There's always a silver lining - will shoot for food!

I've often pondered the idea of taking my photography to the next level. I love taking pictures, I do a decent job at it, and it would be a great way to earn a some much-needed cash. But I have a few problems with the idea.

1. I know I’m not a pro, and I don’t want to insult those who are. I would never pretend like you’re going to get something professional-quality because frankly this is my hobby...I wish I could dedicate my every day to this and learn more techniques, spend more time editing, buy top of the line equipment, etc. And professionals cost what they do for a reason - they spend a lot of time on the photos, between traveling to shoots, taking the photos, editing them, and printing them, not to mention the cost of their camera equipment, editing software, and other supplies. I would be offering something much less expensive, but again I have no desire to drive the market down (not that a few measly photo shoots by me would do that, but it’s the principle). And even if my work was professional quality, I would essentially be shooting myself in the foot with the low price I would charge.

2. I don’t want to come off as one of those people who’s like “Oooh, I have DSLR so OBVIOUSLY I’m qualified to have my own photo business!” I mean, I never shoot on auto, I know my aperature from my ISO, and I’m pretty good at getting the best white balance for a shot. But still...just because I have a nice camera, a bunch of lenses, and a speedlight doesn’t mean I’m any better than the average mom with the same equipment and hobby. Nothing wrong with just being a momtographer!

3. I’d feel weird charging people I know money. It’s just awkward, mixing business and friendship. But maybe I need to get over that...and if I don’t know you, I’ll accept cash or check! Besides, my time isn’t exactly free - I have a lot of things to do, so unfortunately I can’t really give too much of my spare hours away for nothing, even though I love taking pictures.

All this being said, I thought I had found a happy medium. My dad is also a photographer, and the person from whom I inherited my love for this pastime. You could call him an advanced amateur but really he’s semi-pro. It’s not his primary profession, but he does get a lot of jobs as a photographer. And he doesn’t even always get paid in cash. He’s much more of a fan of the barter system. That’s right. Bartering.

I couldn’t even begin to count the number of free meals my family has eaten in Little Italy or how many pounds of brisket live in my parents’ freezer thanks to my dad’s photos. He’s shot weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, and nearly every family event for the Bussalaccis.

When my friend Kitt asked me to take some photos of her family, I decided this was it. So it is with minimal fanfare that I announce the commencement of my photography “business” - Silver Lining Photos (like my last name, get it?). I am available pretty much only on Sundays (and weekdays, until I start working again full time) and I like most foods...I’m kosher, mostly vegetarian, have a serious sweet tooth, and usually available for Shabbat dinner. Oh, and Mike and I need a date night...have I mentioned how wonderful my kids are to babysit for?

Here’s what you’ll get - some really nice pictures. And it will be affordable...not to take aim at pros (again, for the most part I think their prices are fair, but we are living in a DIY age), but we all know that professional pictures are not in everyone’s budget. I do have prices, but I will also barter...in fact I've already done a family shoot in exchange for a night of babysitting!

Take a look - I can't believe I'm doing this! http://silverliningphotosbykim.blogspot.com

It really IS the most wonderful time of the year! Sort of...

Back to school always reminds me of the Staples commercials where the guy would ride through the store on a shopping cart with the Christmas carol "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" playing in the background. Yes, yes it is. Ivy's 6 week break ended this morning as we both happily shipped her back to preschool. The whole vacation thing was really starting to wear on me, and her. She loves structure and was so excited to be back with her friends and teachers. Cause for celebration, and I did with my friends next door at Bloom for breakfast. The only thing missing was mimosas. Oh well, maybe next year.

Truth is, it was a bittersweet day. I was a little wistful that my big girl is now in the older kids' class at school (where has the time gone? etc) but it will be nice not having to scramble for childcare when I have work to do. Which is where I start to really get bummed out. Despite my numerous consulting gigs and projects that I'm juggling, I'm still technically unemployed. And while I'm certainly as busy as someone working full time, I don't have much to show for it my bank account and that's troubling. I had hoped today would be a fresh start for both Ivy and I - school for her and a job for me. But alas... I've gotta land something soon, or else...well, I'm trying not to think about it.

At least now that I have a specific period of time during the day in which I can focus, I am really working to get my photo stuff up and running. I hope that will be my next post, as early as next week even. It just takes time, and I keep getting distracted by other things. Clearly self-employment is not for me in the long run.

So when I need to get out of the house to be free from home distractions I head to Paper or Plastic, or IKAR satellite office as it has become. I always see people I know there, and today I threw all productivity out the window because of it. First, I find myself sitting next to an Obama dead-ringer...who turns out to be an Obama impersonator. Fascinating. He was really cool, and actually from Chicago too. And then my heart went all a-flutter when my Food Network hero walked in the door - can you say Aarti Party?! Since I have no shame, I went right up to her and said I was a huge fan. Hugging and laughing ensued, and we were old friends by the time she left. Needless to say, I got nothing done from that point on during my first day "back to work." Oh well, that's what tomorrow is for.

I should have worn makeup today, and not a shirt that makes me look pregnant...

Sid, meanwhile is now running all over the house and I don't know how he gets cuter by the day, but he does. The big birthday is coming up, and my head is already swimming with all the baking and decorating projects I'm going to have. I could not be more excited, and also in utter disbelief that we're closing in on a year. Poof - gone in a flash!

I have no clever title for this post

Ivy's summer vacation is a little more than half way over, and so far we've been having a great time. Man, I miss the days when I had a summer break. You know what else I miss? Meal plans. Not dorm food itself, per se, but just showing up somewhere, swiping a card, and someone else has prepared food for you to eat. But I digress...

Anyway, it's been an interesting month. Sid has started walking, which still blows my mind because Ivy didn't start until 14 months, so I was a bit caught off guard. I shouldn't have been since he had been showing signs for a while, but I swear we cannot baby proof fast enough. Also, different from Ivy, he still does a lot of starting and stopping. Walks a few steps, falls, crawls, maybe gets up to try again. When Ivy started she just stood up one day, took a couple practice steps, and then was off and walking. Sid is perfecting the art, apparently. It's adorable because he totally does the Frankenstein waddle. And yesterday he turned 11 months (I have a sticker pic but I'm too lazy to upload at the moment). Again, disbelief over here that the next monthly milestone is his friggin' FIRST BIRTHDAY! Party planning has kicked into full gear.

Ivy spent a week at Camp Rogoff - aka my parents' house. It was grand. She went to dance camp from 9am-1pm everyday and boogied her little tush off. There was even a little recital at the end for the families. Wow, did I cry. It was so cute. She was the littlest one in the class and spent most of the performance waving to me in the audience. They did three dances, and there's video of one below. When she wasn't at camp, Nana took her swimming, made all her favorite foods, and Papa even took her on her first visit to Chuck E. Cheese. Better him than me...

Note to self - maybe not the greatest idea to sit in the front row...

We also had a great week with Grandma, during which Ivy went to the park, a Dodgers game, and the Peterson Auto Museum. All big hits. And speaking of hits, that week for me was marred by an unfortunate car accident, leaving us with one car for the week (in LA, this is akin to going without showering). Thank god, everyone was okay - I was alone in the car, no kids, and some dude turned left in front me and stopped in the middle of the intersection, not giving me an opportunity to avoid him. Fortunately insurance is putting the liability on him, and let me tell you dealing with all of that was no picnic. I was also fortunate to have several friends drive by (since we were all on the way to the same breakfast meeting) so they stopped and helped me out. Made all the difference, but still put a damper on my week. Now I'm driving a Rogoff Rental from my parents and Ivy is thrilled to pieces with her new car seat. So it all worked out, and I'm very lucky to say the least.

Lest we forget, on the job front, I'm still pounding the pavement for that perfect (or least decent) full time gig and that process still totally sucks, BUT I have found something interesting to do in the meantime and then hopefully in addition to whatever job I end up finding. I'm a Local Business Consultant for Juice in the City, a daily deal site by moms for moms and families! Shocking, you say? Working for a daily deal site? Woulda never imagined it! Well, it's perfect for me (I am the Extreme Grouponer, remember?), and I already have my first list of proposed vendors approved so time to start hitting them up! It's perfect because it's not a huge time commitment and the idea is that I'm sourcing businesses that I already frequent. I'll keep you posted on my progress as I make my first foray into the world of sales... If you're so inclined to help me out, please sign up for the daily deal emails. And if you're interested in applying to be an LBC, talk to me - I would love to refer you!

And finally, I'm almost ready to unveil my long-awaited other part-time on-the-side gig...just putting finishing touches on the new blog. Here's a hint - it has to do with photos. Again, shocking right?

Signing off for now - I promise to try to post again before Sid turns the big 1.

42 Days of Summer

Even though it’s officially been summer for a while now, it’s only just kicking into high gear today. Ivy is off school until September 12...that means 42 whole days of vacation! I’ll be interested to see how she does, because she loves structure and her friends and teachers. But I know she’ll also appreciate the downtime and relaxed schedule, not having to run out the door in the mornings and then be cranky at dinner time when she normally gets home. Mike and I created the Master Calendar for the next 6 weeks, figuring out various childcare plans (since we both have to work) and other activities. I’m grateful that I can be flexible this month but I still have tons to do, so it will be an interesting balance.

We have a bunch of great activities planned, starting with today - going to see Ivy’s first movie, Winnie the Pooh! We’ll also be hitting up the beach, crashing as many pools as we can, and she’ll be spending a week with Mike’s mom here and a week with my parents in San Diego where she’ll also go to a dance camp. And we’ll hopefully hit up the LA County Fair...what fried item should I get this year? I gotta start thinking about that. Of course, there will be lots of down time, too, hanging out at home and in the backyard just playing.

Not to be outdone, Sid is also awesome these days, of course. He can stand unassisted and is moments away from his first steps. He sees something he wants to go after and propels himself forward, only he hasn’t figured out how to lift his feet to do it! It’s so cool to watch. Ivy, who started walking MUCH later than this, just sort of stood up and started walking one day. I like watching Sid try to figure this out in baby steps, as they say.

It’s also hard to believe that in less than 2 short months, he will be turning ONE. What?! Yeah, I know. I’m already starting to plan his birthday party...oh, who am I kidding? I started planning months ago. I feel like there are 2 camps when it comes to first (or any age) birthdays - those who avoid the parties because they kid won’t know the difference (though I beg to differ) and those who throw bashes in celebration of the kid and the parents...because let’s be honest, WE are the ones who kept him alive for the past year! And if you’re Sid that’s not always a small task. He can be in a room full of toys and he’ll speed across the room to find the one teeny-tiny bead that fell off Ivy’s necklace and attempt to put it straight down the hatch. Just yesterday he was splashing his hands in the kiddie pool set up in the backyard and he ended up diving in head first. Fortunately we scooped him right out, and he was less than fazed.

Here’s to summer and not going totally bonkers without school! It’ll be the ultimate test of sanity...for all of us!

Why the Jumperoo made me cry

An important milestone occurred in our house a few weeks ago. No, Sid isn't walking yet (though he probably will be soon) or sporting any teeth. I did something I had been dreading and resisting forever.

I got rid of a piece of baby gear.

This was a dramatic moment for me, as it was a tangible acknowledgement that we will likely not have any more kids. Granted it was just the Jumperoo, which neither kid used that much anyway, but still... I've only given away some baby clothes to little Isaac because I know they'll stay in the family should we ever need them again. But the Jumperoo now lives with the Rauchers in North Carolina. Judah was happily bouncing away in it at our house a few weeks ago and Tamar asked me about buying one. I told her not to spend the money because they were more expensive than they were worth (but of course, I had some crazy coupon discount for mine getting it for less than half the regular price). Then she offered to buy mine since their moving van was coming the next day.

I froze. I seriously did not want to give it away, even for a little bit of money. I turned down the offer at first, actually, thinking "What if we have a third kid? It won't have a Jumperoo!" After stewing on it over dinner, I came to the conclusion that if we can ever afford to have a third we will also be able to afford to buy a new Jumperoo, or not get one at all (again, Silverstein babies aren't too into them...this logic may or may not be inspiring me to also get rid of the swing, which currently resides in my parents garage). So off it went into the Rauchers' moving van and Judah is currently jumping away happily in North Carolina. I miss them...

As hard as this was to do, it helped ground me in the reality that we will likely be a 2-kid family. Nothing wrong with that at ALL. I am so grateful for Ivy and Sidney who are the most amazing gifts and if for whatever reason I can't or choose to not have more, I don't feel that I am at all missing anything. BUT. Mike and I always talked about wanting three...of course, before we even had 1 and realized now that having 3 would make us certifiably insane. However, everyone says going from 1 to 2 is more difficult than 2 to 3, and we also know families gracefully managing 4, but that's just crazy talk.

And the reality is we are barely even equipped to handle 2, and a hypothetical number 3 would be in a LONG time anyway, IF we can afford it and IF we want to jump back into starting over with another baby. Every time I see a squishy little newborn (as I do often since many of my friends are all reproducing at the moment) I want another one. It's also a really selfish desire because I want a do-over from my pregnancy with Sid. I want an easy, uncomplicated pregnancy and an easy birth (my doctor is totally supportive of VBACs). Again, I acknowledge that this is selfish, and even out of my control, but I want to officially close off the uterus happily and on my ideal terms. I just can't bear the thought of saying definitively, at 32, that I am done. Time will tell, my friends, but don't expect any announcements soon. And I'm not getting rid of anything else for the time being either.

In other news, things are busy and hectic around here and we're geared up for summer. I am now officially a Schlepping Mom, as I take Ivy to not one but 2 "extracurricular" classes each week - dancing (birthday present from Mike's parents) and swimming (from mine). Both are quite amusing. Dance class is a HUGE hit. She's been waiting for this for almost a year. She loves the leotards and the tights and the shoes, and she practices her poses and positions around the house all the time. As Mike commented, Black Swan she aint (crappy movie, by the way) but she's enthusiastic. More like a clumsy chicken, but whatever. It's adorable. And she's enjoying swimming too. We have her signed up for semi-private lessons but she's the only kid at her time slot so it's private at a fraction of the cost. Score! Hopefully by summer's end she'll be more comfortable and confident in the water so we can enjoy crashing the neighbor's pool on Shabbat afternoons and at my parents' community pool.

So, have I mentioned that I'm really into daily deal sites? My friend Rebecca is really into Extreme Couponing on TLC (as impressive as it is to get 47268494 boxes of Cheerios for $1, where the hell would I put them?), and this makes think I need to pitch my own show to TLC - Extreme Grouponing. I seriously need Groupon therapy…I’m totally addicted. I get probably 25 emails a day with deals. It’s nuts. But as I’ve mentioned before it’s been a great way to buy or do stuff we otherwise wouldn’t really be able to afford. And, I’m so Extreme that when I refer other people to the deals, I usually get credit and then end up getting deals for FREE! Brilliant! I love free! Spread the love peeps – buy through me, then repost yourself and you too can get free stuff!

Speaking of free stuff, I’m also on an email list that sends you consumer surveys. They’re usually pretty quick and I like to share my opinion as a consumer, so I’ve racked up money that way too…cash them in for Amazon gift cards, and that’s MORE free stuff! Madness, I tell you! This is now living in my home, that I got free:How have I lived this long without an ice cream maker?! It’s divine. Not exactly helpful for keeping the weight off, but it’s summer so nightly ice cream is practically mandated. Oh who am I kidding? Ice cream is non-seasonal in my book.

And finally, I am so relieved to report that after 3 months of sleep training, Sid is finally sleeping through the night. I realize as I type this I am probably jinxing it, but who cares - I'm more rested than I've been in almost a year. Almost enough to forget how exhausting it is to have a baby and want another one...just kidding.

Road Trip Success, and Ivy turned 3

Forgive my super lameness - I just can't get my act together to update this thing. I am SO friggin' tired (more on that in a minute), and I'm quite busy doing some part time consulting while I look for a full time job. And I'm raising 2 kids, and cooking dinner, and...and...and. You know the drill.

Anyway, it's been a busy month+ since I last updated. The first exciting piece of news is the arrival of one Isaac William Black, born to Erica and Adam on May 20! We were beyond thrilled to hear the news, and were on pins and needles all day waiting for details. The timing was perfect because we were able to load up the Silverstein family truckster and drive up to Mountain View for the bris the following week.

We had heard various pieces of advice as to how we should tackle the drive. Due to a work conflict the night before the bris, we had no choice but to get up before dawn and hit the road at 5am. It was perfect. Both kids were super mellow as the sun was rising, and there was no traffic in sight (especially awesome for the Friday of Memorial Day weekend). We cruised up the Grapevine, making one stop for potty and one stop for a late breakfast, bringing us to Mountain View before noon. We hustled over to meet little Isaac, and then prepared for the bris. It was a beautiful ceremony and we so happy to have been there.

I'm an Aunt!

Little Cousin, Big Cousin!

The rest of the weekend was awesome - lots of parks, good food, and quality family time. We hit the road late Sunday afternoon, and the trip back was slightly more challenging the drive up. Crankiness was escalated, it was harder to fall asleep, we had to detour through San Bernardino, etc. But we made it home safe and sound in time to start gearing up for Ivy's 3rd birthday.

Yes, my baby turned 3. I'm still sort of in shock. The first year was all about milestones and getting to that one year mark. The second year was a blur, largely due to my pregnancy with Sid. But the third year was eye-opening. She went from being a baby to a person. A person who speaks in full sentences and sings songs in Hebrew and tells jokes. It's astounding. We were so blessed to have a week-long birthday celebration, starting with a huge party co-hosted by 2 of Ivy's friends with the same birthday. There were bubbles and bagels galore, and we had a blast. We also went to Disneyland, where Ivy was obsessed with finding Snow White (no other characters would do) and both she and Sid got to enjoy some rides. It was a magical day...just the way those folks at Disney intended it to be!

Count 'em - three!

Now that the various celebrations are over, we're back to normal...whatever that is. We've been working on Sid's sleeping, and he's made some minor improvements but we're still tired. He's also crawling like a maniac, and here's how it's different from Ivy: I remember her crawling around with no particular destination in mind, but maybe that's because we lived in a small apartment and she didn't have far to go. Sid, on the other hand, goes straight for cords, outlets, and anything potentially dangerous. He can spot something chokeable a mile away and get there in a flash. This is going to be crazy. We never had to babyproof for Ivy because it would never occur to get into things she shouldn't. Heck, I could leave an open bottle of Tylenol out on the floor, and she wouldn't even notice. But not this guy - we're going to have buckle down and keep him alive!

I'm really happy that summer is here - as soon as this June gloom clears up, we'll be in business! We have so much that we want to do that we had to start a spreadsheet to keep track. And I hope to be back on here more, lest I disappoint my handful of faithful followers. See ya on the flip side!

Cancun it was not - spring break recap

The last few weeks have been exhausting. As if the whole ordeal of Passover (nonstop cleaning and cooking for 8 days) isn’t enough, throw in preschool spring break AND a visit from Mike’s parents and you’ve got yourself a whirlwind week! Actually, it was a lot of fun. And having Mike’s mom around was an enormous help while I tended to my job hunting and other work projects...she kept Ivy quite entertained. I swear, a new toy or book or sticker appeared every hour on the hour! Sidney also had a lot of fun hanging out with Grandma. We had a great field trip to Underwood Farms where many strawberries were picked. Mike’s dad joined us for the latter half of the holiday, and we had even more outings - Red Sox game, MOCA, to name a few.

After all was said and done and everyone was back in their respective homes, preschools, and day cares by the end of last week, I damn near fell apart. I was beyond tired - and of course my back and neck were acting up again. Add to that Sidney’s sleep training (going decently well, save a failed attempt at a dream feed) and Ivy waking up with the roosters every morning.

Oh, and there’s emotional exhaustion too...trying to find a job sucks. It really does. And I’ve had some decent leads and prospects, but nothing has bitten yet. Granted it’s only been a month, but I’m getting antsy, despite my mile-long to-do list of other projects. When I’m too beat to accomplish anything, I get down on myself and then feel guilty that at least if I’m not getting anything done I should be spending more time with the kids. It’s a never-ending cycle of second-guessing and regret, follow by bursts of inspiration and motivation, and back again.

And I’m getting worried. Paying for preschool was hard enough when we were both employed... Fortunately, Mike recently got a small raise at work, but that doesn’t exactly cover the gap of my missing income. There has GOT to be something out there for me. We still dream of taking a vacation, or at least a weekend getaway, if we were able to be out of the woods for more than 5 minutes.

What was I saying about being exhausted?

Anyway, life is good otherwise. We are enjoying the impending commencement of summer. Yesterday we went to the beach and enjoyed yummy sunny weather (albeit quite windy which did not bode well for our umbrellas). And in the evening, after the kids were in bed, I went out for a run in the last minutes of daylight which lasted til almost 8pm. Bliss.

We are also on pins and needles waiting for the arrival of Baby Black, who could be making his debut any day now. We’re so excited!

Here are a few photo highlights of what we’ve been up to - an attempt to make up for my recent extended absence from the blogosphere. Oh, and I’m still working on that special project I mentioned last time. I’ll get to it...one of these days!

Ivy and her fellow migrant workers, er...friends

Onion picking fail!

April 23 - 7 months!

Gooooo Sox!

Where are YOUR matching monkey jammies?

Ivy channels her inner artist at MOCA

Santa Monica pier for the last day of break