Fall Photos

Ok, here they are at last.  2012 photos of the boys.  The first was taken in our neighborhood near a pond.  The others are at the Cahaba River near our neighborhood.  Lighting was not perfect, but good enough.  Yes, G is that tall and looks so grown up.  Yes, M is missing a tooth or two.  Yes, E is just biding his time putting up with having his picture taken waiting to go home and play.

   

  

love and hugs, B

The Right Setting

 I have been searching for the past week looking at different places to take the kids pictures for fall.  I totally missed doing pics over the summer-- better late than never.  We found this setting over the weekend and I took the kids back Monday for pics.   It is on the Cahaba River where a bridge used to go across.  Lighting was not perfect, but good enough.  Pics of the setting today and Fall photos of the boys tomorrow.

Pumpkin Time!

 A quick post to show our pumpkin patch visit and our carving for this year.  The pumpkin patch visit happened the weekend before last when M was down with strep. 
We carved pumpkins this weekend with our friend A from next door.

 Removing pumpkin guts and grossing each other out is their favorite part.

 M with a sharp instrument-- your nightmares come true.  That is actually a tomato corer; makes perfect holes if you want a pumpkin with lots of eyes.

 

 

More photos soon from the fall photo shoot with the boys.  love and hugs, B

Landscaping for Backyard

 Long time, no post.  Busy.  Really, crazy busy.  I had drawn a landscape plan for the backyard, but realized with our drainage issues (mostly flat yard with a large drain which handles rainwater from 3 adjacent yards) I knew I needed some  professional help with the installation.  Also, very tired of putting in tiny to small trees and not seeing them mature so we wanted to start with medium to good size trees in this backyard.  I will now give you the before and after photos.
Looking down the driveway view before.....

and  with Chinese elm after.....

from the corner of the driveway looking toward the back corner where the drainage rock sits (under this rock is a 6 foot pit which handles the river that flows through our yard when it rains hard--every time it rains here it rains hard.) before.....



 

and  with cryptomeria after.....

This part is my favorite since it overlooks everything we see from the kitchen, den, and our bedroom and it was desolate.  We also have not had neighbors next door, but they should be moving in within the next month or so.  We needed some privacy for our patio as well as the living areas.  Before of our side yard......

And after.... brilliant if I do say so myself.  The ginko trees with create a distracting screen for the house next door without completely filling the side yard like an evergreen would.   Plus it is a ginko: the fall color is stunning and the shape is artistically beautiful.  The viburnum shrubs will grow to 5 feet wide and 8-10 feet tall.  Good privacy screen without filling the whole side yard. OK, OK, here are the after shots...... 

 So that is one item I have been up to( with a little help from a landscaping company).  I know everyone is anxious to find out about the fall vegetable garden and children, but since living through an asthma attack with a child who has not been diagnosed with asthma (at 2am no less) and taking said child to doctor for yet another strep infection (please take the tonsils out...please take the tonsils out....please take the tonsils out...) I just do not have the energy to summarize the rest of the adventures.  Promise pics of pumpkins (not thrilling as one child was ill) and fall pics of the munchkins soon.  love and hugs, B

Fall Family Adventure

 This weekend we made a quick drive to Chattanooga in the mountains of Tennessee.  Fall color was not in force yet so we may have to go back when things get beautiful.  It was a nice day to try out Chattanooga with the kids.  We rode the Incline Railroad up the side of Lookout Mountain.....

And just imagine that our family would end up at the Civil War battlefield at the top of the mountain.  These kids love a good battlefield.

 I love a good battlefield with a view.

 Pardon me boys... is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo?  Yes,  yes it is.

 Lunch in the newly revitalized (OK, new to us we haven't been to Chattanooga in 10 years) Northshore neighborhood.  It used to be scary to get lost in Chattanooga, but now the other side of the river is terrific with cute shops, restaurants and a spectacular public park space that runs along the river.  We walked the pedestrian bridge back towards downtown then went back to the park to ride the carousel.

Our first fall family adventure was a success.  Fun was had by all and it felt good to get "out of town" even if it was just a couple hours away.  Next time we hit Chattanooga we will do the tourist traps like Rock City, Ruby Falls, and the Aquarium.  love and hugs, B

Football Photos

 Just a few photos from the last couple of Alabama football games.   Still just not in the mood to write and haven't done anything of note lately.  love and hugs, B

I Will Be Back Soon

I have been a complete slacker on the blog front.  Sorry.  I thought with the munchkins in school I would have so much free time, but it just gets filled.  It is nice to be able to complete my tasks without an audience and without constant interrogation .  I have not taken on so much volunteer duties as D had feared I would.   I teach Sunday school for M's class on Sunday morning before church, work in the elementary library on Thursday mornings,  and have volunteered for a project in each elementary classroom.  Keeping up with 3 different kids' school schedules/teacher names/projects may push me over the edge.  E simply does not communicate what he needs from me.  Luckily, the middle school teachers are good at emailing if it something that will require parents to buy supplies or help make something.  The fees of middle school and the kid asking for money for dance tickets and treats after school and this and that never end.   E is doing well in class; I love the information system the middle school uses so you can see exactly what your students has/hasn't done in class, attendance, daily grades, and test grades.  Information on this made me realize that teachers now not only have this terrific tool for informing parents, but parents have this terrific tool to see into the classroom a bit more.  What I didn't expect as I checked E's grades was PE was totally up to date with grades in place already while one of his core subjects is lacking any material at all (even attendance).   Maybe he isn't going to that class......maybe I should check on that.....
G is doing well adjusting to new teacher and more homework of 3rd grade.  His teacher is fantastic; has been teaching a long time and hasn't abandoned the common sense approach to discipline and expectations altogether for newfangled  touchy feely "we're all going to do great because I will just teach to the lowest common denominator" approach.  She also loves teaching and while she could retire she is called to teach and really doesn't know what she would do without her kids.  She is great and G and I are both going to learn a lot from her this year.
M....where do I begin with M.  He is M, but not as M as I feared and as I warned his Kindergarten teacher.  Third of 3 boys with not a single fear in the world and ready to try anything more than once and with an audience all the better.  M is just being M and his teacher has handled it well so far.  We are on a daily behavior chart to keep him telling the truth and between the ditches.  He loves K.  He loves getting out of the house.  He loves walking home from school with the big kids (mostly his new 'sister' from next door who takes such good care of him).  He hates wearing his glasses for school.  His behavior is just about where it was at the beginning of preschool last year which makes sense because he left preschool and hasn't been around classrooms of kids his age since the end of February.  His offenses this week (which were only on Monday) had to do with him trying to make other kids follow the rules; he was wrong but his heart was in the right place.
I have been to the dentist, gotten my haircut on a weekday,  been to lots of PTO meetings and other school meetings, went with the family to Nashville for Labor day weekend (love girls day with my sister T), carpooled for middle schoolers with large instruments who don't end up bringing their instruments home,  and taken care of the usual things around the house (laundry, meals, cleaning, yard).   The fun things  I have done since school started have been joined our neighborhood book club (and we are actually reading a book, not just getting together to chat),  started walking faithfully nearly every day on my own (plus walks with D some days too so I am working  up double mileage), and signed up for a 5K walk.... in Florida in March.   The 5K trip is more a girls weekend with the new neighborhood friends-- I love my neighborhood!  So fun for the kids and me.
OK so that is a bit of catch-up.  I will try to get some pics on soon, but no promises as my system for picture download and storage is still up in the air.
love and hugs, B