Photography Class

So my photography class is coming to an end. I'm really sad to finish it off. I have learned so much. I shoot in manual all the time now and feel like my exposure is so much better than it used to be. Last week week our assignment was on composition. I had a really busy week and only one evening I could go out to really practice. I mistakenly believed Samantha and Jack when they said they wanted to be my subjects. Samantha posed for a minute...or two, but then decided she had her own ideas about what I should take (and I'm sorry, but it was nothing I could work with!). So I moved on to Jack who refused to come because (as he put it) he was busy working in the rock pile! I dragged his sorry little tooshy onto my chair and this is what I got...I believe it's the only picture of him he's not moving in.
I have to admit...I do LOVE this pic of Jack. It's so him and how he feels about having a picture taken. Just wish I could get more than this out of him!



I decided to move the kids to a different location to see if I could get any more out of them. As we were walking over both Samantha and Jack could not keep themselves off the curb and outta the rocks....and what'ya suppose happened????? They both fell at the same time!! Both screaming and crying and asking to go home. I was about to blow my top! So frustrated!!!

I took them home and bribed Kristen (big time) to come back out with me. She's a sweetheart and we had a lot of fun. I appreciate her willingness to work with me! And she's agreed to cooperate with me on any more assignments I have. (obviously she sensed how frustrated I was!)

Now I just need to find me a photo shop class so I can do a better job at editing these bad boys.

I want a mustache...

He is a that age...that makes me CRAZY!
He can be so funny one minute and completely mind boggling and ornery the next.

Last week during a "photo shoot" for my class he came up with this:


Took a leaf and put it under his nose and started singing a little song

"Now that we men, we have facial hair...
now that we men we wear underwear,
now that we men"

You know the song...spongebob sings it. Apparently Jack feels it!

I've heard he tells his dad he wants a mustache...whaaaaa?????




He has also found a new little spot in our back yard that he is quite fond of....fond of chucking stuff over it! I don't worry to much about that though since our neighbor has never even landscaped...even though it was apparently required by the law!

In the car today on the way to the gym he says to me

"Mommy, i got a bubbu....you got to call the doctor" and he laughs...

Last week he told me he wanted to go to the toy store to buy some new toys and than proceeds to tell me what toys he thought he needed. I told him he had plenty of toys at home. His response: "But my toys are not so coooool."

See, those are the funny parts. The maddening parts; the insistent questions I have no answer to! And then he just gets mad at me if I don't answer right. Half the time I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT! But he won't stop talking about it, whatever it may be...and it drives me craaaazeeeeee.................

He must be going through a growth spurt or something cause he's been so ornery lately and needing those naps again.

and....he ate {11} e.l.e.v.e.n. chicken nuggets for lunch today and still wanted more. At that point I figured we'd better get some fruit in. Does that make me a bad mom for allowing my 3 year old to eat SO many chicken nuggets. It definitely feels wrong!



and...he still won't poop in the potty.

Photography Class

Remember that photography class I mentioned...well I'm knee deep in it right now and totally loving it! The first few weeks we worked on individual settings, like ISO, then shutter speed than aperture.

Here are some pictures from my shutter speed exercise. Capturing motion.
I knew these pictures were dark when I took them but now that we've learned to put all the aspects together and shoot completely in manual mode, they really stink. I want to re-shoot just to see if I can get the exposure right. But i could also just edit them in photoshop...



For our first manual assignment I decided to do the tub because that seems to always be a tough one to expose correctly.

This first one is still a little gray to me but the one of his hands I think is perfect.

By the way all these pictures are SOOC.

I have taken probably 1000 pictures these last few weeks and have learned so much. I am shooting in complete manual. I even did Easter in manual. All those pictures down there...manual baby.

This week we are working on lighting and catchlights. I have not practiced as much as I need to yet and I am having trouble getting catchlights. If any of you fancy girls out there have tips for me on that feel free to pass them along :)

Happy Easter---Warning---photo heaveeeeee...

We had a really nice Easter weekend! And i think even the real message of Easter got across.

Sitting at the dinner table I asked Jack what he learned in his nursery class and this is the story I got....

"When Jesus he gets in trouble and he dies and they hang him up.

And Jesus says the prayer and eats food.

He get in trouble and he dies and hangs up and go in cave and locks up and Jesus gets in the mountain." HA!

Isn't that so cute. I think it didn't hurt that we had watched a movie before church about Christ. So I'm sure he totally knew what they were talking about in nursery! :)

We had fun this weekend making Easter chocolates, coloring eggs, egg hunting...you know, all the good stuff.

The girls and I had a nite out with some friends...went to the Original Pancake House for dinner and then off to see the Hannah Montana Movie. Which...i am embarrassed to say I really liked!

Here are some pics from the weekend

Hope Ya'll had a great weekend!

Could it be???? really????

Yes Jack...it is SHOCKING

This boy in his little tighty (not so) whities...

is proud to report his potty training success!!!

just a little grooming after the hand washing...

{oh and by the way that picture up there is his version of Home Alone, aftershave scene ;) }

I just COULDN'T resist these skull boxers...they were a pretty penny too...but at this point

i'da bought him skivvys lined in gold just to have him wearin' em!

Those of us around here wondered if it would ever happened.

He did turn 3 back in January ya know.

The kids began telling him that his kindergarten teacher won't be changing any diapers so if he wants to go to school one day...well you know. It was sorta becoming a family joke that our independent little boy who could do anything...couldn't (wouldn't) do this one thing.

Well...i decided last week when the girls started track break...that I was gonna "break" him!

and bwahaahaa I DID!

FINALLY!

He wasn't to keen on the idea at first.

But somehow, the promise of a treat worked this time. I've tried that move before, it's not impressed him. Oh but now.....now the eyes got wide and desirous...............oh yessssss

Now we are in week two and he is doing great! Sometimes we wear underwear, sometimes a pull up. Sometimes I ask him, sometimes he tells me. We are far from perfect but it's working and he can even do it all by himself.

Numba one down...

Numba two still to go....

this would be the conversation that proceeds that deed...

"I not a big boy, I a tiny boy. i need a diaper mommy"

Jack do you need to go poops?

"No, i jus a baby, i need diaper"

ok

5 minutes later...

If ya know what I mean.....teeheehee