Because I know you're dying to see what a Fruity Cheerio looks like close-up

I don't know what it is, but I feel like my patience lately has been more lacking than normal.  This results in me getting upset with D more often, which then makes me feel bad, which then keeps me in a not-very-good mood and the cycle just keeps on goin'.  I'm trying to reverse it, but it's not easy... especially when D is moody and difficult himself.  For a week or 2 we tried to put D to bed later in hopes of shifting his sleep schedule to sleep in a bit longer in the morning.  This is an experiment we've tried before, and it usually fails miserably so not sure why we keep trying it.  Usually we give up after just a few days.  This time we stuck to it for a good week, but I swear I could see the sleep deprivation slowly mounting (and he wasn't waking any later in the morning) so we're back to 7pm now, and I've even considered making it even earlier temporarily to help him catch up on sleep.  (this is the part where I kinda throw my hands up in the air at the Toddler Gods in hopes of answers/guidance)

Last week sometime I bought Bryan Peterson's book Understanding Close-Up Photography, using a gift card I had to Borders.  I figured it would go well with the new lens.  I finally got around to start reading it on Sunday.  I like it so far, it's given me ideas for new perspectives to try and whatnot... though it might also prove to be quite the expensive book in the long-run since already I've just about doubled my photography-related wishlist thanks to all the neat gadgets he keeps talking about.  ; )

Today I was trying to figure out what to shoot for my 365 project when I remembered a tip from the book about how most photographers will use their macro lens, but not realize just how close they can get to the objects they're photographing.  So I took a bowl of D's Cheerios and my lens, manually focusing it at the closest it will go, and then just started moving into the bowl to see where it would come into focus.  This is what I got:

Luckily I had enough light to manage hand-holding (even with D coming over and trying to check out what I was doing), but I also probably do need to get myself a tripod... or at the very least a Gorillapod (see what I mean??).

I was gonna try to get some more, but I got sort of interrupted...


Zach left town this morning and doesn't get back till late tomorrow night... which means I should get my butt to bed sooner rather than later since you never know what tonight might be like, and I don't think either Nev or Sierra will be willing to get up with D in the morning like Zach usually does (you know, letting me sleep in till, say, 7am). Goodnight!