31/365 One month done, Eleven to go

I was just not feeling this project today.

Since the beginning my goal has been to not use any of my snapshots for this project. 

I wanted to actually think about each photo. 

My children were awfully sweet today,

This one especially.

She has taken such an interest in her brothers cars and trucks over the past months.

Today she pushed this one all over the house, 

crawling right behind it.

While I did manage to snap 92 quick pics today, 

This one just explained my day, my month, my life perfectly.

It's all about the kids.

30/365 Jealousy, Attitude, & Yet, Still Wonderful

This little boy here can make a person want to rip their hair out, 

yet also can make ones heart fill with love.

My 5 year old has explained I "never take pictures" of him anymore. 

So I set aside some time for just him today.

Would you believe, for the first 20 minutes he just whined and made grumpy faces at me?

I did get some really good smiling, laughing photographs, 

but this one just screamed "attitude" and his unwillingness to work with me. 

My typical boy. 

29/365 Runny nose, Teething, & Still Angelic.

At least while asleep. 

Poor Bailey is still cutting her 5th and 6th tooth.

The 5th is out, just not all the way.

And the 6th will pop any day now.

I hope. 

For a girl who's never shown signs of teething,

these two are causing one hell of a nightmare.

Especially for a mom who's never dealt with teething symptoms.

Yet, despite the loud, whiny, clingy day,

She is still my sleeping beauty.

28/365 Nap time, A tired Mom, & Finger Paints

The youngest decided to throw a 3 hour party in her crib last night.

At first, this mommy couldn't wait until the little ones nap time. 

Then she realized she had two boys who do not nap.

Do this mom did the only thing she could.

The only guaranteed way to keep those boys quiet.

At least long enough to enjoy closing her eyes.

27/365 18 inches, Trapped plows, & Everyone walks.

The North East got hit with yet another winter storm. 

Most years I whine about not having boots, 

but quickly get over it.

Not this year. 

My street wasn't plowed until 10am this morning.

And then the plow got stuck. 

It was so serene seeing the entire street without a foot or tire mark in sight.

Yet, kinda creepy. 

For the first time since living here,

all the neighbors talked, and helped dig out. 

Finally the plows made it through,

but now our narrow dead end can barely fit one car driving up or down the hill.

So most people were walking.

Including me. 

26/365 Annoyed, Disgusted, & Sick of Snow.

Poor hubby just went back to work this week. 

We can't afford him to miss any work while he has it.

And today, due to more snow, he was sent home early.

Here he is just after walking in from work,

watching the Weather Channel.

I know this photo is all wrong,

and the ear chop sucks, 

but it was the best of the day....

25/365 Arts & Crafts, & Sibling Fun

Thomas stayed home today.

I braced myself for a day of fighting over toys, 

and extreme noise.

Instead of it starting right away, I found this.

Thomas had asked for the box of arts & crafts,

and since I can (mostly) trust the boys, 

I let them have it. 

I did not expect to find all three of them coloring so peacefully.

24/365 Colorful, Lost in the Crowd, & One of a Kind.

Are a few of the (nicer) words and phrases I've been called over the past 24 years.

Just like this photo. 

Of course I am mainly referring to the one oddly shaped yellow sprinkle.

Since learning I could reverse my lens to get macro shots,

I've been playing. 

My focus seems really soft with my 50 lately,

and it doesn't help I desperately need to see the eye doctor.

23/365 Family, Friends, & Celebration

Today was my birthday.

My father's birthday.

Collin's 3rd birthday Party.

We had a lot of reason to celebrate. 

As stressed as I was over this party it turned out perfectly.

This was Collin's first party with many guests.

Yet, the lest expensive party we've ever hosted.

Kids made snowglobes, paper plate snowmen, 

And played stick the carrot on Frosty.

Everyone had a blast.

Especially Collin!

To view the photo's from our special, fun-filled day go here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=325120&id=686811487&l=ced6e0bc07

22/365 Party Prepping, Cookie Baking, & Actually Getting Along

With Collin's party less than 24 hours away, 

we've been prepping.

We changed it from appetizers to all desserts.

Who knew desserts would be so much cheaper?

Especially if you do the baking yourself.

While the youngest napped,

the boys and I baked Chocolate Chip cookies,

Peanut Butter Cookies, 

made Peanut Butter Bars,

and chilled the oatmeal cookie dough.

We were a bit upset when Bailey awoken before the oatmeal cookies were in the oven.

We were all shocked when rolling these cookies,

and placing them on the cookie sheet,

turned out to be the best part of the day. 

Yes, she stole many balls of dough off the cookie sheet. 

Yes she annoyed her brothers.

But they spent so much time giggling, laughing, and just getting along

that it just didn't matter.

This photo may be no where near technically correct,

but it is one of my absolute favorites for this year already.

21/365 Young, Hardworking, & The Perfect Future Husband

My 5 year old has a new obsession with vacuuming.

Every morning he asks if he can.

Only thing we need to work on now,

is getting him to pick things up before starting.

Which is the main reason he only likes to vacuum the living room.

Thomas here works hard at everything he does,

and he plans on being a "great husband and daddy" some day.

Apparently he wants to get married when he is "25."

He wants to "always make his wife happy."

And he wants to have "100 kids."

Isn't he the sweetest?

20/365 Relaxation, Wine, & Quiet Time

Well, I didn't drink the wine, 

but it was out during the little one's nap. 

On the Justmommies Photography board,

a fellow mommy was trying to capture motion in the form of pouring wine,

and suggested I give it a try.

Yep, I totally did spend Bailey's nap pouring wine for no one,

and clicking away.

19/365

Today was such a miserably dull day.

Those roads were pretty much skating rinks. 

It was a long dulling day and this is the best I could do. 

Doesn't even get a name. 

18/365 Gloominess, A Hint of Sun, & Melting Icicles.

Shockingly this icicle is pretty much SOOC (straight out of camera).

Other than cropping, a quick noise removal, sharpen, and auto contrast, 

nothing was done to alter this photo.

This was taken through my screen early this afternoon. 

We've been having icicles hanging from most homes for a week now.

I have a pretty row hanging right above my living room windows.

But this one icicle hung so much lower,

it was almost the entire length of my window.

After taking nearly 150 photo's of this and the rest of the icicles,

this is the only one I am happy with.

The only one that doesn't look like my husband snapped the shot. 

17/365 Birthday, Candles, & Cake

My sweet Collin has officially turned 3.

All day I reminisced on his actual birth day.

The not having the slightest clue he'd be born on his due date.

The induction being scheduled for the following morning.

Going out to eat still, even though the contractions began.

Everyone yelling at me to get to the hospital.

Only being at the hospital for one hour before we finally met.

Not having time for an epidural when I was finally wanting it.

Pushing him out in 1, 2, 3 pushes.

Not believing how small he was,

and how much he looked like his big brother.

What was once a 6 lb 15 oz newborn is now a 32 lb child.

I still look at him as this tiny boy.

Then today, he looked just oh, so, big.

I love you my (still) baby boy.

Happy 3rd Birthday

(click to enlarge)

16/365 Delicate, Curls, & All Girl

After having two boys,

of course I was thrilled to get a little girl.

Especially one I knew would be fair skinned, blonde, with big blue eyes.

Seeing her grow is already amazing.

So very much like her big brothers,

yet delicately girly at the same time. 

At 15 months, 2 weeks her hair is still really short.

Much more than the boys at this age, 

so I can't complain.

In the tub the little big in the back reaches down to mid shoulder blade.

But when dry, 

it forms the most perfect, girly, curl.

15/365, Blue Eye, Eyelashes, & Reversed 50mm

I just recently learned I can reverse my 50mm to get macro shots.

Of course I had to try right away.

Snapped photos of everything from my lens on my cell phone,

to Bailey's itty bitty eye.

Of course, considering my eye sight sucks, 

and having to move closer and further back

 to focus on whatever I want to take a picture of,

makes taking a photo of a very hyper 15 month old, 

a bit tough. 

14/365 More Ice, More Snow, & Still Cold

Today was Thomas' first day back to school since the storm. 

The snow is still piled way too high to notice any melt-age.

This morning, due to the snow,

 and a last speech therapy session for Collin,

all 5 of us had to venture out first thing in the morning.

It was brutally cold out there.

Just from the front door to the van,

had the boys complaining of cold hands and faces.

It didn't help the van took forever to warm up.

This is my view of the windshield

from the passenger seat. 

13/365 Meatloaf, Broccoli, Rice, & Potato's.

I spent all day taking photographs.

Nothing seemed to work.

Nothing jumped out at me to use for my 13th photo in this project.

While hubby was cooking, 

I switched my 50mm for my 28-80mm lens.

I pushed a chair behind his 6'4" frame,

and snapped a few shots.

Too yellow, too angled.

They all sucked. 

Yet, still...

I chose this as today's 365 photo. 

Based on the 13 photographs I've chosen so far, 

I think I have an obsession with food.

12/365 Cold, Snow, & Stuck Inside

It snowed. Again.

It snowed a lot. Again. 

30 fresh inches fell over the night of the 11th 

and well into late morning of the 12th.

School closed,

plows couldn't make it up the hill.

Neighbors shoveled out the circle

at our (dead) end of the street.

And the kids watched.

Together, without a fight,

with their hats on,

waiting to go out and play.

11/365 Laundry, Laundry, & More Laundry

Laundry is never ending in a house of 5. 

Especially after a weekend of vomit.

This is just a small portion of Mt. Laundry.

And another reason I need a wider lens. 

28 mm is just not wide enough in this small of an apartment. 

10/365 Frank's, Nuggets, & Ranch Dressing.

..together always make everything better.

Unfortunately the hubs bought Texas Pete,

 instead of Frank's Red Hot, 

so I had to make do.

A bit of hot sauce, 

Tossed in a bowl w/ diced Chicken Nuggets,

Put on a plate with shredder chedder-jack cheese,

Microwaved long enough to melt,

A thick bed of lettuce on a tortilla,

Drizzle of Ranch,

All wrapped up,

Equals a party in my tummy.

And my mouth.

Oh, so yummy!

9/365 The Pukes, The Runs, & The Porcelain Throne.

Yucky stomach bug hit hard this weekend.

Saturday morning and afternoon it was looking like the whole weekend would be great.

Even though the youngest was sick the previous night,

and the hubby was sick all morning,

I didn't think anyone else would be effected. 

Then it hit the oldest, 

then me,

then the middle child.

I don't think any of us got much sleep last night except the youngest.

And we laid around all day.

At least when we weren't taking turns occupying

The Porcelain Throne. 

(Sorry for the visual, this bug took all my creativity with it..)

8/365 Coldness, Hotness, & Chocolatey Goodness

Today the children and I went out in the snow! 

Shoveling and digging,

Playing and Throwing. 

Tons of fun out there. 

Once Bailey came in, 

it was snowman time!

Unfortunately, after making the 1st big ball for the bottom,

I could not get another one to grow too much. 

Yea, I suck at snowman building.

So we made Frosty instead, 

ya know, with the legs, and arms, and big round belly?

Yea we made him.

Once we came in, 

we were beyond freezing!

Of course there is only one way to remedy that!

7/365 Sniffles, Snot & Sweetness

Poor Collin's nose has been running something fierce the past two days.

Have gone through way too many tissues.

Daddy didn't have work today.

And spent some quality time with the kids.

This photo here, while not technically correct..

Melts my heart more each time I see it. 

<3

6/365 Stomach Coating, Goodness, & Warmth

So Yummy In The Tummy!

Yes, that's what fresh, real oatmeal is. 

So many complain about it not having flavor,

and tasting like cardboard.

But really the taste possibilities are endless.

Today: Maple Syrup & Brown Sugar 

With a dash of cinnamon for appearance sake.

Perfect way to wake up on a cold morning.

Perfect lunch on a cold day. 

Perfect any time snack

With so many possibilities!

5/365 Faith, Trust, & Pixie Dust

Magical, Breathtaking, Amazing. 

All terms that describe Disney on Ice.

The children loved it.

Almost as much as I did.

The hubs loved it.

Almost as much as the children.

4/365 Vampires, Immortals, & MethHeads

I like to read. A lot.

Up until recently, for the past 6 years I've read only parenting related books.

Since November 19th, I've read these books.

All but the Vampire Academy books, which I've just started. 

House of Night, The Immortals,

Vampire Academy, and a series by Hopkins about drug addiction.

All great books.

All perfect for day 4's photo.

3/365 Sweetness, Cuteness, & Indecisiveness

Took photo's of Collin for his third birthday which is fast approaching,

Bailey wanted in on the action.

Now Mommy can't choose..

2/365 Resolutions, Dedication, & Motivation

3 months ago I jumped hard onto the Gym bandwagon.

Not wanting to make a typical weight loss new years resolution,

I vowed to stick with it.

20 days ago today was the last time I hit the gym. 

It appeared I fell off that wagon.

Today,

grabbing my keys with gym card,

a bottle of water,

and my new heart rate monitor,

I made it back to the gym

One hour and ten minutes, and 683 calories burned! 

It feel's so good to be back! 

Especially since I managed not to gain a single pound

through out the cookie, er..I mean Holiday Season! 

1/365 Interest, Obsession, & Addiction

Today is day 1 of my 365 Project.

I thought for days of what to make my first photo..

Could not figure it out..

A self portrait, to introduce myself to my new readers?

My cup of tea, and methadone, to show my day to day consistency I hope to achieve here? 

I ended up noticing my son laying across the arm of the couch, playing his DS.

He is completely obsessed and addicted to his DS;

kinda like my camera and I. 

He is so interested in playing. 

Every. Single. Day.

His devotion to this small electronic device is sickening,

but I understand and can relate.

So I give you, my very first photograph of 2011.