Another run in Grandview, another dozen dog chases. Two of them circled me, snapping and lunging. A guy jumped out of his truck and chased those two off while I hyperventilated on the side of the street and Amber kept asking "wat appen, Mommy? You hurt?" from her seat in the stroller.
The afternoon was capped off with a 30+ minute Amber rodeo while we waited at piano lessons. For some reason that nearly always sucks me dry and does me in. When we got home from piano around 5pm, I told Jeff I needed half an hour completely alone. The blessed man corralled the kids in the basement while I stomped upstairs and locked my bedroom door for good measure and for sweet silence. I recovered enough to endure till bedtime, and prayed/resolved to make the next day better.
After a good night sleep and some praying and such, I started thinking about what made my day rough yesterday. I realized that all of the things that drove me crazy yesterday were also things that I am grateful for. I am so grateful to be a mom and have three kids who need me and want me around ALL the time. I am grateful to be fit and healthy enough to enjoy 4 mile runs any time I want to. I am grateful for music and that we managed funds to pay for piano lessons. I am grateful for my house and our clothes (even if they are both in a constant state of disarray and always needing a wash/fold/pick-up). I am thankful that we always have enough to eat (even if the crock pot doesn't finish cooking it in time for dinner). I am thankful for my computer. I am thankful for my church that gives me so many different kinds of opportunities to serve others, through visiting teaching, helping the missionaries, serving in the young women organization, and more. I have such a GOOD LIFE with so many wonderful blessings that I felt pretty lame about being so lame about it all yesterday. But nobody should be expected to function normally right after experiencing sheer terror and a gushing adrenaline first thing in the morning.
Now on to the Ambath:
Today I purposefully did things that I wanted to do and meant to do yesterday but did not have time for, and squeezed in the dread laundry train around my activities of choice, rather than the other way around. I skipped running because I needed a day to reboot mentally after yesterday's dog almost-attack. Instead, I took Amber out and let her romp in the soccer field. She loved it and her joy was contagious. I realized that I haven't taken any official Two Year Old pictures of Amber, so I was hoping to get something to fill that slot. I attempted to take pictures of Amber while she played, but my photography skills are what they've always been: patchy.
Enter: Adobe Lightroom, my fancy-schmancy birthday present of complex joy. I spent a long time fiddling around in Lightroom today, and after a few attempts, I managed to buff up some pictures nicely. It was satisfying--now my inability to work with camera settings is secondary. Adobe Lightroom's Auto Tone button basically fixes all of my shutter speed and aperture clumsiness! All I have to do is click that magic Auto Tone button and at least 80% of my pictures turn pretty! It was so exciting because I couldn't fid the auto button for the longest time, hahaha.
So, eleven days late, here are Amber's official Two Year Old pictures. She is always in motion and feeling her emotions with every ounce of her little body, making her a tricky photo-subject. But I think I got a few keepers. Or 36.
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| she was copying my awkward squat while I tried to take pictures of her, although I'm not nearly that flexible, haha |
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| Cute little stumble-run |
Now on to the Ambath:
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| I couldn't resist posting at least one of these. |
The bath is Amber's happy place.
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| Those towel-dried curls! |
Amber really is TWO. I'm getting used to it, especially since she' talking so much more now. I love that little voice and that sweet face!
1 comment:
Cute!
Cute!
CUTE!!!
You are a good mommy!
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