March Photos of the Day

March 1

The intrepid momarazzo will not be deterred! (Nikon D700; Nikon 50mm lens)

Guess I’m cheating for the first photo of the month . . . considering that it’s really a collage of five pictures. But it truly tells the story of how I tried to snap a pic of the #2 son’s fresh haircut while he was watching TV on the couch. Oh, he tried to thwart my efforts as best he could. But, as usual, the momarazzo got her photo! Complete with a smile!!

March 2

Front door reflections dance on the wall above the mantel. (Nikon D700; Nikon 50mm lens)

I was walking through the family room to the kitchen when I suddenly stopped. Odd-shaped reflections danced on the wall above the mantel. Where were they coming from? Our front door, which has leaded glass. I had never seen these reflections before. Then again, maybe I had never looked for them!

March 3

The #2 son’s least-preferred form of transportation (Nikon D700; Nikon 50mm lens)

Today was the high school’s ELA TAKS (standardized) test for all students except for seniors who passed as juniors. Like the #1 son. That meant that seniors didn’t have to be in school until noon. Unfortunately for the #2 son, everyone else had to be in their seats when the bell rang at 7:30 a.m. Which meant that he had to take the school bus instead of riding with his big brother in the minivan. What a tortured life #2 leads!

March 4

Baton flipping (Nikon D700; Nikon 70-200mm lens)

While I was waiting for an event to start at today’s high school junior varsity track meet, I spotted this athlete flipping his relay team’s baton in the infield. He never looked at it, and he never dropped it, as he walked and flipped the stick over and over. Impressive!

March 5

Walk softly and throw a really BIG disc! (Nikon D700; Nikon 85mm lens)

The #2 son was practicing for a disc golf tournament in the backyard. Goofing around, he picked up this huge frisbee and threw it at the basket. I like how it kind of looks like a miniature flying saucer!

March 6

Snooty deer! (Nikon D700; Nikon 105mm lens)

As I was snapping pics of the beautiful flowers at Houston’s Bayou Bend’s gardens, these two statues made me laugh. I could just see their talk and thought bubbles! The look of disgust on the one deer’s face is classic!!

March 7

The #1 son reflects on his dear, old mom. (Nikon D700; Nikon 50mm lens)

My #1 son and my “third son,” Chase, actually wanted me to take photos of them pretending to be gangstas. As I snapped away, I noticed that I was reflected in #1’s sunglasses. Or should that be “son”glasses?!?

March 8

Rain circles (Nikon D700; Nikon 105mm lens)

Today is a rainy day and a Monday! I documented the precipitation by aiming at the driveway and snapping a pic of the raindrops forming circles in the puddle. How geometric!

March 9

Keith and Chase warm up for the orchestra’s performance. (Nikon D700; Nikon 85mm lens)

Tonight was our high school’s Fine Arts Showcase, where students displayed their artwork, the choir sang, the Angels dance team performed, and the orchestra played. Almost all at the same time. I attended, because I wanted to check out the art and watch my “third son,” Chase, play his bassoon in the orchestra. I was sitting by my friends Audrey and Tom, whose son, Keith, just happened to be playing trombone close to Chase. The lighting, of course, was difficult, but, fortunately, my Nikon D700 and 85mm lens were up to the task. This was one of the last chances to see Chase and Keith, who both are seniors like my #1 son, play. The orchestra sounded magnificent!

March 10

We’re number 1! (Nikon D700; Nikon 50mm lens)

9er’s Grill, a new restaurant, opened in our small community today. My friend Karen E. (aka, Cody’s mom) called to see if I wanted to try it, and I said, “Of course!” I live to eat lunch out, as Karen well knows. We decided to get there just after it opened to avoid the lines. But when we walked inside at 11:10 a.m., no one was there except the workers. We were shocked! So guess who were their first customers ever?!?

But, sad to say, we didn’t get a free dessert. That really disappointed us!

March 11

The #2 son makes his move on his teammate Eric. (Nikon D700; Nikon 70-200mm lens)

My #2 son competed in his fourth high school track meet today. This was a red-letter day for him, because it marked his first win! There were only two other competitors in the 800 meters, but one of them was his speedy teammate Eric. Eric led for a lap and a half, with #2 close behind.  As #2 reached where I was shooting on the final straight, he kicked into his top gear and blasted away from Eric to win easily. Plus he improved his time to 2:22!

March 12

The #1 son is ready to make the catch. (Nikon D700; Nikon 50mm lens)

As the #1 son was about to leave (note the keys in his hand), his younger brother decided to throw a frisbee to him from the kitchen (kind of a blind shot for #2). Of course, I had my camera ready to document the action (#1 did catch it!).

March 13

The #2 son is about to make this putt. (Nikon D700; Nikon 35-70mm lens)

The #2 son played in a low-key disc golf tournament today. The Mister has been waylaid by a cold, so he just dropped him off, entrusting him to our good friends, Tiffany and Patrick. When we came to pick #2 up, we were able to watch him play his last couple holes. And I was able to snag a good photo of the day!

March 14

Orange mini-flowers! (Nikon D700; Nikon 105mm lens)

When the #2 son played in a disc golf tournament today at a park, I knew I’d be as interested in snapping pics of wildflowers as I would be of shooting action; that’s why I opted for my Nikon 105mm macro lens. This was the first time I had seen these little orange flowers! They totally intrigued me. Could it be because the school colors of my alma mater, the University of Illinois, are orange and blue?

March 15

Be still my heart! (Nikon D700; Nikon 50mm lens)

While my sons and I were watching a Justice League dvd tonight (love when we just hang out and make silly comments about animated flicks), I couldn’t help but snap pics of Flash on the TV. Not only is he my favorite Justice League character, but I’ve also dubbed him my animated husband. I’m a sucker for speedy dudes, I guess . . . but how does he see without pupils??

March 16

The #1 son and Chase work the Wii controls. (Nikon D700; Nikon 50mm lens)

We are loving spring break! My sons (including my “third son,” Chase) have spent long hours in our messy game room (really just a small spare bedroom) playing video games on the Wii. For them, life doesn’t get any better than this!

March 17

Reid, #2, and Cody chat after their run. (Nikon D700; Nikon 50mm lens)

Even though it’s spring break, track athletes still need to stay in shape. Today my #2 son got in a long run with fellow freshmen Reid and Cody, who both compete in the 1600 and 3200 meters. Hopefully, the transition back to track practices when school starts Monday won’t be too painful!

March 18

Righty-tighty (Nikon D700; Nikon 50mm lens)

Three bulbs had burned out in the dining room’s chandelier. It definitely was looking dim in that room. So I got #2 to climb on the table and replace them . . . while I took photos. He also learned a basic rule of life: Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey!

March 19

Nick and his mom Dana (Nikon D700; Nikon 50mm lens)

My good friend Dana asked if I would snap some photos of her #1 son Nick, a senior at Texas Tech, to include in his graduation announcements. Of course, that made me flash back to when Nick, a hard-throwing lefty, played Little League. And that made me a tad misty-eyed.

I’m no portrait photographer, but I hoped I could take some decent non-action, non-macro photos. So that’s what I did today, making sure to include some of Dana and Nick. She’s a very proud mom . . . and I can’t blame her. Nick is a great guy!

March 20

Listen to the rhythm of the pouring rain. (Nikon D700; Nikon 50mm lens)

A cold front blew through this morning, giving us a few hours of heavy rain. Our nice, warm temperatures dropped all day . . . a cold welcome to tomorrow’s first day of spring!

March 21

The #1 son reads at lunch. (iPhone 3GS)

My #1 son and I ate lunch at Five Guys today. I snapped this photo of him with my iPhone while he was reading a book and, of course, listening to his iPod Touch. The kid really can multitask!

March 22

Hooray! (Nikon D700; Nikon 50mm lens)

Today my #1 son got the letter telling him that he was accepted into the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Honors College. I’m sure he’ll appreciate the perk of being able to register with the seniors starting second semester. Now all he has to do is graduate high school!

March 23

What a beautiful sky! (Nikon D700; Nikon 50mm lens)

When I peeked out into the backyard this afternoon, the sky immediately drew my attention—it looked so pretty!

March 24

Tanner brings electric guitar music to our house. (Nikon D700/Nikon 50mm lens)

The #1 son’s friend Tanner came over with his electric guitar and amp to play music for a video #1 is working on. They’ve been friends since the third grade!

March 25

#2 runs the 400 meters for the first time. (Nikon D700; Nikon 70-200mm lens)

The #2 son asked his high school track coach if he could add another event to his already-crowded schedule of the triple jump, 800 meters, and 4 x 400-meter relay. Coach Laney said yes, so today #2 ran his first official 400. Afterward, he said it probably would be his last, because it tired out his legs for the final relay. But at least he gave it a try!

March 26

The smiling Mister! (Nikon D700; Nikon 105mm lens)

I think this is the best photo I’ve ever taken of the Mister. He was volunteering at the Texas States Disc Golf Championships. Today was a pre-tourney doubles competition (#2 competed with Eric, and they cashed), and the Mister was helping to sell discs.

March 27

The #2 son throws out of the brush. (Nikon D700; Nikon 70-200mm lens)

Texas States is a big disc golf tourney, with players (including pros) attending from all over. This is the #2 son’s third year to compete; his first in the intermediate division. The Mister and I like to walk along and watch him play. But if he’s doing poorly, he banishes us from his sight. This was the second hole we saw him on in the afternoon round. We were cast off soon after!

March 28

The #2 son putts from the Texas hole’s drop zone. (Nikon D700; Nikon 70-200mm lens with 1.4x)

Day two of Texas States. Very windy and too cold for the end of March in Houston. One of the tournament’s signature features is the Texas hole. Teeing off, players have to land in the state of Texas (as outlined by flags) or they add a stroke and have to go to a drop zone and try again. The #2 son missed Texas on his first attempt. From the drop zone, he hit the basket with his disc . . . but it wasn’t in the basket. It did make for an easy bogey putt, though. I was shooting from the top of the hill . . . somewhere in Oklahoma!

March 29

A pink rosebud grows in our front yard. (Nikon D700; Nikon 105mm lens)

We have a few roses growing in our front landscaping. This pink rosebud brings the promise of more.

March 30

Those purple-blue flowers really are bluebonnets! (Olympus Stylus Tough 6000)

Yes, this really is a photo of bluebonnets. It was taken by the #2 son. For the rest of the scoop, check out the March 31st blog post.

March 31

The #1 son—director and videographer—with Cody and Chase. (Nikon D700; Nikon 105mm lens)

Today the #1 son and my “third son,” Chase, walked down the street to video a scene. While #1 manned the camcorder, Chase and the #2 son’s friend Cody acted. The biggest distraction for the three? Dodging discs and acorns thrown by the pesky #2 son!