January 2010 Mosaic

Mosaic of all pictures taken in January 2010 (last picture was taken on the 1st, first picture taken on the 31st... you get the idea).

035 - Waiting for spring

Forlorn basketball on the snow just waiting for everything to melt and the kids to come play!

034 - Saturday studies

The desk in front of me today and I begin my last course (graduating this spring with a Master's degree - Technology in Education). Just found out that this final class is part of a set of 4 in a new certificate program. Hmmm, so I'm not quite done as that looks *very* interesting. Guess what I'm signing up for next?! :)

033 - I can see springtime

I can almost *see* springtime as I look at the shadows for the screen door. I'm ready to hear it squeak when it opens and slam when it closes... bringing the sounds of warm weather.

032 - Ceiling tiles

It is tradition in our school that the outgoing 8th graders create a piece of artwork on a ceiling tile which is then place up in the school. These masterpieces are just outside the library.

031 - Tia's bird

First graders made birds - this one is Tia's and is perched on a branch in her classroom. She was very excited with this project and did a fantastic job creating this bird!

*** disclaimer - I have been informed by Miss Tia that this is actually a bird constructed by her art partner Cole. I have posted Tia's Bird in a different post. Sorry for that kiddo! ***

030 - Snowflakes inside and out

This is the view from the Science classroom at my school - looking across the driveway to the Benner Building and my Media Lab on the second floor (front left).

029 - Heat at last

This was the culprit. That green guy on the far left is new to the family. The old pump was a goner. Furnace is running again and we have hot water!

028 - Mesmerized

Our furnace started making funny noises last night. Enough that we shut it down and closed off most of the house. Our little gas stove is keeping us warm this weekend in a couple of rooms. Thankfully, this is a warm spell in NH - supposed to be in the 40s tomorrow (with tons o' rain).

027 - Gymsicles

I'm learning to be less self conscious about taking pictures. This was taken outside the high school gym as I was entering for a basketball game. Sure, I'm just a doofus mom taking a picture of the roof with my cell phone... that's OK. But I like the twin chimneys, the different colors, shadows, glass blocks & bricks. The risk of a giggle or two headed my way was worth the shot! :)

026 - Driveway sentry

The birch tree is the state tree for NH. It provides spots of light in the shadows of the woods, lovely trees. But they don't always hold up well with the snow (heavy snow will weigh them down & topple them sadly). This one is just to the side of our driveway.

025 - Beauty in the mundane

Determined to find beauty in the mundane, I took my camera down to the basement with me as I did laundry. Looking the clothes drying as they are hung on one of the pipes, I realized that the view from below might be interesting. It is.

I must remember to crouch down to the level of a young child more often and take a good look around. The world is so different when you are that size!

024 - Blue sky & snow

A little bit of blue sky to go with the snow that is determined to stick to the trees. These trees are next to the playground at school.

023 - Snowy school day

This is the building that my classroom (the Media Lab) is housed in. I am right in the corner here looking out on the snow...

022 - CANNONBALL!

Little Miss Tia *loves* the water... we spent an hour at the hotel pool after checking out today.

021 - Basketball Hall of Fame

John and his Dad looking at memorabilia at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA.

020 - Room with a view

We are in Springfield, MA for the weekend visiting with family who drove up from NJ. This is the view from our hotel door - across the way are the elevators, this is from the 12th (top) floor.

019 - Warm enough for the beach?!

We were in Rye and there's the beach... we must stop... after all, it's 42 degrees! That's a heat wave after the last week. Tom & Tia had a great time running in the sand - Tia found a shell and a rock to bring home. The Isles of Shoals was clear today (Tom & I were out there last summer). *Really* looking forward to summer...

018 - Show me the way home

Crazy, but I like this picture. Just picked up Tom from basketball practice - it's only 5pm, but it's dark. We are on our way home and ready to cross the highway at the lights, the windshield is grubby, the lights are fuzzy, and it all works (for me anyway).

017 - "Blue" sky?

There are curtains on 3 of the Media Lab windows to keep sun off the screens so students can see - sun? what sun? I haven't seen that bright object in a long time - Today the view of the tree through the blue curtains appealed to me. Maybe because I am trying to pretend that the sky out there is actually blue instead of this cold steel gray that makes me shiver? Yea, that's it.

016 - Self Portrait

Self portrait.
Here I am sitting at my desk in the media lab (eno board in the background). Do I look like I am ready for 5th grade to head here in 10 minutes?! :)

Taken with the webcam on my desktop PC.

015 - Team mates

Basketball game tonight, John's team won. He had a great game with many assists. He is number 12 here with his team mates.

014 - Ice light

Tia and I made ice candleholders and put them outside along the walkway. This is a picture of one in the dusk.

013 - Sidelined

Standing on the sidelines at a flag football game. Was that a touchdown? I am distracted by the compositions all around me for great pics!

012 - Branches and the evening sky

I am determined to find a picture no matter where I am. However, I find myself sitting in the driver's seat of my vehicle very often. Tonight, as usual, I am sitting waiting for a kid to finish an activity. Looking around, there isn't much that is interesting. Wait... I open the sunroof and look up. How pretty. Branches and the evening sky.

011 - Always watching

Sitting on the benches watching the middle school basketball game, I put the camera out in front of us and clicked. This is what I got - an upside down picture of Tia's eyes. Yes, I thought about rotating the picture... but think it's a keeper as is.

010 - ... and my head hurts...

We finally got around to visiting the music store to rent a trumpet for Tom (grade 6). The school music teacher is having the entire class working on instruments. Tom chose the trumpet. As soon as we were in the car, he began to "play" (it took him 20 minutes to get some real sound out of it!). I now need to find my bottle of Motrin.

Seriously, I am happy that he is enthusiastic about it but I need it to be in another room instead of the seat next to me!

009 - Sign of the Times

Here in the Media Lab (throughout the school actually) we are very cognizant of trying to keep everyone healthy. Parents donated sanitizers and they are all over the school. Before the students hit the computers, they hit the handwash.

To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about this change in our world. Good? Bad? Are we really killing germs or just making super ones?

It's just another big difference between my generation and this one.

008 - View from my desk

The media lab as viewed from my desk. Time to take down all the holiday cards from our card exchange with 24 other schools and put up something new. It's very difficult to find technology related wall decor (sure, I can find cardboard modems!). I think that it's time to do a "surf the internet" theme... we need a little beach inside while it snows outside!

007 - My helper

This Sunday finds me sequestered in a little room at the back of the church along with the computer and video recording equipment. I take turns recording masses that go out to people who can't make it to the service. My helper here tucks herself in beside the disc copying tower with my warm jacket and a book. She can peek out of the window behind her and watch the mass. She's quite comfy!

006 - Let them get messy

Tia made treats for the birds. After finding some pine cones outside, she covered them with peanut butter and birdseed. Time to get them out on the branches!

LEARNING - is letting the kids get messy. Really messy. Maybe I should have taken a picture of her hands... or the floor...

005 - Grand 'ol Dame

"Drive by shooting" - I put the camera in burst mode as I drove by my Great Aunt Maude's old house. This house left the family probably 13 years ago, but it holds many memories - her sister (my grandmother Edna) used to take us there to visit. My Great Aunt was in a wheelchair, my father built an entrance ramp for this house for her. She was a nurse at one time, my grandmother a teacher. Grand ol' dames that are sorely missed.

004 - LEARNING is the word for today

So the LEARNING here is twofold... my son is a HS freshman learning to play basketball on a team at the largest HS in the state. New social skills, new communications, new schedules, new organization... all new learning. For ME, the learning is in letting him go do all this - and to find a way to be patient while the process progresses.

So as I sit in the parking lot waiting for him, the view through the window here is similar to my view into his world. Not quite clear.

003 - Chilly movie day

Waiting in the COLD and WINDY weather for kids to exit movie theatre (which had NO HEAT when the movie began!)

002 - Tia's centerpiece

With new red ornaments this year, Tia (age 6) created a centerpiece for the table. Her hands were full of glitter and she was all smiles to have created such a lovely masterpiece for all to admire.

001 - Christmas lights with a spin

I recently saw a post that intrigued me titled Snap a Camera-Toss Picture. Although I have yet to give it a try, I did mess around with the settings on my camera and got this shot from the Christmas tree lights. By "mess around with the settings" I mean that I just kept switching all the dials and buttons around until this pic happened. Probably a bit of magic, because I couldn't recreate it!