New England Fall

I missed the boat on once-weekly posts. In my defense, I worked 3 days this week, and hosted Toddler Town (my new name for when I have both Addy and Ava home with me) the other 2.

We also lost my grandmother this week, after a long battle with illness. So I'm writing this post while still processing through the raw emotion of the funeral services. As a person who cries really easily, funerals are not my thing. This was the first funeral I can remember for a family member; the last service I sat through was for Pete's mom, and I hadn't had a chance to meet her before she died (Pete and I had just started dating the week before). Hearts were heavy, and emotions ran high. My grandmother was a complicated lady, with complicated relationships. I struggled with what to do from a photography standpoint for the day - it is rare to have my mom and her siblings, along with so many of my cousins, in the same space, but in the end I left my camera at home. I regret it, as there were many good photo opportunities as everyone chatted and the grandchildren and great-grandchildren ran and played. But it also prevented me from hiding behind the camera, and I had wonderful conversations with my many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

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I had to pause and think to remember all that we've done the past few weeks (thank goodness pictures are saved by date!)
We spent more time at the pumpkin patch

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My best friend from high school, Angela, and her husband Will, came to visit us for a weekend and to watch the Head of the Charles (Angela competed in the Head of the Charles back in '98). It was pristine, perfect, fall New England weather.

Will, Angela, and the baby bump!

That was 8 days ago. In the past week, it's snowed twice. This was yesterday. This does not feel like October.

This was yesterday, too. Even though it was for a sad occasion, we were so happy that we got a weekend with my mom. Pajama pictures.

Addy got a little blurred in that one.

Happy Halloween everyone! More pics to come!

Adjusting

Sorry for the silence... I'm a working gal now.

Life has been a whirlwind for the past few weeks. I started work at Tuft's Floating Hospital for Children on their BMT (bone marrow transplant) unit. Last week was a full work week of orientation, and it was hard being out of the house every day. We jettisoned off to New Jersey for the weekend, and then I had two 12 hour shifts this week.

This is definitely an adjustment period - for all of us. The girls are handling it well, and we are slowly figuring out our new life routine. I've been more focused on surviving than taking pictures, so I only have a few to share.

 Cousin Austin

 Cousin Brayden

Aunt "Keeta"

Bear with me as we figure out the work/life balance, and then begin to incorporate taking pictures and writing blogs into the schedule. All in good time.

iPads and Pumpkins

It's been a good week. I'm enjoying the Wordless Wednesday posts - it allows me to share a few pictures without the pressure of figuring out what to talk about. This week was bittersweet - my last week of staying home full-time. Well, sort of. I've been doing the photography thing, and the Scentsy thing. So I have been sort of working. But, leaving, to work outside our home, is something I haven't done at all for almost a year. I'm excited and sad - excited because I know Addy is going to have a great time during the childcare swap we've arranged, excited to be challenged with learning some new things (I'm going to also do some shifts in the pediatric ICU), and excited that I've picked a career that allows me to work just a few days a week. I've been hired as a per-diem, which means that I'm not guaranteed a set number of hours per week, but I get to set my own schedule. The goal is for me to work 2 days per week, and the occasional weekend shift. I'm sad for the obvious reasons - sad that I'll be away from the kids two days a week, sad that I won't get home until after Addy is asleep on the days that I'm working. But, overall, the excitement is overriding the sad, and I know working is a very good thing.

Unless you live under a rock, you know Steve Jobs died this week. A quick tribute, Addy style:

We had a photo shoot at the pumpkin patch with Sarah and Livvy.

I have a photography event tomorrow, and then get to spend Monday preparing for hospital orientation. The weather this weekend has taken a turn towards bizarre - it was in the 40's when we woke up this morning, and warmed up to the high seventies. Tomorrow, it's forecasted to be a record high of 86. C'mon.... I'm ready for sweater weather!

My favorite from the week

Playdate.

Wordless Wednesday.

Playdate.

Monday Night Quickie

I've been experimenting with flash photography. I love natural light pictures, but the reality is that we live in a duplex, so only half the house has windows. And it's been raining for days. Which means that there are so many pictures I have taken that are blurry, because of the dreary natural lighting. And since I already own a great flash (and don't have thousands to spend on a super-duty lense), I'm learning. All the pictures in the post were taken tonight with the flash.

We've discovered she loves tomato soup. In a mug, so she can slurp it. 

We have a bad case of the Mondays. Which means that although I knew better, I crossed my fingers that it would all work out and sent Chloe to school this morning (she's been fighting a virus all weekend), and took the car to get an oil change. And shortly after I told them, "sure, go ahead and put on new brakes, we'll wait..." the school called to let me know she had thrown up in the cafeteria. So Pete had to leave work to get Chloe, and I finally dragged into the house at 1:30 after spending 3 hours at the car dealership with a toddler (who was perfectly behaved, but still is a toddler), a few hundred dollars poorer.

Chloe, mounting as much of an eye-rolling as she can about how she "can't even escape my camera when she has a fever." Cookin' at about 103 in this one.

My stay-at-home days are numbered. Next week, I will start working as an RN at Tufts Floating Hospital for Children, on their pediatric BMT (bone marrow transplant) floor. More info to come - but I'm sad and excited all at once. New chapter.

Happy Monday.