Giggle

SO EXCITED!!

I'm SO EXCITED I  was able to get into Laura Monahan's Mom's Night Out Photography Workshop on Friday, April 27th!

Mom's Night Out Workshop with Laura Monahan

Featured on the ELLEN Show under Awesome Classes for Moms!

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
Is this for me...what should I expect?
If you have a desire to learn creative, artistic techniques for capturing your children with a photojournalistic flair from an Internationally Published photographer, then this is a workshop for you! We will spend three full hours together for a fun-filled, information-packed evening learning a wide array of techniques for natural lighting, candid approach and composition to a comprehensive overview of all age-specific categories from newborn babies and incorporating siblings, to toddlers (the art of avoiding the Cheeze smile!), Elementary, Tween and Teen...we've got you covered. While you enjoy wine, chocolate and a tasty variety of cheese with friends, Laura will teach you how to transform your backayard into a studio in 10 minutes or less! Please note that this is not a hands-on DSLR training class, however Laura will cover the basic, introductory photography concepts of aperature/ISO/shutter speed. By the end of the night you'll feel empowered, refreshed and ready to click! $225/attendee

Thanks to my fellow Momarazzi and friend, Marie I was able to snag the Living Social deal she used to pay only $39.00 for the class. Yup! Only $39!! (You DID notice the regular cost of the class listed above so FANTASTIC DEAL!)

Feeling left out? You can try to sign up for the class too and only pay $39.00 too if there is still room in the April 27th class. Just mention my name and give them my email address in your registration and you too may be able to take this AWESOME class for only $39.00! 

**Feeling Social? Have a friend feeling left out? Not a problem! Laura will

honor the online promotional rate of $39 to friends and families of currently

registered Moms as long as there is room in the class. Let us know soon

though...this event will likely book out completely, as all of her workshops

do! You'll see why!

 The host’s website:

http://www.lauramonahan.com/index2.php#/home/

Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo...How About You, You You?

Today we went to the Minnesota zoo with grandma Linda, grandpa Jim, aunt Dawn, uncle Rob, Brady and Alec. (Dawn's good friend Kathy, her husband Mark, and their kids Bella and Jack were also at the zoo and we happened to run into them there.) Zach talked about Bella a lot tonight during story time. I think he's made a new friend. *grin* He wanted to go to the zoo [again] with Brady and Bella tomorrow. Then he said, "Hey both of their names start with B!"

I took over 300 photos today while at the zoo. No, I won't be posting all of them. Some of them didn't turn out so after deleting those I'm down to about 250. (No I won't be posting all 250 photos!) Without further ado - onto the photos from today...

We started the day in the Woodland Adventure

Zach climbing on the spider web

Zach climbing like a spider

Zach looking cool in his shades

Zach riding a walleye

Brady's turn!

Zach and Brady in the boat

Bella Running out of the cave

Zach chasing Bella

Brady, Bella, and Zach taking turns to climb the climbing wall.

 

Alec watching the kids play

Brady, Zach, and Alec in the 'nest'.

Zach, Brady and Bella trying the 'hatch' the eggs.

Elaina chilling in the stroller playing with her teddy bear. (Valerie, Elaina LOVES this bear you got for her!)

Okay get ready for some super cuteness of our nephew Alec...

Alec...not sure if I'm going to smile for you Auntie Megan...

I'm thinking about it....

Okay! Here's a smile for you!

NOW you got me EXCITED!

Big smiles from Alec with his daddy.

Rob and Alec

Carefree Bella

Zach and Brady riding the mosquito

PIRATE TREASURE! "X" Marks the spot!

Bella climbing down Split Rock

Brady taking a breather

We finally talked the kids into leaving Woodland Adventure to look at the animals at the zoo! And we're off to the Grizzly Coast!

Grandma Linda, Granpa Jim, Brady and Zach

Brady

Zach

Zach & Brady - Brady was being silly and won't take his finger away from his nose.

Close up of just Zach from the photo above. This is my favorite smile of Zach's - very genuine!

Jack...gotta love those blue eyes!

Brady hanging around....

Hiding behind the fossils

Cousins and best buds!

"Auntie Megan! Watch me!" Says Brady

CAMELS! Batrain to be exact...no dromedaries here...

We stopped for a picnic lunch in the back of the zoo. Then everyone but Dave, Elaina and I headed out to the Farm exhibit of the zoo while we stayed back to feed baby Elaina who just awoke from her nap. While we we were waiting we took a few photos of Elaina...

Elaina a little blurry and Mommy Megan...

Elaina sitting in the grass at the zoo. (Her outfit is by Tea)

She'll hate me for this photo later - but this cracks me up! A little Elvis going on.

Elaina looking over Daddy Dave's shoulder

This photo didn't turn out as I wanted it to. Elaina is sitting in a pink John Deer Wagon of pink stuffed piggies...the sun was a bit too high in the sky and I didn't have the lighting right. Oh well...But still cute!

Elaina and Daddy Dave. (Can Elaina get her entire fist in her mouth? Yes she can.)

Brady, Zach, Dawn, Rob, and Alec (in the stroller sleeping).

Alec sleeping

Zach and Brady looking at Caribou

Brady and Zach LOVED the map of the zoo and loved looking at it to figure out where they were and and where they should go.  The map! the map! the map!

Grandma Linda and her beautiful smile as she looks at the boys reviewing the map (see above).

Zach (3) and Brady (4) reviewing the map of the Minnesota Zoo

Brady and Zach

Brady at the Lions den..

Zach and Brady checking out their maps at the "Lorax" one of the Dr. Suess sculputures at  the MN Zoo.

Brady and Zach in the submarine!

Zach and the Cat and the Hat - on the way out of the zoo...

Dr. Seuss is on the the Loose at the Minnesota Zoo!

Mommy's Time Out with Carmel :: Happy Birthday Carmel

First, Happy Birthday Carmel! It was fun celebrating your birthday today and just hanging out.  Happy Birthday my friend!

Today was a fantastic Mommy's Time Out. ^TM I started the day sleeping in until 8:30 then got ready for the day and jumped in my car and drove out to Deephaven to spend the day with my friend on her birthday. After some quick chit chat we were on the road to Excelsior to visit the local yarn shop.  Then we stopped to pick up some take out from a local deli and made our way back to Carmel's mom's house where we enjoyed our lunch on the deck of the boat house.  We chatted about old times, current times, laughed, giggled, and talked of the future. A wonderful afternoon.

While I was there I was able to play with my camera and the new filter I picked up. Here are a few photos of Patricia's spring gardens...

Looking up into the Woodland Garden

Family Pet Cemetary in the Woodland Garden

Gate to the vegetable gardens

New gardens surrounding the newly redesigned cottage - installing the new stone chair. (It is very comfortable!)

Patricia - Rock Chair Ala Mode

Mailbox and front door of the newly redesigned cottage.  Many of the materials used to finish the interior were reclaimed wood timbers and floorboards. I did not not take any interior photos.

More of the cottage gardens

Patricia in her element - getting her hands dirty in the garden. My kind of woman!

I was playing with my new filter for this shot. This is looking down the lower driveway to the main house. I love the tree bending over the drive.

The tree is getting older so they were ingenious and created a brace to hold up the tree. It is so unique for the drive way it had to be saved!

They were doing something with the dock footings this afternoon. There is something always going on.  The first boat is a lobster boat.

I love the shadow of the tree in this shot

The other rock chair and ottoman down by the lake garden.

This garden looks so different in the spring. You can see the lake easier because all of the tall ornamental grasses have not grown yet.

Doesn't this just scream SPRING?!

Yes I'm loving the tulips and forget-me-nots

Looking down at the boat house. I love all the tulips and forget-me-nots.

The garden in the center of the circular drive -- the woodland garden is on the hill behind the retaining wall. Well at least part of it.

Yes, I did take a photo of Carmel but she didn't want me to take a photo of her in the shirt she was wearing so I won't post the photo here.

I think I'm going to have to ask Patricia if I can come out to her house this fall and have Elaina's 1-year photos taken in her gardens. Wouldn't that be beautiful? There are lots of fun places in her gardens for fun textures. Hey - there is nothing better than nature as a back drop right?!

Well folks, it's almost 11pm and I have to go to work tomorrow. So off to bed I go!

Christmas Photos

The last time we tried to have Zach take photos with Elaina it did not go so well.  So I thought before scheduling a special holiday photo session at a photo studio I would make an attempt at taking them myself at home.

Zach was great when I was taking photos of only him. We would snap a few photos then he would run over and I would show him the photos of himself and then we would take a few more photos. Here is a sampling of the Zach only shots...

Yes, I purposely had Zach in bare feet. I love little kids and baby feet!

Zach was great! Then it was time to take photos of Zach and Elaina...these didn't turn out as well. I tried having Zach hold Elaina. It would have worked out great if she hadn't started crying...*sigh*

Elaina has a clean nose...

Zach is a little worried here as Elaina starts to kick into full cry

Then it was time to give Zach the three-year-old a break

and take some photos of Elaina by herself.

   

For the life of me I was trying to figure out why everything was washing out so much. duh...my flash was going off. DUH!!

So this shot turned out much better!

Mom! I'm hungry!!

So we took a nursing break for Elaina and a snack break for Zach.  Then I thought I would attempt to take a few more shots of Zach and Elaina together...

Zach looks cute...Elaina was not cooperating. Mom HOLD ME!! that was the cry she was crying.

So Zach reaches out and soothes his baby sister

But it doesn't last long...

The shot I really wanted Zach and Elaina to do was to lay on the floor together. We finally got Zach to lay next to his baby sister with a little bribery to go to the "Shopping Store" later.

This is the pose that ended up working. Now if only Elaina would cooperate. Bribery on a one-month-old doesn't really work.

I did end up getting my 'shot'. Yeah!!

Yeah!!

Done with Zach!  Now for a few more shots of Elaina...

Christmas cards have now been ordered! No need to go to a studio for photos for the Christmas card when I was able to snap a few at home! Yeah!

Photography Mama Course!

Today I am heading out of town with my friend Marie for our Photography Mama course.  It's a 2-day course giving us lessons, tips and tricks in using our digital SLR cameras AND tips and tricks for taking photos of babies and kids.  We're both super excited! 

I'll be heading out in about 30 minutes. I need to swing by the office on my way across town to drop off my United Way goodies for the bake sale tomorrow then I'll continue west to meet Marie at her house then we are off on our road trip!  Yeah!  I can't wait!