365 Days With Kiddos - #26 - Teach Your Kiddos (and Yourself) To Laugh in the Face of Frustration

Emmanuelle, after "The Cocoa Incident"...

I have bad days... yes, it is true. We all do. Sometimes, I feel like maybe I present too rosy a picture of my life on this blog. I am an energetic person and I like to be upbeat, optimistic, and positive. But, of course, I am not always this way. I get frustrated, angry, and impatient. I am better about this, in a way, now that I have kids, but I am also tested on a much more frequent basis than before I had kids. I had all the patience in the world when I was a portrait photographer who mostly worked with pregnant moms, babies and kids. That's because they weren't MY kids. I remember thinking I would be infinitely patient with my own kids. Um, hmmmmm, am I? It depends on the day and the situation. I do think I am learning patience, but sadly, I can be less patient with my own kids than with those of others. Before kids I thought I would usually be on my best behavior, in control of my emotions, the bigger person, the shining example for my own kids. Hahahahaha! I think a few people did point out to me that it was a nice thought but...

This brings me to one of several trying incidents in our house this week. And to the fact that I sometimes surprise even myself...

Quin had asked me for cocoa. It was a good day for it so I set to work. The milk was heating on the stove, the Cocoa Camino was open and had a spoon in it, and all I needed were the marshmallows. I climbed onto the step stool, and reached for the bag on the highest shelf in the cupboard and then lost my grip. The next few moments were in slow motion, like in a movie, as the full bag of marshmallows dropped from up high directly down onto the end of the spoon that was in the cocoa container. The spoon flipped up, somehow sending the entire can of cocoa powder flying 6 feet to the left, dumping DIRECTLY onto the forehead of poor Emmanuelle who was innocently minding her own business. It beaned her on the head with a clatter and covered her in the cocoa that had not already spilled onto the stove top on the way to her head.

She was completely startled, not to mention covered in cocoa; her eyes, her nose, her mouth, her shoulders... She started screaming because she was scared, she was inhaling cocoa powder, and, well, it hurts to be knocked on the head with a can. Quin was now shrieking because of the loss of the precious cocoa and the fact that there was a huge mess (she and my mother share a fondness for order..). I rushed over to dust off my baby and to try to soothe her. At the same time, I was telling Quin it was OK. This is where I would normally have started muttering about the huge mess I now had to clean up on the stove, the floor, and the baby.

I would have normally started removing Emmanuelle's clothes, told Quin not to move because of the mess on the floor, and basically started feeling sorry for myself because of the added chore. But do you know what? Now that Emmanuelle was clearly ok, I looked around, and I started laughing. And I kept on laughing, even when Quin looked at me like I was crazy (and it was a genuine laugh NOT a crazy laugh). And because she was looking at me like that, I realized that I NEED to show her how to laugh at a situation like this. I NEED to laugh at myself and these types of incidents more often. I NEED to teach my kids that set backs and unforeseen challenges are not always a big deal and that laughing can instantly make you feel better, much better than yelling or feeling sorry for yourself.

Emmanuelle, Miss Happy-Go-Lucky, whose first inclination is to smile about anything, understood right away. She bent down and started writing with her finger in the powder, then she showed me her finger.

Seeing this, Quin started to loosen up, and I explained to her that sometimes we have to laugh at ourselves and at situations that are out of our control. I explained that not everything should be taken so seriously. I finished making the cocoa, complete with marshmallows, and I even gave a little to little Emmanuelle, who deserved it. The three of us laughed, and talked, and drank cocoa, BEFORE we cleaned up the kitchen.

Weekly Recipe - Heidi Swanson's Multigrain Waffles

Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum... that pretty much sums up these waffles. We eat these whenever we have the time for a leisurely breakfast. The batter comes together in a snap. I received this recipe in my inbox, right about the time I had started lamenting that our white flour waffles were good but not good for us. I know that this recipe is a keeper because my kids and husband like it BETTER than our white flour waffles. It is by Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks where you can find TONS of healthy recipes. She has also written her own cookbooks, Super Natural which is amazing and Super Natural Everyday will be released soon. Since I have not received permission to repost Heidi's waffle recipe here on my site, I am going to just give you the link to the recipe on her site. Here it is... I just want to make note that if you don't have buttermilk, you can substitute by adding 1 T lemon juice per cup of milk. The hint of lemon flavor is lovely! Enjoy :)

My Newest Toy - Leica D Lux 5

Move over old toys, there is a new toy in town! Most of the old toys are as happy as I am, but one of them looks a bit worried... After three years of owning a Leica D Lux 3, which I used everyday, I decided it was time for the D Lux 5. I am not one to have the lastest thing, especially when it comes to camera equipment. If you know me, you know that my favorite cameras are my vintage Polaroids and my Holga. They are all very lo tech, analog film cameras. My Nikon D SLR is 8 years old, which is ancient in digital terms. Some professional photographers upgrade their cameras ever few years or more but I just don't see replacing something that I am comfortable using and that serves my needs. There is a certain snob factor in photography and because I don't like showing up to gigs where the client has a newer and better camera than I do (although it is true that it is not the camera but the eye of the photographer who knows how to use the camera...) I did sell my D70 recently and bought a D90. I will post on that soon. While I was selling things and saving money I decided to upgrade my Leica point and shoot. I LOVE Leica. And I bought my D Lux 3 after a lot of research. I wanted a point and shoot that I could bring everywhere, even travel with, when I didn't want to bring and babysit my "big" camera. The Leica D Lux series of cameras are pretty much D SLRS without being able to change lens. I can use the camera fully manual or select the aperture or shutter speed, or use program mode or auto. The D Lux 5 can even support an external flash unit. My Leica has been my constant companion for photographs of my kids and pretty much everything you see on this blog. She is now on her way to her new home, with photographer Barbra Ziemer, who has promised to take good care of her. So now, to get to know my new little beauty. I will be sharing the results with you in each post...

Vintage Find - A Fisher Price Music Box Teaching Clock (Just Like I Used to Have)

I had this clock! I had this clock! That is what I was screaming inside when I found this cute little vintage gem at a local church rummage sale a few months back. Let me just take a moment to reflect on the fact that toys were more durable when I was a child. I may sound like my grandparents, waxing nostalgical about the past and how things are just not made to last anymore, BUT IT IS TRUE! As a mother, I can speak for toys, and as a photographer, I can say the same about my equipment. Anyway, all I can say is that this beautiful toy is made of wood, and after all of these years it still winds up, tick tocks, and plays music. The musical movement was made in Japan. I can only imagine how many of these are laying in landfills, perfectly fine, having been chucked to make room for "better", more modern toys. My kids, and I, love it!

Just look at the cute illustrations... I want to go to this school!

365 Days With Kiddos - #25 - Make A Snowman (or Woman)

January 18th was World Day of Snowmen. The funny thing is that I almost wrote this post on the 18th and it was only today that I found out this tidbit of information while reading about a photographer in Ottawa who is having an exhibition of images of snowmen called Melting.

Making snowmen is something that can only be done when the snow is just right (wet enough to stick together). There can be snow all winter and only a few time when it is perfect for making snowmen. Here in the Canadian Rockies we had one good day in September (which is when these photos were taken) and one just the other day. We seize the opportunity to make snowmen whenever we can as do others we know. I bumped into one mom and her kids at the grocery store the other day and they told me they were buying some "snowman making supplies"...

Kids enjoy making snowmen, especially when there are no rules and they can be creative. There is a classic formula for what is needed for a snowman but I think mixing it up is the best way to go. One of our favorite snowman books is called Sadie and the Snowman. "Sadie can't believe it! For a whole winter, she builds and rebuilds a snowman who becomes her very special friend, but it always melts. At the end of the winter, she manages to save just a little bit of her snowman for next year." If you would like some lesson plans for this book just Google the title.

I hope this post inspires you to make a snowman this winter. The next time the snow is sticky and you think, "hmmmm, this is perfect snow for making a snowman!" grab your kiddos and let your imagination run wild.

My Mixed Media Art Quilt "I Need Your Kindness" Featured in Muse Flash in Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine

One of my very favorite magazines is Cloth, Paper, Scissors. It comes out 6 times a year and I own every single one of the 34 issues that have been printed. I submitted my mixed media art quilt "I Need Your Kindness" to CPS and was thrilled when they contacted me to feature it in the current, January/February 2011 issue. It is featured in the Muse Flash section. You can see more images of my piece, which features portraits of Haitian children, here. It is exciting to see my work in such an amazing magazine and I look forward to submitting to them in the future... If you have been on the fence about submitting your work for publication, I hope this inspires you to try. You have nothing to lose!

Creative Challenge - Make Handmade Goodies for Your Facebook Friends

Crayon cakes I make from old broken crayons... (you can make them too, just check out this post...)

The other day I was updating my Facebook fan page and soon I was checking out what my friends were up to on my Facebook home page. My friend, Michelle's status read:
Pay it forward 2011: I promise something handmade to the FIRST 5 people who leave a comment here. However, to be eligible, you must re-post this status, offering something handmade to 5 other people. The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it must be sent to your 5 people sometime in 2011. Sometime.

Well, I pretty much only buy or make handmade items for people so this is right up my alley. First, I made sure I would be one of the five getting in on Michelle's action. Then, I posted this on my status, late at night, and by morning I had 5 takers. The fun part was, I went right their pages to be one of the people they are making for. Then, I decided to open my offer up to another 5 people. Right now, I am taking one more person... it could be you!

I challenge you to post this on your Facebook. Your handmade items can be something you bake, cook, write, or make. I am thinking of giving crayon cakes to people with kids and maybe pendants, magnets, photographs, or tiny collages to the others. Whatever it is I am bound to record it here. I love how inspiration can come from anywhere. I hope you are expired to make something for someone sometime soon...

365 Days With Kiddos - #24 - Make Snow Angels

We have received over a foot of snow in the past two days. It is the light and fluffy kind, not good for making snow men and women but perfect for making snow angels. Making snow angels is a pretty common activity for kids who have grown up around snow. Even as an adult I like to make a few each winter. I get the same cheesy grin I got as a child while I make one, the same grin my daughter gets when she makes one.

Now because I have a lot of experience with playing in the snow I had to laugh when I read the "technique" for making snow angels on Wikipedia:
"The creation of the snow angel is a simple process. The first step is to find an undisturbed plane of snow. The next step is to lie supine, spread-eagled in the center of the snow. The limbs are then swept back and forth, creating a trough through the snow. When it is finished, the snow angel should have the appearance of an angel, the movement of the arms having formed wings, and that of the legs having formed a gown."

The current world record for the largest number of snow angels made at the same time in one place is 8,962. It was set on February 17th, 2007, on the grounds of the state Capitol building in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Making a snow angel to celebrate a touchdown is not allowed in American football. Wes Welker was fined $10,000 for making one after a touchdown in the Gilette Stadium on December 21st, 2008. I have to say that if I made the salary that a football player does, and I scored a touchdown while playing outdoors in snow, I would make a snow angel, too. Good thing we are not football players and we can go make as many as we like, right now...

It's That Time AGAIN... Time for Thing-A-Day!!!

That's right everyone! I am signing up for my THIRD year of Thing-A-Day, a month-long creative extravaganza that takes place every February. I was first alerted to TAD by my friend, Robyn, of Inspiration Junkie. I have been thanking her ever since! I have met many other creative people through TAD, and it helps me to focus on being creative and documenting it daily for a whole month. It may sound like a huge undertaking, but you are really just supposed to spend about 20 minutes a day doing something creative for TAD. So, you can work on a piece of art for that time, then document it, then do it again the next day, on and on, until it is done. Or you can create something for your dinner and document that. There are not really any rules or anyone who can hold you to creating each day, other than yourself. Don't be shy, don't be scared (I have two small children and I am not afraid...) just jump right in! And let me know how it goes... See you around the Posterous site where I can read about all of your creations and adventures!

Environmental Art I created for the 2010 Thing-A-Day

If you would like to see what I did each day in previous years, just go into my blog archive for February 2009 and 2010...

New Snow & New Books

First Snow of the Year in Banff September 2010

I grew up in Minnesota where cold and snowy winters are typical and people talk about storms they have weathered with pride. The largest one I can remember was on Halloween in 1992, when 30 inches of snow dumped in one day, just two months before I moved to Phoenix, Arizona for a year and a half. I had had enough of winter. But, I learned while in Arizona that I could not stand to have the sun shine everyday and to not have any seasons to look forward to. I moved back to Minnesota briefly before heading off to Florida for one winter, which really woke me up to the fact that I am from the North and that I love winter. After a few more moves around the Northern US and Canada, I now live in the Canadian Rockies. I love everything about it, well, almost everything...

...everything except winter driving. I used to be good at winter driving. I had nerves of steel and I felt immortal. I didn't know any different. I remember that after that Halloween storm I drove an hour from my house to see a friend. I was the only compact car on the road with a bunch of seasoned truckers. I was young, I was kid free... in fact, the most winter driving I ever did was when I lived in Maine and my future husband lived in Ottawa, Ontario. I drove a 12 hour round trip to see him for 3 years. It was 6 hours on a good day or night. In a winter storm it could be an 8 - 9 hour white knuckled journey through a white out. It started with two lane windy mountain roads, then two lane highways through tiny Quebec towns, then finally a highway. I was in love. I was trying to insure offspring. NOW? You can't get me out the door and into my car if it is snowing.

Silly? Yes! I hate to admit it. With all of my experience I should only gotten better at it. But, I remember every time I have slid into a snow bank, done a 360 degree turn, and narrowly missed accidents. Our family was in a bad one when I was in the second grade. Now my nerves are shot. My family laughs at me. My friends laugh at me. My husband, with his big four wheel drive truck, laughs at me (partially because I am kind of cute when I am throwing a tantrum). He manages a ski hill that just happens to be at the top of seven switch backs on a narrow, crazy road, that only last year had guard rails put in. I do realize that if I would only get over it, it would be better. I am a huge advocate of the phrase "Be Brave". I love the idea of being "Fearless". I pretty much am in every other aspect of my life. I have traveled the world (and I don't mean luxury travel), moved from place to place, started businesses, immigrated to a new country, had a baby in my own home... I know that worrying about something is useless until there is something to worry about. And that if you don't resolve something that you will be faced with it again and again. Hence the reason I must have wound up in the Rockies, why I have to drive my daughter to French preschool in a town that is 30 minutes away three times a week, and why when I am not doing that I am driving her to a ski hill at the top of seven switchbacks. I should really get a grip.

It is the trek to preschool today that started this rant. I usually look out the window when my husband wakes me up, but today I didn't. I just got up and ready and it was only after he had put both kids in my car that I looked out the window and saw the snow. I only had the same amount of time I have on a good day to get to school but for some reason, I was feeling brave. And for the most part, things went well (when 18 wheelers weren't passing me and turning the drifting snow into zero visibility). We made it to preschool, almost on time! And after dropping Quin off, Emmanuelle and I were treated to these elk, up on a hill, enjoying the snow. I am not a wildlife photographer but I am in awe EVERY TIME is see wildlife (which is pretty much everyday) and I wanted to share it with you.

Around here it can be one thing to get where you are going but another thing to get home. The snow continued to fall for two and a half hours before we headed back. The drive went faster than I expected, Emmanuelle fell asleep, Quin & I had a nice lunch, and two packages from Amazon were waiting! If you know me, you know I am a book worm. I am just as happy with used books as with new ones and I rarely splurge but when I get holiday money I do. I have been waiting for these books and it was such a nice reward to have made it through a stressful morning to be able to find these lovelies waiting for me. I will share my opinions on these books soon... off to read!