{Moved}

I am excited to tell you that I’ve recently upgraded and updated my blog.  While it is not 100% perfect yet and I am still fining tuning some things it is up and running…. so from now on I won’t be posting here and will eventrually delete this blog.  So please change your bookmarks to my new address   www.photographybycheryl.net/blog

See you over there (it’s still wordpress so I didn’t move to the darkside! LOL)

Now, I need to go and work on my website updates!

Coming soon…

to a theather near you…lol.. rather I should say to a computer screen near you…is my new blog.  I have been hard at work, working on a new blog and updating my website.  I am hoping to go live with my new blog tomorrow (Sunday) and sometime next week with my website updates.  So check back soon…I’ll post the link as soon as I am set!

{girlish-y day}

That is a word that Syd made up (at least I think she did, cause I never heard it before) and I think it’s adorable.  This afternoon she told me she had a great girlish-y day and I couldn’t agree more.  We started our day with a pedi and mani… and while at the “girlish-y” store, as Syd calls it, I met a new a friend.  We just started chatting and had lots in common and I am hoping that we become good friends.  Anyway, after our nails I stopped to get Syd some McD’s for lunch as she is collecting the Wizard of Oz dolls that they are giving out.  That is the only reason why we’ve been there so often lately.

We stop home so she can change and get ready for class(can you guess what class?)… she is beyond excited… she’s been talking about this class for weeks now.   There are 12 girls in this class and 6 of them are from my neighborhood.  She was so excited to go I couldn’t take many pics.  I would have preferred outside but it was just too chilly (naturally, it’s supposed to be warmer tomorrow) but here is a quick snap before we left

yup, you guessed it…her first ballet class.  Today was the day that I’ve waited for since I started having children….lol.  In my heart I knew I’d have a girl at some point.  If dancing isn’t her thing, that is fine by me, I am just happy to have this experience.

Here are a few shots from class… I wasn’t able to get any frontal shots due to where I was sitting (didn’t want to be rude…. ha ha, but maybe I should’ve been…lol) but I think these are darling anyway… I have dozens but don’t worry, I won’t bore you with all, I’ll only post 2 (maybe 3)!

{I’m a big kid now}

Saturday was a great day in our house.. After Max’s soccer game, we went out to grab a quick bite for lunch to celebrate his game winning goal.   While we were there, I asked Shawn if he would check stock (on his blackberry)on the bed we were waiting for for Syd.  The store said it wasn’t due in until early Nov.  but keep checking, you never know.  So that’s what I did.  Every few days I checked…only to be disappointed.

So, we are eating our lunch, Shawn checks stock and guess what..it’s IN!!!  IN!!!! ok… let’s hurry and eat lunch, go home, let the dogs out and get on the road…I don’t know who was more excited, me or Sydney…lol.   When we got home there was a box at my garage.  You are never going to guess what it was.. the box containing her bedding (that wasn’t due until Wed. this week)… so of course, I was flipping out, saying it’s a sign!

Shawn took one side of seats out of my car so we could fit the stuff in my car and off we went, down to Chicago in 2 seperate cars to get her bed and do some shopping.  Of course the kids were excited cause they knew this meant Jamba Juice (it really is the small things)… Several hours and dollars later… we were home and pleased with our purchases!

Now, before you yellat me that Syd has still been in a crib let me say that every time we asked her up until most recently she said she wanted her crib.  And since we didn’t need it for anything, and she was happy, why not.  She is short and had plenty of room and really, what’s the difference if she slept on the crib mattress in the crib or on a toddler bed, which many kids sleep on until they are 4-5!

So, without further ado… here she is on her big girl bed…loving it!!!

Sorry for the b/w but it’s so dark out today, had to shoot this on ISO 800.  I forgot to bring my flash upstairs and I was just too lazy to walk down to get it!  Her comforter set is dark pink with multi pastel color dots.. it’s really fun!  Not only does the bed have the storage drawers but you can pull the whole front out, and put another mattress on it (which we bought) making it a trundel.  Her cottage style day bed fits so perfectly into her garden theme room.  I have to say that I am so pleased with her room, it’s the room I always dreamt my daughter would have.  I am totally living through my daughter but that’s ok, because we are supposed to live through our children, right?!

Oh, and remember last fall when we gutted our downstairs powder room?  It’s basically been done but missing a few things…. a mirror being one of them… guess what.. we found the perfect mirror on Sat.  You know the story, when you aren’t looking… you find it… and we did.

{fall}

fall is in the air, and I couldn’t be happier… I absolutely love fall…it’s definately my favorite season.  I love wearing sweatshirts, love sleeping under warm, cozy blankets, the smell of the first fire and candles burning… I just love fall!

Here she is.. america’s next top model (LOL) enjoying the fall.  We found this little spot today but only had about 5 minutes to spend there…we were off between fields (lacrosse for A and soccer for M).  You know we’ll be going back, real soon.  We also took a few shots in the yard, stayed tuned for those too!

{proud soccer mom}

Ok, here it is.. I show up to Max’s soccer during the first half and they are losing… the score is 2-3.  I am on the sidelines cheering and trying to take pics but the picture thing really isn’t happening because I am too busy moving around and yelling.  They tie it up… and soon after that the half ends.  Ok.. so 3-3…and it’s half time… I can handle that..  The whistle blows and they are off and running, kicking and chasing the ball… the red team scores meaning we are now down 1…  shoot, it’s 3-4 not in our favor.  The half goes on and we are down to the last 5 mins…we have been dominating the ball just not scoring.. so now I am screaming like crazy… go team, you can do it, etc.   Max gets the ball, he’s right by the goal but he freezes… OMG…. KICK IT MAX… what are you doing… KICK IT… the red team takes possesion and we lost that opportunity to tie the game… OMG…!

We gain possesion back… and Max gets the ball again…now I am really screaming..(no pics cause I am too crazy…lol) instead of freezing, he passes it to his buddy who gives it a swift kick…. WE SCORE!!!  Tied again… only this time this only about 2 minutes or so left.  At least I was  feeling better about Max’s freeze from before.. at least he got an assist.

At this age they don’t play over time, so I was thinking, ok, so a tie isn’t bad.  It’s really about the game and fun, and not about winning but of course, everyone hopes their team wins.  We are back in play with 2 mins or so left… once again, we get possesion…we really did dominate the ball the whole game… and one more time Max gets the ball…  theres about 1 minute left now.. fortunately, he probably didn’t know how much time was left and how much pressure he was under…   this time…

he shoots……..

I was jumping and shooting pics and hoping something would come out… but not caring at the moment…

and HE SCORES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and the Black Bears win the game 5-4!!!!!!!  WTG Team…..  You played a great game and really deserved to win!

{dots}

have always liked dots but am really into them lately … maybe that’s because they are everywhere!!!!  Just wait to you see the new comforter that I ordered to go with her new big girl bed that should is due to arrive in just a couple of more weeks (I hope).

I love baby (and little kid) feet too!

Picture totally inspired by a fellow flickrite!

{not pink}

I know this is hardly a good pic. as she wasn’t in the mood for pics…but I am sharing it to prove to you that although it’s far and few between…sometimes she wears something other than pink!   Actually, she picked a few fall outfits that don’t have pink..!  As long as there is glitter and rhinestones, I think she’s ok….lol

{mine}

Ok, so why is that when I finally have 5 mins (well a little more than that), the weather goes down the tubes.  What started as a partly cloudy, a perfect picture day ended up with dark clouds and light rain…ugh!!!!  By the time we got to the park, it was pretty dark and a few drops were falling but I was able to get some shots in… the lighting wasn’t the best and I am just not sure I am loving it.  I think I’ve become too picky… or maybe I don’t know what I am after meaning, location, poses, etc..  I guess I am hoping by some miracle that some great pic is just going to happen by itself…lol

Our weekends are pretty busy through this month with some fun things planned so I don’t know if another shoot can happen… unless I try to sneak one in after school one day…well anyway, here it is.. basically sooc…  I cropped to 24×36 ratio, because that is the size canvas I want to get… I left room for the side wrapping that’s why it’s not too tight.  I will show the edited version once I do it, but so far… yay or nay.

{burgers}

We went to lunch yesterday (Sunday) to this fabulous burger joint.. it was straight out of the 50’s.  It’s a drive-in but also has dine in and the food was really good.  Actually, it’s been featured on one of the food network shows, I forget which one though.   No one wanted to face me for a frontal shot, so I took a back shot.. it’s ok by me, because I am very please with how it came out.. ha ha kids.. I got a good pic anyway!