iPhoneography Mission #26: Ripple Effect

[Edit: I am an idiot. This was mission 26. I obviously lack the ability to count. Ha ha! So I will consider this mission #26 part one. I will repost a revised edition of this mission when we re-start the missions this summer. And then we shall compare my creative endeavors to make sure that I have grown in my creativity. Deal? And we shall never speak of my poor math abilities again..]

It's an milestone of sorts. We're twenty-five missions into our 100 "scheduled" iPhoneography missions. Twenty-five! That's practically half a year...wow.

This week's mission was to "Make water stains." Cool, right? And so many possibilities, so many experiments. Sure...but I just took some pics of accidental water spatter and a piece of red paper onto which I dripped water from the little guy's bubble bath.

And then it happened. Laura sent me a text and asked if I wanted to suspend these missions for a little while. At first, I was aghast! I mean....life has been so crazy and so overwhelmingly busy lately! Without these missions, what chance for creativity would I have.

And then that cliched light bulb called an epiphany clicked on. These missions were amazing chances to try a new form of creativity for a while. And they afforded me a chance to learn some cool tricks and apps with my iPhone. But I haven't truly been creative with all of them in a while. Some have just become rote missions: "Oh, I have to get that done. Click. Click. Click. Okay, good enough."

And that's not good enough. Creativity gets stifled that way. I feel antsy and irritated that way.

And, as it turns out, so does Laura.

So, with this last mission comes our hiatus from the iPhoneography missions. We will return to them this summer. Maybe. Maybe not. Only time will tell!

Recipe for a Mission

I Remember Creativity

Somebody's Gotta Clean this Counter...Right After This Shot

Blister in the Sun

Scar Tissue that I Wish You Saw

And just like that? We're done for a while. And I am really happy and relieved! I have new ideas that I want to explore. New traditional photographs that I want to process and create with.

And I want to be creative rather than just going through the motions...

Part Two Continues: More of Epcot!

Epcot proved to be tiring. The poor little guy was nearly falling off his tired little feet. And that first day of 80 degree heat after getting used to life in the forties was tough! (Though, as a side note, I can't seem to get warm enough now that we're back!)

So, we decided later in our day at Epcot, that we should find some respite and shade. What we ended up finding was even better! Respite, shade, and characters!!!

Of course, we ended up in line behind a huge family that couldn't quite understand that it's rude to spend an hour with each character, especially with 100 rammy children in line behind you. But I digress...

First up was Mickey Mouse, of course! Nick didn't quite know what to do as you can tell by the fact that Mickey had to turn him toward the camera and hold him in place! Ha ha!!

Look Over Here, Kid!

After Mickey, he had figured it out. He went right up to Pluto and wrapped his arms around him! And I love that Pluto dogged it up and crouched down for him!

Next in line? Donald and Goofy!!

On to the next!

And then, it happened. Clutching his plush Figment, he rounded the corner. There she was. The object of his profound affection. The very character whose voice he makes his mother mimic. The one. Minnie.

Oh. My. Gosh. It's HER.

Look at how shy he is!

 

Mommy. It's HER.

Well, after a that, there's not much else to do that wouldn't be anticlimactic! So, it was off to bed and to talk about the wonders of the day before drifting off to sweet dreams of Disney magic!





Next up? More magic...this time at the Magic Kingdom!



Part Two: Epcot!

I think that Epcot may be one of my favorite portions of Disney. The World Showcase absolutely enthralls me. I think part of that may simply be the fact that I don't see myself ever visiting most of the portions of the world represented there; Epcot may just be the only way that I'll visit Japan or Paris. And I'm okay with that.

The first hour of our visit to Epcot was spent manning the first aid station. This was all well and good, except that three-year-olds aren't entirely good at just sitting around for an hour. So we did run around just a little bit. We didn't drift far, just down to the edge of the lake, but that still provided him with plenty of entertainment!

"Mommy! The sun's in my eyes!"

Hanging with the Giant Sphere

Under the Umbrella of Paradise

My Two Favorite Fellows!

Shadowplay

(We discovered that if you stood just right,

the shadow of the light fixture could turn us into chess pieces!!)

My Little Knight...Or Bishop...

My Favorite Sign of Blessings: A Monarch

Once we were finished with our shift at the first aid station, it was time to play! We made our way around the World Showcase, took a couple of rides, and ate some three-year-old-friendly foods...

Hanging in Morocco

Why, yes, I was overseas...

Ready for one of Nick's favorite rides: Figment!

Typical. He liked the fountains more than the rides...

A quaint little reading quarter in the United Kingdom...

Chasing sounds and lights...

Dancing and running around with the other kids...

Meeting his first characters...Pooh and Tigger!

Yes, my son is pretty gangsta.

Drums and Fifes

A Venue for Artists

As we wandered toward the front of the park, looking for air conditioning and a cold drink, we discovered a character spot! It wasn't overly crowded...score! And it included the object of Nick's first crush: Minnie Mouse!

But I'll save that meeting for the next post...





Part One: Off to Disney!

Perhaps one wouldn't consider it to be the most ideal of situations. Escorting over 100 middle and high school students nearly 1,000 miles from home. Following a strict schedule that includes marching in a specifically timed parade. Playing the role of chaperone, parent, disciplinarian. And carting around a three-year-old while you do it.

Then again, when your destination is the "Happiest place on Earth"...well, you're willing to make concessions!

This past week, the Raider Marching Band began its journey to Walt Disney World in Florida. Of course my husband, the band director, went along, but through the generous permission of the school district, I was allowed to accompany him as a school-sanctioned volunteer and chaperone. And of course, our little guy got to go along too!

It was a series of firsts for the little guy. First flight on a plane. First trip to Disney. First chance to meet Minnie Mouse, his first crush.

And what a time of magic it was...

We left on Valentine's Day of all days. Hubby and I had to work, so we brought our luggage up the  night before. As soon as my last class was finished, I was off and running. I met my Mom in the front lobby of the high school where she dropped off the little guy. After hugs and admissions of my high-stress and anxiety, the little guy and I were off again. We had to finish packing some last minute items. Change into our band t-shirts for easy tracking through the airport. And then board the bus that would take us to the airport in Philadelphia.

Watching the scenery fly by...and excited by the prospect of flying!

We got to the airport fairly quickly and with none of the logjam of traffic that I expected. Getting through the airport was fairly easy and fast, as well. They checked our luggage in one mass. Passed out our boarding passes in one mass. Hustled us to our gate in one mass. But then the hurry up pace became waiting as we anticipated the arrival of our plane.

Watching for the plane's arrival with one of the band kids.

Finally, our plane arrived and we were able to board. Our little family got to be the first ones on and got to sit in the last row. We were seated behind the wings and close to the bathrooms...a good deal in both accounts. A light rain had started to fall but the temperature remained above freezing. Another good deal.

The view from our seats.

Until that point, I hadn't flown in 33 years. Part of me was excited. Part of me was terrified. For the sake of the little guy, though, I chose to focus on the excitement. The last thing I wanted was for him to be in any way scared. And on that end, it was a complete success. He was thrilled and watched the entire flight from his window.

"Daddy! We're going to go up in the sky!"

This flight was a breeze. Easy take off. Hardly any turbulence. The view of the earth at night is beyond words. So beautiful looking through misty clouds and seeing the dots of golden and blue lights from below. The flight itself had a moment of beauty, too. Since we had two kids celebrating birthdays, the flight crew had us sing "Happy Birthday." It also had us light the "candles", all the call lights. I kind of wish it had been my birthday!

Happy Birthday to You!

The flight only took a little over two hours. We made better time than expected and made it to Orlando thirty minutes early. We were whisked through the airport, planted aboard Disney transportation, shuffled to our rooms at the All-Star Music Resort, and asleep by about 11:00.

The next day? Epcot!





iPhoneography Mission #25: Here Kitty, Kitty

Where to begin?

Well, first was the fact that I was heading to Disney with our school's marching band, so I had to accomplish the mission to call out to your pet and record the moment of connection before we left.

Second was the fact that when I went looking for the pictures I took, I couldn't find them!! It took a night's sleep to remember where on my phone I had saved them! In the mean time, I thought I was going to have to post pictures of my little guy or something!

But I found them and without further ado, here are the images from this week's mission. I give you...Schroeder!

I'm Sexy and I Know It

Huh?

Can't You See I'm Sleeping?

No, Seriously, I'm Sleeping. Take a Hike.

And then, for good measure, I caught this cool shot of my mother-in-law's evil kitty:

I Will Destroy You, Lowly Human

There! Another mission completed! The next mission is to "make water stains". Hmm....



iPhoneography Mission #24: Seeking Color

I had grand visions for the ways that I could fulfill this week's mission to "Seek color". And I did start...

...but I just wasn't feeling it. I knew what the end of the week would bring, the burial of a loved one, and I just wasn't seeing much color in my world.

So here's the transition of my week, from color...to not.

Red

Orange

Yellow

Green, Purple, Pink

Colorful Kingdom

In Her Hands, Love Letters Held

She Watched Her Colors Fade

The Distance of a Lifetime

Cold

We All Weep

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