Emma Laughs.....a lot

3:00

Three minutes of sentimentality.

Hall - o - ween

Without further ado, or a drum roll, which really is a shame because these pictures are definitely worth a drum roll, a really full, fantastic, marching band drum roll, but I guess a run on sentence will do...Halloween pictures!


Click on the photo to enlarge.



Trick - or - Treating in the mall






After Halloween, indulge mummy, photo shoot





If pictures are truly worth a thousand words, this next photo speaks volumes.

My secret

PS. Stay tuned for ridiculously cute, over the top delightful, sinfully charming, and criminally adorable Halloween pictures.


Yes, my children really are that good looking.

Caught Red Handed

Today I caught Ben red handed.

What was he doing, you ask?

Well Emma had just settled down for a long short winter's nap (a.k.a. night time (a.k.a. not sleeping in the dark)) and was a bit fussy...just a bit. I was doing my motherly duties by ignoring her wails while rinsing poop out of the days pink pants and momentatirly forgetting about child #1.
Then I hear whispering coming from our room. Uh oh. Our room and eldest child rarely mix with satisfactory results. Checking my reserve tank of patience, because let's face it by this time of day I'm definitely well into my reserves, I very stealthily poked my noggin' around the corner and saw...

...a very sweet older brother whispering "I love you Emma" over and over into the baby monitor. He doesn't know it's only one way and she can't actually hear him. Somehow that makes it even sweeter. I almost dissolved into a heap of weapy "I love my munchkin so much. He/she is the sweetest and/or cutest ever" goop right there on the spot.

But then child #1 turned around and asked "mommy, do you have another baby in your tummy?"

Hmmmm........

Not so cute.

Excuse me while I do a few crunches...

...and maybe go for a run.

A Couple Things

I'd like to share two things that have changed...nay...revolutionized my life!

Behold #1...
Okay stop laughing.




I mean it!




Please?




Okay. Fine. Laugh.




Are you done now?


Moving on.

So why did this revolutionize my life? I'll tell you...

I hate laundry.

A lot.

A whole heck of a lot.

Mountains loads of a lot.

So much so that I'll ignore it.

Ignoring laundry is normal you say? Probably a little bit. But when was the last time you ignored laundry long enough that when you finally got around to it there was 14 loads of it?!?!? And I'm not talkin' just got home from a trip and have to wash everything that even touched the car, kids or suitcases ignored laundry. I'm talkin' normal everyday, non-sports season clothing piling up in mountains on the floor ignored laundry. It's kind of funny really. Mountain loads of laundry....mountain loads of laundry hating. It just seems symmetrical or something. Well that was just a couple weeks ago for me. And a little while before that. And a little while before that. And a...well you get the picture. It didn't help matters that we've got to go down to the complex laundry to do laundry and PAY to do. I know, I know technically you're paying to do laundry at home too, but it just seems so much worse somehow when you see those precious quarters that you've scrounged from the couch cushions get gobbled up by those machines. So between my loathing of laundry and quarter eating monsters it was just way to easy to look at the laundry basket and say "...hmmm...I don't think there's quite enough whites/darks/brights/coloreds for a load yet. I'll do it tomorrow. "

Presto.
14 loads of laundry.

Que revolution...


Now I can no longer make the excuse that there aren't enough whites/darks/brights/coloreds yet for a load. Bag full = full load. No more mountains. No more loathing.....Nope there's still laundry loathing, but just in smaller, manageable batches.

So in conclusion I still hate laundry, but I'm in love with my laundry sorter.

In fact I'm going to marry it.

Next weekend. You're all invited.

But don't tell Tyson. He'd be jealous.

Now for #2...

Okay all you book snobs who think that (insert the name of your most hated eReader here) is the work of the devil stop judging me.



Judging is not a good thing. Didn't your momma teach you that?



Stop it!



Alright that's it, I'm telling! Be right back.















Ha got cha! Don't worry I'm not a tattletale but I knew if I threatened you'd think twice, or at least part of twice, once, or maybe even a half, about judging me again.

So the Nook.

Yes, I've converted. I used to be a judger too. There I was high on my bound paper horse staring down at all those electronic sell outs thinking "I could never like reading a book off of a computer! I'm a purist." It's true. I thought that. Especially the last part. But then....my mum sent me an unexpected package. Now let me tell you. I LOVE getting packages. They make me feel all warm and fuzzy. Somebody took the time to drive down to the local post office because they were thinking of me. Pure love! It almost doesn't even matter what's in it. Packages are always good. Even.....

I'm sorry, what was that?

Oh right...the Nook.

Sorry.

So yeah. Mum. Unexpected package. Nook. Skepticism.

Yup that's what came next. Even though I was immensely excited about the package, and let's face it a new gadget is just plain cool, I still wasn't feeling the love for eReaders. So what did I do? I played sudoko on it. Naturally.

Then I played more sudoko.

But then I thought. Heck, I've got it I might as well try it out for real.

I've got two words seven words for you: Library books without going to the library! Yup that sold it for me. I currently have 17 books out without ever leaving my house! Then I've got the 30 some odd free books that I downloaded off of Barnes and Noble. Hee hee hee! I'm rolling in words!

So even though I love the library, and really wish I could take all of my pasty whiteness over there more often, the reality is that that just ain't happening. So something that brings the library to me. You got me. Hook. Line. Sinker.

PS. It's also has the web.

PPS. It also plays music.

PPPS. And Audiobooks

PPPPS. And it's easier to juggle one of these while nursing then a book. Just FYI.

PPPPPS. By the way. I'm marrying this too.

PPPPPPS. The weekend after next.



PPPPPPPS. You're all invited.



PPPPPPPPS. Don't tell Tyson....


PPPPPPPPPS... or the laundry sorter.




PPPPPPPPPPS. They'd be jealous.






PPPPPPPPPPPS. These two "Things" have also revolutionized my life.

Sorta.

Just a tiny bit.

Cowgirl

Especially for Grandma....

Cowbell

Somebody once told me I needed more cowbell.




Really?




Cowbell?





Whatever.





How 'bout a video instead.

Big day....

Today was a big day. Why? You ask. Because today was the day that two of my most favoritest boys started the next big phase in life.

This guy started college...

This guy started preschool!


Can you believe it! In my head Onion will always be that little boy informing me that the brio train tracks he's playing with are, and I quote, "your bones" (sorry no little onion picture, which is too bad because he was/is super cute) and Ben will always be this cute little thing...

But for better or for worse for everyone else these boys are growing up, so without further delay the obligatory first day of school photos.

The fam...

So excited walking just wasn't fast enough!

And look who showed up to surprise us! What a treat!

Already anxious to wave us out the door.

Backpack...Check
New classroom...Check
Computer (A.K.A. a scrabble board)...check

Hugs hello...

...hugs good-bye.

An abandoned sister.

His personal heaven.

Meanwhile....Emma decided to have an adventure of her own.

A safari with Mr. Dangly

Evolution - the short version

You know you're tired when....

....you go to bed at a reasonable hour (cough, cough)...


...want to see what time it actually is...


...hit your "super power light in the dark" button on you ironman watch...


...and...

...nothing...


...you try it again...


...nada...

...drat! It must be broken..


...it is an old watch after all...


...sigh...


...then you realize...


...it helps if you open your eyes first...

Did I tell ya...

...we moved....

AGAIN!

So how are we doing? Well let me tell ya...




Tyson turned himself into a squirrel...

and then ran away.




Ben has regressed (so did the camera apparently)

Emma contemplated taking the plunge....

...but then decided to ship herself off to Canada instead.
(Take care of her grandma!)

And the toys staged a revolt!

As for me?

Well I still have some shred of sanity.


Somewhere around here.


I'm not really sure where.


Probably in a box.

huh.....

Ben just peed in his Tonka dump truck.


I laughed.


Manically...


...to keep my sanity.

Daddy - Daughter communication

Dear Dads...

....this is for all of you out there.

Especially you...

and you...

and you.

Enjoy!

PS. Here's the "funny one"

Who ever said men can't multitask.....

....has never met my husband!



Watching TV, playing computer games, AND rocking Emma.

funky

The other day Ben said that Emma couldn't come in his room because "it's just too funky" he also needed to change his pants because they "smelled like...funky"

.....hmmmm....

......interesting......

Ben vs. Emma, A Study