Fried Bananas

Day 29 (1.29.10) - I took a lot of pictures today and had some really great shots. Some of downtown San Diego, some of the kids, a few other things and from a photography standpoint I had some way better pictures than this one. But, I just had to post this picture as my picture of the day because it was the highlight of my day. 20 fried bananas (fried plantains) that Nick purchased from the Filipino supermarket. By the end of the evening Nick and I ate 16 of them and basically ruined our dinner. We didn't even make the delicious dinner we had planned because we were stuffed from these bananas. They were delicious though.

More Ruby

Day 28 (1.28.10) - Another day, another picture of Ms. Ruby. She's 8.5 months old already and I wonder daily where the time has gone.

Strawberries

Day 27 (1.27.10) - Every Wednesday afternoon in Carlsbad they have a farmer's market. Many Wednesday's I stop by on the way home from work to pick up some fresh produce. I love living in a place where we have such delicious locally grown fruits and veggies. I picked up some of these strawberries today.

Waylon

Day 26 (1.26.10) - Today's picture is of Joey's good buddy Waylon. We spent the morning playing with Waylon and his mom Shayna at the park. He's adorable and photographic...he even looks at the camera unlike Joey.

Picture Wall

Day 25 (1.25.10) - Despite the many pictures I take I am terrible about framing them and hanging them. We've recently moved and I had a big blank wall to fill in our living room. I was inspired by a friend to hang some pics in this fashion so here they are. I printed a few of the pictures we have taken in our "home" studio on foam board and hung them on a curtain rod. Easy to update and replace the pics and very cheap! I've left some room to hang some more too!

Lego Shark

Day 24 (1.24.10) - We spent the morning at Legoland with Torr who came to visit us this weekend from San Francisco. There is so much to photograph there but of course I didn't bring my camera. Luckily Torr had a small point and shoot with him. So today's picture is a quick snapshot. Here is Torr and Joey in the belly of a lego shark.

When I Grow Up...

Day 23 (1.23.10) - I couldn't decide what my picture for today would be so I'm posting two. Nick was preparing his dirtbike for a ride this weekend and Joey loves to "help" his dad with his "vroom, vroom, vroom."

Sick Baby

Day 22 (1.22.10) - Poor Ruby isn't feeling good and today we had to give her some breathing treatments with the nebulizer. She didn't like it at all but sat pretty still. This was the ONLY picture I took today because we only have one camera now and after I took my first picture the battery died! So, here it is.

Long Days In the Rain

Day 21 (1.21.10) - It's been raining hard for the last 4 days. When you're 2, lots of rain makes it a long day. I snapped this one of Joey as he was walking into the house after being at daycare all day. My little model was cranky, tired and uncooperative (hence the look on his face). The sun was almost completely down so it was tough to get good lighting but I think it looks ok. His outfit is pretty funny to me. It was only drizzling at the time but if it is wet out, he HAS to put his raincoat on, he HAS to have it buttoned, he HAS to have his hood on and he HAS to have his froggy rain boots on. He is all about a routine.

Good Bye, Old Friend

Day 20 (1.20.10) - Tonight I say good bye to a dear old friend of mine - my Nikon D40. My mom is heading to Egypt this weekend and I could not let her go to somewhere that beautiful with her crappy point and shoot camera. So, I'm packing up my camera and fed-exing it to her. We still have our D200 and I'm considering getting a point and shoot as a back up. Not quite sure what we'll get yet. This D40 has been amazing for so many reasons. I've had it for a few years now and have gotten excellent use out of it. I guess I shouldn't really say "good bye" and instead "see you later." Looking forward to see what great pictures mom gets out of it in all her travels. So far she has planned for this year - Egypt, the Philippines, Alaska.....and its only January.

Nerd Alert

Day 19 (1.19.10) - It is typical for Nick and I to be sitting in front of our individual laptops in the evening and now Joey has is own "puter" and likes to join in. I set the camera up on a table and put the timer on to take this family portrait. Yeah, we're a bunch of nerds.

Rain, Rain Go Away

Day 18 (1.18.10) - It was a dreary, rainy day today. Unfortunately it is supposed to rain for the next few days. Our new house is right across the street from this really great park. That is wonderful on sunny days but on days like this it is just torture for Joey. He was looking out the window here talking about how we can't go to the park because everything is wet. Of course Ruby has to copy everything her big bro does so she has no idea what she is looking at, she is just trying to keep up.

Moon Jelly

Day 17 (1.17.10) - The kids and I spent the morning at the Legoland aquarium. They love it there and so do I. It is easy to let Joey run around without getting lost and Ruby also seems to be fascinated with it. I always think these moon jelly fish are cool looking so here they are.

Ruby Grace

Day 16 (1.16.10) - Sorry for the unoriginality of the subjects for my photos....life gets busy and especially with the kids. So here is another picture of Ruby. She is just so pretty and the camera loves her so I can't resist.

Good Times

Day 15 (1.15.10) - This picture says it all. It was that kind of night. Good friends, good food, plenty of drinks, ice cream, brownies and a brand new wii for my birthday. That's Patrick posing in the background.

And just for fun - here's one more of Nick and Ruby...it's only day 15 and it looks like he is over my photo project.

Fire

Day 14 (1.14.10) - Well the fire is real but it isn't a "real" fireplace when you just flip the switch on. It feels warm but there is no smell so it's a bit strange to me. Well, the kids are in bed, Nick is in the garage and I'm enjoying this quiet evening in front of the fire. It is making me sleepy though!

Stressed

Day 13 (1.13.10) - This is what Ruby looks like when she is stressed out. What kind of stresses could an 8 month old possibly have? Well, she wanted me to pick her up and I was snapping away.

Potty Time

Day 12 (1.12.10) - We haven't officially started potty training Joey yet but we are getting close. He started going potty a couple months ago but after a while stopped. So, we didn't push it, but in the last few weeks his interest in the potty has started to peak. So, hopefully this will happen sooner than later without too many tears on either end. We had a great night tonight where he told us a couple times he had to go and actually went. So, my picture of the day is Joey on the potty pooping. Yes he actually pooped and can you tell how proud he was of himself (and I was one proud mama too). I'm sure he'll hate this picture (along with many other pictures I have taken) when he is older.

All About Me

Day 11 (1.11.10)- I had a fabulous day. I spent the entire day all.by.myself. After a crazy month of moving, the holidays, traveling, unpacking, busy at work, sick kids, sick husband and a baby who all of a sudden went from sleeping 11-12 hours straight to waking up every few hours all night long, I was exhausted. So, I had the day off today, Nick took the kids to daycare and I had the day to myself. I watched a movie in the morning, had a quiet lunch and although I did some laundry, organizing at home and unpacking - it actually seemed kind of pleasant to do without worrying about the kids. In the afternoon, I even snuck in a massage.

Behold my picture for today is the contents of my pockets at the end of the day. This is all I had with me all day long. No huge bag, no diapers, sippy cups, extra clothes. No nanas, binkys or race cars in my pockets. Just my keys, a couple of bucks, some change, my ID, debit card and a free trial size lip moisturizer.

Oh and the best part of my day is what is attached to the end of my keychain - a new membership card for massage envy. For my birthday (and probably every other gift giving occasion for the year) Nick got me a massage a month for the rest of the year. Ok, I actually got it and told him that is what he got me but I did get him to agree to it. ; ) Afterall, a happy wife is a happy life, right?

My Crazy Girl

Day 10 (1.10.10) - Today was a little better than yesterday. I started to feel sick myself but at least no one was throwing up in my house today. We did briefly make it out of the house to the park today. While Joey is a climber, Ruby loves to fly high on the swings. She is a little thrill seeker.

And a couple more bonus pics for today. Miss Ruby and I on the swings together....and look who can stand on her own now!

Cheese

Day 9 (1.9.10) - It was a rough day.....Ruby was up all night and Nick was puking all night long with some sort of stomach virus. So - I was exhausted, not feeling well and somehow in charge of taking care of everyone. Yes, it's only day 9 and I'm already making excuses but I did get a few random shots of the kids inside. Nothing very good but here is Joey with his mug shot pose/cheeser smile. He likes to look at the pictures on the camera the second I take it so he'll usually stop, give me a big fake cheesy grin and then ask to see it.

Mmmmmm....

Day 8 (1.8.10) - I have a real sweet tooth and I love to bake. The problem is that I am a pretty darn good baker, if I do say so myself. Therefore, I can't stop eating what I make. I've baked lots of fancy stuff in my life - cakes, pies, souffles....but out of everything I have ever made, Nick's absoloute favorite is the very basic chocolate chip cookie. He loves them and so do I.



As I type this Nick is so happy. He's sitting on the couch in front of the new fireplace (electric of course, this is California) with a beer, a plate of cookies and watching some super geeky sci-fi movie. Joey is sleeping but if he knew we were sitting here eating cookies he would be so mad, haha!

Let me know if you want my super top secret recipie. They are fabulous! ; )

Puzzles

Day 7 (1.7.10) - We got a series of wooden puzzles from Joe for Christmas yesterday and tonight Nick, Joey and I spent lots of time taking them apart and trying put them all back together (one of them is still in pieces on our dining table). Here are my boys working on one of the puzzles. Joey really thought he was helping.

This picture is SOOC - it was dark in the room, but I used the 50 mm with a custom white balance and it seemed to have let enough light in. Love how easy it is to do a custom white balance on Nick's camera (the D200).

And just for fun, here they are in deep thought. hmmmmm.....

and finally - yay, we did it!

Big Tub, Little Girl

Day 6 (1.6.10) - Another just mediocre picture of a very cute subject. It was late, Ruby was in the tub and I needed a picture. The only problem is that I was too lazy to get the flash so it is kind of dark and flat. Ruby LOVES baths. She doesn't even mind when you pour water on her head and face. Her big bro hates getting his face wet. Anyway, this is our huge new tub at the new house. I love it, and as you can see, she does too.

More Trains

Day 5 (1.5.10) - For yesterday's picture I posted a picture of Joey's train....today here is a picture of mine. This is my commute - the coaster. I've been taking the train to work daily for 7 years now. Hmmm, I'm not even going to try and calculate how many hours I've spent on the train. Sometimes I work, sometimes I nap, sometimes I read a book or a magazine but most days you'll find me on my laptop - working, organizing and editing pictures, writing, creating cards or watching a movie. Before I had kids I used to mind the long commute. Now, although I do wish I worked closer to home, I have to say that I don't mind the commute at all. It is truly the only time of day that nobody bothers me. Another funny thing about the train is I'm pretty sure Joey thinks I have the coolest job ever and I am a train conductor or something. Every time I tell him I have to go to work he says "mama, work, train" and nods his head so matter of factly.

And just for fun here is Nick's picture of the day. I told him I was doing this and he said he wanted to join in. After all, he's the one with the super fancy camera, right? But, he quickly decided there is no way he would be able to keep up. He is great at taking pictures but uploading them and posting them is my job. So, every so often I'll post something that he's taken. I was making dinner and waiting for the water to boil when he took this picture. A watched pot never boils, right? We just moved into this house a few weeks ago and I have to say I am SO happy to have a gas stove again. I hated the electric in our old house. Also featured here is one of my all clad pots. I love my all clad set. Looks like I need to shine them though. ; )

The Beginning

I start my journey on day 4 of the year 2010. Yes, it's only the fourth day of the new year and somehow I am already 3 days behind on my project. On my behalf I just decided to do this last night. As if I have nothing else better to do with my time, I've decided to take on another challenge in my life (what's one more when you have a full plate, right?) - to join some other friends of mine and take a picture a day for the year. I've been terribly behind in keeping up with our family blog (stay tuned, I'm in the process of updating it with new pictures, stories, etc.) but in the mean time I thought this would be a good way to 1) show off my adorably cute kids, 2) practice my photography skills and 3) just get creative.

Since I take pictures most days, even though I've started this challenge a few days late, I do have pictures I've taken from the last 3 days. Since the first few are just random snapshots, the photo quality of these pictures aren't very good. Oh well, I have 361 more days to improve that, right? Here are my pictures from days 1-3.

Day One (1.1.10) - This was taken on new years day from my blackberry. I was driving home, stopped at a red light and I saw this beautiful sight. What a way to start off the new year. Yeah, that's California living for you.



Day Two (1.2.10) -This pic isn't very good - just a snapshot of my little boy. Yes he needs a haircut, yes the light is harsh and there is shadow on his chin but look how sweet his little face is.


Day Three (1.3.10) - Miss Ruby giving a friend five.