I DID IT!!!!!

High: I am finally figuring out my camera :)
Low: I got my "back to school" cold :(

Blow the whistle, ring the bells, and sound the alarms...I FIGURED IT OUT!!!!! Well, kinda. After school today Claire and I went to Mark's soccer game. While Claire was happily sitting on her monkey towel, snacking on oyster crackers I busted out my camera. The weather was perfect. There was just enough sun to give me great lighting (and as you photographers know it is all about the lighting). After 209 (literally) wasted pictures, I was ready to chuck my camera into the playing field. Then it happened.....

You may call it garbage, but I call it SWEET VICTORY!!!!! Since I started getting into photography, all I have wanted was to take a picture where my subject is clear as a bell and the background is blurred. Sounds pretty easy right? WELL IT IS MOST CERTAINLY NOT THAT EASY!! Not for me anyway. I really felt that after I got this hot new camera all my problems would be solved. This is when I realized photography is not easy and there are some SUPER talented people out there!!!!!!! Since I got this camera I have tried to get this effect and I have not been successful. I started to think it was the camera. So I searched online and found this site Nikon CoolPix Review (click on the words to visit the site). This is a blog where a regular mom (not a photographer) got the same camera as me and day by day learns how to use it. Then she explains it all to me (and the rest of the crazies on the world wide web who can't figure out a camera)!!!! It's a great site and I have learned SOOOOO MUCH!!!

Here are some of my other great pics from today. I am still learning so bare with me, but I am pretty proud.



Claire looks a little silly in this one, but hey...the background looks blurred :)

Here are my favorites (besides my beloved garbage can):

Dancin' Queen

High: Claire started Dance Class :)
Low: Claire had a few meltdowns during class :(


Claire was very excited to start Mommy and Me yesterday. I, on the other hand, had a few concerns. One being that it was a Monday and we are still adjusting to getting up early everyday. Which means that six o'clock (when class begins) is also known as the Witching Hour if Claire is tired! Another being that Aunt Jacqie was teaching the class and I was worried that Claire would not understand that Aunt Jacqie was not there just for her. And three it was dangerously close to bed time. Well, Claire did just fine. She had a few meltdowns (but I am proud to say so did most of the other kids) but overall she enjoyed it. The other mothers and myself agreed it was a success (even if us moms were all BEAT from the class :).

Claire was thrilled to death about having a "Dance Bag". She carried it around all afternoon!
See the orange ball on the floor, Claire just had to put that in her bag! She tried to put about 75 other things in her bag too "to take wif us". **Colleen, I thought of you right away!!!**

One of the best things about this class is that Claire's buddies are in it. Here is Poppy and her Mama. Poppy did great! After a few minutes she was walking around like she owned the place!


Bella is in the class too! She did awesome! I think that she was the only kid in the class that didn't have a meltdown.

"Mommy and Me"


Future ballerinas.


Claire loved this part. The kids had to stretch and smell their stinky feet!


I had to add this in! A few years ago Mark got a call from Hilbert College (where he graduated from). And they asked him if he would be interested in being on a billboard. Of course, he agreed! The billboard ended up in TWO locations in our area! They gave him this little billboard to keep. Mark keeps it in his classroom and we stopped there yesterday after dance class so I couldn't resist! Oh Mark, what next?!?!?!

Irish Festival

High: Today was the Irish Festival :)
Low: I have yet to find a little Irish sweatshirt for Claire :(

Today was the local Irish Festival. We have gone the last few years and every time it has rained. But this year the weather was beautiful! My cousin is in the band Emish (click on their name to check out their website) and they play at the festival every year. My family went and so did Claire's friend Poppy and we all enjoyed the great music, delicious food, and gorgeous weather.

Emish did another excellent job! That's my cousin Christy with the fiddle.

Here is a closer look. How awesome is my new camera? I was super far away and my camera zoomed right up there and got a great picture!!!!


Christy's daughter Ashlyn enjoyed the music :)


My cousin Leah came home from college to spend the day with our family.


Claire LOVES to watch the Irish dancers and jam to the music!

Thanks to Nana Claire and Poppy got their faces painted!!!

John, Mom, Sue, and Greg enjoyin' the music.


Uncle John and Aunt Sue kept sneakin' pieces of Claire's popcorn.



Then Uncle Greg taught her how to catch popcorn in her mouth :)


I had to add this in. This is Claire's "I did something wrong" face. I am not even sure what she did wrong at this point but it is hilarious when she does this. She will never be able to lie her way out of ANYTHING because this face gives it all away.



Uncle Bill, Auntie Rose, and Dad never miss a chance for a picture.


Claire givin' Nana a quick squeeze.



The girls.

And to end the night, Claire LOVED my birthday cupcakes. Can you tell?

Dancin' Shoes

High: We got Claire her first pair of tap shoes today :)
Low: Claire was very grumpy after school today :(

Full days at school have been making my angel especially grumpy in the evenings. I can't wait until we are on a routine and she is in a better mood. She is great all day at school but, of course, once she gets home...all bets are off!!

Today we went and got Claire her first pair of dance shoes! Well, I should say tap shoes. Auntie Jacqie got her her first pair of ballet shoes. Once we got home Claire just had to put on her "Ballerina dress" and try out those shoes!

Look at them dancin' shoes!



My little Dancing Queen.

Here she is in the basement tapping away (don't mind the mess..it is the basement after all):

We went with Claire's friend Poppy to get our new shoes and then we went to Pizza Hut. Here my Claire loving the deserts!

Early Birthday Gift!

High: I got an early birthday gift from Mark and Claire :) AND Claire is feeling better :)
Low: We had to miss a family dinner :(

So, today I got an early birthday gift (my real birthday is Thursday so mark your calendars) from Mark and Claire. Given my new hobby of blogging, Mark and I decided it was time to get a nice camera.

Here she is...Nikki! Isn't she a beauty! The only thing is, I have absolutely NO IDEA what I am doing with her!! Mark and I spent the rest of the day taking pictures of everything from our sandwiches at lunch, to wine glasses, to Peter, and of course Claire (who actually started saying "no more pictures Mama!").

We literally took a bazillion pictures today so here are some of our new shots:

Claire cleaning her ears.

Claire crying. Possibly because she was sick and tired of me taking her picture!

Isn't she lovely? Even with "sicky eyes" :(


Again, I believe she was yelling "No more pictures!".

We had a lot of fun with the camera but there are so many settings and buttons and flashes! Plus, I have no idea what half this stuff even means! Its gonna take some time but I feel that Nikki and I are gonna do just fine!

PS Claire is feeling much better. She was still boogery today but no fever! So that is two days fever free :) She slept most of today and went to bed early tonight so hopefully she can sleep it off. We did have to miss dinner with Baby Owen this evening :( again, don't tell Claire that though.

Saturday September 5th, 2009 Wedding Bells

High: Mark and I went to an awesome Wedding :)
Low: Claire is sick :(

Mark and I went to a fabulous wedding! The wedding itself was beautiful. The music was perfect, the food was delicious, and the people were fun! What more can you ask for! Now, I like weddings but this one was especially fun!

The reception was gorgeous!


The Bride Molly was elegant and beautiful, and SUPER FUN :)


Part of the reason that this wedding was so fun was because there were people from my school and Mark's school there.



Molly and Rich had the wax cups (from the hockey games) for people to drink out of. And those of you that have been to the hockey games around here and drank from the wax cups, you know what that means!

Mark and I all dressed up!

I think that everyone had a great time!


Chris and Jo shakin it up on the dance floor!

When we picked up Claire from Mark's parents this morning they informed us that my little angel isn't feeling well! She was up in the night with a fever and quite a few boogies :( The poor thing felt yucky all day and had to miss a birthday party (don't tell her that though). Hopefully she is feeling better tomorrow!

First Day Of School

High: Today was the first day of school :)
Low: Today was the first day of school :(

To celebrate the first day of school, we have all come up with goals for this upcoming school year.

Mark

1. To continue and build upon the previous successes I have had as an educator, coach, and real estate agent.

2. As a Libra, I need to continue to work on achieving a healthy balance between my professional and personal life.

3. As in the past, I will work to continue to bring joy to my wife, my daughter, and my favorite dog Pete.

4. I will work to live a healthy lifestyle.







Natalie

1. To blog as much as possible.

2.To laugh until I cry everyday.

3. To make at least one person smile everyday (if not more).

4. To let my husband, my daughter, and my dog Pete know that I love them EVERYDAY (and not just by telling them).

5. To change one student's life everyday.









Claire








1. To play with toys.


2. To watch Max and Ruby.















Mark and Claire off to their first day of school.



Later this evening Aunt Jacqie watched Claire for a little while and they had a blast!!!!