My mom found some old dresses that had belonged to me (and a couple that were hers!)…and Elizabeth wore one yesterday…if we go out, I’ll have to put some shorts underneath.
Laguna Cliffs Resort
Aug 17th, 2011 by ECM
So we endured two sleep-deprived days at a resort down in Orange County for Derek’s faculty retreat. Resorts would be more fun on our own, I think. I don’t remember the last time I was this bleary eyed. I got more sleep when Susanna was a newborn. But the big kids got to swim in the pool twice, and I played around some more with my camera settings.
Hotel Room
Aug 16th, 2011 by ECM
I’m stuck in one while Derek is with colleagues at a faculty retreat. The big kids have been fighting sleep for two hours now. I want to go to sleep. Why don’t they?
Weekend Vignettes
Aug 15th, 2011 by ECM
It gets worse before it gets better, right?
Did all these books really come from my nightstand in PA?
Sisterly Tea Party
Aug 12th, 2011 by ECM
The first of many, I hope!
Susanna, in Manual
Aug 11th, 2011 by ECM
So yesterday afternoon I tried out some of the things Bethany had shown me about going manual on my camera and shooting in Av mode…
First, here’s one in auto for comparison.
There here’s when I went off the green auto square (well, skipping about 50 pictures that were blurry while I played with the settings).
I did a quick auto fix to all four of these in picnik, so they’re equally edited. I like that I was able to capture the natural light on her face and didn’t have to use my flash (as I apparently did the in the first, judging by the shadow). The colors are more realistic than in auto, but I obviously need to work more at sharpening and figuring out the best settings for this room. Bethany also recommended another lens, so that’s another thing to think about down the line. Scary and fun!
Stickers=Sanity
Aug 10th, 2011 by ECM
Back Patio
Aug 9th, 2011 by ECM
I love how temperate our weather has been. The kids spend much of every day on the back patio, coloring and hanging out.
I Do Read to the Kids, Too
Aug 8th, 2011 by ECM
Yesterday Derek captured real proof that he’s not the only one who sits and reads to the kids.
The Chipped Tooth
Aug 7th, 2011 by ECM
Our first children’s medical emergency happened yesterday morning…we finally got out the kids’ bikes, and in the midst of them playing around, Elizabeth managed to faceplant off her scooter onto the sidewalk and scratch up her face. There was a lot of blood, and we didn’t notice until half an hour later that she’d also chipped off part of her tooth. Panic set in (for me–Derek thought I was overreacting), and after a quick call to the children’s dentist recommended by one of Derek’s colleagues (miraculously, they have Saturday hours), Elizabeth was off to her first trip to the dentist a few months earlier than planned.
The first two teeth are pretty loose, and the affected tooth may turn colors and/or fall out. If it doesn’t, they can build it back up until she loses it naturally in 5 years or so. I am crestfallen. It actually doesn’t seem as bad today as it did yesterday (nothing’s bleeding anymore!), but she needs to eat soft foods and be extra careful. Try getting a two year old to be extra careful. Not that Elizabeth’s front teeth looked that great to begin with, but I feel terrible about the whole thing.
And of course, when you let your 4 year old pick out the bandaids at the drugstore, this is all you have on hand in the diaper bag when your medicine cabinet is still in a box somewhere. Looks good for a visit to a new church, eh?
