Dinner Conversation ~ Rachel Clare
August 30, 2009 | Filed Under Just Because, Mine | 6 Comments
(Last night at dinner…)
E: Mom, tell me a joke.
Me: Um, buddy? I’m not very good at telling jokes, and I’m not sure I know any that you don’t already know.
E: Well, then, just make one up.
Me: If I could make up good jokes just like that, I’d be the coolest person ever.
(…pause…)
Me: Okay. Here you go. A duck walks into a bar and says, “Hey, got any cherries?” The bartender says, “We don’t serve ducks here. Go away.” The duck leaves. The next day, the duck walks back into the bar and says, “Hey! Got any cherries??” The bartender says, “Listen DUCK, I told you yesterday we don’t serve ducks here! Go away!” The duck leaves. The next day, the duck walks back into the bar and says, “Hey!! Got any cherries?!” The bartender is angry and says, “GO AWAY! I’ve told you- we don’t serve ducks here! If you come back, I’m going to nail your feet to the floor!!” The duck walks out. The next day the duck walks into the bar and says, “Hey! Got any nails??”
E. erupts in laughter- hearty, guttural, cant-control-myself laughter.
I am pleased that I told such a great joke.
One minute later…
E: Mom, tell me again.
Me: The joke? Jokes are only funny the first time.
E: Please? Please just tell me. Okay- here. Just change the fruit.
JT and I burst into our own chorus of laughter after which I explain…
Me: Buddy, the punch line would still be the same, and that’s the funny part of the joke.
E: Okay, then change the punch line.
Me: I can’t do that! It’s what makes the joke so funny!
E: Yes you can- just do this: “Duck, get outta here or I’ll tape you to the wall!”
Me: Then what would the punch line be?
E: …Duck walks back into the bar and says, “Hey! Got any tape??”
And then proceeds to laugh and laugh at his new joke.
Thought I was going to wet my pants.
SMUG meeting ~ Orange County Photographer ~ Rachel Clare
August 29, 2009 | Filed Under Just Because | 2 Comments
I entended to blog this on Friday, but it didn’t happen. Better late than never… right?
Thursday night brought good times at OC’s SMUG meet-up at the Costa Mesa Country Club with over 250 photographers and Becker as the guest speaker. Jasmine Star, as always, put on a great show and we stayed until they kicked us out.
The biggest surprise came when, at the end of his presentation, Becker offered to buy all of us (ALL OF US) Coldstone icecreams. What? Sweet.
A few shots of J* and Becker, doin’ their thang.
Hangin’ in there ~ Rachel Clare
August 25, 2009 | Filed Under Children, Mine | 8 Comments
Me. Not him. He’s fine, I think.
Looked a little nervous upon entering his classroom, but it didn’t help that we were 2 minutes late. Will fix that tomorrow…
I made him a gargantuan-sized lunch, just to make sure he wouldn’t be hungry. I sent him with a whole 32oz. Nalgene bottle of water. I made him a well-balanced breakfast. We remembered to say prayers, brush teeth, comb hair.
And I held myself together and faked excitement and positivity until after Rowan and I left him in his classroom with all the other sweet-faced little Kindergartners. Thank heavens for Jackie O-inspired sunglasses, because my eyes were on the very verge of overflowing. I was somehow able to keep the face-crumpling emotion in check until safely in the car.
Rowan said, “Mommy, why you cryin’?”
“Because I already miss Elias.”
“…But we’re comin’ back, okay?”
“Yes Row, we’ll come back and get him this afternoon. Do you want to go for a walk?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
I told him last night, as we had our first “take 10″ (thank you, Jen, for the wonderful idea) that I was trying hard to be brave, but that I needed him to be brave too… for me.
This a.m. as we were racing out the door, I made him put on his backpack for the token first-day-of-school picture. Thank you, sweet little Elias, for not disappointing me with a nervous, forced-smile picture. Always the big cheese, he is. This series told me that he’s not nervous, but totally excited.
He’s being brave today. Just for me.
26 weeks going on 40 ~ Rachel Clare
August 24, 2009 | Filed Under Just Because, Mine | 14 Comments
The moment I push “publish”, I’m totally going to regret the decision to post these pictures. Oh wait, no, I ALREADY regret this decision.
I’ve been hounded asked by a few friends to post recent shots of the belly. In truth, I believe this is for the following reason: I have like 8 friends (and not just any friends, but CLOSE friends- best friends, my sister!) who are due within 10 weeks of me on either side of my due date. We’re all coming into the homestretch (relatively speaking) and I know there’s not one of us who is loving the scale right now. I think everyone wants to know what everyone else looks like… well ladies, these should make you ALL feel better!!
Here are two shots from today. Taken at Disneyland. The black and white is shot from above. It’s what I see when I look down. ‘Nuf said.
I know, right? I look like I could deliver at any moment. Ah, but I have three months left. Yep- you read it right. THREE MONTHS.
5′3″ was never meant to carry such a thing in such a small space. And then there’s that whole tumor-thing…
Anyway. Today was our “End of Summer, Part 2″, but it won’t be posted tonight because I’m a disaster and my eyes hurt and my head hurts and I desperately need to take a long, sweet shower and go to bed. However, you’ll get that post soon (we lived it up at Disney and CA Adventure). Tomorrow, through weeping eyes, I shall be posting a picture of my baby boy on his first day of school. (I tell you, I’m not doing well with this transition. Not well at all.) It will be sappy and blubbery and I will reveal in even more detail that I’m just some crazy lady who’s pregnancy hormones (and emotions) are wacked. (Read: I started crying in the middle of dinner tonight.) Yes, I need a nice shower. And a good night’s sleep. And maybe a pedicure and some chocolate. And, I need for the little man to have an amazing first day of school. Then I shall calm down.
Flatter me by check back in tomorrow for the token “first day of school” shot. Until then, g’night.
End of Summer, Part 1 ~ Inland Empire Child Photographer ~ Rachel Clare
August 22, 2009 | Filed Under Children, Just Because, Mine | 5 Comments
I know, I know… I’ve mentioned that my oldest, my baby (how does that work?) starts school next week. I’ve tried to do something special and out of the ordinary each day with the kids to make the most of this end-of-summer time. (However, I must ask- how is it the “end of summer” when I know full well that we have at LEAST 2 full months of heat left?)
Yesterday, our special thing was a simple picnic in the back yard with sandwiches, clementines and string cheese (preceded by a trip to WalMart- a place I utterly detest- to allow Elias to use up the rest of a 2-year-old gift card he had there. He bought a book and a Matchbox car…). It was warm, to be sure, but at least for the first half of our picnic, it was cloudy. Toward the end, not so much. But we ate and enjoyed simply being outside.
As the following pictures show, I have one who is generally happy to let me take his picture, and one who is “WOMAN, GET THAT THING OUT OF MY FACE!!”… camera shy.
I adore her sweet profile- that nose, oh her little nose…
…. And his eyes… I love it that there are things with each of my children- little things, tiny features, a freckle or a giggle that simply make me swoon. His eyes are a perfect example. Her curls are another. (And that NOSE!!)
My Glass ~ Rachel Clare
August 21, 2009 | Filed Under Just Because, Mine | 6 Comments
I took a Facebook quiz earlier this week. I wasn’t bored necessarily, but rather, I was procrastinating. Because I’m good at that, you know. I justify it now by saying, “I’ll do those dishes in a little bit” or “Vacuum? I’ll wait until the kids are done playing with the Legos”, which is much better than the procrastination that used to occur 11 years ago in college when I’d say, “Eh- that paper isn’t due until Friday. I’ve still got 12 whole hours.” and what-have-you.
So on this Facebook quiz were questions like:
Favorite pizza topping? (fresh mozzarella and fresh basil)
Married? (happily)
Last person you went to dinner with? (double date with Jake & Sarah in Newport)
How many times did you fail your driver’s test? (none, thank you.)
You know- really important questions. Ha.
However, one question on there made me pause. It was this:
Glass 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
And I had to stop and think. Because truthfully, life has thrown a few curve-balls lately. And, you know, that’s cool and all, but I’ve found myself ducking from those curve-balls over and over. I’ve found that I’ve had to make choices with each curve-ball… the choice to take it like a man strong woman or to complain. I’ve realized that I can be happy… bloom where I’m planted, if you will. But it’s not always easy and it definitely takes a conscious effort.
Curve ball #1- We didn’t get the house we were hoping for. The reaction I’m choosing to have: okay then, let’s remodel the bathrooms here (as everything else has been remodeled) and plant the front yard and keep looking. And by the way, I’m grateful I don’t have to find a new midwife and a new gym.
Oh, and, I recognize that there are millions of people in this world who don’t even have a roof to sleep under or locks on their doors. And I’m grateful to be one who does.
Curve ball #2- (okay, it’s not actually a curve ball, just an adjustment I’ve been hiding from): My (oldest) baby starts kindergarten in 5 days. The reaction I’m choosing to have: yay buddy! i’m so excited for you to meet new friends and learn and grow and have SO.MUCH.FUN!! (rather than sobbing into my pillow which is obviously my initial reaction…) Again, I recognize that there are millions of children who would give anything to gain an education and don’t have that opportunity. I’m grateful for my education and I’m grateful that my children will be blessed enough to have the opportunity to attend school.
Curve ball #3- The California budget is in the toilet (duh) and suddenly JT’s tenure-track professor job is slightly shaky. The reaction we’re both choosing to have: we’re grateful that he’s got a good job right now (as so many are out of work) and he’s not the lowest man on the totem pole. We’re grateful for my business and the flexibility we both have, and we have faith that there are good things in our future.
Curve ball #4- I’ve got raging heartburn and paralyzing Sciatica, not to mention the absolute inability to sleep through the night (blasted over-active brain). The reaction I’m choosing to have: there is something wonderful coming to me in 3 months and I will focus on that blessing. And, during my bouts of insomnia at night, I have the chance to practice my hypnobirthing (yes I’m serious) scripts which is how I plan on bringing this babe into this world.
So, after giving it a good long thought, I’ve decided that my glass is, indeed, half full. I just have to choose to make it that way.
“Taking the Plunge” ~ San Diego Wedding Photographer ~ Rachel Clare
August 19, 2009 | Filed Under Couples, Weddings | 9 Comments
So, when I was photographing Carly & Dave after their ceremony, Carly’s mom was quietly watching from a nearby rock. She never said a thing (as her daughter “trashed” her wedding dress), but simply observed what was happening.
At one point, while the happy couple were taking a little break, she said to me, “Well, they’ve taken the plunge, huh?” Yeah, like LITERALLY.
I laughed- how appropriate to dive into the Pacific right after saying “I Do”!
Here’s a small handful of the really fun shots we got of Dave & Carly’s “Trash the Dress”. It was SO. MUCH. FUN.
Congrats again you two- you’re such a lovely couple and it was absolutely my pleasure to be a part of your special day!
You know what they say… ~ Orange County Wedding Photographer ~ Rachel Clare
August 16, 2009 | Filed Under Announcements | 4 Comments
“The early bird gets the worm!”
Also, check out The Savvy Photographer - some great giveaways this week!
They Did It ~ San Diego Wedding Photographer ~ Rachel Clare
August 14, 2009 | Filed Under Couples, Weddings | 13 Comments
JT and I eloped (more or less)… we planned for only 4 weeks. I borrowed the dress of a good friend who was married just a few weeks before me and we told very few people. Part of it was the fact that we wanted it very small and very “no-hassle, no-stress”. The other part was that my family is monstrously large, when you include my aunts/uncles/cousins on both sides; JT’s family is very small and he’s not close to many of them. We wanted it to be balanced.
Besides buying my own dress and having more photographic coverage of our day (and perhaps having someone actually do my hair?!), I wouldn’t change a thing. Sept. 1, 2000 was easy and stress-free and very very happy. We’ve decided that our biggest mistake was this: we should have told our parents we had some elaborate wedding planned and that they had a choice- we could go through with it or they could just pay us the the money and we’d elope. Instead, we just did it and never gave them the option. Oh well… hind sight is 20/20.
I had the absolute privilege last weekend of being guest #5 at Dave and Carly’s small but intimate wedding at Coronado Beach in San Diego. His brother & sister-in-law were there as well her mom and sister, who flew down the day before after being informed of the event only 3 days earlier. All agreed that there was no stress involved- it was easy and small and happy. This young couple is lovely- I can tell that they are absolutely best friends and make each other better people. I have this feeling that Carly grounds Dave a little, and that he pushes her to try new things. The officiator talked about them being equal partners and how important that is. I have no doubt that they will follow this council and do well.
Carly & Dave, thank you for entrusting me to capture your evening! It was too much fun. Best wishes to you both!
(Be on the lookout for a really fun post- coming soon- of their “trash the dress” session afterward. Did I mention that these two are SO MUCH FUN?!)
Of Dreams & Simplicity ~ Rachel Clare
August 12, 2009 | Filed Under Just Because | 5 Comments
I have a few dreams, as in, things I’d love to do with my life. They come and go- some things I wanted 10 years ago don’t sound so appealing anymore (to be single, working for some high-end company - doing something extremely important, mind you-, wearing heals and a pencil skirt every day, and living in a gorgeous loft in Manhattan) but some are new (like wanting to star as Elphaba in Wicked in London… oh you should hear me belt it out in the car…).
Some of them will never happen, and that’s okay. (For example: the two listed above.)
I have a dream of living in Umbria or Tuscany and buying bread and cheese and produce from the local market and bakery down the road. I’d have a huge garden of flowers - not an organized garden, just one where everything grows together, wild and free. I’d speak Italian every day and wear scarves and walk everywhere and eat pasta every day and never gain an ounce. I’d have a simple life with simple routines and children who would never watch TV but would rather play in the wild flower garden and help me make fresh gnocchi. Our villa would be full of Italian antiques worth lots of money, but who cares what they’re worth, because life would be simple and sweet.
That is one dream that may never go away.
I have a dream of living in an old historic house right near the university where my husband teaches, with tree-lined streets and warm, friendly neighbors. He’d walk or ride his bike to work and the children and I would walk up and meet him for a picnic lunch on the lawn by the lake, surrounded by old beautiful buildings. I’d walk my children to school, bundled in the winter, in sundresses and shorts in the spring. I’d spend my days photographing wonderful people and things that I love, I’d bake, and I’d quilt. I’d make something lovely and healthy and oh-so-delicious for dinner with maybe a tiny bowl of homemade raspberry ice cream (raspberries from the yard, by the way) for dessert. After tucking my children in bed at night and singing them to sleep, I would sit out on my front porch in my rocking chair with my love and drink herbal tea and talk about our day and watch the sky fade to night, where millions of dancing stars would grace us with their show. And the next day, we’d do it all over again.
That is one dream that cannot ever go away.
I think I should have been born 40 years before I actually came to this earth.
These are the dreams that will not leave me. These are the dreams that surface every time a Pottery Barn catalog arrives in my mailbox. These are the dreams that dance in my head each time I read Crossing To Safety (one of my all-time favorites) or see a movie like “Under the Tuscan Sun”. I need simplicity.
Yesterday was not simple. I had a long to-do list, much of which went undone. The house was loud and chaotic and so… not peaceful. I had a short fuse and ended up throwing things together for supper and forgot to water the garden. I was exhausted and harried after editing 4 sessions. It was a very long day and my body hurt, but my soul hurt even more. I was overcome with feelings of discouragement and frustration over my lack of patience and happiness. My children bore the brunt of my irritability and impatience until their Daddy took them away after work for a few hours of fun and swimming. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I cried myself to sleep.
When I awoke this morning, I made a conscious decision that we would have a good day. I was going to be a kind and patient mother who gave her children all the attention they deserved.
It’s amazing what just making the decision will do. We had a great day! I remembered to water the lawn. We went to the park. We went “hunting” for wool felt at fabric stores. I started feeling creative and domestic and SIMPLE and decided to make a new quilt for our bed, and all the while, those sweet children were happy and didn’t touch anything (”don’t touch anything!”). Because they were so good at those fabric stores, I did something I never ever do- I bought them candy. Not chocolate, not ice cream, but pure high-fructose corn syrup, Willy Wonka-style.
I made them Mac & Cheese with sliced-up turkey dogs for lunch, raspberries on the side. Rowan took a lovely nap. Elias was calm and happy and, for the most part, quiet while I cut out my quilt pieces.
We had a good dinner. I read to them for an hour before bed. And they both went down easily- Elias, sound asleep before I even finished “Sweet Baby James”.
And THAT is what I want every day to be like. The really lovely thing is, I can choose to make each day this way- it’s a decision I can make each morning. And so may I choose to make my life simple, even if I don’t live in a lovely historic neighborhood in a small college town or in the paradisaical hills of Umbria.
May I choose to be peaceful and patient and kind even when the storm of craziness and noise is all around me.
