Photography and the five year old

Tori and I took our old, junky, thrift-store 35mm cameras downtown to the 'Market on Main Street' farmers' market today.  She just loves taking pictures, and I love that she's so interested in something I love.  I'm trying to teach her about composition and framing her shots, and I figured a busy street market would be a great place to practice that.  After we were done, we dropped our film off at CVS, to be picked up later.  We picked them up a little while ago, and I've got to say, I was pretty impressed with some of her shots.  Of course, there were a few blurry shots, and a couple of her finger, but on the whole, I was impressed.  I'll try to get some of them scanned and posted later. 
    In 'me' news, I just started a "365Project", which is pretty cool.  You take and upload a photo every day, for a whole year.  It's a challenge to myself.  If there's nothing interesting to photograph, I'll have to improvise.  It sounded pretty neat, so I thought I'd try it.  Ok.  I'll try to post those pics later.  Peace out!

Parent-teacher Conference SUCCESS!

So last night was our first parent-teacher conference.  We were understandably a little nervous.  I mean, with some of the stuff this kid comes out with, who knew what the teacher was going to say?  Well, it was all for nothing!  Apparently, she's doing great!  She's finished with the kindergarten reading program, and almost through the 1st grade level.  She'll be starting the 2nd grade level soon.  Her teacher says she thinks Tori might be one of the few who gets through the 5th grade level by the time kindergarten's over!  Wow!  Also, she said Tori's really good in class, and listens well.  Um...really?  Are we still talking about the same kid, here?  Huh.  Well, I guess she is picking some stuff up, though.  Lately, when two grownups are talking, and she wants to say something, she'll stand there and raise her hand.  Ha!  So cute! 

So, all in all, I'd call last night a success!  Peace out!

Unacceptable!

So, anyone who has read my previous posts knows that Tori says some pretty funny things sometimes.  But this...oh, this.  This is from a conversation between Jimmy and Tori:

     Tori:  Dad, let me take all your guitar picks from all your guitar cases, and put 'em in this box.
     Jimmy:  No, I need those in the cases.
     Tori:  But -- but, DAD!  How about this?  Today, I'll do this guitar case, then, next time, I'll do another one, and then next time, I'll do the other one.
     Jimmy:  No, just leave them alone.
     Tori:  Dad, that is UNACCEPTABLE! (Said glaring straight at him, with her little hand on her hip)

Hoo, boy.  Also, in other news, Tori has informed us (repeatedly, because I can't seem to break the habit) that she no longer wishes to be called 'Tori'.  She would rather be called 'Victoria', because she likes Victoria "more better".  Yeah.  Five years of calling the kid 'Tori', and now she wants me to change?  Sure.  That'll happen.  Hehe.  More later.  In the meantime, Peace out!

Tori's "Hoop-a-loop"

So Tori has a hula-hoop, only, she calls it a "hoop-a-loop".  For a five year old, she's pretty darn good at it!  Better than I could do, I think.  Heh.   Peace out!

Soccer and the average 5 year old...

Oh, boy.  Saturday was Tori's soccer game, from the YMCA after-school, six-week soccer program.  It was for K-3rd grade, and these kids were adorable!  Tori was the youngest one, being the only kindergartener in the program, and it... kind of showed.  She did pretty good, for her age, but, well, there were times she sort of forgot she was in a soccer game or got bored or something.  Hee!  At one point, she started doing somersaults on the field!  But, she did good, running after the ball.  And at least she didn't get hurt!  I've got to say, though, that the guy who coached these kids for six weeks + game day must have the patience of a saint.
      Peace out!

Mom, this wind's from the north...

*sigh*  When did my little, tiny baby get so smart?  We go outside to walk over to my Granny's house, and it's kind of cold and windy.  Tori says, "You know, Mom, this wind is from the north, and that's why it's so cold, and if you stay out in the wind for too long, you might get an earache."  Um...wait, what?  The best part is, she was right.  The wind was coming from the north.  Way too smart.  It's sort of scary.  Hehe.
    More later.  In the meantime, Peace out!

Poor kid (or the first cold snap really sucks)

It got cool last night, so I had to turn the heat on for the first time in a while.  Unfortunately, I forgot to put York's vaporizer in her room.  So today, the poor kid's all hoarse and scratchy.  Hopefully, she'll get better soon.  She says she feels ok, but I still feel bad for her.

OMG! She's ALIVE!

So, yeah.  Kind of lost this blog in all the madness.  Update-in-a-nutshell time...
    So, Tori graduated from pre-K, Jimmy had surgery, I hurt my ankle, and Tori started Kindergarten.  Are we all caught up now?  Hehe.
    So, my baby's now a Kindergartener, at a real, big-kid, elementary school.  I'm finally starting to come to terms with that, I think.  She's learning to read, and she. is. amazing!  She was the first one in her class to finish the 'reading readiness' program, and she's almost halfway through her first reading folder.  This teacher she has?  Awesome!
    I can't even believe some of the stuff they're learning in Kindergarten, though.  Computers, science -- she can tell you ALL about invertebrates -- math, and logic... I didn't know some of this stuff until junior high!
    She also did the YMCA after-school soccer program, and loved it.  Her coach said she was faster than almost all of the other kids, which isn't all that impressive, until you realize that the program was for K-3rd grade.  Their end-of-program game is Saturday.  That...should be interesting.  Haha.
    Okay.  I'll try to remember to post here occasionally.  'Til then, Peace out!