Me. I feel like I need to be doing something different to keep them healthy. Maybe it’s pitfall of having 3 kids, they share things… toys, love, GERMS. Why do I feel so guilty about it?

They eat well, get lots of exercise, have good hygiene (or as good as a mom could ask for from a 4 and 7 year old), yet it seems that every 6 weeks or so someone comes down with something. I’m not just talking about a runny nose here.

So, right now I am waiting for Joey and Ethan to get the chicken pox. Yup. Chicken. Pox. I have no idea where Chris got it, and he has been vax’d for it. The other 2 haven’t, so while I wanted this to come naturally, I’m still caught unprepared.

Wait, did I mention that Ethan had rubella or roseola on vacation (fever then body rash, so i’m not sure which)? That was extra fun. Prior to that we had the summer stomach flu, Ethan had a respiratory virus that still pops up whenever a cold arrives, and winter is on the way with more fun in store for us

Deep breath.  Perhaps I need to look into daily immune boosting supplements?

Done!  Only one little mess up that was easily fixed.  I’ll remember to very clearly label my mini skeins that come from the ends of cones… one of those little buggers made it’s way into the “to dye” pile, and messed my whole schedule up.

I found a groove though, and my Mommy’s helper is coming regularly (gotta love little sisters!) one day a week for 4 hours.  It doesn’t seem like much, but with Ethan, who is very, very needy right now, it is.  If only he would get over this summer cold and sleep through the night again, all would be well in the universe.

And now, I’m off to my sweet niece’s birthday party.  I remember taking that girl everywhere with us before we had kids.  Now she’s a big old 9 year old.  Enjoy your weekend!

And I’m running behind trying to catch up. We’ve had a really busy couple of weeks. I’ve been at my mom’s doing chores and just hanging out (she is doing fabulous!). It’s been so nice. The boys have both become fish with all the time spent there.  They swim for hours every time we go.  Joey skills in the pool are *so* good. He’s fast too! Chris has been perfecting his dive, water treading and making sure that he can swim the entire length of the pool underwater. E loves the water too. When we ask him if he wants to splash, he swings his arms wildly!

E now has 2 teeth, with a 3rd ready to come through at any time, and he is standing alone. I was hoping for a kid who walked after 9 months, but this doesn’t look like it will be the case.

We did a beach trip last week with my best friend. She is just awesome, and loves the boys as much as they love her. It was a perfect trip. There were just a handful of people there, it was the perfect day, and we stayed for 2 hours before having dinner at a great little Mexican place in Topanga Canyon.

They found loads of half eaten crabs. I had to convince them that they wouldn’t make good souvenirs.

I’ve been working on some large yarn orders, and sewing in my spare time. I finished a bag for my sisters friend and am working on one for me now.

I’m also working on some clothes for my sweet little cousin. He’s 4 and my aunt loves the stuff I sent her when he was tiny. I’ve decided on 3 outfits, and 2 sets of jammies (interchangeable). The outfits will be firetrucks and dogs raglan with black soft corduroy cargo shorts, gator tank top with ripstop twill boardshorts, orange tank top with a reverse applique of the patchwork and patchy shorts. The jammies will be train fabrics, since they are his favorite toy .

I’m cutting this week and sewing when we get home from Texas.

Speaking of, we’re leaving on a jet plane on Thursday. Should be fun with 3 kids (add sarcasm here).

Yeah!  They took her in for surgery over an hour late and my Dad (being the super communicator that he is) didn’t let me know.  The surgery was supposed to last 3 hours if they found cancer during the biopsy, so when the clocked ticked to 3 hours, I was a mess.  He finally called me and told me that all went well!

She called me this morning, sounds great, and isn’t in too much pain as long as she doesn’t move her legs.

Yep.  Puking.  Joey and Ethan.  I’m all worried about dehydration too.  Trying to watch for signs in the baby.

Scary stuff.

He sits up now.  He rolls all the way across the living room and he scoots forward and backward.  It isn’t supposed to happen this fast.  He’s supposed to be teeny forever.

He blows bubbles all day long!

Sweet E smile.

Joey is *so* distracting… and the picture time is over, lol!

In all honesty, I’m feeling little pangs of sadness as the 3 grow… probably postpartum stuff, but I feel it nonetheless.  I *love* being a mama of boys.  LOVE it.  But, I worry.  Paul isn’t close to his parents, mostly because they live in different states, but that worries me.  I’m incredibly close with my family/mom.  I find myself wondering if my boys will have that connection with me.  I’m just rambling, and it doesn’t make sense as I write it, but Paul reassures me all the time that I will have an amazing relationship with the boys at every stage of their lives.  I hope, with every ounce of my being, so.

(as a side note, the pictures were taken at ISO 800, F4.5, and shutter at 1/40-60 of a sec.  Color correction done since they were a bit light, almost frosty looking?)

As in Crocker .

I got a hair, not the usual “let’s make bread” type, this one was crazy. I started with bread for dinner. It came out perfect. Then I decided I wanted to try a new granola bar recipe from a friend. I didn’t think it was going well at all, but after baking, it turned out perfect!!! Last came the marshmallows. Yup. Marshmallows. Just imagine this– the mess from melting the little jet-puffed-store-bought ones for rice crispy treats, then multiply that by 20.

Then they wanted to lick the bowl. Well actually, Paul started it.

(why yes, those are goggles around his neck… he insisted upon wearing them all afternoon)

(it was nicely embedded in his hair.)

And I am left with 2 children in the shower, laundry getting ready to start, and this…

Yum.

It was such a beautiful day with family! The boys went on far too many egg hunts, since every time an uncle or aunt shows up, they felt the need to refill the eggs (with $ no less) and start the fun all over again.

Egg hunting did have it’s fair share of battles though… you see, Joey just didn’t understand why he wasn’t allowed to find all of them… or at least more than his brother. Having such competitive children is never boring.

Ethan enjoyed reaching for the beautiful eggs, but is sick again. I talked to his ped, and it looks like any time he is exposed to a simple cold, we will deal with repercussions of bronchiolitis. Sigh. It doesn’t seem to phase him too much, he just needs to be stuck to me at all times to be comfortable.

I have done a bit of work here and there… knitting a couple of things that are far overdue, including rainbow socks and baby hats. It’s slow going, since I have yet to master knitting while holding E. I am hoping to move through it, since I need to start next year’s sweaters. Joey has his request in, and I am hoping to do a FLS for me. I’ve got a few lined up for Ethan, since his are so small and they will hopefully go quick!

I am also dyeing again. My favorite this week? My friend Sonya did a matching shirt for a collaboration that we are auctioning off .

It’s been a busy week. And tonight we get to face the middle of the week with a trip to Chuck e Cheese. WHY?! Well, it’s our once a year thing, and it’s a fund raiser for Joey’s school, so it will be for a good cause. This should be fun.

Both were taken with my 50mm 1.8 lens.

#1. ISO 200, f1.8, shutter 1/2000
Some lighting adjustments, it seemed a tad dark.

#2. ISO 200, f1.8, shutter 1/1250
Again, lighting adjustments and change to b&w. I love the overexposed look of it though.

-as a side note, what is WITH the tear stains?!… we clean his face daily, sometimes 2 times a day. it’s an uphill battle.

I’m still struggling a bit. I made a point to move in and out of shadows, so that I could really work on adjustments. I want to feel confident enough to not use auto at all. I’m just afraid I’ll come home with a bunch of craptastic pics. Deep breath. It’s just picture taking, right?

Is to not put my camera on auto settings. I started yesterday, and am enjoying the results. I need work, but I figure that I will learn best with trial and error. I am hoping to work my way to an upgraded camera (perhaps a used D80?)

The beginnings-

ISO-200, f2.0, shutter 1/250 (slower shutter? tripod? higher ISO?) I have to say, I love the sharpness to the curve of his cheek.

Some photoshop color alteration, ISO 200, f2.2, shutter 1/100

Darkening in photoshop, ISO 200, f4.5, shutter 1/200. I should have had a much faster shutter speed.

ISO 200, f2.2, shutter 1/1250

I’m hoping to look back and see a difference, point out flaws, and be able to shoot manually wherever I am! Wish me luck.