Ever since Howard and I got back from Australia, G has been asking (whining, actually), “When do WE get to go to Australia?” So when the Outback Kangaroo Farm opened for the season, I was excited to take her since she has been obsessed with kangaroos and their joeys. The kids didn’t have school today, and it was actually dry, so it was a perfect time to make the trek up to Arlington.

We got to go into the wallabies’ penned area and feed them bread. They were really tame, and their fur was so soft. The farm actually sells wallabies, and I was so tempted. Aren’t they adorable?

All the animals at the farm are accustomed to being fed by the visitors. If you put a food pellet in your mouth, the llamas will go up to you and gently take it from your lips.

The birth of a baby is an amazing experience. For parents, it’s a blur of pain and joy and elation, and before you know it, you’re bringing home a newborn baby. It’s a precious time to remember, so I’m excited to be offering birth photography in the Seattle area. I’m also working with Alyssa Morgan, who is a doula. She is a trained professional who offers physical and emotional support to a mother before, during, and after birth. Alyssa is warm and encouraging and would be an incredibly supportive addition to your birth team.

A lot people tell me that my daughter looks just like me. I don’t see the resemblance until I see pictures of myself as a kid. As I was taking pictures of “G” brushing her teeth, it reminded me of a video that my parents took of me at about the same age. There’s no sound in the video, it’s not of great quality, and I’m not doing anything exciting or important, but it’s so fun for me to see myself as a child. It’s a great reminder for parents to take pictures and videos of their kids. It doesn’t matter what they’re wearing or what they’re doing…you’re capturing precious memories of their childhood.

When I showed “G” the video, I asked her who the girl in the video was, and she said, “ME!”

Last fall, I photographed a family from Everett who had adopted two boys from Taiwan. With a biological son sandwiched in the middle, they definitely had their hands full. But they took it all in stride and were enjoying their boys so much.

The newest addition

I could never be accused of being a good housekeeper, but I love organizing. I love putting things in order so that everything is where you need it to be. I love putting all the kids’ vehicles in one box, their Playmobil soldiers in another box, and dress-up clothes in its own basket. The trouble is, they don’t have the same passion for organization that I do, so if I want their playroom to be organized, then I have to be the one to do it. <sigh>

So imagine my excitement when I walked into my local Michael’s store and found an entire wall of different modular cubes. I had seen the cubes before, but I hadn’t seen such a big selection in one place. I started planning my new and improved office closet, and three days and 10 trips to Michael’s later, my closet was done. The funny thing is, the kids love to get into the drawers and use all my newly organized stuff. So I tell them, “Organize your own stuff!”

In the same vein, I also put my countertop in order. I realized what a mess it was when I was going through a pile of papers and found my son’s three-week-old homework that hadn’t been turned in because it was buried. I was excited by an idea I saw on the Creative Mama’s blog that uses clipboards to organize piles of paper. So I bought some clipboards, Mod Podge, and scrapbooking paper, and voila! Instant organization, sort of. I put the kids’ current schoolwork and class notices in their clipboards, and I put bills-to-be-paid in my clipboard. So far, so good, and no lost homework…yet.

Baby “E” was born on Christmas day. Can you think of a more perfect Christmas present?

We spent last week in sunny southern California. It was glorious to thaw out in the 70 degree weather and spend time with family. I visited my new niece when she was a newborn, but I hadn’t seen her since. She took a little while to warm up to me, but eventually she actually preferred me to my mother, who is the hands down favorite among my sister’s kids. But my niece hasn’t spent as much time with my mom as the other kids did as babies. So I got to be the favorite this time.

I can no longer whine that I never win anything, because I actually won the Two Photogs contest, along with Amanda Andrews, who had the amazing Diet Coke bath. I’m so excited for this opportunity and so thankful to Danna Bowes and Brandy Anderson for their generosity in sharing! Woohoo!

Danna Bowes and Brandy Anderson, the two photographers who have started Two Photogs, have a contest going on their blog to win a spot in their new mentoring sessions. To enter, you need to take a picture of yourself indulging in a guilty pleasure. I have to confess that I’m addicted to the chocolate sandcastle doughnuts at Top Pot. It’s so deadly because I drive by those doughnuts everyday. I’m always tempted to drop in, and occasionally, I’ll succumb to the temptation. My friend Amanda has an awesome entry for the contest. Check hers out!

A few years ago, I took pictures of my kids on the bridge near our house. I loved how they turned out, so I decided to start a tradition of taking Christmas pictures at the bridge so I could see how they grew from year to year. They don’t look much different from last year, but D is even more of a sports fanatic (if that’s possible), and G is sassier than ever. Here is an outtake from our photoshoot.