So, the whole purpose of this Living in the Moment blog circle is to simply capture our “moments”, mundane though they may be; and to find the beauty that’s truly right there in the everydayness of life. That’s the song I photographically sing. It’s a vision (“lifestyle”) I’m completely sold out for. But. To speak quite honestly … sometimes (like now) I lose that vision for my own everyday life. My kiddos aren’t un-self-conscious little ones anymore. They don’t do big new milestone things each day. In fact, a lot of what we do (food, school, computer, exercise, tv/movies, chores) looks an awful lot the same every single day. They tolerate my camera, but I think they probably appreciate more when I’m not all up in their personal space clicking away. So, that said … this month I’ve tried to be very intentional about capturing our “ordinary”, our “mundane”, our typical at-home life … all without being intrusive or “too much” or just plain annoying. Here are our “moments” …
A little friendly game of Yahtzee. Guess who wasn’t winning?
![IMG_2686 IMG_2686](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-KN3s9Xm2fZ0/UVEX5VfIjKI/AAAAAAAAK54/1-429AUQC5I/IMG_2686_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
![IMG_2697 IMG_2697](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-8caKx7I0cmo/UVEX6aUlnzI/AAAAAAAAK6I/oox2pM_SiuI/IMG_2697_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
School and Minecraft, side by side …
![20130304_161934 20130304_161934](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-kmr-zPwqh-A/UVEX7ZF2WTI/AAAAAAAAK6Y/iqwD0rksOt4/20130304_161934_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
Always picking through a “news”paper …
![20130306_135541 20130306_135541](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-8PVLSJ_LxCk/UVEX8VZpPaI/AAAAAAAAK6o/gGgN2pl8vDM/20130306_135541_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
Cooking up tortillas for Egg-ritoes (standing on the dog bowl gives him a little extra reach!) …
![cooking up tortillas cooking up tortillas](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Jp5CQeC1MgQ/UVEX9JRNUoI/AAAAAAAAK64/8MExJUxdKws/cooking-up-tortillas_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
Weekend Movie, mess and all … (methinks this was Wreck It Ralph)
![IMG_2978 IMG_2978](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Jtn_PHkTLss/UVEX-mXI8_I/AAAAAAAAK7I/PUFx6h2PRmM/IMG_2978_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
Kindle-ing (Every Word) and Xboxing, side by side on a Saturday morning …
![IMG_2974 IMG_2974](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-CgyMh3Y-SjY/UVEX_m4Dg1I/AAAAAAAAK7Y/qjeXPvs7W4U/IMG_2974_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
Dog Dude, hanging out, like always.
![IMG_3060 IMG_3060](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-N3MWycub090/UVEYAdInSXI/AAAAAAAAK7o/JI4-WrBoEc4/IMG_3060_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
School.
![IMG_2986 IMG_2986](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-r1UGeDggPKA/UVEYBonlAZI/AAAAAAAAK74/EI8x-24dzA4/IMG_2986_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
I’m perfectly fine with you guys hitting/stabbing each other with swords & sabers. Just take the battle outside …
![sword & saber battles sword & saber battles](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-fyAbnD7adRk/UVEYCkJpYCI/AAAAAAAAK8I/yEPENcKOpAo/sword--saber-battles_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
![IMG_3089 IMG_3089](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-f_Ch7GYGlxg/UVEYEI8NeJI/AAAAAAAAK8Y/meNfpS67lNY/IMG_3089_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
Giving Toady some exercise – lap swimming in the tub …
![exercising toady exercising toady](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-GCI6VmrUDyI/UVEYFLCncGI/AAAAAAAAK8o/iFXzhaV3h2I/exercising-toady_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
After eschewing “teaching to the test” (and, in fact, skipping all the testing) all these years, we’re doing some SAT practice, ‘cause, y’know, there might be scholarship money involved.
![IMG_3075 IMG_3075](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-4_Ia9KVtb4o/UVEYGI9-MFI/AAAAAAAAK84/1iqeWFgNPI0/IMG_3075_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
And when the ginormous SAT prep book isn’t in use, it makes a handy little platform for the Little & Middle Dudes’ Twisted Critters (Klutz book creations – highly recommended!) …
![platform platform](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ytO3HwMmSNg/UVEYHDjLSRI/AAAAAAAAK9I/NK19cGxxnIY/platform_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
![crafting crafting](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-U1pTjqDk1lo/UVEYIJIAyxI/AAAAAAAAK9Y/G4SWMt7znPg/crafting_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
Knitting. Yes, knitting. Little Dude got lots of craft projects for his birthday. And Middle Dude got wrapped up in most of them (grin) …
![knitting knitting](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-hS5kE37IlQ0/UVEYJHjI0XI/AAAAAAAAK9o/LVFy1CCmCm0/knitting_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
Yet another birthday-gift-project – Tasty Science (it wasn’t – “tasty” that is) …
![IMG_2992 IMG_2992](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-UGEfdVRtjG8/UVEYKA-3tTI/AAAAAAAAK94/Q6w4sr-OXTo/IMG_2992_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
![tasty science tasty science](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Nt81rwmo5Ks/UVEYLTCp4-I/AAAAAAAAK-I/qhKESMsO6eY/tasty-science_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
More school, errr, blogging. But, y’know, in homeschooling the lines between life and school get blurred sometimes. And blogging = writing = school (see how that works?). But, the thing here that totally cracks me up? The Teen, way back to his earliest school days, has always needed to tap, twist, flip, drop, flick something. It used to just be pencils.
![IMG_3052 IMG_3052](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-SIj-sA_p7P0/UVEYMCFA1lI/AAAAAAAAK-Y/O5MA-JYwy9g/IMG_3052_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
![IMG_3033 IMG_3033](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-CDbtbGn8Bfo/UVEYNIR_rsI/AAAAAAAAK-o/ysKp59J3nzw/IMG_3033_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
![IMG_3034 IMG_3034](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-c4H6N1g6dw0/UVEYODkZL_I/AAAAAAAAK-4/oa8himkb78Q/IMG_3034_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
Skylandering …
![skylandering skylandering](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-At99J3KjN4A/UVEYOwsms-I/AAAAAAAAK_I/rz9_Mytx0AM/skylandering_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
Perplexed by Perplexus …
![IMG_3072 IMG_3072](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-JuheYku7iwU/UVEYP1ufpCI/AAAAAAAAK_Y/Ywx0wHDIZq8/IMG_3072_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800)
Please go check out Anika's blog next. If you haven't yet had a large enough dose of boy-life, I guarantee Anika's household of boys can top you off. :-)