100

Now that I am 150 days into this photo a day project, I have been reflecting a bit on how this 365 is going and where to go from here.  I have come to the following conclusions.

- This project has been good for me.  I have taken a ton of photos that I would have otherwise believed were not possible due to a lack of time, lighting, and/or my own energy and abilities. I'm grateful for the many moments I have captured as a result.

- My skills are improving.  I am more conscious of my settings, adjust them with specific intentions with more satisfying results, and no longer default to priority modes when circumstances are tough.

- I regret including iPhone photos in this project, posting DSLR photos that I edited too quickly, and not taking 150 photos in these 150 days.  I want to take more photos with my DSLR in manual in a routine, disciplined way, but these parameters are not right for me.

With all of that in mind, and to revive the goal of getting 365 photos in my album by the end of the year, I have decided to alter my plan.  My intention now is to to take, edit, and post nine photos a week.  Those nine may be taken in one day, over the course of those seven days, or in some combination in between (three photos from three separate days in a week, perhaps).

In the spirit of that alteration I have added a handful of photos to my Flickr album that I posted on the blog as extras earlier in this project.  With those there are now 100 photos in my 365 album.  With thirty weeks left in 2015 and the goal of nine photos a week, I am back on track.  I didn't think I cared much about that final number, but seeing that goal once again within reach is inspiring.

Rainy Day Foosball

93/365

We snatched up a Foosball table during some sunny Saturday morning garage sale-ing and were glad to have it over the rest of this very rainy weekend.

T-Ball Practice

92/365

Swing Standing

91/365

Nature in Suburbia

90/365

Our plans over this Memorial Day Weekend were a loose list of mundane chores and the unspoken determination to just chill.  The weather has been beautiful, so just as we would start making grocery lists and sanding the rust off patio furniture, better plans would come to mind to convert a weekend at home into more of a staycation.  As a result, amid memories of cleaning out the hall closet, mowing the lawn, and hardwood flooring research are mental snapshots of a raccoon sighting at a metropark, a canoe adventure down a river, ice cream with a family we met while out to dinner, a ride in a 1914 Model T, and a drive-in movie.  Our chores are now mostly completed and we're feeling satisfied by some memorable family fun.

Barefoot in the Grass

89/365

Despite Sophie wearing the exact same outfit as the last photo I posted, this was taken days later, I swear!

I finally made the switch to back button focusing, and while it's taking some getting used to, I do see the benefits already.

Sandbox

88/365

Real Life Farm 2015

87/365

"Like a Diamond in the Sky"

86/365

It must be noted that I managed to stifle my mommy tears at Sophie's recital on Sunday.  I lost my breath for a moment and knew I was in for a big ol' ugly cry if I let my weepiness loose. That little snowflake was undeniably in her glory up there on stage, making my chest heave with pride for how hard she worked, how much she learned, how brave and beautiful she was.

Well, if I could keep my composure for all of that, I believed I could do the same this morning at the kids' kindergarten orientation.  When the nervous energy of almost-kindergartners entered the media center, my little nuggets among them, with their construction paper mascots that they made while we parents learned about lunch money accounts and drop off routines, I lost my breath again.  Babies' first school spirit was just about too much for this mama.   

Mike went to work after orientation, but the timing didn't work for a half-day for me.  I spent the afternoon grateful for a taste of our upcoming summer life and got some photos of a dining room dance party.  The one above was during "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."

Below you can see Sophie teaching Michael some ballet during her routine music (I challenge you to listen to "Little Snowflake" without sniffling).  I also captured Michael tying his ears "in a bow," the sword fight that broke out during our dance party (it happens), and Sophie gettin' her "Uptown Funk" on.

While on the topic of dance parties, I recently discovered that the kids have been doing the Cha-Cha Slide in Pre-K when Michael started occasionally calling out, "To the back now, y'all" seemingly out of nowhere.  We do that one at home now too. 

Rehearsal

85/365

Surfin'

84/365