Peahead Prints

eight years have passed and some of it all seems like yesterday. the gorgeous blue skies, the fresh crisp september air, unseasonably warm but still so fresh and clean. not a cloud in the sky.

i am not sure there is anyone out there that doesn’t remember where they were that day, at that very moment. hubs and i had spent a night in the city on 9/10/01. tickets to a michael jackson concert brought us into the city that never sleeps, we considered spending the night but instead decided to train it home, and head into work a little late to catch up on the sleep i had lost from staying out long past my bedtime on a “work night”.

i had set the radio to wake me up about 9 am…as soon as it clicked on, something wasn’t right. there was no music, just the regular crew at WPLJ talking about a small single engine plane that some how crashed into one of the towers. in disbelief and confusion, i grabbed the remote, turned on the TV and saw an image that just about brought me to my knees. at that very second, clear as day, another plane, obviously on a mission and with no mistake, collided with the second tower. the intial reports were obviousl wrong.

i immediately called my hubs (not yet my hubs at the time) told him to get up, turn on the news and pack up his stuff and head in. what was supposed to be a day off for him turned into a lot of long days and work into the night. he knew he had to go. there was no need to wait for the call.

i tried to gather my thoughts, get out the door. it was just a day we all needed to be with each other. with other people. i think it was to realize that it was all infact happening. the roads were empty but there was still news of planes in the air. we all kept our eyes on the sky as we drove to our destinations. cellphones stopped working. there was no contact with anyone in the city. fear was setting in. and the unknown was just lurking quietly.

another crash and then another. i got one call through to hubs as he continued his journey from the island to the city. the smell of smoke, the site from the bridge, it was like a movie. buildings were crashing. BUILDINGS, as tall as the eye could see. landmarks. a staple in our cities skyline. gone. like they were never there before.

there was such a heavy feeling in the air. as much as everyone was talking about what was going on, it was eerily quite. we watched on a small portable TV i had picked up from hubs on my way in. it was not to be believed. this just doesn’t happen.

we spent the day in fear and wonder. we headed home to watch developments for hours. we watch people walk from NYC to the outer boroughs. strangers handing out glasses of water to people covered from head to two in sweat, blood and soot. this is not something you expect to see on the LOCAL news. we finally made contact with some that we could not get in touch with during the attacks. they were safe. but so many were not.

it was hard to sleep at all that night. not so much from the fear of it all but from the thought of all those in pain. those who were suffering. the families that had lost so much.

at sunrise on 9/12/01 mixed in with this horrible sickening feeling that this was not infact a bad dream, was an overwhelming feeling of patriotism, unity and family. a family of millions uniting to help families cope. helping NY’s bravest and finest dig and sift through the rumble for endless hours, hoping for nothing more than the saving of just one more victim. i don’t think there was one car to pass without some sort of sticker, magnet or American flag attached to it.

i don’t remeber when it all started to subside. the shock of it all. i do remeber the TV shows coming back on. the Yanks hitting the field again. concerts were back on schedule. and 8 years later it is still surreal.

a wedding, two babies, a new brother in law, two nieces, a couple dozen holidays, and way too much in between. 8 years. it’s hard to believe.  monuments and memorials are still in the works, some are complete. but the pain for those who lost that horrific day will never go away.

take pictures. make memories. laugh. let them know you love them. you never know what tomorrow brings.

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry

Did you weep for the children
Who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don’t know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below

Did you burst out in pride
For the red white and blue
The heroes who died just doing what they do
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself to what really matters

I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN but I’m not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Teaching a class full of innocent children
Driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty cause you’re a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone
Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her
Did you dust off that bible at home
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Speak with some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you’re watching
And turn on “I Love Lucy” reruns
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger
Stand in line and give your own blood
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love

I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN but I’m not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN but I’m not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

The greatest is love
The greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day

if you like chocolate (and who doesn’t) you might not want to continue reading! this will surely add to your addiction and i mean ADDICTION!

if you have ever eaten a truffle, ever in your life, if it wasn’t from the 5th Avenue Chocolatier, it wasn’t the real deal. i was hooked at first bite! creamy chocolate heaven, wrapped in a semi-sweet powdery goodness…it really is like a little wooden box of heaven.

5th Avenue Chocolatier is owned, and has been since 1974, by the wonderful Whalley family, fortunately for me, they are like family to me (not fortunate for my hips!). their stuff is out of this world, rich, creamy, and just to die for! you really have to give it a try!

this past week we came home to one of the best surprises EVER!! besides a bag full of my favorite truffles (i have a standing agreement with the Whalley’s that when i shoot their family they pay me in chocolate) there was another surprise for me (and for kira)

that’s right! a solid chocolate camera of goodness!

kira really got a kick out of it! it was killing her to have to hold back and not take a bite…and then i let her have at it!

and she did

she really did a number on it!

lindz felt left out…we gave her a “fake” chocolate face…you have no idea the tantrum that would have persued if she got her hands on this bad boy!

thank you Whalley family from the bottom of my now big old chocoate filled butt!

you MUST ger yourself some of these treats!! head over here to grab some! need a gift? is there really anything better than chocolate? send someone their own little piece of bliss!

putting these two in a room together for more than an hour can be very dangerous! but i agreed to hold the first sleepover, at my house that is.

of course i obliged for all the wrong reasons. not so the girls could laugh and play into the wee hours, making memories to last a lifetime. not so that they could roll out the sleeping bags and have a night all to themselves, chatting about lord know what and staying up WAY past their bedtime.

nope. i didn’t hear sleepover. i heard photo op!

kira was not cooperating, i don’t blame her. poor aly is new to the whole photo session thing, kira was running for the hills faster than i could say cheese.

not my al. she just a tad bit of a ham.

i seriously considered photoshoping out that little barbecue sauce stain on her little arm, but then it just wouldn’t be aly that way.

thanks aly for being such a good subject. you have NO idea what your in for now!

in case you haven’t checked out the photoblog, i just had to share this little gem of an outake.

got 5 more just like it. baby girl held that little pose for about 15 frames. apparently she was making a point and wanted to make sure we all got it!

well in two days she will be!

I just love her little teeth

their so cute, i think i might be ok if she doesn’t get anymore, ever

she’s always blabbering about something, and looking at me like i am a weirdo

she’s just down right silly

and i just love her

i never kept a baby book for my first and i surely never even started one with lindz, never had time to even pretend i was going to keep up to date with this one. lucky for the two of them, photo files are dated. this way when they are 20 or if someone asks when my kid took their first step, i can check the archives in case i forget.

i have officially filed “eats finger foods” under august 23, 2009.

lindz loves her some cheerios, i think?

Not sure why she checks each one but she does. leave her be aboout it.

she gets a good grip and opens REAL wide. apparently she thinks she is eating her first plate full of filot mignon and not an itty bitty o.

almost ready.

delish!

or not!?

all that work for this!?

think she has any idea? lets try that again.

way to go lindz! you’ve got it now!

she’s losing it!! why is that “o” still on her finger and not in her mouth!? how is she not getting it in the big gapping hole in her face, even with the help of TWO hands!

good save! she is surely enjoying her treat now!

oh lord! not again!

now its wet and stuck to her little fingers.

and now its stuck to her face! AGAIN!

this is going to the start of some LONG snack times and tons of clean up. there must be 298 cherrios in her seat. she cleared the tray 5 times over. i was so proud thinking she ate them all up!! mama was boosting about how good little baby girl was doing with finger food.

just when i thought it was time rename all those saved files marked 8.23.09 to some later date….

we’ve got chewing people!! something made it in there! officially marked successful in my digital baby book of memories.

way to go little one, you take as long as you need t eat your “o’s”. gives mama some blogging time

it has been years, too many for me to count, since i put a paintbrush on canvas. since i have picked up a camera i have never looked back. today i decided to go back to my “still life” days and make some art to pretty up my house, still on canvas but without the old brush and paints. much easier clean up i might add. 

Now to pick a print size for these 3 beauties and find a home for them on a baron wall that needs some life. this could take a while.

if i didn’t have such an devoted love for photography i surely would NEVER allowed this to happen

if i didn’t love capturing memories, all memories, i would have said “noway. you are no going out in the rain, getting soaking wet, splashing in muddy puddles and making more laundry and big mess”

but with a camera in hand, it makes all those little OCD voices stop.

grab a camera, think memories and do something you never would have done before!

i think my “shooting lindsay” days are over! she is officially on the move and fast as lightning!

and she’s out of here!

 gone are the days of staying put. it’s all down hill from here. better go find my kids!

alot of people will ask me how i get my kids to take such great pictures? and although i do, on occasion, get that one, sometimes two, keepers that actually journey from my hard drive into a frame and onto my wall, it’s not easy. i am 99.9% sure that photographing your own children is by far the hardest thing to do as a photographer.

it’s frustrating. exhausting. a true pain in the butt.

today i had a delirious moment. i thought it might be “the” day i got a picture of the girls together. i have only waited 8 months to do it! i pulled out the stand, rolled out the paper, fluffed up the fur and quickly cleaned up my rug rats and attempt the “shot”.

for all you doubters who don’t believe that i have to beg, bribe, and threaten my children (child that is, lindz is just starting to run from me and at 8 months old has not yet learned the art of negotiation) today i introduce you to “a session with my kids”. straight out the camera and outtakes included, of course.

i took 187 pictures (not kidding) in our 37 minute “session”. here is just a little tidbit of what i got.

apparently Lindsay smelled like “something”. Kira couldn’t put here finger on it but it was something gross.

p.s.-she was fresh from a scrub down, clean diaper and all. Kira’s first attempt to get out of the shoot. but apparently still smelly.

not sure what they didn’t understand about SIT UP! I said it loud enough to wake up a sleeping cat 3 blocks away.

we’ve just started and lindz is already sooo over it!

how dare i think it would be easy to get them looking at me. even as i sing, dance, whistle and basically act like a fool.

lindz saw something that looked edible.

she’s really a lost cause now!

the rug is itchy.

my back hurts.

im hungry.

oh just forget it.

oh wait someone wants a solo now that i have given up. i didn’t want yet another portrait of just k but i better grab it while i can.

i don’t even know what this is. and i really have nothing to say about it.

she agreed to continue only if “blankie” can be in the shot! just what i needed, a shot of a blanket. but i agreed. i had to deal with it if i was going to be able to continue.

back to being hungry. note the bag of goldfish.

and of course. my last resort. let her play the games we ALWAYS have to play. whether it be one, two, three…OPEN.

freeze dance.

or the ever popular “kid picks the pose”

not sure who she thinks she is!

and then, like clockwork, i get the “mom i’m really done face”.

and i pack it in, hook up the camera to the computer and say a pray, or two. sometimes i find a nice surprise.

when did that happen? .00534% success rate, i’ll take it!