PIXEL FAIRY PRINCESS PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS

I am so excited about doing the Pixel Fairy Princess workshop in June that I wanted to get the word out that Deb has some openings in several of her upcoming workshops...honestly, I have heard such amazing things and seen such wonderful results from her students that I have high hopes that I will actually learn something of value, and with lots of practise I just might be able to take some kickarse photos of the Snowflowers one day....like this one of Deb's lovely daughter!(have I mentioned my need for a pettiskirt lately?)...the MOST amazing thing about Pixel Fairy Princess Photography is that many of her workshops actually benefit families in the process of adopting a special needs child from China....HOW COOL IS THAT! If you didn't think it could get any cooler...it does...because the St Augustine workshop in May benefits the KREUER fundraiser to bring Anna Grace home!

SWEET!

Seeping Beauty

No...that isn't a typo...it looks like I never wipe her face, nice nose crustaceans and is that leftover chocolate milk from lunch...what the heck? Paisley has been FIGHTING against naps for a few months now, and NO...I am not giving in that easily, she NEEDS her naps...I NEED her naps! I used to do a lot of sleep consults as a Nanny/Doula and the one thing I told my clients above all else...sleep is a LEARNED SKILL...and it is our job to TEACH our children the skill that they will take with them into adulthood. I don't believe it when people tell me their 2 year old doesn't need naps or doesn't need 10+ hours sleep a night...it's just not true. What is true is that we as adults sometime slip into what is EASIEST rather than what is BEST...and I'm not immune to mistakes.

Here she is, sacked out on the sofa in the basement...watching Yo Gabba Gabba...

p.s. note the nice scratches on her face...what did I say about my girls being boisterous!

the prettiest eBay item everI started listing some items on E*bay so that I can afford to get a new camera, and for some reason I found this photo of Piper in my e*Bay file....hmmm, I wonder how it got in there? Sure, some days she can be difficult, but I'd never list her on e*Bay...the shipping charges would be waaaay to high(Craigslist would be better!). All joking aside, I think I took this photo of Piper right around the time I got my current camera (2006)...I just love how green the grass is against the Snowflower...it's like she is a little blossom just waiting to bloom, a little pensive at the thought of a late Spring frost. I was also going to post a new photo of Piper, but she got a whopping scratch on her nose which needs a little time to heal...I mean seriously, don't kids know when NOT to get messed up? I tell you, I'm going to have to wrap them up in cotton wool!

This was taken the same day...look at those bruises... okay, secretly I think all the scratches and bumps and scrapes on my kids are testament to the fact that they play HARD...and I like that...they are not...how do you say...precious.

scrappy hardy Snowflowers, perfect for Minnesota!

I want my, I want my, I want my T1i

Well...it's not 'my' T1i....not yet anyway. I have some fairly massive redistribution of assets to organize before that sexy beast will belong to me....but I have plans...big plans....bwaaahahahaha!

With the help and assistance of one of my bloggy pals, who just happens to be a kickarse photographer who doesn't mind sharing her 'knowledge' I have been preparing for my shift into becoming a Mummytographer. With her support (poor thing gets a million questions from me!) and a few lessons here, and a workshop HERE, and a lot of practice...well, who knows?

I had my eye on the 50D, a nice upgrade from the XT I have been using for the past three years, then I saw this baby and I kind of decided I didn't need to go all the way up there, when the T1i would meet me halfway. Now, $$ doesn't grow on trees, but I have several huge boxes of the Snowflowers clothes and shoes that might just make it onto ebay...and if I can raise enough before the early May release date, then Ms T1i and I will begin our lusty relationship. Of course, I'm hunting for the 'software' I need to get my new hobby off the ground, it's crazy expensive and I don't know how people just drop that kind of cash...but I will keep looking...and if anyone knows where to get a reasonably priced version of Photoshop CS4 and lightroom please let me know!

oh, and dont get me started on lenses. I am peeking at a Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 right now that is giving me the chills. I have to be very wise in my lens choices, I can't drop $$$ all over the place. I love some of the stuff fellow bloggers are doing, but the lenses they use cost more than Piper's pre-school...for a YEAR!

Guess who spent the day in "unders"....no accidents.

I've been holding off because of winter, but now that the milder weather(anything above 36F) is on the way, I figure we can try.

Paisley can...

tell us she needs to go

walk to the bathroom

put her "poddy seat" on the big toilet

take off her pants and diaper

climb onto the loo without assistance

pee

or poo

she cannot wipe unassisted

get off the potty

put on "unders"

she cannot put on her own gdiaper

put on pants

clap!

I think she is well and truly ready, Piper was 16 months, but she was insanely early...I took my time with little P2. This means by the summer she should be in undies all day!

Enchanted...the stinky socks remix

The Snowflower loves the movie Enchanted...and will entertain us daily with excerpts from it ALL THE TIME, bath time is no exception...except this time, she got stuck on the 'stinky socks' line and was a little frustrated she couldn't move past it. I guess the memory of her Daddy recently shedding his socks got stuck...and she just couldn't go any further...I know the feeling Piper!

to fully appreciate this, pause the blog soundtrack on sidebar.

THERE CAN BE ONLY

THANK GOD FOR OUR PRESIDENT AND HIS COMMITMENT TO GLOBAL POVERTY

I don't care if you are a Democrat, a Republican or a Socialist...what I do care about, and I know many of my friends and family care about is ending global poverty. This is a KEY factor in the fight against terrorism, the hope for global stability and a sign of responsibility, compassion and maturity. About time.