Oaks Fall Festival

We enjoyed our evening at The Oaks Elementary Fall Festival for the kids.  This was a new experience for us since we had never participated in the local school events.  We saw and met several of the kids' friends.  It was nice to see so many parents and to see so many of the students dressed up in the American tradition of Halloween!

Matthew chose to be Optimus Prime once again!  This child is so very easy to please.  This is he and his friend from Mrs. Burris' Kindergarten class.  How awesome that he was Megatron!

Madeliene, on the other hand, had her heart on being a bunny again this year (year 3).  Well, low and behold, those pesky bunny ears are no where to be found.  So we improvised and we think we did very well--so here is your very own Snow Fairy.  Beautiful. In hind sight, I guess I could have walked behind her the entire time with bunny ears fingers over her head.  I think I would have gotten a mega-eye roll for even suggesting such an option.

Malcolm on the other hand was a cute as anything I have ever seen.  He is our puppy dog.  He actually wore his costume without being difficult.  If you could have seen him when he was walking around in that crowd of people.  The way that his suit was cut made his little tail wag when walked. So funny. He behaved as if he owned the place. My handsome husband went as a tailgator -UH Cougars No Doubt!

What a great way to start of the "Halloweekend" as my daughter so aptly named it. When we got home we mixed the candy cauldron.  If you have ever been to my house, then you have seen and visited the candy cauldron.  At least, that is the case for any child who has visited our house.  Come trick-or-treat with us on Halloween Night!

Rainbow Fairy Cakes

Look what we made!  These are beautiful and just sweet and tasty.  They are awesome because there is so much eye candy that the kids didn't ask for icing!  Which is also great because I didn't have any on hand and I really didn't feel like "whipping" some up.  I got this idea from www.ourbestbites.com.  Check it out soon.  You will be pleased.

How do you do it?  Prepared white cake mix-divided into 5 bowls. (Actually prepare the cake batter.)  Put food dye in each and mix.  Then spoon layer the colors in any order that pleases you.  A beautiful bright result every time.  

Tips: cover your counters the dye is serious business.  Buy the gel dye not the liquid.  If you are mixing colors--light dye first then add dark.  You can even add extracts to change the flavor and it only adds to the appeal because then they smell great too!


I call these Mork & Mindy since the red and orange sort of ran together.  I still adore them though.  My family loves these and we will make them again and again.   By the way, don't you love my picture?  I love my camera--thank you dear husband.

Beautiful Weather

Don't you just love when the weather is this fine.  Low humidity and comfortable is so nice.  We are now in the middle of October!  It is time to pull out some decorations and get into fall.  I have taken several photos of my babies.  I will post them as I get them loaded.  I hope you enjoy the great shots of them.

So many moments, so few of them captured on film.  For instance, my washer caught fire today.  That was fun.  Malcolm ambushed me with a can of hair spray.  Matthew asked me which my house was "A boy or A girl?'.  Madeliene is asking questions I am definitely not ready to answer and she is getting really good at showing her displeasure.  I can't wait until she is a teenager.

Anyhow, the M&Ms (these are the "seedless" variety) have made their yearly appearance on my kitchen counter.  I wonder how they got there. No worries.  They won't be there for long.

My Visit to Grandma's

I went to see my grandmother today.  It was, as usual, a very relaxing and fun experience.  She weeds her garden before lunch and even takes the time to walk up and down her street to gossip with the other ladies.  Today she told me about another lady who tends to steal all of the neighbor's plants.  I guess asking for a cutting is out of style?  She has always been very direct but, I think she has lifted several filters now that I am grown.  It is nice to be and adult and talk to my grandma.

She taught me so much as a child, how to sew, how to grow a garden, the list goes on.  (My mom showed me some of her best tricks too.) As an adult she has taught me about honesty with myself.  She is brutally honest--to a fault many times.  But, that doesn't mean she doesn't recognize where she has gone wrong.  This is a skill that I still have to work on tirelessly.

I know that my visits with grandmother are rich now--but the days I spent with her as child were no less lustrous.  Those days are a part of who I am today.  I love that and I love her.  That is why I am happy to spend a few bucks on lunch at Burger King or the local thrift store.  I don't mind looking at all of her pieced quilts.  I love when she shows me her newest addition to her garden and then gives me a lesson on how to propagate the plants.  I enjoy listening to her talk about how healthy she is and how she thinks she will live to be 100 years old (I want her to be around when I am 100 years old).  I smile when she contradicts herself and love when she makes herself laugh.  I visit her as often as possible.

(my mom's bleeding heart grows wild in my garden) 

One day I hope to be a grandmother and to have grandchildren.  I hope to love them the way my grandmother loves me.  I hope to love them the way my mother loves my own children.  I have a lot of respect for my mothers and hope my daughter and sons will too.