choices {project 365: day twenty-two} | South Bend IN Portrait Photographer

Part of being a parent is giving your child the freedom to make choices, and letting them deal with the outcome---good or bad.  And no matter what, I keep my mouth shut.  I have to be okay with my kids making mistakes now, so that when they make big ones later on, they aren't afraid to come to me.  I don't allow them to get into unsafe situations or anything, don't worry!

I like to give the kids choices throughout the day, usually over trivial things that don't really matter much in the scheme of things.  If I can help them to make good choices now, with the small things, they will be better equipped to choose wisely in the future, when it matters.

This was one of those "I'll let you choose" moments.  We got home late on the 22nd, and I had promised the kids that they could play out in the snow before they went to bed.  Judah had talked ALL DAY about his snow "outfit": his favorite Cubs outfit (that is 2 sized too small), snow boots, and...well, that was it.  No coat, no mittens...no socks.  (He was wearing underwear.)  I checked with him a few times, asking if that was all he wanted to wear, and he assured me that he'd be good.

I fully expected him to run outside, get a good chill, and come back in to put his snow pants and coat on.  I was wrong.  I thought he would give in after he fell face-first into the snow.  Wrong again.  The only thing he really complained about was that the snow was getting in his boots.  Finally, after about 10 minutes, I made the kids come in, and he was so MAD!  I'm beginning to think that he would've stayed out there for an hour if I would've let him!  What a booger.  So much for learning (what I wanted you to learn) from your choice!

Please excuse the shoddy photography...Sometimes it matters more that you get the shot, than if it's technically great (or even okay).

sleeping beauty {project 365: day twenty-one} | South Bend IN Portrait Photographer

Lilly fell asleep with a tiny smile on her face the other night.  How sweet is that?!

wrap it up! {project 365: day twenty} | South Bend IN Portrait Photographer

I started Weight Watchers a few weeks ago, and I won't lie, it's been rough.  I like cooking...but I do NOT like cooking and having to track every ingredient.  Not fun.  I've been surviving on frozen dinners until I get this thing under control.  I've used WW in the past, and I did great, and then I found out I was pregnant with Zion, and had to quit.  This time around is not so easy.

I've been looking for quick, easy, low point-value food to incorporate into my daily diet, and this wrap is just that.  And Lilly begs for them, too...so that's a great bonus!

My recipe is simple, and super filling.  (For all of you WW'ers out there, one wrap is 5 points.)

Tuna Wrap
1 can drained tuna (in water)
1 Roma tomato, sliced
1 dill pickle spear, diced
1/4 cucumber, diced
2 tbsp mayo w/olive oil
1 tbsp mustard
a handful of Romaine lettuce
medium tortilla (look for the ones high in fiber)

Makes 2 wraps.

Enjoy!

my lilly-face {projects 52 & 365: week three & day nineteen} | South Bend IN Portrait Photographer

Last week was a "free choice" week in my Project 52 group on Facebook.  After a few mishaps trying to photograph something else, Lilly asked me to take a photo of her that would look like my self-portrait from the week before.  So we headed over to the window, and started shooting away.  I ended up with these two images...

I love them both.  My daughter is beautiful, inside and out.  She's just so gorgeous!

beauty {project 365: day eighteen} | South Bend IN Wedding Photographer

~Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting.~

{Ralph Waldo Emerson}

defying gravity {project 365: day seventeen} | South Bend Wedding Photographer

I grew up dreaming of being a professional singer.  I adore musicals, and I won't lie, I'd still love to be on Broadway playing Eponine, or Dolly, or Elphaba...which brings me to today.  I bought the Wicked soundtrack on iTunes, and Lilly has been listening to it all day long.  She made me find literally dozens of videos from the musical on youtube, including how Elphaba's makeup is applied,  and then I had to read the entire plot to her word for word on wikipedia (do you think this counts as musical education for her homeschooling?!).  She cried...yes, cried her little eyes out...when I told her that the show isn't playing anywhere near here until June, and even then the tickets are WAY out of our budget.  And then I had to break the news to her that the movie likely won't come out until 2014.  Sad day for this little girl.  Well, this is how she ended the day today...playing "Defying Gravity" with her Barbies.  It wouldn't surprise me if one of them "accidentally" turns green.  She drew quite the picture, too.  You can see Elphaba, Glinda, some munchkins, the scarecrow, and Dorothy & Toto.  She is quite the artist.

fake laughing...is funny {project 365: day sixteen} | South Bend IN Portrait Photographer

Today Calli, Hannah & Lili came over.  My Lilly was geeked, to say the least.  Last night before bed, she made a list of things they were going to do together, and was greatly disappointed when she found out that she was not in charge of the day today.

Lili & Hannah dropped by this morning to watch the kids so I could go out for a session, and Calli showed up at lunchtime.  We watched movies, baked muffins and cookies, played "house/camping/Cinderella,"  and had a good time together. My kids adore these young ladies, and I think they're pretty great, too.  (And yes, I had them "fake laugh" for this picture.  Acting stupid = Good picture!)