Monthly Archives: January 2012

January 31, 2012

Very Pinteresting

I saw my facebook friends posting cute crafts, recipes and quotes from this other site called PINTEREST.

When I am on the computer I e-mail. I facebook. I blog. I read blogs. I google. I edit photos. I read the news. I do research. I look for recipes.

I didn’t need one more thing.

I also heard it was website where hours of your life just disappeared. Lord knows I need all the minutes I’ve got.

I held out as long as I could.

And then curiosity got the best of me. I took a little look.

And a bigger look.

And then I was hooked.

There isn’t a place on the internet where I belong more than Pinterest.

I have been pinning all my life? Grabbing, tearing, printing all the images and recipes that looked good – only to stuff them in a binder or an envelope so that I could get back to them someday. (Also known as never.)

I even stick some of it on my actual, real-life bulletin boards.

Now, on a neat and tidy website, I have bulletin boards to store all those “decorating ideas” and “recipes to try.” I can easily access every inspiration in seconds… photos, crafts, paintings, gifts.

How did I use Pinterest this weekend?

I pinned this project, knowing that Harry would love to style some grass.

All the kids thought it looked like fun, so we cleaned out some pudding containers, filled socks with grass seed and dirt, decorated the faces, and now we are patiently waiting for our hair to grow.

And Cream Cheese Chicken Chili in the crockpot sounded good, so I made this for dinner:

It was delicious. I thought it was a little runny, so I ladled out some of the liquid and used it when making rice to go with the chili. It was a huge hit and the girls brought it to school for lunch the next day.

I thought that this Valentine idea would be cute for the teachers:

It looked a little too perfect though, so I had my 7-year-old make it more personal by writing the letters himself. It was only a slightly painful process – but the end result is really cute and full of love.

I have a board to hold ideas for Harry’s birthday party.

This has resulted in some great party plans to include his invite:

I learned and tried even more….

Who knew that the little circle stickers (that can be purchased in the office supply section of any store) fit perfectly on the bottom of a Hershey’s kiss? They do – great for a cute valentine message (or birthday, anniversary, etc.)

I also discovered that:

* coconut milk can be whipped like cream! Add cocoa and it is a divine, dairy-free, mousse-like dessert. (I have some waiting in the fridge right now.)

* you can make flowers out of fabric, cupcake liners and waxed paper.

* I have enough teacher-gift ideas to last me through our remaining 10 years of school.

So – if you haven’t already – check out this amazing site. But I warn you, it might organize your life, replace stacks of over-flowing folders, and tidy up your office. Now if I could only create a Pinterest board that would manage my driving, birthday, school and sports schedules.

7 comments | tags: Crock Pot, invitations, legos, organizing, Pinterest, Valentines | posted in ABOUT - life, motherhood, marriage

January 30, 2012

Finding Friends

By Wind Inspired

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: “What? You too? I thought I was the only one.” – C.S. Lewis

Without a doubt, the hardest parts of this military life are friends.

Making them. Leaving them. And making more.

Friends are also the best parts of this military life.

The shared connections. The memories. The understanding.

My sweet Grace came home in the first days of school and blurted out:

“A blonde family has moved to Puerto Rico, and Megan is in my class, and she has two sisters, one Tori’s age and one Harry’s age, and her dad is a pilot, and her mom seems organized, I think you’ll like her.”

Just like that, she didn’t even take a breath.

Not only was she excited about having a girl in class who didn’t make her feel like “the only one”, but she was watching out for the rest of us too. I imagine that our friend void was painfully obvious, and she went out of her way to fill it.

Grace is all bows and dresses, books and homework.

Getting dirty or sweaty or silly, especially at school, is not her thing. Enter Megan. A fun friend that chases lizards and plays sports and loves to laugh. She has brought out a wonderful sense of adventure in our sweet girl. Grace is even making regular appearances on the soccer field.

In the last month I have captured some photos of their friendship.

secret smiles

shadows

fashionistas

silhouettes

And sure enough, her sisters have lived up to their descriptions.

A playmate for Harry.

And a friend for Victoria.

And Grace was right, I like her mom too. Whenever I feel like I am facing the darkness she points out the light. And when it comes time to leave, it will be hard. Again. But for now…. we celebrate that we are all in this same place at the same time, going through it all together.

5 comments | tags: beach photography, best friends | posted in CAPTURE - photography

January 26, 2012

Ink

By Wind Inspired

The world is divided into two kinds of people: those who have tattoos, and those who are afraid of people with tattoos. ~Author Unknown

I disagree, as I am neither. I think there is a third category: those who are afraid to get a tattoo. That’s the one I fall into. I am not opposed to them. I think many are fantastic works of art. I just have far too much fear to go through with it.

My fear does not involve pain. Pain is my chronic companion. I run marathons. I birthed 4 children. I am not afraid to push beyond my pain threshold.

I’m not scared of needles either. In just the last few years I have been sucked of so much blood I could nourish a small family of vampires.

So what else is there?

Misspelling. When I lived in Louisiana, I passed a tattoo parlor every day on my way to work. Their sign said YOUR SO COOL. I don’t trust someone who doesn’t understand the concept of contractions to put something permanent on my body.

Artistic Vision. I don’t even hire painters to paint the walls of my house because I know they won’t do it the way I would. I like to do things myself, not because I am a glutton for punishment, but because I always have a vision in my mind that I never trust another to fulfill.

Age. Nothing on my body looks the same as it did 15 years ago. It would be naive to think that the sagging, wrinkling, widening will not continue over the upcoming decades. Any image would then sag, stretch or wrinkle right along with me.

Style. In 39 years I have loved smurfs and the color purple. I have worn jelly shoes, banana-yellow high top reeboks, and cowboy boots. I have permed my hair, cut it in a bi-level, and worn pig tails. While great at the time, none of them are phases that I necessarily want to go back to. I have yet to come across an image or a symbol that I know I will still love 40 years from now. What I do know is that if I had to wear pinstripe jeans that ride up higher than my belly button and a “Frankie says RELAX” t-shirt for the rest of my life I would feel anxious and claustrophobic.

Here we are in 2012. Living on a beach in a vacation destination. We see a lot of skin. A LOT. I have seen enough breasts, backsides and biceps to last a lifetime. And they have not all been pretty. And these days, it seems where there is skin, there are also tattoos.

We have seen it all. On every body type. One every age.

To date, my favorite has been a medical drawing of an internal organ, drawn just where that organ would be. Perhaps it was in honor of a removed gallbladder? Or spleen? I think I liked it because it reminded me of Slim Goodbody. Anyone remember him from school PE and health classes?

On our recent vacation, my darling son had some treat money. It was burning a hole in his pocket. What did he want to spend his cash on? A tattoo.

After careful consideration between a scorpion a dragon and a cobra – he chose the snake. I hate snakes. Especially on the body of my sweet little boy.

But, it was his money, it was his choice, and it was temporary. I just bit my tongue and took photos.

He was so excited and had quite an audience of onlookers.

Here is an up close look at the cobra. Yuck.

This was basically the little boy equivalent of a pedicure. It looked great for a few days and then it started to fade and flake off. While he was really thrilled with himself, I admit that I didn’t love it. He seemed too tough, too hard, too grown up.

And then I went to wake him up one morning, and I found my little boy right there, underneath his tattoo.

2 comments | tags: tattoos | posted in ABOUT - life, motherhood, marriage

January 25, 2012

Upload/Organize/Sort/Edit

By Wind Inspired

Upload – Organize – Sort – Edit.

This is my photo routine.

Not to be confused with Unload – Sort – Fold – Deliver.

Which is my laundry folding routine.

The photos are so much more fun.

And I have the time to sit here and ramble on because I just went to unload my dryer, and it was EMPTY! What joy. I can’t remember the last time I started a day ahead of the laundry curve. This happiness is only equivalent to the feeling when I open the dishwasher only to realize that the while I was sleeping the dish fairy arrived and put everything in its proper place. Let me tell you, I will take the dish fairy over the tooth fairy any day of the week. Keep your $2 and please put away my dishes.

Back to the indulgence of a few moments of computer time, and the item on my to-do list that says: Photos.

I upload images from my camera to my laptop just about every week. 5 cameras and a phone worth of photos.

Honestly, the Pictures folder on my laptop has got to be the most organized part of my life.

Ask me where the strawberry yogurt is in my fridge? Give me about 15 minutes.

Ask me for a photo of Harry in his kindergarten school play – and I can have it for you in seconds.

See? I told you.

There is something wonderful about having hundreds of organized files. And files within files. And knowing that these files don’t clutter up my home. So very different from the piles of sorted, folded, delivered laundry that no one has bothered to put away yet.

The fact that the last 10 weeks or so have included Thanksgiving, Christmas, Grace’s birthday, my niece’s birthday, a cruise, a visit from my sister, a visit from my parents, a trip to TX, 2 half marathons, lots of soccer games, 4 snorkeling trips, days in Old San Juan, a holiday card photo shoot, night kayaking and the early stages of valentines means that:

1) I am a little tired.

2) I have thousands of photos organized in folders – still waiting to be sorted and edited.

3) If I don’t make a conscious effort to get to the gym and remember to pick the kids up at school, I could truly spend at least 2 weeks sitting on my behind. I mean sitting behind my computer screen.

One of the most rewarding parts of taking far too many pictures, are the delightful surprises and forgotten moments that appear before my eyes. As I sort, I thought you might also be entertained by the random shots from the last few weeks. Note the word RANDOM. I am adding shots that grabbed my attention because of the color, or the story behind it, or that it just made me laugh when I saw it.

Enjoy.

GRACE UNDER WATER. I am looking at Grace snorkeling through a glass bottom boat.

LEGO HEART. The start of a valentine design for a little boy?

A PERFECT DAY. This is an Island off of Puerto Rico. My idea of the perfect place to spend the day.

CAIT N TORI. I like that the background captures the colorful feel of Old San Juan. I love that the girls look like they are having fun and actually like each other.

WHISPERS. Every time I visit Old San Juan there is a wedding in this church. I wish I knew the bride. I would send her this photo of her reassuring her flower girl. Also – she had this fabulous mini dress wedding gown.

SHARK? I’m not sure what happened to my paddle while night kayaking, but I am pretty sure Victoria shouldn’t reach into that water.

COUSINS. Harry and Maddie have a similar sense of humor and patience during a photo shoot.

WIND. Got this picture while sailing with my parents – couldn’t help myself.

SAND TOYS. Nothing spectacular about this one except that I like the colors and fun edit options on my phone.

FRIENDS. Grace’s Birthday. These girls are two-peas-in-a-pod.

BROTHERLY LOVE. It makes me laugh that this sweet moment was created thanks to a game called ANGRY Birds.

DOLPHINS AND RAINBOWS. No photoshop tricks here. This is off of the Island of Dominica. We really saw dolphins while there was a bright double rainbow overhead. The only thing missing is a flying unicorn.

WE LOVE LILY. All the cousins gazing at our newest addition.

That’s all folks. Back to the to-do list.

Happy Wednesday.

1 comment | tags: caribbean island, dolphin, legos, rainbows, sisters | posted in ABOUT - life, motherhood, marriage

January 24, 2012

Miles of Dreams

By Wind Inspired

Happy Monday.

AND, Happy Chinese New year. Welcome the year of the Dragon.

I’ve spent the last 20 minutes searching the internet for some good recipes to provide my family with a festive Chinese feast. As I make a mental grocery list and calculate the shopping and preparation time,I think it might be easier to head to PF Changs for some takeout.

After 6 days in TX, I’ve been overwhelmed by the catch-up process. Today is the first day that I feel like I know what day it is, where everyone needs to be afterschool and that I might accomplish something greater than unloading the dishwasher and dryer.

While I LOVE a weekend of travel, it leaves me with less time to write, and an even longer list of stuff to write about.

As I edit the over 5000 photos downloaded from my camera over the last few weeks, today I am inspired by the strength and emotion of the images I captured at the Olympic Marathon trials.

First you must know that I am obsessed with The Olympics. I am in complete awe of the talent combined with the dedication. I sit and watch each event with anticipation and enthusiasm. I hold my breath as they compete and tear up as the winners take the podium.

Second, I am in love with The Marathon. I am equally impressed by the winners as I am with the last athletes that crosses the finish line. Having the physical strength to tackle the distance and the mental fortitude to ignore every exhausted muscle and carry on even when your legs and lungs beg you to stop just amazes me. Each and every time.

Third, I am a running nerd. I know names and biographies and world records. The way some people can talk football or baseball, I can talk track. I have met a handful of the legends (Jeff Galloway, Jim Ryun and Katherine Switzer) and I love reading the stories of the up-and-comings. Being at an event like this is my equivalent of the World Series or Superbowl.

So, you can only imagine my excitement in getting to watch both the men and women race the marathon in their quest for the coveted spots of the 2012 United States Olympic Team. Add in that I actually know one of the fantastic women racing, and, well, I was just like a kid on Christmas. What you are about to experience are my thoughts, and my images captured on two different cameras and my cell phone. Hope you enjoy the experience as much as I did.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Friday evening was a pared down version of the opening ceremony. There were wonderful past Olympians on hand and a fireworks display over downtown Houston.

Saturday, January 14th was the US Olympic Trials for the marathon.

Over 250 athletes qualified to compete for positions on the US Olympic team. The morning was cool and perfect for running (or to my Caribbean body, it was FREEZING!) Take a look at the map below, I was standing on Lamar, somewhere prior to the 2/10/18/26 mark.

Map of course

Considering that people will pay a fortune to attend an actual Olympic event, and tickets to the Track and Field finals for the Olympic Team are pretty pricey it was surprising to see the almost empty streets of Houston. This event was completely FREE! No complaints from me, I had a front row spot, and crossed back and forth across the street seeking the warmth of the sun.

Mile 1.5. This is my first glimpse of the runners.

The men have already spread themselves out, moving at a wicked pace.

At this same point the ladies were still in a tight pack.

Our own Leah Thorvilson (44) was right in the pack with the leaders.

Mile 9.5

The men. Would you just take a look at Ryan Hall’s calves? I wish you could see my calves from the front of my legs.

And here are the ladies. While they were seriously moving, I love that it appears that the ladies are just out for a social run – laughing, talking, telling secrets.

Mile 17.5

The men

The ladies

Mile 25.5

With less than a mile to go, the men had solidified their positions.

# 1 Meb

#2 Ryan

#3 Abdi

As had the ladies.

#1 Shalane

#2 Desi

#3 Kara (Hey Spouses in the C-130 world who who might Kris Kuenzli – am I the only one who sees a remarkable resemblance between Kris and Kara?)

Here we have the 2012 US Olympic Marathon Team: Desiree Davila, Ryan Hall, Abdi Abdirahman, Shalane Flanagan, Meb Keflezighi, Kara Goucher. In August I will be glued to the television screen as these 6 chase the gold in London.

But lest we not forget the whole reason we were in town – to watch our favorite winner. If this rear view seems familiar to you – you may recognize tinkerbell from all of the Run Disney brochures.

Check out her fans – groups in green t-shirts were all over the course cheering on the gal from Little Rock

This fortitude and determination is only matched by the size of her heart.

On Sunday, when the rest of us mere mortals were running the “regular people” half and full marathon, she was cheering at the finish. She yelled and clapped right through the 6 hour mark as the last person crossed the finish line. And that is why she’s great. She is genuinely excited when one of us average folks achieves a PR. If you are a beginning runner – she will celebrate your every mile. She knows just how to encourage young runners (just ask the ones who live in my house).

This poor excuse for a photo was snapped on my phone, but it is the perfect example of who she is – the kind of girl who will, on extremely trashed legs, jump the fence and join a dear friend as he heads into the finish. In my eyes, and hundreds of others, Leah is a true champion.

Final thoughts: It is 12 hours later than when I started this post. I actually did accomplish more than the dishes and laundry. I hit the gym and the grocery store. Prepared a gluten-free feast of Chicken Fried Rice and Beef with broccoli. We even had Fortune Cupcakes with fortunes lovingly scripted by little ones. My fortune? Prepare for your fucher. My little guy may be wise, but he needs some tutoring in the spelling department. Happy New Year friends: Gung hay fat choy

1 comment | tags: Abdi Abdirahman, Chinese New year, Desiree Davila, Kara Goucher, Meb Keflezighi, Olympic Trials, Ryan Hall, Shalane Flanagan | posted in CAPTURE - photography, RUN - training and racing

January 13, 2012

Race Weekend

By Wind Inspired

Well, the weekend has arrived. I am writing this edition from the airport on my phone. This is a first and I can’t promise that it will actually come to fruition, as having all of my editing tools in miniature makes me anxious. But I’m giving it a go. Just like the race itself.
Let’s catch up. I know it has been a few weeks since I have given a running update. Why? I just didn’t feel like it. How’s that for an excuse? But, since I am the boss of this volunteer venture, I get to set the schedule and change the rules at will.
The bottom line is, all aspects of preparations have been confusing and pretty frustrating. The running has been less frequent, but really strong. I ran on treadmills, on the cruise ship, on the beach. The problem was that while my body was functioning well all my blood work for the last 2 months has shown otherwise. My immune system was killing off white blood cells. My blood pressure has been uncomfortably high given my age and lifestyle. I was afraid the Dr was going to nix this whole thing.
Monday’s visit was a good one. Numbers were somewhat better and she gave me the go ahead with one stipulation: take it easy. As in, “don’t try to win.” This made me laugh. I realized that she had no concept of running races (I had to explain that a half marathon was 13 miles) and that she had no understanding of my abilities, or lack-there-of. Even in my best shape EVER I would only win a half marathon, or any race of any distance, if I were the ONLY ONE COMPETING.
So, with my Dr.’s blessing, I will be at the start on Sunday. Don’t expect any world records from me. I will have my awesomeness in check, Dr.’s orders.

TGIF, and have a great weekend!

2 comments | posted in RUN - training and racing

January 12, 2012

Superman and the Crazy Lady

By Wind Inspired

I am married to Superman.

I know, I often refer to him as Prince Charming, as we met at a Ball…. but Superman would have been an equally, if not more, appropriate pseudonym. Why?

He swoops in and fixes things in a single bound with a roll of duct tape and a paperclip.

He flies airplanes.

He’s been to war.

He has a stomach of steel. He takes on three-week-old leftovers with pride.

And he saves me from my own insanity on a daily basis.

So, as you can imagine, it would take excruciating pain to get him to the doctor. Excruciating as in a limb is hanging by a thread, or maybe something inside is about to explode.

This autumn a very angry gallbladder bullied him into a trip to the ER.

If you are not up to speed on our Gallbladder Experience, take a moment to get the back story.

http://windinspired.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/laughter-is-the-best-medicine-the-beginning/

http://windinspired.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/laughter-is-the-best-medicine-the-middle/

http://windinspired.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/laughter-is-the-best-medicine-the-end/

While we really did laugh A LOT, there were some darker moments. Ones when the fear was so heavy I couldn’t catch my breath. There was a part of the story that I purposely left out. There were too many unanswered questions. I was protecting medical privacy. And to be honest, it was just too much to put into words at the time.

You see, God used a severely painful, stone-filled gallbladder to get Superman to the Doctor. Removing this small organ became the least of our worries, as initial blood tests revealed incredibly high blood sugar. Test after test, it was clear that we were dealing with diabetes and it had been untreated for months, quite possibly longer. It was really hard to wrap our minds around this.

No signs. No family history. Perfect BMI. Good eating habits. Lots of exercise (he was training for an Ironman for goodness sakes.)

This news was not well accepted. Type II Diabetes is a disease that has blame associated with it.The diagnosis comes with a promise that with proper diet and exercise you can reverse it. He doesn’t fall into this case – even 3 months later doctors are still completely confused.

And then how did I take it? My first instinct is always reaserach. Sadly this was the same week that Steve Jobs died of pancreatic cancer. Every news station and website were covering the often missed early signs of this devastating disease. #1 on the list was Diabetes that comes on unexpectedly and is unexplainable, with no family history. I worried. A lot. I asked questions and more questions.

So here we are, 3 months later. Thanks to vigilant dietary choices, the proper medications and dosages, and lots of exercise Superman seems to be flying strong again. His blood sugar is very well controlled and even though he hates it, he is keeping up with regular appointments with specialists. Further tests still show nothing of concern in either the pancreas or liver.

And now I introduce the Crazy Lady – that’s me.

Do you remember being a kid in school – everyone was unwrapping their twinkies and one kid had home-made banana bread in tin foil. Their mother made it. She was one of those earthy types with frizzy hair, no make-up and clothes she made herself.

Some days I see that same lady in the mirror.

In a world of fast food, soda, chips and candy bars…. I am the one packing lunches of organic soups and gluten-free muffins that I made myself. Dried fruit and nuts in lieu of candy. Carrots instead of chips. A bottle of water instead of juice or soda. I am kind of kooky when it comes to food. I try to let my kids be as “normal” as possible, but I refuse to fill them with sugar, chemicals and preservatives.

Throw in Celiac Disease (3/4 kids must follow a gluten-free diet.)

My own autoimmune diseases.

And now Diabetes.

I have read enough nutritional information in the last few years to earn a Master’s Degree as a dietician.

The problem is, the more I read, the less I want to eat.

You can find something bad to read about everything – meat, pesticides, dairy, genetically modified fruits and vegetables, salt, soy, good carbs, bad carbs, whole grains…)

Aside from my imaginary chocolate cake diet, you could probably find enough information to defend any dietary habits you want to make up.

I’ve been reading about Paleo, Primal, The Blood Type, Vegan, Autoimmune, and Gluten-Free diets, to mention a few.

I have come across a few interesting facts and observations:

The blood type diet has my type A as both gluten free and free of all night shade vegetables (interesting with my problems with both Celiac Disease and Lupus.)
When I am grain free (no wheat, rice, corn, oats) I have MUCH better digestion success. (Strange since we are often pushed toward whole grains for this problem.)
When I follow No added sugar, I sleep very soundly, often wake up before my alarm.
Following a primal diet (maybe 80% of the time) has reduced inflammation in my hands and I can get rings past my joints. It has also dramatically reduced the “crunchy” sound in my knees.
My shorter workouts have improved (5 miles or less) but longer runs (10 miles plus) leave me really exhausted.

I wish I had all the answers. I know that I want to avoid as many chemicals as possible. I also want to eat foods in their most natural form (less processed.) I don’t want to waste calories on foods that don’t offer nutritional value. I need to make delicious, filling, calorie-rich, but low carb meals for my family. I also want to eat a cupcake every now and again.

So – where does all of this leave me? Crazy. And maybe considering some more formal study in the world of food. Until then, I will share some of the tasty meals that are a hit with our family. If you are interested in further reading, check out a few sites that I enjoy.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com

http://www.primal-palate.com/

http://celiachandbook.com/

6 comments | tags: autoimmune disease, diabetes, grain-free, paleo, primal | posted in ABOUT - life, motherhood, marriage, HEAL - living with chronic illness

January 12, 2012

Cavegirl Muffins

By Wind Inspired

We have been having some fun experimenting with our food choices. I have done a tremendous amount of reading on Paleo and Primal diets, the Blood type diet, and diets for those with autoimmune diseases. Basically – I stick with meats, fish, eggs, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruits and limited dairy. I am avoiding grains (to include corn), sugar, legumes (peanuts and beans), and nightshade vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant.) While I have not landed on an exact science of diet and it’s impact on my health (especially helping with digestion, pain management, and reducing inflammation) – I feel that the more processed food that I can eliminate, the better.

This is my second batch of gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, no added-sugar banana muffins. Sounds dull, but they are delicious!

COCONUT BANANA MUFFINS

1/2 cup coconut flour

6 eggs

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 tsp Vanilla

3 small bananas mashed

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

___________________________________________

Combine all ingredients.

Spoon batter into a 12 count greased or lined muffin pan.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Fun additions – dark chocolate chunks and/or nuts.

The outcome is a very moist, slightly sweet muffin.

Enjoy!

Note – they freeze well. They last at least 2 days in the fridge, probably longer, but they have been eaten far too quickly to test this theory.

4 comments | tags: coconut banana muffins, grain-free, primal | posted in EAT - recipes, restaurants and reviews

January 10, 2012

Come fly with me

By Wind Inspired

Sunday was a perfect day to fly a kite!

Blue skies, warm sun, strong breezes.
This day was born out of many, many promises to Harry. Every time we visit Old San Juan we are the tour guides, catering to the wishes of our guests. And every time Harry tugs on my arms and asks “can we…. fly kites? feed birds? walk down this street? get ice cream?” I always promise that we will come back another day, just us, and he can plan our fun.

A free day finally arrived and his agenda was set: Kites at El Morrow, Ice Cream, Pigeons and maybe Mom can play with her new camera.

We started off with a bi-plane kite.

The wind was strong. The tail fell off. The wings fell off. And I am no MacGyver.

After a number of starts and crashes… my boy was crushed and my girls were impatient. The kites that were faring the best were the really simple ones.

So thankful for the sidewalk stand selling kites! $5 later: JOY!

Below you see a boy and his three sisters. I leave the soundtrack to your imagination – but if I can offer a hint, the poor guy was getting a lot of advice.

Even though she looks kind of mean, this sister was the most helpful in making the flight a success. And look how lovely she is when she realized the camera is focused in her direction.

Once kite flying was deemed a success, we crossed the city – stopping for a few shots of my kiddos.

You will notice a wardrobe change. Harry insisted in wearing a red shirt for the kites, because his kite was red. And yes, when I bought him another kite, I made sure it was color coordinated. He wanted to wear the “right” color for photos too – and match the girls. The funny part was when I held out his shirt to change – he told me that it would be inappropriate to take his shirt off in public. Really? REALLY? The potty talk at the table is okay? Regularly forgetting to put on underwear for school is fine? But 3 seconds of a bare chest – that is inappropriate? If the reason for my gray hairs was not evident before, it should now be as clear as day.

The kiddos had some fun finding new photo locations.

I love this gray building – note to self, around 1pm, the light here is great. And no – I didn’t pose them, this is all spontaneity.

And what would a trip to Old San Juan be without Ben and Jerry’s? Here are perfect examples of my favorite photography tip: when you photograph kids doing something they enjoy, the photos are always better. The smiles are real and effortless.

Next stop: Pigeon Park. I had fun with the focus options on my camera.

UP CLOSE – These 4 were all on my hand at once. I love how the 4 heads managed to stay in focus, as did my hand of food, while everything else is a blur of motion – exactly as it felt while it actually happened.

Pretty Bird.

In Victoria’s hand.

My bird-boy.

The kids watching a local musician.

We captured a few more shots before going out to dinner.

Loving siblings

They love each other, they really do.

After an early dinner, we strolled the city streets for another hour. As the sun started to set, the color of the city completely changed. I love that the normally brown walls take on a blue color.

The sky was just beautiful.

Even on the North East side of the Island, the sunset offered beautiful colors.

This final shot is my favorite of the day. I caught my family navigating through the crowds as the city lights came on.

It was a perfect day. We ended our holiday time with memories of dreams fulfilled and lots of laughter. And where are they today? Back in school. The transition wasn’t too bad. I woke them up at 6am yesterday with a LONG list of chores. After making beds, writing thank you note, cleaning out closets and doing the dishes, when the alarm went off at 6am today, I think they were relieved to be heading to class.

How brilliant am I?

Have a happy Tuesday. Go fly a kite!

2 comments | tags: Ben & Jerry's Ice cream, El Morrow, Kites, on location photography, pigeons, Puerto Rico, San Juan | posted in CAPTURE - photography, EXPLORE - world travels

January 8, 2012

Painting Projects

By Wind Inspired

Today I will give away the last of the holiday painting gifts.

Many of these were ordered and sent off to clients. A few were my own gifts to friends.

What’s on the table now? A few promised paintings for my own kids (yes – just like the barefoot shoemaker’s children, my two littlest are without their mother’s creations) and sketches for an upcoming wedding project – So excited about this one!

Enjoy.

10 x 20 canvas for Zack