Three, More Endearing and Much Worse, Than Two

Yeah, yeah, yeah.  I dropped the ball.  Totally - I know.

If it's any consolation, big things have been happening.  Like that TW is PREGNANT! And not just a little bit - we are halfway to welcoming a brand new baby girl to the family!!  I may have to rename the blog.  'Course that would be a bigger deal if I'd posted at all recently.  I fear any followers that I had may have had vanished into thin air.

Meanwhile, though, I have been taking lots of photos.  Posting on Flickr most days, got a handful of followers, have gotten a photo printed on the front page of our local paper, and I've been asked to help photograph a wedding (couldn't do it, but still!)...

And of course The Boy grows.  He has gotten a boatload of personality.  And while he doesn't pull it out often, he can throw a temper tantrum with the best of them.  Take for example the following situation...

"Mozart has, unfortunately, been in full tantrum for the past 20+ minutes because… He wants to ride the bus to camp - right now! Never mind that there is no bus. That he's not old enough to go to camp. And even if he were old enough to go to camp, nobody goes to camp when they are screaming."

Grammie saw the post and said that he needed to call, but I had to post back: 

"He was given the opportunity to calm down, go downtown, and ride the bus. But then, because the bus costs money and one would need to get some money, he completely melted again. To the extent that he peed his pants (!). He did not get the time out for peeing his pants, but was again, given the opportunity to pull it together or head to his room to calm down. Which he chose. And then had a fit and slammed doors about. So now the timer is being set as he has, finally, calmed down."

He did calm himself for the evening, but then this morning it was like a replay with the added bonus of hitting TW...

It is good that he has is such a lovable kid most of the time.  My pinky toe has been going numb on me of late (I know, I know, I'll get it checked out if it doesn't get better in a couple days...), and so he wanted to know exactly which one it was.  And he kissed it.  

Stymied

Bah!!  So, I have this idea for a Flickr challenge.  The challenge is to take a photo of a Movie Title.  I perused classic titles and came up with A Fistful of Dollars.  Never saw it, so I've got no preconceptions (if there would be any) aside from the name itself.  I just so happened to have a bunch of ones last night and attempted some photos of my own hand grasping the money.   None of the photos came out as well as I'd have liked - I should have set up the tripod, brought a drape out, darkened the room, etc., but wasn't really serious about it.

This morning, while at a work meeting/breakfast, I asked my colleagues to grab the stacks of cash in various ways as we were tallying the bill.  This was done and I got some cool shots, but that image of a darkened room with a green background and sharp low light haunted me all day as I went about my business.

I got home, finally settle in to take some photos, set up the room, with the green background, and the tripod, and - oh. Right. I spent all my cash!!

Good Grief.

I'll just have to do with some of the earlier photos I took.

If you like, check them out on the Photostream at Flicker  <- that link is actually another of the breakfast meeting photos, but if you navigate left or right, you'll get to the movie title photos!

That's good news!

You know, that my readers haven't flat-lined on me completely.  There are a few dedicated souls out there who are apparently still checking in here despite my spotty posting.  Thank-you!

The weather, the job, and the heating bills have all been somewhat trying recently.  Add to that a perpetually busy toddler to keep up with, a new chiropractor, who I love, but who has me on a new and less satisfying workout routine, a mid-winter attack of the blues, I've had less time and/or been less enthused about writing.

*le sigh*

I'll get back into gear.  I will.  And on the bright side, I'm still very much enjoying my camera.  I've manages to take photos daily.  And only a couple of those days have I felt less than fully satisfied with what I've taken.
I think, because, I'm not feeling too chatty, I'll share some of the photos I've taken over the the last little bit.

Here Mozart is checking in with Santa, thanking him for the Fire Truck, and telling him he is too big to eat cookies.


And here, he is taking on the world - or at least the biggest train show in the country.


While I am SO over the cold, I'm pretty glad to have gotten this cracked bubble at 16 below.


I had intended on posting more, but it turns out my Chromebook doesn't want to upload photos right now, and Flickr doesn't allow copying photos, which I suppose is a good thing.  But you can go to my Flickr site and look at them for yourself.

Yeah, and these little square things - they are my attempt to upload photos.  I can't seem to erase them now that they are there.  Maybe they'll show up later.  Maybe just funky little squares forever...

A New Year

Though we missed the plane on the way out, and I dislocated my shoulder on the way back, our trip was really quite lovely.

I'm not one for new year resolutions, but I do like to make goals for myself from time to time, and I suppose the 1st day of the year is a good a time as any to do so.

My first goal is to take a photo that I am pleased with daily. Getting a fancy-pants camera for a Christmas gift truly does help with this endeavor. I opened a Flickr account to have a place to display them, though they won't all be there.  I'm posting only photos that will be for full public viewing, and I imagine that a number of the photos that please me will be of Mozart as he is my most frequent target.  I may post some of the photos here, but if you really want to see what I've been doing check out my Flickr site. Give me feedback, I'd love to hear!

Other goals are to continue at the gym, eat more healthy, be more present with Mozart, and be more proactive in finding peace and happiness within myself, rather than just going along for the ride.

Promised photos...

Have I mentioned it's been a little hectic since returning from vacation?  No, perhaps not.  Too busy.

One Mozart quip before I share some of the photos that I promised:

After a long stretch of whining and being asked to, please, just speak like a big boy, he responds, "No, I am always YOUR baby!"

This kid doesn't miss a beat.  I have told him several times, often while snuggling, that he is growing up to be a big boy, but that he will always be my baby - even when he is an old man.  I did not see that backfiring when I said it.

And now onto the photos...

Where we were.

That's in the United States.

Ok, but seriously - we went to Hyannis, Massachusetts.  It was beautiful, and I love to take photos.  I don't have a proper camera, but I do have fun and like to find good shots.  The resolution on these are fairly poor - due to the lack of camera - but I hope you enjoy them nonetheless.

These buoys, standing tall - about 20ft or so - were at a park close to the Port.  

Same buoys, from a different angle, and with blades of grass in the foreground.

Buoys from a distance, with pebbled walkway.

I'm not much of a fisherwoman myself, but the photo called.

Statue of Sachem Iyannough, one of the Native Americans that assisted the Pilgrims on landing.  I am quite fond of contrast that the flag brings, but I've been told that it is distracting.  Your thoughts?

Knot at the Port.

Another perspective shot - grass and a tree.

The Port through ironwork.

Boat on water.

Was hoping to capture the balance between the water and the flower - not sure I got it.

Beached Buoys.

Taken at Cape Cod Museum of Natural History - On you left, that is a Clear Nosed Skate - new favorite fish of all time.

Exoskeletons of the horseshoe crab. Apparently the blood and shells of this creature have now been found to be quite valuable for testing the purity of medicines and for making sterile bandages.

Mini lighthouse - taken from a Duck Boat.

Beach Rose Hips - I tried and tried to get a photo with the actual beach, but none came out.  So you have beach grass and a couple well-to-do houses.  Still a bit fuzzy, but better than nothing.

So that's that.  I'll try to post some that are a bit more people-oriented next.  No faces of us, but happyiess abound.