In 2002 I met a gamer boy who was super cute and he asked me on a date. I had fake red hair and listened to way to much emo rock, and he wore lots of puka shell necklaces. It was adorable.
Today I’m over at Pixelkin.org talking about how I started out as a gamer’s girlfriend who was VERY confused about the appeal of gaming and how my opinions have changed as my kids have become more interested in video games.
Now, as the “mother” I pride myself on being in tune with my kids’ wants and needs, but this was something I didn’t understand. I admit, at first, I was jealous. This was something my kids and husband could do together and I had no idea how to participate. Excepting a one-month binge of The Sims in college (when I locked myself in a closet with the game for a few weeks and then realized I needed sunlight and never played again) I certainly wasn’t a gamer by any definition of the word. All of a sudden my husband and kids were connecting on a level I couldn’t relate to, and I felt lost.
http://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Megan-Trent-at-hotel.jpg288426Meganhttp://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.pngMegan2015-01-30 12:13:562015-02-02 11:39:26Elsewhere : Mothering Gamers, From Opponent to Advocate
I feel like we’ve entered a new stage of parenting, the one where the kids fight constantly and treat each other like crap much of the time. It’s a frustrating thing as a parent, because I want my kids to be friends, but I also realize this is just part of growing up. I remember so clearly just despising my younger brother and not wanting him anywhere near me. So, I mean, I get it. But damn, it hurts! When they are cruel to each other, I want to sit them down and shake them and remind them that they are the only two people in the whole world that will ever understand growing up in our weird little family. I want them to have each others backs and know that they are each others teammate. I want them to think twice before saying “I hate you!”
They will learn, I know that. And there are moments when I realize the lessons I’m trying to teach are getting through somehow. Lately it’s right before bed. That’s the one time of day it seems like they realize they are stronger as a unit. My calls of “5 minutes until lights out” are met with giggles from homemade tents. Lucy offers to read Tate a book and he shows her how he can dive off his bed into his blanket fort. Snuggles and laughter and silliness permeate the house, until I have to get stern and demand that everyone get into bed. It’s me against them, in this bedtime battle, but at least they are together. And that’s how it’s supposed to be. Them against the world.
Before bed they usually ask for a song, and it’s almost always “Moon River.”
Two drifters, off to the see world. There’s such a lot of world to see…
Hi friends! I have some amazing news to share! If you’ve been hanging around the Crazybananas universe for a while, you may have noticed some upgrades around here lately. I am super-excited to formally announce the redesign of this website! Hooray! It’s alive! It’s alive!
This redesign has been in the works for about a year, but I got a swift kick in the butt late in 2014 when I received feedback from all of my incredible readers. It turns out more than 90% of my readers where viewing Crazybananas on a mobile device…and I didn’t have a working mobile platform for the site! I felt like such a weenie. Here I’d been creating amazing layouts and fun graphics…and no one was seeing them! Argh! This is a lesson for all you bloggers out there. Know your readers! Talk to them, ask for feedback and listen.
My biggest goal for this month was to develop a site that was mobile-friendly, and I’m happy to say, I think I did it! The site is now dynamic and quite pretty on both desktop and mobile platforms. Hopefully this will make the reading experience more fun and pleasant for everyone out there.
Another huge push was to develop the photography section of Crazybananas. You all know I’ve been pursuing the photography side of my business for quite some time, but if you were a newcomer to the blog (or even a daily reader) it was super difficult to find my photography work. So I decided to create a totally separate part of this website that will cater to my photography clients. You can get there by clicking on the menu item labeled “Crazybananas Photography.” From there you can view my portfolio, contact me about booking a shoot, and read blog posts specific to my photography business. This was a labor of love for me, and I can’t tell you what a rush it was to go through all the images I’ve taken in the last five years to put this whole thing together. It’s an incredible feeling to look at your body of work and realize, “Crap, I’m a photographer!” I have spent so much wasted time comparing myself to others and undervaluing my own work, it was wonderful to look at this stack of images and feel not only pride, but a heart full of gratitude. Thank you to those of you who have trusted me to capture your lives in photographs, even in those days when I didn’t know what I was doing. You helped me grow and learn, and I know that I have to you thank for where I am today. I want to give you all big hugs (and we know I’m not really a hugger, so this is a big deal!).
As part of this celebration, I wanted to remind you that until the end of January, I’m running a special for $50 off any newborn or maternity shoot that is booked by the end of the month. Keep in mind, the shoot doesn’t have to be scheduled by the end of January, it can take place anytime before September 1st, 2015. You can read more about it here, and see my Babies + Maternity portfolio by clicking here.
Thank you again for your support and love! I am overwhelmed, grateful and honestly, feeling a little bit giddy about all of this good stuff right now.
http://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/happy-weekend-2-8.jpg9071200Meganhttp://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.pngMegan2015-01-23 11:44:202015-01-23 11:44:20Announcing A Fresh Look for Crazybananas
Elsewhere : Mothering Gamers, From Opponent to Advocate
/0 Comments/in Elsewhere, Parenting, Trent /by MeganIn 2002 I met a gamer boy who was super cute and he asked me on a date. I had fake red hair and listened to way to much emo rock, and he wore lots of puka shell necklaces. It was adorable.
Today I’m over at Pixelkin.org talking about how I started out as a gamer’s girlfriend who was VERY confused about the appeal of gaming and how my opinions have changed as my kids have become more interested in video games.
You can read more at Pixelkin.org.
Bedtime
/0 Comments/in Crazybananas Photography - Personal, Parenting /by MeganI feel like we’ve entered a new stage of parenting, the one where the kids fight constantly and treat each other like crap much of the time. It’s a frustrating thing as a parent, because I want my kids to be friends, but I also realize this is just part of growing up. I remember so clearly just despising my younger brother and not wanting him anywhere near me. So, I mean, I get it. But damn, it hurts! When they are cruel to each other, I want to sit them down and shake them and remind them that they are the only two people in the whole world that will ever understand growing up in our weird little family. I want them to have each others backs and know that they are each others teammate. I want them to think twice before saying “I hate you!”
They will learn, I know that. And there are moments when I realize the lessons I’m trying to teach are getting through somehow. Lately it’s right before bed. That’s the one time of day it seems like they realize they are stronger as a unit. My calls of “5 minutes until lights out” are met with giggles from homemade tents. Lucy offers to read Tate a book and he shows her how he can dive off his bed into his blanket fort. Snuggles and laughter and silliness permeate the house, until I have to get stern and demand that everyone get into bed. It’s me against them, in this bedtime battle, but at least they are together. And that’s how it’s supposed to be. Them against the world.
Before bed they usually ask for a song, and it’s almost always “Moon River.”
“That’s us!” Lucy says to her little brother.
Exactly.
Announcing A Fresh Look for Crazybananas
/0 Comments/in bloglife, Crazybananas Photography, Photography - Maternity + Babies /by MeganHi friends! I have some amazing news to share! If you’ve been hanging around the Crazybananas universe for a while, you may have noticed some upgrades around here lately. I am super-excited to formally announce the redesign of this website! Hooray! It’s alive! It’s alive!
This redesign has been in the works for about a year, but I got a swift kick in the butt late in 2014 when I received feedback from all of my incredible readers. It turns out more than 90% of my readers where viewing Crazybananas on a mobile device…and I didn’t have a working mobile platform for the site! I felt like such a weenie. Here I’d been creating amazing layouts and fun graphics…and no one was seeing them! Argh! This is a lesson for all you bloggers out there. Know your readers! Talk to them, ask for feedback and listen.
My biggest goal for this month was to develop a site that was mobile-friendly, and I’m happy to say, I think I did it! The site is now dynamic and quite pretty on both desktop and mobile platforms. Hopefully this will make the reading experience more fun and pleasant for everyone out there.
Another huge push was to develop the photography section of Crazybananas. You all know I’ve been pursuing the photography side of my business for quite some time, but if you were a newcomer to the blog (or even a daily reader) it was super difficult to find my photography work. So I decided to create a totally separate part of this website that will cater to my photography clients. You can get there by clicking on the menu item labeled “Crazybananas Photography.” From there you can view my portfolio, contact me about booking a shoot, and read blog posts specific to my photography business. This was a labor of love for me, and I can’t tell you what a rush it was to go through all the images I’ve taken in the last five years to put this whole thing together. It’s an incredible feeling to look at your body of work and realize, “Crap, I’m a photographer!” I have spent so much wasted time comparing myself to others and undervaluing my own work, it was wonderful to look at this stack of images and feel not only pride, but a heart full of gratitude. Thank you to those of you who have trusted me to capture your lives in photographs, even in those days when I didn’t know what I was doing. You helped me grow and learn, and I know that I have to you thank for where I am today. I want to give you all big hugs (and we know I’m not really a hugger, so this is a big deal!).
As part of this celebration, I wanted to remind you that until the end of January, I’m running a special for $50 off any newborn or maternity shoot that is booked by the end of the month. Keep in mind, the shoot doesn’t have to be scheduled by the end of January, it can take place anytime before September 1st, 2015. You can read more about it here, and see my Babies + Maternity portfolio by clicking here.
Thank you again for your support and love! I am overwhelmed, grateful and honestly, feeling a little bit giddy about all of this good stuff right now.