10 on 10 | November Edition

It's time for another 10 on 10 post.  You know what this little creativity project has shown me?  It has given me some taste of just how fast time truly is flying.  Perspective.  This is the fourth time and it really feels like I just posted last month's 10 on 10 just the other day.  I know, I know.  I sound like a broken record.  But seriously.  time time time.  Where is all the time going?

I want to freeze time.  Tag out.  If only.  These months are pumping by so quickly it scares me silly.

The 10 on 10 project is where nine other photographers and myself have joined together and agreed to post 10 images over 10 hours of a day in our real lives on the 10th day of each month. Those are the only rules. Check out last month's post here.  And be sure to check out my friend Chesney's post, who is next on the circle.

I'm a really big rule follower.... most of the time.  (when I see reason for the rules, not just for the sake of following the rule.  I didn't always realize I was this way.  There's some rebellion in there that was hidden for a while).  And I wanted to follow the rules for this project.  Really bad.  Every time.  Only ten images.  Over the whole ten hours.  No exceptions.  That was my plan.  Every month it got harder, but I did it.  I narrowed it down.

Well, folks, I have failed.  I made it three months, but now I've failed.  After pouring and pouring through the images I took for this month, on October 25, 2011, I just couldn't narrow it down any further.  The ability to narrow down images is most certainly one of my weakest spots - I am emotionally attached to almost every image I shoot.  It's hard to delete an emotion. So I let myself acquiesce.  I'll do what some of the others have done and post 10 collages spread throughout the day.  Not so horrible, right?  I made peace with that decision many days ago.

Even with that, however, at some point while prepping the post yesterday, I finally cried Uncle.  It just wasn't worth spending any more time on.  I just couldn't narrow it down further.  So I have 14 images, eh hem, collages, for my 10.  And that aren't evenly spaced out from beginning to end of my day.  I'm sorry.  Today the math just won't add up.   I know that in twenty years when I'm looking back on my project, I'll be happy that I preserved each and every one of these memories.  Because that's mostly why I'm doing this, anyway.  For today, I'll be the rebellious photography creative project rule breaker.

October 25th was a Tuesday.  The kids had been sick over the weekend, and I didn't send either of them to school on Monday because of it.  But neither of them acted like they felt bad at all.  After Shawn got home from work, Little Buddy's coughing ramped up... and up... and up.  Shawn asked when Urgent Care closed.  I called.  Five minutes ago.  Of course.  That night was a rough night with some scary coughing from the little guy we've not experienced before.  So first thing Tuesday morning, my planned 10 on 10 day, I got to call the doctor.  Early morning appointment for us.

I took the camera along, since it was 10 on 10 day.  And as we were driving out of our neighborhood I looked left and saw this.  The sunlight and the fog.  It was just gloriously beautiful.  Even though we were late getting out of the house, I stopped the van, rolled down the window and framed the shot.  Sorry, Dr. M.  That's why we were a tad late.

Outside the waiting area at the doctor's office.  Don't they look soooooooo sick?

Home.  Antibiotics prescribed.  Beautiful sunny fall day.  I let them play outside.  In their pajamas.

All boy.  We filled the sandbox area below the playhouse with dirt for a 'dirt box' instead of a sand box.  He thought it was cool for a day and hasn't touched it for months.  But, the all boy in him recently discovered that the dirt clods are like grenades and will explode if thrown hard enough from high enough.  And they will also write and disintegrate on the playhouse.  Fascinating. 

This is what I call her Disney Princess Eyes.  I love them.  And our backyard in fall.  For someone who loves COLOR as much as I do, oh how I love fall.  

Watching a 'ponyville' My Little Pony DVD (horrifically, horrifically dreadful and I'm quite convinced solely derived to inflict severe trauma and pain onto the parents who must listen to it.  'Friendship is Magic' I'm down with, but the 'Ponyville' stuff is just evil.  And how DARE I, as her mother, select the wrong episode of the movie.  That was the initiator of the crying fit.  This was also one of the last days she wore her patch before the good news that we get to try life without glasses and patching to see if they've worked.

Holy moly, does this child love play-dough.  That's all there is to say about that.

While there is still light and warmth left, I'm going to let them play outside all they can!

Little Buddy has never shown much of a preference for clothing, really.  In the last year he's embraced the land of camouflage, but it truly didn't start before then.  However, the girl in the Little Lady emerged strong long ago and she does have preferences for her clothing.  I am a believer in letting them have bits of control where my control is truly unnecessary, and their clothing is one of those places.  This shirt is her favorite shirt - she picked it out with Daddy with a $10 reward card to Old Navy.  The pants?  Goodness, she loves them.  They are way too short for her, and I had to sew the sides to make the waist fit right.  I have no idea where they came from.  I didn't buy them.  Someone, I have utterly no idea who, gave them to us and she thinks they are the best pants ever.  

They fight soooooo much.  They drive each other crazy and they pick at each other like mad.  But then they'll turn around and have so very much fun together I almost burst with the joy of it.

He crinkles his nose like this rarely, but when he does I LOVE it.  It is SO cute and I'm happy to have a semi glimpse of that preserved forever.  As well as her playing in the many leaves in the backyard.

Last October he got a big boy bike for his birthday.  He rarely rides it.  He still loves the tricycle... that we adjusted for Little Lady's shorter legs... and the car.  They fight over this car.... oh how they fight over it.  But lately they've been filling the back with various things.... lately he's been a flower delivery man and they've been picking my mums.... 

I will say it again.  She has the hair I wish I had.  I am in love with her hair.  She will not let me DO ANYTHING to it.  No clips.  No bows.  No hairhands.  NOTHING.  Just down.  always down.

She picked my mums... again.  And I made him sit and let me take his picture.  And I got a halfway decent real smile before the last scraps of light were gone.  

It was a good, good day.  I'm nervous about the upcoming winter months when we won't be able to go outside.... 

Next on the circle is Chesney Maxwell.  I really, really adore Chesney's work and her style. Check out her 10 on 10 post here.

I shot these with my
D90
Nikon 14-24 f2.8
Nikon 50mm 1.4D
Sigma 30mm f1.4