didn't there used to be a tuesday traditions blog carnival?  or something like it?  well, i've googled my fingers off and i just don't see it.  so it's thursday and i wanna blog about a tradition.  anyone wanna play?  see the mcklinky below.  leave a comment.  link to your blog post.  let's share!

ours:

friday night is taco night.  it's a ritual.  it began some year or two ago, and our kids made sure it stuck.

now i love to cook, and i am adventurous, but friday nights are my night off (unless my sweetheart invites me into the kitchen to work alongside him.  but he has to invite me, and i have to do it his way.  and his way usually includes a taco bell kit.  :)  ).  i don't care - it's wonderful.  especially when he does double-deckers with nacho cheese.  oh, man i've gotta work out!

once he let me make fish tacos. once he let me do shredded chicken in the slow cooker.  i'm always allowed to make fresh salsa and he indulges my need to have cilantro.

we're working on building more traditions, but this is one that has stuck.  sometimes we pile on the couch afterwards and watch a movie.  sometimes we have friends over.  sometimes that includes sangria.  (well, at least when julie's makin' it!)

it's a family feast and everyone dives in...

and it's a good thing we sometimes play wii to at least burn off a little energy... because with even one extra family, that's a lot of wiggles!

...and sometimes the kids just hang and go for a card game.

thanks to friends like j., there are even sometimes homemade desserts.

it's not spiritual.  it's not deep in educational value.  but it brings us all together and keeps us close.  even the grandparents have adopted this tradition when we share friday nights at their homes!

this is one of our family traditions.  what is one of yours?

mom-tography {the growing art of taking your kids' pics!}

for those new to my blog, i'm a homeschool momma who decided a couple of years ago to learn what i could really do with my digital camera.  ever-so-quickly, i became addicted to the art of photography and haven't looked back.  i started a portrait photography business when i realized the passion i had along with the desire to connect with others was something people appreciated, and were willing to invest in.  (and i jokingly say as i realized i needed new equipment to get better at the craft, i had to find a way to pay for it.)  :) 

along the way i've had lots of friends ask for help and i'd like to share some tips you can use right now in your everyday snapshots of your kids.  (and if you're local ask about the mom-tography workshop we're working on for this spring!)  i thought i'd call it mom-tography... after all, just because you don't do it for a living doesn't mean a mom doesn't want to get better everyday pictures of her own gang!
How low can you go?

which do you like better?  why?

anyone driving by when I am doing a photography session, especially a session that involves kids, would get quite an amusing view. i’ve been known to climb onto a willing assistant (my father-in-law volunteered, and I really wanted the shot!), a wobbly railing, and a park bench. i’ve also been attacked by fire ants four times so far lying on the ground (and thank goodness, it’s always me and not my clients who get it!). why on earth? well, some of the best shots you’ll get of your kids will be when you’re on their level. think about it: when you “shoot down” on your kids, you emphasize how little they are, and how far you are “above” their world. sometimes that’s a cool thing – but sometimes it’s a good thing to enter into their world – both in real life and in capturing their lives with your camera.  it's known as "perspective," and it can determine what you "say" about your subjects to those who look at your images!

i challenge you: next time you take a snapshot of your littles, get down on their level. you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes in capturing them at home in their world!  leave a comment and let me know your thoughts... or share an image and i'll feature you in a future post!

p.s. if you enjoyed this thursday tip, visit