iheartfaces - Week 34

Before & After Challenge

It's Amy & Angie's week off again, so instead of a photo contest, we're sharing a few photos that illustrate just how much we've learned about photography (and editing) in the last few months.

The rules are simple... post a photo that you took when you were first getting serious about photography (and that you were proud of and you thought turned out great at the time).  Then post a 2nd photo that you took sometime during the month of August that you applied a lot of the tips you've learned at i♥faces when you took and edited the photo.

My camera was a Christmas present that I rec'd in mid-January, so my first photo was taken in February of this year.  Tadpole in the bathtub:

And this is my August photo... Tadpole sitting at a picnic table at the park last weekend.  I can't decide whether or not I like it better in color or in black & white, so I'm going to post both:

Head over to i♥faces to see the improvement in the rest of this weeks photos.

Flashback Friday

First Smile

Feb 20, 2008:  What are the chances that I’d actually manage to capture Tadpole’s first smiles?  I couldn’t have planned it better if I’d tried for days...

The Boys

When I was in highschool, I had 3 very different best friends and a few years after graduation, we all went our separate ways.  One friend moved to Ontario, and we’re not really in touch anymore.  Aunty Tulip is one of the others.  She lives in Calgary now, but we’re still really close and we see each other as often as we can.

The 3^rd friend moved to the mainland, married a beautiful girl, and had himself a sweet little family. 

And in July they moved back to Victoria!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m BEYOND excited to have them back in my life – and now my little Tadpole gets to grow up and be friends with his boys, Z-man (who's 4) and his little brother J-Bear (who's only a few months younger than Tadpole).
Mister and I had them all over for a BBQ and, of course, I had to pull out the camera and capture a few images of the boys playing together.

These are a few of my favorites (post-processing with Pioneer Woman's Heartland Action) and I'll share some black and whites at some point next week. 

Okay, I can't resisit... two more for the road...

Wordless Wednesday - Interrupted

We interrupt this Wordless Wednesday to bring you... the smartest Little Tadpole on the block! Here's the most recent video that Mister shot of Tadpole reading. Enjoy!

(To answer the inevitable question: Tadpole is 19mo's old.)

Beer

I’ve mentioned before about boys and beer.  And here’s just another example.  Tadple wants his Daddy’s beer SO BADLY, that he’s trying to drink it through the glass door at Ma’am and Papa’s house.  

iheartfaces - Week 33

Nostalgia

This week's i♥faces photo contest challenge was a bit of a tough one... but it was so much fun to do some reminiscing. I went back a few months, and found this one to enter - and I think it's perfect.

After a few hours of playing in the park, what could be better than an ice cream cone at the Beacon Drive In?

Unk and I used to get to do this as kids, and now it's Tadpole's turn! His very first Beacon Drive In ice cream come...

Head over to i♥faces to see the rest of this weeks nostaligic entries!

Flashback Friday

First HairCut

He was still so little!  Tadpole’s first haircut came before our trip to Mexico in April of 2008 when he was still only about 3.5mo’s old.  On Unk’s suggestion, we took him to a friend of his (she rocks!  Tadpole loves her and we’ve been back for numerous cuts since) who works at Headstart.  It was a big event for us… I sat with Tadpole on my lap.  Mister took some pictures.  And Unk had to try to hold onto the super thin wisps of Tadpole’s first shorn locks. 

He was SUCH a good boy, and he looked oh-so-CUTE with his new haircut. 

Beacon Hill Park in Black and White

As much as it’s a pain to work so far from home, I LOVE that I get to walk through Beacon Hill Park twice a day. There is never a shortage of things to see – or photograph. And the scenery changes as often as the weather. Here are a few of my favorite Black and White images. 

I heart Victoria.

Wordless Wednesday

Wagon

As I’ve said before, our families spoiled Tadpole rotten on his 1^st birthday.  Among his many super cool gifts, was a Radio Flyer wagon from Grumpy and Granny.  On a recent trip to Beacon Hill Park, we took his wagon instead of his stroller, and he LOVED it - especially pushing it around while the rest of us ate our lunch.

iheartfaces - Week 32

"Bubbles"

Flex day Monday's are my favorite day every (other) week... and when it falls on an i♥faces contest day that I already know I have an entry for, it's even better!

Like most kids, the Tadpole has a fascination with bubbles.  They're like magic - and I love seeing the look on his face when he plays with them.  This was taken before he understood how to make bubbles himself.  What you can't see it Bug, just off to the side, blowing them for him. Thanks Bug!

To see the rest of this weeks entries head over to i♥faces.

Flashback Friday

Exersaucer

If he wasn’t jolly-jumping, chances were good that you’d find Tadpole hanging out in his Exersaucer when he was a baby.  It was his favourite place to hang out while he watched whatever hockey game we could find on TV.

Random Awards

This morning I awoke to find an e-mail from one of my blog followers... it was telling me to head on over to her blog because I had received an award!  Off I clicked, and lo-and-behold, there it was.  She had given me a "Your blog makes me smile" award!  How great is that!?

I love receiving positive feedback - especially when it's from readers who I don't know personally.  Thanks Bridgette!  

And because posts are better with pictures, obviously, here's my Tadpole and his big cheesy grin... The picture quality is beyond sub-par, but the look on his face is priceless so I couldn't bring myself to delete it!  It makes ME smile!

Happy Thursday everyone - and thanks again Bridgette... you made my day :)

Wordless Wednesday | AahhhCHOO!

Newborn Photographer, Victoria BC

After little Baboo (formerly Tubbins) FINALLY made his appearance, it was time for some newborn images. Hooray! He was three weeks young when these were taken, which is a little older than the ideal, and even though he wasn't feeling well, Baboo was still a champ. And YES... that is TWO TEETH that you can see. Poor Mommy!

Introducing, Baboo...

(Also, a big thanks to my fabulous cousin-in-law for making the cute hat you see in the last picture. You can e-mail her here or check out the "Gavin Gear" website here, to see more of her work. )

iheartfaces - week 29

Crazy, Funny, Silly Faces

After last week's break, it's back to contest time over at i

♥

faces.  The theme this week is crazy, funny, silly faces.  Tadpole has MANY of these, but this is one of my recent favorites.  We were over at some friends for dinner, and he was playing thru their sliding glass door.  I was borrowing a different camera so my focal point is a little off due to the learning curve, but I think the face in the picture speaks for itself!

Head over to i♥faces to see the rest of this weeks entries!

Flash Back Friday

Jolly Jumper

He’s far too big for it now, but Tadpole sure used to love his Jolly Jumper. He hopped and giggled and twirled on one foot. Usually he’d get so excited and worked up that he’d spit-up all over himself. Sounds gross, but it was actually pretty funny. Here’s one of his calmer jolly-jumper moments (but you can see evidence of his excitement by the spit-up on his shirt and pants)…

Garden Hose

We were worried that his fascination would turn to terror the first time he sprayed himself in the face… but no.  I think the accidental shower had the opposite effect.  Tadpole LOVES the garden hose.  

Wordless Wednesday

Mummy & Tadpole

Every so often, Mister will pick up my camera and snap a few shots of the Tadpole and me.  When I downloaded my memory card after we got home from the Lagoon a while ago, I was so excited to see these images....

 
 
 
 
 

...and of course there were a fair share of Mister and Tadpole too.  Here are just a couple: