When someone is full of Love and Compassion, he cannot draw a line between two countries, two faiths, or two religions.

amma

Friday Blues Turned Pinkish

Click on the picture to see it larger.

The Boys were home from school today. Each at a different stage of a nasty cold. Every felt the worst this morning when she realized she was the only one actually going to school. I promised to pick her up at school so she would not have to ride the bus.

I believe once, just once I took the kids to Sonic on a Friday after school. Now, it seems, I have created slushy monsters who all but demand Sonic if its Friday and they are being picked up. It is exhausting to have to argue about why we are not going to Sonic. And though Avery got to sit in the front seat she was as miserable at the end of the day as she was at the beginning.

So I whipped out my digital camera to celebrate her misery. What else can a mother do? These are the pictures that resulted. They are randomly placed by my software program and are not in order of the way they were taken. She did not want me to take her picture at first. That is what started the covering her face thing but I am pretty good at bringing out the silly in Avery. She soon forgets her misery but no worries, she can sniff out unfairness in her world like a hound dog. Let's enjoy the smiles for a bit.

Oh, the indignity!

This was our house the evening of Halloween! Its a first for us!

The kids actually fell asleep side by side in our bed alone. There was no fighting. No complaints of someone being too close or, heaven forbid, touching another person. There was no need for prayers or tucking in or anything. This was cake, pie, you name it.

I had to actually call Edward upstairs to see the sight. He too could not believe they were all sleeping in our bed. As you can see, Avery and Cullen are actually sleeping next too each other. Someone call the Guinness Book of World Records. This is a BIG one!

And it even gets better!

Here is a little closer look for you! Not only are Avery and Cullen sleeping next to each other peacefully, but there is so much reason for major upset to be happening had they been conscious.

I can not tell you the accusations that would have went flying. And yet here they are and Cullen has no idea of the indignity that Avery has thrust upon him.

Oh but it gets better!


Let me give you an even closer view. Its just too good!

When I showed Cullen the photo he smirks and said, "What are Connor and Avery doing?"

My reply, "That is you."

To which I got a rapid mouth movement from smirk to the biggest open mouth, "huh, what?!".

Oh my goodness was it priceless!

And that ladies and gentlemen is why Mommy ran and got the camera and took these pictures.

Cullen's look was more than worth it!

Oh the joy's of parenthood. They may be few and far between but they are priceless.

Halloween 2009

Here are the kids right before we went out Trick or Treating.
The Notre Dame game was just about to start so Edward had to first torture us with setting up the VCR.

Cullen is dressed as Anakin Skywalker. I think the mask is rather freaky.
We have never let Cullen watch the end of the third Star Wars movie because it is so dark and violent. Anakin's transformation is pretty disillusioning. So he still romanticizes Anakin.
The "Lightsaver", as Cullen calls it, was a necessity for the costume. His grandmommy gave him $5.oo as part of his Halloween treat bag. He used the money to buy the weapon.

I don't think Avery had any real idea what she wanted to be though she tended towards any character that had royal blood. In the end she choice Cleopatra. Edward and I were so enthusiastic about it and we thought not many children would be dressed as her.
As you can see in the pictures there is not one pose she has chosen that is out of place for the Queen of Egypt. Not sure where she got her ideas but they are right on.

Connor chose a Transformer costume. It was his choice. He chose it fast. He is Optimus Prime, though I don't think he cares or knows who that is. But he will gladly tell anyone who asked, or doesn't ask that he is "going to be a TRANSformer." Stress on the "trans" part. As we were Trick or Treating his mask got in the way of him seeing steps, pot holes and sewer drains but he would not take it off. And though he got tired on those little legs he would not let anyone carry his candy. But carry him? Now that was ok.
This is Connor joking about trying to suck his thumb with the mask on.

Here is out action shot.
You might notice that Anakin 's trying to one shot Cleopatra.
Its funny how art imitates life.
Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

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Googles New Picaso Photography Software

Connor went to a birthday party for a little girl in his preschool class named Sydney. I took alot of pictures there of Connor and his "best buddy" John. I wanted so badly to get them onto the computer. I lost my Paint Shop Pro 9 with the computer that got fried by lightening. So I decided to go looking for a free graphics program online. Well it just so happens Google has a new program out there called Picaso. AND it is free, free, free! Here is what it can do.

This is the birthday girl Sydney. I tinted this picture of her. Her birthday color was pink. Girly girl all the way. In the picture below I did a focus only on her and let the other parts of the picture blur a bit.
Here is Connor and John. They were being very silly while they were eating. I took the picture when Connor was turning his head so it was kind of blurry on him. So I sharpened the picture dramatically to bring him into focus... then I added a film grain to hide the graininess of the sharpening.


Here is a picture of Connor's whole preschool class. They all made it to the party. Because i am so thrilled that Connor has a friend of his own I wanted to honor that in this picture so I did a focus black and white. I focused on the boys faces and everything else around it fades to black and white.

I really am in love with this program. It gives you lots of ways to not only correct your photos before saving them to your computer but you can also create collages, movies and other fun graphics. Its simple enough for the novice and gives enough added features for playing with color, texture, and fine tuning of images that you will want to give up the software that came with your camera. I promise. And did I mention that it is FREE!

My New Budgie Baby

This is Jethro. He is my new parakeet baby. He just left his nesting box a few days ago and has learned to climb the cage sides and sit on the perch with his mom.


This is his mommy. She is staying with us until Jethro can feed himself. Right now he is still begging for food. Avery wanted to call him Jeopardy which is a great name for a bird living in a house with three cats. But I liked Jethro. He is named after Mark Harmon's character in NCIS.


If you look closely you can see the resemblance. Salt and pepper hair and blue highlights. Of course, we have no idea if Jethro, the parakeet, is a male or female. We have a couple more weeks to make the distinction. But oh my goodness he is so cute. I can hardly stand it. Umm, the bird, I mean.

It's scary around here!

Avery and Connor after a visit to the Dollar Tree with their Grandmommy.

Daisy Girl Scouts

I am now a troop leader for Avery's Daisy Troop. We started this school year and there are 9 girls in the troop. Its been very fun so far. The girls have lots and lots of energy. We meet in one of the spare rooms at the Christus Victor Lutheran Church. They have been great about sharing their space.

Right now we are learning The GS Promise and The Girl Scout Law.

The Girl Scout Promise

On my honor, I will try:
To serve God* and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

The Girl Scout Law

I will do my best to be
honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.

The program is a wonderful way for girls to develop a sense of self while understanding their relationship to the community and the world around them. We will be doing some service programming to give them an idea of how they can make a difference to others. And we will be earning patches centered around the themes in the Law.

I am especially excited about the Ms President Patch. I think it will be a wonderful way for the girls to realize even at this young age that women can and have made a difference in the history of this country and more importantly so can they.