Believe it or not, I was able to resist those big brown eyes. Unless you count the Hello Kitty pez dispenser, because then I caved.

And then there was The Meltdown at the Space Needle

"MOM!!!!!"

If my flickr batch exporter wasn't flipping out I'd upload all the shiny happy photos from the day. Tomorrow.

Then Karsten leaned in to whisper to me.
Mom, erase Britta's mind!

This is just from one batch of photos I uploaded. Glad I'm the one behind the camera so I didn't make the pool of photos.

I spent today testing out my new 50mm lens. It doesn't autofocus with my camera so I'm having to practice focusing. I get such good depth of field on this lens that I'm having trouble focusing the camera correctly on every shot. Maybe it is time to get me some glasses -- or contact lenses finally.

I can also see that I over-exposed a bit on this one, but I'm working on getting better.

I just finished reading this book, Photographing Children and it is the only how-to book I've ever read every word. (Too bad I don't do that with my CSS/DHTML books!) Anyway, it was a huge help in seeing photography in a new light (pun intended.) Highly recommended for the intermediate photographer wanting to take better photos of children.

When we saw the kids and they were speaking in Norwegian that he didn't understand he said to Bestemor, "why didn't you teach me ALL the words?!"

Hopefully Bestemor will get right on that. ha ha.

Check out her blog.

She's one of my only mom friends who can still talk me into doing a tequila shot.

He was watching a Ben 10 episode on my computer that he must have already seen because I heard him say to Britta, "cover your eyes, Britta!" She complied, and a few seconds later he said, "you can look now." It must have been something he thought was going to be a bit scary for her.

Another incident of chivalry:

A few years back I took both kids to the doctor for their yearly checkups. Karsten went first for his immunizations. He screamed. He hollered. He said he couldn't walk after the shots were injected in his legs. Then he realized it was Britta's turn and he yelled at the nurse, "don't you hurt my sister!"

Britta always seems to be the caretaker in the family, but it is good to know I am also raising quite the little gentleman. I like to see him looking out for his sister.

Mix with friends and family calling/emailing/facebooking/dropping off goodies....

= not such a bad birthday!

Thanks everyone! By the weekend I should not be contagious even!

36 was over run with me trying to do too many Big Things and as good as doing Big Things sounds, I realized it is the Little Things that matter the most to me and my family in keeping us all happy. (Perhaps this is because I am married to a man who plans to Rule the Mobile World. One of us should Think Small.)

In order to keep myself on track or side tracked from those beckoning Big Things I have made a list of things to do this year. I'm also trying to keep the list fun because afterall, it is my birthday. You won't be seeing any "clean the garage" type goals on this list (well, maybe just one of those.)

1. Create an ABC photo book for Britta.


2. Visit a museum.


3. Visit an indie gallery.


4. Hear some live music that does not include a mosh pit or start after 11pm. Shesh, I AM old.


5. Learn how to use the manual settings on my Nikon D60.


6. Print a photo image to canvas.


7. Go to the zoo.


8. Create another photo book using Blurb.com


9. Camp on Orcas Island.


10. Write a will. This is the only non-fun thing on my list but I think it is high time I get it done. I'm embarrassed to type that I have yet to do this.


11. Cook with my kids


12. Go on bike rides with my kids. This means I will have to find my bike and maybe even pound the rusty forks back together with a rock.


13. Row the rowboat to the Cove for a picnic.


14. Download the printer profile for Costco's photoprinter and calibrate my monitor.


15. Do more post-editing to my photos.


16. Finish the effing bag I started sewing when I was 36.


17. Make 6 pillows in 7 days.


18. Get my irrigation system fixed so I don't spend my summer watering my plants and then watching them die because I won't always remember to water them.


19. Get an inspiration board


20. Spend the night in a yurt, or Andy's office. Can't decide which would be more of an adventure.


21. Order moo cards


22. Crochet something more complicated than a scarf.


23. Take my kids to a concert.


24. Spend almost every morning at the pool this summer swimming and playing tennis (Karsten anyway).


25. Find a creative community to meet up with a few times a year. This might just mean hijacking Becca and Shawna for projects when I can.


26. See something at SIFF.


27. Schedule more movie club meetings.


28. Create a new signature summer meal. Any suggestions? I'll need a summer drink to go with the meal.


29. Take the family to Portland.


30. Help my kids have a lemonade stand.


31. Pimp my basement. looky


32. Drinks and dinner on the Pink Door or other summery deck with a-mazing food.


33. See the tulips blooming.


34. Read this book for 2008.


35. Read a classic book to my kids.


36. Have my son read to me every day.


37. Make homemade pasta with my pasta maker.

If I can cross these off my list by 38 I will call it a good year. If anyone hears me talk smack of starting a text messaging service for creative inspiration, you have my permission to box my ears.

Karsten served Daddy breakfast that he made in bed. Andy would have liked to have slept a few hours longer but who could resist such a cutie pie?

The menu: gummy vitamins, coffee, raisin bread with peanut butter and jelly, and apple jacks cereal.

Britta made Andy a picture frame of herself that said, "I'm buggy about Daddy" and glued foam bugs on it.

Watching the kids get so excited about making things and presenting them to daddy was great.

2. In the meantime I thought I would just watch the first episode on Amazon Unbox. Not so when the player kept crashing. I finally gave up and went to bed last night.

3. Yay, got a the new disc from Netflix today. It is Blu-ray again even though I changed my account settings. Grrr. This time I reported the disc "un-playable."

4. Tried Unbox again. Crashed again. Re-installed the player. Will see how that pans out.

5. Thinking I could watch it on iTunes... but oh yeah, I already allocated over 5 machines to my itunes. No go there.

6. Thought about watching some sort of network television from abc.com. Had to install a special player on top of their flash player. Why? Turns out there isn't anything I want to watch there anyway.

7. Oh yeah, I could watch something on the "watch instantly" on Netflix. It only works in IE on the PC. For some reason I can't "update" the player because something is set wrong but I can't figure out what.

This is ridiculous. I may flip on the tv. But probably not.

So far I think MTV is the only company that has gotten the streaming right. I can watch full episodes whenever I want with commercials.

In memory of Eva Carlstrom, Andy's aunt. She unexpectedly/expectedly passed away in her Ballard home this morning after battling pancreatic cancer for not quite a year.

She was a staunchy Norwegian woman who had a loom that took up the entry way of her living room, and knitting skills that no other can rival. We are proud owners of some of her heirloom pieces she knitted. She enjoyed her happy hour with her husband, and making amazing doll clothes for her granddaughters.

I'm happy she welcomed me into her family when I married Andy. We will miss her -- and her annual 17th of May parade parties.

(Oh great, now I'm all teary eyed.) Good bye Eva!

As you can see I went a little Piknic happy. That tool is too addicting. Must stop editing my photos!

I am also going to need a polarizing filter if I'm going to continue taking photos in Seattle. At least I can try and fake some sun. If anyone else has any tips for making photos look sunny when you live in Seattle and it is obviously NOT sunny even though it is June, let me know.

More photos from our trip here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/janak/sets/72157605508829196/