NOTE: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 56 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
looking out over the
Big Lake
( big, at least, if you're not even two years old yet )

Amidst the busy day yesterday I took a few minutes to visit the lake with Anthony's 22-month-old Cousin Jena...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Uncle and Niece
heading down to the lake with Jena
Photo by Jena's mom (my sister), Marci Kreta

I asked her to turn around and smile for me...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 52 mm — ¹/640 sec, f/3.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
“Hi”

She immediately wanted to throw stuff into the lake, reaching down to grab a blade of grass. Throwing stuff into water is apparently a primal instinct in children, as we saw last year in “Throwin' Rocks”, earlier this year on a beach in Japan, among others.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
tall stalk of grass in hand,
Ready to Throw

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 26 mm — ¹/1250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Another Subject
for her throwing pleasure

There was somewhat of a headwind so it was challenging to get things into the water, but she got a few.

I plucked a sprig of Queen Anne's Lace and asked whether she'd like to give it to Grandma, and she did...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/10, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Running Back to Grandma

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/1500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
“Grandma”
Photo by Marci Kreta

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 52 mm — ¹/4000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
“Here You Go”
Photo by Marci Kreta

NOTE: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 116 mm — ¹/500 sec, f/5.3, ISO 1400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Monster Hit
Photos by my sister, Marci Kreta

Holy Cow, today was a busy day, with the monster play I posted about earlier seemingly the only time to relax. I'm too tired to post much tonight, so just a quick few shots of a monster hit Anthony did this afternoon. His game has definitely moved up a notch since last year's baseball play.

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 116 mm — ¹/500 sec, f/5.3, ISO 450 — map & image data — nearby photos
Starting Pitcher
Lit Up
by the competition

Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50 mm — ¹/500 sec, f/4.5, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
Trophy Ball

He'd hit it so hard that the thick plastic ball actually dented. You can see it dented even in the first shot above.

Dented

(He's wearing a shirt from his old preschool gymnastics class.)

NOTE: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — ¹/125 sec, f/1.4, ISO 1100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Monster Attack!
being thwarted by a barrage of mini basketballs
Photos by my sister, Marci Kreta

Anthony, Josh, and I made up an impromptu game, “Monster Game”, where I try to get them amid roars and growls, but I'm thwarted if they hit me with a soft squishy basketball. It's a kind of rough play that my folks would never have let us do in the house when I was little, but somehow as grandparents they let slide. 🙂

Of course, both Josh and Anthony relish beaning me with the balls. If I'm able to catch one without a ball, the other has to “save” him (by beaning me with a ball).....

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — ¹/125 sec, f/1.4, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Caught For The Moment
you can't see it in the photo, but I'm sure Anthony's throw is aimed right for my butt

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — ¹/125 sec, f/1.4, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Disco Monster?
(actually, just in search of his next victim )

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — ¹/125 sec, f/1.4, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Typical Attack

The boys asked the first thing this morning whether we could do Monster Play again. I'm not sure how much energy I'll have for this, but we did it again this afternoon...

Nikon D700 + Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 ZF.2 — ¹/160 sec, f/3.2, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Coordinated Defense

Nikon D700 + Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 ZF.2 — ¹/160 sec, f/3.2, ISO 4000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Josh to the Rescue
I get beaned in the back after having captured Anthony

Nikon D700 + Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 ZF.2 — ¹/160 sec, f/3.2, ISO 4000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Target-Rich Environment

Nikon D700 + Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 ZF.2 — ¹/160 sec, f/3.2, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Ganging Up

They seemed to like it best when they both got me at the same time, in the most painfully looking way possible. Hmmm......

NOTE: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 cropped — ¹/250 sec, f/1.4, ISO 4000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Mimicking
the older boys' play
( except she's not.... see below )

Anthony's 22-month-old Cousin Jena had watched Anthony and Cousin Josh play with this toy earlier. She seemed to know more about it than I did as I watched from an easy chair across the room, but suddenly she started an intensive course of search or inspection of some kind...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 cropped — ¹/250 sec, f/1.4, ISO 4000 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 cropped — ¹/250 sec, f/1.4, ISO 3600 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 cropped — ¹/200 sec, f/1.4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 cropped — ¹/250 sec, f/1.4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
“Find It!”
Jena-speak for “I found it”

I had no idea she was actually looking for something until she pulled it out from the bowels of the toy and showed me with an announcement of “find it” (“I found it!”). She is one smart cookie, and I realized that she participates so fully with the older boys' play because she doesn't mimic, she watches and learns. It's hard to believe she's not even two years old yet.

NOTE: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — ¹/125 sec, f/1.4, ISO 2200 — full exif
Puzzle
$1 Star Wars Clone Trooper puzzle

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — ¹/125 sec, f/1.8, ISO 3600 — full exif

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — ¹/125 sec, f/1.8, ISO 4000 — full exif

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — ¹/125 sec, f/1.8, ISO 3200 — full exif

In these pictures Anthony is sporting a LEGO watch that his cousin Josh gave him when he arrived the other day. LEGO's design is ridiculous.... it pinches him every time he puts it on or takes it off... but he loves it, and has suddenly shown a greater interest in telling and measuring time.