James is FOUR!!

Before we get to James…

Almost six months ago now I bought a program called Adobe Lightroom to use for editing pictures.  I had heard great things about it and was able to snatch it up at a super price.  I kept putting off installing and figuring out how to use it because I wanted to be caught up on all the things before I sat down to play with editing.  Except I am a homeschooling mother of five young children, and I am NEVER caught up on ANY of the things.  So finally I just got frustrated with the my current editing system and installed LR.  Then I found a webinar on how the heck to use it, and I let my house fall to pieces around me as I figured out a couple of the basics.

And… I LOVE IT.  It’s like somebody wrote a program based on how my brain works.  Hallelujah! I have by no means whatsoever figured it out (I could probably devote my life to the thing and never figure it out), but I think it’s going to streamline how I edit photos and how I organize them. 

I installed it yesterday and began by playing with some pics from James’ birthday.  One thing I know about myself is that I need a lot more practice and experience with color casts and white balance.  I just haven’t cultivated the eye for it.  But I can see myself gaining some confidence there, so that’s a start.

James’ birthday was last Saturday, and originally I had planned to celebrate with just the seven of us and then invite the extended family over for a celebration including the babies’ birthdays later in the month.  But then my dad and step-mom were down, so I decided to do something a little more special on James’ day and include all the grandparents.  Dad and Renee offered to pick up some chicken and fixings for lunch, Mom picked up the cookie cake, and Mamma and Pop brought ice cream.  All I had to do was clean the bathroom. (Wait… did I clean the bathroom?)

Before the lunch party, I took James out front to make sure I grabbed a few shots of his adorable four year old self before the day got away from me.

If you ask him, he will tell you he was sad because Gran wasn’t there yet. (She was bringing the cookie cake, and he knew she was on her way.)  But I ADORE this face.

I will do a separate post on the birthday party since I haven’t finished organizing those pictures yet.

Then in the evening I took him out for his “official” four year old photo shoot.  Normally we hit the pumpkin patch, but I decided to do something a little different this year.  Our church is undergoing some major construction, and I’ve been noticing that a couple of big machines are always parked by the sanctuary after their work day.  It’s not blocked off or particularly dangerous looking, so I thought it would be a great place for Mr. James’ fourth birthday shoot.  He was very good and agreeable about not touching anything.  We just looked.  And posed.  :)

Before we left, we climbed up the stairs by the sanctuary to look down at the construction scene.  It was fun.  :)

So… James.  At four years old.  I’ll write everything I can think of about him.

• He’s still got a great sense of humor.
• He plays so well with his big sister Natalie.
• I’m pretty sure he thinks of Joanna as his second mother, and she is very sweet with him.
• He loves to snuggle me, which I can never get enough of.
• He’s always thinking about the next meal, even while he’s enjoying the one he’s eating.
• He can whine and throw a fit with the best of them.
• He’s not particularly interested in writing or learning letters or numbers, but he’s curious about what his sisters do at school, and he asks questions.
• He calls Joanna and Natalie “the sisters” and Michael and Thomas “the brothers.”
• He can make his brothers laugh by being silly.
• He looooooves playing with his Thomas the Train engines.  They’re kind of his dolls.  And actually, he will play dolls for real with Natalie.  That’s love, man.
• There are just so many wonderful things about him – he loves to sing and dance.  He would rather be inside with me than playing outside. 
• He likes being “big” but plays the baby card sometimes – “I’m too little to ______”
• He has his own bed but can often be found snuggled up with Natalie on the top bunk.  He snores.
• We haven’t switched over to cold weather clothes yet, so he’s still wearing 3T short sleeved tops and 2T shorts.  I’ve gone through the cold weather things and he’ll be wearing 4T tops and pajamas and 3T pants.  I’ve started separating the boys clothes in the closet into a bin for the tops and bin for the bottoms in each size.  I’m pretty sure Michael will follow the same pattern.  :)
• He will usually go and get himself dressed in the mornings, and he does a pretty good job of coordinating things.
• He likes to dress up and play pretend.
• He’s become more interested recently in coloring and painting, and he does some nice work.
• He throws a fit when I drop him off at Sunday School or the nursery, but of course he has a blast.
• He loves that I teach his children’s choir class.
• He loves dessert so so so very much.  I think cookies and ice cream are favorites, but he’s not picky.
• He doesn’t take naps but will occasionally fall asleep in the car if the conditions are right.
• He’s just this adorable fabulous boy, and I can’t imagine my life without him!