The things that matter {to me}

Someone is very happy that Daddy is home

 

Ms Feeny is so relieved that Geoff came home. She has not been 2 inches from him since, she just wants to make sure that she doesn't get left home again. She's sleeping much better and in general just happier & not so nervous.

 

The other kid... well he's annoyed with us.  He really wants to go back to Disneyland and since I cannot quite make that happen he's just done with me. He's especially done with the camera so forget seeing a picture of him smiling, he's either annoyed or rolling his eyes. Yep, there is no doubt he's getting older.

I'm not usually big on manuals

 

I often read directions if I'm assembling stuff (Geoff does not) but I'm not usually one to dive into an instruction manual like it's a best selling novel. This one however is a page turner. I carry it with me everywhere & I often read chapters over & over just trying to learn what the heck I'm doing.  I am looking forward to the class I am signed up for that starts in a few weeks, I'm just trying to learn as much about my tool ahead of time.

He's home

 

The kids & I went to the airport tonight to pick Geoff up. We were all so happy to see him, he was only gone 3 nights but I was really ready to pick him up. He has lots of stories to tell, I'm sure I haven't even heard a third of them yet. He only took pictures with his iPhone so they are not great but it looks like he got a few good ones. He did all kinds of important things and I super proud of him!

Actions

Last night I was lucky enough to spend the evening catching up with 2 of my good friends who I rarely get to see. Neither of them live here anymore so for all of us to be in the same place is pretty remarkable.

We stayed up until after 1 am so this morning getting up was rough but I did it. But part way to school this morning I heard a weird sound from the back seat & my heart sunk. Alex was throwing up. Ugh! That is never a good way to start the day, I would have way rather figured that out while I was still in my PJ's and could have gotten back into my bed. Thankfully though whatever it was didn't last because by noon he was back to his busy little self.

I've been downloading actions for Photoshop Elements lately but I had lost the directions on how to install them so I have been going without. But tonight I downloaded this picture which I love but clearly (or not so clearly) it is far from a perfect shot. Here it is straight out of the camera:

 

Then here it is with this cool free action called Perfect Portrait... I cannot beleive what a difference it makes

 

And then I had downloaded a cool free black & white action awhile ago but I am not sure from where. It's from someone named Jess & clearly she does cool stuff also as I love this conversion

  

Anyway just some fun stuff to play around with. Tomorrow night Geoff comes back home from Washington DC. From the brief conversations we have had it seems like he's having a great time. He's been nonstop busy with meetings and today he spoke to a senate subcommittee.... ummmmm how crazy is that? We are excited to hear the whole story when he gets home!

Back to school

Alex was sooooo sure that we were going to Disneyland this morning. We are not big travelers around here so for Alex when the suitcases come out it usually means we are going to his favorite place. Geoff was packing yesterday when Alex started gathering the things he wanted and putting them in the suitcase too... I thought Geoff was going to lose it because he felt so bad. I kept reminding Alex that we were not going that just daddy was going but I could tell he was not buying it. 

Alex was estatic this morning when I woke him up early (we had to leave early to get Geoff to the airport on our way to school) but alas as we drove away from the airport without Geoff and in the direction school he was noticably deflated. I felt so bad. He was pretty happy to get back to school though by the time we got there. He was full of smiles for the staff and at the end of the day the report was that he was very mellow & good.

I spent my morning returning calls & emails, I had a ton of stuff to get done. Then I ventured off to Costco to replenish Alex's cheese & drinkable yogurt. Kelly & I met for a quick lunch and then that was it, time to head back for pickup. The day flew by!

Tomorrow is his oyster

Alex is REALLY into "tomorrow" right now. Everything is going to happen tomorrow, he no longer lives for the moment... this boy is planning for his future LOL  He also likes "yesterday" and says it in the cutest possible voice, we talk alot about whatever it was we did yesterday but overall tomorrow is the current favorite.

In other news we are getting up early to take Geoff to the airport on our way to school.  I am excited for him to go, I think it's going to be a cool experience but we are really going to miss him around here. In fact we were talking today about how spoiled we have been this year with him home quite a bit (aside from the whole duck hunting debacle). But that will be coming to an end soon as he is going to be doing a huge project on the boat starting in a couple of weeks. The boat will be going to a dry dock about 4 hours north of here in a town called Fort Bragg, they are going to actually cut the boat in half and add a few feet in the middle so when they put it back together it will be longer. He'll be back & forth between here & there for the whole spring and most of the summer. It's going to be tough to get used to again although he is excited for the project so we'll make it work out.

Back to reality in a few hours with an airport drop and Alex back to school after the ski week break. I better get to sleep so I have the energy to make it.

Security Clearance

Monday morning bright & early Geoff will get on a plane to Washington DC. He's going there for meetings about changes to the fishing industry and while going over his schedule I noticed that he had to give his social security number and other private information for security clearance because (get this) one of the meetings is in the executive office of the President. Ummmmm my husband has security clearance? Holy moly! Today I helped him put together a proper wardrobe for such an event, what a chore that was. For someone who hates shopping he sure has an awful lot of opinions on the matter LOL.

I cannot stand to be patted on the head

We went to see a new audiologist today, it was less than stellar appointment. Is anyone reading this an audiologist? If so isn't there any way to test a kid who does not follow typical directions? I hate this stuff. I tried several times to explain things that I think he either heard or didn't (it's hard to interpret Alex's reactions sometimes) but I could tell that I was annoying the audiologist. Ugh!! So today I got the "your the weird mother of a weird kid" pat pat on the head... I hate that! The "yeah, sure he hears a tiny squeak of a door at home" and the "Charge Syndrome, what's that?" OMG I don't know you could read up a little before we get here so you at least know SOMETHING. Plus a couple of minor annoyances like scary parking garages and shelves full of toys that Alex knocked over and you can see how it was a super terrific day right?

But the worst news is that we lost Alex's current favorite dinosaur toy. I am hoping that we can find a replacement tomorrow at Target. But to be honest I am so sad about it, you know those darn Toy Story movies have scarred me for life. I know somewhere that little dino is super sad hoping his boy comes back to find him again. :( :( We'll be going straight to the lost & found tomorrow at Target to see if anyone turned him in.

Here's hoping tomorrow is a little better around here.

The good, the bad & the ugly

Good news should always come first, so in the good department (not news though) Kelly & I took the kids to the Monterey Bay Aquarium today. The crowds were not bad although Alex was not interested in pausing too long at any one thing. I sprinted from one end of that place to another, especially up any available stairs (lord knows I need a good work out) all while trying to hold on to my wiggly boy, a large camera & a bag. It was very fun though and I am super glad we went. Thomas really wanted to see an octopus and right away he got his wish (sorry for the blur it was really dark)

 

Alex always loves these things

 

After the aquarium we went to a nearby park with a very cool suspension bridge thingy that Alex loved running across (note more running for me as it was way too big for me to be on the other side)

 

and there were tunnels which is one of Alex's current loves.

 

The Bad news is I am getting frustrated with my camera and lack of photography skills. I mean, I have this awesome camera but I am feeling like my pictures are not great (as previously whined about here on this very blog). I have spent every night reading my manual, Googling problems, messing with settings and I am starting to be afraid I'll never get it. I'm thinking about doing the micro AF adjustment but again, I am afraid because I only really know enough to be dangerous. I'll keep trying.

The ugly is the California state budget mess. OMG shut up already & make the budget. I do not want higher taxes either but what are we going to do? Shut everything down & go into chaos? What a bunch of over paid whiners I hope every single one of them gets ousted in the next election. What a shame. If they show them hanging out in the capitol laughing with their Blackberry's one more time I swear I'm going to turn Alex loose in there & let him kick them all in the shins.

Climbing the walls

It's only Tuesday and we are in need of a big outing around here. Today we only went to the grocery store & Alex was full of energy. We need to run and get this kiddo tired out. So tomorrow Kelly & I are going to head to Monterey to the aquarium to let the kids run amok. Cross your fingers for us that there are light crowds... we need lots of room to expend all of this energy!