Dalton And The Bean Bag.

No, this isn't the story of an incredibly cute little boy (although you have to admit I am) and some magic beans. It's the completely true and zany Adventures In Babysitting At Aunt Yaya's house. (That would be Aunt Sarah for you Urban Expression neophytes).  

Ok...so...a tree fell at my Uncle Bob's house (and no I don't know if it made a sound or not) and my Dad had to go and help him clean it up.  I really wanted to go along and help...you know how us guys are with power tools.  I'd grunt but they always change my diaper when I do that.  Anyway....my sister and I went over to Aunt Yaya's house for a bit because our dear sainted Mother was helping down at the church Thrift Shop.  Aunt Yaya's house is kinda cool. All sorts of metal things and lights going off all the time.  I think she calls them portraits. Not sure. I'll have to ask her someday.  This time though, Savanna didn't want to sit in the portrait and hold me.  So Aunt Yaya got this thing out called a bean bag. It was awesome. I seriously need to get one of these for my crib.  I almost hated for the lights to stop flashing it was so comfortable.  Aunt Yaya..being the cool Aunt that she is, decided that as long as I liked that bean bag...I could sit in it.  How cool is that? She put it near the window so I could look out and see the birds.  Well...look out as much as a 2 foot tall incredibly cute kid can while sitting in a bean bag. 

So I spent the afternoon chilling on the bean bag, looking out the window....

Playing the make faces game with Aunt Yaya......

having a long talk......

about some serious stuff.......

serious, serious really make you think kind of stuff....

the kind of stuff that will cross your eyes and make you tired kind of stuff....

until I had no choice and had to pretend to sleep to end the conversation.

Seriously Yaya...I love you but I have no idea what the heck a New York Yankee is so how do I know if I want to play with them or not.  You should talk to Daddy. He keeps yammering on about me playing with something called a 49er.

Are You Listening?

This little one graduated from Kindergarten last May. I thought it would be cute to photograph her wearing her older sister's graduation cap.  

 As I watch my nieces and nephews grow and experience the world around them, I'm reminded from time to time of that book, All I Really Needed To Know I learned In Kindergarten. How often do I see now that the rules we learn in Kindergarten do apply to our lives forever. I think one of the first and foremost rules that they teach is to listen. Listen to the teacher. Listen. But as we grow...do we really know how to listen? I came across an article today and in it, the writer quotes from a book by Dave Roper called Teach Us To Number Our Days.  It had a nice little piece about listening. Or more aptly...how to know when you are not listening.  I find I am  guilty of a few of these from time to time myself. 

I AM NOT LISTENING WHEN......

I am thinking about an answer while others are talking.

I give unsolicited advice.

I suggest they shouldn't feel that way. 

I apply a quick fix to their problem.

I fail to acknowledge their feelings.

I fidget, glance at my watch or appear to be rushed. 

I fail to maintain eye contact. 

I don't ask follow up questions. 

I top their story with a bigger story. 

They share a difficult experience and I counter with one of my own.

WOW!. How many of us are guilty of not being good listeners.  I want to believe I am a good friend and that I am there for my friends when they have problems, but sometimes I am guilt of trying to apply a quick fix or failing to acknowledge their feelings.  I most certainly have tried to convince them they shouldn't feel a certain way. For me personally....I don't think its as much not listening...is it is trying to make the person feel better. I guess sometimes...I have to learn that just letting a person talk, and listening, might be all that is needed to help.  That is going to be a hard thing for me to step back and do...but I'm going to try my best. Because, I want to be a good friend, a good listener. Thanks for listening. 

Marshmallo Action

This Marshmallow action that I downloaded at Paintthemoon.net is every bit as sweet as it sounds. And what better photo to try it out on than one of my sweet little niece during a very sweet time of year.

Applying the action sure toned down the reds from the overhead light and the shadows on her face.  

PSE Actions

I love to play around with photos in PhotoShop.  So imagine my happiness when I discovered the fine art of Actions.  I've been going crazy with the searches for actions, downloading, installing, applying.  Some times they make subtle changes to a photo, sometimes startling.  I love making colors pop, sharpening eyes, etc. Seems tho that a lot of people are into the faded, muted colors. I'm going to start posting some of the portraits I do that I use actions on...and you tell me what ones you like and don't like....so I can get a feel for what is popular.  Today's photo...outdoor shot of Little Miss S. taken a few weeks ago.  I used an Action called Honey and Lime. It really popped out the greenery. I sharpened her eyes some and boosted the saturation.

Click on the photo to enlarge and see the detail. What do yo think? Like or dislike?

Dalton@4 weeks

Hard to believe he's a month old already.  He wasn't feeling the portrait session today. Still got a few good ones though.

Sleeping Angel

Is there anything more precious than a sleeping baby? Little D. is such a sweetie. I took these last week after I spent a little time cuddling the little cutie. How fortunate am I to be his Aunt. He is such a snuggler.