Photography Workshop

I spent this last weekend at a photography workshop for women hosted by Me Ra Koh and her husband Brian. The range of skill varied a bit within the group, but even the stuff I already knew was a good refresher. I learned a lot about the business side, editing, lighting, using your flash and metering. I have been shooting in manual for a while and never knew about metering. Taking pictures is going to be much easier now with this knowledge!

The other women in the group were wonderful. They were so open, honest and vulnerable which helped me tremendously. Me Ra has an amazing gift of making women feel empowered. It was so great to be able to get one-on-one help from someone whose skill level is at the top.

We had family models come in for us one afternoon. This was one of my favorite images.

21 months

Søren is 21 months today. He has been nothing but a comedian lately. I think most kids do something funny unintentionally, people laugh, kid sees reaction and does it again and again.

Søren seems to know what is funny beforehand. I don't know how to explain it. He does this eye thing too. It's almost like a pause at the right time or the punch line to the joke.

His vocabulary is getting too large to keep track of. He is really, really into books lately. I think I read the same 6 stories to him at least 5 times a day. I can recite "Trumpety Humpety" if you want me to. :)

He is my helper around the house. He loves to sweep with his little broom, throw clothes in the washer, carry the laundry from the dryer and we are working on picking up toys at the end of the day.

Søren does not sit still, ever! He is constantly on the move and I have a good feeling he is going to be one of those kids that asks "why" about everything.

Hunka Chunka Chewy

Yesterday was the first time I really let Søren help me in the kitchen. It's taken me this long because I've been too paranoid he'll fall of the counter or grab a knife. I prepared things as best I could, meaning that I moved all sharp objects out of the way and got all ingredients out first, so I wouldn't be running around the kitchen. I told myself I wouldn't worry about the mess or care if he ate some chocolate chips. I put on my apron, and he too wanted to wear one. (I only have a little girly apron, I think I'll have to make him a masculine one.) We had so much fun! I'll have to do this with him more often, for sure. We made the "Hunka Chunka Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies" from the cookbook Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Treats for Kids.

Mustache

Søren wanted to show you his new shirt.
Don't you just love it?!
Oh and notice the new shiner on his head?
That's a common occurrence in this house.
He has a matching one on the other side of his head too.

Little Skeleton

We had a great Halloween. The skeleton was the way to go for us this year. Nothing too heavy he would be sweating in and nothing he had to try and keep on his head! I wanted to post a picture from last year. I just love seeing how much kids change in a year.

Voila!

I honestly have not forgotten about my quest to make a new meal each Wednesday night. I just have not had the desire to do so. Sam has been working most Wednesday nights, so I find it pointless to make a new meal for just Soren and I. We all have those nights where we want something semi-healthy, but either don't have the ingredients, energy and/or the time. I have discovered Birds Eyes "Voila!". All you do is take it out of your freezer, put it in your skillet, cover and in 10 minutes it's done! I am not one to promote frozen meals (except pizza, of course), but this is really yummy and it's filled with vegetables and we all hit up the freezer section at the store at some point. I don't know about you, but I'd rather eat frozen vegetables than none at all. Bertoli makes meals similar to this as well and they are just as yummy! Oh, and for you parents and caregivers...Søren eats it! Except the carrots, he's not into those. :)

Busy October

October has been one busy month so far filled with a new job for Sam at church, starting to get a photography business up off the ground, family visitors, caramel apple making, lots of time outside before it gets too cold, 3 bible studies a week, 2 pumpkin patches, 1 halloween party and a partridge in a pear tree. Whoo! And there is still one week left. Here are some pictures. Hopefully I'll get the rest posted to SamandLinnea.com soon enough.