Great week

We have had a great week.  We were so happy to have Guy not working the crazy hours he was last week.  Guy and I are a bit different about our approach to things coming up.  We both knew the week of WORK {oh, and I mean work…  Try 33 hours of off duty time for him!} was coming.  We both knew he wouldn’t be able to come home most days between work and work.  Guy likes to visualize the time and how good or bad it will be before he even gets there sometimes getting stressed out before the hard times even hit.  I like to just wait until I experience it to find out how good or bad something is.  For me this works well.  I’d much rather just feel the pain at some point when it gets hard, and really the same for joy on the good times, as it comes naturally.  But really, I’d say  we both flip out equally despite our different approaches when the times get soooo hard.

This week was one of do nothing and do the things we had to get done.  If there was a chance to just sit, we did.  The previous week he was working so much I also sat on my bum most of the time trying to recover from the weekend of hard work and save my energy for the kids needs.  It was two consecutive weeks of bum Shannon.  Sometimes we just need to do it.  I also noticed I’m on the computer only about 1/3 of the time I used to be with the move of the computer back into the spare room we turned into an office.  There is still some work to do to it to organize.

The organizing needing to be done keeps getting bigger…  This week we purchased some studio lights!  I’ve been feeling drawn to them for some time now.  We finally built up the photography balance we don’t have to use to support us enough to afford some.  This is going to be soooo cool.  Back to organizing.  Right now I have some photography props not sensitive to heat and cold in the garage.  I have some hanging photography props in my closet along with baskets, blankets, backdrops and the backdrop stand.  Also in our bedroom is a large shelving unit that houses the blankets, wraps, some backdrops, hats, cocoons, bloomers, bows, flowers, umbrellas, paperwork, random props and the packaging materials.  In the kids room are a couple blankets and the beanbag used for newborns.  That brings us into the office…  Here there is a lot of stuff.  There is the computer, some paperwork, loads of negatives and photo albums from my lifetime of shooting {all heat/cold sensitive…  GET those things out of your attics & garages!}, fine art prints ready for sale, more packaging items, my sample products, and general office supplies.  The office also holds our other computers {one stored}, sewing items {machine also in my closet}, random craft items, two desks, a couch, all our books, personal paperwork & other random stuff.

With the addition of the studio lights and backgrounds ordered I really need to get in there to reorganize it all again to make more sense.  Stuff like putting the packaging and paperwork in the office were it belongs, figuring out how to hang the wrinkle prone backgrounds in my closet to keep them from wrinkling by being folded {so much extra time to edit out wrinkles}, and removing more of my clothes to make room for photography and craft stuff.  Thankfully, I am pregnant so that should make it easier to remove more clothes for now.

The kids have taken to singing duets at least twice a day.  They do not want Guy or I to sing with them, though they often want us to listen.  Madison will sing much more then when they do duets, and she loves to be ‘caught’ singing by one of us.  If we suddenly look at her smiling while she is singing we see her whole body light up with joy.  She isn’t our most transparent or emotional child.  We taught them the song, Families Can Be Together Forever, this week.  Guy and I sang it as part of our nightly ritual of singing, reading, praying and into bed.  Madison tried to join in throughout the song and often sang the last part of a word just after us.  Blake appeared to not really be paying attention.  We both thought Madison was the one picking it up faster.  Not so much, Blake sang the song yesterday as he was playing surprising me by knowing most of the words to the first verse {all we sang}.  Tonight both of them did a great job of singing it with me.  It amazes me those two year olds can pick up a song that fast.

Both of the kids love the park.  Any park.  I’ve realized I am much more of a home body then my mother is.  She was always happiest whenever she was/is out and about.  It generally doesn’t matter where as long as it is out.  Most of my childhood weekends were spend at the local malls.  I loved it.  We were always off on some adventure.  Now, I am perfectly content to spend most of my time at home.  Going out can be much more of a hassle then it’s worth.  It also seems whenever we go out so does money.  Most of the time the actual cost to drive anywhere goes through my head at least once.  When you pay $4 in gas just to to a park, more often then not I’m out.  We have a great time at home.  My kids also LOVE to get out just like my mom.  🙂  Darn gas prices…  Enjoy some images from a recent outing to the closest park to our house.

Modern merry-go-rounds are pretty interesting.  I like how they work with physics which is interesting to me, and will hopefully be a great teaching tool for my kids later.

It was really crowded this day.  The kids had fun with the other kids while learning to wait and take turns.  I love the concentrating looks on both kids as they navigate the jungle gym.

A quick snap of Maddy in action.

I wonder what he was thinking here.  Maybe nothing as he takes a breather from all the activity and heat.  They were being forced to drink some water by me.  Madison’s expression reminds me of one of my aunts here.  It is the exact same face she makes.