math woes

Kaish is having a very hard time in Math.            A very, very hard time.

It is a stressful end to his day.

I wish I could take away this thorn from his side.

Last night, before bed,

he was crying.

Crying because he thinks he is not as smart

as all of the other 5th graders.

I cried too.

I wrapped him in my arms and told him it is OK.

I just want him to do his best.

If an A is his best. Yipee.

If a D is his best. Yipee.

All I want is best.

And I told him that there will always be people that are smarter at math and at life.

Everywhere he goes.

There will be students at college that make the deans list-

and there will be students that scrape by with the skin of their teeth.

There will be millionaires with big businesses that gross hundreds of thousands a day-

and there will be grocery store clerks that earn $7 an hour.

There will be real estate agents that sell mansions-

and real estate agents that sell trailers.

I don’t care what he does.

As long as it is his best.

I told him he is the greatest boy I know.

The greatest 11 year old kid on the planet earth.

I believe he can conquer math.

And I believe he can conquer the world {with kindness}

and then hugged him and sang him to sleep.

We would love for you to join us at

Communal Global

for Tuesdays around the World.

head & shoulders, knees and toes

It’s head & shoulders, knees & toes week at I heart faces!

Except they don’t want a head.

I can’t get the song out of my head

{and shoulders, knees and toes.}

I have been singing it all day.

Juan and Kaishon want to disown me.

It sounds really pretty when I sing : )

Trust me. Where do very smart hot dogs end up?
On honor rolls.

Happy Monday Beautiful.

‘The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.’ ~e.e. cummings

    

Child's Laughter

In his laughter I always hear,

An angel's choir singing clear.

His gentle breathe sings,

Of innocence and all it brings

In his playful eyes I see

A soul that is learning just to be.

by Sirena Van Schaik

 

Wishing you a week filled with laughter.

how to lose 7 pounds in 7 days

There was a high quality article in the New York Times Gary’s In Style this week on how to lose 7 pounds in 7 days. I perused it while eating a bucket  a gallon   a half cup of Coffee Ice Cream.  I attempted to make a nice supper tonight. By ‘make’ I mean I stopped at Trader Joe’s and got Chicken L’Orange. Doesn’t that sound delicious?

It said to take the chicken out of the packet and put it in an oven safe dish and then bake for 26 minutes.

The dish that it came in was hard plastic. I thought that it was weird that they would put a dish in the box for the chicken unless they wanted us to use it.

I used it.

There is a plastic puddle in my oven now. I.am.not.even.kidding!

And the chicken was terrible. Perhaps some of the plastic got into it?
Or perhaps everything I touch turns to dirt….either/or.

Kaishon has begged me to just make pancakes or spaghetti every night from now on since that is all I can handle.

That’s just fine with me.

I am super duper glad that tomorrow is Friday.

Are you?

I have to go and finish the bucket of ice cream before it melts.
I am pretty sure eating it will help me figure out what to do with the plastic at the bottom of the oven.
Pretty darn sure ; )

Oh, so how do you lose 7 pounds in 7 days?

1. Don’t eat coffee ice cream out of a bucket

2. Come and visit Becky’s resort Bed and Breakfast where the food is inedible and perhaps plasticky ; )

Make your reservations at once so you can be bikini ready in just 7 days!

Photographer Interview: Caroline Manrique

 

Something about her work just draws you in.

Very soft and lovely.

She will make you think deeper.

If you don’t know her, you must.

        She sees the world in the most beautiful way. 

Please welcome Caroline Manrique.                   What is your favorite color scheme in nature?

My first thought is that I love pale blues, pinks and greens. I love soft feminine colors. But lately I have been drawn to neutrals. I don’t mind a gray and foggy day now and then (it makes me get work done in the house!!!). And shooting on overcast days makes for the best photos!

You live in California! What do you love about living in a place that is sunny year round?

Obviously, the sun. Maybe that is why I don’t mind a gray day here and there. I love that my kids are outside all the time and that walking the dogs is never a hassle. Also, I ride my bicycle a lot and it sure makes is easier when the weather is nice all the time!

How often do you get to go to the beach?

Not as often as I could! Why is that? Maybe because it’s so close?   Do your children like to model for you?

LOL…not really! My oldest is in the stage of not wanting photos taken. My youngest will pose for me, but only for a few minutes. After too many shots I start getting the whiney: “Mooooooom, how much longer? This is so boring!” and then she starts making faces. Although, they will model for product shots…as they like to see themselves in print!

How many years have you been married?

It will be 15 years in October!

Do you have any marriage tips to share?

Oh gosh…well, I think it’s important to have common interests. And make time for each other. It’s so easy to get caught up with work and kids. But you need “date nights” and time together. Oh yes, don’t forget compromise…yes, lot’s of compromise!  Tell us about your Stranger Project.

I did this in August…a challenge to broaden my photography focus. I have always been scared to ask strangers if I can take their picture (I mean, who is not afraid to ask?). But I thought this would be a great way to push myself and break through that fear. To my surprise only 1 person said no! I met some incredible people and I grew so much. I can not say enough how much I enjoyed this project.

Do you shoot a picture every day?

Yes! Well I am currently doing my 365 project. So my camera is coming with me everywhere.

What are you listening to right now?

OneRebublic – Good life – from their album “Waking up”

If you could get any lens in the world today, what would you get?

Canon EF 50 mm 1.2 L series lens

If you could have any photographer in the world do a photo shoot with you, who would you pick?

I would love to do a shoot with Christina Greve from Diva and Dreams.

I love her work, it’s so romantic and dreamy!

Tell me about self portraits. 

I began doing self portraits as a way to learn about my camera and light. I don’t have a model, so I just used myself. And through this process, I began to see myself in a new light. I am not one who likes to look in the mirror. And, I shy away from the camera in general. But through this, I have healed some wounds and I have gained confidence. Not to mention…I learned so much about lighting and shooting in manual (which is now the only way I shoot).

What is one of your photography goals?

Oh gosh, I would love to be booked up for months in advance! Someday… ;)

Tell me about a dream shoot. Who would you love to shoot? Where would you want to do it?

This is a tough question! I suppose I would love to do a shoot in Paris…an overcast day, outdoor café, uber romantic with a lovely fashionable couple. My other thought is Bill Murray! Because I think he would be so friggin funny and interesting to shoot!

Do you use actions in your editing workflow? Where did you get your favorite ones?

I don’t use actions. I process my photos first in Lightroom and use presets that I have created.

Do you share your camera with anyone? Who else in your world likes to shoot like you do?

Sometimes, and only sometimes I let my husband use my camera. I have my first digital camera that I let my daughter use. My oldest is interested in photography, so I let her play around.

Any advice you would like to share with us?

Don’t let fear get in the way! Yes, there are tons of photographers out there…but your view of the world is completely unique. So go for it! Also…practice, practice, practice…shoot every single day if you can. And most of all, have fun!

Constantly Evolving

No Wordz (Photo blog)

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