Leaning, Loving, and Learning my way through Life

My Niche - Playtography

2012-03-03T08:52:00.000-06:00

Lately I've been focusing on getting as much photography training as possible. I'm in that mode that I just want to soak in all in like a sponge, and that's what I've been doing.

When it comes to any art form, a recurring theme successful photographers will say is you have to find your own unique style.

I love this idea.

I think I've found something I can market as my own style. I call it Playtography.

It wouldn't be your typical photo session.

There wouldn't be any posing!

There wouldn't be any pre-planned shots!

It would all be up to the kids.

They would play and I would just happen to be hanging around with my camera.

And I would get shots like these:

I think families would like pictures like these.

Real moments.

Real laughter.

Real play.

Real fun!!!!

Developing

2012-02-28T12:30:00.001-06:00

The thing with a developing mind is once it gets going, it really goes fast!

At least that seems to be what's happening with Maddie lately.

The very first time a tried a sorting game with her she was only 21 months old.

I had three different kinds of bugs and the same color bowl to help her out a bit, but this was way too advanced for her at this age.

But look at her now!!

At 41 months, she's sorting 9 different types of fruits and the bowls are not even color coordinated!

I am so proud of her!

I'm beginning to realize what we are really up against in terms of proving to the world what Maddie is capable of. Her speech therapist suggested we try things with her that she's actually been doing for over a year now! It's not really her fault. Maddie hasn't shown off for her yet, but I did realize that unless the educators in her life know better, they will probably have the lowest level of expectation for her.
I hate that.
I've been reading another book by my hero, Barbara Curtis.

I love her because she's a former Montessori teacher and after having her own biological son born with Down Syndrome they adopted 3 more sons with DS!

Anyway, her method of teaching is so different than what's typical in most educational settings. Instead of learning the alphabet, she teaches to learn the sounds of the letters and this eliminates the confusion that the letter "C" really says "kuh."
I thought this would probably be best for Maddie.
I called a Montessori school to just see about touring the place.
They were more than eager to set up a time for me to come take a look.
They asked me how old my daughter was.
I told her she was 3 1/2 and wanted to be upfront right away so I also told her she has Down Syndrome.
The mood changed in an instant.
All of sudden, she was stammering on the phone, her confidence completely shaken.
All of a sudden, she could no longer help me, because she was just a teacher, so the director would call me later.
Later came and went, and I still haven't received that phone call.
This, too is not her fault.
We sure have come a long way in the last 50 years when our kiddos were immediately institutionalized, and this was just a wake up call to me that there may just be a bit more trailblazing to be done.
I could tell by the tone in her voice that the thought of teaching a child with special needs frightened her.
That's normal. It would scare me too.
But I'm convinced if Maddie were in this teacher's classroom, she would be no different than any other child.
The beautiful thing about Montessori education is it meets each child right where they are. It's an environment designed to encompass a vast array of learning levels.

This phone call was just the first step in researching the best option for Maddie. She may not be given the chance to enroll due to her diagnosis, or she may be the very first child with Down Syndrome to attend this school.

Either way, I suppose we have a lot to prove.

And Julie if you are reading this...we love Antioch!!! If I had to choose education over a loving environment, love wins every time!
Maddie's teachers have been so wonderful this first year of preschool, it just brings tears to my eyes!
We love you!!

Starting our Garden

2012-02-26T07:38:00.001-06:00

I took this picture yesterday and fell in love with it.

These are teeny tiny carrot seedlings we transplanted to larger pots yesterday.

We've planted kale, spinach, bib lettuce, romaine, carrots, and beets.

I love this process!

The Progress of Independence

2012-02-23T22:02:00.000-06:00

I've been a bit concerned lately by how much T.V. Maddie would watch if I let her.

My concerns are actually twofold:

1) I want her to cultivate her imagination and her concentration, and I'm not sure watching so much T.V. helps with that.

2) I also really want her to know that she doesn't always have to be entertained.

So we tried a little experiment yesterday. Once Maddie had watched an hour of T.V. in the morning, our T.V. looked like this the rest of the day.

I wish I could take credit for this great idea, but I found it on another blog and now I cannot find it again to link up.

We put on some music {thank you pandora internet radio!}

And Maddie really surprised me!

I intentionally decided not to engage Maddie in various activities to see how she would spend her time.

I think there was something about that silly blanket over the T.V. because she began playing with her toys like I haven't seen her do in a long time.

She gathered up all of her stuffed animals and began stacking them all up on the couch.

I watched as she carefully placed each one on top of the other, and when one slipped, she just picked it up and found another spot to place it.

Yay for problem solving!!!

Once she finished her hard work (which required a great deal of concentration - check!) I was curious if she would seek praise from me.

I remained quiet, and she threw her hands up and gave herself a yay, but never sought my approval.

Our eyes caught each others though and I think my smile said all I needed to.

Next, Maddie went over to her puzzles...

She acted out each of the animals on the puzzle...(imagination- check!)

elephant!


monkey!

And then, when she was finished she put them away...

without being told!!

In just one day I witnessed the attributes we all try so hard to teach our kids:

-self satisfaction

-concentration

-imagination

-order

-problem solving

It is so satisfying to see them unfold, and I think part of why I'm seeing it now is because I took the time to watch and observe them. Not only was our T.V. off limits for the day but so was my computer.

I've been worrying about this but it's been right there, under my nose the entire time.

I just haven't stopped to really notice them.

Taking time to stop and smell ~~the roses~~, ~~weeds in our yard~~, the progress of independence in a young toddler is something I hope to do more often.

She Did It!!!

2012-02-18T08:38:00.000-06:00

We had a breakthrough yesterday!

It's been a work in progress for about a year and a half!!

And yesterday....She did it!!

She put her shirt on all by herself!

Our journey began when she was about 2 yrs. old.

Her therapist asked me if she was helping dress herself.

Not even close!!

So, we began working on it.

At first I would put her shirt over her head and ask if she could find the sleeves.

We did this for many, many months.

And then, before long I didn't have to ask anymore...as soon as I put the shirt over her head she would get her little arms moving, searching for the hole.

Then, we moved on to finding the bottom of the shirt.

We talked about how there are special holes for her head, and other, smaller holes for her arms.

Yesterday we were working on sitting on the potty. Maddie has decided everything must be taken off in order to sit on the potty.

This gave us lots of opportunities to practice putting her shirt back on.

And all of a sudden, she had done it!!

Her shirt was on!

It was inside out, but I wasn't about to correct that!

That will be a lesson for another day...today we celebrate : )

Our Neighborhood Walk - Toddler Style

2012-02-17T08:07:00.000-06:00

The last couple of days have been so beautiful.

It's hard to believe earlier this week we were building snowmen!

We have been taking walks around the neighborhood.

I'm amazed how long it takes to walk a block with a toddler!

I love how they have no concept of time and are never in a hurry and have absolutely no agenda!

For a toddler on a walk, it's important to notice each and every neighbor's newspaper that still awaits being picked up and read.

She takes them to the front door...to be helpful! : )

And of course on the way back from delivering the paper to the front door, a toddler is sure to stumble upon some great treasures...

And who says you have to walk on a walk around the neighborhood?

Why not hop?

Of course after such adventure, it's important to take a moment to rest...

At this point we had been out "walking" for about an hour...that's probably the equivalent of running a marathon for her little bitty toddler legs!

I think I would take a rest too!

Valentine-The Day After

2012-02-15T09:24:00.000-06:00

How was your Valentine's Day?

We had a lovely day...no pun intended!

(okay, pun was totally intended)

OH, the fun of puns! : )

Maddie received her Valentine cards from her grandparents.

She was super excited when she found something special inside her card...

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Bernard!

She put in away in her piggy bank.

Next was her card from Grammie and PaPa.

She yelled "toe-toe" when she saw Bob the Tomato from Veggie Tales.

and was thrilled to have Elmo stickers! We had to open them up right away and use them.

She really liked seeing herself in her card from Grandma and Grandpa Schasteen.

She played with her cards for quite a while yesterday.

and then she passed them off for Pooh to enjoy!

Snow Day!!

2012-02-14T15:45:00.000-06:00

FINALLY!!

It arrived!!

SNOW!

We have been reading and reading and reading tons of winter books about snow and snowmen and things to do in the winter. I didn't think we would ever be able to play in the snow this winter.

But finally...it came!

We loved our snow day.

As soon as Maddie saw the snow, she went as fast as she could to the coat rack and signed "coat." She was ready to go play!

I didn't invest in a new snow suit and when I pulled out the one from last year, I couldn't believe it when I read the tag and saw 12 months! oops!

I decided we could squeeze into it...and amazingly...it fit OK!

I lucked out.

I wasn't so lucky when it was time to put gloves on.

Maddie did not have any good snowman-building-mittens.

So, once again, we improvised...

HaHa. This makes me laugh. I used plastic wrap and packing tape to try and make them waterproof.

Once Tenley woke up from her nap, we were all set to venture out. I wasn't completely comfortable having Tenley out in the snow, so she sat snug and comfortable by the door where she could watch!

We were enjoying being outside.

We found ~~lots~~ an unnerving amount of animal tracks...

Some of which seemed rather large!

And then all that work to jerry rig waterproof mittens...

The silly thing would NOT stay on!

But none of that could deter us from building the best snowman ever!

Maddie wanted to give the snowman her hat

She also wanted to give him her coat. I convinced her the snowman was very happy with just his scarf.

So instead she gave him hugs and kisses!

I hope we've created another memory she'll remember with joy : )

I know I will.

Help! Seeking Advice...

2012-02-13T15:29:00.000-06:00

To watermark or not to watermark?

I got a question I thought I would throw out there and see what everyone thinks.

I've had mixed feelings about putting watermarks on my photos.

My initial reaction is it distracts from the intent of the photo.

Sometimes, though, I think it gives a photo that added professional touch.

What do you guys think?

Here's an edited photo without the watermark...

And here's the same photo with a watermark I created in Photoshop...

If I did use the watermark, it would only be for web photos. Clients receiving a CD of photos would not have the watermark.

What do you think?

More Valentine Fun!

2012-02-11T10:50:00.000-06:00

I made a few more Valentine activities for Maddie to go along with her sensory box activity.

I'm so glad we'll have a few things to keep us busy while we huddle inside out of the cold weather!

First, we made little "flower arrangements"

It's still a little tricky for Maddie to get the pipe cleaners into the shaker, but we'll keep working on it. She just likes to bend the pipe cleaners!

Next, I made "sound boxes"

I found these heart containers at the dollar spot at Target. I tried to put things that would sound different when shook.

I hot glued them together...

and marked the correct pair on the bottom.

Maddie shake, shake, shakes!!

and tries to find the match.

This is another activity that is probably a little too advanced for her right now. She just likes to shake, shake, shake!!

I'm a little torn as to whether I should continue to introduce these things I know are a challenge or wait until she can master them. A lot of Montessori things I read says to put the activity away until they can use the materials correctly. I kind of disagree.

We keep things light-hearted and playful around here and when she shakes the "sound boxes" she's learning, even if she doesn't understand matching yet.

I think what Montessori was referring to was probably respecting materials and using them properly.

Anyone have any insights on this?

Valentine Time

2012-02-10T08:45:00.000-06:00

Maddie had her Valentine's party at preschool yesterday.

I cannot believe I forgot the camera!!!!

I did get pictures of the Valentine's Maddie gave to each of her little friends...

I made a little skirt using this pattern for the party...

She looked super cute and she loved her party! One of the Mommy's decorated the classroom and hung crepe paper streamers in the doorway. Maddie absolutely loved walking through the streamers.

Later that day I put together a sensory box. It's been a while since we've had a sensory box and Maddie liked this one.

I remember now why he haven't had a sensory box in a while...they are not so fun to clean up after! Still trying to teach Maddie to keep everything in the box!

Rain Frolic

2012-02-05T10:18:00.000-06:00

It's amazing what a little play can do.

Friday I was feeling a little ho-hum.

The lack of blog posts lately directly parallels the lack of pictures I've taken.

And when I'm not taking pictures, I get to feeling a little incomplete.

It's weird.

So, after staring at the pantry forever, I looked at Maddie and declared, "We're going to get Chicken!"

Maddie excitedly exclaims, "CHICK- IN!" Because she knows chicken means we are treating ourselves to a meal at Chick-fil-a!

It was raining so we put her galoshes on.

When we opened the garage door she suddenly found the best rain puddle of all time.

I couldn't deny her the chance of her (3-yr-old) lifetime to take advantage of such a great rain puddle.

So she began playing and I had to grab the camera.

I was getting hungry but this was so fun...

And suddenly, I wanted to play to!

After a long while, I tried to get her excited about chicken again, but rain puddles can even trump a trip to Chick-fil-a!

After an hour or so of playing in the rain, I brought out snacks.

After another 30 minutes or so, we were both soaked!

We came in, dried off, and suddenly I found all kinds of things to fix for lunch!

Play feeds the soul.

And when our souls are fed, our creativity flourishes.

I hope we always find the opportunity to play when our souls need it the most.

A Little Game Called "How do you say..."

2012-02-01T10:06:00.000-06:00

This video shows Maddie's progression with speech! She's now using words with her signs : )

Cooking "Toe-Toes"

2012-01-27T08:32:00.000-06:00

Lately Maddie has really been enjoying her play kitchen.

It seems like every day she's saying more and more words.

She says, carrots, onion, pepper, and my favorite, "toe-toe" (for tomato).

Stir...

Taste!!

Nutrition

2012-01-25T08:41:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago we went out to eat and Maddie made her own salad.

There was a piece of lettuce meant for garnishment on the appetizer plate.

Maddie took it and began tearing it up putting it on her plate! Before we knew it, she had a pretty

appetizing-looking salad!

Throughout the course of the meal, she added olives, bread, and tortilla chips.

We are so fortunate that Maddie has always been a good eater.

We've been making green smoothies for a little over a year now.

Maddie has at least one every day and usually two.

I remember when Maddie was first born and we went to some Down Syndrome Association meetings. We met other families who shared what it had been like having a child with Down Syndrome. They warned us to get ready for lots of trips to the Dr.'s office. Unfortunately, a weakened immune system is one of the characteristics of Down Syndrome.

Maddie has been sick TWICE in her 3 years of life. Once when she was 6 months old she caught an awful bug that she was kind enough to share with her Daddy and me!

The other time was when she was two and we were traveling to Kansas City for Thanksgiving.

Neither sickness required much more than tylenol and TLC.

The only thing I can contribute to her amazing immune system is nutrition.


loot from our garden last summer!

When Maddie was just two weeks old, we found out she had hypothyroidism and would require medication the rest of her life. Her Dr. let us know that once children with this condition gain too much weight, it's next to impossible to lose. We knew we had to establish healthy eating habits early!

We have always been very careful not to let Maddie have too many processed foods. Most of her snacks are fruits like bananas, grapes, or oranges. She loves avocados, blueberries, carrots (without ranch!), bell peppers, peanuts, apples, and even broccoli!

Sometimes, I'm even amazed at what she'll eat.

The added benefit for all this good nutrition is she doesn't get sick. Right now she's struggling with some allergies but as far as getting really sick, it's been amazing! Not even one, single ear infection!!

(Knock on wood!)

I can't wait to get our garden started in the spring! There's nothing better than eating good, nutritious food that you've grown yourself.

What I Love About You Project

2012-01-21T22:36:00.001-06:00

Some of you may have read my 40x40 list in this post.

Today I'm getting started on #15...Tell the people I love in my life what I love about them.

I'm starting with my good friend Tracy.

I have a theory...if everyone had a friend like Tracy in their life, no one would ever need a therapist again!

I have a few close friends that I can bear my whole soul to and they wouldn't flinch.

Tracy's one of them.

I called Tracy the other day and we spent a little bit of time catching up and then, like all good friends, she knew something wasn't right with me.

She asked me if I'm just having a blah kind of day.

And this is what I love about Tracy...she's a great listener.
She really listens, and somehow she makes me feel like the most important person in the world, with the most interesting things to say, and the most dynamic puzzles to solve.
And even though I had problems that couldn't be solved in one day, I felt better after talking to her.
I always feel better after talking to Tracy.
There's just something so gracious about her presence and I am so thankful she's my friend!

To have a good friend, you need to be one. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

I hope I can be as a good a friend to Tracy as she is to me!!

On To Something Good

2012-01-20T08:06:00.000-06:00

I definitely think we are on to something good with the Pick-a-Stick jar.

Maddie is still super excited about picking something out, and we are playing with things we haven't played with in a long time.

Before preschool yesterday, she picked watercolors.

Later that evening, she asked to paint some more! Yay...she's actually asking for activities rather than T.V.

She still asks for T.V. though- just not all the time!

I added a few more sticks like blocks and washing windows and follow the leader.

Maddie picked blocks.

We had lots of fun making an obstacle course for Pooh, Piglet, and Tigger.

On your mark, get set, GO!!

I love how Maddie says Tigger. It sounds like she has a British accent and she says, "Kig-eh"

So cute!

Pick-a-Stick

2012-01-18T09:13:00.001-06:00

I've really been trying to curb Maddie's enthusiasm for all things Elmo, Curious George, and Winnie the Pooh (AKA T.V.)

The ideal day would still include two hours of T.V. She gets to watch it first thing in the morning, and in the evening while I'm cooking dinner. I have to admit though, lately we've been watching waaaaaay too much!

I've had some experience trying to eradicate bad habits, and I know it's much easier when you replace a bad habit with a better one.

I was reading another mommy blog and got the inspiration for this idea (I try and link back when I can, but unfortunately I forgot where I read this!)

Of course I always have to give things little names so I call it, "Pick a Stick!"

When Maddie asks for " Melmo, Peeeeeeese?" (translation: "Elmo, please?") It's the "peeeeeeese" that gets me every time! But now instead of giving in, I can say let's pick a stick! It's been working great so far.

Yesterday, she picked water play.

and a basting activity..

I like this one! She uses the baster to transfer the water from one bowl to the next. The rag is there to wipe up any spills. It's a great fine motor activity and setting the bowls up left to right prepares her for reading.

Other activities in our Pick a Stick jar include:

Puzzles

Music (another favorite of mine!)

Water color

Crayons

Markers

Puppets

Dress-up

Read books

Cars

Sponge Transfer (like basting activity, only she squeezes a sponge instead)

Counting:

One-to-One Correspondence:

Still working on this one...there are six cotton balls (snow balls) for the six compartments in the muffin tin, but Maddie just likes to cram them all into one!

I love that she even gets excited when she sees the jar on the table!!

It's always the simple things in life!

So, does anyone have any other good ideas for our Pick-a-Stick jar?

I think (hope) we'll be using this for a while!

Dreamer

2012-01-12T14:05:00.000-06:00

I love this picture so much, it literally takes my breath away.

I'm a dreamer.

I see life in big pictures.

Details?

Not so much.

That's why I married Kyle : )

I dream the dreams and he figures out the details.

I've been dreaming a lot lately.

I'm going to be 34 in a few short months.

Which means I'm only 6 years and a few short months away from 40!!

What!? Really?

Not only am I a dreamer, I'm also a list-maker.

Oh, how I LOVE lists!

So, this is what I call my 40x40...

40 things I want to do before I'm 40.

1. Make a quilt

2. Write a children’s book

3. Publish a children’s book

4. Hike in the mountains with my family

5. Learn to knit or crochet

6. Can something homegrown

7. Travel to Europe

8. Travel to Hawaii

9. Run a Marathon

10. Teach Maddie how to take pictures

11. Learn to play guitar

12. Create on outdoor sanctuary

13. Plant a willow tree

14. Read the entire bible

15. Tell everyone I love in my life what I love about them

16. Read all of C.S. Lewis’ books

17. Take pictures in Africa

18. Climb Mount Fuji

19. Throw a huge party for my parents 40^th anniversary

20. Pay off our house

21. See the ocean

22. Take Maddie to Disney World

23. Swim with dolphins

24. Have a Homemade Christmas

25. Go an entire week with no T.V.

26. Print my blog in a book

27. Write a will

28. Teach Maddie to read and write

29. Go camping with Maddie

30. Take an amazing photo of a bird

31. Master food photography

32. Potty train Maddie

33. Work exercising into my schedule

34. Make sure Maddie knows about Grandparents she never met

35. Plan a girls getaway weekend with my gal pals

36. Earn enough with my photography business to buy all of the equipment I want

37. Win a photography contest

38. Teach a photography class

39. Go on a Cruise

40. Set up a photography studio in my home.

I have no idea how or if I'll accomplish all of my goals.

Sometimes it's enough for me to just have them written down.

It gives me something to dream about.

And dreaming is good. Goals are good. It's better to have something to work towards and fail, than to never have set out to do anything at all.

I don't really like to sit back and let life happen, I'd much rather be a contributing factor.

I also know that planning too far into the future is futile.

God is in control, and his plan will override my own.

Besides, I've learned from the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn that it's very possible all of these things on my list will be waiting for me in heaven if I don't get to experience them here.

And that's definitely something worth dreaming about!!

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." -Philippians 4:8

Blessed

2012-01-11T09:16:00.001-06:00

"Do not hire a man who does your work for money, but him who does it for love of it. "
Henry David Thoreau

I have been blessed to have had a few photo shoots lately. I just love my work!

I'm still learning new things with each photo shoot.

I got to shoot a lovely couple from church last week. Harold and Terrie have been married 43 years!! We did the photo shoot in their house with some beautiful, afternoon light pouring in the west windows.

I knew they were both coffee drinkers, and this was one of my favorite shots...

43 years later!!

I'm so blessed.

I'm blessed to work with wonderful people like the DeShazo's.

I'm blessed to have found work that feels like I'm right in God's pocket, doing what I was meant to do.

I'm blessed to have a supportive husband and the time and resources to accomplish my dreams.

"Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you." Psalm 37:5

I had two other photo shoots last week that I'm still working on edits, and an upcoming newborn shoot that I'm so excited about!
Life is good.

Photographer in Training

2012-01-10T11:01:00.000-06:00

You know that phrase "life imitating art?"

It adds a whole new meaning, when I see Maddie imitating me.

This is Maddie taking pictures : )

It's the cutest thing I've ever seen. She "poses" her stuffed animals, then runs back 10-15 feet, gets her pretend camera out, takes a few pictures, then runs back to get her stuffed animals!! Aaaahhh, so cute!

I cannot WAIT until she gets older and can tag along with me on photo shoots!! She's going to be the best assistant ever!! : )

so, it's been one of those weeks...when glitches seem to keep creeping up. I haven't been able to post new photos from my recent photo shoots because our computer did something weird. Luckily, I have an expert computer guy residing with us and can fix anything computer-related. I'm told it just takes time. : {

then, just when we are needing to take Maddie's glasses in to replace the scratched up lenses still under warranty for a little while longer, they are temporarily misplaced (yes, that's my euphemism for LOST!)

{sigh} they will turn up somewhere strange, I'm sure. Like in the refrigerator.

Handmade Toys!

2012-01-09T17:43:00.000-06:00

I love making little things for Maddie to play with. I wanted at least one of her Christmas gifts to be handmade.

I found the idea for Maddie's handmade Christmas gift on a fantastic blog called Gluesticks.

Here's my humble version.

These little cuties blossomed into such friendly personalities, I couldn't help but play a little myself!!

The thing about handmade toys, I've noticed, is even though they are not perfect (mine never are!) Maddie loves them just the same (if not more) than store-bought toys. I don't know if this is possible, but its almost like she picks up on the time and love I poured into making it.

If you haven't ever made anything for your kids, even if you don't think you are "creative" try something easy like these matching dolls and see what happens. All of the supplies I picked up at Hobby Lobby in the unfinished wood aisle and paint aisle.

Just beware, you may find the inner child within you begin a conversation with Little Miss Red and Pretty Miss Yellow!!