shiny, used van with hopefully 50,000 miles or less on it. It better have tinted windows and a CD player.

I used to dread the “v word,” but I’ve realized in the past year that picking a vehicle is kind of like picking a husband: it’s better to have one that works than one that looks like Fabio. Good thing I have both, right? Well, at least when it comes to my husband. The corolla doesn’t look like Fabio, nor does it work. But… I’d really like a van that works. I’m not talking about the engine running; I’m talking about a vehicle that is a work-horse. I want a van that does something for me, that carries all my stuff, that zooms onto the interstate, that plays my sesame street CD loud and proud. (I don’t have a sesame street CD…. yet.)

So on Thursday (tomorrow), we are going to van-shop. Hopefully, a great light and a hallelujah chorus will surround the van we are destined to buy. Also, I’m hoping for an excellent price.

Favorite Games

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I work when Micah’s sleeping, I clean when he’s awake (he’s my little helper), and the rest of the time, we play! Here are some of our favorite games:

Pillow Pile: Our couch is essentially made up of a frame and a dozen pillows, so one of the things we like to do is pull the pillows off the couch and pile them on the floor. We can make two stacks and throw a blanket over to make a tunnel or a fort. We can line all the pillows up  in a row and jump on them. We can stack a few and plop down on our bellies (okay so maybe Micah is doing most of this and I am just spotting). It’s also fun to hide toys under the pillows and then find them again! It never gets old for a toddler, I tell yah!

Jump on Mommy: This game is simple. I lie on the floor and Micah jumps on me. It is a lot of fun for Micah! I scream and laugh, which makes Micah jump harder and attack me with slobbery kisses!

Typing: I am a blogger, so Micah sees me typing all the time. Micah’s daddy is a programmer/engineer, so he is also typing all the time, too. What do you think Micah wants to copy? We cut the cord off an old keyboard, cleaned it up with alcohol and a few swabs, and gave it to Micah. He loves his “computer” and types on it with me when I am writing my blogs. We sit at the kitchen table together. He has his keyboard and I have my laptop. He is very entertained by this! We like to talk about what we’re “writing.” Whenever I ask Micah if he is writing a blog, he says “no.” So maybe he is writing software like daddy? I will have to ask him next time.

Boo: We don’t play peek-a-boo or hide-and-seek in this house, we play “boo!” This game pretty much involves hiding behind any object, then popping out and yelling “boo!” It could be behind a chair, a table, the corner of a wall, or under a blanket. Sometimes we don’t hide at all, we just yell “boo!” for fun. Wherever it is, peeking out and yelling “boo!” happens 100 times in a row before we get bored and move onto the next thing. Boo!!

Horse: Lately Micah likes to pretend to be a horse. He whinnies on the changing table. He whinnies  in his high chair. He whinnies when he is holding his little toy horse and making it gallop around the floor or on the table. Sometimes he whinnies in his car seat. Usually after a good whinny, he’ll follow it up with a cluck-cluck-cluck of his tongue (the sound of a horse running of course) or another whinny just for kicks. Then sometimes he’ll exclaim “hoss!” (Horse, of course.) This has been happening a lot ever since we looked at the horses up close at the fair several weeks ago.

What are some “games” you like to play with your small children?


Facebook Photo Contest

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Dear Internet,

Please help me win a new Nikon D90. It would make my day. Actually, it would make my year! Haha. I entered a photo contest on Facebook through Edeeto. The theme is Summer, so I entered this photo:

I called it, “Beach Bum.” Haha! See Micah’s plumber butt? Too funny. This is right after he went swimming in the lake and his diaper has about 5lbs of lake water in it.

If you click on this link, you will be taken to the page where you can vote. I would love it if you would check the “share” box and let your friends on Facebook know that Mr. Micah wants his mommy to win a new D90! Talk about a serious upgrade from my D3000! I would love to get a D90 so I could buy the less expensive AF lenses. (The D3000 does not have its own auto-focus motor, so it requires the AF-S lenses that cost $$$$$. The AF-S lenses are very nice, but it would be nicer to to buy their cheaper equivalent without the built in motor.)

You can vote once a day. And go ahead and “thumbs down” any of the entries above mine. Haha! Is that bad?

Love,

Kim

Pumpkins and Puddles

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Yesterday I decided to dress Mr. Micah up in his cutest duds and take his picture for his monthly photo shoot. I’m always running late on his monthly pictures. He’s been 17 months old for a couple weeks already! I am embarrassed to say there are a few months missing from this tradition. We may have been busy or I may have just let time get away from me. Either way, I couldn’t let this month slip away without me getting a few good shots of my little buddy. He is growing so fast!! Yesterday was also the first day of Autumn, so I broke out Micah’s favorite sweater, corduroy pants and fuzzy dog shoes, as well as a ceramic pumpkin for kicks. It had just rained, so we had to watch out for puddles and mud, but as it turns out, Micah doesn’t go for the puddles and mud anyway! (Not yet…)

I love the way that fall gently tumbles in so subtly, you hardly notice it until all the trees are on fire and you’re scrambling to dig out those sweatshirts from the closet. It starts with cool afternoons and cold nights, shorter days and wind bursts, cravings for hot chocolate and apple pie. I’m looking forward to all the things that come along with the new season: apple cider donuts, pumpkin pie, bonfires, hayrides, crisp mornings, long sleeved shirts and chili. Every season has so much to enjoy.

New Season, New Things

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I added six new plants to our “garden,” two last week and four more yesterday afternoon. Now before you look at these pictures, I want you to know that I routinely go out there and pick grass out of the mulch, but I am getting really frustrated by this grass that just keeps coming back! I could use grass killer, but I’m afraid it will hurt my plants. I think the bed looks a little sloppy. I might try putting down more mulch or something. I am not a landscaper, so I don’t know!

These are “hardy mums” that I picked up at the grocery store.

You can see all four of the latest, although two of them in the middle look like one plant in this photo. The flowers are a separate plant behind the leafy one.

I didn’t take a closeup of the last one. It is nice, but not as interesting as these. Heh.

I’ve been putting up new decorations inside as well. Tomorrow is the first day of Autumn, I think, right? Well I don’t care what the calendar says, because I am so ready for Fall to begin, right now!

I got a new tablecloth for the dining room table. Please disregard the crumbs and wrinkles, thanks. ;)

I decorated my mantle with mini pumpkins and gourds, pumpkin spice candles, glass and ceramic pumpkins, and festive fall leaf garland. Last night I lit all the candles and it made the whole house smell like pumpkin spice. I love it! I also love how the mini pumpkins look in the tall vase. Wouldn’t that be a beautiful centerpiece for a Fall wedding? Especially if you added plenty of candles around it! You could also tie a bow around the middle with dark brown, wide, sheer ribbon.

Guess Who Got Her Wish?

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In my last post I mentioned how I wanted to do some updated pictures of my friend, Chrystal. Well, tonight I conned her and two of my other dear friends into a field by my house and got my wish. (Doesn’t that sound bad? Haha!) And seriously, this is one of my favorite portraits out of all the ones I’ve ever done.

There will be more once I finish editing…

Ps. Today was the first time I shot in RAW+basic JPG and I. LOVE. IT. Don’t be afraid of RAW. Doooo it. Do it. Do it. You will fall in love with your camera all over again. If you don’t know what the heck I am talking about, click here.

Seven Things About Me

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I recently received a blogging award, the Versatile Blogger Award, from Vickie over at Victoria’s Voice. Thanks, Vickie! I am always excited to get an award. Blog awards are fun because they encourage us to check out new blogs that we might have never looked at before.

(I clicked back a couple times through past winners and found several different versions of this graphic… this is the one I like the best, so it’s the one I’m going to display!)

Now for the rules for winning this award
  • Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.
  • Share 7 things about yourself.
  • Pass the award along to 15 other bloggers who you recently discovered and think are fabulous.
  • Contact the bloggers you chose and let them know about the award.
Seven Things About Me

ONE

I am very artistic. I love taking portraits, but I also love drawing them, too. Here is one I did of my husband when we were engaged. Drawing a portrait of your fiance: romantic, no?

TWO

I have been into photography since I was 18 or 19. I sort of picked it up because I was frustrated with my inability to portray the level of reality I wanted through my drawing. Some of the coolest pictures I took were with a simple Sony Cybershot camera. I used that camera for about 7 years!

The photo below was taken on a street on my campus at UW Whitewater, where I went to school to be a writer.

This one was taken during college with my Cybershot as well. Do you think I had the money to buy a DSLR in college? No way! This is my friend, Chrystal – she is a musician and singer. She sometimes leads worship at Central Christian in Beloit, WI. She is a very talented lady! This is an old pic – her hair is twice as long and she half this size now – time has been good to this woman. One of these days I’ll do another photo shoot for her, when she has time. I think I could do a way better job now, too.

You do not need an expensive camera to take good pictures. You just need to know how to use the light around you. Good light is everywhere, if you know where to look. Although, expensive cameras do make it a little easier. ;) Good light and lots of practice.

THREE

My toddler is totally into this new habit of wanting to stick his finger in my belly button when he nurses. Talk about awkward! And it tickles!

FOUR

Three and a half years ago, I totally slipped a disc in my back while working in the stockroom of a Walgreens where I was an assistant manager. We’ve since settled, but my back will never be the same. Every time I pick up the mini man or a heavy basket of laundry, I am reminded of my brokenness by the strange numbed throb and tingle by my tailbone. I seriously need to be better about continuing my physical therapy routine before I really screw it up. Really, though, it is a reminder that this body and earth is my temporary home. I will get a new back in heaven and it will be all good. Amen!

FIVE

I have this thing where I can’t do anything the same way twice. I always take different routes home (if there is one) and I never make the same crochet project twice. I also hate repetitiveness in my portfolio, which is why I’m always looking for new ways to compose a picture. I always do my hair slightly different, every day.  Maybe this is why I love being a stay at home mom so much. I can make each and every day original. I hated Walgreens because every season was the same routine. Every day we did the same thing. I can never go back to that kind of work. No 9-5 job for me!

SIX

I like planting flowers, but I refuse to cut the grass. In fact, I have never mowed a lawn in my life. I probably never will. On my tombstone, it will read, “You better mow the grass around my grave, because you know I’ll never do it.” Ha….

SEVEN

When I’m tired, my left eye twitches. It’s been twitching a lot lately. I’m not winking at you and I don’t have Tourrette’s.

********************

And now, it is time to give this award to 15 other bloggers who I have recently discovered (or loved for a while) and I think are worthy… (this is going to be hard because Micah is playing peekaboo with a book under my shirt on my back and it’s distracting.)

LAUGH WITH US BLOG

JOSIAH’S NEST

IS THERE A BATHROOM ON THIS SHIP?

MOTHERING IN A SHOE

NEW LIFE ON A HOMESTEAD

DELETING THE ADJECTIVES

THE SIMPLE THINGS

MIDDAY ESCAPADES

THE PREPPY STRAWBERRY

THE VERY BEST HOUSEWIFE. NOT!

TRUE FEMININITY

A GRACE-FULL LIFE

BLESSED WITH GRACE

MANDI MILLER BLOG

LITTLE HOMESCHOOL ON THE {BIG} PRAIRIE

Please go visit some of these blogs if you get the chance. They are all very good and it took me forever to select them!

Here is the code to grab this award for your post if you are passing it on:

Self Portraits – A Little Practice

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So I was reading one of my new fave photography blogs, A Pioneer Woman Photography, and I became inspired to get a little more practice doing self portraits. After all, if you can take a photo of yourself, without looking, you can probably take a photo of anyone, right? I really have shied away from doing self portraits for two reasons: it’s hard and who wants to look at me when they can look at Micah instead?

So here are a few I have done in recent weeks:

Have I ever mentioned how much I love that window in my living room? It’s perfect for taking pictures!

Also, I think I always claim that my favorite color is green, but deep down it’s still pink like it was when I was 5.

Also, I’m looking at my figure in that last picture and thinking how much l love the comfy-ness of my post-baby body. I’m thin again, but I’m a little squishy. Doesn’t it just look cuddly, though? Micah loves to sit in my lap and stick his finger in my belly button. Of course, he just loves my reaction, too, because I’m so ticklish. I’m happier now with my body than I was before I got pregnant.