because i don't want to forget...

Samuel is getting bigger.  Well, he is getting taller.  I love this shirt.  It isn't going to fit much longer so I took a photo.

 On the couch, later that night...

 

And maybe we should pull Eva out of boxing lessons:

(just kidding.  But two more teeth in one day was pretty funny.)

 

And you know how I complain about my ghetto-esque surroundings?  Well, look at this.  Two pit-bulls next door.  Maybe I do want to forget this part.

 

And so I don't forget (and in case I need stories to tell Samuel one day when he is exasperated with his own kids):

We went and visited Erma, my elderly friend that lives nearby.  She was wearing a help alert button on a string around her neck.  You know, in case she falls, she pushes it and someone will come help her.  So Samuel sees it and asks what it was.  Erma and I are talking and all of the sudden, quick as he is, he reaches over and pushes the button.  Luckily, he didn't push hard enough and no one came to our rescue.  

Oh, and when we first got there, Erma and I sit on the couch to talk.  Two seconds later Samuel shows up with a handful of Chex mix.  He had walked in the kitchen and opened the cupboard and helped himself.

and another one:

I got a cute little orange cat when I was 18.  He was orange and his name was Kitty.  Pretty original.  My mom ended up involuntarily taking care of Kitty because I went to school in a city 90 minutes away, traveled a lot, and ended up marrying someone with (suspiciously selective) allergies.  So, when we were in China, Kitty died.   Sad, but it was time.

We were kind of nervous to tell the kids.  Samuel loves cats.  He loved that cat.  I imagined he would be heart broken.  I imagined this is when we would explain death.  I imagined there would be tears.  I imagined there would consoling.  We waited several days for the appropriate time (okay, okay, for a time that we could remember to tell him) and this is how the conversation went:

Samuel, you know Kitty?

No.

You know, the orange cat that lives at Grandma's?

Un-uh.

Come on, Sam, THAT CAT that you used to play with when we would go there.  

No.

The one that would go in the house when we would open the door.

No.

Well, he died.

And that was it.  I kind of think he is just messing with us.  Like he saw that we thought it was funny that he couldn't remember at first and then just kept it up.  Whatever the case, the conversation went a little easier than I expected.

Camera Indecision

Best Friend modeling her Canon XSi

Karl says to me, "Do you love all the compliments you get on your blog?"  Such an easy question to respond sarcastically.  Too easy.  So, yes, I love them.  I do get an occasional, "Mom you look pretty" or "You are a really good cook" (after I opened up a can of raviolis), but as far as compliments go, I don't get a whole lot since most of my time is spent with a 4 year old and a 6 year old.  Most of what I do doesn't really drum up compliments (laundry, sweeping, you know...), and that is natural and normal, I suppose.  But, really, who doesn't love a compliment?  

In short it goes like this:

Christina, would you rather

a) clean the toilet

b) clear the self-clutter-producing counter, again

c) go stop Samuel

d) go encourage Eva to hurry

e) read a nice comment on your blog

Answer:  Easy, e.

So, thanks for the photo compliments.  I love them.  They are such a nice little break from the same old routine (or non-routine, we are kind of chaotic).  It is especially nice to get compliments on something I worked at.  I also love compliments like "Your kids are so cute" or "Your kids are so funny" but I didn't really work at that, they just came out that way.  

I took a couple of classes (not like the community ed. one we took a few years ago) from Nicole Hill (a for reals pro photographer) and it made me take my camera off "auto" and opened up a whole new world to me.  I know I will never be a pro or anything but since I take a billion photos, it was really good to get some direction.

My birthday was about a month and a half ago.  Karl gave me a big ol' envelope full of cash to go and buy a camera.  But the problem is, I can't decide what to get.  Isn't that always the case?  If you can't have something, you know exactly what you want.  

I have been using a Pentax k100.  I bought it from my sister for a few hundred dollars and it has been a really good camera to learn with.  I love it.  I also love that I have dropped it a few times and Samuel has dropped it even more and I don't need to have a heart attack whenever it happens.  The problem is that I need (yes, need) to get some lenses and it isn't worth it to invest in lenses for this camera.  I want to go either Nikon or Canon and am leaning towards Canon just because I have noticed that the photographers that I admire use them (of the ones whose cameras I have seen).

 

Canon came out with a Rebel with a video mode called the T1i that I am leaning towards.

Pros:  Small, video mode might be fun with cool lenses, eliminates the need for me to carry around a video camera in some cases.

Cons:  I might wish I got something fancier.  The handle is a little awkward.  It isn't out until May.

There is also the XSI that is kind of like the T1i but without the video mode and records in a few less megapixels.  But I don't need that many

Pros:  The cheapest option

Cons:  The cheapest option

But then it makes me wonder if I am going to spend the money if I should go for the heftier 40d 

Pros:  6 frames per second (perfect for taking a bunch of dance and play shots and then choosing a decent one from the sequence).  Only $90 more than the T1i.  

Cons:  Would be too heavy to take some places.  So big it makes me look like I know what I am doing.  Uses a different memory card so I would have to start a whole new system.

or maybe I should "invest" and get the 50d.  

Pros:  6 frames per second.  Bigger viewing screen.

Cons:  More money.  All the same cons as the 40d.  The envelope that was provided might need to be added to on Mother's day and our anniversary to buy this one.

I do know that I want these two lenses:

The Canon 18-200 mm lens, kind of a jack of all trades, all in one that will let me take pictures of my kids and my food when they are near and far.

&

The 50 mm f/1.8, a relatively inexpensive lens that will let me take photos with a low f-stop with means I need less light and the background with be more fuzzy. 

I hate decisions.  If you are a good decision maker, please help me.  I change my mind every few minutes but maybe writing this will get me one step closer to a decision.

I meant for this to be a short post, but apparently, I am incapable.

this place is a zoo

Today was Eva's field trip to the zoo. Eva wanted me there and from what I hear about kids growing up, I thought I should take advantage of that. Here is her group.

Every year we take a picture on this elephant thing.

After Eva's class left we headed over to the playground where Samuel and Eva showed me, once again, just how different they are:

Samuel put his head on Eva's shoulder. Then she moved away and he kept his head in that position. For a really long time. I didn't realize until I downloaded the pictures.

From the second we enter the gates of the zoo, the kids ask if we can ride the train. Though there were better photos of this, this is the only one where Eva is sticking her tongue through her missing tooth hole.

Half a second after we got off the train, they say, "Can we go on the carousel?" I am a pushover. Finally, icecream.

Hey kids! What was your favorite part of the zoo?

Eva: Riding the train.

Samuel: Uh, eating the ice cream.

Sorry, animals.

hillbillies

So Eva walked up the other day with her arms full.  Upon closer inspection I saw that she was doing her part to "keep our country clean," a phrase she learned in preschool.  She had picked up the trash in our front yard.  Deep breath, stay calm.  Uh, good job Eva, why don't you set that stuff down and I will get it later?

Yep, this is the kind of stuff that we find on our front lawn.  Yep, that is a used diaper.  Besides the germs, these are just things that no mother wants to see her six year old carrying.  Even the Gatorade bottle grosses me out.  

Ew, right?  Double ew.

 

Hillbillies.  I am your first Japanese hillbilly.  The truck is in the garage, now.  But that is the only car in there. One, unusable, truck.  The rest of the garage is full of furniture and boxes and shotguns and antlers and stuff like that.   On snowy days, I don't appreciate being a hillbilly.

 

A while back I saw a Hot Pocket sleeve out on our lawn.  It just seemed to fit.  I just left it there.  It went away.  That's what us hillbillies do, leave it there and if you're lucky, it goes away.  If doesn't go away, oh well.  We think Hot Pockets are funny.  So does Jim Gaffigan:

And in keeping with the hillbilly theme, Eva lost another tooth yesterday:

who has a picture of her mom laughing her head off?

I do.  And I love it.

Thanks, Justin Hackworth.

He is doing this project called 30 Strangers and I saw something on it when I was looking at blogs and avoiding all the things that I should have been doing.  Well, my procrastination/terrible housekeeping skills paid off.  I knew they would, someday.  We were so lucky to be one of the 30.  His focus was moms and daughters, as many generations as we could.  Check him out, I think his stuff is pretty amazing.

I take so so so many photos.  It was kind of fun to be on this side of the camera.  Not like watch your kids on the roller coaster fun or out to lunch with the girls fun.  This was a fun that I have never experienced.  Yes, I was hoping he was going to make me look like a super model (you're lying if you say you haven't secretly hoped that before).  Yes, he made me look like me, instead.  Yes, I understand that is perfectly alright.  He had some major make-you-feel-comfortable-in-front-of-the-camera-skills.  I didn't know photographers were this good.  Like, my wedding photographer?  During my bridal shoot I told him I didn't want to sit the victorian looking chaise lounge that the pulled out. If you know me, you know it doesn't suit me.  He kicked the thing across the floor and said, "Who is the photographer here?" Uh.  I don't know.  The scary guy that just kicked the chair?  Maybe it is because  I took my kids to Target to get their photos.  With Justin?  He knew just what to say to make Eva stop doing the fakey smile.  He didn't make us hold any fakey flowers or tilt our head like we were posing for the D package.  I walked away all feeling all giddy and super impressed. 

These are the photos he posted (in order of my favorite):

Oh, and to top it off?  After the shoot we walked over and got some gelato and sweet Eva picked me some flowers.  Lucky, huh?

spring... fevers

First, I need to say how grateful I am that we had beautiful weather for Easter.  

Two days later, we had this:

And this (yes, this is how we store our bikes.  Just keeping it real):

 

 Girls and boys are different.  I get that.  First and second kids are different.  I get that, too.  But this?  This just cracks me up.

Eva with a fever:

 

Samuel with a fever:

  

Eva was obviously sick.  Samuel?  He showed no signs.  We took his temperature as an afterthought.  That kid slows down for nothing.  Which is why he is just a blur in the photos.

easter sunday

This is the fourth year in a row that we have found Easter eggs in our backyard.  That Easter bunny is so nice.  I can't believe we have lived in one place for that long.

We could not get these kids to hurry before church.  They just would not be hurried.  Okay, and I was running behind, too.  So, the (candy filled plastic, not real) eggs sat until after church.  The day was nice and sunny.  Think: green house effect. 

   

They were so excited (well, not excited enough to hurry through breakfast).  The whole reason why we do it.  I didn't buy much candy because I knew how much they would get this weekend.  So, we pulled out the old stuff.  As in, I had to tell Karl that the chocolate with the orange foil that said, "Happy Halloween" on it might be too obvious.  I am sure they don't care.  I love this age.  

A friend gave me this tip:  For every candy wrapper she spots on the floor, she gets to choose a piece of the litter bug's candy.  I realized that with Samuel I have to go for the good stuff (not the Happy Halloween chocolate) or he does not care at all.  

See the third picture?  I caught Samuel being his usual more-is-better self.  He was totally making sure Eva didn't have more than him.

 Eva's hair like this made her look so old.  Crazy.  Tonight, I explained to her that in few years she will be taller than her mommy.  

These pretty little eggs had no idea what was in store for them.

We headed up to Logan for the annual rolling the eggs down Old Main Hill.  The seagulls come and eat all the smashed goodness.  Gross, huh.  As we were climbing out of the car, Eva says, " When we get back to the car, it is going to be covered in bird poop."  Ew.  This is one day that you want to steer clear of those birds.  

This is the second year we have done this.  Children young and old get joy out of this.You roll the egg (or if you are Samuel, you just chuck it) and then chase it, seeing how far it goes until it breaks.  It started out that way but it ended up with Samuel smashing them into the stairs and trees and Eva searching the whole hill for whole ones (I swear, she and I lived during a famine in our past life).

   

We went with Karl's Grandma Gutke and some of his cousins were there.  Look, our kids matched.  I got Eva her jacket in China and Gabby's jacket is from the Philippines (they live there right now).

The hill is huge and the kids were trying to get Karl to carry them up.  Karl started to ride on Samuel's shoulders and Eva was trying to save Samuel.  

Do you remember riding on your dad's foot like this?  I do.

The tree is just one example of the egg wastage.

   

Did I mention that the hill was huge?  Samuel would just fly.  Megan and Jaxton (cousins) were so cute coming up the hill.  Megan showed just how treacherous the climb was.  Samuel says that his speed racer egg (thanks to Karl, who draw exact replicas) rolled the fastet.

  

After all the slightly barbaric waste, we headed to Grandma Gutke's house.  Samuel walked in and immediately started opening her fridge and cupboards and announced that he was hungry.  

We ended up down in the basement where Karl helped her set up a facebook account.  She is so sharp (and apparently very popular).  I put my camera on auto mode and let Eva and Samuel have at it.  Eva took the shot of Samuel and Samuel took that great shot of Eva.