The day on which home schooling mother awakens prepared and eager to start the week on a great note, has showered, made coffee and prepared the lessons for the day is also the day her oldest child will awaken ill and hence spend the entire morning sleeping in bed.

quote for the day (courtesy of "The Pioneer Woman

"Homeschooling....There is no substitute."

7 months- time since my last post (shameful)
2 months- time since I left my teaching position
1 month- time since I started homeschooling ( seriously, that's it??)
11 miles- distance into town from where I currently live
1,308 miles- distance to where I WANT to live from where I currently live (courtesy of google maps)
3- number of different haircolors I have had in the past 2 months
3- number of children I am currently neglecting to type this post
2 lb- amount of raw chicken my dog eats each day
2 gals- quantity of raw milk I purchased for my children this week
too much to count- the laundry awaiting me...

enjoy your day for me!

How is it FEBRUARY????
Ugh...
Well, It is and things here are crazy as always. I am beginning to wonder if I could even function or if I would know what to do if there wasn't SOME kind of drama in my life...I think God is yelling "SLOW DOWN!!" but, see, I have this little problem called "over-committal" and it makes the letters "N-O" virtually impossible to say. My lips are seemingly incapable of forming that word, to the extent I am beginning to wonder if this condition is not merely psychological, but physiological- I will do some research and get back to you on that. If life goes true to form, I wouldn't expect the conclusion to that research to be available anytime in the next 4 mths.
I am also going through a huge internal struggle right now. I LOVE teaching. LOVE LOVE LOVE it... crazy passionately LOVE it. I LOVE photography. LOVE it...confused teenager LOVE it. See my problem? Aaah.. I dunno, I suppose I need to just pray about it some more, bore my husband to tears with my rambling internal-turned-external debates, and see if it isn't just a case of "I always feel this way about photography in January and February."
Because, truth be told, there is something magical about spring and the newness of things that changes my perspective...

so for now, I will reminisce of happier times, days when the eggnog was still on your breath, the tinsel still hanging on the tree, and I had 3 more days of not getting up at 5:30 am...:)

Even if they are grandparents themselves!!!
This is one of my favorite family captures in a long time... It captures perfectly the relationship shared...and makes me smile from ear to ear each time I look at it!

This little one is about to turn 2- not so out of the ordinary, except she wasn't supposed to survive 6 mths. Her mom and I have become friends, and her big brothers made my heart smile by saying I was just like their "auntie" now. :) She's been having a rough time of late, so I thought I would share a favorite pic from and impromptu session we did a month ago. It's nowhere near technically perfect- far from it, but it shows her smiling at her hand as she waves it in the sunshine. The docs say they don't think she has much vision or hearing, but put her in the sunshine and she will prove them all wrong. Give her something that crackles and she will hold it up to her ear and just smile away...

what do doctors really know anyway?...
and another of her giving her momma kisses...


keep praying L, miracles happen every day.

Last time we got together, she and I played in the middle of the street...

This time, we played with FIRE!!!!
(relax- her mom was right there... helping me light it up!!!)
:)
seniors are too much fun.

I promise I am almost done with your session, K!!!
Carrie

I can barely play chopsticks on a piano, I have never even dreamt of owning one,until now...

this picture makes me want to buy a baby grand and put in my office so I can hang this above it! (no pressure, S-!) ;)
My husband will balk at this idea worse than he did at having a 3rd child I am sure.. hehe

see you soon Miss. E... can't believe you are almost 1...

But, in my defense...I have officially self-diagnosed myself with "first-year-teacheritis" , and boy oh boy, has it been an adventure! :)
I am persevering through it, and with the help of lots of hand sanitizer and vitamins, I am confident I will survive this malady!
It did my spirit well to spend the day with this Senior beauty last weekend- can't wait to finish editing her session!

Remember how your mom told you not to play in the street?

well, to quote my oldest child, "I forgot!!" hehe




see ya soon K!

This little doll has it made with her already enviable lashes and dark curly locks...
and her mom is one strong lady who in the last few months has fought a battle far worse than lack of sleep... and she is winning! ;)


I told them I want to come back in 12mths to celebrate Miss. D's first birthday and mom's 1 year anniversary of being cancer free!
Have a blessed day!
Carrie

Whew!
Isn't it amazing how quickly your life can change! Life around the Chlebanowski ranch doesn't bear much resemblance to what it did a mere 31 days ago- but ya know what? ... That's just fine, because God is in charge and He is good!
I am horribly behind in editing, due mainly to a few recent observations/realizations:
1. my immune system is not as iron-clad strong as I have been naively been asserting for all these years. Turns out being raised with parents working in a hospital did prepare my body to fight off many illnesses, but did not have any beneficial protection from the germs of 75 school age children sharing my air for the last month.
2. apparently, hand- foot- mouth disease CAN be contracted by adults ( see above observation) and a doctor's description of "not nearly as severe as a child's symptom" and my own are two completely different realities.
3. editing pictures with photoshop (which requires typing) is not fun( read:doesn't get done) with a blistering rash on your fingers.
4. teaching 3rd grade is not fun with an intestinal virus. the kids like it because you aren't in the classroom as much, but it isn't really all that conducive to their learning.
5. you don't feel much like editing when your two youngest babes have temps of 103 and want mommy to snuggle...:(


so if I am behind getting you proofs, or prints or calling or emailing- PLEASE know that I am not avoiding you or the work, I am just plowing through a household-wide battle of the immune systems and doing uncharacteristicly poorly. (I am sure God is trying to teach me something about boasting through all of this...wishing there was a more pleasant trial!) If I have to stay up all weekend- I will caught up!

I have managed to edit a few sessions, and will be locked up in the hole.. I mean office... as much as the children's tylenol will allow!
here is one of my favorites from the newest little sweet pea in Lawton ( who hopefully will be a fellow Edmondite soon!) :)
Looks like the sibling rivalry isn't too big of a problem...

until next time,
Carrie

And you thought you were worried about your high schooler driving...


all kidding aside, this young man is ready to take the formula racing world by storm- right after he finishes his calculus homework. ;)

See you soon T.

So I headed out to the lake last night for some sunset pictures with a great family. I knew the shot I/mom wanted, and so the mom and I are yelling "Throw her in the air!! NO-REALLY throw her!! C'mon!! She won't fall in the lake- We promise!!":)
But no way. This daddy wasn't letting go of his baby girl for NUTHIN'!
And what do you know, this shot is much cuter than it would of been with her legs flying in the breeze...
See you soon BR! ;)

so here is one of the pics from the fabulous April Jackson...can you tell the kids were ready for us to be done? ;)

A fellow photog friend and I took our own kids downtown today to play around and try some new things. I am THRILLED with some of the pics I got, so I thought I would share!

And coordinate it perfectly with her beautiful blue eyes! ;) I can't believe how this little one has grown! I saw her last as a teensy tiny 1 mth old~ and my has she grown!



Have a blessed day!

this little man was so full of energy and fun- and boy does he have a BIG puppy to play on!
Here is one of my favorites... you can tell he is totally entranced by something or someone...


a little zoom in photoshop reveals who! ;)

somebody loves his daddy!!!
See you soon Mister N.!!

Teehee... I love this little man... and yes, I am partial. He is flesh and blood...my lil' nephew TyTy...
such a sweetie pie and tons of personality... and those PEEPERS!!!!! I could take pictures of him all day! (hint hint mommy.. move me back to Oklahoma!)

It's official!
CLC Portraits is going back to school!! (I always was a big book nerd anyway!)
Call now to get details on how to get a Senior portrait session that is YOU!

Can this kid dress or what?! ( guess it helps that his mom is super cool!)
He was much fonder of the camera at this session than when I first met him 6 mths ago- in fact I could hardly snap fast enough to catch all of them! I hear he is taking a big trip to the west coast soon- watch out handsome guy... I hear those California girls are a handful! :)

See you soon J!
Carrie

It always makes me smile to see a brand new baby fall asleep and curl right back into the position they have been in for the last 9 mths. They have to be "freshies" as some of my other photographer friend call them, though, because once they realize how liberating it is to stretch out- they will never fold again...this little lady was born just 7 days before our session.

can you remember the last time you were able to touch your nose...
.
.
.
with your toes???

sweet dreams, little Miss "Lion". I can't wait to see you grow!
Blessings,
Carrie