Retro Friday

Paige and Ted, back in 1994.
Paige was 6 months old, and 20 lbs.
Ted was a just a babe at age 26.

American Idol - Who's Going Home?

This is who I think will be going home tonight... do you agree? 47 minutes till showtime...

Weird Wednesday

Silly Sophie!

I love the expression on her face, but the lighting was terrible. I was playing with the manual settings, and didn't get this one quite right.

Playing around with my XTI

I've been playing around with my camera, trying to learn how to adjust the settings manually. F-stops, ISO ... it's a work in progress. I took some pictures today, and liked these two. Sophia's expression in the 2nd one just cracks me up!

The Not so Weird Pictures...

I confess. I haven't been taking many pictures lately. So... I dug these out, I took them a couple weeks ago. I don't LOVE them, but they're pictures you haven't seen. I used the 'Weird' ones for 'Weird Wednesday' a week or maybe two ago now. I'm too tired to go back right now and look. These were the not so weird ones...

Retro Friday

Paige, 9 years old

Weird Wednesday

Ice Much?

Here is Sophia, standing in the middle of the driveway. The other day we were going out for a walk, so I could take some pictures of the icy scenery. We quickly decided against walking, as everything was solid ice, and Sophia kept falling. I didn't want to fall and hurt my ankles again.

Noah wanted to try his new skateboard out on the solid surface.

Ice. Noah decided to come inside with us.

Notice anything different?

I think you do... love it? Hate it? Do tell!

I'm getting comments that it's overlapping, but when I view it on my computer (like anyone would) it doesn't. Can you tell me how much it's overlapping, so I can adjust it? I want it to look nice! :) Thanks!

Ice Storm

I took these pics around the house, and on our dirt road. I wanted to get more close up shots, but the road and driveway were total ice, and I didn't want to break my neck (okay, hurt my ankles) trying. I drove the minivan up and down the dirt road, and got out and snapped a few pics. The black & white is my favorite, but the others didn't look that good when I changed them to blank and white, so I left them color.

Thankfully we didn't lose power, it just flickered. Many people were without (some still are) for a day or two. The temps got above freezing today, and the trees no longer look like this, the ice has melted.

Retro Friday

The year was somewhere around 1991. This was me, and our Newfoundland pup, Casey. He grew to be a whopping 200 lbs. He could stand on his hind legs and put his paws on Ted's shoulders (Ted is 6'4" tall). He thought he was a big lapdog. He was a gentle giant.

Now onto me: Those are some groovy jeans I was wearing, and the feathered hair... ooooh lala! Sneakers in the snow, with my pants tucked in? Why I don't look that cool now, I just don't know! Hey, that kind of rhymed... It's almost 2 AM, I must go to bed now...

Happy Valentine's Day!

NOT AGAIN... Snowday #8?

Before you read, click on my Esnips Groovy Guy off the the side... he's not playing automatically, for some reason...

The kids have ANOTHER snow day today. I think this is number eight. We've been smacked hard lately with snow and other winter weather. Wish I had a vacation planned for Florida, or somewhere else warm and snow free. Next week is school vacation, and it probably won't snow at all. :)

That's us, in the 10 - 14" range

FROM SNOW TO ICE...
A MESSY MIDWEEK STORM

Heavy snow is only half of the story - snow changes to sleet, freezing rain and rain during the morning hours, first along the coast then spreading inland. The temperatures this morning are in the teens inland, that means the cold air will be tough to scour out. As warm air tries to invade on an easterly wind it will start to ride up and over that chilly air at the surface. This will lead to an icing event that may top the story of the heavy snow this morning. Several hours of sleet and freezing rain will accumulate to glaze ice on all surfaces where that cold air hangs on. This will mean power outages and dangerous driving conditions this afternoon.

This is what it looked like after the 1998 Ice Storm, that left us without power for close to two weeks.

Oil lamps, check.
Flashlights, check.
Woodstove is crackling
We're ready.

Bring it on.

Weird Wednesday

What's weird about the 2nd picture, you ask? This is how Sophia fell asleep the other day, for her nap. I was at my computer (no really, don't look so surprised!) and she was quiet... I looked over my desk, onto the floor of the office, and there she was in the doorway. Maggie, Minnie & Sophia. Notice the unbuttoned jeans, maybe she undid them to be more comfortable? I knew better than to move her, and she woke and thought it was pretty funny she had fallen asleep with Maggie like that.

Chinese New Year Celebration

Sophia in her silk outfit
We got this outfit in 2005 when we were in Guangzhou

Sophia makes a Chinese Lantern. She also made a Chinese Yo Yo, a Mask, stamped with a chop, and had her name written in Chinese characters. We bought videos and books, and watched 10 seconds of the dragon dance before we had to leave the theater, it was so dark, LOUD and scary for Sophia. We got there too late to see the music and dance show.

Daddy, Noah & Sophia taking a break from all the excitement
at the Chinese New Year Celebration.

Wondering why this picture is in black and white? The colors were so funky,
I didn't have the patience to fix it, so it was easier to turn it black and white.
Where's Paige? Home sleeping; we couldn't get her out of bed to attend the festivities! Pornphen was with us, but was off in another section of the building visiting friends from Thailand that were also attending the celebration.

Retro Friday

This is me, just before entering kindergarten. I actually remember this picture being taken, I was scared! My mom had braided my very straight hair the day before, and had taken the braids out to make my hair wavy like this. See, my hair really is blonde! Over the years it has darkened, and now I have to get highlights to get my blonde back - not fair!

Weird Wednesday

Washington DC, Seven Years After Bill Left Town!

SUPERBOWL 2008

Patriots lost.

Any other fans shocked and dismayed about how it all went down?

Mischief Update & AWESOME Safety locks!

DH went to the local Lowe's and got these this morning. He's installed them on the bathroom cabinets, the drawers, and cabinet doors under the sink. We may go back and get more. They are AWESOME. To open the door or drawer, you have to touch the very strong magnet on just the right spot (which will take some getting used to!), and then you can easily open it.

Sophia can no longer get into the cabinets or drawers. If you're considering safety locks, these are a MUST HAVE. The other ones will slow them down for awhile, but then they quickly figure out hot to get in. We're keeping the magnet on top of the fridge, but shhhh.... don't tell Sophia!

p.s. She'll still get into her share of mischief, this afternoon WHILE DH WAS PUTTING THE LOCKS ON IN THE KITCHEN, she was putting stickers on the screen of the big screen tv in the living room. Yeah. That's how she rolls. Glad we got the stickers off before the big game tomorrow... although we ALL already know WHO WILL WIN, don't we???

Sophia+Mischief = new safety locks

As you all know, I've got this cute 3 year old. Yeah. What does that have to do with safety locks, you ask? She's a mischief maker, that girl. Today she got into the cupboard underneath the sink. IT'S SAFETY LOCKED. She took mineral oil, dishwasher detergent and barkeeper's friend (an abrasive cleaning powder) and made a soupy mess all over the floor. Paige was there in the livingroom, and she didn't hear a thing. Then the dog threw up, on the living room carpet. I'm guessing the dog licked some of the soupy mess.

GRRRR!

So, Sophia has figured out the safety locks. Does anyone out there know of any really good, super tricky safety locks? Our cabinet doors do not have handles, so they'd need to be the kind that are hidden.

Please let me know ASAP???