Picture Challenge Week Two

So, I am not doing super great at my goal, but I am still trying! I haven't given up yet!!

Week Two, January 18- 24:

My kids didn't have school on Monday (Jan 18) so Tyler invited his friend Brian over and they had a "Chopped Challenge" Part two.  Part one is, as yet, undocumented, but perhaps I can get that up on the blog soon too.  The boys decided to do a dessert edition this go round and asked me to choose three ingredients that they had to use in their dish.  I chose Candy Canes, Crispix and chocolate chips.  I am super frustrated with myself because I didn't take any pictures of the two chefs themselves! What kind of photographer misses the two main characters!!! But I do have picture of their creations, and their judges.  Brian created a puppy chow/popcorn mix.  In the middle of his creation you can see his peppermint "stained glass" (made by melting his candy canes in the oven).

 Tyler attempted cookies (which is really hard without a recipe) and really ended up with more of a chocolate pancake.  In the face of that  derail he just went with it and created a chocolate sauce and sprinkled candy canes over top.  A little dollop of whipped cream can't hurt either!

 Sydney and Carter were brave enough to be the judges of this cooking challenge.  Carter's vote went to Brian and his "Puppy-corn" and Sydney's vote went to Tyler and his "Choco-cakes".  At the end of the day a tie isn't such a bad thing!

 Day two was a belated picture of Carter with his Birthday Banner.  Steve helped me make this and for the letter T he wrote:"TOP DOG".  When Carter was reading his banner he couldn't quite figure out how Top Dog was a good thing. :)

 Day Three: I was sitting working at my computer when I looked at my shamrock plant sitting in the window and thought how pretty the leaves were with the sun reflecting through them.  So this became the subject for my pic.  Didn't turn out looking like I imagined, but that is sadly often how it goes!

 Day four: Bombed that one!
Day five: Carter woke up that morning complaining of a stomach ache and while I tried to convince him that he should still go to school, his big eyes and sad countenance convinced me otherwise, especially when he expressed his concern about getting his friends at school sick.  I caved and Carter stayed home.  He laid on the couch for about an hour before he was up playing and feeling much better.  It actually turned out to be a very fun day for me! I loved having my little buddy back for the day! We spent some time playing, and reading, which I tried to capture here... (I read an article a woman wrote about taking pictures of moments in your day-with you in them- that you spend with your kids- not an easy task, but I tried)

Day Six: Flop!!

Day Seven: Sydney ended up with a song from her lessons that she LOVED!  So, of course, she has been playing it over and over again (which I love, just being clear that that wasn't a complaint).  It is kind of a fun, upbeat, repeating chord pattern that she likes to play around with, going slower, faster and even in different keys.  On Sunday night she sat down to play, and Steve decided to join her, doing a "Heart and Soul" kind of thing where he just made it up as he went.

And that is Week two.  The whole point of this challenge for me is to take pictures more, and especially to take more pictures of the moments I wouldn't normally capture. (I still need to get some of my bigger kids in these pictures!)