co-parenting complications.

Those who know Trevor know that my husband is a pretty laid back guy; it's one of the many reasons our marriage remains intact. I gotta say Paula Abdul had it right when she penned the 'opposites attract' lyrics although I'm not quite sure she was the songwriter behind that 80's hit.

Anyways it's always entertaining when 'go with the flow' Trev puts his foot down on parenting decisions that are typically left to me; especially ones concerning our kids' appearance.

Right now he's taking a stand on hair and shirts {totally random I know}...

NO cutting Saige's hair  &  NO popping Gabe's collars.

Those are my instructions, but he forgets I'm not all that great at following directions.

Obviously Trev's not the primary brusher of rat's nests in the morning and clearly he has NO fashion sense when it comes to toddlers (or himself).

I tend to dress Gabe in clothes I wish Trev would wear himself, but I doubt I'll be seeing Mr. Knol in a pair of crimson skinnies and boat shoes anytime soon. 

photo credit | white linen photographers

Seeing how we're on the topic of White Linen (always), I'm finally gonna meet the ladies behind the lavender logo! #dreamcometrue. I cannot wait to share images from the sentimental photo shoot we have planned this weekend. Brooke and Michele just happen to shoot Nikon which may have influenced my D7000 Mama's Day purchase - along with it's awesome reviews, stellar price tag and your helpful recommendations. I'm already SO happy with her (my new camera that is), she's just waiting on a name and an official test drive.

another unedited evening.

In the spirit of fairness, Gabe skipped his 7 o'clock {ish} bedtime to join Saige and I on another camera-in-hand evening stroll. 

He's certainly not the easiest muse to practice on, but he may be one of the cutest.

After 30 minutes of playing around, my brand spanking new batteries d.i.e.d!! and I was this close [picture my thumb and pointer almost touching] to throwing my piece of sh*t camera in the garbage.

I ranted and raved to Trev [for the umpteenth time] and he figures it's time I get new camera *cue fist pumps*. I've been holding off on upgrading namely because I wanted to prove to myself that I understood manual mode and could consistently nail shots before going and investing money in new equipment. Well I'm over that fantasy; the Pentax battery problem is freaking frustrating that it won't survive any more failed 'photo shoots'. Not only does the bloody thing die right before and/or in the middle of important moments (ie. Saige's Christmas pageant and Gabe's first steps), but I've spent wasted literally hundreds of dollars on every single battery type known to man {rechargeable and non}. I don't even bother taking it with us anymore on fun outings/events, it's truly that unreliable.

My advice, never ever buy a Pentax K-x [unless you want to buy mine - hardy-har] and now that I'm in the market for a new camera, I would love recommendations...

which brand [Nikon vs. Canon]? and which lens(es)?

Oh and just so we're clear, I'm a hobbyist photographer {even that's a stretch} and I'm not a millionaire so my budget is approximately $2000 {inclusive}.

While I'm not opposed to buying used, I require a battery pack option as I hope to never see another double A in my life.

Let the hunt begin!