Outtakes

This afternoon Matt and Alice very generously humored me by letting me drag them out into the front yard to take photos.  I wanted to kill two birds with one stone by taking a Christmas card photo and also completing this week's homework assignment for the photography class I'm taking.  Matt signed me up for the class as a birthday gift. Wasn't that thoughtful? Also, can you believe I'm not waiting 'til the last minute to do the homework? Boy, things have sure changed since my paper writing days.

Anyhow, here are some of the outtakes from today's shoot.  Don't think I'm going to spoil the fun by posting our Christmas card photo on the 'net.  You'll just have to wait for the snail mail for that (and for me to get organized enough to order them, address them, and send them out).

Assignment #1: Freezing motion

 

Assignment #2: Capturing blurred motion

 

  

Assignment # 3: Small depth of field (still working on this one)

We messed around for at least 45 minutes trying to get a good family photo using the self-timer.  Every time I got up to check the latest shot, Alice would get up too, so then I'd have to set the camera timer, sprint towards Matt, scoop up Alice, arrange myself in a figure-flattering beveled position, and then try to get Alice to look delighted rather than utterly confused all in time for the shutter to release.   After I uploaded the whole set of photos onto the computer to confirm my suspicion that none was passable, we headed back outside for round two (I told you that Matt and Alice were good sports about this).  Just as I was readjusting the camera (precariously teetering on top of our two living room poufs stacked one on top of the other), our neighbor passed by and took pity on us offered to help us out by taking a few.  Just a couple of snaps and a few "look, Alice, a squirrel"s later, and we had ourselves a photo in which all three of us were in the shot and looking at the camera.  Maybe next year we'll even get one of all of us smiling!

This past weekend Vola and Jason paid us a little visit.  They arrived late on Friday night, after Alice was asleep for the night, and they hit the ground running on Saturday morning.  A visit to the Denver Biscuit Company for humongous biscuit sandwiches gave us the necessary fuel to conquer the Alderfer/Three Sisters Trail hike in Evergreen. 

 

 

 

 

 

We toasted ourselves afterwards with some wine, Italian soda, and juice box at Creekside Cellars and nibbled on cheese and crackers.

 

A long afternoon nap for everyone primed the adults for dinner out, while Alice stayed home with a new sitter.  This is only the second time since our move that Matt and I have been out without Alice at night.  It's like a whole other city out there! And it all happens after 7pm.  We went through our whole evening routine and had Alice asleep before the sitter even got there.  Then we went to dinner and then had drinks.  I can't believe how many hours in the day there are that I haven't been utilizing.  You know, all those hours that start with 9, 10, and 11.  Unfortunately, the next morning found me utilizing all those hours that started with 6, 7, and 8, and then I remembered why I'm usually in bed by 10.  Anyhow, we had a lovely evening, and this sitter had better remember where we live, 'cause we're calling her back.  Maybe next time she'll even get to meet Alice.

 

After a stroll around our neighborhood and then some football watching for the guys and napping/movie watching for the girls, we squeezed in a quick trip to Washington Park before dinner and goodbyes.

We did some Jacobs family roughhousing (caught on film by Vola).

And, I captured a sequence of photos of my most favorite of all of Alice's expressions: the excited/bashful/giggly face with hands smashed on mouth and nose.  I dare you to watch her do it in person and not smile.

I hope Vola and Jason come back soon!

Song

{To be sung to the tune of "Oh my Darling, Clementine"}

Leaving Denver, on an airplane
With a suitcase stuffed with clothes,
Was a redhead with an iPad
And her daughter Alice Rose.

They watched Elmo, they had Pocky,
They ate the cookie that was free.
Then the airplane wheels descended:
They had landed in DC.

Mimi-Nonna, there to meet them,
Was as happy as a clam.
She'd made chili, she'd found diapers,
She'd bought crackers made of graham.

Curious Alice, kind of naughty,
Opened almost every drawer,
Found an ornament for Christmas,
Threw it right down on the floor.

Once they'd cleaned up all the glass shards
She continued to explore,
Seized a vial of scented oil
And she christened Marlie's floor.

In addition, while in DC,
Alice's vocab' continued to grow.
Now each time she's asked a question
The response is "no, no, no".

Smelling fragrant, on the East coast,
They had good times by the yard.
They took photos, lots of photos,
But there was no mem'ry card.

Much too quickly, came the flight home,
They had middle seat once more,
With the iPad playing Elmo
And a bag with snacks galore.

At the airport, back in Denver,
They kissed "Dada" on the cheeks.
Back to normal in their new home
'Til their next trip in two weeks.