Yes I know

Yet again I've been slack, slack, slack.

So, to get you up to date, here is yet again, another dot point list of things about us!!!

- I STILL haven't had Sam's haircut. He refuses to let anyone but Ben (our usual hairdresser) or me cut it, and I don't trust myself anymore!
- Carson Hall Photography has photographed 2 weddings so far (check out our blog to see some images from them)
- Max is fat and happy again - hasn't been sick or cranky for a while, keeping my fingers crossed.
- We have a new car!!!! It's a Mazda Tribute Sports Elite (google it, I couldn't be bothered finding a link for you!) It's beautiful, but trust me when I say it didn't come without it's share of dramas
- Sam is finally happy at daycare, and I'm considering trying to get him in for an extra day
- Clydey celebrated his 35th b'day on Sunday just gone
- Max is talking up a storm - it's ridiculous. I swear the boy talks as much as your average 3 year old!!
- I have serious lens and tech envy - Bec has some beautiful new lenses, and Esther has herself a new macbook. I am trying to come up with every conceivable way to getting my own dirty little hands on any of these items for my self, but I know deep down that it's just not going to happen. - we won $1341 in lotto back in April, and only just found out!!! Unfortunately, instead of getting me a nice new lens or a nice new mac, this had to go straight onto our credit card. bummer.
- Only a few months until Clydey's parents get here - can't wait. Really need to look into stuff to do while they are here.
- have organised to do a Real Wedding Photography Training day thingy with one of my photography idols, James Day He rocks, and I can't wait. Not sure exactly when, but someone time year.
- I am starting a new personal project with my photography to try and release this creativity I know is hiding in me somewhere!!! I want to do some arty farty type stuff
- Sam's daycare teachers are telling me what a good listener he is - I'm finding it hard to believe it's the same kid!!
- Aunty Nat is in exams
- Aunty Cas has her ticket booked home for christmas - I can't wait!!!
- Nic's boys are coming down for school holidays soon - I can't wait to see them!!! The boys (all 5 of them!) will have a ball!
- I think I might have to get Max's first haircut soon too
- I have cool hair for the first time in my life!

Think that's about it - well all that my "only had one coffee so far today" brain can think of!

And of course, what would a post be without photos of the boys!!

Bad Blogger, Bad Blogger

I don't even let anyone know what we are up to lately, do I?

Well, let's see.

Clydey is on a diet and has lost 12kg.
Max was sick on the weekend and literally screamed our long Anzac Day weekend away.
Sam's new favourite movie is 101 Dalmations - he pisses himself laughing through it every time.
I wish I could keep my desk clean.
I have my first wedding to photograph in just over 2 weeks time.
Max is having his ears tested in 2 weeks time.
Sam still cries every time I drop him off to daycare.
I have Max on the waiting list for day care.
Clydey wants a new bike.
We need a new car and we need it soon.
I want my apple mac.
Bec and I just went halves in a macro lens.
Max has close to 100 words up his sleeve - he's a clever little monkey.
Sam needs a haircut.
I need a haircut and colour.
I need to buy something to wear for this wedding.
I am back playing netball on Tuesday nights.

Ummmmm...how's that for now?

And to leave you with some photos:

It's illegal to steal images

I received a comment yesterday on this blog, from a girl asking me if she could use my photos on her orkut profile. I was going to just leave a comment in return to her...but hell, I'm going to turn it into a big deal.

This is what she asked:

 love your site too. I really like your photos and I
think Sambo is so cute. So I am writting u to ask
for a permition to use him photos on my fake profile
 on orkut. I'm a girl with only 15 years old, and fakes
profiles it's like a hobby in my country, u put the
photos of the teens or kids that u think that is
beautiful create a fake name and make
friends that do the same as u but everyone know that
the person that they talk it isn't the kid or the
teen of the photos. Sometimes we get
some photos of famous person that we are fans,
and that's why I really expect that u permit me,
don't care about the photos, they will be
total security on my orkut cuz I'll put a name
and some brushs so as to
nobody want to stole. Please don't say no like
the most of the mommys say, think about it,
think that I wouldn't do anything that u would
dislike about the photos and I just want to play
(i don't know if it's
right to use this word in this case) in an
imaginary world, where
anyone knows who I really am. I'm waiting for
a answer and I expect
that it'll be a good answer for me. Thank u! bye bye!

Ps: since I don't have a blog u can answer me here
and I come back to
see.

This whole orkut shit drives me crazy - just find some bloody photos that you ARE allowed to use....or better yet - take your fucking own. (sorry to those of you who don't condone swearing, but this really makes me mad). Why do you need my photos? Why can't you take some of your own. I get that you guys are all of a sudden asking permission to do it.....but christ. How many people are actually saying "sure, go ahead and take my photos for your stupid, childish games". GIVE UP PEOPLE.

It is illegal to take someone's photos, it is in direct violation of copyright laws. They are MY photos, and I didn't take them for some 12 year old in Brazil. If I find you have used them, I will take this further, trust me when I say I won't give up.

DON'T YOU DARE

So, Marcela - does that answer your question?

It's Official - I'm LIVE!!!!

After nearly 2 weeks of mucking around and fine tuning....my new website is LIVE!

I'm very proud of it, and am so glad I decided to get off my butt and get it organised.

If you stop by, leave me a comment and let me know what you think - I'd love to know.

http://www.fionacarsonphotography.com.au (or for the lazy, there is a link to the right!!!)

while I'm here

may as well post some photos!!

Big News for Fiona Carson Photography

It's all still in the pipeline but big things are heading my way!! Stay tuned.....

Boondall Wetlands

Dress #1, originally uploaded by fona251.

Bec and I took my gorgeous sister, Nat for a fun "fashion" shoot today! Apart from the billion mozzies we had to fight off, it was fan-bloody-tastic!! Thanks Bec, and thanks Nat!!

More photos on my work blog (link to the right!)

holy moly

cute, originally uploaded by fona251.

I have just realised I haven't made a post the whole time Cas has been home. She is heading back to Sweden today...and boy we are going to miss her. It's been such a lovely month, with a trip up to the sunshine coast, and plenty of family time here. The boys have adored having her home (although, I'm not sure if Aunty Nat is liking not holding the "favourite Aunt" title at the moment!!)

I have got plenty of gorgeous photos of Cas with the boys....and she's positive that when she gets back, Hakan isn't going to be too happy with the amount of photos she wants on the walls!

Bubbles

bubbles2, originally uploaded by fona251.

Sorry I have been so slack. I will endevour to post new photos here every day for this week!

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

oh. my. god.

So, we get back from Christmas, and Max is better. Then on the following Thursday (so the 3rd?) Max starts running a temp. That lasts for a good 5 days...then came back. The diarrhea started on day 3 of temps, and lasts for a god damned week. Seriously, it was so bad, that at one stage we changed the poor kids nappy, and there was more blood than poo. I started up with the temps and poos on the Monday night/Tuesday. Sam had temps on and off for a week....but he fought the diarrhea until late last week. He still has been having the odd gross poo. Max did a solid poo today for the first time in 2 weeks. It was hideous...having us all sick at once. Clydey was a champion and took some time off work to help out, and when he was at work, he left early etc to get home to us. I was so exhausted, and poor Max just screamed for days. Sam did sick really well - just was miserable, but happy to lie and sleep or watch tv.

Turns out it was food poisoning. The Dr took a stool sample the day we took Max to see her, and on Monday she rang us to let us know the results. I have no idea what from, as it's almost 2 weeks since Max first started with the temps. I can't believe we all had food poisoning. Anyway, we are pretty much over it now, although I think we are all still a bit exhausted.

So, poor Max celebrated his first birthday being sick. I had big plans to celebrate it with friends, and to make a lovely post on here. But no way. I was too tired, and the kids were too sick. Ah well, Nat is home tomorrow, and Cas next week, so we are going to have a first birthday party for Max when they are around to help us celebrate.

And so much for me posting once a day with a new photo each day. I've actually managed to take one each day...so I will start posting them.

Days Two, Three, Four, Five and Six:

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and all that!

Long time between posts, yet again! This year though, it's my New Years resolution to be more organised. To start the year off, I've done a bit of spring cleaning. Haven't completely finished, but come on, it's only day 2 of the year! I am determined to stick to this...I need to stick to this. For the sake of a clean house, and a happy mummy!!

So, christmas. Was lovely. Quiet, but lovely. Poor Max was sick, so there was a lot of screaming and crying from him. He's much better now, thank god. Poor Meggie and Doylie had to put up with his crying for the whole week we were there!

The kids got spoilt rotten, as usual. This is the present list:

Sam

a sit on excavator from Santa

a blower and a whipper snipper (with the handles like he wanted) from Mummy and Daddy

a t-shirt from max that says "I love Tractors, Diggers and Dirt"

a remote control excavator from Nanny and Doylie

a little car and a book from the Buckleys

a CD of African music from Granny and Poppa

a lion pencil case thingy from Kelly, Grant and Trent

and plenty of things in his stocking - books, stickers, play dough, lollies, clothes, pj's etc

Max

a sand and water table from Mummy and Daddy (had to be cos Sam had already seen it!)

a pull along elephant from Santa

some books from Sam

a rash top and swimmers from Nanny and Doylie

one of those push along thingsy with blocks in it from The Buckleys

a CD of African music from Granny and Poppa
a zebra pencil case thingy from Kelly, Grant and Trent

and again lots of stuff in his stocking - clothes, books, lollies, pj's etc.

I got spoilt as well. From Clydey I got 10 pairs of undies (had asked for some - was in desperate need!), and a photography book, and the first season of Gilmore Girls on dvd. From mum and dad I got some hair stuff, which was desperately needed and some lovely new coffee cups. From the Buckleys I got some lovely shorts....which I haven't been able to wear because it's still too bloody cold! Go figure. From the boys I bought myself a bag and some singlets.

New Year's was quiet - just homemade hamburgers, a movie and some chocolate for us!! Can't risk hangovers these days!!

The boys loved having Daddy home from the 21st..and he's gone back to work today. Of course it's still raining, so we are housebound. Might have to hit the the shops later just to get out!

Well, I've decided to do the "Photo A Day" challenge again for the month of january this year. I did it last year and had intended to put all the photos into a photo book....which of course I never got around to! This year, however, I WILL be more organised and I WILL do it!

So, this is my first photo. Day One!!

For you Bev

So you can see Sam's haircut!!

Alone

So, Nat left on Thursday for 5 weeks overseas. She's currently on her way to Sweden as I type. I'm so thrilled for her, but we'll miss her, and I will most certainly miss her help around here!! Poor Sam was sobbing as she was leaving - as she went down the escalator (towards customs, so we couldn't go) he was just sobbing into my shoulder cos he "just want to give Nat a cuddle". It was so cute....but I think poor Nat had some tears too!

I was telling Cas about it later that night, and she made me realise that the poor kid probably doesn't understand that people actually do come back from Sweden! Hakan left last year and Sam hasn't seen him since. Cas left in Feb, and Sam hasn't seen her since. I ended up asking him if he knew that Aunty Nat would be back in a few weeks and he said "yeah, but I don't like her now cos I just want to give her a cuddle". The logic of a 3 year old.

Max is walking full time. Has been for a few weeks now. He still looks WAY too small to be walking - I am still struggling to believe that I now have 1 little boy and 1 toddler. No babies in this house anymore. It's a bit sad, but I'm looking forward to this next step in being able to enjoy the boys interacting together. Sam can be the sweetest big brother sometimes. He can also be awful and rough....but Max doesn't seem to mind too much most of the time.

I am up to date with proofing at the moment, so I've enjoyed 2 nights away from the computer. First time for over a month!! I've just got a shoot tomorrow at the coast for Phil, Shamus and Finn - and they want them for xmas, so I will have to rush them through! Nothing like stress, huh? I actually think I've lost a bit of weight from being so stressed and busy! It's a good stress though, not a bad stress.

On another note, Clydey told me today that I should just go ahead and get the camera that I want. I was talking to him about how I am starting to feel the limitations of my camera, and that it really underexposes a lot, so I think there might be something wrong with it - and he told me just to go do it! I'm very excited...but have decided to sleep on it. I can't get it for less than $1800 unless I buy it online, and if I do that, it would have to be on my credit card, and I'd really prefer to do interest free terms. Will sleep on it and see what I think. I know I've got enough work over the next few months for it not to be a problem in paying it off.....but I really don't want to have to put it on the credit card.

Anyway, not much else here. Looking forward to a xmas break - although we have to sort out what on earth we are doing with the dog??????? I imagine the kennels will all be booked out by now (mum and dad don't have a fence at their house so she can't really stay there with us).

I am thinking of starting the new year with a post for every day with info on me starting with the letter A, then B, then C and so on. Get me posting regularly again.

Ok, best I leave with some photos then:

Yeah I know...

long time between blogs!

I headed out to mum and dad's the other week and had 6 photo shoots lined up - was so busy getting myself organised for that, then there for a week, and now home proofing....ridiculously busy! In a good way though.

You have to slip over to my work blog (link to the right) to check out my Trash the Dress session - OMG how much fun was that? I still have hundreds of photos to go through, but have banned myself until I get these family ones done first!!

Boy, I just went searching for photos of my boys to post here...and had to go back a LOOONNNGGG way. Seems I've been taking heaps of everyone else and none of Max and Sam! Max is pretty much walking now - he will easily walk across a room - but still only when HE feels like it! Esther thought I was lying about him walking - he always refused to show her, until yesterday actually! I'm glad she believes me now!! It's so cute when they start walking, isn't it?

Speaking of Max, I realised the other day that he is going to be JUST like Cas - clumsy as hell, and a drama queen to boot. The worst possible combination, I think (sorry Cas!!). Lucky he's so bloody beautiful though!!

Ok, photos.

photos

Just a few of Nic's boys I haven't shown off -

He amazes and surprises me.

Sambo. He really does amaze me. I don't give him nearly enough credit for what a gorgeous boy he's become.

We've been talking about the chance of leaving his "buddies" (dummies) out for Santa to give to some little babies who need them. He wasn't really keen on the idea - "nah, Mum, I think I need them more". So, I thought I'd change track and tell him that I'd buy him a lovely big present if we threw all his buddies in the bin. He thought that was a good idea, and that he really, really wanted an excavator (the boy is obsessed with all things boyish!). So, the 1 dummy that he always has, that is the only one that has a clip on it went missing on Sunday. I looked EVERYWHERE for it Sunday night. He went to bed with about 3 other dummies, but I was worried that he would wake up looking for it if it wasn't clipped on him. I actually barely slept on Sunday night trying to work on where on earth I'd put this dummy. Turns out, Sambo threw it in the bin. He told us Monday morning.

Wow, I thought. We might be onto a winner here.

So yesterday we were at the shops. And he spots this toy whipper snipper. Now, as I've mentioned, the kid LOVES all things boyish. In fact, he has been obsessed, and I mean OBSESSED with mowers and whipper snippers from a very young age. He has turned anything in our house that might have a long handle type thing into a whipper snipper. So, you can imagine how excited he was to actually find a proper whipper snipper that makes noise etc! So...he decided that he would throw ALL his buddies in the bin, if I got him the whipper snipper.

So he did.

I was dreading last night. Really, really dreading it. I was tired to start with, and I thought I would be up ALL night with him.

Come bed time, he got a little anxious and told me he didn't want the whipper snipper anymore. I told him that we had thrown all his buddies in the bin, so there were none left. I said he could lie down on the couch and watch some of the Jungle Book (current favourite) with Thomas (the Tiger - also a favourite) and his whipper snipper (a BIG favourite!)...and there he fell asleep. I put him into bed and he slept all night with no problems.

What a little champ, huh? I'm so proud of him, but also kind sad that he's not a baby anymore. Within the space of a few short months, he's toilet trained, and thrown out his dummy. He's getting so big now...and having proper adult conversations.

Way to go Sambo.

Now....onto other stuff - Max has taken his first steps. I can't bloody believe it. At 9.5 months of age, and he's decided he wants to walk. Sob sob sob. Even my baby isn't a baby anymore!

A very big Happy Birthday to Nat and Cas for last Monday.

A very big Happy Birthday to Sal for last Sunday.

A very big Happy Birthday to Doylie for last Wednesday.

A very big Happy Birthday to Michael for last Friday.

Boy, October is a busy month for birthdays for us, isn't it?

Ok, now to leave you with a few photos:

No news really

Just thought I should update! The boys have gone home - we had such a good time with them, even if it was exhausting! They just adored Max (as well they should - he IS adorable!).

We were supposed to go whale watching on Sunday which we were so looking forward to, but it was cancelled as it was too windy. What a bummer. Ah well, next year when Clydey's parents are here, we'll take them.

Max's top tooth has finally started cutting. Did I update his stats? At 8.5 months he was 8.99kg and 74.5cm long. Sam was 75cm long at 12 months so I'm guessing Max will be taller than his big brother??? The midwife was worried because Max's weight gain has really slowed down and she told me to feed him more solids - yeah right, did you take a look at him? He may be a lightweight compared to what Sam was....but he's no shrinking violet!! He's crawling you crazy woman! Of course his weight gain is going to slow down!!

Clydey rang me yesterday telling me we need to have another baby and it HAS to be a girl - apparently he was holding a 12 week old baby girl at work, and got all clucky. He doesn't want another unless it's a girl though!

Ok, nothing else for now. I'll drop back later with some photos.

I don't want 5 kids.

More specifically 5 boys. I love my nephews and I love my sons. But 5 boys might just push me over the edge!!

Having a great time though (even if it is very noisy!!). We are making kites, we have played with play dough, been to the park, jumped on the tramp, played with the golf sticks, played with sticks, been to the shops.....and they've only been here since Friday night!! We are going to Shorncliffe Pier tomorrow, a picnic today, State Library on Wednesday....and maybe rest on Thursday (yeah right!).

Here are some photos - plenty, plenty more to come!!

Update on my kids - Sam fully toilet trained - day and night!! He was waking up with a dry nappy every morning, and the other night when I was putting him to bed I said we need to put a nappy on, and he said "nah, I don't need one"....so I figured, why not give it a go? What a little champ!! Max is still very grizzly....so I am guessing it's more teeth on the way? Can't see any but am hoping to hell that's what it is, cos I don't want him whingy like this all the time!! Still standing every now and then on his own....for longer and longer. It's not all the time though, so am grateful for that.

Ok, best go sweep for the 4th time today!!