Sweet Sweaters

My mom has recently taken knitting back up and we have been the very lucky recipients of some beautiful specially made items.  First was a sweater for 'Liza Bee that is made of the softest, silkiest yarn in such a pretty shade of purple.  The spunky star button tops it off perfectly.  This sweater was made before Eliza was born, but it just got Nana's creative juices going and soon we got a package with a sweater vest for Davy and Eddy each.  Then a little while later came a scarf for Collin and a headband for me.  The last package came this past week and I knew that we had a family photo shoot in our near future. 

Yesterday we were driving home from a Saturday trip to Lexington and I saw this field of fantastic weeds off to one side of the street.  As soon as I'd seen that field, and then found that we had a beautiful day this morning, I announced that it was spontaneous family picture day.  I ran around throwing clothes all around the house to get outfits ready.  I bribed heavily for cooperation in both wearing the outfits I'd chosen and in posing for pictures.  Then (with Collin's very good, supportive attitude), made the twenty minutes of picture taking well worth it.

After a failed attempt or two of getting a person to come man the camera we just decided to go it alone.  That's what delay-timers were invented for, right?  We propped up the camera on some stacked side tables (I had to return the borrowed tripod . . . may be a necessary purchase soon) and did a couple test runs.

Luckily no one broke their ankle in the mad dash to and from the camera and posing place.  There were a few close calls.  Note to self:  do not wear heals to a photo shoot that will not even show your feet.

 

Davy didn't get the memo to do a serious face.  But his smile is too adorable in any case.

I may or may not be saving my very favorite of the day for a Christmas card.  If for whatever reason that beauty does not make the cut for the card I will post it later.  It's too good to stay in the deep dark recesses of my computer.

Handsome, handsome boys.  I had to walk right in the middle of the street to get some shots of the boys and Davy was so concerned for my safety.  Sweet, rule-keeping, oldest son.  Kid after my own heart.  (Though I have to say that being an adult and breaking those precious rules is pretty fun sometimes!)

Oh, I love, love, love my little daughter.  She is the sweetest baby in the whole world and I am so grateful she's mine!  (I think she may have been allergic to something in that weed field, though, for her eyes got all red and puffy almost immediately.)

 

We've had a glorious fall, though I think those days are numbered.  I'll look back at these pictures (and those from the past few posts) in the middle of February in Boston and be able to feel the glow and warmth and sparkle of these past weeks with our beautiful family.

Happily Bogged Down

A family in our ward asked me to take some family photos for them down by the cranberry bogs.  I have to say that while adequate and functional--and as cute as the family is--my pictures were not very amazing, alas.  In any case, we did have a fun time together last Saturday.  We found an incredible barn that I wish I could have spent tons more time photographing around (all the kids were done with photos long before that, unfortunately).  And I did love snapping a gazillion iPhone shots of all those beautiful berries!

The kids got to make a bog in a cup, with all the layers of sediment that are needed to grow the berries.  Neither one made it home, but the learning and fun was all in the process, anyway, right?  We also tried a "dry harvest" which was like picking raspberries off the ground.  The iconic way of harvesting the berries now--with the flooding and floating and tall boots from the Oceanspray commercials--was only started in the 1960s.  Until then (so recently, really!) the cranberries were harvested by hand in the "dry" (marshy but not flooded) bogs.

Fall Fling

I know I include too many pictures.  Though I have been told by adoring aunts that I do not include enough.  Hmm.  

Well, in any case, this post is full of pictures with a definite red, orange, yellow hue.  Happy, happy fall!  Straw, leaves, pumpkins--I love the textures of these, as well as the lovely color (or tone, if black and white).  We are enjoying being outside as much as possible.

There is a place on our walk to the library that I have admired from afar for five years.  Four autumn seasons have come and gone without venturing into the leaf wonderland, but this year I just could not resist.  The tree is magnificent--my camera skills can not do it justice.  It just stuns me every time I drive by (it's right near the craziest intersection in Belmont, too, so it can actually be hazardous).  The leaves are untouched--as good as freshly fallen snow.  Better, even!  No one ventures in, people are too busy rushing by.  I've always been too busy rushing by.  But today we were walking to the library and we made time.  I had to coax Davy in, but boy, once he got the idea he got the whole big picture.  I had to pry them away from their piles, the jumping, the throwing, the lying down and "napping."  It was pure childhood bliss in that sparkly, crinkly, earthy way.

 

I love Eliza's expression in this one.  Like, "Uh, Mom, I'm not so sure this is a good idea to leave me here too long."

And because a bench was handy to prop the camera for a delay-timed "selfie" with my kiddos:

Everything Good Comes In Threes

Eddy seems to be getting his extra fifteen minutes of fame these days.  Partially because he is my little buddy during the hours when Davy is away at preschool and partially because he has been cooperative in some crazy photo shoots I've wanted to try.

So I don't think I am so much into the extravagant location and costumes and props thing.  I love to see the work of some photographers that include that but when all is said and done I think I like just the people and the faces and sometimes some interesting angles.  I'm boring that way.  I've been trying to get into some of the fancy shoots with props because it gives me an excuse to play at something new.  Killing a few hours with a set up and all that jazz.  And the kids do like to have something to hold.  And something to have opinions about.  Eddy helped choose this background (by which I mean I showed it to him as an option and he insisted on it and no other choice).  It's a table cloth and I highly regret it as a backdrop.  I suppose it is festive in a way.  But so distracting!

Anyway, the title of this post captures how Eddy is seeing the world since his birthday.  Everything is in threes.  Everything is good IF it comes in threes.  Where two crackers (one for each hand, you know) used to be totally sufficient now no longer.  He must have three.  Someone offers him four candy corns?  No thank you, he'll have three.  He is the biggest and oldest of anyone (except Davy) because he is three and three is the best.

Oh, this boy.  He just tickles me and makes my life so shiny and sweet.

I'm so glad when Daddy comes home

When my mom was visiting during the birth of Eliza we had many great conversations.  As always with my mom, the conversations were interesting and deep.  She is thoughtful and wise. 

One of the things we talked about was the fact that children--at least mine--do not always seem happy to see Dad when he comes home from work.  In fact they had recently seemed to be extra grumpy about it.  And a lukewarm or melt-down welcome hurts feelings! 

Is it because they do not understand the way they should welcome him home?  Is it because they feel as if his homecoming is interrupting their play?  Is it because it's just been a long day and it is "arsenic hour" in general? 

So yes, all of those I think were factoring into the disappointing homecomings.  What to do?

My mom suggested that the kids have a time warning.  Like leaving the park or a friends house, like clean-up time, like any of those other transition times a five minute warning works wonders.  Having Collin give a quick text as he's leaving work, or at a certain point on the bus route to let us know his ETA has been extremely helpful for me to prepare the boys.

We try to sing "the song" a little more often so that the boys remember to "pat his cheeks and give him what? a great big kiss."

And finally we are most successful when we transition from regular activities and make the big activity of the day the actual coming home.  We (based on the ETA) wait on the porch, play on the stairs, watch and wait in the front yard with great anticipation and excitement. 

Daddy's homecoming has been sweeter all around since implementing some of these ideas.