The first one

Wow, we had a great first day of 2010! I hope this is a good indication of what the rest of the year will be like!

I’m not sure what it was specifically, but being able to sleep until 8 AM made a huge difference. Duc has been waking up at 6 AM lately, but I was able to roll over and go back to sleep, as he did also.

We had a sprinkle of cinnamon ‘n sugar on our toast for breakfast and it was yummy!

I finally got Duc down for a nap around 10:30 and I got busy! Seriously, I got really busy and really organized. I was really impressed! I tend to pile items—on desks, tabletops, even on top of the TV. It is a bad habit, but I have an organization system, but if I don’t have time to follow through I pile so I don’t lose anything. Sounds backward, I realize. Anyway, I managed to clear through a LOT. I think the next time my family or friends visit they will definitely notice. Some of the stuff I uncovered, well, I am embarrassed to admit it was 6-12 months old.

I also had time to read part of a book this morning (yeah, I know, I was really productive!). It’s a photographer who’s work I really enjoy. He actually gets paid by NGOs, like those supporting orphanages and orphan relief, to take photos to draw attention to their cause. His work is amazing and his pictures, even with just one frame, tell a story. Breathtaking, amazing. The book is actually about the business side of photography and identifying and branding yourself. It is forcing me to define what I want to be as a photographer. I thought that would be something I would struggle with, but as I read I realize I already know what kind of photographer I want to be. From the beginning I wanted my photos to actually mean something. Not that taking pictures of families and kids doesn’t mean something—it captures that precise moment when their child was that age and doing whatever cute thing you thought you would remember forever but promptly forgot as soon as s/he did something new. I cherish all the photos I have of Duc and me together. I’ve never liked having my photo taken before, but he has changed all that for me. I have some ideas on how to get moving in that direction, and oddly enough, the logo that Lauren is working on for me rather reflects my personal philosophy. My mom recently made some joke about me “having balls” and I think I am definitely going to have to be brave and step out and do this.

After lunch Duc and I went to Michaels store for some stuff. I had a coupon and a list so I wasn’t leaving without getting everything I wanted. I did pretty good—finally got some frames for some embroidered pieces I bought in Vietnam over a year ago. I am also adding artwork and organizing my kitchen. Several months ago I had a small scale remodel, but I still don’t have all my cabinets painted (which is why I still haven’t added updated photos to facebook). Thankfully my dad recently retired and volunteered to do it so I don’t have to use my non-existent PTO to paint. This is when it is so inconvenient to be a single mom. Normally I would have knocked that out in a weekend, but with Duc it just isn’t possible…unless he isn’t here while I work and I don’t like being away from him any more than I have to.

Duc loves to get down to his diaper right before bath time. He gets so excited, so animated in anticipation of his bath. I can’t believe he thought lying on a cold, hard floor was a good idea though. I remember getting these little wind-up toy cars from my McDonald’s happy meals when I was a kid. Even as I got older I was still overly entertained by them. I have bought 2 of these for Duc now and believe me, I get just as much enjoyment from them as he does.