child labor

The boy has four chores to do every morning.

*Feed the dog

*Make his bed

*Pick-up his room

*Brush his teeth

I was accused yesterday of being bossy. I told him I must be a little bossy or his chores would never get done.

He said to Ben "Dad, do you know how hard it is for me to do my chores?"

Ben said, "No, how hard?"

"It's like a dog trying to open a soda can."

The drama.

through the brambles

gabrielle kai

If I were to enter my own Summer photo challenge, I would have to photograph some berries. Berries are summer.

When I was a kid, I used to creep into my neighbors berry patch and steal the fruit from the vine. The berries were warm, almost hot from the sunshine and so intoxicating my sisters and I frequently gorged ourselves until our bellies ached. We were, of course, found out by our mother who knew well the tell tale signs of berry juice on kid's clothes. She would chastise us half heartedly and the next day we would be back in the berries. I wonder now if our neighbors permitted us this little indulgence. Mr. and Mrs. Chambers were a kindly old couple. Surely as young children we weren't as stealth as we thought.


When I was eleven, my older sister got her period. I was unnerved by the fact that she had moved onto womanhood and left me standing alone in childhood. In an attempt to gain some respect, I stole away to the berry patch. I crouched low so as not to be detected and crushed a handful of berries into my underwear. I then proceeded to convince Heidi that I too had become a bonefide young adult. When could we start shaving our legs? Soon enough, my ruse was discovered and I was relegated back to kiddom. I grabbed my Barbies and sulked off to lick my wounds.


Mr. Chambers just died last week. It's like a little piece of my childhood is gone. I can still see him in my mind's eye, through the raspberry bramble, hanging clothes on their line, puttering around the yard and listening to Spanish language tapes. He always wore his powder blue leisure pants three inches too short with gym socks and black loafers. He had soft doughy cheeks and a shock of white hair.


I will miss that guy.


Man alive, could he grow berries.

the map

So I found this piece of paper by the computer the other day. It seems Thom had been busy drawing a map.

I was very intrigued by this creation and when I asked him to explain it to me this is what he said.

Other items on the map include a firehouse, an army tank, a beach and parking spots.

Also, today will go down in history as the day Amelie gave her first smile. Sugar Daddy is claiming the first smile happened two days ago, when he tickled her neck, but we all know that the first smile was granted to me. Nice try honey.

to capture a slice of summer

Here are the pictures that were submitted for the Summer photo challenge. If you submitted more than one, I picked the one I liked the best to go to the judges.

To keep all judging fair and square, I have left off all names and credits. The judges panel consists of two professional photographers, two professional scrapbookers, and my son. After all, who knows Summer better than a five-year-old boy?

god bless the food, oh and america too.

To be honest, and I know this is totally not P.C., I'm not so much about the patriotism as I am about the food. Sure, I'm thankful for my freedom. But what I'm really concerned about is getting to the cupcakes.

Just a little honesty on this Independence Day.

the thing about dogs

Are dogs a pain in the ass? Why yes they are, but just like exercise, the benefits far exceed the irritation.

if you haven't heard of tara whitney

You are seriously missing out.

She's only the best family photographer in the biz.

Click on over and take a look at more of her work.

Thanks Tara. Love ya!

kari & emily

This is Kari.

I first meet Kari in Thailand. We roomed together and on our first night we stayed up talking until two in the morning. Kari has two adopted boys. We had a lot to talk about.

Kari said some things to me while we were in Thailand that I will never forget. On a balmy, tropical night in Asia, we were up late, again, talking. I was lamenting my barren womb. She said, "If you don't feel that you are getting any answers to prayers, it may mean that God is saying 'just sit still, I have plans'." I figure Kari uttered those words to me just days after Amelie was conceived.

Kari is in Carlsbad for a few days on vacation with her family. We got together yesterday and played at the pool. In the Evening, Emily Falconbridge and her family meet us at the beach. I love these two women for the role they played in Amelie's birth and also for the friendship they give me.

Kari's a great photographer in her own right. Baby Ian has been photographed more than the late great Michael Jackson.

We had fattening Mexican food on the beach. Heaven.

Yindi is the cutest little mother around. She was covered in sand but she cried until we let her hold Amelie, in her lap, on her terms.

This here is mischief personified. Notice how the boys were too busy to give me a smile, but Elegant Ivy was much obliged to flash her pearly whites even in her skivvies.

Kari is also a quilt maker. She made Amelie this amazing blanket. I tell ya, there really isn't anything like a homemade gift. Especially a quilt. When I think of all the hours Kari spent on this I want to cry.

I so wish that Kari lived closer. She's a keeper.

Emily and her husband Mic are headed back to Australia in just a few weeks. Emily wants to have her baby there and be close to her family. We are all hoping and praying that they come back soon. Southern California just won't be the same without the Falconbrige family.

the airing of the grievances

It is said that in each marriage there is a seven year itch. There is also a lesser known six week ache with each new baby. I experienced it with Thomas. One morning I woke up with my shirt wet and stained with breast milk and I just started crying. Ben took that day off work. I went shopping.

I'm not experiencing it as intensely as I did the first time around but I find that this week the little things, the little nit picky, irritating things must stop.

So.

Rosa, please stop putting the kitchen shears in every drawer other than the one in which they belong.

Mom, quit complaining that you wish you could see the kids and just get on a plane already.

Ben, Honey, I love ya. Quit leaving your snacks out. The cheese is crusty and the chips are stale. Seriously.

Tommy B., if Mommy steps on one more Lego in the middle of the night you might wake up to no more toys.

And Birdie, sweet little munchkin, enough with the spiting up. I can't get the smell of soy formula to leave my nostrils and the laundry is making me insane.

Finn, pee one more time when visitors come and you will lose more down there than you've already lost.

Having said all that, I feel a little better.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

atención you photo people!

Okay folks, I'm getting some seriously great summer photos emailed to me for the ye ol' contest. I decided the winner must have something muy especial. Sooooooo. . .

The winner will receive a custom set of Secondsister rings with personalized names or words (up to four rings). I'm going to enlist some of my uber talented photo friends to vote for the winner. I will try to have a panel of about four professional photographers. I will give everyone another week to get their entry to me and announce the winner next Monday.

On an unrelated note, sometimes I look at Amelie and she looks just like Boss Hogg on the Dukes of Hazard, but cuter.

Happy Monday! We're off to the beach!