Family Time

Is it just me, or does it seem that on the days when you actually sit on the floor and PLAY with your child, they are much happier all around? On Saturday I was just playing with Brinks - helping her stack stuff and what not - and she was all giggly and smiley and happy! Not that she's not happy normally, but this was a noticeably happier baby!

Well, along those same lines, I checked this book (Family Fun My Great Idea) out at the library and loved it so much that I bought it off of Amazon for $1.78. It has some great ideas (hence the title of the book) on playing, creating, and spending quality time with your family! It's simply a compilation of ideas from other parents across the country, but some of the ideas sound like so much fun! I can't wait to try them out! You should check it out.

Some ideas that I thought sounded particularly fun:

• Make your own family holiday, such as a 'sisters day' or a 'do nothing day' (where you just stay home and spend the day with your family - no interruptions)
• Have a family drive-in movie night and make little cars out of cardboard boxes.
• Have a 'read-a-thon' (do you remember those from elementary school? I loved them!) Get in your comfy clothes, sit on piles of blankets with a bunch of books and READ! I am a bookaholic, after all.
• Keep in touch with family that may live far away by sending them things your kids make in the mail along with letters and pictures.
• Create a 'Fun Zone' stocked with art supplies, books, games, puzzles, and music. Then, instead of watching TV or playing video games - your kids have a place to play and be creative!

I could go on and on because it also has tips for getting your kids out of the house on time, organizing all their stuff and teaching them things like finances and manners, but I'll stop there. When I do some of the ideas, I'll be sure to post about it to let you know how it went for us.

Mom Jeans

Photographing your Baby

I have always wanted to be a great photographer.
I took classes in High School, which didn't help;
One, because I slept during the lectures and two because I always procrastinated taking my assignment pictures.

If I could go back in time, I would listen to every word Mr. Davenport had to say and I would take more care in trying to get good, quality photographs. But, I didn't. So, now I am on a quest to figure it out on my own!

I found this book a while back called 'How to Photograph Your Baby.' by Nick Kelsh and it has some awesome suggestions. The three main things I learned from this book that have helped my photography skills are:

1. Get Closer! The closer you get, the better the picture. Get rid of all that ugly, cluttery background that distracts from your beautiful child! When you flip through your photo albums in the years to come you won't want to see your TV or dirty dishes, you'll want to see your children.


2. Keep Shooting! This is so easy with digital cameras! Just keep taking pictures, lots of pictures and you're bound to get a few really great photographs! (If you're like me, you'll have a hard time parting with any pictures, even the bad ones! but in theory, this is a good idea so that you can get rid of all the crappy shots and keep the best ones)

Blurry

Weird Angle

Almost got it

Good!!!

3. Turn off the Flash! Wow, you wouldn't believe what a difference this tip can make. Window light and outside light can do wonders for pictures. (There are times when you need the flash, but I'm not talking about those times, I'm talking about when there is light to be had, use it!) You can use light coming in from windows, doors, your porch or garage! Anything that gives off a nice, soft light (Remember, beware of the background!)
Experiment with this one, you'll have fun!

These were both taken using afternoon window light.

Anyway, I found these ideas to be extremely useful in my lifelong search to be a great photographer! I hope you find them useful too! If anyone else has some good suggestions, leave a comment for all to read! I would love to get some more tips!

Things I've Learned About Being a Mother (so far!)

1. You need to learn to chill out a little bit. The house gets dirty, they get dirty... oh well.
2. Just as soon as you get something figured out, it changes!
3. They can sense when you are finally having some 'you' time, and inevitably, they will demand that all your attention belongs to them.
4. Every baby is sooo different that while it's fun to share stories with other moms, it's a bad idea to compare your little kiddies!
5. Kids love other kids, being outside, and bubbles.
6. Baby giggles are the BEST sound in the whole wide world and Baby hugs and kisses are the BEST thing in the whole wide world!
7. For some strange reason, mom's mood directly affect baby's mood. When you shower her with lots of love and praise and smiles - she is a happier girl all day long. And the other way around. Mom's bad mood = crankier baby. The difference between us and them is they are still willing to smile if you try and make them smile.
8. You're always looking to the next stage (crawling, walking, etc.) but then when it arrives, you want to go back in time. How does stuff creep up on you so fast?
9. There are some pretty cool toys out there for kids. But they are so expensive! (I guess that's why mom's invented yard sales)
10. Being a mom is so worth it!

"If you have children who are grown and gone, in all likelihood you have occasionally felt pangs of loss and the recognition that you didn’t appreciate that time of life as much as you should have. Of course, there is no going back, but only forward. Rather than dwelling on the past, we should make the most of today, of the here and now, doing all we can to provide pleasant memories for the future.

If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly."

Thomas S. Monson, Finding Joy in the Journey, Ensign November 2008