Random Road
BySo, yes. I am retiring Ariel and Racecar’s names and starting to use their real names. I’ve made this decision for many reasons, the main one is that it just didn’t fit them anymore. Waaaaaay back when I started using those names, it fit, they would introduce themselves to strangers as Ariel and Racecar, but now? Um…no.
I’ve been kicking around for over a year now, using their real names and at first Brian was all “I don’t think so.“ And I was all “okay.“ And then a few months later I brought it up again to him and he said “I don’t think it matters, just use their real names.“ And he said it sort of like I was dumb and I was like “but, er…what…wait…last time I asked you you said ‘I don’t think so’ and now you are don’t care?“ And he replied with something like “yeah, have you forgotten that I don’t care about these things?”
So, then it was all on me and I waited and waited and then I decided but couldn’t figure out when or how and then yesterday I started writing that post about my beautiful, amazing, smart, loving children and how could I not use their names?
It feels so right.
The artists formerly known as Ariel and Racecar.
Anna and Noah.
{I’m considering watermarking my photos that I put on my blog, but I can’t decide if it’s too annoying or not. Thoughts?}
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In other business, my friend Lovelyn wrote this post and I love it. Maybe read it, k?
And I wrote a post over here about the kids going back to school THIS WEDNESDAY, maybe read it, k?
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This is Natalie. Natalie is yet another wonderful person who happens to blog and who lives in our area. That baby she’s holding is actually Erin’s baby, Tommy. You remember, Tommy, right? He’s the baby that shot out of his Mom’s vagina while on her stairs? Anyway, Natalie and Tommy met the other night when we all had dinner at Red Robin.
A few weeks ago, Natalie had a miscarriage. I cried so hard when I read that news, my heart broke into a million little pieces. She’s doing really well and has a great attitude and is just so full of love, but man, I think she could still use some encouragement and love if you have some to spare. I mean, can anyone feel TOO much love? No way. (believe me, I KNOW THIS, thanks to you.)
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We have a busy week ahead with school starting and school starting and then school starting. So, I’ll be around here and there, but I really want to eat up these last few days with these kids of mine before they take this giant leap into going to school ALL DAY LONG, the first time for both of them, leaving their Mom at home to be not just a Mom but a Mom and Beth again. It’s going to be weird. But, when they are so excited about it, how can I not be excited with them?
You are such a beautiful friend.
Your children are lovely.
*HUG*
You totally mentioned my vagina on your blog, and I think that is the funniest thing EVER. The mention of my bajingo notwithstanding, I love this post. This is going to be a long comment, so here we go…
I always have to think really hard to type Ariel and Racecar, so now I’m glad I don’t have to worry about messing that up. Those photos of Anna and Noah are gorgeous, and I think you should watermark photos you post because they are yours and represent your work and talent.
Love and agree with everything you said about Natalie. I’m so glad that she got to meet and hold Tommy, and I hope she gets a lot of love after this. She deserves every iota.
Whenever you’re missing being MOM during the day, the vagina shooting baby and I will happily come keep you company!
Those are lovely shots of your children and I love their names
I think using watermarks on your photos wouldn’t be annoying, especially since it’s a great font!
The kids’ names are beautiful, the watermark is beautiful (really, not at all distracting or annoying, promise!) and the way that you love and support your friends? Really, really beautiful. Have a great time with Anna and Noah. They are little treasures. But I don’t have to tell YOU that, do I?
Welcome to the blog world Anna and Noah!
And watermarking is not at all annoying. You could always bump down the opacity to make it a little less noticable. But i think it’s smart. Considering what beautiful pictures you take and how stinking cute your kids are!
You dont want to end up like that family that became the face of a huge marketing campaign in Switzerland (?) just from a picture on thier blog!!
Beautiful kids. How adorable is your son’s face breaking into his laugh. That is a great photo – very expressive. You should absolutely watermark your work. You’ve chosen a beautiful watermark.
I’m going to be checking out Natalie as well.
Take care
For some reason, I already knew their real names. Have I been stalki, er, I mean following you for that long?
And, I love the watermark you used and think it is just right.
Hugs and blessings to you…you are STILL in my thoughts and prayers, just so ya know.
Susan
I bet Erin loves that her vagina is famous. ;p
Gorgeous photos of your babies.
Natalie is beautiful!
I like the watermark (great font! What is it??? I’m such a font junkie… LOL). With all the blog posts and pictures being stolen these days, I’d totally watermark yours, they are way too beautiful to “lose”. And a great big welcome goes out to Anna and Noah. Beautiful names!
I don’t think the watermark is annoying
I don’t really think anyone will be swiping any of my pictures, but I put my blog’s name on them anyway, just in case. A friend of mine recently had pictures stolen and it was as if someone had stolen her purse. She felt totally violated.
Anyway, your kids are just adorable and I love their old nicknames
I agree the watermark is not at all distracting and I would definitely add it in the age of people stealing photos without asking. I am very interested in the whole name thing because I use fake name,s but I find it to be difficult to remember. It is way moe for my husband’s comfort than mine. And as I become FB friends with more bloggers it just seems confusing. Time will tell I guess…
I think if the watermark is not obtrusive then there isn’t anything wrong with using one.
Funny how we are both on the opposite ends of the spectrum … I was fine using my kids real names for so long, and now I’m not. I’ll be using nicknames.
It’s all a personal comfort thing — it sure is fun to know their real names, though. And what lovely names they are.
Nell
Nice to meet you Anna and Noah!!
i started using names because my grandma was getting confused
you should totally watermark your blog pics. they are so beautiful – make sure no one steals them! its sad to have to do that, but thats life!
oh – just don’t put the watermark HUGE and directly across peoples’ faces.
thats annoying
Beautiful children & beautiful names.
I’m all for watermarking photos… mine are plastered down the middle, ever since a total strange asked if they could have pictures of my kids. Um… NO! Better to be safe than sorry, I think.
They ARE sweet! I love the names too. Oh and hey…if you didn’t know, the class lists are up at the school already. I was there for a baseball practice yesterday and saw them.
Awe man, Beth. I don’t really know what to say other than thank you. I’m so blessed with incredible friends to help during this time. Thank you so much.
Love you.
Natalie
What a beautiful photo of Natalie. I love it!
yes, i just started ‘watermarking’ also. decided it was a good idea. beautiful pictures of you little ones!
Please watermark your pictures or you might see them somewhere else with no credit to you. (This has happened to several friends!)Also, you watermark is pretty and inobtrusive, so it all works. Protect your genius!
I use my kids names, mainly because there is no way I would remember nick names for them for blogging purposes only. There are so many kids with their names in the world. I really don’t think it matters. (As long as middle and last names are not included)
I like the water mark too. And Anna and Noah are beautiful names.
Beautiful names. They’re so fitting! And yes, keep the watermark. It’s not annoying and if it protects the pictures then better yet!
I’m giggling about the vagina thing….lol
You have beautiful children
totally remember that baby that shot of of his mama’s vagina. cracking up.
i did not notice that you called them anna and noah, but i love that you are now.
those pictures of them are seriously gorgeous.
yes, watermark.
thank you for appreciating that post and sharing.
i don’t know natalie….i’m going to meet her now.
I love their names. Thanks for sharing. I would so watermark your gorgeous pictures – your talent needs to be protected! Have a great back to school week – getting back into the routine can be a challenge!
Beautiful children, to be sure!
I love their names. I love your watermark and I love that smile on Natalie’s face. I’ve been praying for her too…
My boy starts school tomorrow. *sigh*
I love their names! And yes to the watermark. It’s very tasteful and doesn’t distract at all from your gorgeous photos (IMHO).
I’m sorry for your new friends recent loss. The other day I was listening to “I Would Die for That” (why I do these things to myself, I don’t know) and I just wanted you to know that I cried a little (ok, a lot) for your boys. Your fam is still in my thoughts!
oh, and I totally loved how you linked her blog.
I love those 2 so much. Give them a huge kiss from Auntie Christy, k?
Thank you so much for sending me over to Natalie’s blog. She’s so beautiful and amazing. And Lovelyn’s post? It’s exactly what I needed to read tonight. Exactly.
You are an amazing friend to so many. We are all so very lucky to have you.
I’ve struggled with the real name thing (I just use my son’s and husband’s fist initial). My husband also was a little wary. I find it difficult sticking with the initial, I slip into full name once and a while. It feels unnatural sometimes. I think it’s cool you’re using their names now (and great names too, might I add!).
The watermarking isn’t annoying, I like it. Do it. DO IT.
Beautiful names for such beautiful children!!! Thanks for sharing that special part of them with us…
I do love their names – so perfect for each of them; but, I have to say that their aliases were the best aliases EVER. And yes, do watermark. Why not? It doesn’t distract and it does protect, right?
Beth, how is it that you can make me nearly spit my coffee on the computer from laughing so hard and then a few seconds later I am crying? This is why I love your writing so much. Thanks for Lovelyn’s post – perfect. And Natalie has our heart at this difficult time.
I’ll pretty much eat ANYTHING deep fried! Yummy!!!
Your pictures are wonderful! =)
I totally forgot what I was going to write by the time I read through all of the other comments and got down here. So, I will say pretty much the same thing everyone else has . . .
I think Anna and Noah are great names. Somehow, I already knew what they were, though? Maybe you’ve written them elsewhere.
Absolutely do watermark. It’s a good thing to do and the one you’ve chosen looks very nice and unobtrusive. I too dislike those ones that go right across peoples faces. But yours is nice.
And . . . thanks for giving us a chance to help support another woman. Sending thoughts to Natalie.
Anna and Noah… that will take some getting used to. Ariel and Racecar seemed to fit them =) I first thought you forgot about using their names because I read the top post before Random Road and I was all like, oh wow, she forgot to use their fake names.
I love the font of your water-mark and I think they are your pictures and you can do what you want! Lots of people are watermarking these days. I would watermark too, if I knew how. Not because my pics are as fabulous as yours, but just because they are mine. =)
Love your “artsy” “freaky” pics! You are a talented photographer!!!
Yes on the watermark, especially because you have them in your shop. I do think they are annoying when they take away from the image, but I know you will keep it Klassy.
I choose to use real names, mainly because anyone can find you on the internet and if I was going to use nicknames, I would have to have one as well. If you Google my first name only, I pop right up.
Your kids are wicked cute.
And hugs to Natalie.
And big ups to Erin’s vagina, mine’s really lazy and just has babies in the hospital.
I understand the question of using their names. I don’t use mine, but I actually didn’t know yours were made up! I’m a goofball.
My best friend’s daughter is Ariel, so I thought that was her real name, and since we knew James and Jake, I figured Racecar must be real,too. And let me tell you, I tried so many ways of pronouncing it so it wouldn’t be Race Car, hahahah! That is so funny; this whole time I thought he had some kind of cool,foreign family name or something like that. Now I know. I must say Noah is a very dashing name. Love it much better than how I was saying Racecar.
I watermark EVERYTHING for a couple reasons, one being the crazy people that take images of kids and another being a bit more personal. I think it is a precaution if anything else.
About the watermark – I have nothing against them and I think yours is very nice actually, but I do think they are a little pointless. If I wanted to (and I DON’T do this, because I don’t think it’s right) I could just right click any picture and save as… It will save as a jpg (sure you know all this) and then anyone with the slightest bit of nouse can just crop/edit out the watermark. I’ve seen some folks put it big and right across the middle of the picture to try to avoid this I guess, but then it really is somewhat distracting
Difficult one. I wouldn’t want anyone to steal pics of my kids – so maybe watermarking them in a difficult-to-edit-out way is not a bad idea. Other than that I’m not too fussed if people want to use my pictures – quite an honour actually – not that I would ever take without asking from someone else because not everyone would feel the same I know!
Beautiful children. Beautiful names. I don’t think the watermarking is annoying at all. At least not as annoying as stalkers stealing pictures of my children to pass off as their own.