Lulu and I have been reading again. When I talked about our reading habits a few months back, we had just started the process of finding time to read together. At the time, that meant we’d each pick up a chapter book, snuggle in my bed, and read for an hour or so each night. Somewhere along the line, Lucy shyly asked if I’d want to read out loud to her, like when she was little. Well, I’m gonna keep it real here, that didn’t sound awesome to me! BUT, she was so excited about it, and when Lucy is pumped about something, we all had better hang on for the ride. That’s how I found myself dictating chapters of “The Long Winter” by Laura Ingalls-Wilder each evening for the past month.
Now, as far as Laura Ingalls-Wilder books go, “The Long Winter” is a bit depressing. Chapter after chapter the Ingalls family hunkers down as blizzards hit their town, the food runs out, the trains get stuck, and they almost starve. Just a light, little bedtime story! But it is a Newbury Award winner for a reason, and we found a lot of joy in the little moments of this tale, like when Pa gets out the fiddle and plays along with the storm or when Ma finds a way to surprise everyone with a pie when there aren’t ingredients for one in the cupboards. When we finished and Spring finally came to the small town, Lucy actually had tears in her eyes.
A week later I found myself making an apple pie from scratch (I used this recipe) with apples we picked at the orchard. I blame Ma Ingalls. And the Ingalls family attitude has rubbed off on Lucy too. The other day, we were all in a bit of a grumpy mood when she said, “I think I’ll just be cheerful, it always helps keep spirits up when you’re cheerful!”
Along with “The Long Winter,” I also just finished the Kristen Johnston memoir, “Guts.” It was soooo good. Lu and I are in the middle of “Walk Two Moons,” and we are super embroiled in the story’s mysterious tone. I’m also reading the Hilary Clinton autobiography “Hard Choices.” This look inside the workings of the 2008 campaign and the Obama administration are fascinating. This is a big hunk of a book, so I’m taking my time with it.
Read any great books lately? We are looking for recommendations! I got the idea for “Walk Two Moons” from an Instagram follower. You guys are the smartest!
http://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.png00Meganhttp://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.pngMegan2014-11-13 17:06:502014-11-13 17:06:58CB Reads : Becoming Ma and Laura
Newsflash: Tomorrow the high temperature is around the 30 degree mark….and the rest of the week is looking pretty much the same. It might even snow! Now, honestly, I’m kind of okay with winter coming (insert amazing Game of Thrones joke here, NERD ALERT!) this year. All the seasons have been sort of incredible, and even though I’ll be sad to say goodbye to autumn, I’m ready for warm socks, lots of movies on the couch and as much hot cocoa as I can stand. With marshmallows. Natch.
That being said, this weekend my kids were already in hibernation mode, wanting to spend every free moment in their PJs watching reruns of Pokemon. But mean mama was in full on “WE ARE HAVING FAMILY FUN TOGETHER WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!” mode, so they grumpily put on some real pants and we went for a fantastic hike in Shawnee Mission Park. This park is one of those places I like to point out to people who think Kansas is all fields and flat nothingness. Look, we have trees!
We ended up spending most of the afternoon in the park, hiking about 5 miles of beautiful trails and having a picnic in a field overlooking the park. The kids pretended they were explorers and adventurers, Tate bringing his light saber along to ward off any danger. They collected acorns and spotted winter lairs for the animals. Every mile or so we all stopped and took deep breaths, smelling the crunched leaves and filling our lungs with the mild air. It was a glorious way to say goodbye. Fall 2014, you weren’t so bad, if I do say so myself.
http://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.png00Meganhttp://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.pngMegan2014-11-10 13:56:562014-11-10 13:56:56Farewell to Fall
I’ve finally wrapped up all the work on this year’s Fall Mini Shoots, and I have to say…it was so awesome! In the past, these small shoots have felt overwhelming and stressful for me, but this year it all went so smoothly. I’m not sure if it was due to an amazing group of easy-going families or myself being a little more go with the flow these days, but either way, it was an experience I am so grateful for! To everyone who participated, THANK YOU! You helped me rekindle my love of photography, and especially of photographing families. Thanks for reminding me how lucky I am to do what I do.
http://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Stephenson031.jpg8001200Meganhttp://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.pngMegan2014-11-07 13:36:292015-01-23 11:45:482014 Mini Shoots...the Conclusion
CB Reads : Becoming Ma and Laura
/0 Comments/in Lucy, Reading /by MeganLulu and I have been reading again. When I talked about our reading habits a few months back, we had just started the process of finding time to read together. At the time, that meant we’d each pick up a chapter book, snuggle in my bed, and read for an hour or so each night. Somewhere along the line, Lucy shyly asked if I’d want to read out loud to her, like when she was little. Well, I’m gonna keep it real here, that didn’t sound awesome to me! BUT, she was so excited about it, and when Lucy is pumped about something, we all had better hang on for the ride. That’s how I found myself dictating chapters of “The Long Winter” by Laura Ingalls-Wilder each evening for the past month.
Now, as far as Laura Ingalls-Wilder books go, “The Long Winter” is a bit depressing. Chapter after chapter the Ingalls family hunkers down as blizzards hit their town, the food runs out, the trains get stuck, and they almost starve. Just a light, little bedtime story! But it is a Newbury Award winner for a reason, and we found a lot of joy in the little moments of this tale, like when Pa gets out the fiddle and plays along with the storm or when Ma finds a way to surprise everyone with a pie when there aren’t ingredients for one in the cupboards. When we finished and Spring finally came to the small town, Lucy actually had tears in her eyes.
A week later I found myself making an apple pie from scratch (I used this recipe) with apples we picked at the orchard. I blame Ma Ingalls. And the Ingalls family attitude has rubbed off on Lucy too. The other day, we were all in a bit of a grumpy mood when she said, “I think I’ll just be cheerful, it always helps keep spirits up when you’re cheerful!”
Along with “The Long Winter,” I also just finished the Kristen Johnston memoir, “Guts.” It was soooo good. Lu and I are in the middle of “Walk Two Moons,” and we are super embroiled in the story’s mysterious tone. I’m also reading the Hilary Clinton autobiography “Hard Choices.” This look inside the workings of the 2008 campaign and the Obama administration are fascinating. This is a big hunk of a book, so I’m taking my time with it.
Read any great books lately? We are looking for recommendations! I got the idea for “Walk Two Moons” from an Instagram follower. You guys are the smartest!
Farewell to Fall
/0 Comments/in Fun, Kansas City, Lucy, Tate /by MeganNewsflash: Tomorrow the high temperature is around the 30 degree mark….and the rest of the week is looking pretty much the same. It might even snow! Now, honestly, I’m kind of okay with winter coming (insert amazing Game of Thrones joke here, NERD ALERT!) this year. All the seasons have been sort of incredible, and even though I’ll be sad to say goodbye to autumn, I’m ready for warm socks, lots of movies on the couch and as much hot cocoa as I can stand. With marshmallows. Natch.
That being said, this weekend my kids were already in hibernation mode, wanting to spend every free moment in their PJs watching reruns of Pokemon. But mean mama was in full on “WE ARE HAVING FAMILY FUN TOGETHER WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!” mode, so they grumpily put on some real pants and we went for a fantastic hike in Shawnee Mission Park. This park is one of those places I like to point out to people who think Kansas is all fields and flat nothingness. Look, we have trees!
We ended up spending most of the afternoon in the park, hiking about 5 miles of beautiful trails and having a picnic in a field overlooking the park. The kids pretended they were explorers and adventurers, Tate bringing his light saber along to ward off any danger. They collected acorns and spotted winter lairs for the animals. Every mile or so we all stopped and took deep breaths, smelling the crunched leaves and filling our lungs with the mild air. It was a glorious way to say goodbye. Fall 2014, you weren’t so bad, if I do say so myself.
2014 Mini Shoots…the Conclusion
/0 Comments/in Crazybananas Photography, Happiness, Photography - Maternity + Babies, Photos /by MeganI’ve finally wrapped up all the work on this year’s Fall Mini Shoots, and I have to say…it was so awesome! In the past, these small shoots have felt overwhelming and stressful for me, but this year it all went so smoothly. I’m not sure if it was due to an amazing group of easy-going families or myself being a little more go with the flow these days, but either way, it was an experience I am so grateful for! To everyone who participated, THANK YOU! You helped me rekindle my love of photography, and especially of photographing families. Thanks for reminding me how lucky I am to do what I do.