Time-Out

One of the biggest things that both being a mom and my kids have taught me is amazing patience. However… Sometimes time-outs are just necessary. For mommy. Kids will be kids, they aren’t perfect, we aren’t perfect.

As a mom and wife I have learned, well I have learned a LOT lol, but the one thing that sticks out is moms NEED time outs, not the kids, mom does behind a closed door in silence. It doesn’t need to be long, 5 or 10 minutes – it makes SUCH a difference!

After a busy day at work, I honestly left on a high… our daughters birthday is tomorrow and hubby was bringing her gifts home. However… the kids didn’t want to be as agreeable during pick up, yes it happens, thankfully not just to me (or us) all kids go through it. Our kids, especially when they are tired, like to be extra silly, our boy was EXTRA tired tonight haha. Suffice to say, when we got home hubby had arrived home from school just before we arrived (and was unloading the dishwasher bless his heart ;) ) I walked in the door and all I had to say was “I need 10 minutes”…

10 minutes makes SUCH a difference !

Am I a bad mom ? No. They are kids, and are 4 (tomorrow!!!) and 5. Testing their parents is their job – heck we did it to our parents, haha my mother in law, bless her heart and may she rest in peace, even warned me when we got engaged of how much of a class clown her son was…. hmmmmm I bet she is laughing as she watches down on us as our son, well he is very much like his daddy hehe ;)

A mama has to do what a mama has to do… I could have screamed, yelled, slammed things, stomped my feet, threw my things everywhere – heck ya that would have probably got some tension out – and then I would tense up twice as bad when my kids did the exact same thing 5 minutes later because mommy did it !

Sometimes thats all a mom needs, as a fulltime working mom to two busy kids, a hubby in school and working full time, a busy puppy, running a household – is just a little time to herself to actually hear herself think, to let her clear her mind. It truly is the little things that matter.

and… get back to focusing on the important things in life … like our little girls birthday tomorrow ;)

Yes I love my kids dearly, but a mama does need her time-out’s! ;)

Redhead’s… to be a thing of the past?

I heard something very interesting the other day, that as time goes on the natural redhead hair colour will be a thing of the past… to hear that redheads might actually loose their gene, that is just sad! I’ve always joked that I am one of a kind, now just think of how true that is ;)

On a funny note… I found this online when doing just a general search for “redheads”

“Gentleman may prefer Blondes, but it takes a real man to handle a Redhead!”

From the MarieClaire.com website

Redheads are “fiery lasses.” Redheads are bubbly blondes with a “I’ll kick your butt if you step out of line” brunette streak. Like brunettes, redheads can be intimidating, but in a different way — more like a brazen confidence. 

AND

The classic redhead women are strikingly beautiful: Rita Hayworth, Katharine Hepburn. For me, the redhead personality consists of polar opposites: She’s either the beer-swilling barmaid, giving every guy a run for his money…or the classic confident beauty, understated and graceful, possessing all the answers before everyone else.

Being a redhead comes with many stereotypical statements such as we are evil, angry all the time, mean,  promiscuous, wild, passionate, and talks like a trucker.

Real life being a redhead we do have a unique personality, just like each and everyone one of us, what is different is we are among the minority of hair colour. I had always hoped that if I had a daughter, she too would be blessed with my red hair gene. Although she does not have red hair like her mama she does have the tinge and the personality to go along with it!

As Ive grown up Ive begun to appreciate my red hair, accept the compliments when people ask me if this is my “real” hair colour – why yes of course it is ;) I am 100% a natural woman, including my red hair! I am passionate – especially for my family. I have a heart of gold, until I am crossed. That is when the firey red hair personality ignites. Ironically this is one thing my husband said first attracted him to me. Someone who is shy and reserved at times, certainly can and isnt afraid of having a great time or when I need to speak my mind! :P I don’t think I will ever loose my redhead nick names, “big red” and red”, ironically one of my past co-workers called the office today and what did he call me… red lol!

Yes we red heads are truly one of a kind ;)

Fortunately this is merely a myth! I didn’t get my red headed daughter however perhaps one day (a long time from now) we will be blessed with grandchildren who will carry on my golden locks!

Tuesday Daddy Love

Tuesday mornings are always ‘off’ for us because Daddy is not there. He is in school and has to leave at 530am – crazy time! This morning the little darlings were getting dressed and the two of them came running up to show me… They were little “mini-me’s” of daddy! Cars of course in his Patriots hat and he “let” Mady borrow his JAZ hat (when we had his contracting business lol) and the sunglasses, just like daddy wears them when he isn’t wearing them on his face ;)

Of course had to send a pic to Daddy!

Why take the. Time?

Why have I begun blogging more?

When looking back through my photos from last year sure I had some, but I didn’t have as many from our daily life, I had our family trips or when we got our puppy however I had been so busy with sessions -which do not get me wrong was awesome – that I wasnt as motivated to pull out the camera at home.

Admittedly, this also had to do with my comfort and satisfaction, with my health I was always uncomfortable and in pain, which in turn literally sucked the energy and any motivation out of me. Somedays I am shocked at how much more alive I feel, how much more like ME I feel! How much more fun and enjoyment I now get out of life!

Why do I blog? Why do I take the time…

That is simple, it’s for me. Remebering all the fun times we had not only as a family, also as a couple and me an individual. It is for me to reflect on life, the good and the bad, to share my passion for photography, most likely some cooking and of course wine – we joined the Niagara Estates winery and are so excited to receive our first membership batches.

Life is and can never be planned, it happens, some of the most amazing things come from the ‘unplanned’ or unexpected to change our life in such an amazing way forever! Both of our children are the perfect examples of this, two of many, but the two most important. I have taken photos of the kids on a snow hill like this every year, they even remember, I just love looking back at how they’ve changed or using these photos to display as art in our home…

Your Life As Art

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full! . The students responded with a unanimous “yes.”

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things–your spirituality, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions–and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else–the small stuff.” “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff , you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your health and happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical check-ups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the “golf balls” first–the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand. One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

Before I was a mom…

Before I was a Mom I slept as late as I wanted

and never worried about how late I got into bed.

I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

 

Before I was a Mom

I cleaned my house each day.

I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.

I didn’t worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

 

Before I was a Mom I had never been puked on.

Pooped on. Spit on.

Chewed on

Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.

I slept all night..

 

Before I was a Mom

 

I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do

tests.

Or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

 

Before I was a Mom

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn’t want to put

it down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I

couldn’t stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

 

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

 

Before I was a Mom

I didn’t know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn’t know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn’t know that bond between a mother and her child.

I didn’t know that something so small could make me feel so

important and happy.

 

Before I was a Mom

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10

Minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,

The wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn’t know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

Motherhood

MOTHERHOOD
is a choice you make everyday
to put someone else’s happiness and well being
ahead of your own
to teach the hard lessons
to do the right thing
even when you don’t know what the right thing is
and to forgive yourself
over and over again
FOR DOING EVERYTHING WRONG

Donna Bell

As a mom I love this quote, its so true.
I’ve seen mothers I have compared myself to and really there is no comparison.
We are each our own, our kids are truly individuals and we as their moms know the best way it is they need to be raised.
As a mom everything I do or think of doing must somehow relate to my kids whether it is where they will be, if they will want to do it, will they like it, etc. I’m not a perfect mom, would not claim to be, I have my good days and bad.
One thing I can say, that unfortunately not all mothers can is I have been 100% involved in my kids lives from the moment they were born and they have been my true main focus in life. I feel horrible for children who do not have their mother 100% without a doubt. To have a mother who is not only truly dedicated to her kids but also to her family.

The Naked Truth…

After posting the photos of my kids in their playhouse and I mentioned how I processed them 100% in Lightroom 3 I thought I would show a before and after of each. Essentially the “naked” photo in the RAW vs the complete one.

Part of being a photographer is having a creative eye, knowing what your camera is capable of and in the end being an artist which comes in when you are taking the photo and processing the photo. I could have spent more time processing these images as well, however went for a clean edit and processing. Yes I process 99% of my images, thats why using Lightroom for the majority of my editing saves me SO much time!

I have always had an interest and eye for art, when I was in highschool I took art lessons for many years, always had an enjoyment for photography and after our kids were born I truly found my passion. I LOVE that I have photography as a way to express my artistic side and also capture the memories of our family and most importantly our children as they grow and change.

With these images I wont go step by step what I did, however when I shoot, I only shoot in Manual (M on the top of the dial on the camera), so I choose all my settings. My LCD shows me not only my image after I take it but it also shows me my settings and my histogram and blinkies – any blown spots in my image. This is the biggest reason why I shoot in RAW, these images I was able to save the blown spots in the snow – although because I shoot manual I am also better capable to control this. Being outside in the snow and bright sun its hard to see the complete details on the LCD which is why I do tend to under or over expose slightly. As we went from the front yard to the back yard there wasnt as much sunlight so the photo was slightly under exposed. However this is easily fixable in Lightroom or Photoshop. I do use both programs, however I am becoming more comfortable with LR and the exporting saves me SO much time with saving etc!

Your Life As Art Photography by Pam

Artist & Intuitive | Pamela Zmija

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