The Lonely Sea Monster

I stumbled across an amazing artist named Deanna Molinaro. She makes amazing little books that remind me a little of Edward Gorey, one of my great heroes. Anyway, I bought a book called "The Lonely Sea Monster". It is a hilarious tale of a monster and a little girl and the illustrations are sublime.

I knew Dash would love the book because a little girl gets eaten in it. Dash likes books about monsters eating little children.

The second picture is Dash getting to the part where the monster eats the girl.

The last picture is the dedication that Deanna wrote for Dash. She even drew a picture of the sea monster!

Man, does Dash love this book.

More of today's shots HERE

Magali's Manipulations

Magali has been dabbling in threats.

When it was time to take me to work this afternoon Magali decided she wanted to stay at home. When Sara told her she had to go Magali said, "If you make me go I'll cry the whole way in the car."

Then she started crying.

Sara said she couldn't have any dessert with dinner if she continued crying.

Then she stopped crying.

More of this month's shots HERE

We Got a Car

We love Zipcar. But we realized we were spending as much on it as we would on a decent car so we went shopping last week. We finally signed the papers today on a 2003 Honda Element. Most of our friends over 30 think it's a cool car, perfect for kids. Most of our friends under 30 HATE it. We love it. So far.

I must say that I feel absolutely dirty after dealing with the car salespeople and financiers. That sleazy, deceptive, demeaning cliche of the high pressure car salesman is alive and well in the 21st century. It is exactly the same as it was 100 years ago. The joy of owning my car is somewhat tarnished by the difficulty of attaining it.

If a dealership was honest and open with it's clients would it lose business? Wouldn't its customers rave about them and drive new customers towards them? I guess not because they just don't do business that way... At least the two dealerships we dealt with.

So I have a bad taste in my mouth after today but we have a cool car. The kids really dig it- even though they are under 30.

More of this month's shots HERE

They've Grown As They've Cleaned

Above are the shots I took today compared to the one from almost three years ago. I tried to match the crazy blue toning... I don't know what I was thinking.

Magali, Ryan, and Dash look a lot less roundy than they used to.

More of today's shots HERE

Jeremy Lyons

I took some headshots for my guitar teacher, Jeremy Lyons (www.deltabilly.com). Here are a few of my favorites:









Here's a LINK to the rest.

Title

My new issue of Rangefinder came in today. You know when you fill out a form and they ask for "Title" after your name?
Click on the picture to see it.

Paulina, Vincent, and Gus

Jennifer, the clients from one of my favorite shoots last year, called me up to create some images of their new baby, Gus. Little Paulina and Vincent were amazing models last year and haven't lost a beat. The whole family is just brimming with energy and love.

Here's a book I made from my visit last week:
LINK

The Wish Wall

They are painting a mural on the corner store down the street. Here's a LINK to the project.

Basically, the kids write down a wish on the wall and then paint over it. Later, a mural will be painted over it.

Dash's wish was, "I wish people could fly."

More of today's shots HERE

Magali's Game

Magali invented a new game today that involved chess pieces, checkers pieces, mancala pices, and dice. We played for a while. It was a tie game she decided.

More of todays shots HERE

The Words From Their Lips

One of the purposes of this blog is to write down things I know I'll forget in a few years. Poor Magali is sick. She has a fever and a head cold. The first two pictures are her sleeping in various states of sitting.

Anyway, I got home this afternoon and she said, because she's stopped up, "Papa, when I move my mouth or swallow, my ears fart."

Dash, on the other hand, is in perfect health. He said that when he scrunches his fingers back and folds his thumb under he can make himself have paws like a lion. And here is what a lion looks like clapping (second picture).

More of today's shots HERE

How Are You REALLY Feeling

Dash got a cool new fountain pen from his first cousin once removed, Geraldine. He's been drawing stuff all night. He said, "Look, Papa, this is how I feel." And he held up a frowny face. He was kidding around but he actually had a challenging day today and spent much of it frowning.

Magali said, "And this is how I feel." And she had drawn a smiley face. Which, again, isn't too far from the truth.

At least our kids don't have difficulty conveying their emotions.

More of today's shots HERE

Magali Had a Shot

The day before yesterday Magali had to go the doctor's for a check up. She got two shots which she wasn't happy about. Then in the lobby, on the way out, she passed out and just fell to the floor.

I was at the studio and Sara called me to tell me what happened. Man, that was that scary to hear. She started the conversation with, "Everything is fine and Magali is great." But it was still awful to hear. I can't imagine how horrible it was for Sara to see her unconscious on the floor. The doctors said it was a normal reaction and that it happens to many kids who are upset about getting a shot. It's called Vasovagal syncope. We learned a lot about it that day.

More of today's pictures HERE

Our Studio Opening

Today we had our open house at the studio. It was amazing how many people came. The kids were great... It couldn't have gone better. We should serve food and wine EVERY Saturday... Clients seem to dig it.

More of today's shots HERE

Hospitality Homes

Today Magali and Sara and I modelled for Hospitality Homes. From their website:

Hospitality Homes provides temporary housing in volunteer host homes and other donated accommodations for families and friends of patients seeking care at Boston-area medical centers.

Sara and Magali and I pretended to be at a doctor's office in the first picture. Magali got bored between takes.

In the second shot Sara and Magali are weary travellers greeted by Eva.

More of today's shots HERE

What Makes Me Happy

This looks like an ordinary, ugly parking lot. But this is what makes me happy. I'm looking out of my window at the new studio and I see Sara, Dash, and Magali coming to have lunch with me. The hardest part of having a studio is being away from my Sara and my Dash and my Magali. I love when they visit me.

More of today's pictures HERE

Baby Eleanor

Our neighbors, Jenise and Alex, and their daughter Annelise, have a new addition to the family this week with baby Eleanor. She is a big, beautiful, red creature. Magali adores babies so she was very excited to go meet her. Magali has a little bear that is actually a "toy" for her bigger dolls. She took this bear and wrapped it up herself to give it to Eleanor. This foreshadows Eleanor's role in Magali's life...

More of todays pictures HERE

My Children Torture Me

Sometimes they get annoyed with the camera. The new technique is to look right at the camera and smile.

They know I hate that.

More of todays shots HERE

Spring Is Coming

Like I always say: March, in like a lion, out like a lion on fire.

More of today's shots HERE

Dash's First Guitar Lesson

We bought Dash a guitar for Christmas the year before last. Sometimes he would plug it in and make some noise but mostly he wouldn't plug it in and make some quiet. It's been collecting dust on the wall until a few days ago when he decided he wanted guitar lessons.

I have been taking slide guitar lessons from a New Orleans blues virtuoso named Jeremy Lyons. Jeremy agreed to take on the mighty Dash and today was Dash's first lesson.

I was so proud and happy to see Dash trying to finger his first chords that I started getting a little choked up. What!

He learned the guitar parts, how to hold the thing, E minor and G major chords, and some basic strumming. He was worried when we went to bed that he hadn't practiced today. I told him it's probably OK not to practice on the day of your lesson.

My mother pushed so hard for my brothers and I to learn the piano that we basically pushed back by refusing to enjoy it. I didn't start taking music serisoulsy until I was 15. It has always been a huge part of my life even when it hasn't been the exclusive focus. For my kids I just want them to love it. I secretly really, really want them both to weather through the difficulties and delights of learning an instrument but THEY are the ones that have to initiate. Like most things, if it's your own decision, it matters more.

Sara says that after Dash masters E minor and G major he only needs one more chord... and the truth.

More of today's pictures HERE

Magali Consents to Haircut

Magali finally relented and allowed us to take her to the barber. She also agreed to bangs, which I love. Dash, on the other hand, didn't get bangs for the first time and he looks super cool. The kids are so much better about haircuts now.

The kids might actually be a little TOO cute now. Maybe we can dress them a little dorkier or something.

More of today's shots HERE