Our Everyday Moments - August

August went by in a big fast blur. George and I have been trying to figure out what to do with our backyard. Living on a hillside has a lot of challenges when it comes to construction but we're excited to finally make that space fun and safe for the whole family. We also spent a lot of weekends visiting and catching up with friends and family. I hosted my first photography workshop at Pottery Barn Kids in Pasadena which was a HUGE learning opportunity for me. Here are a few images at home from last month...

Amelia has been fascinated with changing the diaper on her baby doll. This was a morning ritual for almost an entire week.

Burning the midnight oil. Most nights George works after the kids go to sleep. I'm so impressed with how he's been able to balance his workload and still be present with the kids.

Most nights I ask the kids to color before dinner. Amelia loves to scribble and Oliver usually draws cars, rainbows or the family driving in a car together. Some nights we'll all eat at the kids table so they can continue coloring :)

One of the last summer barbecues. It's almost impossible to get Amelia to sit down for a meal. You can't see Myles in the photo but rest assured that both dogs like to circle the table hoping for a tasty treat.

We finally have beautiful art above the piano thanks to Laci Fowler

Our Everyday - July

Sharing more photos of life at home. I'm still not quite sure if I'll keep this up every month but it's a good motivator to keep shooting and help me remember these little details of life. In July.....

Oliver drew his first family portrait! From left to right : George, Oliver, Amelia and me. We're surrounded by fireworks and a few hearts. You may be wondering who that little person at the bottom is supposed to be.....sorry folks, we are not expecting a third. I am NOT pregnant. I asked O who it was and he said he didn't know :/ My best guess is that it was his practice figure. In this drawing, George, Oliver and I are sticking our tongues out. Amelia is 'just smiling'.

I don't style Amelia's hair. At best, I use a hair clip to keep her hair out of her face and on those hot summer days, I manage to put it into a ponytail. When I pick her up from daycare though, she usually comes home with some pretty cute hairstyles like this one.

We've been eating a lot of watermelon lately. Amelia was so upset because she wanted two pieces - one for each hand. So, George took her slice and broke it in half. All was right with the world again.

Oliver is so proud of his worksheets and crafts from school. On this day, he made a pair of 'sunglasses' and was very concerned about repairing the broken frames.

Amelia will sit down at the piano every once in a while. Sometimes, Oliver will join in too. These moments are a good reminders for me to continue playing. I hope to pass on my love of music and would love it if they took an interest in learning.

Amelia loves to color now. Give her something to draw with and she'll quiet and distracted for at least a few minutes. 

Oliver in a common 'I'm watching T.V.' pose

Band aids are necessary for each and every injury (real or imagined)

They can sit quietly together watching T.V.

Amelia playing peek a boo

The realities of raising a young children and building a business at the same time

My version of a family in home session. George was so helpful getting the kids ready and distracted while I set up the room and  camera. We took over 100 shots. Even though they're not quite what I had envisioned, I love having these moments of us just playing and being together.

Our Everyday

Lately, I've been trying to document more of the everyday moments at home. So much of our time is spent here and this is where our family memories are created. These are some of the images taken in June. I'm trying not to use the tripod for now (Amelia is at the stage where she'd just knock it over) so I'd still like to play around with different angles for future photos. At this time in our lives....

 Oliver and Amelia LOVE to play with Legos

Amelia is at the age where she is crawling and standing on top of EVERYTHING. She knows she's not supposed to but I can't help laughing sometimes when I see that look of satisfaction on her face when she's up to something.

There are subtle reminders that little children live here

One of Amelia's favorite things to do lately is to read books. She turns the pages faster than I can read them, grabs the next one, and says 'dis wan'

I really wanted to document the kids brushing their teeth together. On this particular night, Amelia was too tired and went to bed before I could grab the camera. I was still able to get a few shots of Oliver being a big boy and brushing his teeth all by himself.

The next evening, George was helping the kids with their pajamas and I knew I had a min (if that) to get the bathroom ready for this photo. It took a few tries and cooperation to get them to share the step stool but I'm so glad we finally got the shot.

More photos of the kids playing and running in the house.