Sunday, March 13, 2011

Mystery Kitty

We have a Mystery Kitty in our house. Well, her name is actually Pavla (named when we adopted her 5 years ago).  She is such a sweet kitty but she is painfully shy.  Painful in that my daughter (or anyone for that matter) can not hold her every day like she wants to.  She runs and hides when we walk toward her. She will only come to us on her own time and terms. It's sad thinking that she has chosen a life of solitude. We have always thought that she may have been abused in her prior home. Her brother..aka "Blanket kitty"..is SO the opposite. He HAS to be near you and craves and loves attention.

Sophie can occasionally scoop her up and take her up to her room for some one-on-one love (which she does seem to love).  These are very rare pictures I was able to capture before she scurried away.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

A Month of Catch Up

It looks like I have some catching up to do, huh?  So my intentions are always good when it comes to blogging here but I obviously ran out of juice for some reason with posting.  I have taken a ton of pictures!  But they have lived on my camera instead of making it here :)

We have had a very, very, very uneventful February. I remind myself,  at times like this,  that boring is wonderful! Just living life day by day.  Nothing grand but nothing bad.  Hunter had his February vacation and was invited to go to Breckenridge with a friend.  He had a blast of course.  Sophie and I didn't take time off.  I figured since we were alone we might as well keep school going.   I think I would rather stop a week earlier when the weather is so awesome and we will want to be outside. 

We did take a field trip to the Boston Museum of Science.  We went to see the Justin Bieber movie.  Woohoo!  And I can officially say that I have started my exercising again finally.  Another woohoo!  I have been extra lazy this winter!   Nothing like a planned trip to Florida to get me in gear. 

Sooo....here's a little of what we have been up to.

Field Trip to Boston Museum of Science

Saturday Night Camping out in the Den.  Popcorn and Movie fun!


Living with THIS!
  

Made Yummy Valentines Day cupcakes for my Valentines :)   I'm not sure there are too many things better than Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Icing.  (I did not put as much red food coloring as it called for so they are an interesting color)


My Funny Valentine's Gift from Hubby.  He made it all by himself one day when he took Sophie to the paint your own pottery place.   He owed her for breaking two of the dishes she had made other times I had taken her.


My little chipmunk.  If you've ever wondered what Lindt's truffles look like in each cheek....here you go.


School...in pajamas...in a chair...laying down...backwards.  Does it get any better than this?


More Kitty Blanket



Packing for Florida....a month early. Do you think she is excited?!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Project 365 - Day 33 -Yep....it snowed again!

This is the 6 foot tall son trying to walk through the front yard.
My knight in Shiny White.  Seriously! 

Lounging in the beautiful fluffy white stuff.  (I'm trying very hard to stay positive. Ha!)

We'll just call this one....Dumb A#& running free.

Project 365 - Day 32 - Coloring with Daddy

Project 365 - Day 31

Tyson, the Rat

Wait I never told you we had a rat. Actually we have two of these little dudes. Long tales and all. Sophie thinks it's a hoot to push them around in her little shopping cart. I'm not sure what this child would do without her pets to entertain herself with.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Project 365 - Day 23 - 30 - Where did a week go??

I'm not exactly sure where this week went. It was just a blah week  It probably had a lot to do with the impending monthly visit.  Oh.. the joy. 


Day 24 - Event of the day....I mended my friends slipper.  Ha!  That sounds funny considering I don't sew.  But what are friends for?  I'm up for the challenge. 


Day 25 - Dressed Fat Cat.  Doesn't he look so pretty in pink?



Day 26 - Enjoyed a lot of this :)  I could almost do a dedicated post to these sweeties too.  Thank you for keeping my toes cozy. 

Day 27 - It snowed.  Oh....Surprise Surprise...whatever!!  Remember when I said it was SO pretty and I never tire of watching it fall.  and it's SO peaceful.  Well...I'm over that!


Day 28 -Played with my camera a ton!  Who thought that Orbeez could be SO pretty!  (by the way..I am NOT loving the Orbeez in my house)


Day 29 - Celebrated a Sweet Girl's "Sweet 16"!  I love her like she is my own and I can't believe she is 16!!

Day 30 - But.......you know what........

A New Header

Thanks so much to Sarah at Clover Lane for showing me how to customize my very own header!! I love, love learning something new.  And this was pretty big for me.  She made it so very easy.  I can't wait to have fun changing it and keeping it fun. 

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Project 365 - Day 23 - Winter Date Night in NH

Me and Dave had a much needed, long over due Date Night last night.   Hanging out in the house in January is starting to get really boring. 

Bundle up and brave the elements.  I can't wait to see the driveway again.

Who cares that the snow bank at the end of the driveway is bigger than me. Let's go have some fun honey.  (still teaching who to use the new camera)

Brrrrrrr.   That's about all I can say about that!

We had an amazing, fun night of goofines and laughs. 

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Project 365 - Day 22

Outside our door on this cold, frigid day of 20 degrees. 

Project 365 - Day 21 More Snow Day Boredom

Sophie finding things to do on a boring Snow day.  I'm sorry that you are the brunt of her amusement. 

Friday, January 21, 2011

Project 365 - Day 20

These were taken off my back deck. I was desperately trying to capture how gorgeous it was with the sun rising and glistening off the snow /ice on the trees.


Thursday, January 20, 2011

Learning about Shutter Speed--Hmm, Very Interesting

I've been reading and reading and learning and learning so much about using my new camera. Last week I learned all about Shutter Speed and Aperture and it what situations to use each of them. I need a cheat sheet to carry around with me :)

I learned that when I want to freeze something in action I need to increase my shutter speed to 1/500 to 1/1000. Like when I want great pictures of my son playing his sports or my daughter doing her gymnastics or any other time that I don't want a motion to turn out blurry. Never knew that!! So interesting to play around with it. Sophie was more than generous to jump off the couch many times while I practiced with different settings.

See.....this is before...with a slow shutter speed of 1/60. She is really there, I promise?


And this is after....with a shutter speed of 1/640. So neat, huh? It's like she is frozen in the air. Wow!


Then I was reading "super cool" Becky's blog, Farmgirl Paints, yesterday and she just so happened to be starting a fun project called The Thrive Project. I know I want to Thrive in photography this year too and now we can all learn even more tips AND practice them. EXCITED!



Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Project 365 - Day 19

We have been A LOT of hanging around the house lately.  Besides going to the grocery store,  we really haven't been anywhere!  Unless I count shoveling.  Oh January!

It is fun for a little while but I will be SO glad to be able to do more outside..hopefully by the end of February.  Oh Winter in New England.....

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Project 365 - Day 18 Torture the Teenager

Mom!  No pictures!

Ok...One!

Really....more......



He is a pretty good sport despite my fun.

My Daybook

 
January 18, 2011


Outside my window...Snowing again.  And our 2nd snow day of the year. This one could get a little nasty because they are saying it may actually change over to freezing rain.  UGH!  That could mean power outage and we are very prone to that.

I am thinking....about how I can convince my hubby to not go into work today.  For some reason he is not at all concerned about today's snow and the multi-car accident on the Interstate that he takes to work.  I know he hates to miss work but it is so stressful when he heads out in this weather.

I am thankful for...being able to stay home today. 

From the learning rooms... We have been pretty easy-going since getting back into school after winter break.  

From the kitchen...I did it!! I got the bread machine out and have made 3 loaves of wheat bread this past week.  It is SO good.   This might just save me an extra $20 a month :)


I am wearing.... Pink fleece PJ's and my son's old American Eagle sweatshirt. I love stealing his sweatshirts now when he grows out of them.

I am creating...still nothing :(

I am going...to have to shovel today.  Yuck! 

I am reading...The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents by Deepak Chopra

I am hoping....for a smoothe day of traveling to work for my husband in this weather.


I am hearing...My son talking to his friend on X-box live.  

Around the house...I finally took the Christmas tree down.  Well...kind of.   I took all the ornaments off and moved it into the sunroom with just the lights on it.  I was joking about leaving it up all year and even the family thought it would be fun for a little bit longer.  Go figure!  Dave said "be different"...."be bold".  I said "Okie Dokie"!   Now it's an evergreen in the sunroom with pretty white lights.  I may just have to see if I can find some Valentines ornaments. Or maybe Sophie and I can make some :)  Ohhhh  funnnn!!!!!

One of my favorite things....my pink fuzzy slippers.


A few plans for the rest of the week...cleaning and organizing the basement.  I am starting to feel the itch to purge stuff.

From my picture journal ...Kitty Blanket.




My Daybook  is part of the Simple Woman's Daybook

Monday, January 17, 2011

Project 365 - Day 17 - My favorite Breakfast

In Winter, I love my oatmeal with blueberries, honey and cinnamon for breakfast.  And of course I am having so much fun with my new camera that I had to take a picture of this too!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Project 365 - Day 15 - Tribute to a Mug

I owe morning smiles to you my friend.   I don't think I could do it without you.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart :) LOL!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Project 365 - Day 13

One of my favorite trees on the corner of our house.  I love how it looks snow covered.

Project 365 - Day 12

What's going on?
We waited and waited for the snow to slow down so we could do a little sledding.  It did not stop when they said it would (by 2 pm), so at 3:30 we loaded up and headed out anyway.  It was brutal!

It was still snowing so hard and it took us about 30 minutes of failing to create a good packed down sledding path.  They finally just gave up and plopped down in the snow. 

This was the peaceful moment before they started throwing snow all over each other.  Which ended in tears from a little girl who couldn't get back at her big brother.