50 mm lens + baby e

After months of pondering and much discussion with a number of people I finally bought a 50mm lens.

I'm liking the clarity (prior muffin shots) and portraits you can do with it.

I took some picture of my friend Katie's baby the other day and was pretty happy with the results.

Baby E was not happy anywhere but on mama's lap, but with a low aperture setting I was able to get some decent shots without seeing too much of mom.

loving my new camera

Thank you again for your two cents in regards to cameras. Santa and the husband colluded for one of the best ever Christmas/Birthday gifts -- a new SLR!

While I'm still playing with and learning how to use it, I'm loving being able to take better shots, especially indoors.

Here are some recent pics I snapped of Mo.

a little too much light splotching around, but love this pic of Maddie.

Mads can pretty much do a somersault already.

Clapping for the success of stacking the cups Maddie-style.

adventures in television

I’ve tried in vain – I don’t know what I was thinking – to explain the difference between live and recorded TV to Katie.

“Honey can you fast forward real life?”

“No.”

“That’s kind of like real television, you can’t fast forward it.”

“But you can freeze live television?” asks Katie cautiously.

“Umm, yes.”

And, yet again I’m backed into a corner trying to explain something to her.

I know I shouldn't even be having this conversation with her. It’s a lot to ask a three-year old to wrap her head around. But, it feels like at least every other day I get…

“Mama,” while watching a recorded Dora show which is showing a ‘what’s next’ advertisement, “Diego is going to be on next, can I watch it?”

The other day she was watching Arthur on live TV – because, as she explained her friend Jake likes the show. We paused it to go the bathroom. Ten minutes later (long bathroom trip) we get back and she insists on pressing the button herself.

She presses “last” instead of “play,” and the TV switches to the channel it was on – before Arthur -- which was of course, ESPN.

She was livid. And even more so after I told her we couldn't go back to the same place in Arthur anymore because we were watching live television.

I suppose in the end when it comes to technology savvy she will most certainly usurp me as each previous generation has done with their parents. In the end she most likely sigh patronizingly at me and show me how to use my new phone, television, beaming device, etc.

yea!

Two reasons to celebrate this week.

1) We won two ridiculously cute dresses from the Misha Lulu blog. They arrived this week. Katie has worn the red dress three -- yes, three -- times already this week. She wouldn't let me wash it, she just keeps wearing it.

"Mama, I want all my friends to see it."

2) We got our new point-and-shoot camera (the Canon), so we have a means to document these adorable dresses.

The dresses came packaged all-too cute.

Katie was so excited it was hard to take pictures because all she wants to do is twirl in them.

naked

Because my little Canon -- R.I.P -- died recently I went out and bought a new point-and-shoot. I bought the Sony W290. I was swayed by the cool design, big screen, logical interface -- and, it was more than $100 cheaper than the Canon that was an upgrade of my old one.

I just returned the Sony last night. I felt like too many of the pictures were blurry and the video was way too choppy for my liking.

I ordered the new Canon Powershot SD970 which will be arriving late next week. Until them I am left naked with no means to shoot my Little Wickies.

Until then I leave you with some Katie-isms...

• Katie often pronounces "v" as "b" so when she says vegetables it sounds like "bitchtables."

• She had an American flag tattoo on her hand and proclaimed to Papa, "Look at my miracle (instead of American) flag."

• Papa was explaining why her cup with ice was wet "It's condensation Katie," followed by a scientific explanation that went over all of our heads. Later I helped her out of her chair and I exclaimed that her hands were wet. "No Mama, that's just combination on them."

r.i.p.

My little Canon PowerShot SD550has been doing this a lot lately.

I'm afraid it's on its last legs.

I think I may ask Santa for fancier SLR camera, but in the meantime I feel naked without a point-and-shoot in my back pocket so I'll have to hop-to and write a few extra articles so I can go make this purchase now.

What camera do you have (SLR or point-and-shoot)? Do you like it?