there's a first time for everything...

...and this year is the first official dress-up-in-a-costume halloween for our girls. You see, halloween has never been a huge deal for us. The girls play dress-up all the time so one more day in a costume was no big deal. Plus, they're still little. As long as they get some candy and pumpkin they're satisfied. Well, now that they are both a little older we agreed that this was the year! We didn't tell them. We didn't let them choose. It was all a surprise...and boy, were they thrilled! So what do you get when you have a stash of felt and fabrics in these colors? Well, you get a cute little brown mouse and a cute little gray cat.

Of course, they are better known as Tom & Jerry!

thankful thursday

I think I learned to appreciate and treasure each day, because you don't know how many you're going to be given. ~Sandra Day O'Connor, US Supreme Court Justice

If you know me, then you know that cold weather is not my favorite. However, I know when cold weather arrives there are many things to see, and do, and enjoy. And for these things, I am very thankful.

Playing in the leaves.

Playing in the snow.

Enjoying the beauty of the fall colors.

What are you thankful for this time of year?

apples in autumn

Last weekend Tim and I took the girls on a little morning trip to an apple orchard. Okay, so it was my first trip to an orchard, too. How did I live this long without ever going to an orchard? Yeah, I don't know either. It was a fun trip on a beautiful farm. The girls absolutely loved it. They could hardly wait to pick an apple right off of a tree. Miss O reached up high to get a beautiful red one, but to her surprise, it had a worm hole in it. Yuck! She got to pick another one and carry it in her pocket for the remainder of the day. Miss E reached up to get an apple, too but she couldn't pull it off. I helped her, then she carried it in her pocket, too. You know, that's what little sisters do, right? I had never seen so many rows of trees. I can only imagine how many bees were flying around there during the summer!

We went into the "shop" where all of the pre-picked apples were and it smelled like apple juice in there. The girls thought it was neat to see so many apples in the big wooden crates. They got to choose a few of their own apples out of the full boxes. Oh, there were so many different kinds to choose from....small ones, big ones, red ones, green ones, yellow ones...okay, so I can't remember any of the actual types of apples, but you get the point. Miss E is a little sad in the picture because her perfect little green apple was dropped and it rolled under the crate, never to be seen again. She chose another...then she was happy again! Oh, and the jams and jellies, and butters. So many choices and flavors...Mmmmmm! We ended up choosing pumpkin butter...like apple butter, but better!

After choosing our apples from the crates and the trees we headed down to the barn to visit all of the animals. There were goats, sheep, llamas, rabbits, peacocks, homing pigeons, turkeys, and pigs. It made me want to live on a farm right now! Well, except for the pig aroma. Man, I forgot how stinky pigs really are...I mean they're pigs!

The farm was just beautiful. We all enjoyed strolling around. Yeah, I'd like to have some land...a farm, chickens & goats, fruit trees, a big ol' garden. One day.

The girls had a great time. They were glad they wore their boots. They felt like real farm girls in their cowboy boots. Thanks, Kim, for the boots. Miss E has been wearing them ever since! What a great little trip that was!

the wild, wild mid-west???

As we were driving down the road the other day Tim and I were talking about what happened to the family of Jennifer Hudson...minus the horrific details because the kids were in the car, too. I love the Chicago airport, have been through there a few times, but evidently Chicago has some very dangerous areas. Our conversation ended like this:

Tim (talking to me): Chicago is a dangerous place. Highest homicide rate this year.
Miss O (from the back seat): What's that mean?
Tim: There are some very mean, bad people that live there that do bad things.
Miss O: Ohhhh. You mean like horse thieves and bandits?

*sigh*

another rainy 5K

(Here we are after the I Am Woman 5K race, soaking wet, still smiling.)

Saturday was my second 5K race. As the day got closer the weather forecast worsened. Oh man, not another race in the rain...and it's colder now, too. The night before the race I woke up several times, nerves I suppose, and every time I could hear the torrential downpour. I'm still going to run, I told myself every time I woke up, but prayed for clear skies by 9am. My alarm went off at 7am. I listened...no rain. No rain? no Rain! I stumbled out of bed and put on my running clothes, put my hair in a pony tail, washed my face...still sleepy, tied my running shoes so they would be just right. Ya know, tight...but not too tight, yet evenly tight. There's nothing worse or more distracting than having my shoes unevenly tight...ok, maybe it's just me. Race number -check... gum for me and my friends-check... mp3player with fast paced music-check... light breakfast-oh, I need to eat a little something before I wake up the family. I quietly go through my routine of opening all the blinds and curtains, I look out the window and... it. is. raining.
*blink*
*blink*
Raining? Raining. I.Will.Run. I am still going to run. I've run in the rain before and I'll do it again. I check the temperature and thankfully it is already 55 degrees! What a joy! It won't be that cold after all. So now, breakfast-check... hat-check... raincoat-check... no mp3 player now, the rain would kill it. Everyone is awake and wishing me well. Now, it's pouring! Oh well. Off to the race I go. Kim and Heather are all prepared for the rain, too. The race begins in the pouring rain but about a mile in the rain lets up, only sprinkling now and the raincoat comes off. It's not easy to run with a stupid coat tied around the waist. Looking back, I should have just tossed it off to the side of the course, I could have gone back to get it after the race, oh well, live run and learn. I kept a good pace, but not as fast as I would have liked. I really think that my fast music would have helped...again, oh well. I did beat my own time by 5 minutes! Yippee!! So I am thrilled about that. Both of my friends killed my time. They beat their own times from our first race and they surpassed what their new goal was for this race! Yay! All in all, I'm pleased with my run, but I'd like to do better. I'd like to run a race when it's not raining so I can have some music to keep me moving along faster. I wonder what it's like to run a race when it's not raining. Hmmmmm.

playing at the pumpkin patch

It's that time of year....our annual visit to the pumpkin patch. A lot of our friends came at the same time. Oh, the fun! They got to choose a small pumpkin and paint it. This year Miss E understood that when we said paint your pumpkin it meant paint a face or a picture on it...not actually the entire pumpkin. Last year we had an entirely purple painted pumpkin. There was also a ship playground, jumpy things, huge slides, tunnels, and a tee pee. Miss O was more brave this year. She was on full blast the whole time...not at all timid climbing up so high. Alas, they are growing, maturing, and turning into big kids. The morning warmed up nicely and there was very little wind, so it was a perfect day for the pumpkin patch. I'd say they were pretty worn out by the time we left.

thankful thursday

"It isn't what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what you have in your heart." ~Author Unknown
(I know this quote isn't referring to motherhood, but when I read it I was reminded of how full my heart is....and sometimes my pockets!)


~As I put my hands in my pockets to warm them I found a used tissue. I am thankful for the snot-nosed little girl that gave me a hug this morning...and hid her tissue in my pocket.
~As I searched in my purse for a pen the other day I found a little pile of sunflower seeds. I am thankful for the inquisitive, flower-loving girl that wanted to save some seeds from our sunflowers so we could plant them next year and enjoy another summer of really big, totally tall sunflowers.
~As I sorted the laundry to wash yet another load I found a band-aid in a little pocket. I am thankful that sometimes a kiss on a boo boo and big hug makes everything all better.

14 years and counting

October 21, 1994

was the day Tim and I got married.

(oh what young 'uns we were)

In honor of this most special day, celebrating our 14 years of marriage, I will tell you 14 reasons why I am so blessed.

1. Tim is God's chosen one for me.
2. Tim is the head of our home.
3. Tim is faithful and honest.
4. Tim is very, very funny...although it took a few years for me to "get it"
5. Tim makes me cry...from laughing so much. Being able to laugh together, on a daily basis, is a gift.
6. Tim is a wonderful provider for our family...which enables me to stay at home with our children.
7. Tim is the smartest person I know. He is full of wisdom and common sense.
8. Tim is a man of details in action, not in words.
9. Tim is mechanically inclined and a computer genius. (I have a great deficit in both areas so his knowledge is even more appreciated)
10. Tim takes care of me and loves me the way I am.
11. Tim is a wonderful, playful, soft-hearted Daddy to our girls.
12. Tim is encouraging and supportive in all that we do.
13. Tim is such a wonderful husband that I can't believe we've been married for 14 year
14. Oh, and did I mention that he's pretty darn handsome? Well, he is.

Do I look a little nervous here? Maybe it's hunger...looks like I could use a little meat on my bones.

brrrrrr!

This morning it is actually below freezing...BELOW FREEZING! There is frost on everything! Poor Tim had to use the scraper. Just the other day it was 80 degrees, now it's 30 degrees. Am I really going to have to break out the wintry clothes? I think I can hold off a little longer...don't you?

fall festival fun

Last weekend, when I originally met Adrienne, we were all at an annual fall festival held at a local historic landmark. There were so many things to see and do and enjoy. Here's a small list of things we enjoyed: listening to bagpipes, listening to some seriously good banjo playing (although not at the same time as the bagpipes), listening to great Celtic music, playing colonial children's games, learning about using a loom to make fabric, watching and learning about spinning wool into yarn, watching women make Dutch lace, witnessing butter being made in a churn, smelling the food cooking in the colonial kitchen, inspected in awe some beautiful handmade quilts, oh, and eating some bright blue cotton candy!

clothesline chronicles meets some of a kind

Some of a Kind is a blog that I have been reading since the beginning of my own blog. I have found much inspiration and entertainment through reading her posts. Adrienne is her name. All along I thought she was from northern VA but then she commented on my own blog about one of the pictures looking like a familiar place. Could we be neighbors? After a few emails back and forth we figured out that we actually do live in the same city...and neither of us are axe murderers, which is helpful when meeting people in real life that you only know from the internet. We scheduled a playdate for us the children so they could play together while we talked and got to know each other more. The blogging community is an amazing thing. There is so much creativity and inspiration out there, and so much encouragement from these women that live miles, states, even oceans away. How blessed I am to have met Adrienne. We had a wonderful time chatting while the kiddos played. Here are some pictures from our fun morning at a children's museum. Yes, that cow is what clued her in that we live in the same town, so we thought it only fitting to get a picture of all 4 kids with the cow.

Oh, and here's a picture of us.

Truth be told, after we had planned our playdate, we actually ran into each other at a local fall festival. I was walking along with the family and someone called my name. I have a hard time matching faces with names so in a fraction of a second I ran down the list...do I know her from college, work, church...before I could panic though, she said, "I'm Adrienne!" How crazy! Now mind you , I had not seen a picture of her, not even on her blog. But she recognized the girls and then realized it was me. We chatted there for a few minutes, thrilled to meet earlier than we had planned, then we went our separate ways to enjoy the festival...and looked forward to our next encounter. So there you have it! Clothesline Chronicles meets Some of a Kind.

a walk to remember

Nope, not the movie. The girls and I went for a walk yesterday. The weather was gorgeous, sunny and in the low 80's, nice breeze, bright blue sky...we couldn't ask for more, especially since it's mid-October. The thing the girls were most excited about was the abundance of dandelions in a nearby field. They picked them and blew the seeds far and wide. Simple pleasures!

We saw some beautiful fall colors...these leaves reminded us of Christmas. So there we were in the middle of autumn, with hot summer temperatures, picking the dandelions of spring, but thinking of Christmas. Okay, so the thing that made this walk so memorable was this......

a bizarre fungus growing in our yard...it's called a stinkhorn. I had to take a picture, but we didn't get close enough to smell it. The girls wouldn't go near it but it is something that they won't forget any time soon. Today it's rainy and cold...happy fall!

thankful thursday

Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:15-16

one - I am thankful for the warmth of summer stretching into autumn. **windows open wide, feet adorned in flip-flops, the last few tomatoes ripened on the vine**

two - I am thankful for active imaginations. **girls that, immediately after breakfast, are transformed into cats, then cowgirls, then ballerinas**

three - I am thankful for laughter. **not only is my husband funny, seriously, really funny, but my girls are funny, too. there is lots and lots of laughter in our house throughout the day** (between bouts of whining and teasing, that is)

tag, you're it!

Hollie from 5K, Yes Way! tagged me. I am supposed to share 6 random things about myself. I'll try to come up with things that aren't boring. I'm not making any promises though!

1. During every meal I always turn on the radio. It's nice to have the background noise. It also drowns out the eating sounds...which is a genetic irritant. All mouth noises irritate me...chewing with open mouths, loud sippy cups, gasping for air after drinking and not breathing at the same time, teeth scraping the fork/spoon, slurping of soup, milk, etc. Of course these are all things that my children do on a daily basis. I am working on not being just like my father in this area...grrrr! Background music really helps...so does nice conversation during the meals...as long as there is no food in your mouth!

2. My sister and I have naturally curly hair, but one time during my middle school years my sister put the stuff in my hair that people use for getting a perm, but instead of putting in curling rods, she combed and combed with a fine tooth comb hoping that it would straighten my hair. Uhh, it didn't work. I just ended up looking more like a lion. Not cool, man , NOT COOL!

3. I didn't discover the wonders of mousse until my freshman year of college. Wild hair be tamed!

4. While living on Molokai I learned a few hulas. Oh, yes. It wasn't always pretty, but it was fun.

5. In high school I played softball for three years...I was not very good at it/ I was a cheerleader...I was okay at it, but just not cheerleader material/ I was on the yearbook staff...I rocked at that! So yes, even back then I was a big giant nerd.

6. I like weird smells...old books, fresh new crayons, pink pearl erasers, gasoline, tomato plant leaves, fresh cut hay, salty ocean air, coconut scented sunblock, newborn babies. Okay, the first three are teacher related, the next three are all about my grandparents farm, then the next two are beachy smells, and the last...who doesn't love the smell of newborn babies?!

So there you have it. Six random things. Please don't use them against me:o)
I tag
Zoe - A Day in the Life
Adrienne - Some of a Kind
Morgan - Morgan's Masterpiece
Theresa - The Daly Tribune
Jade - Chikaustin

Later...I'll tell you the exciting story about meeting Adrienne from Some of a Kind.

it was inevitable

Last night I had my first "bad run." Bad, I tell you, bad. Out of the 4 miles I was worthless for 2 of them...side stitches, heavy legs, grrrrrrrrrr! Okay, let me give you a little more detail...so you won't think I'm a big whiner for no reason. Well, first of all, Kim and I went to the site of our next 5K so that we could get a feel for the course. A mental thing, ya know. We walked the whole thing...really fast. No, we didn't run it because it was pretty hot AND we didn't want to time ourselves. It's really hard to not check the times. Anyway, it's a nice course with only a few inclines. It looked like it would be an easier courser than our first 5K so we were pretty happy about that. Then, a couple of hours later, my family and I went to Kim's house for a delicious dinner (thanks Kim!). It wasn't a heavy dinner, but I did have dessert...not a lot of dessert, but I guess now that I think about it, I don't normally have dessert. Oh, I also had tea with dinner instead of my usual water. Then a couple of hours after dinner we went home and I put the girls to bed, changed my clothes, picked up Kim and drove to Heather's house for our 4 mile run. I drank water before I left, had my gum to chew, and tied my shoes just right. The first mile was okay, then into the second mile, which is normally my favorite and easiest mile (because it's' mostly downhill) I started with the side stitches. I didn't talk while we ran, focused on breathing more deeply, tried to run through the pain, but oh, I just couldn't. I took a few walk breaks. Then by the last mile my legs were just worthless, although the pain in my side was gone. So, what is up with that? Did I not drink enough water throughout the day? Did the 3.1 mile fast walk earlier in the day fatigue my muscles? Did I eat too much for dinner and dessert? Who knows? Any ideas, all you runners out there? I guess I was due for a bad run, but I'd like to know the reason behind it so I can prevent a bad run in the future.

shells and shark teeth

The beach is a place of relaxation for many people. It is for me. It's always been a place I have loved. From the first time I went to the beach when I was 13 years old I just loved it. Okay, so being sucked out with the strong Nags Head undertow wasn't the most pleasant experience, it was where I, a girl who loves a swimming pool, first feared the ocean's strength but was in awe of it as well. It doesn't matter to me what beach it is really, as long as there is sand between my toes and waves covering my feet with salty foam. Now, as a mom, taking my girls to the beach, instilling that love of salty ocean air, warm breezes, and sandcastles, makes the annual beach vacation even more fun. Just like so many people, we always look for shells. Seriously, how many shells does one family need? It's a calming way to pass the time. The search, the discovery, the most beautiful sea shell. Well, our family not only looks for great sea shells, because that's not enough of a challenge, we look for sharks teeth. That's right, sharks teeth. My husband and father-in-law are the masters of spotting them just as the waves roll out. It takes a trained eye to see them...and that is something that I lack. On occasion I have found one or two, but the men, well, they find 8, 10, sometimes 15 sharks teeth.

Why do I tell you all of this? Because on our last vacation I found the most! They were small but plentiful. Check it out.
Oh, but the story doesn't end there. My in-laws just got back from their own vacation at the beach and once again I was one-upped. Not only did my father-in-law find many shark teeth, it seems he hit the mother load. The following picture is of his recent findings. Although I found more teeth, he still wins. See?

Yes, those are real. He found them on the beach, he did not purchase them in a store. And just so you can see just how big that one tooth is...here is a picture of me holding it. Great googly moogly! That's huge. It's a great white shark tooth.
So, the next time you go to the beach and go for a relaxing stroll as the waves lap over your toes...keep your eyes peeled! You may just find a shark tooth or two!

thankful thursday

Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel. ~Author Unknown

Just a reminder (for myself) to be thankful for the grace and mercy that isn't earned or deserved, but given to me as a Gift.

1. my husband - He is funny and loving and encouraging, smart and knowledgeable and humble, the head of the household, the daddy of my girls, the love of my life.

2. my children - they have such different personalities, polar opposites really, yet both of them are sensitive, and creative, and funny!

3. freedom - with the election coming and many opinions flying through the air, I am so grateful that I was born in this country, our country, the United States of America....freedom.

inspire

Just a quick note to say that since running my first 5K in September my sister has started running so she can be ready for her first race...an 8K. Yippee for her!! I'm so excited! However, in traditional big sister fashion, she had to one-up me in the distance. She is a highly motivated, super competitive, all-or-nothing kind of girl so I have a feeling she's going to kill in the miles splits. I guess I have a lot more work to do before my next 5K! But wait, my 5K is before her 8K so when I give her my finishing time, she'll be sure to beat it, even if it's only by a second or two per mile. Grrrr!

Also, my girls like the idea of running now. They are always asking lots of questions and can't wait to run with me. What fun that will be! I took some pictures of them practicing in the front yard the other day when it was nice and warm.

Serious Runners

Silly Runners

So, if you think it can't be done, or if you think you hate running, give a try. It's not so bad. Trust me, I wouldn't lie. I used to be that girl, the one who didn't run. I really enjoy it now...of course, it helps to run with friends.

serious progress...seriously!

Two months ago I began walking with my friend Kim (also Heather & Morgan). It soon turned into walking and jogging...then more jogging than walking. Well, last night we went out to do our new favorite course and guess what....we ran the whole thing. Okay, so we walked about a 1/1o of a mile to warm up but then we ran the rest of it without stopping and without any walk breaks! I couldn't believe it! If you had asked me in July if I wanted to go run 3 miles I would have looked at you like you were crazy and laughed uncontrollably. It's amazing how much has changed in just two short months.

cheater, cheater, dinner eater!

A couple of weeks ago we took the girls to our local children's science museum. We always have a wonderful time there. There are so many fun hands-on activities...I love sneaky learning opportunities! They got to "milk" a cow, harvest crops, learn how silver was made and what it was used for throughout history, and much, much more.

However, each trip to the museum usually ends in the gift shop. They were having a book fair, so not even I could resist going in to see all of the goodies. They each chose a book, because I'm weak like that, and with the last of their left over beach money they purchased cheater chopsticks. I have regular chopsticks that I put a rubber band around so they can use them when we have Asian meals. But these, oh, these were so cute. They both chose pink ones...O chose a dinosaur and E chose a bunny. Very inexpensive, yet worth millions when it comes to having fun while eating dinner...without whining, complaining, or dare I say, crying. Go ahead, get some cheater chopsticks and dinner might go a little smoother. Just make sure you're not in a hurry because it does take a little longer to eat when using chopsticks.

on fairness in moderation

***updated thoughts***
Did you watch the debate? Overall, I was pleased with the outcome. There is always a lot of repetition and rehearsed answers but generally speaking I think that Palin seemed knowledgeable and sure-footed and Biden kept his cool and didn't say anything to regret later. As I sat and listened to these two people trying to connect with the American people it was obvious that Palin was very aware of the importance of looking into the camera to speak to us. Biden, on the other hand, spoke to the moderator a lot, even addressing her by name several times. Two things that annoyed me, although trivial in the grand scheme of things, were Palin's over use of the term Maverick of the Senate and Biden's constant need to number the points of his debate as he presented them. In the end, I thought the moderator managed to be pretty fair, although I often wonder where they come up with some of their questions.

Just a quick thought. The VP debate is tonight. In years passed I don't think I ever gave it much thought, but this election will be monumental no matter who wins. The first woman as VP/The first African-American as President....either way you look at it, it's a first in the history of our country. So generally speaking, the moderator for debates is a person that is supposed to represent us, the American people. Questions are to be asked that are unbiased in nature, but generally probing so that we can better learn where the candidates stand on issues that are important to us. All of us. Now I know that everyone has an opinion and an affiliation with a political party, both of which are to be respected...some I agree with and some I don't, but (and this is a BIG but) when a moderator of a very important debate is clearly biased towards one party and has even written a book supporting one candidate...how can said moderator perform the duty of conducting a debate that is unbiased? I'm not saying it can't be done...I'm just sayin'

thankful thursday

When the rainbow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth. Genesis 9:16
Now, I know this verse doesn't have the word thankful in it and it doesn't refer to being grateful to God for anything. However, what more is there to be thankful for than the promise of God in visible form? If a rainbow in the sky reminds God of the covenant He made with Noah and all living creatures...then shouldn't we be reminded of God's promise as well?


one - visual reminders of God's promise- When we lived in Hawai'i we saw rainbows at least once a month...if not more. Amazingly beautiful. Now that we're back on the mainland, and have been for several years, rainbows are a rarity. While on vacation in September we were excited to see two rainbows in one week!
two - short lived colds - Miss E had a very short cold that, thankfully, the rest of us didn't get. With the cold/flu season getting closer it was nice to avoid this first little one.three - the return of our car - Although it's been a month or so since our car broke down and we had some unnecessary work done on it, we are thankful that we finally found a knowledgeable mechanic that fixed the real problem and now we have two cars again.

birthday time for my nephew

Happy Birthday Joe!

Now your SEVEN years old...or in dog years, you're finally ONE!

Have a great day!

i don't want to be one of those...

...you know, the blogs that aren't updated very often. You check in on them with great anticipation of the next post, yet there is nothing new. I do apologize to those of you that drop in to check out Clothesline Chronicles. It seems as though time has gotten away from me. With homeschool, vacation, car drama, fall cleaning, and working a little from home...it's been just a little crazy. The working from home part is something I love, but I work most efficiently when the girls are napping, therefore work took over my blogging time. Today, I have decided to write a new post. There is so much going on here that I just can't hold it all in. My mind and my camera are both overflowing. So prepare yourselves, my dear friends, because I've got pictures and stories for you.
*We went for an afternoon walk a couple of weeks ago and came across the coolest mushrooms I have ever seen. They looked just like golf balls on a tee, but bigger, like tennis ball size. The girls wanted to pick them, but alas, they were in someones yard and I didn't want to be traipsing through their grass stealing 'shrooms. **I found some cute lacing cards for the girls to use as part of their school work. The cards have pictures of shapes and words on them...English on the front, Spanish on the back. The girls already know their shapes but learning the Spanish word is fun and the lacing part is fun, too. I think this will be a great calming activity for E, especially when O needs a little quiet time to finish up her school work. I may work on creating some of my own lacing cards so they can have more to choose from...plus, it's the beginning of simple hand sewing and embroidery skills. Now, who wouldn't love that?!

***Play dates are always fun. I try to squeeze in as many as I can this time of year. The weather is perfect and it's before the onslaught of cold/flu season. Here are a few pictures from our most recent fun times at the neighborhood playgrounds. Now you know I have a lot more pictures from these play dates, but I have to draw the line somewhere, right?

I have more fun things to share with you, but nap time is coming to an end. I must awaken my sleeping children and take them outside. The clothesline is full of happy clothes. The smell of autumn is in the air. Go ahead, open your windows and take a deep breath, better yet, go outside and let this new season wrap around you.