Didn’t know if I would get this done with a sick baby but we managed.  It’s always hit and miss shooting sibling groups anyhow so I was pretty happy to get anything at all in the 20ish minutes I was shooting.  Tori can’t tolerate it much longer than that – especially not feeling well.  She was really restless last night and kept mommy awake a lot.   

Don’t you just love how the Call of Duty guys can’t resist pulling the bunny’s ears?

I told Tanner and Ty to give me a mean face.  Tanner couldn’t do it and Ty looks like Popeye. 

And I would be totally remiss if I didn’t post Daddy’s pumpkin carvings.  The carving in the upper right is of the President of Jim’s company.   This one he did for work (obviously).  He used a newspaper picture and drew it on the pumpkin and then carved.  He intended to carve a Call of Duty pumpkin for the boys but he got a little carved out from the project the night before so he opted for a silly one.

Have a fun evening!

Today was Tanner’s second soccer game and they won it 1- 0.    Don’t you just love it when my post title and my blog entry have nothing at all to do with my pictures?   Tanner and Noah are playing on the same soccer team and both boys are loving it.  Tori has been holding her own all day but right now is fussin up a storm which is totally out of chracter for her.  She is actually trying to climb out of her glider while strapped in and if I give her long enough I think she may be able to do it.   Something is hurting her tonight but I can’t tell what.  Nightime just gets worse with croup though.  She has a pretty mild case of it so far – she is still breathing fine.  She just sounds awful when she cries or coughs.  Looking like our little bunny may be home on her first Halloween.  Bummer.  Tomorrow is Call of Duty picture day.  I may have a very interesting shoot if my bunny is crying the whole time – which will make matters much worse with the costume dilemma I got myself into.  LOL.  

Pictures are more from the Zandi is Five series.  I am so glad that I did her pictures while her teeth were missing.  That period flies by so fast and I love gap toothed smiles.  (Well usually I do…having a gap tooth smile at 8 months is going to be a tad strange I am afraid! 

One of my favorite movies is Pure Luck.  I am remembering the scene right now where the kidnapper grits his teeth and says “OH THAT GIRL!”  Pure exasperation.

She is going to be one of “those” I am afraid.  I can’t keep her out of stuff for anything.  Today while teaching I heard a funny noise coming from under the table.  It was Tori enjoying the leftover candy coated chocolate from Ty’s M&M popcycle from the the night before that he apparently dropped under the kitchen table without anyone noticing.  It was a big fat green ice cream M&M – thus the display of colors on her face.  She doesn’t look willing to offer an apology for her actions either.    When I peeked under the table to check on her and was met with the above, I couldn’t quit laughing.  Tanner and I resumed our schoolwork sitting beside the bath tub.  It was a fun time actually because, Tanner, inspired by Dr. Seuss, wanting to write about his own world.  He named it Blue City.  It will have bird people with long tails, black water, lollipop flowers, red grass and 4 pink suns. 

Tori does have croup but as you can see, it isn’t slowing her down yet.  I only hear it when she coughs or cries and it’s worse at night (as usual). 

I noticed yesterday that her two EYE teeth have cut through but she is missing the two front teeth.  How funny is this going to look?   Just recently a friend of mine told me that one of her children did this as well.  Was it Halley  maybe? 

And Tanner did very well at the dentist today.  No problems.  Thank you for praying about that. 

Beth is such a smartie.  She knew that it would please me if she looked the part so she began to lick her paws for effect.  Wasn’t that so thoughtful of her?    And Luke…another great example of why I think smile pictures are over rated.  Gotta love a good pout.  Folks – I would say the Fall pictures were a success (if I do say so myself LOL).  Now cross your fingers for Tori, Tanner, and Ty this week.  I haven’t managed to schedule them in yet. 

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Prayer requests today:

1.  Tanner is having dental work tomorrow and they will be using laughing gas.  That scares me.  Please pray that all goes well for him.

2.  Tori is sounding croupy when she cries.  Praying it doesn’t develop any further.  Babies with croup are so scary. 

There are a zillion reasons why I am in love with my husband.  Here is one:

Before we had kids, Jim and I dreamed a lot about being parents.  I remember one particular talk we had beside Lake Pleasant years before Tanner came.   While I don’t remember all the details of the conversation, I remember enough of it.  My husband made it abundantly clear that day that if he ever had the blessing of being a Daddy – he would own the role.  He has made good on that.  Putting the boys to bed has always been Dad’s job.  It was never discussed or agreed to – just something he started doing very early on.  Brush teeth, prayers, and then story time with Daddy.  The boys rarely ask me to be involved.  They don’t like my stories as much.  I don’t tend to relay tales about squirrels with machine guns.    (True story – imagine the laughter in this household when a commercial came out with a squirrel and a machine gun after the fact).

Tonight though, the boys asked me to read a story because Daddy had disappeared from view.  Not knowing what Jim was doing, I grabbed a book and cuddled in bed with them to read Jack and the Beanstalk.  I was just about to start when Jim walked in and asked me what I thought I was doing.    When I told him we had picked “Jack and the Beanstalk” he said “Oh no.  The boys are ready for a big boy story tonight.  We are going to start reading Old Yeller.”    Ten years ago if I had to visualize my dream future I just know it would have included a still frame in my mind of a Daddy and two little boys huddled in a bunk bed reading this old familiar classic.  Tori’s drinking her bottle beside me in her glider (yes she can feed herself – has been doing that for at least a month – and yes she is still in our bedroom).  All is right with the world tonight.

Aren’t these two little darlings?  Hope is three and baby sister is 2 months old.   Hope was very fun to interact with.  She is a little talker like me so we hit it off wonderfully.  I love the picture of Gracie’s kissy lips.  She has such pretty little features.  Going to be a beauty like her sister no doubt.  These two munchkins are daughers of a long time friend of mine who I get to see too often so this little mini shoot wasn’t nearly long enough for a catch up.  We’ll have to remedy that soon. 

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Friday was family FAIR NIGHT – and it was so fun (as usual).  I know I say this every year but I LOVE THE FAIR!  What is it with all you people who hate the fair?  I don’t get it!  It’s not any dirtier than any other place with a lot of people and I have never had or witnessed any type of people issues.  In fact, I rarely even see anyone intoxicated (of course we usually leave by about 11:00 so maybe we miss that crowd?).  Jodi carried a bottle of purel in her stroller (naturally) – so we were all set.

Fair Highlights:

1.  Jodi and I dream about what we will eat at the fair.  We talk about it weeks in advance.  Just call me “Templeton” .  I go to eat.  This trip I ate half a honey and sugar fried bread, half a taco fried bread, a green chili burritto (mmmmmm!) and shared some zuchinni sticks with Darin.  The hot chai was simply scrumptious but I can’t drink chai after noon or I will stay up until 4:00 AM.  Can’t believe I missed dessert.  I usually have a chocolate covered frozen bannana or ice cream on a stick but the zuchinni pushed me to the limit.  I did have a bite of a deep fried twinkie.   Could live without that.

2.  Jodi and I rode a crazy fun ride of which I have forgotten the name.  Darin, Jim and Aimee all get motion sickness so usually Jodi and I team up for the spinning stuff.  You should see us at Disney on the teacups.    At first I thought it was good old fashioned fun and was enjoying my light hearted screaming.  When I was upside down spinning back and forth on the pendelum, I was so scared I couldn’t even open my eyes and Jodi and I both went silent.  I think we were both praying.  LOL!  Our kids thought we were really cool though.

3.  I love the commercial exhibits and this year took home 2 packages of the Sham WOW and a Smooth Legs kit.    Jim was pleased that there were no mops for sale.  I wasn’t.

4.  Spending time with my family.  Doesn’t get better than that.  When we go to Disney this winter it is going to be OUTRAGEOUSLY fun!  I am getting so excited!