My friend Kate Parker is doing a fun giveaway, thought I would help her share it!

Finding Your Photo Style Workshop

6 weeks starts 5/23/2013 $68
link to sign up — big picture class

About the class and the instructors

Looking for some incredible photo ideas? Look no further than Finding Your Photo Style, a 6-week online workshop packed with creative photo tips, tricks, and insider secrets that will help you find (or refine) your own signature photography style.

In Finding Your Photo Style, you’ll get to know six premier photographers (see the video below!) who take stylish, stunning, and unique pictures of their families and their everyday lives—while also working as professional photographers in their own corners of the world.

These photography pros are ready to spill some of their best secrets and challenge you to try their favorite photo ideas for yourself! Through inspirational videos, downloadable challenges, and hands-on exercises that cover photography tips and post-processing tricks alike, you’ll discover the looks that suit you best.

Let this journey continue where  I bet Suzanne O’Brien – Northern CA had a much nicer spring.

YOUR FIRST TOOTH
by mom

It had been loose for a couple months and then it got to that gross point where he was wiggling it and could feel the sharp part with his tongue. The thing about this tale that makes it a little more dramatic then looking for it in a pile of garbage outside a restaurant is that he lost it in a water park. In the water.

He came up to me and showed me he lost the tooth.

me: Oh my!!!!! So exciting!!! Where is it?

Jack: I lost it in the water, in the pool.

me: Come on! Let’s get it!

my husband John: I will go look. (with the intentions that he will never find it, but try to look)

me: no way. I will go.*

side note* (I had every intention to find it. It was a going to happen. this first tooth had a chance to be taken by the tooth fairy.)

and we were off. I jumped in the pool asked the life guard for goggles and started swimming like Ester Williams. My version of Ester Williams without the makeup, swim cap and nose guard. Jack, all six and 3 quarters year of him watched me from the side. Not nervous, just confident. As if he knew that his mom was crazy enough to not let the pool close without finding it.

I dove about 5 or 6 times finding pennies, and a band aid. (I wouldn’t advise anyone to ever, EVER go deep down in a pool at a water park with goggles.) But we do what we have to do.

Some man started to feel around with this foot. Not sure what I was going to do if he started to hold it with his toes. But it is a nice gester. Others were curious and giving me a shout out for good luck. But I started to get that feeling like this was crazy. This might not happen for Jack or the tooth fairy.

And then I tried a spot I had looked before. Under the log that the kids climb to cross the ropes.

And then I saw it…a white spec. A wonderful spec of white amidst the blue bottom of feet and pool.

Now when you see my sons mouth you would think his tooth was HUGE. it kind of looks like a shark tooth had come loose.

OK, back to the water park.

As I’m trying to keep myself clear of the kids climbing over me, I dove and reached it.

me: I FOUND IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jack’s jack o’lantern smile was an image that I don’t have on film (rather digital huge raw file), but in my top 10 moments of life pictures in my mind.

Jack was really proud, really happy and not at all surprised I did it. And that is how I feel writing this.

My birthday was a couple weeks later and my son bought me this. I don’t think he related it to me finding his tooth. But if he looks at me like this…I am a happy woman.

We truly are wonder women to our children.

And now to one of my favorite wonder women Amy Grace.

Here are some photos! A couple more things to be done, but love how it is all coming together.

“There is strong shadow where there is much light.” ? Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,

My children give me that much light on some cloudy days. Here is one of each of them.

Now follow the circle and see the incredible Athena Kalindi Photography, Northern California

http://athenakalindiphotography.com/blog/?p=2421

Dear Charlotte,

You are a tornado who happens to love to dance. You are almost two and you are starting to speak in sentences. You ask to watch “Baby Signing Time” and a video you refer to as “dance” or “bubbles”. You take over at school and love being with your Aunt Becca.

My absolute favorite thing in the world is when you wake up with your crazy hair and your footed pajamas. Jack and I are up at 6:30 and you have been waking up an hour later and then immediately want to dance and have some milk.

You may not be the nicest kid in the class, but you are your own person. You have a strong personality in such a little body. Thank you so much for letting me take your picture, sitting on my lap to read 10 books at a time, and telling me how people are feeling in the books. “She is happy! She is sad….” etc… Sammy is terrible to you when you touch his stuff. Jack is always patient with you.

You are a sucker for stickers, glue sticks, paper and drawing. You seem to really like dad’s turkey jerky (not winning any parenting awards) and of course chocolate. Oh and cucumbers! I am a great mom!

I love how you are and that you really being with me. You rest your head on the part of my shoulder and neck, the place where you can be really snugly with me.

“I can’t believe she is almost two mom, why does it take me so long to get older?” – Jack

Where does the time go sweet Charlotte? I am sometimes really annoyed by the end of my 14 hour days. But I am so glad I have you, Jack and Sam to spend time with. And that I am able to remember these days with my heart, my words, your drawings and of course my camera.

Love you,

mom

taken Valentines Day at CPC as mom of the day

Now please see what my dear friend Marla has written to her daughter…http://simply-splendid.com/blog/?p=532

(she is recently married and one of the most helpful nice people you could know)

I took this one when it was warm, but thought I would share it here.

now go see the lovely and talented Carrie Hyche, Wheatland, WY

http://www.heartofthewestphotography.com/2013/01/ignite.html

So here I go…

Dear Jack (jackaroo),

You are what I need to breath most of the time. You calm me, and I am so happy to be with you.

You love Karate, Legos (Chima and Ninjago especially), Just Dance 4, science, and math. Your favorite thing to eat is banana muffins and Ovaltine, you love the basement, never being alone, the Ipad, the Wii, drawing little characters from games, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”, spongebob,  making me laugh, robots and your brother and sister. You think it is really amazing to be with your dad and love watching “Mythbusters” with him.

You are 6 and a half and I can’t believe you are in first grade. Thank you for being curious and polite and always wanting to cuddle with me.

love, mom

Dear Sammy (Sam-bone),

Oh Sammy, you are hilarious. You and I are together the most. You drive me insane and then you turn around and make me laugh.

You love watching movies, “Continental Ice Age” or (Pirate ice age), Brave, and Willy Wonka. You love imitating voices and pretending to be many different things and you love to discover new things. You could play with a banana peel or create a game with plastic bugs. You love the bath and being in your pajamas, or underwear. You love eating sushi ginger, salami, shrimp and cantaloupe.

You are 4.

“oh mom…I love you so much!” I love you too, Sam. So very much.

love, mom

Dear Charlotte (Char-lita),

Oh yes, you NEVER are still little one. You are recently in love with drawing with markers, stickers and “Baby Signing Time”. You love being with your brothers and your dad and being in your diaper. You love the bath, being at CPC, the carousel at the zoo. You LOVE music and to dance.  Mostly to anything you would hear at a wedding, but tonight you were so happy to see “The Muppets” for the first time. Your hair is always a little crazy, and you are always outfitted in hand me downs. But you are going to a strong, smart, funny girl with two brothers looking out for you. You are fearless.

You love to make a “cheese” face for pictures and calling your “pop-pop”. You pretend everything is the phoneyou are an expert taking pictures on other peoples Iphones. (I still don’t have one.) yes it is 2013.

Glad you are here Char-lita, thank you for telling me you think your name is Sammy, it always makes me smile.

love, mom

Thank you to Amy Grace for sending a last minute request if I wanted to do this letter. I appreciate her and Marla for always being patient, but also the extra little push I need sometimes. They are some of the best things that the Internet has brought to my life. Please go read and see what the lovely Amy Grace has composed, she is my inspiration.

http://www.abeautifullifephoto.com/blog/2013/01/15/letters-to-my-son-january/

now go take a look at the amazing Laurie Schultz- Cincinnati, OH http://schultzeegirl.blogspot.com/2012/12/project-52-wk-48.html. She is talented and an extremely nice person.