Next Time I'll "Chick" With My Husband

Last week, a not-quite-7A.M. phone call came from Drew (who was in Nebraska). “Annie, the post office just called to say that the chicks are here.” “What????” (now fully awake) “Annie, did we order chicks?” “Well, yeah, but they weren’t supposed to come for another WEEK!” “Did I know that we ordered chicks?” “I’m... Read More

A Marathon Field Trip

I had a another post planned for today, but I’m out of steam. There seem to be plenty of people I know who are out of steam lately. Can we just take a break today? Want to leave the house and worries behind and come with us on a field trip?! This is a virtual field trip, so we can visit the zoo, the gardens, and the aquarium all in one day! We can also skip the blowouts, the... Read More

More Practice Shooting Manual, Plus Some Laughter

Two photographers have told me almost the exact same thing: “Start shooting fully manual. You’ll never go back.” I love aperture priority mode. It sure is nice just to set the aperture and let the camera adjust the other settings to get the right exposure! Their photos blow mine out of the water, though, so it’s to the “M” setting I go. I’m... Read More

A Post-Weekend List

Below is a collection of very random thoughts. Bear with me. And thanks, as always, for stopping by to visit. 1. I am tired of having candy in the house. We started using it for rewards, and it has taken over like an uncontrollable monster. I think it was the cake pops that finally did me in this past week. From now on, I plan to use frozen berries as an alternative to candy rewards.... Read More

Teaching Young Children Not to Lie

If I could have a superpower, it might be omnipresence. I would love to be at all places at all times, especially where it concerns my kids. I’d love to keep them from falling down, to make sure they didn’t eat crayons, to stop them from throwing sand at each other. And I would love to be able to witness all infractions of the house rules, so I’d never have to... Read More

Another Blogging Break

A few months back, I took a blogging break when all six of my immediate family members got sick with a stomach virus. My sisters rose to the occasion and filled in for me. Wonderful things happened as a result, and now I’m ecstatic to be sharing this blog with three other family members! So I’ve decided to take another break, just to see what wonderful things might happen... Read More

Cake Pops! Or, Why I Am "Calamitous Cook"

A couple months back, I saw a friend’s gorgeous pictures of cake balls on her facebook page. Then I started seeing cake balls and cake pops everywhere. Finally I tracked down the source to Bakerella’s site. The cake pop pictures are amazing, and they look so easy! So I picked up some popsicle sticks at Wal-Mart in hopes of giving this a try. Ever since then, my oldest... Read More

The Trouble with Indoor Photography: Time to Start Shooting RAW?

My oldest daughter is like I was as a child in one particular way: She has a somber, pensive personality. I’ve made it one of my primary goals in life to get her to laugh as often as possible. And it would be the icing on the cake if I could catch it on camera! The other evening the kids and I were lounging around on the bed, and I was probably occupied with folding laundry... Read More

Of Felines and Phonics: Teaching Preschoolers to Read

My older daughter is enamored with cats lately. Here she is, below, with Aunt Annie’s remarkably patient cat: This is more than just a brief, passing phase. In the house, she crawls around looking for bowls of milk. When she takes a bath, she’s a catfish. When she gets hurt, she cries, “MeOW!” This is serious. I wasn’t worried until one day when she... Read More

Hey There, You with the Light in Your Eyes

I’ve taken a break from the photography section of the blog. I knew that was a mistake when I hit a long lull… I’ve decided to tuck the photography section into its own little corner (link in the lower right hand corner of the blog). Anyone interested can come peek in, and others who aren’t quite so obsessed with buttons and dials can feel free to pass it... Read More