Sharing the ride

Sometimes when you are on the ride of your life...

it is better to have a friend along with you.

That way there are two of you when the journey gets tough.

One can push...

...and when you are tired, the other can pull.

The ride is sooooo much better when it is shared.

Don't ya think?

Off-the-scale cute

So I just had to do it. I had to post tiny Bella because she's too cute not to post.

Again, I know I tread very close to the border of almost "too cutsie". 

I am very nervous about posting the kinda cutsie-animal-calendar-type pic, but oh well.

Ooooh and aaaaww if you feel free to do so...

 

Yum, PUNCH!

Nothing like a refreshing, imitation colored fruity punch to round out your basic hamburger on a white bun...on a cheap paper plate. 

It's Friday evening and the neighborhood kids (about 15 of them) have gathered for the promised BBQ. I told my hubby to just go cheap...the kids like the cheap food. (While he was at the store one of them asked me if we were BBQ'ing steak? No. This is a one star restaurant kid.) 

Right now they're all out there in the 100 degree heat, scarfing down their cheap food, cheap drinks, and five kinds of chips. (I did buy a watermelon to instill some nutritional value to the meal.) They're enjoying their punch, and root beer, and each other's company. Before I came in Little Nic looked at me and said, "this is sooooo cool."  Yeah, I think they're enjoying it.

Oooh....Scott just walked outside with the box of ice cream sandwiches...gotta get one before they're swiped up!

(Don't attempt to read the nutrition facts on the back of the can.

I think the "contains no real juice" says it all.)

end of day

The end of my day...

Outtakes

The first of the school year germs have found me and I am home sick, hacking up lungs as I type. My kids are all out on play dates, I have read through my new Coastal Living magazine, and have attempted to watch "Seven Years in Tibet" with Brad Pitt. (I said, attempted. I am having a hard time listening to his awful try at a German accent while coming across as a 1942 prisoner of war. I am just not believing it Brad.) 

Anyhoo, with no energy to pick up my camera, let alone the two pound lens, I was going through old pictures and discarding, cleaning, and purging my computer of needless pixels to store. I came across these outtakes of my blog banner and thought I would share them like they do in one of my favorite photo mags where the photographer offers 

insights into how a picture came about. 

So, on this specific beach excursion I was with my family in the late afternoon at one of our favorite beaches. The tide was waaaaaaay out and my kids were elated with the hundreds (not kidding) of whole sand dollars that the low tide was revealing. As I was capturing my kids I happened to turn around and discover a group of horseback riders exploring the same glistening sand. The mist was dense and the sun caught them as silhouettes.  I loved the composition but I kinda wished that the people walking out of the pic would move just a little faster so I could just have the horses.

Here the people are almost gone. By the time they were out of the picture my horse riders had moved on, except for that one on the far right. She's heading out farther into the tide. My banner pic is the one I snapped when she had separated herself from the pack. I love it the most because it looked as if she was out there all by herself with not a nary a soul around her, on the edge of the world, her vision unobstructed, the horizon stretching on forever. What a cool cool place to be...to be just a small observer on the edge of vast expanse of life.

Because the mist was so thick and the horses so faint, I had to employ a multiplying layer trick when I got it into my editing software. I also played around with filters, you can tell each photo has a different filter on it. Oh, and I cropped it because I was far far away and the stretch of sand leading up to them distracted the eye.

So. There you go! My commentary over with, I am now moving on to my next project: attempting to find a way to build a personal website to display my photos. Like a gallery of sorts. I have been wanting to do this forever. 

We'll see. I may try and finish that Brad Pitt movie. 

Umbrella (deja vu)

What a perfectly clever idea! 

Put your stuffed raccoon in your umbrella boat 

and then carry it around with you!

(Why has no one thought of this before?!)

Oh, but wait!

Brother (the brilliant engineer) thinks it might be best to

tie the passengers down. 

A little string seatbelt will keep everyone safe!

Yes yes! This makes sister happy!

(Thank you brother!)

It is such a good idea that Brother employs 

the same safety measure with his elephant. 

("Thank you!" says Ellie.)

And since they are all seat belted in...

why not take them for a spin?!

But just a little spin. 

Raccoon's stomach cannot take much motion.

(Sorry Raccoon.)

Maybe we should take them over to the park

and run them around?

Show them the great wide world?

Agreed! We're off!

(See how tightly they are tied in?!)

And now Mother can go make dinner.

one good afternoon for my girl

Nothing like a Bugs Bunny popsicle 

bought with your own money from the ice cream man...

Or some imaginary play with your favorite Hello Kitty umbrella

and your crafty yellow foam back pack...

Or some attempts at a perfect headstand...

...and doing it all with your dear friend.

I did not include the messy mud pie making and mud fight, 

or being harassed by a big brother, or riding scooters, 

or getting their feet wet in the hose.

These two are happy to be reunited!

If it's alien looking, my neighbor is growing it...

I pride myself in my small amount of plant and flora knowledge. This exists mainly from growing up in close proximity to my green thumb of a mother and aunt. I can name most nursery plants and some trees. I recognize a summer vegetable by its tiny sprout. 

But my neighbor's choice in landscaping often leaves me stumped. Clearly this...ummmm...plant is getting ready to burst forth with some red bloom. Perhaps I am just not as "knowledgeable" as I thought and it is quite clear to you all (mom? Debbie?). But truly, truly, I am left to wonder and guess, as I stare out my window into our shared yard, just what alien thing is morphing now.

p.s. And for all those wondering with me about this...Chinese Celery. Did I not convey its celery'ish-ness?! I was close!!

My boy. (sigh, roll eyes)

This is my son...

(who clearly needs a haircut)

Who thought it would be "funny" to fling his sock 

at the 20 foot high window.

Yeah. Smart move Maverick.

This is my son, who was told that he couldn't go swimming until he got the solo sock down from its ledge. He employed some clever tricks-- using his clean t-shirt, tied to a string, and flinging it (as well) up to rescue the sock from its perilous perch.

After over a hundred tries and near misses (and might I add, buckets of sweat later) he accomplished his task. And had a total blast doing so. 

(Seriously, it's a boy thing.)

Now, onto his next task after he returns from swimming:

to rescue the lone nerf dart from the 20 foot high window ledge.

(I know it's pathetic that I've lived in this house for over a year and I have: 1) clearly not dusted that window cubby since I've moved in, and 2) I have not painted or hung anything on the walls.

I am working on it.)

One sweet avocado and one sweet girl who loves them

A blank weekend?!

The first week of school has come and gone. 

We are heading into a weekend of absolutely nothing. 

Oh, there's been invites to this and that. 

Places we could go.

Yet we actually did what we are always saying we need to do... 

Just say no. 

(Or, no thank you, to be polite.)

So it's Friday afternoon. 

I'm coming up for air. 

Though I am thinking about all the things I have been wanting to do... 

I am hearing a quiet voice whisper, 

No...

Just come up for air...

And take a deeeeeeeeeep breath.

Ok. I think I got it. :)

Two things I noticed today...

First thing: my son is an entrepreneur. He is back to his previous school year's business...folding up post-it notes into origami stars (they're really cool) and selling them to his friends. Today he discussed his plans for expanding his business: offering "how to make and sell your own" teaching courses and then taking a piece of the sales. He's workin' his own sales pyramid scheme. I tell ya, this kid is savvy.

Second thing: I need more fruit.

The last of summer

Technically speaking, we still have over a month of summer. Yet we are on day two of school and it is hard to believe we are already into the swing of school, homework, schedules, etc.

An after-school slice of watermelon is like a fading dream... 

a whisper of a memory...

as if we have one foot still in summer 

while the rest of our body races toward autumn.

You know it's the first day of school when you head out the door in your...

Other signs that reveal that it is indeed the first day of school:

we actually use the alarm clock

breakfast is eaten at 7am (not 10am)

hubby packs lunches (yea!)

new outfits are donned

pictures are taken

uninterrupted computer time

flip flops are put in the hall closet

quiet in the car--I'm the only one in it!

(and AM radio is dialed in!)

house stays clean for more than two seconds

early bed time!!!!

Oh, and...

I've shed a few tears over another summer gone

and the fact that my kids are growing faster every moment

that it makes me miss them more and more

and more that I think too much about when they will be

grown and gone and off on their own

no longer coming home from their first day of school.

It's just days like this that mark the passage of time so clearly for me...

the weight of  it is just too much.

Just before she fell asleep...

...I snapped off some of her on the floor with her blanky. 

I thought she seemed sleepy-- lovin' on her blanky, wanting to pile it on her face.

But she got up and went down stairs to watch her brother play some Xbox (his last day of summer video game time) and before I knew it she had gone quiet on the couch. 

As I type, she is fast asleep. It's 4:52pm. Tomorrow is her first day of school and I wanted to get her in bed early. That plan is not happening.

When I was taking a picture of her I told her she looked like a mermaid.

Then I couldn't decide if I liked it better in black and white?

Letting her sleep for a little while. Then pray for me as I attempt to wake her. She is a grouchy bug when she is awakened from her beauty sleep.

One last time away

For the last few days we got away with some friends to Shaver Lake.

Here we are heading out from the docks, following the dads on their jet skis. 

The kids had some fun tubing. 

Oh, they're only going about 5mph, but by their screams it looks 

as if they're going a wee bit faster.

I spotted two mermaids...

And then the kids spotted...

THIS...

(I wasn't going any closer for fear of it leaping onto my lens. 

I'm not much for slimy legged things.)

Though I must say, I did feel some empathy for it. 

The kids carried it around like a pet...

...and built a "resort" for it.

(I'm pretty sure it was traumatized for life.)

While they made a "home" for their catch. 

I tried to spot the winged creature that left this...

We also watched Nathan work his moves.

And when I spotted some of these, I couldn't resist.

We finally headed home as the sun was setting. 

Such a beautiful place...Shaver Lake.

(I was a bit envious of Rachel's "Titanic" movie spot. Cue music. 

Click on this one for the large view and you'll "feel as if you're there". 

Such a beautiful moment.)

(Oh, and btw, I can't figure out why my pics in the last few posts have been "blotchy". They're fine if you click on them and view in the large format. Anybody know what's up?)