After

After, originally uploaded by juliecinci.

Today I graduated from a table top to a real desk.
Said Caitrin upon viewing it: "Mom you look like a real business person now."

Here's a glimpse of the before (and yes, I really did work like this for about seven years):

Before, originally uploaded by juliecinci.

Funschooling

Funschooling, originally uploaded by juliecinci.

My sister called today. We updated each other on our lives, including bird watching, game playing and movie viewing. She said I wasn't "unschooling," I was "funschooling."

Ironically I had taken this photo for today's post to show that we do sit at the table sometimes and work with real school books. But then I looked closer and noticed that while Caitrin is writing out spelling words for a game we were about to play, I remembered that they were "fashion" words from Vogue magazine. She also made "art trading cards" out of my Moo pictures from Flickr.

And caught right in the middle of studying algebra is Jacob's hand on the X Box controller to adjust the music volume and the visual images on the X Box while it blasted "Song of the Heart" from "Happy Feet." Too funny.

Detail shot of fashion spelling list:

My little city lights

My little city lights, originally uploaded by juliecinci.

Being a Los Angeles native, I love to see city lights at night, particularly from high places. My favorite airport entry in the world is LAX at night. Moving to Cincinnati made me crazy the first year. So few hills, no way to get up high and see out. The kids and Jon joke with me because I have this one spot on our way home that has a little rise where you can see lights and I have commented on it *every single time* for seven years. It's at a traffic light so I can never get out of the car to take a picture.

This scene is taken from one of the other hills I love that gives a glimpse of night lights in Union Center (West Chester, where IKEA will eventually be). Tonight I took Jacob to the high school for fall registration and this is the view on the way to Lakota West HS. He helped me shoot this one on our way home. You can see the Marriot hotel on the right (which was there when we had the Trapdoor retreat at my house) and the Rave movie theater on the left (which is new as of two years ago).

I love the little light on the bottom right of the photo that sends out its rays in spokes as if on a wheel.

There is a spoon

There is a spoon, originally uploaded by juliecinci.

My self-portrait for this week reflects my return to reality after leading a virtual life.
The Matrix says "There is no spoon," but today I say "Oh yes there is!"

Theologically correct

Theologically correct, originally uploaded by juliecinci.

Taken with my laptop camera in Photobooth at the grad student potluck.

Check out Margaret's blog tonight too. :)

Jacob's jazz

Jacob's jazz, originally uploaded by juliecinci.

Jacob and I had fun shooting his saxophone play yesterday. Learned more about the camera settings. I have two photos that I liked: one that is clearer than this picture and this one. I chose to post this photo because no matter how often I looked at it, I could hear his music. The other one is just a nice shot. Would love to know which one you like better. Might help me think through how to choose photos. The problem with this picture is the graininess of the hand on the left side and the mild blur on the edges. The other picture is technically pure but I feel like it lacks the vitality, even while I like the clarity of both hands and edges.

Jacob likes the way you can see his cast in this photo. :) He performed an ensemble the other night for a grade and they did really well! Who knew you could "blow" with a broken wrist?

(Off to ski today and then straight to a potluck and Doctrine 1. I'll catch you all on the flip side.)

Moo: Tiny, wonderful photo calling cards

My order came! I wanted to share about this terrific Flickr product (Moo) because I'm so thrilled with it. Moo takes a selected part of the photo and turns it into a gorgeous little calling card that can be shared with friends. I ordered these using my 365 photos and LOVE them! You select details to put on the back (including photo stats if you want to remember them), the title of the photo and the date you took it.

The material they are printed on is almost like plastic. Very fun to make. My kids love them. Only $19.99 for 100 of them. Just wanted to share.

Jungle Jim's (which we affectionately call: Jungle Jaime's)

Jungle Jim's, originally uploaded by juliecinci.

Jungle Jim's is a store in Cincinnati that is entirely novel. Outside, there are statues of giraffes and hippos standing in water and there are jungle noises on loudspeakers. Inside, the store is 300,000 square feet (roughly four acres) and includes food stuffs from around the globe. I wanted to take more photos and then right after I snapped this one, remembered that photography inside the store is strictly verboten. So I quickly hid my camera and feel grateful to have snapped this one without remembering that contraindication.

Each time we go to JJ's, the kids pick a new vegetable or fruit to sample. Below you see Caitrin and Liam figuring out how to eat a "pomelo" (an absurdly large grapefruit from China). We "enjoyed" our pomelo during teatime (enjoyed being a relative term). Pretty sour.

The Self-Portrait Challenge

Donna's suggection that we try the self-portrait challenge comes from a website (that probably you all have already visited, but I didn't discover until this morning). In any case, February is black and white month... which is fitting since Dalissa led the way!

The site itself it in my photography helps/tips side bar. If you go to the site itself, there's a wonderful series of self-portraits that gave me ideas! Dalissa's comment that self portraits ought to say something about who we are suddenly became clear to me in that series of portraits on the site. Just something to consider as you mosey through my 365 pad. :)

Sunrise on Tylersville

Sunrise on Tylersville, originally uploaded by juliecinci.

I'll probably post something more house centered later in the day, but this sunrise is one I want to save in my 365 collection (happened yesterday morning). Peace.

Primping

Do you know what you're looking at?

The Gorilla Pod

Okay, I want one of these!
The possibilities are truly endless!

Running from the camera

I subscribe to the Photojojo blog and found this funny entry that I thought might be fun to try among ourselves.

Jon's favorite drink

Jon's favorite drink, originally uploaded by juliecinci.

Finally an appearance of "the man" and "his drink" (cappucino with all the special Starbucks powders: vanilla, cinnamon and chocolate). He takes great pleasure in the production therein.