Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas

From our family to yours, best wishes for a happy, healthy, and wonderful Christmas, and a fantastic New Year.

Christmas Card 2008

Jake Tree

Fresh Eyes

Monday, December 15, 2008

This kid loves hockey like nothing I've ever seen.

Jake loves hockey. He's loved hockey ever since he was old enough to hold a stick. I am firmly convinced that hockey is at least partially responsible for teaching him reading and math, among many other things. He learned all the team names so he could read the paper to see who won. If you put a mathmatical question into hockey terms, he can answer it without a problem.

He is having a few issues now that he is in an organized team. He gets very frustrated because he feels that he isn't the best player on the team. Perfectionist much? During their last game, there was a kid on the opposing team who was taking every opportunity (and sometimes not even waiting for an opportunity) to cheap shot or goon players on our team. Somehow I didn't notice this. What I did notice was Jake skating up behind him and cross checking him after the game was over. It wasn't hard enough to knock the kid down, but a cross check is a cross check. Jake heard about it from his coach, and from us. So on the way home he unloads about how he is feeling about his playing (mainly the complaints about not being the best) and so we asked if he wanted to keep playing. He told us "I want to play a lot more than I want to not play".

So he's decided that the way to be the best player on his team is to practice. Jake and Dad spent the time between dinner and bedtime on the rink in the backyard. It is freakin' cold out there. Like -30 cold.

Slapshot

The cold didn't stop him. He busted his five year old behind out there. He conquered cross overs and backward skating. He is determined to give it his all.

All about the B

Is it wrong that I am a little concerned about his determination? He loves this sport with everything that he is. I just want him to have fun.

Lunatic

Thursday, December 11, 2008

My birthday present came!!

I used my birthday moola to buy a new lens. I have this nasty guilty feeling in my tummy over it (sheesh, can you tell I have kids? Tummy? Seriously?) because there are a hundred other things crying out for money right now. I am a firm believer that if you are given money for a birthday, you should spend it on a gift for yourself. That is what I would want done if I was on the giving end of things, so that is what I did. /End justification.

So anyway, it came in the mail yesterday, and I pulled it out for a few test shots. For once, Danny obliged! In his own way, as you can see...
I Scary!
Helpy Helperton

I feel bad that I don't have many pictures of Jake to share. I am pretty much anti flash, and by the time he gets home from school and gets his video games in (he has to wear a patch to help strengthen his eye, and this is the way to get it done with the least amount of whining) it is dark outside. This new lens might work a little better in the hockey arena, so we'll see if we can get some action shots out of it. He is really kicking butt in hockey right now, he has come a long way since September. And he really loves it soooooo much.

This new lens has a really close focus, so I can take almost macro shots. I took it outside to try, but really everything is just sad and dead at this time of the year.
Too many nights not enough days
Letting go

It is supposed to hit -30 this weekend, which should make getting up at 6:30 to go to hockey practice even funner. Wish us luck!

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Danny, the pilferer

Danny has an obsession with all things kitchen. He is always in the drawers or cupboards, pulling out pots and pans or anything else he can find. Which is fine unless I am trying to cook in the kitchen and almost break my neck on a pan lid. Normally he is pretty good about putting things back where he found them. There was one incident with a can opener that resurfaced months later in Jake's golf bag, and there is currently an issue with two whisks that are mia. So maybe he isn't so good about clean up after all.

So last week he was making rice.

My Garlic Press

Why yes, that is my garlic press. And yes, that is play dough he is pumping through it. For the record, I am not a big play dough fan. I'm not even sure where he is finding it, but weekly he comes up to me with a little tub of it begging for it to be opened. And I am not man enough to weather the tantrum that will ensue if I don't comply, so I do. Then I wait for all the little bits and pieces to dry up, and I vacuum it up and hope that was the last little container of play dough kicking around.

Danny Kitchen

Here he is spreading the mess throughout his kitchen. Apparently good food can't be made without making a mess.

What--

I swear I can almost hear him saying "What? What Mom?" in this picture. "What do you mean, my play dough isn't supposed to be going through your garlic press? But look how good it works!"

Note the rolling pin in the background. I guess I should just be thankful that he didn't steamroll that play dough right into his Ikea carpet.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

The Rejected Christmas Pictures...

Ugh. Taking pictures of these two together is no easy feat. Here are the rejects from the Christmas card session. Mainly due to colour issues, and expression issues, lol.

Nice smile Danny, but you've gotta open your eyes!
Danny Eyes Closed

Jake in his thinking pose...
The Thinker
I like this shot, but don't like the colour and the reflection in his glasses.

Again with the colour. And I thought I cropped this, but I guess I didn't.
Danny Y

What sort of expression is this, exactly?
Jake J

You better not pout...
Danny Pout

The boys together...
Together

I did manage to get a few to put a card together, and they are finally ordered. They better be decent when I get them, or I am out of options. I am so. freakin'. tired. of photoshop. I had the brilliant idea of designing a label as a gift, and it was a nightmare. It's done now, and doesn't look too bad, but it was a ton of work, and it took a ton of ink to print them out. All this work and thought I've been putting into gifts and cards is sucking the Christmas spirit right out of me. Oh well, the sooner things are done, the sooner I can relax and enjoy the season.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Viva Las Vegas!

Wow, that was fun. Too much drinking, and not the most relaxing place for a vacation, but I had a blast. We spent a ton of time at the APEX/SEMA show so I didn't get to take a lot of pictures, and most of the ones I did take turned out like crap. I didn't want to hold up everybody by taking pictures every 30 seconds. Oh well, it gives me a reason to go back. Not to mention the cool $65 I won on the black jack table. You know, cuz I'm a high roller like that.

Anyhoo, here's some visuals...

Venetian

This is where we stayed, all those flashing lights at the end of the hallway make up the casino where I had my big win. This picture comes no where near to how beautiful and intricate everything is. I can't even fathom the amount of money they put into everything in Vegas. It's crazy.

Miss Liberty

Congrats on your new President my American friends!!

SEMA

This is one of the few pictures I got while "working".

Smiling Stingray

Say cheese Mr. Stingray!!!

Treasure Island

The infamous Vegas strip.

Freaky Blue Man

AAAAAAAAH! Blue Man!! What is that, latex? Doesn't it get awful warm under that?

Monday, October 20, 2008

I have been seriously slacking.

You know how things are busy, but not that busy? That's how things have been here. Maybe lazy would be a better word for it. It's starting to get cold, and convincing myself to get out and take pictures isn't going so well. So I take pictures inside, or through the window lol. Then I feel guilty because I have more pictures of Danny then Jake, but Jake is mostly at school.

The hockey picture taking dilema is ongoing. The flash isn't going to work, but that is okay since I have other uses for it. I just am having a hard time spending the amount of money that the right lens is going to cost. We will see what happens there.

Everyone here is good. Danny is right behind me, undoing the cleaning that I did this morning. This kid can make a mess in record time. Jake is doing well at school, save for a tantrum about the rainbow game ending too soon. I wrangled up tickets for his favorite hockey team, so that should be a good time.

Boston Love

Here is yet another shot of Danny screaming. He's good at screaming.

Aaaaah!!

The alternative to a picture of him screaming is a picture of him pouting or running away. I'll take the screaming. Hopefully next post it'll be a bit more exciting.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Hectic

Man, is it tough getting back into the swing of things. Between Jake's school, Danny's school, work, and hockey practice, I've been a lazy blogger.

I have been taking pictures, of course. We went a nature walkin' again, and saw the usual suspects. I need to find a new place to go, I think.

Fall Doe

Danny was convinced this chickadee was going to steal his granola bar.

Autumn Chickadee

Danny being his goofy self.



While I going through the night time routine with Danny, I realized two things that for some reason, have the capacity to bring tears to my eyes. I suppose I've always been a little on the emotional/sensitive side, but having kids has made me ridiculous.

Tear inducing item number one, sweet, sweet baby curls. I know these are on borrowed time. I suppose that is the reason, right there.
Curls

And these sweet raisiney hands. *Sniff* *Sniff*

Raisiny

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

I am not above bribing.

Trying to take pictures of Jake at hockey practice was an exercise in futility. The equipment I have will not operate under the low light conditions at the arena. I decided I needed to upgrade, so I took Danny to the Camera Store to see what I could do.

And the answer was, not much unless I have a ton of money to spend. Which I don't. So I settled for a speedlight, and I am hoping that it will do the trick. We'll have to wait until Sunday to be certain.

Of course, I had to test it out. Let's just say that Danny was less than cooperative at first.

Pre Bribe

I'm not sure why, maybe it's the thousands of pictures he's had taken of him in his two year old life. So I did what any self respecting mother would do.

I offered him chocolate.

Stool

Chocolate is a great motivater.

Scream

Especially in the two year old demographic.

Post Bribe

Is it just me, or does the colour seem a little off in the last two? I may change them up later.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Jake's old obsession...

This kid has been obsessed with hockey since he was old enough to hold a stick.


This weekend is Jake's first hockey practice. He has been waiting for this for a long, long time. Yesterday we went out and got him his gear. You wouldn't believe all the equipment it takes to protect a hockey player. As a worry wort of a Mom, I am glad for every little bit of it.

So, we had to try everything on the moment we got home. We started with the chest protector/shoulder pads:
Gearin' Up

The pivotal moment of the helmet placing:
Helmet On

The whole package. Move over Sidney Crosby, there is a new kid in town:
Move Over Sidney...

So Sunday is the first practice of many, I am sure. Wish us luck.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Danny's New Obsession

I found a Dora puzzle at a garage sale a few weeks ago, and Danny was smitten. Since then, we've added a Three Little Pigs puzzle, a Little Einstien puzzle, and a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse puzzle to his repertoire. I thought I'd do a little picture documentary to remember this phase. These things change so quickly.

Small, still chubby fingers getting to work:
Danny puzzle

As you can see from the intense look on his face, doing puzzles is serious business:
Serious Business

Verifying with Mom that everythings where it is supposed to be:
Almost Done

Completion. I thought these hideous glasses were long gone, but apparently I was mistaken:
All Finished

Friday, August 22, 2008

Global Fest

We dragged the boys out to Global Fest on Wednesday night to take in the fireworks. Jake was absolutely fascinated. At first he thought that they were too loud, and covered his ears with his hands. By the end, he was staring at the sky in amazement. And so were we.

Danny was mildly impressed, but still had a good time.

Danny Fireworks

Jake and his cowboy popcorn.

Jake Fireworks

And the rest of the show....

The Start of the Show

The Grand Finale

Fireworks

Temporary Towers Soar