Project 365 - Toner

[Toner]

I was intrigued by something a friend of mine started on Facebook called "Project 365" - taking at least one photo a day for a year and then posting them for friends to see at least every few days or so. It's harder then you expect and I suspect that the posting requirement is to try to keep you accountable.

I though I'll post them here too with a little bit of comments as well...

#1 - December 6th: old-style Christmas lights on our garage.

I have LEDs on the front of the house but don't like the colouring as much. I decided to put up a string of my old ones on the backyard garage , though, too give my wife a bit more light when she walks from our house to my FIL's place next door.

(It's not because she's been scared out by darkness outside after reading about werewolves in Harry Potter)


#2 - December 7th: Emily with her new stuffy toy.
The girls seem to do a lot of neat things at their schools, from visits from penguins from the zoo, firefighter visits to talk about safety & show their equipment, hip-hop dance classes, etc. etc.

Emily's pre-school had a "Stuff a Bear" company come to her class and all the kids got to make their own animal. Emily decided to make a reindeer bear.


#3 - December 8th: Toby
Toby is our one-year old bichon-shitzu cross. My wife picked him because we've had all-white bichon's up till now and she wanted a dog with some colour. It didn't quite work out as expected - his brown/black/white coat has since changed to mostly white with some minor brown tinges on the ears.

[Toner]

#4 - December 9th: I'm low on the totem pole for computer usage and can be booted off by the three ladies of the house



#5 - December 10th: A bit of playing around with night photography on our roof Grinch. It's hard to tell what works when you're snapping pics as what may look good on the little display screen may look crappy in full size.



#6 - December 11th: This day's lesson was to take pictures earlier rather then later as it's easy to run out of picture opportunities late in the day. The other lesson was that I need to clean the fish tank...

[Toner]

#7 - December 12th: Pancake breakfast with Santa.

"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus."
- Francis Pharcellus Church



#8 - December 13th: Emily playing an angel at her Christmas concert

It was a bit of an unusual Christmas concert at the church with the kids dong a story about toys learning the true meaning of Christmas. One kid did have an awesome robot costume, and that Batman one was cool too, but I guess I'm a bit more of a traditionalist...



other kids for reference purposes...


#9 - December 14th: Toby - post haircut. I believe he's thinking "Why did you do this to me?"



but we did have enough left over to make a new dog

[Toner]

#10 - December 15th: Emily sleeping.

I like my camera but I do wish the flash could be toned down in brightness.



#11 - December 16th: Christmas wreath on our door.

Again, I think the flash is a bit too bright



#12 - December 17th: Christmas can't come soon enough for the girls.

Stockings for dad, mom, 2 girls, 2 dogs and one rabbit.

[Toner]

#13 - December 18th: Renée fixing herself a snack. Cheese slice sandwiches (sans bread) with ketchup filler. She's changing it up from strawberries and ketchup...



#14 - December 19th: Fresh snowfall in our back yard.



#15 - December 20th: My work cancelled the annual children's Christmas party because of H1N1 fears. (Though kids would be more likely to get it at school then this event IMOHO).

My friend has been probably playing Santa at the party for 10+ years now and was similarly disappointed as he had just purchased a new suit and wouldn't have had the opportunity to try it this year. Together we conspired and had Santa pay a special visit to our house to do a personal visit with the girls...

[Toner]

#16 - December 21: Emily's advent wreath from Sunday school



#17 - December 22: Letter's from Santa!

Renée's school had held a Christmas Carnival in early December and one of the activities was writing a letter to Santa. The North Pole replies arrived...



#18 - December 23: The last fire before Christmas eve - have to give time for the chimney to cool down...

[Toner]

#19 - December 24th:

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

Time to begin the set-up for Christmas...



#20 - December 25th:

I so wanted to take credit for this one, but Mrs. T had the good timing!



One of my few Christmas pics. I actually didn't take too many that day (leaving them mostly up to my wife) as she can get migraines from too many flashes in her eyes...



#21 - December 26th:
We took a horse-drawn sleigh ride down Candy Cane Lane to see the Christmas decorations
http://www.ualberta.ca/~kees/hgtv.html

If you think night photography is bad, add in taking the difficulty of taking pictures while moving. I was experimenting taking pictures without the flash but they were mostly crap.

[Toner]

#22 - December 27th: Renée Day

We've incorporated an idea from Renée's first grade classs; extra-good behaviour is rewarded with paper "gumballs" and when the kids collect enough they can exchange them for something of their choosing. The kids have seemed to like going with Renée/Emily days in which they get to plan a special day with mom. Renée cashed hers in for a day of tobogganing, a special lunch, bowling and "jewelry" (accessory) shopping.




#23 - December 28th:
It's a laid back holidays for the girls.


#24 - December 29th:
So much for my waterproof camera pictures...

[Toner]

#25 - December 30: Buttons - she an old lady now, but we still see the puppy in her sometimes...



#26 - December 31: We've been attending a family New Years celebration that's held in an adjacent town for a number of years now (actually, we do quite a few activities there). The gymnastics club does an open house, there's face-painting, air-brush tattoos, free skating, petting zoo, children's theatre (Max and Ruby this year) and an early fireworks display. Lots of fun for the kids, but it was a cold evening (-25C) so we cut it short.



#27 - January 1st: The earliest I've been done my shot for the day. I did edit our family name out though...


#27 - January 2nd: Probably about 10 years back (on a trip to Mexico) we started taking one shot between our feet showing the view from a hammock, water tube, beach, etc. I thought I might as well include one from home for the time I've taken off over the Christmas break. My XBox time is typically after the girls have gone to bed and the work around the house is done, so of course that means I don't get much XBox time...

[Toner]

#29 - January 3rd:
"I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
Don't want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you?
He won't have to use our dirty chimney flue
Just bring him through the front door,
that's the easy thing to do

I can see me now on Christmas morning,
creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise
when I open up my eyes
to see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses
I only like hippopotamuses
And hippopotamuses like me too..."

Not quite, but almost... ;o)



#30 - January 4th: Intruder alert! Luckily I can still carry her back to her bed...



#31 - January 5th: No canoe outings for a while...



#32 - January 6th: Renée waiting for her school bus



and one extra from today's discard pile:
Pizza night!

[flourbug]

Scrolling down I expected to see a beautiful home made pizza.



That is Seriously burnt. Notice when the smoke alarms went off, did ya?

[Toner]

Originally Posted by flourbug

Scrolling down I expected to see a beautiful home made pizza.



That is Seriously burnt. Notice when the smoke alarms went off, did ya?

Actually, I noticed when I got home and my wife was on I online trying to order pizza I cook a majority of our suppers, so I wasn't about to complain about her trying to have supper ready.

[Mousehound]

This thread is so good for me!

[Toner]

#33 - January 7th: From what I can tell, the object of the game is not so much enjoying the chewie for themselves as much as getting it/keeping it away from the other.



edit: and it's the classic battle of youth/speed vs. age/guile

[Toner]

#34 - January 8th: This is me realizing that I better stop trying to take a self portrait while shaving and get moving out the door to take Renée to the bus stop.

[Toner]

#35 - January 9th: Foam Monster!

[Toner]

#36 - January 10th: The Santa Maria at WEM. I'm not as happy with the picture quality as I was using my daughters camera.

[Toner]

#37 - January 11th: Sunrise in the river valley. Taken in front of the Hotel MacDonald.

[Toner]

#38 - January 12th: The Alberta Legislature buildings. There's a lot more people around the reflecting pool in the summer...

[Toner]

#39 - January 13th: The Olympic torch relay was going through our province today. There definitely was a patriotic feeling in the air as we watched. There was quite a big crowd, which worked to my advantage, because I moved earlier up the route and ended up standing right next to the position where the flame was passed from one runner to another...

[Mousehound]

Your pictures are getting better every day!!!
Please keep them coming.

[Toner]

Originally Posted by Mousehound

Your pictures are getting better every day!!!
Please keep them coming.

Well I can't keep up with subject matters like the Olympic torch every day, but I can keep them coming...

#40 - January 14th - my desk at work. I'm here 1/2 my waking day so it had better be somewhat personalized...

[Toner]

#41 - January 15th: No pizza night tonight! Homemade soup and focaccia bread bread.
The girls were visiting next door at Opa's so Mrs. Toner and I got to enjoy a move for ourselves (ie. "The Hangover" instead of the n'th replaying of "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure", the girls current favourite show, although Tink does have a good show )

[Toner]

#42 Saturday morning, January 16th: Why is it that young kids don't sleep in on weekends and holidays? Saturday morning cartoons in the living room, blankets and pillows to keep it comfy...


...and eating chocolate chip pancakes made by dad.

[Toner]

#43 - January 17th: Went over to some friends to see their son's new pet "Lizzy"