Search this site:    

Here is your weekly update on the top 12 Angels- thanks again for all your support!!

Zack Angel

Gabriel K Angel

Sydney Angel

Asher Angel

Angel Set 7

Hailey Angel

Angel Set 3

Jeremyah Angel

The following angels are tied

Ezra Angel

Jesse Angel

Hazel Angel

Eliza Angel

Christopher Angel

Amelia Angel

Keep voting- it is going to be a fun ride!

My mom always tells me that one of these days I am going to wake up sportin’ feathers!! She means that in a nice way- of course. I have this love affair with chicken. I LOVE me some chicken. Baked, fried, Broiled, Roasted, Shaved, Nuggets, BBQ ( my fave)- LOL I sound like that guy off of Forest Gump ( Bubba Gump Shrimp- only in chicken terms LOL)

Anywho… Tonight, my hubby & I along with another couple, got to escape our homes for a nice dinner out. I decided earlier that day that I was gonna get out of my comfort zone a.k.a sweats- and into something….pretty. So I got all dressed up in a dress and slipped on a pair of my favorite heels. I even took the time to do my makeup with care I actually felt like a GIRL instead of a wipe cloth for snotty noses or dirty hands. On the way to dinner my hubby brought up the fact that he was going to make a personal goal to kick some butt in his new buisness venture and I told him I fully support him and think he could go as far as he wanted to go. He then commented (again) on how if I just put myself out there a little more,  I could probably build my business more. you know, I think its great that he has that gift of no fear, but that is so not me. He often gives me that eye when we are out and about in town and we see a lady expecting a baby or a new mom…. he thinks I should just skip right over there- confident and happy- and give her my business card.  Well ladies and gentlemen… I am a CHICKEN. I will actually turn and run the other way. I just can not do it. I am NOT a sales person- and each one of my clients will fully tell you that. I suck at SELLING. Which is fine, because I am not here to sell you something. I am here just to capture YOU in whatever moment you are in. And I L O V E it.

So tonight at dinner he trapped me! There was this mom-to-be working and he (long story short) told our hostess that I was a photographer and that he would love for her to come over to our table so that I could offer her a complimentary session. OH DEAR… he was going to make me talk to a stranger!!! I was thinking – and hoping to myself- that maybe she thought that this guy was crazy and she would just keep walking by avoiding making eye contact with us.

Nope. no such luck. She stopped by our table and at that moment I had to decide.. be professional or just be me. I had to go with just being me. Silly, talkitive, and a little dorky. We introduced ourselves and talked a little baby talk….. It was so wonderful meeting this new mom to be. I am really so excited for her and I pray for a QUICK and easy delivery for her.  I do hope that I  get to see her soon and her new baby

So you would think that this would give me a little more encouragement to overcome my fear. umm, yeah… that would still be a no. In fact, I was telling him about this BEAUTIFUL mom-to-be that works in town. I have gone in to get prices at this place… 3 times now and each time she is there.. I am sure by now she has remembered this mug of mine and just has to sigh when she sees me walk in the store with my clan! We are not the most quiet bunch. Each time I see her I just want to tell her how BEAUTIFUL she looks. Pregnancy on her is breathtaking. I so want to introduce myself and offer her a gift of a session, but I feel so cheesy doing so – that and the fact that each time I go to say anything, no words come out – so its usually me standing there with 3-4 kids all around me looking like a complete idiot. Heheheh I am such a dorkfish! Actually… its more like a chicken! Maybe one day I can lay this egg and move on.

Today, after a super fun session with a group of moms and their ADORABLE and BEAUITFUL daughters, I picked up the mail and noticed a letter from my mom. It was kind of thick- so I figured it was some BILL she was sending me… so I kindly ignored it.

Well tonight as I was engrossed in my editing and listening to my tummy say “fEeD Me WomAn!” A HUGE spider crawled up beside me on the wall. After I schrieked and looked around for a hero to save me.. I figured if I didnt want to be eaten alive by this big scarey – what looked like a Hobo Spider… I better grab the closest shoe to me and KILL that beast! I mean after all- he doesnt pay rent! and its a SPIDER!!

So I walked outside to scrap him off the bottom of my son’s shoe… no way was I gonna get spider guts on my cute flats- I passed my moms letter again and decided to open it. I was surprised to find out that it WASNT a bill (Yahoo) but a funny forward she had printed out for me. Whats funny- besides the story that i will share with you soon- but the fact that as much as I know that my mom- was a MOM raising two kids… I have the hardest time thinking of her ACTUALLY doing it. I think its because I remember her never being so frustrated or flustred like I get daily! ANd yes… I have to admit…. I do and say some of the things you are about to read. Don’t judge me. I am just a mom of 4 surviving motherhood

10 Misconsuptions of Moms and Back To School

Misconception Number 1: Moms miss their kids when they go back to school

Seriously. I’ve had enough of you by now. Every morning with the “what are we going to do today, Mom?” is finally over. I’ve had looked at your face twenty-four seven for the last 77 days. It’s time to go learn something. No more asking me about the pool, when is the next snack or if you can stay up late and watch a movie. It’s over….You’re going back to Hogwarts and I get to have a life again. There is a Christmas morning for parents and it’s called “back to school”.

Misconception Number 2: Moms like to go school shopping.

Are you freaking kidding me? Why do I pay taxes?…so I can rack up a 200 dollar bill at Staples for crap that we have laying around my house in junk drawers. Why does it have to be new pencils? What’s wrong with the chewed up, broken strawberry shortcake pencils sitting in the bottom of the toy box for the last 6 months? And how many subject books can you possibly need? What happened to reading, writing and arithmetic. If they added a couple of things for parents to that list I wouldn’t mind so much….why not pencils, erasers and vodka …..or some Nyquil.

Misconception Number 3: Moms like back to school night

Why must we do this every year? I got it already. You’re the teacher…I’m the parent. My kid is either going to be smart or dumb. If he gets a certain number or colored dot on his discipline chart, he can’t get a prize from the prize box. Pretty simple stuff. Listen, I’m pretty old school. If he doesn’t listen to you…you can throw something at him. I don’t care. But I got a lot of work to do at home and I’m paying a babysitter right now. Plus, I’m pretty sure you are going to assign some project on wigwams made by some Indian tribe I’ve never heard of, so I need to get home and start my research. So, I got it. We’re all here for the betterment of the kids. Blah Blah Blah. Can I leave now?

Misconception Number 4: Moms like school paperwork.

How many trees are you planning on killing to tell me the same stuff I had to pay a babysitter to listen to the other night? You know our name, where we live and our emergency phone numbers. He doesn’t have a nickname….call him “stinkbutt” for all I care. We don’t have any “special circumstances” that you need to know about. He lives in a home with two parents who may or may not like each other at any given time and they will fight. If that qualifies as a reason he can’t get his homework done on time then he won’t be able to function as an adult and have a real job so you may want to “educate” him on that life lesson.

Misconception Number 5: Moms like covering books in that annoying sticky paper.

What exactly will you be doing with these books that I have to cover them in a plastic laminate? Do you often teach in the rain? Or while the children are drinking soda and eating soup? Do you know how long that takes? Has any parent in the history of education been able to do it without any air bubbles in it? From now on I’m covering it the old way…brown paper bags. That way I can cover the books and pack their lunches at that same time. Who says moms can’t multitask?

PS. Please tell my son if he can’t find his lunch to look in his science book.

Misconception Number 6: Moms like helping you with your homework

What? I am scared out of my mind. I’m pretty sure that I forgot everything I learned in fifth grade by the time I was in sixth grade. I have no idea what you are talking about most days. I don’t really know my 12 times tables, I read the cliff notes to all your summer reading and I don’t know how to conjugate anything but I do know that song “conjuction junction what’s your function” if that helps at all. And please don’t even say the words “new math” to me. What the heck was wrong the old one?

Misconception Number 7: Moms can’t wait to pack your lunch every day until we die.

I hate doing laundry. Making dinner every night is the bain of my existence, so making your lunch every day for an entire year, in terms of “mom fun”, lies somewhere between brushing plaque off the dogs teeth and scheduling my annual pap smear. Listen, as a child I hated what my mom packed me for lunch. But, like every kid before me, and every generation to come you will find a kid to trade with…I’m sure someone likes sardines.
Misconception Number 8: Moms love after school activities.

I don’t know who made up this idea of organized clubs and sports but they should be the ones in charge of carting your ass around. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against all after school programs. I just wish they would offer it during hours that would work best for me so that dinner wasn’t at 8:30 at night followed by 4 hours of homework. Why not do it on the weekends and call it “after-hours activities” so mommy and daddy could actually go out one night and pretend that we have a life of our own. Don’t worry about us though I’m sure that me and “what’s his name” will be married a very long time.
Misconception Number 9: Moms don’t mind taking you to school if you miss the bus

Your bus comes at 7:10 am….which means that you should be standing by the door at 7:05 am. Not eating breakfast , chasing the dog around the house or in the bathroom, asking me to check your homework while I’m taking a shower. Get it together! I don’t like running down the street in my jammies at 7:12 screaming “Please wait” or “If you stop I’ll show you my boobies.”

Misconception Number 10: Moms cry on your first day of school

We do cry but they are tears of joy. I have done my job. I have successfully kept a human child alive for at least 5 years without doing any major damage. Motherhood is the hardest job in the world!! Sure, doctors save lives and CEO’s run million dollar businesses but…you teach a kid not to poop their pants and then you can say you’ve made the world a better place.

I love back to school time…… This year *sigh* will be different. We have decided to home school this year. Not only my daughter, but our son as well. Am I excited? Honestly- NO WAY! I am feeling stressed and over whelmed and we havent even started yet. Just the single thought of it gives me cramps! But my hubby has said he will do it… and the parts he does not do… I have found me a mommy helper to get me thru the day!

Wish me luck- and send some chocolate!

~Jackie

{ Deep Breath In……. Deep Breath out …….}

It was bee a CRAZY few days as I have been trying to set up the website for The Angels Of Hope Voting. GOOD LORD that was a lot more work and so much harder than I imagined. Next year- I am SO hiring out for that. I do want to give a BIG shout out to Cynthia Pace and Andy at Cynthia Pace Photography in South Carolina for keeping my positive, listening to me freak out, and helping with me with those pesky HTML codes (yuck). I am sure they think I am some high- strung FREAK! I just wanted this charity event to be perfect and successful. I want to do good for Kinderhaven- so I am SO scared of failing them.

On a better note… I have really enjoyed all these beautiful babies and kiddos. Every parent was wonderful and so supportive.  I know for my other clients with sessions waiting to be seen, you all have been so wonderful with being so patient with me as I have been getting thru this rush. Good news though, I am back on track and have some super cute images to share very soon!

To my kids… oh my poor kids!! They have watched me sit HOURS here in this computer as I tried 8 EIGHT….. did you read that-             E I G H T times trying to get this site loaded right. They have heard words that only truck drivers say out loud and I am pretty sure they have witnessed me foaming at the mouth and seen my head twitching. I am planning on awarding them something for putting up with this crazy mom! What is so wonderful about them… is they understand why I have been spending so much time on this project. Their hearts too support the good that Kinderhaven offers! I have such wonderful kiddos!

Dear sweet hubby…. You have been so wonderful to me as I have… well… slacked in my other “jobs” and I so appreciate your excitement for this event. You have been so great on picking me back up when I feel that I was feeling really low.

For all my clients, friends, family and visitors in  Sandpoint, Coeur d Alene, Spokane, and all over the world….. Angels Of Hope is now giving you a chance to help out, too! Kinderhaven, is a safe home in Sandpoint for abused and neglected children. Its caring staff and safe environment has helped countless children and families in our community. Many “angels” in our town were photographed with all of the proceeds going directly to Kinderhaven. Now, these little “angels” are in a contest to be a part of the 2011 Angels of Hope Calendar which will feature the 12 children who receive the top number of votes. There are 28 families that participated by having their child(ren) photographed and be a part of a chance of being in the calendar. I know each family would love to have their child be a part of this, but it is even more rewarding to think of the fact that the money from each vote goes directly to Kinderhaven.

I am hoping that you will all take the time to vote, making whatever donation you would like. Each vote costs $1.00 and you will see how to do this once you enter the blog (link is below). It is very simple and each child’s name is below his/her picture. There are some  very, very cute kiddos  to vote for! Voting ends on September 30th.

Thanks, in advance, for your generosity. Go take a look at these super cute angels!

« Previous Page