Catching Up... reconnecting with an old friend....

Okay, my last post I promised to update on our recent adventures (I know you're all waiting with breath that is baited)...And I'm going against my nature & posting out of order.    WARNING... TONS of pictures...

Lately, I've been reconnecting with an old friend... my camera... (I'd post a pic of my ACTUAL camera, but I don't have one & don't have the energy right now to go take one, and upload it & post, so this stock photo will have to do).  Anyway... I've enjoyed photography since elementary school.  It was one hobby my grandfather & I shared.  I'll never forget him teaching me about composition... lessons I've carried with me my whole life.  I have some of his old cameras too that are treasures to me.  So I've always loved photography, but the last year and half my photos have been all about Madalynn, and they will continue to be, but often times at events I've been so distracted with her that I haven't had time to take pictures like I used to.  Let alone take some of my still life, architecture, landscapes, etc.  For whatever reason the last few weeks my passion has come back, and I'm LOVING it.

So, this is what we've been up to the last few weeks... (It's Sept 7th & I've taken 442 pictures)

My niece & nephew went back to school last week... they looked so grown up in their uniforms... This is Madalynn at their house to see them off that morning (much more interested in the Munchkin's Ga-Ga brought).

 

Madalynn has discovered corn on the cob, and would eat 2 ears per sitting if I'd let her...

 

 

Then this past Friday I took her to a local lake... I'm sure I've mentioned before I'm not real outdoorsy so this was a big undertaking for me.  Thankfully the water near the shore of the lake was clear to the bottom, and she loved playing in the sand, and seeing the fish...(another day she REFUSED to look at the camera)

This deserted road you had to walk down from the parking lot to the lake creeped me out a little bit

Okay... this was the day I really started playing with my camera, and reading the manual to discover ALL that it could do... it's like having a new toy...

Just waking up from her nap & I've got the camera in her face... mean Mommy, but the light coming her bedroom window was PERFECT!

I LOVE the exposure, depth of field, and colors in this picture I'm not so crazy with it's perspective though....

Then these were from yesterday... again playing with the lighting coming in through my sliders...

I know this picture is fuzzy... but I ADORE it of her....

Then today we went apple picking with her cousin Jessica...another opportunity for uncooperation with the camera... 

 

As we were leaving... a tell-tale sign that the seasons are changing...

End of season hydrangeas at my Mom's house...

This is one I've already posted from my b-day party, but I edited it a little bit & love how it turned out so I wanted to share it...

Okay.. that's 40 pictures so just under 10% of all I've taken so far this year...

 

 

 

 

 

30ish something b-day....

Last week I celebrated a 30ish something b-day.  Madalynn sent me flowers (she's brilliant for a 2 year old... although I have a sneaking suspicion my Mom had something to do with it!).

Today my Mom (aka Martha Stewart) hosted a family b-day party which was not necessary but was appreciated.  It was just so great to relax with my family, and see Madalynn running & laughing with her cousins.

This is before we left (notice how neat & tame her hair is).  The top she's wearing is a dress I had as a baby.  She was too big to wear it as a dress by the time she came home, but it made a cute top today w/ some leggings.

LICKING the plate her cake was on....

Helping herself to some more frosting...

Wanting to go down in the yard to play with the cousins...

Grandpa will take you....

She wants to take Tedy Bruschi's spot on the Patriots... she looks like she's ready to tackle someone...

Just a little puppy love because I LOOOVE this dog... she's such a sweetie...

Notice what happens to the hair as the day progresses...oyyyy...

 

These are just some pics that the exposure didn't come out right so I played with some special effects... I'm not sure how I feel about photo editing beyond changing to black & white or sepia, but I think I'm crossing over...

 

 

We've also enjoyed some end of summer activities I hope to post soon (although it goes against my nature to post out of order, but I'm feeling crazy today so I'm going to live on the edge).

 

2 Years

Another anniversary... My whole life I use dates as milemarkers of life.  I don't reflect on New Year's Day what has passed, and what is to come... I reflect at these milemarkers of life.  I tend to get much more reflective around my birthday vs New Year's.

Two years ago today I held a tiny sleeping peanut in my arms for the first time, and as my Mom said to me today 'None of our lives have been the same since'.  That's for sure.  I gave my heart to that baby girl that day, and she still has it.

Two years ago...

Last year...

 

Today... I COULD not get the camera to focus on her & I... I don't know what was going on... so after about 20 times of setting the self-timer running back to the chair, and waiting 12 seconds for the click... I gave up... this was the best we could do.... at least she's smiling this year.

 

Look at this face!!

I've just been scrapbooking from when Madalynn came home, and I came across this picture... just a few days after she came home.... look at that face, and the hair too...  there is a thought behind that face, that I still see manifested today...  it's so weird to think she could barely sit up alone when this picture was taken.

August...

Where did August go???  I can't believe it.  I'm trying to figure out how, now that I'm working from home I actually blog LESS?  My theory is that, before I was so exhausted from the rush, rush, rush, of pick up Madalynn, get home, sort the mail, figure out dinner, cook dinner, spend some time with Madalynn, bath Madalynn, get her ready for bed, get her milk, read her stories, and put her to bed.  After that I was too tired to do anything else (ie clean, laundry, etc), so it was just easier to sit down in front of the computer.    I think that's what I did before.  That's my theory anyway.

Here are just some random pictures from going out for ice cream with Ga-Ga & Grandpa

Also, Madalynn has started eating at the table in her booster instead of her high chair (I'm finding this much messier).  As you can see from the photos she's unimpressed.

Sunday will mark the 2 year anniversary of meeting my daughter face to face.  I hope to do a post about that on Sunday (I'm setting myself a goal to reach).  Anyway, I share that to say I thought we should have a 'Mommy & Me' day so Madalynn & I headed to the zoo.  I must admit I've never understood the appeal of the zoo.  I don't remember going to any growing up (sorry Mom & Dad, you may have taken me I just don't remember), I chaperoned one when I was a nanny, and all I remember was this zoo had a gorilla.  I honestly don't remember seeing any other animals there.  I have been to Disney's Animal Kingdom but it would hardly be fair to hold local, regional zoos to that standard.  I digress. 

This zoo has been advertised a lot lately on TV, and I figured it was a little over an hour from here, so we'd give it a shot.  Madalynn loves animals so I thought she'd enjoy it.  We had a good time.  I won't race back there, but it was something new to do.

As an aside, I'm not a huge radical animal lover, and animal rights activist, however, I do think it's so sad to see these beautiful animals cooped up.  Even in facilities that have nice habitat's for the animals, etc.  They should be out in the wild. (Again, Disney's Animal Kingdom is my exception to those feelings... that place is amazing).

OK... on to pictures. 

Madalynn... mapping out our route, and what highlights we want to hit!!

Looking at the enormous tortise....

The elephant show... this elephant is 35 years old, the gentleman at the bottom of this picture (and his wife), have been caring for her since she was 9 months old.  The gentleman on top of her (who reminded me of that guy from LOST the scientist guy from Oxford) is their son.  The MC of the show was the top gentleman's wife.  The four of them... Mom Dad, Son & Son's wife all take care of the elephant... things that make you go hmmmmm.

That white streak in this picture of Madalynn is the bengal tiger pacing about 4 feet away from her... it was just pacing back & forth at the edge of the fence (doesn't that pacing mean something??).

Unimpressed by the tiger....

 

I'm not sure what she's telling the Chimp in this picture....  I thought she was going to give him a kiss.

This baby giraffe was my favorite of the day... she was so sweet. 

Madalynn was more interested in her juice box.

This is the extent of the reptiles that I saw (that was by design... I'm not a fan of reptiles).

Then after a few hours of being outdoors, we headed to the outlet mall!!!  The Carter's sales are unbelievable!!!  Madalynn scored, including some adorable clogs I can't EVEN handle, and a winter vest... too cute, bring on the fall!!!!

 

Baby girls...

These were taken the day after Madalynn's b-day party a couple weeks ago.  She was having a tea party with 'Baby', 'Pooh', and 'Curious George'.  I LOVE being Mommy to a little girl.