Fun with Macros and Photoshop

A Couple More Cute Faces

The Baby "J"

Several days ago, Jenny and I had an ultrasound. While watching on the monitor, we watched our little one kick and wiggle (big surprise for a Pike kid....) almost as if they were trying to say "Hi" to us.

Here is a shot of Baby "J" waving with hand and foot.

jp

This is here

Out in New Jersey

Well, I'm far from home, sitting a hotel room, working through the middle of the night, some place on the Eastern seaboard. The lawn back home needs mowing and the weather that had filled my compulsion to open our pool months early has receded leaving temperatures approaching a more appropriate average for this time of year... bummer.

The house needs painting, the garage needs cleaning, and something has to be done about the basement which somehow usurped our other storage areas in becoming the miscellaneous dumping grounds for all things not actively needed.

Messes... obligations... responsibilities... duties...

Man do I want to be a kid again. Is it me, or is the grass always greener from the place I'm standing? Maybe I'm just jaded by a long distance from home and family, and I'm missing my kids (wow do they grow on you after time).

I'm into my thirties now and looking up the hill that crests in mid-life crisis.

Have I made the right choices in my life? Am I really in the place I want to be?

I thought I was supposed to be a drummer playing stages every night as I trot my way around the globe... I thought the money would roll in from royalty checks so big they'd be paying off million dollar houses in each major continent... I figured by this age, every answer to any question would easily be answered...

I guess the root of this comes back to a very simple observation I recently made during an intellectual discussion with my children's head school master: we are in adulthood the same people we were as children.

Contrary to what I've always been told about learning through "higher education", changing yourself for the better, and improving through experience, I've decided that in all actuality, I'm still that same kid from so many years ago.

A poster I recently saw on a rare wife accompanied shopping trip through the downtown of my youth (Traverse City) stated that "Everything I need to know in life I learned in Kindergarten."

At first I laughed at the audacity at what appeared to be an observation intended to exploit the writers humorous statement (which was backed up by more off-tracked comical punch lines), but after some reflection into my own outlook, I actually think there is more truth to the statement than fiction.

I still hope that once I'm older I'll have all the answers.
I still think that someday I'll start the career in arts that I've always dreamed of.
I still believe that I am unqualified for anything I do and am in constant need of trying to prove myself to anyone that will give me a challenge and a chance.
I still am scared of being a father and a parent lest I make a mistake and ruin their lives from my incompetence.

Now, I'm not fishing for reassurances or words of praise in this since I hate focus on me for anything as I just don't think I've earned it and I certainly feel that many of my close friends and acquaintances bear much more significant limelight than me. Yet, I need to wonder at which point do I turn and face the other way, grab the confidence, become charismatic and lead rather than falter my way through life?

Oh yeah... I'm still that kid, waiting in the corner for something down the road to change me, still putting off my gratification, still thinking that the next turn will bring the change I'm waiting for.
Can I not see that the things I've been dreaming of are here now? The dreams I had as a child really have come true (I'm happily married, I've got the children, have become the father, and really do know happiness), I just can't seem to see the color of my grass really is the green of happiness.

jp

Shots from DAY 6

Shots from DAY 5

More Shots of Me Learning

The Kids Lives

Phew! The past few weeks were a whirlwind of activity both at home and at work. The weather seems to be giving us more energy (or at least the kids) and we’re spending more time outdoors and allowing later bedtimes (much to my wife’s chagrin).

Each child has made some remarkable leaps in their developments, so, let me update you all on some of these:

Joey

Thursdays, I pick Joey up from school and bring him home. Jenny has class that night and needs to be leaving the house at the time I’d normally be departing work. This past Thursday, I left a little early to pick Joey up. Upon arriving, I was able to come inside to find him sitting on the rug listening to the day’s last story from one of his teachers.

On this particular Thursday, a teacher (and fellow neighbor of ours whom got us into Joey’s school in the first place) pulled me aside to inform me about an amazing breakthrough Joey had made that very day.

She handed me a few pages that were stapled together (something we get every day and we save like the good stock piling parents we are).

On the first page of his take-home paper work was a list of 6 equations. The instructions at the top of the page listed ‘=’, ‘>’, and ‘<’ as possible answers. The students were to look at the series of numbers, and choose which of the three numerical comparison operators fit between them. Joey had correctly identified 5 out of the 6 (and he proudly explained to me what he had been doing as well “Dad, this one is bigger than that one, and this one is the same as that one…”). The second page was a series of 9 math equations similar to the many we remember from our past as well. Examples:
1+4
2+7
0+9

Using a technique he had learned at the school, Joey had made a series of dots next to each number and used them to count the total for each equation. He got ALL of the equations correct.

Now, to most, this action may seem trivial, but you need to remember, this kid just turned 5 and has not even started kindergarten. I know that for myself, personally, I was not even exposed to the alphabet until my half-day kindergarten class started them, and I was 6, not 5.

Joey not only knows the alphabet, but he can spell a large number of three and four letter words, he has learned phonics to help him sound them out, and is now starting into math.

This kid amazes me every day.

Jessamyn

Every morning I drive Jessamyn to school. 20 – 25 minutes each morning, just the two of us. Each morning, Jess insists I start her ‘Princess Music’ while we commute. This is a CD of Disney’s best songs sung by their famous (and revered by Jess) list of official “Princesses.” We have Jasmine from Aladdin, Cinderella, Snow White, Pocahontas, and Sleeping Beauty to listen to.

After six or eight months of listening to the same songs over and over again, the normal person would either pull the CD out and smash and burn it, or drive into the nearest large object to escape the monotony. But, in the past six months, our little daughter has grown quite the set of pipes on her as she has started to sign these songs… word for word.

Now, this isn’t any normal “babble” that so many non-child exposed adults would chalk the somewhat incoherent ditties up as being. Nope, these are word for word reproductions, with melody, of each song that Jess has heard over the past 8 months.

We first became aware of her abilities as she usually sings along with the music in the car (something I insist upon… to keep me from running into the previously mentioned solid objects), but we quickly became aware that she had strong knowledge of each tune’s lyrics as she was able to sing from start to finish without missing lines AND singing in key.

Even now, you can ask her to sing you a song (without accompanying music) and she will start right off and singing happily along. She has even incorporated the Sound of Music, songs from ‘The Muppets’, and some top-40 artists heard on the radio (thanks to Mommy) into her vast repertoire.

I think I’ve finally found a “front man” for my band… now to get Joey and Jocie to play bass and keyboards.

Jocie

Our now well accomplished walker has opted to exercise her toddler-given right to expand her “private space” and broadly explores all geography available.

As she grows into a child, I felt the need to quickly document some of her early language skills.

“ah-bum” – My favorite word, which also has a derivant ‘ah-bu-ba-bum’. This means that Jocie is generally happy and is merely trying to communicate with someone in her immediate presence. Likely translation: “Hi, I’m happy, you should be too.”

“hi-yah” – Always accompanied by a clenched right hand to her ear. This is Jocie’s interpretation of a phone call. We often have lengthy short-distance phone conversations with Jocie (often from within 1 or 2 feet of her) using this catch phrase: Likely translation: “Hi there, I’m on the phone with you.”

“ma ma ma” – Jocie uses this word interchangeably when referring to a parental figure. Jenny, Brooke, or myself are affectionately known by this word. Likely translation: “Parent, come help me. Pick me up.”

“oey” – This is universal Jocie speak for either of her two siblings (or both).

“uh oh” – Same meaning to Jocie as to us. When she drops something (often deliberately), she immediately states this. She has very appropriate usage of this word, especially in public places where she KNOWS she can get gobs of public attention by boisterously dropping a sippy-cup into an isle way and immediately screaming ‘uh oh’.

“owie” – Any time she hurts herself, she immediately claims this word. She is also aware of this condition when relating to others: she recently pointed to one of Jessamyn’s many cuts and bruises and while touching it, stated ‘owie’. Likely translation: “boo bo”, “injury”, or “you’re hurt here.”

“eye yie yie yie” – I learned this just the other day when she bonked my head accidentally and I said ‘ow’. Jocie immediately turned around, gave me a big hug, and stated this word over and over again. Likely translation: “sorry” or “I love you”.

“kit tee” – Means either cat or dog to Jocie.

From the Joey phrase book, I’ve got to post this one here (since only he would ever say/sing this to us):

“ooo – dee – doh” – We have no idea? But it was really cute when he did it!

jp

Smiling Tree

This always puts a smile on my face when I see it, so it's now here to share with you too.

Another wonderful early Spring day brought to you by the climatic effects of global warming. I used my rake and cleaned the yard today while the kids played all day long outside.

jp

Earth Day 2008

Yesterday was Earth Day 2008 (well, every day should be an Earth Day) and although we really didn't celebrate this holiday as a family, we talked about it and help it in our minds (as we drove across the state... but at least our newer car is more fuel efficient and has reduced emissions compared to vehicles 20 - 30 years ago).

We could always do more, that much I'm always aware of, but for now we are teaching our kids about the important responsibilities we have as guardians and custodians of the planet.

My generation pioneered recycling, banning CFCs, promoting awareness of rain forest reductions, and knowledge about the harms created by excessive CO2 emissions.

I hope that their generation will take this that much farther. Wouldn't it be nice to segregate ourselves from our dependency on fossil fuels?

jp

Difficult day in selecting top photos for 365 blog

As I'm commited to only posting one pic per day on that blog and I had several others that I really liked for today, I'm posting them here (I know, blog abuse), but, I couldn't resist.

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Photo Project 365

At the behest of a good photo friend (Joanne), I've embarked on a continuous effort towards improving my photographic skills: a 365 project. 365 projects are a daily commitment of taking a picture and posting it to the web... EVERY DAY! Amazing results happen over the course of the year, and most photographers gain significant progress in their abilities.

I too am hoping to make great leaps and bounds this year and have started a parrallell blog named 'JayPike365' (the blog is also linked on the left side of this blog under Links).

Stop by an visit, if you'd like. The blog is ONLY about photography and my one requirement for myself is 'no human subjects', which, for me, will be difficult.

jp

First Camp Fire of the Year

It's finally that time of year to do our first campfire with the neighbors (seen here at the Ford's backyard fire pit). I just love this place that we live at and the people who live around us. 4 households joined together to share dinner and playtime in the yards. The kids loved making "smores", though I wasn't too sure about the sticky fingers and chocolate stained faces.

jp

What Cold? Where? Loving the warmth!

The pleasantly warm weather has me thinking lots of happy thoughts and enjoying the outdoors with the kids. Aside from the tremendous chores required outdoors (raking the grass up in the yard, cleaning up leaves, opening the pool, cleaning the dog run, un-winterizing the sprinkling system, etc), I’m really very happy to be spending more time outside.

With all of these distractions, I’ve almost forgot to post some more pictures of the kids from this past weekend. It’s hard to believe today (it’s 65+ outside) that just a few days ago, we had 3+ inches of snow on the ground (see previous photo in my rambling blog about politics and the economy).

Enjoy the photos, and I’ll be back with some stories next week.

jp