Day 26

I could alternately title this "Jessica Takes a Lot of Webcam Pictures When She's Bored." 

I dug into my webcam archives for this one.

So I'm having a crisis of the hair persuasion. Any girl will know what I'm talking about. My hair has hit the dreaded in between stage. It's not a cute, sassy, short do. It's not long and flowing. It just...blah.

Day 26: Something Old

This is from the day I cut it off. I was seven months pregnant and obviously hormonal.

It went from this..

To this..

To this..

And finally to this which I've been growing out for the past five months..

And in case you want to know what growing out your hair for five months resembles..

Moral of the story?

There isn't any. Well other than don't let the hormonal, pregnant women in your life make decisions about hair. I'm trying to grow it out but every time I see a pair of scissors, I start to twitch.

Not literally. That would be scary and reason to consult a medical professional.

So today I'm hiding the all sharp instruments that could possibly be turned into styling shears. Kitchen shears, craft scissors, garden shears..you get the picture.

Have a lovely Tuesday, y'all! I'll be over here...not cutting my hair.

Day 24

More playing catch up. Have y'all figured out yet that I am a world famous procrastinator?

Eleven year old Jess needs to finish her science project? I was too busy choreographing some busted dance moves to a Spice Girls song. (What up, Posh!)

Twenty-six year old Jess needs to email her mother the photos she promised? Dancing to some Britney while vacuuming the house sort of took precedence. (I'm getting right to that Mom!)

Shamefully bad pop music is also a common theme in my life.

Day 24: A Smile

Day 23

Whoa! I've gotten a couple days behind on this challenge gig. Only a week's worth of pictures left though, so I'm going to power through.

The picture I chose for this day was actually taken in April of last year. The same day I snapped these.

I look back on that time fondly. Not only because I was rocking some pretty fantastic hair 

(WHY DID I CUT IT?!), but because this was around the time that Remy came to be. Oh life was especially sweet to us last April.

Day 23: Sunset

Day 22

Day 22: Trees

I took these nearly a year ago with a kit lens on my old basic Canon Rebel. Back when Remy was just a pain in my ribs, Owen was just a first grader, and Liv didn't have a clue as to who Justin Bieber was.

I love these just as much now as I did then. 

Day 20 & 21

Day 20: Something I Read

Be jealous y'all. I spent part of my day reading this. And FYI, I fixed the dang thing.

Day 21: A Pretty Pattern

I like this so much that I have it in two colors. 

(It's an outdoor pillow. But I have it indoors. Living on the edge, y'all.)

Day 18 & 19

I'm a few days behind on the 30 day challenge. I believe after I share these photos with you, I'll be ALMOST caught up. How did my all my east coast readers do with that bratty Irene this weekend?

Day 18: In my Bag

Sunglasses. Diaper. Baby wipes. Loose change. Pen. Wallet. Rosebud Salve. Burt's Bees lip gloss. Bare Minerals refillable buffing brush. iPhone.

Day 19: Where I Slept

Someone kicked me out of my spot last night. 

Day 17/30

 Day 17: On the Shelf

I thrifted this fun 80's geometric print square scarf a few months ago and it's just been sitting on a shelf  in my dresser. I almost forgot I had it until this morning when I started pulling all my clothes out with the intentions of organizing for fall. 

So, I finally put it to use and tied it into a tube top of sorts. Not the most creative (I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here) but good enough to wear around the house today.

Yay for re-purposing!

Day 15 &16

Day 15: Shoes

More of the same. 

Chucks. As per usual.

Day 16: What I Ate

This was my lunch today. Very sad.

Day 14/30

Day 14: Flowers

From our Boston trip. I was capital O Obsessed with these flowers. So whimsical.

Day 13/30

Day 13: From a Distance

Day 12/30

Day 12: Close Up

Day 11/30

Day 11: Something Fun

He drives me absolutely nuts. He refuses to quit hiding in the clothing racks at the mall. He's been talking a mile a minute since he came out of the womb. But he's always fun.

From April 2011..

Day 10/30

Day 10: Something I Made

Well that's an easy one. I make a lot of things. I make breakfast. I make lunch. I make dinner. I make groceries. I make my house clean and tidy. I make clean laundry magically appear in dresser drawers. I make my husband laugh. And sometimes I make people. 

Though, according to numerous elderly women at the Wal-Mart, this one couldn't possibly be mine. 

"He's so blonde!"

"Those blue eyes! Are you sure he's yours?"

"Oh he must belong to the milkman!"

Only sweet, 85 year old ladies can get away with accusing someone of being an adulterer.

Oh but he's mine. I cooked him for 9 months. I still get to enjoy late night parties with him. (We like to watch Discovery ID at 3AM and enjoy a couple of cold beverages. Milk for him...water for me. Total party animals.)

I made him. And John helped too.

Day 9/30

I had high hopes for today's assignment. In fact, when I had first glanced at the challenge list 9 days ago, today's was one that I was really, really excited about.

My hopes were dashed sometime around 10PM last night when I managed to throw out my lower back getting out of the bathtub. You read that right. I was minding my own business, stepping out of the tub and immediately felt a sharp stabbing in my lower right back. So after tossing and turning and cussing my bad luck all night, I'm stuck on the sofa reeking of Icy Hot.

At least the kids are being super helpful and I'm catching up on some much needed blog reading. Now if only I could make a Cadbury chocolate bar magically appear by my side, I'd almost be okay with being laid up.

Day 9: Faceless self portrait

Day 8/30

Day 8: Technology

Or lack thereof. 

Summer's coming to a close around here. I've been encouraging (forcing) him outside the past few days. Trying to get him to enjoy what little summer he has left without any videogames, TV, DS, etc, etc..

Day 7/30

In between running around like a chicken with its head cut off today, I racked my brain as to what I could possibly use for today's challenge. Something new. Something new...something new? 

My most recent purchase was groceries and I could have taken photos of those two cans of cream of chicken soup that I bought this morning to make chicken and dumplings. But I forgot. 

I could have taken photos of the chicken and dumplings I made. It was a new recipe! And a successful one at that. And that's worth noting, because God knows I have the best of intentions when it comes to cooking, but good intentions don't magically make the girl an Iron Chef, ya know? But before I could get my camera out, it was demolished.

So, with today's earlier post about transparency in mind, I chose one from the archives.* 

*Okay, so I sound silly saying archives when this was obviously last week, but whatever. I copped out again. Oops.

Day 7: Something New

Attitude.

Day 6/30

Most of today was spent up to our elbows in the kids' toys. Cleaning out their closets isn't a task I enjoy, but it's certainly necessary. 

I found this photo floating around Olivia's closet. How some of these things end where they do, I'm not sure.

Riding bikes, playing on Dad's boat, picking buckets full of plums from the backyard trees...

Oh those were the days.

Day 6: Childhood Memory 

Day 5/30 and Farmers Tans

Let me preface by saying that I'm usually more careful.

More responsible. 

Less terrible. 

Less sitting in the sun for five hours, Jessica!!

I sorely underestimated how long we would be sitting out at the football field today. 

My fair, fair, blue eyed babe got a little sun. This picture really doesn't do the redness justice. Fortunately he doesn't seem to notice, but every time I look at him I feel like hyperventilating.

Note to self : PUT SUNSCREEN IN YOUR PURSE ASAP.

We closed out our day of farmers tans and ball park hotdogs with a little catch and a rousing game of tag. Well, John and the kids did. I sat in self imposed time out with this boo-boo face.

Again, reminder! SUNSCREEN!

A dude's gotta do what a dude's gotta do to make sure his seven year old doesn't beat him in tag.

After the kids (and John) were nice and sweaty, I insisted on a poorly executed self timer shot.

Since taking it, I've realized that this is one of the only pictures of all of us together.

In one shot.

Not crying.

Looking completely like ourselves.

Down to Owen's gap tooth, my dirty white tee, and Livi's messy hair.

I would say it's my favorite. But then I decided that we needed just one more. Just in case. And then the heavens smiled, I was given this little gift.

John and his deranged serial killer death glare. The gift that keeps on giving, y'all.

I decided that this photo has to be part 30 day photo challenge. Of course, it's fitting that day five's theme is someone I love.

So..

Day 5: Someone I Love

Day 4/30 Day Challenge

Day 4: Favorite Color

Before John calls me out for saying red is my favorite color when he dang well knows it's green, let me plead my case. 

Red is my favorite color when she wears it. And she's wearing it today so nanny nanny boo boo.

Cop out. 

I am one.

Vanity/Day 3

75 degrees, sunny, puffy clouds, and a light breeze.

Sounds like perfection, weather edition.

And it was. Yesterday was Gorgeous with a capital G. And even though we had a to-do list about a mile long, I couldn't resist bringing the kids out to a park to enjoy some lovely fresh air.

Is there anything better than having the park all to yourselves?

And since we had the park all to ourselves, I decided to indulge in a little bit of vanity. I've realized that pictures of me with the kids are incredibly few and far between. And really, that's sad. Some of my favorite pictures from my childhood are of my mom with us. So, I set aside the normal "Oh God, my hair looks ridiculous! Are those wrinkles? My arms look pudgy!" thoughts and did it for the kids.

Yay for self timers!

And yay for Owen for happily playing photographer. "A lil to the left, Mom. Livi, move your big head! Now don't move! Say FUN AT THE PARK!"

And finally...
Day 3: Clouds