Week in the Life : Thursday Photos + Words

10.02.08
- Simon up before the alarm again (in our bed again too).
- Overheard at the breakfast table: "I am scared of the milk in Daddy's cereal. I can't look."
- Start chicken stock in the crock-pot.
- Make coffee. Walk around and turn off lights.
- Shower.
- New blog post.
- Man, my coffee gets cold fast.
- Talked to Tricia on the phone.
- Working on Designer Digitals products. Talk to Katie on the phone.
- Feeling baby move.
- Listening to NPR/OPB.
- Lunch: leftover chicken noodle soup. Walk around and turn off lights.
- Hang stars in Simon’s room and remove a few more things for donation/keeping for new baby.
- Way too much surfing. Anticipating the debate tonight.
- Listen for the bus.
- First thing Simon says when he gets home: “We got to play Star Wars in PE.”
- First thing he does when he gets home: put on the Darth costume. And he is super excited because there is no school tomorrow.
- Movie of the day: Star Wars (he has gone in reverse order this week).
- Rainy outside. Cozy inside. Just the way I like it.
- Going through boxes. Picking up piles and moving them to new pile locations.
- Seriously wasting time right now.
- Cooking dinner. Making eggplant parmesan – find out I have a bad eggplant. Have Chris pick up another one at the store. Takes way longer than I thought it would but totally worth the wait.
- Simon grabs a snack out of the pantry.
- Eat dinner while watching the VP debate. Second helping :).
- Play Palin Bingo while watching the debate. Neither one of us wins.
- Simon takes a bath.
- We watch debate commentary.

Very few photos today. Planning to take more on Friday.

I will be away for a while this morning but back in the afternoon to answer questions if you have them.

Have a great Friday!

A complete list of posts related to the week in the life project can be found here.

Comments

[Izzy]

Love the baby bump shot. :) So wonderful.

Palin Bingo????

[Amanda Susan]

I'd like to know more about Palin bingo. I think it could be a lot of fun. :)

[Lisa G]

Ali, I absolutely love your blog. Your are very inspirational to the everyday, busy mom scrapbooker. Thanks so much for sharing your talent!

[Tara]

OMGosh! I thought we were the only one's who played Palin bingo last night!!!!!!!!

I won the first round, DH won the second round... I almost had a blackout of my card last night!!!

LOL!!

PS- love the baby bump!! You look so cute!

[Julia in MI]

It was funny to read that you had dinner during the debate and that Simon was still up. Then I remembered that you are on Pacific time and we are Eastern here in MI. So the debate did not start until 9pm here and did not get done until 10:30ish. Would have been a real late dinner. :)

[jennifer]

I had the same thought as others...cute baby bump! :) Enjoy...

[Aimee Confer]

We played Palin Bingo too! My husband won...Lol!

Love the lights in Simon's room!

[shahnnen]

played palin/biden bingo from grist.com-- all 10 people had 10 different cards- and only one person won. (boo- i only needed 'russia' to win)
boy, she can avoid a question with the best of them!

[Amy]

Isn't eggplant parm the best? It is a tradition in my family that we have that on Christmas Eve. (And only on Christmas eve because it's so much work! lol) My mom made it for years and now she says if I want to eat it, I have to bring it because she's too "old and tired". She's not really, she's just tired of making it. lol

Love the shots today, I think it's just adorable how obsessed Simon is with Star Wars, it's amazing being such an old movie. Makes you realize even more what a genius George Lucas is! And he even wears the costume! I love that!

[Jenny Alfonso]

bump-a-licious!

[MandyK]

Love seeing what your capturing everyday!Your baby bump is so cute! Speaking of baby bumps how's Jessica doing feeling better I hope.so cool your both pregnant at the same time bet your mom is super excited. Hubby and I watched the debate lastnight my first time to watch the whole thing and I'm glad I did.after it was over I was wondering what you and Chris thought about it.I'm really excited about the election this year it will be my first time voting even though I have been of age for awhile I have just chose not to in the past but this time around its totally different. I'm have been interested in the whole process from the start of the race. Anyhoo have a great day!

[Cindy Lee Olah]

Your pictures are wonderful Ali, what kind of camera do you use? They are slo crisp and clear...I'm sure it has a lot to do with the gal holding the camera but thought I'd ask anyway.

[mandie segura]

Great photos, but my favorite is with the star lights! It just looks so fun and inviting!

[Artful Yogi]

I don't think Biden caused any indigestion...
Thanks for working so hard this week. Love this project.
I, too, spent too much time reviewing youtube clips in anticipation of the debate.

[Nicky Anderson]

Love the shots Ali - Yah it's TGIF!!!
Looking forward to taking weekend shots also.
Have a great day.
Nicky

[Artful Yogi]

Funny.
http://palinbingo.com/

[janperilli]

I love your baby bump picture too, and I hope I'm not the only one thinking this but, Man your Husband is a cutie. Sorry...just had to say it...

[Megan]

your baby bump is adorable. your parents must be over the moon with all the grandbabies coming so thick and fast!

[Megan]

also...I noticed your comment about the budget: Check out YNAB. (pronounced y-nab) super intuitive budget-spreadsheet based and coming out soon with a mac version. makes following a budget a cinch!

[jennyg]

Love the photos!

[sherryg]

Loving the baby bump photo!

[Rinda]

Great blog today. Several of us put VP debate shots on flickr! Boy, Palni and Tina Fey really sound like dead-ringers for each other (I listened to first part of debate on way home).
I had a great time on this project. I especially liked the self-portraits (did one each day), but I began to run out of ideas. I did: 2 of my feet, one of my fingers, one at computer with timer, two in mirror, one with camera held at arms' length.
Any other good ideas for self-portraits?
Rinda

[Candi Tardio]

ali your baby bump is too cute :)
can't wait to see her!!

[Caitlin]

I wanted to share with everyone an interesting experience I had last night. A man named Kevin Sites came to lecture at my college. He is a journalist who visited twenty war zones in one year. This is a link to his website about his journey http://hotzone.yahoo.com/. He shared incredible things with us about his journey, about war, and about our country. He talked about the media telling us parts of the truth and editing things in favor of our country. What really struck me was his statements about this censoring practice preventing us from having an honest debate. He said that a country that has such wonderful ideals about democracy should receive all the information so that we can decide for ourselves what is right and wrong. He did emphasize that we are not lied to, we just don't always receive the whole truth.

My picture of his book: http://flickr.com/photos/cajozo/2909869264/

I also overheard him talking to some photography students that were asking his advice. He advised them all to begin writing. As a journalist, writing was his focus and taking pictures just came along with it. He said that by writing, the way they tell their story through pictures would change. It would give them a fresh perspective. Great advice for photographers and scrapbookers :)

[gardenymph]

Hi Ali,
I'd love to know where you got the star lights. I have a budding astronomer/astronaut/ballerina/princess that would love to have something like that.

Something that came to mind looking at Simon's star wars pictures; that you have captured something that is his current obsession. There are so many things like that in my own children's lives too, and you never know when they are going to move on to something new and leave the old favorites behind. How wonderful that you have documented this. It makes me wonder what I have already forgotten, but it also inspires me to journal about their current favorite things now... like outer space/the planets/rocket ships/ballet/Polly Pockets etc/I Spy, etc.

Thanks again! This has been so much fun. I hope to combine my journaling, photos, and blogging about this week to make a complete story. I will definitely do this at least twice a year or more I think.
Jennifer

[alexandra]

Love these photos - Simon's room, your beautiful baby bump and Lilly - all so fabulous!!

[Kirsten]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything this week. All your photos, your notes, and, of course, your inspiration. I wanted to share that I had my first encounter with a place that didn't want me to take pictures. Fred Meyer, of all places. I had already taken a couple pics inside the store (it's a brand new one, and very nice), and on my way out I spotted these political T-shirts. Very fitting with the times, I thought. I stopped to get a shot, and a salesperson walked towards me, and told me, very nicely, that she personally has no problem with it, but if I want to take pictures in the store, I need to get permission from corporate office. I was very surprised, but, of course, listened. I found myself chuckling on the way to the car, that I had unknowingly walked into territory where I had to be stopped from taking pictures. Who would have thought it would be at the grocery store?

[Ann]

Hi Ali! I am having a great time with this project. My husband saw me taking a photo of my morning coffee, and wondered what I was doing. It makes me laugh, these are little things, but I am starting to notice so much more about my life by this little bit of documentation and truly just to relax about the whole process! I can't wait to get this into a finished project.

[Mary Jo]

Look at your sweet baby bump :)
So fun that you and your sister are having babies at the same time.
My sister and I overlapped by about 4 months with my first and her third. I loved being pregnant at the same time :)

And I love the lights over Simon's bed. What a cool idea!!

[Emily]

I started out rough, just too much stuff that I'd rather not deal with coming up, hit my groove about wed and am now doing really good with this project. Really love seeing your cute baby bump, thanks for sharing this part of your life.

[Kim K]

TOTALLY wish I'd seen Palin Bingo before the debate!
I echo the sentiment here...love the baby bump shots! I have only a couple of my own bumps, and wish I had them to look back on!

Thanks again for sharing this project!

[Erin]

Beautiful baby belly!

[leaca]

cute little bump.

[PAM]

Hi Ali,
I just had to comment on one of the pictures you posted from Monday. I loved the shot of Simon in from of book shelves with two lightsabers attached to his pants! I have two sons and they do the same thing, and have done so for a long time. LOVED IT! Brings me happy thoughts of my sons' enthusiasm about those particular toys.

But you know what? I probably don't have a picture of that, although I have many of the boys "fighting" with them in the family room, along with their dad. I have to get a shot of them wearing their lightsabers.

Thanks for the idea!!

PAM

[TeresaP]

oh wow!!! so missed that you were pregnant! happy for you all! :) love your pictures, this is definitely inspiring :) I will be playing and blogging next week :)

[Emily Barklage]

My question is: Do you guys ever get sick of light saber battles?!?

[Aia]

thank you for keeping us company this week. i really was starting to feel overwhelmed, but you have taught me to slow down and live in the now. i have today & tomorrow to cover, then i can begin the album! looking forward to seeing the outcome of this project.

lovin' your photos, so real-life. and the baby bump~so cute!

TGIF!

[cory (scrappin_shopoholic)]

Ali, I am totally loving this weeks blog posts and pictures.

You have inspired me to try this next week (b-day week). However, I am curious, how do you take pictures of yourself during the day? Do you have a timer, or someone else who helps?

Curious.

[Christi O.]

Oh, I especially love the baby bump pic! How precious! Your house is lovely, and looks so relaxing! :)

[noell]

So, tell us about Palin Bingo, Ali...would love to know what that is! =)

Just some observations--your house is so clean and organized. Breath of fresh air for me, since ours has been seriously out of control this year. Bleh. The way you shop for flowers and folliage and place them around the house has also always inspired me too.

I'm doing better today. I've been out of the habit of getting up early since the last school year and I have just not been able to keep up. So I was back to getting up earlier today--5:25, and it's made it much easier to be on top of my life-photography and notes for the day!

[Maureen]

Loved the moving piles of stuff to new areas. DH commented on that shortly after we started living together. Stirring up the dust he calls it. ;-)

Some days - esp in pregnancy - are just meant for meandering about the nest.

[Tina J.]

Isn't it funny how lots of little boys get so involved in pretend Star Wars. My two hardly ever play anything else! They've been Star Wars characters the last 2 Halloweens...
I love seeing the tummy pictures! I'm still so happy for you guys and the new little one!!
Final note today: I need to know where you bought the star lights? My boys would LOVE that!!!

Tina J.

[tami]

Thanks for sharing your pictures with us. I know you answered questions yesterday, I have a photo quest. though; hope you don't mind.
Just wondering the settings you use; your pics always turn out nice and bright. Mine turn out grainy and yellow. do you have a suggestion?

[Andrea L]

You look great Ali love the side shot of you and baby.

[lisa truesdell]

palin bingo... omg. i totally snorted water at that. =)

can you share where you got the solar system over simon's bed? my boys would love it!

[Elizabeth]

Just wondering what camera you are using for those wonderful shots. There always this "crisp" appearance, along with great color...I know it not the camera but the person using it...YOU!, regardless, I'm just curious...and is it on manual or automatic setting...love all you photos. Thanks again for all the inspiration. I am having a fantastic time capturing all the "little things" in my life.

Will this project be put in it's own album or are you going to add it to your other ones? I'm still debating whether or not to put it in my Family Life album or to make a new one....thanks again.

[Mish Gasser]

I see I'm not the only one wondering about Palin bingo...you must explain! LOL Thanks for encouraging us to keep going with the project even if it's not a typical week. My kids are home from school today and I'm sick too, but still the project continues. Ah, life.

Have a great weekend!

[gina]

At dinner last night, my 7 + 10 year olds asked if we could eat popcorn while we watched the debate. Now if I'd only known about Palin bingo!!
Thanks for all that you've shared this week, Ali. I regularly scrap the everyday stuff & I love this particular idea, but it's not the time for me to play along right now. I definitely look forward to the process, thanks for the motivation.

[Charin :)]

Such fun pictures! :) Love Simon's room, and your baby bump is so cute :)

[Mary Rogers]

what is Palin bingo?
and what a cute baby bump ali!! you look fabulous!

[Anna-Marie Still]

Palin Bingo??? - Now Way! I wished I would have heard about that before the debate, that's too funny!

Lovin' the picture of your baby bump - I so enjoyed being pregnant again last year with our 4th (once I got over the shock as he was a big surprize!) You can see a picture of him on my blog - just posted a new one yesterday - he'll be 6 months on the 8th and I'm savoring every moment - need to take more pictures, document the everyday stuff with him - thanks for the inspo - now if I could just find some more time each day!

[Holley]

Hi! This is going to seem really random, I don't know you but found your blog on another blog I was reading. I was just wondering what kind of camera you use? My husband and I are looking to get a new camera and have no idea what kind to get but I LOVE LOVE LOVE how your camera seems to make everyday stuff look good! Would you mind letting me know what kind you're using? Thanks!

[Theresa]

Loving the project, and your posts!
We have those same star lights (from IKEA, right?), but they only come out at Christmas...I should contemplate them year-round! I love the shallow yellow shelves in Simon's room, too - could you share where they are from? Thanks!

[jamie]

this has nothing to do with anything...but your dog is just like my dog i had when i grew up. when i saw the pic i said: 'she has a mitzi-dog"...ahhh!!! sweet.
just had to share that tid bit there.

[Christene]

Love your baby bump, you look so beautiful. It must have been a Thursday thing - I realized last night that I didn't take that many pictures, either. Hey, that's why we have words, right? So, what is Palin bingo?

[BethB]

Ali- I am new to your blog, but a long time fan. I have to say that you and yours always look so perfect that it intimidates me sometimes! :) I found your words from yesterday to be so similar to my thoughts it made me laugh- especially the constant going around and turning lights off!
I am very much enjoying playing along in this challenge. And look forward to creting my book about this week.
Thanks also for sharing Stacy Julian's challenge - it is a great way for us all to visibly and continuously see the blessings in our lives.
Thank you for sharing so much of your life.

[Jessica]

Ali,
I am loving the life blogs and photos....I just NEED to know. How do you keep your house looking so clean and organized??? I need you to come help me get rid of the clutter...you stuff looks like pictures in a magazine!! I want to live in your house!!
Jessica

[Courtney]

Hey Ali! I was wondering how you are planning on documenting your feelings/the historical greatness of this election in your scrapbooks??

[lacy]

Yippie a belly shot! Oh so cute!

[Laurel]

Ali,

LOVE the baby belly! It's the most amazing feeling when the baby moves.
A couple of questions for you:
1. Will you be printing your own images after you resize them? I saw an image earlier this week where you had a sheet of images to trim. What editing program are you using? CS3 or Elements?
2. What brand is your printer? Epson? Is it calaborated to match your Mac?
3. Can you point me in the direction of a tutorial on resizing and placing images on one document to print? Maybe it's easier than I think.
Lastly, I want to thank you so much for the creative nudge I needed for this project. It's been amazing and I am SO thankful you are doing it through your blog. I'm excited to see the end project.
I created images today of the streets that we frequent. I thought it might add a nice touch somewhere in the album.

[Karen]

Wow! Look at your pretty baby-bump!!! woohoo!

Love this project...

[madjoy22]

Loved me my Palin Bingo!
Look at that baby bump of yours. I can't believe it!
Did the baby squirm about during the debate? :))))

[Melyssa Marland]

Your bump is TOO CUTE!!! Congrats:)

[Elise]

No one really wins in Palin bingo, do they? Ugh.

Agree with first post--love the baby bump shot--we're due in Dec and mine would have been sitting on the desk in that shot! :)

[jennifer cook]

Thank you for everything this week. I've been playing along.
Question though, your photos are always so crisp and life like, how do you do that? Do you edit them with software before posting them?
I have a Nikon D50 camera and love it, but need to learn to use it manually. Right now everything is on automatic. Do you have a favorite setting?
I'd love to learn to take such great photos! Thanks!
Jen

[Carrie]

Love the photo of his room + the one of his clothes + the one of your pregnant belly.

By the way, I am so rocking this project.

:)

[Jenell Stock]

I am LOVING this project. I can't wait to see the end result. Thanks, Ali.

Jenell

PS - baby bump is darling . . .

[Michelle (mybelle101)]

I {love} this project! Unfortunately, this was not the week for me to do it, but I *AM* going to do it one week this month...just waiting for my ("hubby's") new digital SLR to arrive ;) You are so cute with that little baby belly!! Almost makes me want to have another...

[AshleyM]

I have watched this project and have meant to ask... I work in a secure facility and cannot take pictures. Most of my day is spent here (I work 8-5), so I'm not sure what I could put for that part of the day. I also cannot bring anything home. I am in the Air Force, so I could put some AF stuff in, but there's not that much to say/add. Any ideas?

[Heather]

Gotta let you know. like so many others. how wonderful this week has been for me. Documenting my family's life has made me so much more aware of them minute to minute, everyday. Thank you for this gift of insight that I was letting slip by.

Also, have to admit that this has been more difficult than I thought -- I have had motivating slumps but thank you for your posts as they have motivated me to take a few extra minutes and write things down now.

QUESTIONS --- these are kind of weird, but I hope you will answer --- On Tuesday's photos you have a pic of your husband working at his computer. Above hime on the wall is a great photo of him and Simon. I love the size. Did you take this and if you did where did you get something like that made?

The other question is what is OPB?? I listen to NPR everymorning too and love it! I love the Morning Edition stories and aren't the voices nice and calming in the early morning hours!

Have a wonderful weekend!

OH -- What do you define as your week? Will you continue this through the weekend??

[Wilda]

Ali! Love the lights on Simon's room. His room looks so nice and organized...not my boys room (but they are 3 and 2)! lol

Anyway, I have to say, you look so CUTE with your round baby girl belly!

Have a great weekend!

[Kelly]

I really enjoy your blog...it is one of the best sb blogs out there! I just wish everyone would stop poking fun at the candidates in the election, no matter who you're for.

[Jen]

Great photos Ali! Especially Simon as Darth Vader and your baby bump. CUTE! I've actually finished my Week in the Life challenge and now can't wait to start putting it all together! I'm thinking of doing this challenge maybe every month...like a snapshot of each month in our lives! You're such an inspiration. Thanks!

[Angela W]

I love your pictures, esp of your baby bump! I hope you are still feeling well. I like your son't room!

[Lisa Martin]

In the picture with your little head in your hand, your dog is to your right, to the left as I look at the pic. I stared at it for the longest time. I couldn't figure out what your dogs head was. It looked like a headlist black turkey!! I can't explain it but I finally started scrolling thru the rest of the pics and saw it was your dog.

[Lisa Martin]

I mean headLESS black turkey!

[silly.michelle.in.texas]

It make me so happy to see the little baby bump picture! After meeting you at one of your classes a couple of years ago, I always made a special effort to keep up with you and yours. I know that this is going to be so great for you, Chris, Simon, and Lily! Take good care of you and yours - always included in my prayers!
Michelle

[tracey]

the belly and the laptop? priceless.

[simply]

first of all I love the series and the idea for a week in photos :o)

second...I just had to laugh! when I first saw the photo of you sitting behind the desk...I noticed the black in lower left corner of the page...it took me a few min. of looking at it before I figured out it was the dog...I kept looking at it thinking it was a small black t-shirt just floating there (bwaaaaa ha ha)

just goes to show ya...everyone looks at things differently :o)

~simply~

[Andrea Larsen]

Thanks for your blog! You are a beautiful example of a well lived life.

[Melissa Rydjeski]

Do you have suggestions for enlarging the journaling area for the 12 x 12 story of today page? Parts of the day of the week in your handwriting lean over the lines, plus there are vertical lines that don't stretch. Thanks for letting me know.
Melissa