Renaissance Festival

Wanting to attend a Renaissance festival probably takes a certain type of person. And while I don’t actually have a “bucket list,” I’ll admit that if I had one, a Renaissance festival would be on it.

After a busy holiday weekend with lots of photo booth rentals, a wedding that we photographed, and a track meet for three of the kids, I was happy to have Monday free.

I knew there was a Renaissance festival going on near us over the weekend and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to finally go to one.

The conversation between Chris and I went something like this:
Me to Chris: “Do you have any interest in going to a Renaissance festival?”
Chris: “No.”
Me: “I want to go. I know the kids would love it.”
Chris: “You asked if I had any interest.”
Me: “Let’s try this again. I think we should go to the Renaissance festival.”
Chris: [he may have rolled his eyes here, I don’t remember] “Fine.”

We walked into the temporary village of tents and were instantly greeted with a ragtag group of fighters who battled it out in a field in the hot sun, all for the cheers of the spectators. Since it was hot and sticky for us watching from the shade, I’m sure they were uncomfortable in their full Renaissance costumes.

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We continued on and people “in character” would happily chat with us, like the villainous man who offered to removed teeth from my six-year-old’s mouth to help the tooth fairy. We watched as a man drank alcohol and breathed out fire, pirates that tried to outwit each other and duals by horseback and on foot. There were people weaving on looms, cooking in kettles and carving wood. The whole area had a jovial, friendly vibe and they seemed genuinely excited to share what they were doing.

There were many ways that they engaged the whole family. Kids were invited to participate in the shows, like when my eight-year-old was invited to throw a log pole. All the kids had a chance to practice archery, but I stopped short at allowing my son to throw axes at a tree stump. That seemed a little too much for me- I could just see him dropping the sharp blade on his foot. *Shudder*

Walking around with a huge turkey drumstick seemed like a necessity, judging by how many people we saw doing it, so of course, we joined in. And, for better or worse, I agreed to buying the boys wooden weapons. I really thought the swords were cooler, but they both opted for axes. (Surprisingly, they haven’t hit each other–yet.)

The kids are ready to go back to the festival next year. It was “steam punk” enough that my 16-year-old loved the shops and wants to buy the clothes, and the boys loved all the fighting and “horseplay.” My eight-year-old wants to make going a new tradition.

As we drove away, I asked Chris what he thought. “It was exactly like I thought it was going to be,” he said, maybe with a little condescension. [He didn’t roll his eyes here, but it sounded like it. I’m choosing to ignore it.]

I smiled. “I know, me too. It was exactly like I thought it was going to be. We should come back next year.”

What’s An Italy Trip Without Photographs?

We recently returned from an amazing trip to Italy. With just under two weeks, we took in as much as we could. It was a whirlwind of cities, history, architecture, food, wine and many more stairs than I would have thought possible. (Up, we always seemed to go up.) We loved it and already talk about what we’ll do “next time we go.”

Being photographers, of course we took a lot of photographs while we were there. And we really want to show them off to our family and friends. When you just have digital photographs, it’s hard to share them. No one wants to be stuck watching a slideshow. I can’t have everyone come to my house and sit around my computer. And the little images on an iPhone won’t do justice to Italy, especially with these stately and intricate buildings we captured.

An album was the perfect solution. I picked the best images, the ones we wanted to tell the story of our trip, and designed them into a layout to highlight details and favorite moments.

italy_album_detail_photography

I love this album: 80 beautiful pages, 40 charming spreads, wrapped in Italian leather and embossed on the cover. I have this magnificently gorgeous book that I can flip through again and again to remember my time in Italy.

So, go ahead and tell me you want to see photos from the trip—I’m ready. 😉

Family Lockers: Before and After

appleby family lockers before and afterSome people dream of being rich or famous. Not me. I dream of being organized.

When you have four kids, organization is hard. Especially on school days. Something is always getting lost or left behind. A “launching” area is essential to getting them out the door anywhere close to on-time.

When we were looking for a new house last summer, two things were on our “the house must have” list: a three car garage (Chris) and a mudroom (me).

The house we bought had neither.

What I do have is a typical, traditional foyer with a closet, but I quickly realized that was not going to work for getting kids ready in the morning. Since the foyer is at the front of the house and out of sightline from the kitchen, the kids were left to manage themselves.

But like the proverbial watched pot that never boils, an unwatched child never gets ready for school.

Maybe you are lucky and your kids just get their shoes on when you tell them to. Not mine. They will poke their toes into their shoes like they are making an effort. But if you look away, they just stop. Ten minutes can pass and they are still in the same pose I last saw them in.

appleby family locker before shotI knew I needed the kids to finish getting ready in the kitchen where they would have adult supervision. I made a temporary spot for coats and shoes, but what I wanted were open lockers, or “cubbies” just like they have at school. I wanted each child to have their own separate spot for coats and backpacks. I wanted there to be a place for shoes and mittens to always go.

I started gathering ideas. I made a new board on Pinterest: Family Lockers. I pinned lots of images on how I needed these lockers to work for our family. Then I showed Chris so I could get him on board with my idea. Our “temporary” solution lasted a year longer than we’d wanted, so when Chris agreed to start working on the lockers and said he’d have them finished in a week, we were both excited to have them done.

Building The Lockers

Since we don’t have a mudroom between the attached garage and the kitchen, we agreed the open wall in the kitchen would work perfectly for the organizing the kids.

Chris was building the lockers from scratch with plans he was creating, so he wanted the plans to be easy. But I had spent a year dreaming of these and I had requirements. The plans for the family lockers became a democracy, a compromise between us. I needed hooks, but not too many. I needed dividers, and not too shallow. I needed shoe cubbies that were just the right size.

appleby family lockers detailsTo start, he used vintage solid core closet doors, purchased from the local ReStore, to provide a sturdy base for the outside walls. These worked well because they mimicked design elements in other parts of the room and dining room. It was important that the lockers not look out of place and original to the house.

Next, 3/4 inch oak plywood was used for the bench and shelves. Using a kitchen chair as a guide for the bench height, Chris made it 18 inches high and 15 inches deep. Each section is about 17 inches wide, which is roomy enough for a backpack, coat, snow pants and more. A 10 inch divider between each section is deep enough to keep kids’ stuff separate and contained. The shoe shelf is wide enough for 2 pairs of shoes, and it was important to me that the lower section was high enough to accommodate boots.

appleby family lockers primer painting detailsWe knew from past experience that using a really good primer is key to standing up to the rugged use of four kids. Chris used Bondz Maximum Adhesion Primer by Zinsser. Any small gaps between pieces of wood were filled with painter’s caulk after the primer coat and before painting.

We used gloss white paint because it’s more durable and is easier to clean than semi-gloss or matte paint. Chris used a smooth roller, which worked fine, but if he was to do it over, Chris says he would rent a commercial paint sprayer to get a smoother finish. It would have also been less work to paint all the nooks and crannies.

appleby family lockers finished appleby family lockers finished details appleby family lockers in useThe finished lockers are about 6 feet wide, 15 inches deep and 6.5 feet tall. They look original to the house and create the perfect spot to keep the kids organized. Now they will just have to find other ways to stall going to school, I suppose.

The next projects are painting the built-in custom kitchen cabinets and walls and the foyer.

New Projects Ahead

This is always a busy time of year, filled with things like trying to wrap up client orders before the holidays, attending school programs and shopping for Christmas. This year is no different.

And I haven’t even started the shopping part.

My daughter asked me yesterday what my New Year’s Resolutions were going to be. I told her luckily I didn’t have to think of those for a long time, but a look at the calendar says I only have two weeks.

I’m wading my way through December, but I already know that I have a full January. That is when I kick off a new year-long project that I’ll share more about later.

We spend so much time trying to just get through the chaos that is in front of us that we don’t step back to see the whole picture. We reach for one goal, but before it’s even completely in reach, we are setting new, loftier goals.

So, for today, I’m going to sit back and appreciate where I’m at and just enjoy it.

End Of Summer: Fall Equinox

Labor Day, the start of school, flipping the calendar to September, the first maple tree leaves turning red, the fall equinox… We often debatecoffee on lake when summer really ends, but we are splitting hairs when we argue which date exactly announces the arrival of fall. They all mean the same thing: the end of summer.

I think it’s more important to realize why it’s such a big deal.

Summer feels like freedom, irresponsibility and relaxation all rolled into one. Kids don’t have homework and are told to go play outside. Adults plan weekends of leisure and flock to patios to sip drinks with friends.

canoe on lake

To say goodbye to summer feels like you are taking back all the work and drudgery you were able to leave behind last spring when the snow finally melted. To say goodbye to summer feels like you closing a chapter.

And sometimes, that is a good thing.

Fall gives you a fresh start. The promise of new school supplies and fresh schedules makes you optimistic. Clearing out the dying garden gives you less yard work. The crisp, cool air clears your head.

For us, we are looking forward to fall. As much as I love the flexibility of not watching the clock, I need some structure for my kids’ days. And our summer was more eventful than we wanted it to be, with broken bones and trips to emergency rooms.

We were lucky enough to celebrate the end of summer with friends. They have a charming, relaxing cabin on a quiet lake. The weather was perfect. There was plenty to eat and drink. The children all got along with one another. No one had any major accidents.

It was the perfect way to end the summer.

We are ready for a new chapter. Welcome to fall.

kids sunset on lake

 

Behind The Scenes At A Wedding

As photographers, we usually try to stay BEHIND the camera. Like a lot of people, we’ll shy away from being photographed.

Especially during a wedding, we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves and we certainly don’t want to become the focus of the photography.

And during a wedding, we are usually concentrating so much on the details, activity and excitement of the big day for our bride and groom, we barely have time to notice what each other are doing.

Luckily, we don’t have to. That is a perk of working together for so long- we already know what the other is probably doing so we don’t have to give it any thought.

So, once in a while, as I’m editing a session or a wedding, I’ll find extra images. Ones where we were hesitating with composing our own shots long enough to catch the other one of us composing their shots. (But I always, always edit them out…)

Appleby Photography behind the scenes at wedding

First Day Of School: The End Of My Littles

Today marks a very big day at our house. Our youngest has started kindergarten.  For the first time in forever, I no longer have a Little at home. I’m now the mother to only Big Kids. And I would be lying if I said I didn’t cry.

People who don’t understand–other parents even–say, “He’s ready,” and “He’ll do fine!”
And I know this. But that is not the point today.
1stdayofschool2015

Yes, he is ready. Yes, he will do fine. He can read at almost the same level as his older brother. He is a social kid who loves to be around other kids. He loves to talk and is quick with funny, quirky one-liners that make adults laugh. He follows the rules, even if he scoffs them at home.

I know he will do “fine.”

The tears are more for me than him, anyway.

After FIFTEEN years of busyness: working out of the home and coordinating childcare, having my office at home and shuffling meetings, dealing with doctor appointments, preschool parties, playdates, everything…. It all just… ENDS.

When you’re busy with babies, toddlers and preschoolers, the days feel like they may never end. Crazy mornings stretch into long afternoons with bedtimes that can’t come soon enough. You can’t even think straight through all the chaos. You wish for a day without clinging kids, or at least just a little quiet.

And then you get it.

And you realize, even if you don’t want to go back to those hectic days, even though this is a good thing, those days are gone. You can’t wish them back.
I know this.

So, I have to dry my tears and get ready for this new chapter. The one where I’m the mother to only Big Kids.

 

Parenting Is Exhausting: Lessons From Home

Appleby Photography

Just when you get one problem figured out- or even before that problem is fully taken care of- the next one comes at you, stealing your attention and robbing your sleep.

Being a parent means life is always filled with chaos and messes, both big and small.

Recently we were on vacation when my daughter had several seizures, which is a heart-wrenching experience for a mother to witness. This started a round of hospital visits. Monday afternoon we finished up an MRI and EEG, done for the purpose of diagnosing Lydia with epilepsy. It felt like a relief to have jumped that hurdle and for us to be able to move forward.

But no sooner had I gotten messages out to family that we would have to wait several days for the final test results than the next thing happened.

The burgers were not even off the grill for dinner Monday night when panicked screams came from Henry in the backyard. He had fallen from a swing and broke his arm, snapping both the ulna and radius forearm bones. He had to be sedated for the doctor to set the bones and put on a cast, with the warning that he may still need surgery for the arm to heal correctly.

So, Monday had me sitting in hospitals for nine hours, first with Lydia and then Henry.

Appleby Photography
You try to be a good parent. You want to sacrifice a part of yourself to protect your kids. You dream of putting your kids in a magic bubble to keep them safe.You try to not make the same mistakes twice. You try to teach your kids the lessons you had to learn the hard way. You want to make life easier for them.

As parents, we freeze. We stop living. We think that if we can do this or control that, we’ll keep the bad stuff away, our family will be safe and happy. But the only thing it really does is keep us from truly being happy ourselves.

And, like all parents, I am reminded that I can’t stop life from happening. My youngest will go off to kindergarten this fall, whether I want him to or not. My oldest will be taking driver’s ed as she gets ready to get her license, even if I’m not ready for her to drive.

Things happen. Things change. Wounds heal, pain goes away, life goes on.

You realize there is never a good time. There is never a time when you can count on everything being calm.

Appleby Photography

And if I try to make things easy or think I can stop my kids from hurting, life will step in to remind me I’m not in charge. It’s not up to me. I can’t control life.

You can’t wait for the right time for things because it never comes. There is not a perfect time. You can’t hope to keep things easy or neat. There is not a magic bubble.

Life is messy. And hard. You can’t protect your kids from everything.

And the real kicker is: They don’t even want you to.

I can’t prevent my kids from ever feeling pain. No one can. And we all need to embrace that.

Living in fear of the next big disaster only stops us from living. We have to move forward even if it’s with just the hope that everything will be okay, that it works out in the end.

We owe it to our kids, to ourselves.

So I hug my babies and keep them close while I can.

I tell them I love them.

And I promise myself I’ll catch up on sleep later.

Appleby Photography

 

Race Day- with a few fans!

Appleby Photography

I have now completed my 6th half-marathon! And I had fans!!!

This was the first year that the kids were able to come to a race and cheer me on, mostly because Chris has had some injuries and did not run this time. It was such a fun experience to have cheering fans on the sidelines. Chris was great about getting to several places on the course. I looked forward to seeing their smiling faces.

And those signs! People loved those signs.

They made the signs the night before the race, keeping them a secret until we saw them at mile 2.

When the miles drag on, its nice to have a little humor to keep you going.

Chris and kids did a great job cheering, not just for us, but for a lot of the runners that probably needed it most. And it was sweet to hear those runners express their appreciation. People started calling them “the sign family.”

Some even stopped to get a photograph with them.

It was definitely fun to have fans.