Random photo of the day

Not photoshop, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

Catching up

Spin!, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

Finally able to catch up on some things.

I consulted the internet and suddenly feel out of the loop. There's so much going on in the world of Scene and I've been immersed in the world of New Home. No regrets, but I'm still baffled as to how those with children do it.

New House and Life is about as stellar as it could possibly be.

But my computer is on the fritz in terms of photos. Must fix soon, but don't know where to start.

I feel ill starting yesterday. Nauseous and lacking energy. I don't do "dizzy" as well as the boy. (see photo.)

4 year old anatomy vocabulary

Penn said something about me not having a penis again today. "Just a hole to pee out of."

(The pity he has in his voice for me to be missing such an obviously important feature.)

So, in my continued attempts at trying to direct all this talk towards something educational I said, "Right, boys have a penis and what's the word for what girls have?"

"Vagokachina!"

phonetic = vaG-oh-ka-cheeenah

Florida

Daniel headed out a few days ahead and Penn and I followed later to land in Orlando. Daniel and his parents picked us up and we immediately dined at TGIF where we got to watch the best balloon animal maker ever. That "Human on a Motorcycle with the Giant Buttocks" didn't pop until the flight home.


The next morning in Tampa we went to Daniel's sister, Jan's, retirement ceremony where she was honored and awarded for her amazing accomplishments in the Coast Guard and gave the best speech ever. The first line being, "Dear Diary, . . . ."




Two helicopters, the kind she flies, were there, just for her. And I have to say, if I were a helicopter pilot I'd carry a sign and a bullhorn to announce I CAN FLY GIANT HELICOPTERS. And I'd do that all the time. Jan's much more modest. That's why she has a medal. And I just take pictures.


Then back to Cocoa Beach.


Only my family would travel to the land of sand and sun and not bring bathing suits. Luckily, Jan's family is very equipped for such things.





Towards the end of our visit there was bowling.


We discovered that Daniel comes from good bowling genes. But apparently doesn't have any of those genes himself. :) And the four year old beat me by one. I'd like to take this time to note that I'm withholding that score information and the kid used bumpers.


All in all it was a jam packed family fun trip. Never have I enjoyed and craved visiting a family that's not mine more. The Miller crew is a kind, generous and intelligent folk. And we are proud to live with at least one of them.

And when Mom Miller gets old I'm totally going to let her live with us. (inside joke.)

Click here to see more photos.

Random Photos of the Day

Moving: The old place

While waiting on the movers to finish at Daniel's house I took a few last photos.

Moving comes with many cardboard adventures, but mostly, this one is Ultra Concentrated Joy.

Back

Back from Florida! Movers are scheduled. There is as much to do as there is to show and tell, but for now, it's clean and pack.

Pardon my absence

So I've been busy.

I took Penn out of his school because I was highly dissatisfied with one of the teachers there and the huge lack of action taken to resolve it. He's with me full time and we're doing home pre-school.

In between all that I'm shooting a lot. Today I took a job as a photographer's assistant. If there weren't any confidentiality stipulations due to celebrity status I'd tell you all about it. ;) I also dealt with dog care and coffee which took far longer than I anticipated and the kiddo took an 11:30 bedtime.

And now it's 2 in the morning and I'm waiting on laundry to dry so I can pack it into the suitcase and head off to Florida with Mr. Daniel, celebrate a graduation, multiple birthday's, Father's Day and meet his Parents.

I haven't had to meet parents in a loooonnnnngggg time. Pray for me that I may find tact and grace and appreciation after a busy week, no sleep, a plane ride with a toddler and sitting in the back seat for an hour while controlling my penchant for car-sickness. Or, pray that this paragraph blesses understanding on all those who have to deal with me tomorrow.

Hours upon our return we will be moving. Go ahead. Ask me if I've packed a single thing.

I am excited! And tired. And very much looking forward to that first day we don't have to unpack something.

Talk to you in a week or so.

Love,
Carissa

Kinome and Lilly

Good god I love them.

Happy fathers day to Collin! (Who I hope doesn't read this.....)

Bridal Portrait

And with all the hot and walking in heels, Lisa still pulls off fresh and beautiful. I can't wait until the wedding day!

Congrats!

Monday Morning Wedding

I shot the most exquisite morning wedding on a Monday this week. Thanks to Brianne and Collin for letting us share your day!

*last photo by 2nd shooter Kate Mackley.

Freshman Roundup

I had the messy opportunity to shoot the Woodrow Wilson High School Freshman Roundup. In short, it's where the future Seniors get to dump copious amounts of Wesson oil, baked beans, ketchup, mustard, peanut butter, whipped cream and mud all over the future Freshman, and then, in short, be mean to them.

Now, I'm just an outsider who recently remembered she could twirl a baton, so what do I remember about being a high school kid? All years previous to this one are getting fuzzier by the minute. I blame my coffee intake and ability to live completely in the present tense.

But this all resembled hazing to me. I'm told it's "good clean fun," but I saw the expressions on the younger kids faces and I saw the expressions on the older kids faces and if I ever caught my son yelling at another kid like that.....

I'm just saying even when disguised as "tradition" and "school spirit," Mean is not attractive, kids, " Better to learn that now.

Click here to see more.

"Togetherness"

Awesome video of a story I heard on NPR this afternoon. (go read the story for background on the video.)



My ideas of romantic relationships has changed over the course of growing up, having a baby and coming to understand the fantastical feelings of love and the obligatory duties of being a partner. I have to say, there isn't really anything I feel I have to do and there isn't really anything that I don't want to do. Aside from the very occasional superficial tiff that I think is rooted in the circumstances of the day and void of any long-term emotional investment, I think we're in a magical balance. The kind of balance that makes you want to squeeze out the excess, bottle it up, and gift it to those in need of a little bliss.

Today, I am thankful for washing machines, espresso, lots of work with a generous vacation at the end, and the superhumans in my life who do super so well.

Alternate source of communication

check which one, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

Lunch time downtown. A question in the form of a diagram as to who is eating a hamburger and ice cream cone at the same time.

Important stuff.

"You're like the psychic equivalent of a wood chipper"

Excerpt from "The Gum Theif" by Douglas Coupland.

I bumped into Mr. Rant yesterday! Wow, huh? .....

.....By the time our waiter took away our plates, I snapped. I started shouting at him ..... "What the hell is wrong with you? Are you on drugs? Are you on medication or did you stop taking your medication? Why can't you look at the world for even five fucking minutes without trying to trash the place and wreck it for people who maybe might like being here, or who are maybe simply trying to put a good face on being here? Why do you have to wreck everything?"

The poor guy was, possibly for the first time in his life, without words. Then he said, "I didn't realize I was having that effect." He wasn't being snide or anything. I think he genuinely didn't know the effect he has on people."

..."I thought we were simply having lunch here."

"We were until you wrecked it with your endless complaining. You're like the psychic equivalent of a wood chipper. Whatever goes in the front comes out the other end in shreds."

The "...'s" are mine and excluding portions of text.

I have officially read and loved everything he's written.

Options

Profile, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

I'm looking for other options. I would love to find another toddler mom to swap childcare and light home pre-school.

Anyone know anyone?

Biggest Slug Ever

Biggest Slug Ever, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

I'm totally down with all creatures great and small, furry and slimy, having the natural rights of the universe to live and crawl and be happy wherever that may be as long as they don't come in my house uninvited.

But I swear I could do without slugs.

Perfect

“Love is like a Rubix Cube, there are countless numbers of wrong twists and turns, but when you get it right, it looks perfect no matter what way you look at it.”

---Brian Cramer