Grateful

I'm trying to put some quiet back in my life and take up writing more.  We'll see....

....for today I'll just be grateful for this.

Seriously, No Photos.

Last week Libby told me she was going to walk to the cafeteria by herself.  This is a big deal.  Everyday she comes to school with me I ask her, "Do you want me to walk you to the cafeteria today, or are you going to walk yourself?"  Everyday until now she's wanted me to walk with her.  Then last week she informed me she was going it alone.  

"Okay.  That's cool."  I was totally nonchalant.  I snapped this picture, which mildly irritated her and then she told me to go into my classroom.  

That's my door on the left.  She's headed down that long hallway, into a gated breezeway, through another set of heavy doors to the cafeteria.  We said our good-byes and I went into my classroom.  

Then, I peeked out of my door and took this shot....

See her down there?  She's the teeny tiny one masquerading as a big girl in the gigantic hallway all by herself.  So I had to take a picture.  Then she turned around a caught me.

Oops. Ugh.

If you know my girl, then you know that she doesn't mind being the center of attention on her terms.  Well, on anyone's terms really.  Just not on mine.  That's the truth, really.  If I'm not present she will buck up every time.  If I'm there, or if, God forbid, I'm the one making a big deal or giving the attention....forget it. I embarrass her beyond reason.  I don't applaud unless I know she can't find me in the audience.  Except sometimes I forget.  Singing Happy Birthday is off limits.  More than once I've absentmindedly celebrated her successfully buckling her own seatbelt, in the privacy of our own car, only to have her cry the entire way to wherever we were going.  So you can imagine how this moment ruined her life.  She just fell apart right there where she's standing.  I recovered the pieces and delivered her teary self to the cafeteria.  You'd think I'd learn.  

Mr. Knows It

Any quotes that I post here usually come from my kids.  This one isn't.  I bet you can guess who this little exchange was between.

"Listen,  I know you think you know what you're talking about, but when it comes to this, I'd rather not give them the wrong information."

"Hey, I'm just making it right."

"No, you're making it up.  That's not the same thing."

November's Over?

I can't keep up with time as it flies by.  Maybe I should stop trying and just enjoy the ride.

Sister Love

This is a typical looking assembly at my school except now Libby is one of the kids in the crowd.  Betcha can't find her. 

Bret and Zeke came down last month.  Oh, we love him.  He loved Libby.  Climbed up on her and snuggled in.  Sweet thing.

 Snuggle Bugs.

 Dog Pile!

Dessert

"When I grow up and I have kids, they won't have to eat their whole dinner and I'm still gonna let them have dessert!"

-Peyton

Nosey

Peyton just shouted at me from her bed (something she's not supposed to do), "Mom!  Guess what?"

"What?"

"Today, I never picked my nose."

"Um.... But I just caught you picking your nose.  Like an hour ago."

"I wasn't."

"K.  G'night."

Focused

Serious concentration for a Saturday....

Worn Out

I'm tired by nature.  I just am.  I could be worse things.  I'm not depressed or dependent, addicted or criminally negligent.  But I'm always tired.  I always have been.  As a kid in the summer I would go to gymnastics practice for four hours each morning then come home and sleep for two.  In my twenties I used to teach all day, come home and fall asleep on the couch mid-Oprah and wake up somewhere around Tom Brokaw.  People never hesitate to tell me how tired I look.  But the circumstances of my life don't allow for nodding off every afternoon like I used to, so I just live tired.  

Last week was conference week.  There's a lot of build up.  Meeting the parents explains a lot about the kids in my class and this is their first chance to size me up too.    Add Halloween to the mix and somewhere around last Saturday my body started slipping into early hibernation.  I couldn't wait to watch my Ducks play USC and the first thing I did after I turned on the t.v. was fall asleep. Disgraceful, I know.  

Now, Halloween....

I made these last year, but the girls trick-or-treated in them this year.  They were Yip Yips.

Amber and Suzy and I are the 4/5 team at my school.  Suzy was a good egg.  Amber and I were bad eggs (note the horns).  Everyone thought we were deviled eggs.  That worked too.  Thanks Cory for the inspiration....

Aging Slowly

This morning Peyton looked me up and down while she was sitting at the kitchen island drinking her orange juice.  She said, "Mommy, you look the same age."

Huh.  "As who?"

"As yesterday."

Fall Fun

You know what's super fun in the fall?

 Carmel apples with friends....

....and carving pumpkins.  Woohoo!  It's Halloween week!

The Climb

The bad news is that the ice maker went out, and then the fridge itself bit the dust. The good news  is that the new fridge arrives on Thursday. And since this one is broken anyway....

Tonight I seriously considered what it would take to install rock climbing hand holds in our entryway.  That way as the girls grow and get to be better climbers they could climb up into the skylight.  Of course then I'll need to buy a pole vault pit for cushy landings and it'll be difficult to open the front door.  We don't use the front door much anyway....

Sun, Sand, Water and Lots of Berries

Here's what's left of August....

 Berry Picking

 Sand and Water

 More Berries

 A great day with Uncle Kevin

 We spent a day with Lynn and Ken in their garden....

....and brought home lots of fruits and vegetables.

Hello little friend.  See ya next year, summer.

Trail Bridge

We camped at Trail Bridge this summer, and I'm pretty sure we'll go back.

Setting up our first camp, till a spot opened up right next to the water and we moved.

 Shane and Mark critique the woman fishing out on the point.

 The view from our campsite.

We fished at Smith Reservoir and this was Lucy's catch.  I love the look on her face.  It took her a minute to get used to the idea of the fish being in the boat with us.

Lucy brought some markers and the girls took full advantage of getting beautiful while lakeside.  Thank you Crayola, for making them washable.

 The girls helped shuck dinner with Aunt Amy.

 Walking to the creek.

 The Beautiful Mckenzie

Once upon a time Shane and I biked the Mckenzie River Trail at this very spot.  Walking down to the creek made me a little itchy for my mountain biking days.  Next summer....

 Fishing in camp.

I built a campfire.  On a piece of bark.  And floated it out on the lake.  Beautiful huh?  Right up until it floated under our anchor rope.  Oops.  Mark ran down and saved the day though, and may have gotten a little wet in the process.

Trail Bridge drops a lot over night.  There was one rock that was exposed in the mornings that would slowly get covered as the day wore on.  On this morning our boat found that one rock.

 I could get used to waking up like this.