December we took a trip to California and went on a day tour. Ended up at Venice Beach, and although its not as "shiny and nice" as most parts of Cali, I LOVED it. It is an artist's dream. The colour, the people, and just the whole iconic feeling you get being there. It was also the first day I decided to use my new Lensbaby lens, ALL DAY, without really even knowing how to use it! But I think the effect was perfect for this trip!
My dearest munchkins,
Welcome to 2014 and a second year that Mommy is participating in the "letters to our Children" blog circle with some other awesome women photographers!
For the first month of the year I am writing to you both together. We spent two weeks in December in California with Nana, Papa, and Kayla. It was a wonderful, busy, exciting and memorable experience for everyone! However with the hustle of the holidays and start of the new year I have not had much time to look at, yet alone edit the hundrends (or thousands) of images I took there!
I am posting a few of the beach near where we stayed, in San Clemente. Beautiful. You guys loved the beach, except M who keeps reminding us that "the beach hurt my legs :( ". With your sensitive skin that salt water did not feel good, did it buddy? Thats ok, the beaches here in Ontario do not have salt so we can try the beach again this summer!
O, you loved it, playing in the water and sand with your cousin, building sandcastles and more!
Besides the beach we did a LOT of other activities; Disneyland, Legoland, San Diego Zoo, Universal Studios, Anaheim Ducks hockey game, Whale watching and so so so much more! It will be a trip to remember and I hope you both remember it forever! If not, your mom will create an album for you to bring back those memories as you get older and your little brains get filled with other stuff to remember as well! I am so thankful to your Nana and Papa for taking us on this trip, they both love you guys so much and were so happy to see you enjoying your time, meeting your favourite characters and just having fun with your cousin. A trip to remember, and I am posting some images from the beaches this month. (Maybe that is my way of feeling warm in the midst of this chilly winter weather we have been having!)
Love you guys...and there are only two months left of just hte two of you...can you believe it? Magoo, you will be a big sis soon and O, wow! You will have so much responsibility with two little siblings to take care of! But I know you will be amazing at it!
xoxo love you guys muchly
Mom
Click here to view
Jen, from Jen Hill Photography's Letter
to her children! I cannot wait to read all these letters and get to know some new women's work and families!
of me!
This year I am participating in a monthly 10 on 10 blog circle with some other photographers! On the 10th of each month we will post 10 images. They can be anything, anyone. Which is truely awesome because we will get to see so many different genres and styles of photography each month, and each woman in the circle can let her creativity shine!
Today was the 9th. And guess what? With the crazyness of January and getting back into the school, work, daycare routine...I had nothing! So I took my camera out with me today to document a day in the life of me. Nothing exciting, but this is us. It was an errand day. No work (yahoo!).
Once you have finished browsing my post, head over and check out
to see what she documented for her 10 on 10. I am really excited for this year and this project!
oh and ps..i cheated, there are more than 10! But I put them in groups! :)
Heading out into the COLD for daycare. My son was already gone to school so just us gals
baby, its coooold outside!
After dropping off Magoo, I had a nice country drive to the next city to pick up some cute props for my upcoming Valentines Day Mini Session Event! (
)
Then yes, a stop at McD's for breaky. Dont judge, Im pregnant! After that I had some time to kill so stopped for some stroller shopping for the new babe, coming soon!
Off to the OB/GYN for a regular appointment. Strong heartbeat, no concerns.
ok....i had a scheduled hair appointment. Which I look forward to every time! But today, man I was sooo tired I cancelled and went home for a nap before I had to go get the kids! I have been sooo tired lately! Maybe that is why the Doctor told me earlier today to take some iron pills!
Time to get up and pick up the kids at daycare and Karate
Home for dinner. Nothing fancy, leftover pasta from yesterday. Hey, we don't waste! (and I am one tired mama lately....) The kids play a game before dinner.
Hmm...what will we have for an after dinner snack?
and that is it folks! I did not get a chance to document bedtime, it was way to chaotic with tired kids not wanting to cooperate! Can you relate?!
Until next month....
The Ice Storm took place 3 days ago and many are still without power!
So sad to see the city and all the mature trees down, power lines still falling...dangerous. But of course, as a photographer, I head out to capture the beauty of nature!
Dearest Magoo
You have been home sick with me on and off for a couple weeks now. A flu, a cold, miserable, tired and not sleeping well. Even throwing up all over Mommy. Yes, grose, I know, but it comes with being a mom I suppose.
But since your Mommy is a photographer I make the most of our days home together, and turn your good times into mini photo shoots! I have wanted to do these shots since the other day when you put on that little baby sized tutu you got as a newborn...small, but it looks sooo cute! And you do not seem to mind the size.
You did well considering you were not feeling your best. Amazing how you babes can bounce back from illness so quickly, or tend to "forget" about it during the day when you are up and there are fun things to do! But when night falls....on it comes again. Why is that little ones?
It has been a few months since I participated in the monthly blog circle with the other momtogs I know! I have just been way too busy and time passes me by!
This month, the theme was Spookiness. Perfect for Halloween! And the weather we have been having could not have been better - rain, wind, dark.
For these shots I honestly went outside, in the rain, my camera in a plastic bag with the lens poking out. Put my lens on manual focus and just took pictures of whatever! I could not even see my viewfinder since it was in a bag! So, this is what I got and I was actually happy that some turned out a little bit spooky!
When you are finished looking, click over to
and see what she found spooky!
creepy man on the porch.....(its my hubby :))
Enough said....
Each month I participate in a blog circle with other photographer moms of all levels of photography! This month's blog circle topic is Shallow Depth of Field. Photographers often shoot with a shallow depth of field, which means that they isolate a small part of the image to be in focus, while creating a nice bokeh (or blur) in the rest of the image. This creates a visual sense of interest for the viewer.
This month I was outdoors and saw that our tiny little garden had 4 yummy looking strawberries! Its unusual I get to pick them before the pesky bugs or animals get to them!
Head over to
to see her interpretation of this month's theme. Follow the links to see everyone's awesome blogs!
Dearest O
We went to your Junior Kindergarten graduation today. Wow, first year of school complete!!
You are growing up too fast kiddo.
And this week is the last day of your spring ball hockey season so I thought I would post a few of you playing this season.
You loved ball hockey! You played on the Penguins and always want to play goalie.
Oh no! Dad and I have a future goalie on our hands, way to cost us more money, bud!
Thats ok, whatever you love we will support you! (and of course your dad has secret ambitions of his son in the NHL, preferably on the Leafs. Although Mom would prefer you play somewhere warm, like California!)
Love you bud, future SENIOR kindergartener!
Take a peek at
Allison's Letter to Her Daughter
. She has some really sweet photos of her two year old, Emma!
Check out past month's Blog Circles -
Dear Miss Magoo,
Your mommy is tired tonight, and wants to make sure to get this letter finished and published so that one day you can read it and laugh or cry or be grateful I did this for you!
So instead of a letter, (since my brain is not able to express many deep thoughts at this moment), I will make a list. You will learn over the years that your mom like to make lists. Lots of lists. Mainly inside my head, but often scribbled on scrap paper, telephone books, post its, and nowadays, digitally on the computer or my phone.
Your list of Loves.
You love your big brother Ry-ew(most days)
"Emu" aka Minnie Mouse
Building towers with megablocks
SCREAMING at the top of your lungs, especially in public places like the grocery store or antique shops
Books Books and more books
Shoes and more shoes (not sure where that comes from, your mom lives in flipflops!)
hugs and kisses and snuggles, especially before bed.
Your darn nummy (soother). Man, I wish you did not love that thing
Doc and Pia. aka Doc Mcstuffins and Sophia the first
Dancing
Gigi (the babysitter) and your two besties from daycare, Claire and Harper.
There. Now you will not forget the loves of your life at age 2!
And neither will your aging brainless mom :)
XOXO
Mommy
April Letter to My Son
Dear O
This month has been busy. Mom's life hectic. I feel I dont get to spend as much quality time with you as I wish I could. You are growing up so fast, learning so much, reading, writing, telling stories about everything! (You get the storytelling from your Dad!).
A part of me often wants to turn back time to when you were a baby, but another part of me loves seeing all these changes and can't wait until the next one, and the next! I just wish we could slow it down, or hit rewind now and then.
You are my little man buddy, and I wouldn't change a thing about you!
XOXO, Mommy
Now head over to the
amazing blog of my friend Carrie
- I am in love with her image this month! And it may or may not be an Iphone photo, and that's ok!!
February's topic for our monthly blog circle was "Food Photography". What?! I had no idea what to shoot for this one, and everything I tried just did not look great. Until the day I walked into Second Cup for a coffee and spotted these delicious maple cupcakes! Why do I love these? Well, I am Canadian, we love maple anything. I am female, we love cupcakes, especially mini ones with less calories!
Yum yum!
Now when you finish drooling, please head over to
and check out her adorable kids baking!
February - the second month of the monthly blog circle I am participating in with members of Clickin Moms! Love this idea and all the ladies I am getting to know through our posts!
Last month I wrote a letter to my daughter, this month its my son's turn!
Dear O
Five years ago, on February 14th, Valentine's Day, was the very day that your Dad and I found out about your existence! We had just finished up a Valentine's Day brunch at Cora's and decided to go across the street to buy a pregnancy test. I KNEW you were already there and it was time to make it official! And yes, that Valentine's Day was the best day of our lives!
Five years later - you are already FOUR! And in school full time! It is just crazy to me.
Listening to you tell us about your day at school, reading words, adding numbers, playdates with friends, playing hockey and games with Dad. I just can't believe you are growing up so fast and every day I wish I could freeze time.
You are quite the character Mister O. You love playing with your transformers, or superheroes, or Star Wars legos. You can spend hours and hours playing by yourself, acting out adventures and using that vivid imagination you have!
Your patience with your little sister is incredible. Yes there are moments you just cant handle her bugging you and you may push back. But buddy, your Dad and I are both oldest siblings...so we get it! I am impressed with how much you can put up with!
Buddy we are super proud of the little boy you have become and are growing up to be. Your personality is a little bit mom and a little bit dad. And a bit of Uncle Adam, Uncle Daniel, and Uncle Jeffrey too!
We love ya kiddo, keep up the awesomeness!
You are our Superhero
You are a Handsome Dude!
You put up with Mommy's picture taking, to a point!
No school means Play in the Snow! Finally, been waiting for some snow to play in! It seems to melt as soon as it falls, or its minus 100 and too cold to go out! Today was perfect!
I have joined a few different blog circles for 2013. Great way to be creative and think outside the box in terms of photography. I get so used to shooting clients that I forget about ME and my development and documenting my own family. I am very excited to be a part of this "Letters to our Daughters" Blog Circle with other moms from the Clickin Moms Forum. Each month we write a letter to our daughters (or sons, i am going to alternate), and then we link our post with the next mom's. So when you are done reading here, click on the link to the next blog!
My dear Magoo,
You are almost two! I cannot believe it! I feel like only yesterday you graced us with your presence, and your lovely red hair.
Lets talk about this hair of yours. Before you were even born, Mommy and Daddy joked that you would be a redhead. Don't ask us why, we just knew. I even had new address labels made for our family with little characters, and we made your character have red hair!
This hair of yours has been quite the topic of conversation. Hence why my first post will focus on it!
Every where we go people want to touch your hair. Like red hair is an extinct trait. However, the town we live in is still pretty Irish and I see redheads everywhere!
People ask: "does she have a temper?"
A temper - yes a little. A stubborn, fighting attitude? That's more like it. You come across it honestly, Mom and Dad are both pretty stubborn! Do not let anyone tell you this is a negative trait!
You are tough, you are strong, you know what you want and when you want it. You are only 21 months old and already have to choose your own clothes and have a fit if we put something on you that you did not pick! You are trying so hard to dress yourself. You eat alone without any help. You stand up to your big brother if he takes your toy, or will not let you play with him. By "stand up" I mean, push him over! You do not take Sh*! from anyone! BUT - you are as sweet as pie. My adorable, snuggly, charming, charismatic Magoo. You make Mommy and Daddy laugh ALL day long, with your sweet singing, giggly laugh, scrunched up "cheese" faces. Your big brother is absolutely smitten with you and is falling in love with you more and more. Especially as you get older and can answer his questions and play with him!I could not ask for two better children, good days or bad, you rock our world, in the most fantastic way possible!
Love you Pumpkin,
Your Mom
Click on this link to Ashley's
post! Then follow all the links around the circle and check out awesome photography!
Check out all the other moms in our group too
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