Sunday Snapshot

Back from the Cape today.

Long ride home.

Lots of traffic.

Rainy.  Just until we were about 45 min. from home.

By the time we got home, the sun was out.

This afternoon we decided to head out to a youth football game.

My friend Ks' son plays and her daughter cheers.

My friend As' daughter cheers.

So, we thought it would be fun to go out and support our friends.

It was fun.

Until the lightning and thunder came.

Right before halftime.

The field was cleared and with a few more flashes of lightning and cracks of thunder, the game was called.

Good thing our team was up 44-8.

It was lots of fun.

D&E found themselves helping out by selling tickets to the 50/50 raffle.  They loved that.

We may just have to make it to another game before the end of the season.

And hopefully there won't be any weather problems.

potd #272.  My friend As' daughter, A.  I love that she spotted me on the bleachers.  She was so sweet and gave me a little wave.  I waved back and pointed to my camera.  Then she gave me some great smiles.  Thanks A.  You are a sweet, pretty girl.  And you are very photogenic.

Cape Work Day

Good day today at the Cape.

Being a work weekend, we had a bunch of furniture and cleaning to do.

In cleaning out Nanas' house, Uncle T brought a bunch of things down to the house at the Cape.

A small refrigerator, a twin bed, and all of Nanas' curtains(which we just bought with her last year) were among the things he brought.

Nevermind various hassocks, end tables, coffee table, a foldable cot, and sheet sets.

So our big job today was to get the attic loft clean and move some beds around in the house.

The twin bed was set up upstairs.

And we moved a day bed that was on his sun porch upstairs as well.

And our infamous "mattress bed" is no longer.  Those mattresses were all brought to the dump.

Hubby and Sissys' Hubby brought lots to the dump.

We also moved upstairs a couple of rugs that still had from when he replaced them with new ones in his dining room and living room.

Now the upstairs attic loft is very cozy.

And we can sleep 9 people up there.

Now there is 4 twin beds, 2 day beds, 1 queen bed, and a cot.

Next spring, Uncle T is expecting another twin sized bed for up there as well.

And amazingly we know just where it will be going up there.

Here are niece K, nephew Js' girlfriend E, and D&E chilling out upstairs after we finished our hard work.
A
We have all decided that we just love the way it looks up there now.

And I will say that I vacuumed up more cobwebs, sand, and dust than I would like.

Bleck.

But now it is very clean up there.

We also moved a couple chairs that were upstairs down onto the sun porch.

Now there's a nice place to sit on the porch and enjoy the fresh ocean air.

Sissy and I along with Cape Sissy also hung some of Nanas' curtains for Uncle T in the dining room.

Hubby and Sissys' hubby got the refrigerator hooked up in the basement.

That has been designated the beer/food overflow fridge for when we are all visiting.

Brilliant idea.

Hubby and Sissys' Hubby also used the shop vac to get the basement nice and clean too.

It's amazing how much sand and cobwebs can collect.

Crazy.

It was a very productive day.

Thank goodness it was cloudy and misty outside.

Otherwise we all would have been wishing we were outside on the beach instead of inside working.

potd #271.  Cloudy, misty day at the Cape.  Still one of my favorite views ever.  Even when it's cloudy and misty.  Hard to believe it's the end of the season.  Not sure we will make it back until spring.  We will see.

Friday Snapshot

At the Cape for the weekend.

Rainy.  But still nice to be here.

Picture day went well today.

Girls looked good when I picked them up at the end of the day.

That gives me hope that they looked good for their pictures in the morning.

We shall see.

potd #270.  Lucky to get this picture taken this morning.  Cute girls.  Pretty dresses.

Picture Day Prep

It's picture day tomorrow at school.

I had an idea of what the girls could wear.

Last night I told them my thoughts for outfits for picture day.

Let's just say they were less than thrilled about my suggestions.

I think both were hoping for something new to wear.

This morning the subject came up again.

I wasn't committing to getting them something new.

I thought that the 2 tops I had in mind would be cute.

Hubby said something about the tops being nice for pictures.

E complained about just wearing a top last year.

And then she said to Hubby, "Dad, the picture is going to be in the yearbook!"

Huh.

My sweet E, who's normally happy with jeans and tops wants to wear something a bit dressy for pictures.

Cute.

So, I went out today looking.

I went to Gapkids, Old Navy, Justice, H&M, Lands End @ Sears.

Nothing.

Then I went to Macys.  Didn't think I was going to find anything.

I actually was feeling pretty negative about finding anything good at all.

And then I happened upon a rack with some cute dresses.

And they were 60% off.  Woohoo!

Better yet, there were 2 different patterns in the same style of dress.

And they had the right sizes that I needed.

Oh happy day.

I was so happy to go home with 2 new dresses for D&E.

When the girls got home from school, they were ecstatic with the dresses.

They each loved the dresses I chose for each of them.

And they fit.  Yay!

Can't wait to see them all dressed up tomorrow morning.

I know they are going to look older than I am ready for them to be.

Sniff.  Sniff.

potd #269. All ready for picture day.  Es' dress is on the left, Ds' on the right.

The Worst Sandwich

Busy day today.

Out with Nana & Sissy for the day.

Ran some errands.  Took Nana to lunch at Bertuccis.

She didn't like the sandwich that she & I split.

It was a Rosemary Chicken Pannini.

At the restaurant, Sissy & I could tell she wasn't happy with it.

Nana definitely has an "I don't like this" look.  Her eyebrows get very furrowed.

She did say that she wasn't really liking it.

Her quote on the sandwich was, "they put a little of this and a little of that and made a whole lotta nothing!"  She just cracks me up.

By the time we got home she told us it was, and I quote, "the worst sandwich I've ever had."

Again, she cracks me up.

Sissy & I have decided that we are never taking her back to Bertuccis again.  Ever.

We only have a few more weeks before Nana will be heading down to Florida for the winter.

Our little snowbird.

So we've decided to head back to a couple of our favorite restaurants for lunch.

Sissy & I are hoping to erase the memory of "the worst sandwich I've ever had" from her memory.

That's going to be tough though.  Nana's pretty darn sharp at 96.

I'm thinking next May when she comes back she'll be reminding us not to take her back to that place that has "the worst sandwich I've ever had."

Sissy & I are pretty smart.  We are definitely not going to make that mistake a second time.  No siree bob.

Maybe being smart like that means we'll be sharp as a tack at 96, God willing we get there.

It has been so much fun to spend time with Nana this summer.

I'm going to miss her when she leaves in a few weeks.

And I'll start counting down the time until she's back next Spring.

potd #268.  Lucy.  I was standing by the back door this afternoon.  Suddenly I felt Lucy settle in behind me.  Next thing I knew, she had nestled herself in between my feet.  She likes to be close.  Sweet, lovable Lucy.

First of the Season

Today E & I made our first apple pie of the season.

Yum.

I've been making apples pies since I was 17.

I vividly remember the fall after my mom died, my Nana and her sister, Aunt G, came for a visit.

I really wanted to make an apple pie.

But, I had never made one before.

So Aunt G, who was a wonderful baker, told me she would help me.

She was always so good and sweet with me.  Always.

I pulled out my moms' Betty Crocker Cookbook.

We followed Bettys' recipe for Apple Pie.

I just love the way the apples get all yummy with the mixture of flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Ever since that one time, I have always made my apple pie the exact way that Aunt G showed me.

And I think of her each time.

Last year D&E helped a few times when I made pies.

Today,  I peeled the apples and let E cut the apples into chunks.

And then she did the measuring of the flour and sugar.

I measured out the cinnamon and nutmeg.

I have made so many pies since that 1st time, I have it memorized.

I should write it down though.  It's good to have certain recipes written.  This is one of them.

E even said something to me about not needing to look at a recipe card.

There are many recipes of my moms' that I wish she had written down on paper.

Her spaghetti sauce is one recipe I wish she had written down.  I remember it being very yummy.

I digress.

D helped scoop the prepared apples into the bottom crust.

Back when Aunt G showed me how to make my 1st apple pie, we actually made our crust from scratch.

I haven't done that in years.  Not since Pillsbury came out with their very easy pre-made, unroll it crust.

It is very yummy.

Here is a picture of the finished product.  Just out of the oven.

So very yummy.

Aunt G taught me a few tricks with the crust.

Before putting it in oven, she had me brush it with milk.  Not egg white like many recipes call for.

Also, she had me wrap the crust edges with foil.  Sure, they sell fancy kitchen gadgets to do the same thing.

I still like the foil best.

Then she taught me to take a couple tablespoons of butter and rub it over the crust, so it melts into the crust, with about 10 minutes left of cooking.

This trick really helps to make the crust golden brown.  And it helps make the crust flaky.

Good tricks, Aunt G.

potd #267.  Here is the pie all ready to go in the oven.  Looks good.  I will never forget that 1st pie I made with Aunt G.  And now it makes me happy to show D& E those same tricks that Aunt G showed me all those years ago.

Be Brave

I came across a wonderful youtoube video today when I was on Facebook.

Hubbys' aunt posted it.

I couldn't resist wanting to post it to the blog tonight.

It is for all women & girls, young and old.

Every day,  I hope that I am helping/teaching D&E grow into strong young women.

Young women who aren't afraid to speak their mind.

Even when the truth is difficult.

Young women who can stand up for themselves.

Brave young women who aren't afraid to be themselves.

I look forward to watching them grow into those young women.

So, D&E.  Be brave.  

For now, they were both home sick today with colds.

Sweet girls who rested all day.

Should be back to school tomorrow.

potd #266.  What else do you eat when you have a cold?  D enjoyed a nice bowl of chicken noodle soup.  Ahhhh.  Good for the body.  Amazing how good soup tastes when you have a cold.  She perked up after eating.  Still not feeling great, but better.

First Concert

Today we are headed to meet up with Hubbys' Dad, his wife, and Hubbys brother and his wife.

We are attending the "Life is Good" Fest.

Sounds like there is a lot going on at this music fest.

And some of it is geared towards kids.  Should be a fun day/night.

Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds are headlining the music fest.

Trombone Shorty and his band are playing right before Dave.

It's the first time I will have ever gone to see Dave Matthews.

And it's the first concert for the girls.

Not a bad 1st concert for them to go to.

Trombone Shorty is sometimes on the HBO show, "Treme".

Here's Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue.

potd #265.  This was Ds' music selection while taking a shower this morning.  From there we moved to Superstition and then onto Kung Fu Fighting, Carwash, Blondies' Rapture, Beastie Boys' No Sleep Til Brooklyn, Dropkick Murphys' Shipping Up To Boston, and finally Come On Eileen.  Fun music.

Yearly Get Together

Every year, usually about the 2nd or 3rd Saturday in September, we have a get together with my moms family.

We rotate at whose house we all go to for the party.

My mom had 4 siblings.  She was the oldest.

3 sisters and 1 brother.

Her brother passed away just about 18 years ago.  Maybe.  Time gets fuzzy.

Her mom & dad have both been gone for about 10-12 years.

The age difference between my mom and her youngest sister is 19 years.  Crazy.

My mom was closest to her sister, my Aunt P.  Aunt P is second oldest.

Aunt P married Uncle S.  They met when they were both in the army.  I believe they were stationed in Nebraska.

After getting out of the Army(and were married), they settled close to where she and my mom grew up.

Aunt P and Uncle S have 2 boys.  Here's the tricky part, their 1st names both start with S.  So the oldest will be S1 and the youngest will be S2.

There, that works.

My moms other sister that usually comes to these get togethers is Aunt  J.  She is married to J and her sons are J and M.  Holy moly, there are a lot of Js in that family.

This year we kind of pulled a get together at the last minute.  After having a crazy summer and time flying fast, I didn't get the invites out until just about the end of August.

As it turned out S1 and his family couldn't make it this year.  Aunt J and her family couldn't make it either.

So this year it was Aunt P and Uncle S, along with S2 and his wife T and their daughter C.

Sissy and I also decided to invite my Uncle T and Nana since they know moms' family too.

The weather turned out beautiful today.  Even a bit warm.

Cape Sissy and her family came.  Sissy and her family came.  And my Dad came.

18 of us getting together this year.

And as usual, we had lots of fun.

Lots of good food and many laughs were shared throughout the day.

The kids had fun playing.

Little C is 4.  She is a bright, funny 4 year old.

She even got my nephew J to skip around the yard.

Here are J, D, and C skipping.

E is distracted by a grasshopper.  Niece K is just watching it all.

J is such a great guy.  And yes, at 21 he is a guy.

C just went up to him, grabbed his hand and asked him to skip with her.

And he did.

With a willingness to skip like that, he is going to make a fantastic father someday.

Hopefully that someday is way far into the future.

Mostly because then I will really feel old.  Boo.

J, C, and S2 playing ball with Jack.  Jack is Sissys' dog.

We had a great day.

And we all decided that no matter who can make it in a given year, it is good to keep it going as an annual get together.

Sissy and I made plans with S2 and T for them to come visit for a weekend over the winter.

We'll get Cape Sissy and niece M to come too.

Looking forward to it already!

potd #264.  E with the grasshopper she caught.  He was a quick one.  Kept jumping out of her hands.  I had to be sure to get this picture taken quick.  Got it.  Phew.

Friday Snapshot

So glad that it is Friday.

Looking forward to the weekend.

Mini family reunion tomorrow with some of my moms' family.

We don't get to see them much, but we make sure we all get together once a year.

And it's usually somewhere in the middle of September.

We are hosting it this year.

I am ever so glad that the weather looks to be good.

potd #263.  Oh, Lucy.  You are just too sweet.  Got this picture as she was looking at Hubby sit in his chair tonight.  If that's not a gaze of love, I don't know what is!

Words

Here are some words that can describe my day.

Word #1: Overwhelmed.

The response to my Distressed and Distraught was overwhelming.

I love writing my blog.  And on a normal day, I get about 30-40 pageviews.

Between 8pm last night and 8pm tonight, my blog received 449 pageviews.

How is that for overwhelming.

Just from a few links on Facebook.  Wow.

Word #2:  Thankful 

I am thankful for my friends.

I am thankful for all those that took the time to leave a comment on yesterdays' blog.

I am thankful for all those that left comments on my Facebook page.

I am thankful for all of those who know R and are astounded at what has happened to her.

Word #3:  Choices.

What happens matters.

The title of my blog.

And, oh how true those words are in life.

The title comes from a movie, Ghost Town.

Here is the quote from the movie, "We get just the one life, you know.  Just one. You can't live someone elses' or think it's more important just because it's more dramatic. What happens matters.  Maybe only to us, but it matters."

We all get just one life to live.

What we do with that life is what makes us the person we are to others.

I choose to be a good wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, citizen.

I choose to surround myself with others who live life similarly to myself.

I choose to have friends who help make me a better person.

Sure, I have my faults.  But I sure do hope my positive qualities outweigh the negative.

Words #4,5,6: Good, Kind, Helpful.

Everyday ever since the 1st day of Kindergarten, I have sent the girls off to school with a little phrase.

Be good.  Be kind.  Be helpful.

What does that mean, you ask?

Be good.  That's pretty easy.  All I ask is that they use good manners.  Take turns. Share.  Use please and thank you.  Listen to others.  Paying attention in class.  Be honest.

Be kind.  Again, pretty easy.  By being kind to others, others will be kind to them.  To me it falls under the "do unto others what you would have done to you" rule.  As D&E want to be treated is how I expect them to treat others.  Whether the others are their friends, classmates, or any adult.

Be helpful.  Also, pretty easy.  If someone is in need, I expect D&E to be one to offer help.  A classmate in the classroom or on the playground.  Helpful is also making sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing at any given time.  And sometimes being helpful is going above and beyond what is expected of them.

I admit there are some days where I may forget to remind them to "be good, be kind, be helpful."

But, I am hoping that through the repetition over the last few years that these lessons are becoming ingrained into their character.

Now I will move on to some fun words.

Word #7: Sore

I did bootcamp on Monday and Wednesday this week.

I was very sore this morning.

Today I played tennis with friends.

I am very sore tonight.

Muscles that I didn't know I had are sore.

Supposedly sore is good for me.

Doesn't feel it right now.

Word #8:  Sick

Hubby is sick.

He came home from a business trip very late Tuesday night.  It really was Wednesday morning.

Got in about 3:30 am.  There was plane trouble.

And he was sick. Started to get a cold while away.

And for all of you wives out there, it's a "Man Cold".

Had lunch with friends A, M, and C today.

Told them about Hubbys' "Man Cold".

If you haven't seen this skit, watch.  So funny.

And A, M, and C, this is for you since we talked about it at lunch.

Enjoy.  Your husbands won't have another cold without you thinking of the "Man Cold".

potd #262.  E with her saxophone.  She loves it.  I am excited for her to learn how to play another instrument.

Wednesday Snapshot

The girls are getting ready to start 4th grade band tomorrow.

This afternoon they both wanted to try their instruments out.

So, out came the oboe and saxophone.

D was so funny.

Within a few minutes of playing she was plunking out "Red Solo Cup".

So, so funny.

E was having just as much fun playing her sax.

She gets so into playing.

I love it.

Can't wait to hear them progress throughout the school year.

potd #261.  D with her oboe.  Love it.

Distressed and Distraught

One of my closest friends and neighbor has been going through a terrible, unfair situation the last few months.

It's kind of a long story.  I'll do my best to make a long story longer.

See, this friend was a teacher in her former life. Before getting married and having kids.

She taught for a few years, then decided to become a flight attendant to see the world.

Throughout her life she has always loved children.  She has always loved working with them, teaching them, and watching them.

She and her hubby are 2 of the very best, most loving parents that I know.

My kids love going to their house.

Two years ago Hubby and I went to Chicago for our anniversary.

Needing someone to watch the girls for a couple days while the girls had school, without hesitation I asked her and her hubby if they would have the kids at their house for us.

And without hesitation she and her hubby said yes.  Happily they took my children in and cared for them as if they were their own for a few days.

She is a friend who will do anything for you if asked.  Anything.

Onto the unfair situation.

Back in the spring, she decided that after years of not teaching, she would love to get into the school system as a substitute teacher.

She loved it.  And she was having fun being back teaching.  Even if it was just as a substitute.

All went fabulous for about 6 weeks or so.

And then the incident happened.

One day in early June after subbing in 5th grade, she was called into the principals office at the end of the day.

And that is when she learned that 3 children from one class were accusing her of physically hurting them.

A girl and 2 boys are the accusers.

The girl says my friend poked her with a paper clip.  One boy claims she pushed down on his shoulder so hard that it was quite painful.  The other boy claims that she pushed him back 3 times on the shoulders to shove/move him away from the whiteboard on the wall.

And supposedly this was all done with about 10-12 other children in the room as well as the 3 accusers.

To say that my friend was stunned at these accusations is an understatement.

Within a few days she received a call from DCF.  They needed to come out and interview her.

At the interview she was informed which 3 children had made the accusations.

She was also asked many personal questions.  Way too personal questions.

The gentleman from DCF told her that he would also be interviewing the children.

Then he would write his report.

Fast forward to late this summer.  She received a letter saying that the report was inconclusive.

Basically a case of he said, she said.  Her word against theirs.

And still she had heard nothing from the school or the superintendents office about the situation.

Not even anything as to whether she could still work as a substitute teacher in the school system.

So, last week she made a phone call to inquire about working.

She was told that they would get back to her.

Yesterday morning she heard that she was no longer able/welcome to substitute teach in the school system.

She was absolutely devastated to get that bit of news.

All along we(her friends) have wondered what the process is for handling a situation like this one.

One major question that we have is: were any of the other children who were in the classroom at the time that the accusers say she did these things to them interviewed/spoken to??

I want to know this because I believe that if any or all of them were spoken too, then the truth that she did none of the things she is being accused of would come out.

Because let me be clear on what I know about my friend.  In no way did she do any of the things that she has been accused of doing.

Without a doubt in my mind, never would she ever do what she has been accused of doing.  NEVER.

And if I find out that the official process doesn't include speaking to other children that were in the classroom during an incident where accusations are being made, then that will make me lose a lot of faith in my school system.

I would also be extremely disappointed if the "investigation" didn't include speaking with other teachers or paraprofessionals that my friend worked with during her first 6 weeks of substitute teaching.

I certainly understand that children need to be protected at school from teachers/adults that could actually be harming them.

But, what I do know about this particular situation is that these accusations were completely fabricated.

It disturbs me that these 3 children have been able to make these accusations seemingly without any repercussions.

It disturbs me to think that it's children who do things like this, could grow up to be teenagers who write a bomb threat on a bathroom wall at the high school just like what happened last week at our town high school.

It disturbs me to think that when children learn that they can make things up and not get caught, that the fabrications will just get bigger and bigger as they themselves get older.

It disturbs me that the girl in this situation can go up to my friend when she sees her at dance class(when my friend brings her own daughter to class)and says hi in a bubbly manner and not know the he** she is putting my friend through.

It disturbs me that my friend has to sit on the same sideline as one of the parents of the accusers because their boys are on the same lacrosse team.

It disturbs me that my friend was considered guilty of the accusations before any investigation was conducted.

It disturbs me that because of the DCF investigation, my friend now has a record with DCF that will stay with her for the next 3 years.  And chances are any job that requires a background check(and what job doesn't these days?) that my friend applies for she most likely won't be hired.

It disturbs me that we've come to a time that a completely innocent person can be treated so poorly by a school system where her own children are students.

It disturbs me that nowhere in this process did anyone from the school system have my friends' back.

Teachers have unions.  Paraprofessionals have unions.  Custodians have unions. School secretaries have unions.

Mind you, I am not really a huge proponent of unions.  But it's unbelievable to me that with all the unions that are in the school system, there is nothing to help the substitute teachers in a situation like this one.

And as a parent and former PTO co-president, I have to say that the idea of volunteering in the school is now something that I am not sure I want to do anymore.

Because where will I be if during the course of volunteering I am wrongly accused of doing something to a child?

And certainly my thoughts of filling out my application to become a substitute paraprofessional are no longer.  Why would I willingly put myself in a position where I could be wrongly accused like my friend was?

And honestly I will be happy to tell anyone I know, or hear of, who is thinking of starting to sub in the school system to think twice before doing it.

Because as far as I am concerned, it's not worth it. Absolutely, positively 100% not worth it.

Back to my friend.

She is the absolute best.

She is sweet, kind, and loving.  She is funny and witty.  And lots of times, downright silly.

She is honest, faithful, and loyal.

She is the kind of friend that I hope I am to others.

And that's why it's no wonder that through all of this, we(her friends) have been just beside ourselves with anger and frustration that someone like her is being put through the wringer by these accusations.

And because of the type of friend that she is and the character that she has, I know that she is not even capable of treating children in the manner in which she is accused.

Because of her faith in God, she wouldn't even think of bringing or causing harm to a child.

And in the future, without hesitation, I will continue to leave my children in her care as well as her hubbys'. I will do this knowing that they will be treated/cared for with love and respect and with absolutely no harm coming to them.

Because it's just not in her nature to harm children.  It's just not.  End of discussion.

So as she says, we are ready to "storm the castle" for her.  It's no less than she deserves.

R, I am proud to call you one of my best friends.  Love you.

potd #260.  Got a pedicure today with R, A, C, J, and M.  Nail polish color is "Lincoln Park at Midnight" by OPI. I love it.  It's dark and so different from my usual bright pinks.  Perfect for fall.

An Apple A Day

Yesterday the girls & I went apple picking with R and her kids, plus some extras.

It was great fun.

And just what the doctor ordered for E.

She was still complaining that her tummy hurt.

I think that it was mostly her muscles bothering her from so much dry heaving.

Apple picking was just what we needed to get her mind off of her tummy.

And you couldn't have asked for a better day.

Blue skies.  Few clouds.  Perfect mid-September weather.

Here are all the kids heading down the row of apple trees.

We had just had our tractor ride to an area of the orchard.

We were wanting to pick Jonamac apples.

The really funny thing was the trees had hardly any apples on them.

D is following S down this row of trees.

E and the boys were in another row.

Can you see there are no apples on the trees?

This is not normal.

There were lots of apples on the ground.

Can't take those.  Yuck.

I can't even remember how many times I said to R, "Where are all the apples?  I can't believe there are no apples on the trees!  This is not normal!  There's always lots of apples on the trees!"

She probably thought I was a broken record saying the same thing over and over again.

Sorry R.  Thanks for putting up with my disbelief over no apples on the trees.

So after the 1st row of no apples, we finally started to see a few apples in the 2nd and 3rd row we went down.

Most were way at the top of the trees.

So boys being boys, they decided to climb carefully on the trees to get some of those apples.

The girls loved the idea.

And before we knew it all the kids were in the trees.  Oops.

We did tell them only 1 kid per tree.

This was after finding 3 of them in a tree.

R reminded them that we didn't want to hurt/break the trees.

Sweet S up in a tree trying to pick an apple that is way up high.

Success!  She got the one she was going after.

But, shhhh!  Don't tell anyone the kids were climbing the trees.  Something tells me climbing the trees would be frowned upon.

In our defense, the trees were only climbed because those were the only apples we were finding.

The tractor really should have dropped us at a better part of the orchard to pick.  So there.

Finally the boys ventured up a few more rows and we hit the jackpot for apples.

Lots of apples. So we picked and picked.

R tried to tell her kids and her 2 extras to only put 6 apples in their bags.

Now that's funny R.  Silly R, you can't just put 6 apples in a bag.

The kids had fun.  And R & I had fun too.

At one point M, Rs' son, didn't know where he left his bag.

R told him to go find it.  She said it in her sweet southern "you better go find that back right now M" tone.

Off M went and sure enough found his bag a couple rows away.  He had forgotten it in his haste to climb a tree to get an apple.

After we had picked our fill, R & I had all the kids stand together to pose for a group apple picking picture.

They were so funny.  All I'm going to say is it is hard to get 6 kids all looking at the camera when they are in various stages of eating apples and holding bags of apples.

Ds' face makes me laugh.  Think her apple is a bit sour, maybe?

And S with her hand on her hip.  Love it.

Now, the kids were such good sports with the regular group picture that I decided to play with them a bit.

Next I told them to all put their arms around each other and lift one leg.

They fell for it.

Just starting get their legs up.  They really were so funny.

Uh-oh.  Starting to lean.

They were so willing with that pose, I came up with another.

I told them that now we wanted them to stand with both arms up in the air.

And again, they fell for it.

Arms up.  Happy apple pickers.

I decided to push my luck further to see if I could get them to do another pose.

And again it worked.  This time I told them to turn their backs to us and on the count of 3 to turn their heads and look at us over their shoulders.

1, 2....................................

3!!!!!

Such a happy, fun group of kids.  And oh so willing to let me make them do some funny poses.

I tried for one more pose and then got some grumbling.  I gave up easy, knowing that I got about 3 more poses out of them than I thought I would.

M & J.  They have been thick as thieves since Kindergarten.

Good buddies.  And pretty sweet boys too.

E likes playing video games with them.

Love this picture of J.  Lost in thought on the tractor ride back down the hill.

Happy apple pickers.  Happy Apple Eaters.  Happy kids.  Happy moms.

These are the times that matter.  Memories being made.

I think group apple picking is a must from now on.

With all the applesauce I am making, we are going to need more apples in a couple weeks.

And I haven't even made an apple pie yet.  More apples will definitely be needed for sure.

potd #259.  Lucy.  My constant couch companion.

Sunday Snapshot

We did a little apple picking this afternoon.

Went with some good friends.

Too tired to blog more pics tonight.

Will post more about apple picking tomorrow.

It was lots of fun.

Crockpot applesauce cookings as I type.

Yum.

potd #258.  Such a great group of kids.  From left to right: S, D, C, E, M, and J.  S&M are brother/sister.  C and J are friends of M.  Both of their moms are friends of R & me.  The kids were lots of fun getting to pose for pictures.  Will post more tomorrow.  Fun memories made today.  What happens matters, even for the kids.

Colorful Day

Every September for the last 3 years, our town has had a mini fall festival.

This year they added a "Color Fun" Run.  

It was modeled after the "Color Me Rad 5K".

The proceeds from the race are being used to raise money to build a handicap accessible playground in our town.

There were quite a few people that we knew at the festival and who participated in the race.

D ran into a little girl from her class, K.  D has been talking nonstop about K since school started.

I was glad to be able to meet Ks' mom.  We chatted for a few minutes.  Apparently K has been talking a lot about D at home too.

We decided we would have to get the girls together soon.  And we discovered that we live very close to one another.  Yay!

E, S with K, and D before the race.

C, R, S, and E just before the race started.

E, R, D, and Ds' friend K before the race.  Cute girls.

Just after the race started.  D is in the center.  Her face cracks me up.  

Pure look of shock.  From what, I have no idea.

Here is M, D&Es' friend.  I love how casually she is walking through the sprinkler.

They had the sprinklers going because apparently you need to be wet to have the colored cornstarch stick to you.  Aha.

Here are R & Cs' boys.  J & L in grey shorts are Cs' and M in the black shorts is Rs' son.

D and K walking together.  They were sweet.

E getting a ride from Hubby.  

Considering she was still recuping from the stomach bug and still has a sprained toe, I am amazed she wanted to even do the run.  

But she did.  And she sweet talked her daddy into carrying her a good portion of the way.

He's a good daddy.

Here's J, friend Ks' sone(and Ms' brother).  I was glad I caught him in the crowd and was able to snap a picture of him.  

He looks like he's having fun.

I just loved catching the rainbow in the sprinklers.  The light was just right.

This is probably one of my favorite pictures from today.  

I love Ms' expression as she ran through the sprinkler.  Pure fun.

And the hair is just priceless.

D and K.  Now running.  Having fun.

Hubby and E on the last lap.  

Hubby's starting to look tired.  Finally I can see some color on Hubbys' shirt.

Good grin Hubby.  I think that's the "I'm tired of carrying E on my back" grin.

Poor E.  She tried.  

After the race, there was still cups of colored cornstarch left over.

So, they had all the runners congregate and toss the cornstarch in the air.

And get somewhat hit with it.  To get a bit more colored.

I love the colors in the air.

More color in the air.  Pretty.

The kids did love this part.

I think next year if the Color Me Rad race comes back to our area, we are definitely going to do it.

J setting up and tossing his cup of cornstarch at Hubby and the girls.

It was a lot of fun today.  And the weather was perfect.

The kids had a great time.

Hope they do it again next year.  With more color!  

And we'll do the Color Me Rad race.  That will be lots of fun.

potd #257.  Happy kids post-race.  I'd say from the smiles they had a great time.