The Blog

comforting moments . . .

In relation to my last blog post, my older daughter had a performance at school the other day where her class was to sing in front of the school as they hosted the church service that day. I got there early to get a good seat . Well, as I looked back at the entrance to the church, I saw my daughter upset. I know the face. I got up to see what was wrong, and she said her stomach hurt. This was a pretty clear case of anxiety and stage fright. Now, my daughter has done things like this before, but for some reason, this was not setting well with her. Even though she's the "older" child, she's by far the more "cautious" and calculated. She'll let her little sister lead the way (similar to the kings taster. . if it doesn't kill the taster, then it's safe for the king to try). Well, her teacher saw her crying with me and saying that she didn't want to go up there. The teacher obliged her and let my daughter sit with her and watch the performance.

Afterwards, her stomach may have felt much better, but her pride did not. As the crowd recessed from the church, my wife took my daughter aside to talk to her about what she was feeling. She explained that weather it was an upset stomach, or simply nerves about performing in front of everyone, it was totally understandable and ok.

I was able to catch this vulnerable and comforting moment.

captive audience . . .

Remember when you had to go get up in front of your parents, and all your friends parents, and hundreds more that you didn't even know? Well, my girls had to. . . so here's how it feels . . .

Commute . . .

Work is rough, spending so much time away from my family. The pressure to deliver at a relatively new job is also great. But commuting 110 miles per day is simply debilitating. After leaving the house each morning at 7:30am (in hopes to get to work by 9am), it's really exhausting at the end of the day (6:30pm ish while not in crunch time), and jump in the car for another hour plus commute. If only the freeways moved this fast. . .

Late Night Chow . . .

During the winter break, and no school nights, we've been spending more time out and about during the "free time". The other night, we went to Chow. . . a restaurant in Lafayette. It's always crowded, and they have a small take home section to do a little shopping to bring some of the fresh items home for another time. My Nephew was particularly interested...

3, 2, 1 . . . cheerlead?

Spent New Year's Eve, as we always do, with family. Doing all the traditional things. . .making hats, banging pots and pans, drinking sparkling apple juice, doing cheerleader moves ?

angry girls . . .

Not sure if this live action version of Angry Birds was really a ploy to launch plastic toys at Daddy . . .

just breathe . . .

My youngest has had asthma for years now. It's such a horrible thing to watch when she has a bout with it. It's also something that's so hard to control. You have to stay ahead of it. Well, with winter, comes cold, and with that comes more likeliness of symptoms. We've had our share of emergency room visits via ambulance (not sure how I wasn't medicated to get through that!). Well, after Christmas, and all the excitement, she started having trouble. Then it starts. . . breathing treatments every 4 hours. You have to check her blood oxygenation level to make sure she's getting enough air. She's amazing. We will wake her up at 3am or 4am, (my wife way more than my hibernating body) and she pops out of bed with a smile on her face, stumbles out to the living room, lays on the couch, puts the mask on, and sleeps for 20 minutes while the nebulizer helps open up her lungs. I don't know how she (or my wife) do it. After the treatmen, she'll be woken up again, back to her room, climb the ladder back to her bed, smiles, kisses, and then back to sleep. I'll try and stay up for a 2am treatment, because once I'm asleep, it's nearly impossible to wake me up. Well, her numbers are good today, and she seems not to be struggling (we have a number scale for her to gauge how she feels, and she's giving me the thumbs up as well). I'm not always a big believer in things I can't see, but I'll knock on wood or pray to whomever if it will help keep her breathing free and easy.

learning to read . . .

My girls are now 6 and 7 ( 1st and 2nd grade). My 7 year old started to read last year. I could sit and listen to her read ALL DAY. There is truly nothing more astounding to me than the process of learning and learning to read. I catch myself grinning from ear to ear as I watch her sound out words she doesn't know. It's pretty great to watch her have those "lightbulb" moments when she sounds it out, and then figures it out. Wow. My younger one started to learn this year. She is already reading past her level (as usual, to help keep up with her older (by 13 months) sister). It is still really sweet though to read to your kids. Watching them as they create the pictures in their head of the words you're reading to them. To this point in their lives (and mine), it's my favorite thing to do with them.

pixar . . .

On Sunday, my family (and extended) family were able to go to Pixar to see a screening of Tin Tin prior to it's release. To the little ones, it's just a fun place to see a movie, to the adults, it's less about the movie, and more about the history behind the facility. Each time I go to Pixar, I still marvel at the building. Such a great feel with an incredible history to it.

location location location . . .

We are lucky to have a nice house with a large front yard. The "negative" about it is that we are in a prominent location in our neighborhood , so there are expectations for the holiday decorations from the "un-appointed neighborhood judging committee". My wife is the true spirit of Christmas in our family, and she puts her sweat and muscle into it, braving the freezing cold, to decorate our big tree in the front of our house. She kept wanting my help, but I would reach for the camera instead because there were just so many photographs to get. Needless today, without her , our tree would be quite bare, and we would be the outcasts of the region.

trip to the ferry building . . .

We don't get to the city enough any more, but when we do, it reminds you just how much there is to do and see.

This was a quick trip to the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero in San Francisco.

They have really turned this into a great spot to shop, eat and people watch.

The girls always have fun.

We certainly ate our way through. . . .

the new 'hockey' player . . .

[one_fifth] This was no ordinary tooth loss, it's an Elsie-Jane tooth loss. That means that it didn't just fall out. It has been 'h a n g i n g' by a thread for such a long time now. So in a typical Elsie-Jane fashion, she wouldn't let it beat her. Tonight, she pulled and winced and pulled and twisted. . she was not giving up. Finally, she comes out from the other room with a huge (very different) smile from ear to ear. She did it! (either that, or a small alleyway brawl took place based on the blood). Once again, I'm so proud of her for setting a goal , no matter how big or small, and not stopping until she achieves it.

one of my favorites. . .

So this is a shot of my oldest a few years ago at Christmas time. It's one of my favorites. We decorate our tree out front with lights and giant silver balls. (we've now added giant lit up stars as well).

But her look of wonder was so precious, I couldn't help but grab my camera and take a few shots. Once she saw me shooting her, she got a bit shy and left the area.

It's those fleeting moments that are so important. Now, as she runs out the front door, she may take a glance at the lit up tree, but now it's just "the lit up tree". The older I get, the more I tend to focus on how fast life moves.

My 'little one' (13 months younger) still has a little of the wide-eyed-ness going for her, but she's forced a bit, being so close in age to her 'big' sister, to grow up faster than normal. We haven't gotten all the lights up yet (with only 12 days left until Christmas), but hopefully I'll be able to get some shots that also become a favorite.

Sunday = Football

Well, "Flag Football". My nephew had his next to last flag football game of the season on Sunday. Although it ended in a loss, it wasn't nearly as bad as some of the local pro football teams today. It gave me a chance to watch this little guy in action. . he's fearless and wiry and quick. It also gave me a chance, with some pretty cool skies out, to play with some of my off camera flash. My youngest daughter wanted to be my photo assistant, and my other other one was doing her best to push the tackling sled. . . she didn't budge it, but I applauded her effort.

night

it's a Mad3, Mad3, Mad3, Mad3 world . .

Another week down, and I'm approaching 1 year of being at DreamWorks. I find it impossible. Part of me still really feels like the "new guy", and another part of me feels I've been here forever.

Earlier, we celebrated with a co-worker who, today, hit his 15 year anniversary and his THIRD Madagascar Film.

I don't think I've even lived in a HOUSE for 15 years. Breathing is about the only thing I can be sure of that I've done for that many years.

Well, the next few months are going to get crazy while trying to finish the movie and deal with my ridiculous commute, while juggling everything else.

Only 14 more years to go to catch him.

School Daze . . .

Who's right and who's wrong? My daughter has a project from school that is obviously beyond her 7 year old capabilities.

Now, she can certainly "do" the project, but when other kids show up with suspiciously polished presentations (cough, *parents*, cough), do you help your child so as to compete with the other children?

Or is it that we , as parents, are competing with other parents?

So, is it wrong that the teachers assign projects that are too advanced, or is it wrong that we feel we need to make it great instead of letting our children complete it themselves even if it's not going to look spectacular?

All I can say is "Thank God" I (and my kids) have my wife.

The project was to make a doll that reflects part of your heritage. With my wife's family from Portugal, she embarked in the "helping" of the doll creation.

As you can see, she would pass 2nd grade with FLYING COLORS.

the toast . . .

I've shot too many weddings where people who are less than eloquent have been chosen to be "best men" or "maid's of honor".

I suppose you can't pick your friends based on their speaking ability, but it would come in handy when that moment comes that the spotlight is on them representing you on one of your most special days.

The WORST is when someone who was not "appointed" decides that he or she is going to "honor" you by giving a speech of their own.

I don't know if you've ever experienced this, but I began to get so embarrassed, as if I was dropped in this room full of people completely naked.

I've actually caught myself looking through the lens, not surveying what else was going on in the room, not taking a single photo, as if to "hide" my giant body behind that little box that captures photographs. Maybe if I don't move, or make a sound, nobody will see me. But wait, this isn't about me.

Then the person giving the speech tries to be "funny". . . it's as if the guests were watching an execution. Like watching a car accident, I can't seem to turn away . . . a little sick, a little scared, but so curious. The introduction of "the joke" seems to be the sure sign that alcohol is involved.

Then it hits me . . . (my inner voice) "my photographs don't capture sound!". I have the benefit to shut this person's mouth in the photographs that I deliver. If I can get a great image, I may actually be able to SAVE this person. It's a huge challenge, but that's part of the fun too (after the color comes back in my face).

Then there are those people, COMPLETE STRANGERS, that are so well spoken, so clever, and so heartfelt, that they move you to tears. I swear, there have been a handful of times (out of 100 + weddings) , where I have welled up from listening to this person I have met that day, and maybe had a few interactions with, move me so much, it makes me think about my own life. It's an incredible skill, and the lucky Bride or Groom hit the toaster lottery.

Here's to the great toasters!

It's that time. . .

Didn't we JUST put away all the Christmas decorations?

I know it's an over-used phrase, but time flies so incredibly fast.

Tonight was the traditional tree trimming at the house.

The girls are getting much older now and are already sentimental about it.

They are remembering when they got various ornaments, or who gave them to each of them.

They also have very specific opinions of where everything should go.

Being Jew-"ish", I didn't have as many Christmas traditions, although, there might be "one"

ornament that's geared towards me . . .

Science . . .

San Francisco is an amazing place, and to be honest, with school, and play dates, and birthday parties, and , oh yeah, work, we rarely get to the city anymore since we moved out to the 'burbs'. Well, it just makes me miss living there even more when we do have a city outing. My family and in-laws went to the California Academy of Sciences this past weekend. W O W . From snowing inside to dinosaurs, crazy creatures to penguins, it was an amazing place to visit and learn. Watching my kids eyes light up was even cooler. All surrounded by Golden Gate Park .