Trunk or Treat

It's always so much fun to go trunk or treating with our friends from Mom to Mom and this year was no diffrent! I hope I can get a chance to come back and write more about it later...Barrett hugged the box of walkie talkies that he won for best boy costume the whole way home.

Here's the crazy bunch:

Jack-in-the-box

Lightning Bug-his backside actually flashed but it was too light outside to see it.

Princess Peanut-her in the womb name!

Peter Pan--baby sister was tinkerbell

Emma as a Puppy

who needs toys?

Long time no post-super busy with photography stuff. Woke up at 5:00am and couldn't sleep-HAD to blog.

As we begin our ritual of yearly Christmas shopping during this difficult financial time for many, I am reminded of the beautiful, boundless imaginations children have and the unforeseen entertainment that can come from the simplest things.

These so-called raisin boxes were matchbox cars, choo-choo trains, and 5 minutes of quality giggle time with Gigi sliding them across the table.

Below: The boys played for at least 45 Oh-thank-you-Jesus minutes without fighting or getting into anything they weren't supposed to. There were no flashing light-up, noise-making toys. Just dirt (Kyle's personal favorite) and some spoons and one bucket which they shared beautifully (even though it looks as if Kyle is hogging in these 2 particular snaps).

Puntins!

Barrett and Kyle's first hayride

a very rare photo of me and my two boys. Okay, so it's a photo of my head and my two boys but I'll take it--Like I said these shots are rare!

Took the lil punkins to the pumpkin patch today. The weather was great for picking out pumpkins and going on a hayride! The weather was so great it didn't make for the best photos, but I suppose that's not why we go. We all had a great time! When we asked the boys afterward "What was your favorite part of the pumpkin patch?" Barrett said the hayride and Kyle said the pumpkin patch! I guess Kyle liked the whole thing.

Locks of Love...follow-up

Frinj Salon (formerly Seventeen Salon) where I got my haircut for the donation is really doing a great thing with their Locks of Love program giving the discount and encouraging people to give of themselves in this way. They called me today to inform me that they put my Before and After pictures up on their website along with my story. CLICK HERE to see--just scroll down to the link where you see my name "Jessica Starr" under September 28.

BTW, it says that the discount is 50% off with a donation, but according to my math it was more than that. I don't know why--I try not to ask too many questions when being given big unexpected discounts.

Children's Books

I know some of my friends really like the children's book called Love You Forever. However, it gives me the creeps. If you have never read it, or even if you have, let me give you an unbiased run-down. A mother is rocking her baby boy to sleep and tells him "I'll love you forever, I'll love you for always, As long as I'm living. My baby you'll be." That's sweet. Then he does something naughty when he's a toddler and she's says it again. Then time passes, she sings this when he's a teenager, and THEN, when he's and adult (and possibly married--the book doesn't say) the mom drives across town, climbs her aging booty up a ladder, sneaks in a window and picks him up and while he's sleeping and sings him this song. UM--what??? oh, that's not the end of the CHILDRENS' story. Then the old lady is too sick to hold him and the son sings the song to her while he holds her.

I am typically a sentimental sap, but when I feel my heart strings are being manipulated, I tend to pull back the other way. I was talking with my husband about this story--he is about as big a fan as I am and we are in agreement that, after the mom died, the son kept talking to her as if she were alive and started the Bates Motel. That's right, folks! You've been reading to your children the prequel to Psycho!

Now I can't just be all negative so I will recommend a book I absolutely LOVE! I just found this book called Little Boy by Alison McGhee. It shows a boy going through his days and his wonderful imagination and the joy he has with such simple things as a cardboard box, a bowl, his dog, and fallen tree. I love it because it reminds me of my boys and of childhood, and the message at the end is suprisingly deep. To me, it seems to say that their childhood shapes the men they will become. This is the last sentence "Little boy, you remind me of how, so much depends on days made of now." My boys love it because they see a little boy doing things they like to do.
This author/Illustrator pair also wrote a lovely book called Someday. This is also a great book--the child in this book is a girl for those of you with daughters.

follow us on this wild ride!

okay, so it's not wild like wind in your hair, 90 mph down the highway and we throw the steering wheel out the window, but we have fun and if you would like to keep up you can click the link the in side bar where is says Followers.

Kyle's 2nd Birthday Party

Good Morning Birthday Boy! This is you on September 20, 2008 first thing in the morning. Notice the book in your hands that has been loved (to pieces). Ahhh, you melt my heart with those big round blueberry eyes!

Blake is sporting her cool new shades she scored from the pinata.

The birthday party was a storybook theme. The cake was a dirt cake which was the Bookworm's Garden. There was an appearance by a pirate who read the story How I Became a Pirate and a 6 foot long The Very Hungry Catepillar sandwich.

The kids were all captivated by the story the pirate was telling. We found out where he hid the treasure so we dug it up and tied it to the tree for everyone to swing at!

Little Nora watched and listened to the pirate tell the story.