Sunday, April 20, 2008

tiger woods beware

i am not a huge sports fan.

don't get me wrong, i can hold my own when talking football, basketball, & baseball, but i have no desire to see my child pursue a career in any of those sports.

HOWEVER, i have been known, on occasion, to hit some golf balls out on our "private driving range" (aka back pasture) i also enjoy watching our son pick up the clubs & have told him i'd love for him to bring home "THE" green jacket one day.

after meeting these guys & their family last weekend, it seems there are others out there who'd love to see their children walking the greens at Augusta.

aren't they cute in their Masters shirts? ( compliments of grandpa!)





this guy & his sister live locally...





while this little cutie & his sister were visiting from chicago






the family was also celebrating this guy's baptism.



his mom & dad are going to have to beat the girls off!





keep practicing guys & maybe one day we'll meet on the 18th in augusta!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

website back up!

ok - at 11:34, the site is back up & running!

kudos to my tech guys!!

website down

just wanted to let you know my website is currently down. :(

sorry for any inconvenience it might cause those of you looking for galleries or current blog posts.

hopefully my "tech support" people will have the problem solved shortly.

it's that time again.....

i wonder what time of year it is again.....?

hmmmmmmmmm............



new shoe season?



buy some new make up season?



invite your family & friends over to stand on the porch in the rain season?



yes, all that and then some!

it's prom time, so here's a peek ....

sorry i wasn't able to find some ferns, columns, or "beach scene backdrops" to stand the couples in front of. maybe next year ; )















and personally, any teenage guys who are willing to put their dates shoes on deserve some kind of award!!



hope you guys had a "fantabulous" time & that everybody got home safe & sound BEFORE curfew!! ;)

Thursday, April 10, 2008

my camera & my day job & some numbers

my camera goes a lot of places with me, including to my "day job"- the one that involves kids - lots of them.
i love my other job, don't get me wrong, but there are days & situations i'd rather not ever re-live!

there are a LOT of numbers involved in that job too - not numbers associated with money mind you, but things like individual scores, averages, means, medians, modes, and lots of standardized numbers!!

there are also a lot of headaches created by too many politicians who think these numbers & statistics can tell you all you need to know about children & their level of learning.

unfortunately while i usually disagree with them, i often get caught up in all the stress these numbers create.

and then, tonight, as i began editing pictures i took at my "other job", i came across some numbers that made me smile & reminded me why i do love it.

take a look :



these numbers are "statistics" some of my girls recorded at a minor league baseball game we took them to earlier this week.

(now before you get on your soapbox & ask what a baseball game has to do with school, i'll politely inform you that it's the real life component to a creative math project involving statistics & probability - so there!)

you can see the selected players' numbers & batting average - apparently warren schaeffer has been more successful at the plate than the other two, but i digress....

more importantly, these numbers have heart(s) - literally & figuratively.

the players who are featured here obviously caught the eyes of these girls, who are at the age when boys are noticed and innocent crushes are developed.

they were recorded by some sweet & intelligent young ladies who strive to do what's expected of them, but are also widening their eyes searching, for their place in a society that changes daily at breakneck speed.

they are curious, compassionate, conscientious, and silly - everything you'd want your young teen daughter to be.

the expectations they face today though, are no laughing matter.

the information society has determined young people should master is staggering.

it is no longer just reading, writing, and arithmetic.

to be "proficient" today requires knowledge in more areas than most grown adults i know could handle. (just ask any parent who's tried to help with algebra homework or had to create a power point presentation!)

yet these girls, and many other kids like them, handle these expectations with grace, poise, and some very age-appropriate laughter & giggling!

they work hard and i feel so privileged to watch them have their light bulb moments as they learn.

so while i will agree that sometimes the numbers don't always add up, i'm also thrilled to report that there are occasions when you get lucky and the total is far more than the sum of the parts!!