52 Weeks of Me - Week 9 {Shadow}

I thought Shadow was a fun theme, I really wanted to get my kids in the shot but they were having way to much fun playing hopscotch to be bothered by a picture. I swear spring is around the corner, we were outside without coats, chalking up the driveway and enjoying a Sunday afternoon.
I did not get my shot until today due to the world-wind number of events going on. Okay, it may not be world-wind, but it feels like it to me. We had the whole family over yesterday which was nice, but busy. Today we signed Francesco up for Kindergarten...I almost cried, but I held it together. Before I know it Nicolo will me potty trained...a girl can dream.



Next weeks theme: New Angle, I know many of you will rock this one!

Thanks to all those who are participating! Don't forget there is the Flickr Group and we are as always open for theme suggestions. Plus, if you want this cute blog button swing by Jessie's she has the code.

52 Weeks of Me - Week 8 {Zero In}

This weeks theme was Zero In. I struggled to think of something about me that I wanted a close up view of. Then I thought of my rings, I have them on all the time and they are my favorite. They also mean a lot to me as they should.

Next weeks theme: Shadow, and since the sun is out much latter these day I think this will be fun!

Thanks to all those who are participating! Don't forget there is the Flickr Group and we are as always open for theme suggestions. Plus, if you want this cute blog button swing by Jessie's she has the code.

Team Up Thursday - Blue

When I think of blue the first thing that comes to mind is Tiffany's! Call me crazy but that little blue bag or little blue box just makes my heart flutter. Jen had asked me it this was from a Valentine's gift but it wasn't. I happen to have collected a lot of the boxes and bags throughout the years. I am a silver/white gold/platinum kind of girl and my husband knows if it comes in a little blue box he can't go wrong. Funny enough what I did get for Valentine's was a Pantone huey(TM)PRO monitor calibrator. My husband also knows if it has to do with photography/picture editing he can't go wrong.



Jen's little guys blue eyes would have been my choice as well if I had a blue eyed baby. Jen thought she had went a little over the top but I just love it. It's fun to go extreme at times. I too went a little far with my texture (trying to cover up the white paper background) but I really like how they go together.

For more blue diptych:

Hosted by Megan and Hip Momma

52 Weeks of Me - Week 7 {Profile}

Wow, this was not easy in the least. I really don't like side views of me at all! I did settle one one shot that I was able to live with but it wasn't easy. I have seen a few of everyone's shots and love that you all have been getting outside. That's what I really need to do.



Next weeks theme: Zero In
That is going to be a real challenge for me.
Don't forget to head on over to the Flickr pool and send me all your fabulous theme ideas, I know you guys have them! (Thank you to Kimberly @ A Growing Viloet for her suggestions of themes.)

As always you can join right in at any time, the more the merrier!

And so it goes

Neither of my children have ever been the sleep through the night kind of kids. Now at the ages of 4 and 2 they have improved, especially Francesco. Even if they were to actually sleep through the night they are early riser as well, I am talking 5:00 - 5:30 am. So I feel like I don't get enough sleep on a regular basis and my husband is well aware of the fact. See the kid don't want him in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning so he is not bothered by them, unless I am not there.

I went to my parent's last week to help my Mother with a church retreat. My husband even said to me more than once, "I bet you are going to love getting to sleep through the night." He said this because lately Nicolo had been up two to three times a night in the past week and now I was not going to be there. He was preparing to be the one bothered that night.

So here I am at my parents and it is 10 pm on a Friday and I decide to go to bed because I am exhausted from being up since 4:30 am. I am looking forward to being left alone all night in a bed all by myself.

As you can guess, since I am writing this post, that did not happen. My father has an 11 year old, 85lb German wire haired pointer who is now "retired" from hunting due to bad arthritis in her hips. So at around 12:30 am I hear the dog barking, I get up and think she may need to go out. It took me ten minute to find the key to open door (my dad has his house lock down like Fort Knox's) and I let the dog out. I think all is well and go back to bed. Now I am not one of those, fall right back to sleep kind of people it take me time to go back to sleep. Then I hear the dog again whining and barking around 1:45 am. I get up and again think she must hear something outside or need to go out, I tried to let her out but that was not it. I was done with her at this point, because again I was woken up and don't fall back to sleep easily. I decide to shut my door and try to go back to sleep. Then at 3:15 she started again with the barking and whining, this time I know she doesn't need to go out and she is just whining. I now think if I bring her in the room with me she will settle down.

When I do bring her in the room she tries to get up on the bed, but with her hips she has a hard time. I who at this point just wants her to be quiet help this 85lb dog onto the full size bed. She takes up most of it and them proceeds to lick her paws all the while shaking the bed. This bed is an old brass poster bed and every time she shakes the bed the post hit the wall. I get up, take a small blanket and fold it up to put behind the post to stop the banging. While I do that the dog positions herself directly in the middle of the bed, leaving the only spot big enough for me to lay at the foot. Now I am the pet!

At some point she did get off the bed and I had it back to myself but that was not long before 5:00 am when my father came in the room looking for her. So them I was up again and for the day. I asked him why was he up so early on a Saturday? He said it wasn't early and he is always up at 5:00 (now I know where Nicolo get it from). He then asked me if he had woken me up? I just shook my head.

I did tell him about my night and he apologized but it wasn't his fault. When I told my husband he laughed and then told me that both the kids slept through the night, and so it goes!

Team Up Thursday - Celebration

I thought and I thought about this theme. We were not having any parties and it's not a holiday so I had no idea. I even went as far as looking up the definition of the word Celebration. One of the definitions was: To perform (a religious ceremony): celebrate Mass.
That's when I knew what photo I would use. I helped my mother this weekend with a First Communion Retreat where the children were celebrating the Mass. They learned about the different parts of the mass and made these "prayer cloths" with symbols important to our religion.



Now, Jen's daughter had something to celebrate, a snow day. I remember praying for snow as a kid just to get a snow day. Nothing beat a snow day when I was a kid. It's something about playing in the snow, having hot chocolate and watching movies as you thaw out. Now I wish I had a snow day!


Hosted by Megan and Hip Momma

I Just Don't Get It

Don't ask, because I don't even get it.

She's a teenager, so that explains a little. She had a bunch a bookmarks and sticker with crazy sayings on them. To her they made sense and were even funny.
I was just glad to see her this weekend even if this is the only photo she posed for.

52 Weeks of Me - Week 6 {At Arms Length}

This weeks theme was At Arms Length, easy peasy right? What I found hard was holding the camera steady, so I did get out the tripod but I pushed the shutter from an arms length away. The other thing that I found difficult was not looking like a goof ball. I tried to smile and it looked so cheesy, I tried to not smile and I looked constipated, I tried to "gaze" at the camera and I looked like a total dork. I settled with a quick, stand there and hit the shutter look.
I never realized how crocked my nose was till I took this picture.



Next weeks theme: Profile, find you good side ladies!

Don't forget there is also the Flickr Group and you can join in at anytime. I still want to hear any suggestions for themes if you got them.

Conversations with a 4 1/2 year old

At dinner one night:
Cara: Francesco what is your favorite number?
Francesco: 100 (said one hundred)
Cara: Why do you like it?
Francesco: Cause that's what I want to be.
Michael: You want to get to a hundred (said a hundred)?
Francesco: No! I said one hundred!
Michael: Oh, I hope you get to One Hundred too!
Francesco: No Daddy, I said ONE HUNDRED, not one hundred and two!

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At Bed Time
F: Why do we have to go night, night?
Me: Because it's dark out and the sun went down. When the sun comes up it will be wake up time.
F: When will the sun come up?
Me: In about nine hours.
F: Why did the sun go down?
Me: Because the Earth rotated and we are on the side away from the sun.
F: Why did the Earth rotate?
Me: So we can have night and days.
F: What about the Sun?
Me: What about it?
F: Does it rotate?
Me: Not sure, but we rotate around it, we orbit.
F: Whats orbit?
Me: It means we are moving around the sun.
F: All the time?
Me: Yes, all the time.
F: Why do we orbit?
Me: Because we are a planet and we orbit around the sun and it take a whole year.
F: You mean like like the Zula Patrol.
Me: Yes, like Zula Patrol
F: Oh, Okay.(Turns over on his side) Night, night Mommy.

I should have just started with the Zula Patrol and I might have gotten out of there sooner.
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The clock is ticking and he gets closer to 5 everyday!