life, unedited

 I like to think that I present a pretty balanced view of my life on this here blog: I don't sugarcoat it and skip the bad parts and pretend like it's all sunshine and rainbows, but I also try not to overly dramatize the negatives. Life is what it is, it's good and it's bad, and I want to tell it like it is.


But the pictures I show? Well, I certainly edit those. Not actually edit them (in Photoshop or something)... I pretty much have no clue how to do that, beyond cropping or something. Plus it takes too much time. But as far as being choosy about what pictures I show. Naturally, I prefer to share the ones where I look cute, am posing at an optimally flattering angle, and generally do not look like a troll. So sue me. I'm vain like that.


But that means if you passed me on the street in real life, there's a good chance you wouldn't recognize me. Ha. Because in my unedited life, I'm usually sweaty (due to the weather or the fact that I chase down kids for a living), my make-up is usually a distant memory, and my hair is always in a braid or ponytail (and frequently didn't even get brushed before being placed in said braid/pony). Oh, and my clothes are most definitely probably not cute.


On Friday afternoon, Matt and I took a very normal, not-blog-worthy trip to the local dog park. We love our dog park, except for the fact that 90% of the time there are not actually any other dogs there. So we throw a ball for Lola, she runs around like a maniac, and we frantically swat at mosquitoes and gnats (?? what is this, south Georgia?? Go back beneath the Gnat Line where you belong!!) until we can bear it no longer and we go home. Sometimes, since Matt's generally the ball-thrower and I'm left with nothing to do, I have to get pretty crafty to entertain myself while dog park-ing. This is what happened on Friday. Now I did ask Matt to take the following picture of me and Lola. I just felt like a little mommy-daughter picture was called for. But I did not request the subsequent series of pictures, wherein he captured Erika Trying to Entertain Herself. When I saw these pictures on my phone, I had to laugh at what a huge dork I am. And immediately thought too bad I can't show these on my blog. I didn't even put on makeup or brush my hair that whole day!!

But you know what? Why can't I show them? They're just silly pictures. But maybe they're more real than the stuff I usually prefer to share. Who knows. So here's me completing my first personal blog challenge: showing pictures of myself with no hair and makeup, looking like a total dork. Aren't YOU lucky today??

 

I was totally convinced I could do a handstand on that tree trunk. I tried for like 10 minutes. I failed. :( :( :(

When I'm not smiling my big happy smile (see: every picture I've ever posted on this blog. Ha.), I am actually quite intimidating, right??! This is the look that lets Matt know I am displeased with him...although I don't recall what, exactly, I was being displeased about at that moment.

Well, that was certainly freeing. Now you should go put bad pictures of yourself on your own blog so that I'll know I'm not the only person who goes out in public looking like this in real life. 

Also, you should pray that today the refrigerator-fixer man can finish fixing our fridge because I MISS HAVING ACCESS TO COLD FOOD. Thanks in advance.