Sandy's B-day

Photography class

I took a class this weekend at Navy Pier on photography. I am trying to get the most out of my new camera and start shooting in modes other then auto. After this class I am on my way.

Just a nice landscape shot.

Here is me with Julie at the class.

The objective with these shots was to make the foreground clear and blur the back ground by using a large aperture, zooming in and getting close. I think I missed the mark on this first one but did a nice job on my second try.

Here my goal was to blur the man running but focus the background. I did this through using a slow shudder speed and making myself into a sturdy tripod.

Here my goal was to make the man running clear but blur the background. This is much harder to do, you use a technique called panning and I will need to practice. Now if only I could get my kids to keep doing the same cute things over and over again so I could mess with my camera settings and still get the shot.

Gretchen's Day and a first tooth

Last weekend Gretchen earned a movie ticket through the library's summer reading program. So we went and saw Cars 2 (I do not recommend it.) Afterwards we stopped for ice cream and G wanted the blue kind.

Here she is after all the sugar from the blue ice cream kicked in.

Jack got his first tooth earlier this week. He had a couple of rough days as you might imagine.

We went to the park to celebrate the first tooth/distract Jack from how uncomfortable he was.

Gretchen's swim class

11 months old!!

I can not believe this little man is already 11 months old. He is so happy and interactive. He is truly a little piece of sunshine in our home. I assume all babies process information this way because both of mine have; but they will learn how to do or say something new do it over and over again and then it goes away and they are on to the new thing. I remember right around a year old Gretchen had an explosion in communication where all the old things came back. This explosion just happened for Jack. So we are pointing, waving, clapping, touching toes, saying "MaMa," "Da Da" and the list goes on. He has also just started to pull himself up. He is so please with himself which is also cute to see. He is going through a bit of a Mommy phase. So if I am in the room no one else will do. I think this is also coinciding with finally starting to teeth. As of right now he does not have a single tooth to his name.