My Friend Sherri is Awesome.

I have a super-talented photographer friend, Sherri Jackson, who took the train up from Brooklyn yesterday to take our family Christmas pictures. We had a great time even though it was FREEZING outside. Jake eventually grew quite tired of the whole photos in the cold thing, and had a complete meltdown, but luckily Sherri was able to get some stellar shots. Thanks again Sherri - you rock!!! :)

Jake smelling a leaf



I have slight crazy-person-eyes here ;)



My new headshot:



Strolling around Scarsdale...


Sherri also let us highjack her Saturday night and we all went to go see Fred Claus at the Mamaroneck Playhouse, which is a super cool place to see a movie. ...Actually, where we were sitting in the theater, it was super hot, but you didn't hear me complaining! :) Thanks to Chris & Laura for coming along too, and for Mema and Papa, who babysat TWICE this week simply so Ralph and I could sneak off to the movies! (We also saw August Rush. Totally recommend!)

We had a great Thanksgiving in NY, and we are looking forward to Christmas in PA. (We do an every-other-year thing.) Jake had a great time seeing Uncle Greg and Aunt Laura, who were home from college.

Blog. Something. Anything.

This was actually an item on my to-do list for today. Which is already over. It's already tomorrow. Whatever that means....

Anyway, I have 43+/- things on my to-do list most days (no, really). So everyday, I have a list I call my "BIG FIVE" and it has the top five things that REALLY need to be accomplished for each day. Today, there were simple things, like #3 "Blog. Something. Anything" and #5 Go Grocery Shopping. But there were also big things; #2 Finish designing sample Engagement Guest Book Album and FTP the high-res files, or #4 Find receipt for 30D. The 30D is my 'good' camera. Which is broken. Which decided to break right in the middle of a photo shoot. A double header. I'm a pro, I carry a backup. The backup worked, the pictures turned out awesome - I had great subjects! :)

But the thing is, as great as my backup is, it will break too. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next year, but it will break. Which means I need a backup to my backup. I need to have my good camera fixed. Which requires the receipt or the warranty card. I. have. no. idea. where. it. is. I'll blame it on the move. Which, for those keeping score, was about 6 months ago. I am the most organized disorganized person you will ever meet. Some things are so meticulously organized in my home that I have a photographic memory of exactly how things are laid out. My camera bag? Perfectly organized. My computer files? Meticulously in order. Client files? Alphabetized and all facing the same direction in my file cabinet.

Personal Records, receipts and paperwork? A big stinkin mess. I am missing so many important papers and documents right now that it is driving me nearly insane. The thing that drives me absolutely batty is that my photographic memory brings up images of exactly the last place I saw them: Delaware. RATS! Six months ago and I can picture the exact spot where my birth certificate was, under the radio, on our kitchen countertop. Six months ago and I can see my passport tucked into the plastic expanding file folder beneath the large wooden file cabinet in the living room. Six months ago and I can see the warranty card, receipt and extended warranty paperwork in the wicker basket under the televison. Now where all of those happen to be now is beyond me. ARGH!

I am ready to tear my hair out of my head.

Sorry this post has nothing to do with Jake... or maybe it does? I've been so busy being a mom that I've abandoned some of the organizational neccessities that I once was so proud of myself for upkeeping. I'm a messy girl, I'll admit it, but I used to have what I'd call an 'organized mess'. Now I'm just frustrated at the lack of order in some parts of my life and trying to sort it out and set up as best I can for the next time I need an important document.

To help things along, I created a schedule for my weekdays, to make my non-existant time more efficient:
Mondays: Workday, Jake is at Mema's
Tuesdays: Run errands, organize, misc
Wednesdays: Fun with Jake day
Thursdays: Workday, Jake at Mema's?
Fridays: Laundry & Housework

Not to say that I am not fitting in work during every single nap and the second Jake goes to bed, but I have now given myself two full days to concentrate exclusively on work, so that the other days I won't feel like I'm ignoring work, or ignoring Jake, or ignoring housework, etc. This running-a-business-while-working-from-home-while-being-a-mommy thing is NOT easy.

Thanks for reading my novella. Anyone out there with psychic powers wanna tell me where on earth I can find my passport, birth certificate, warranty card or camera receipt? (no, really). I promise I won't lose them again....

P.S. - Pictures will be back up as soon as my $100 a week rental camera arrives via FedEx! Argh. Argh. Argh.

Jake Parties with Jess & Bill

My cousin Shane was getting married to the very lovely Tina this weekend and we were very excited to go to the wedding. Jake, however, is still a bit young for weddings. My aunt Nancy was kind enough to accept babysitting duty for part of the day, and then took him over to cousin Jessica & Bill's house for the late afternoon and evening until we got home from the wedding. We weren't sure how Jake would respond to new surroundings and new babysitters, but he seemed to have a great time! Jess and Bill and Aunt Nancy seemed to have a good time babysitting as well. Here are some pictures Jess sent us afterward, along with a note offering to take Jake off our hands - we could just have "another baby." Tee hee












I think Jake may have enjoyed the furry companions as much as the human ones! Jake is quite the animal lover!

"Say Water!"

Somewhere along the line, Jake thought this was the way to pronounce "WATER." It made Ralph and I crack up, so I ran for the camera and made him do it over and over. (The camera runs out of battery at the end and cuts off, but it's still pretty funny).

Jake Performs His Tricks

Laugh Bath!

So what do you do when you have 250 sticky plastic play balls, and one dirty toddler? Throw all of the above into the bathtub, of course! Jake had a great time today in Grandma & Grandpa's big bathtub and Mama had a great time snapping pictures in the bright sunny room.

Halloween 2007

Jake was dressed as a cow, because it's so much fun getting him to say "MOOOO!" (and it was on sale at Babies R Us for $4.99). Ruth was dressed as a princess because it was the only dog costume in her size at Old Navy (and I can't find the box that has her tutu costume from last year). The neighborhood kids seemed to enjoy seeing a dog in costume. :)

Ralph took Jake (and the camera) around the neighborhood while Ruthie and I passed out candy. I think they had a good time!



Jake fussing for more candy (BTW, this is how he looked for about 12 hours straight today - we're teething right now and it's NOT pretty!)


Not really digging this whole hood thing.


Jake trading a Reese's for a 3 Muskateers (no peanuts!)


Our front steps (notice glowing-eyed demon dog in background).


Jake giving me his version of the sign for milk (not because he's a cow, but because he's thirsty).


Princess Ru, wondering why she puts up with our crap.


I threw together his trick-or-treat pail in about 3 minutes - double-stick tape, a sheet of white paper, and a sharpie, and I can create ANYTHING! (Yes, it's his sand bucket from the beach - we have limited resources here!)


Daddy adjusts Princess Ru's crown.


Jake visited with our neighbors Susan and Anna.


And here is our next-door neighbor, and Jake's future girlfriend, Gabriella.


Back home with some nice sticky candy!

Hope everyone had a nice, safe Halloween! Can't wait to check out everyone's pictures. I'm off to bed now, to recover from this candy hangover...