31.

Such a sweet father son moment.
(cough...cough...)
My husband teaching my children the finer art of moshing.
Excellent. Oh, and just for the record...
Slipknot is not dressed up for Halloween.
Someone might have asked that.
I'm not sure who.
(whatever...women my age do not listen to Slipknot...)

Trick-or-treat halloweenie photos tomorrow...
Happy All Hallows Eve ♥
Have fun!

30.

a little heart-shaped leaf love when I opened my window this morning...

29.

Photo of the day #29.Bam!
I'm on fire.

Please take note of a few things.
First of all. the 2 coffee cups.
What's up E?
Did you get a friend?
Are you bringing her coffee?
You are so sweet.

Wrong.
They are both for me.
(said in my best Dwight voice)

I had 3 buy-one-get-one-free coupons...that expire Saturday.
I didn't want to waste free.
Hence Coffee 1 and Coffee 2.
Or.
As I loving refer to them...Breakfast and Lunch.
not that I name inanimate objects,
because that would be cA-Razy.....
sort of like incessantly quoting random songs, movies and The Office right?
the other day my dear husband actually asked me
"Do you think people that read your blog and don't know you think you're crazy?"
Ummm......
wait...
what?
What kind of question is that?!?!

we quote things up in here. lots.
like in conversation...
Even the boys.
Who have this uncanny ability to use
"that's what she said" both quickly and surprisingly accurately...
I should probably put a stop to that one ...
They also use quotes from movies that I don't know...
in reply to things I've said...
which confuses me
and
makes me think they're a tiny bit nuts.

wait a minute....
hmm....

I'm kidding.

I prefer to think that I'm funny.
Funny.
which is sort of like crazy but without the yikes factor.

Ok.
Also please notice my new birthday cd from my teenager.
love it.
Jay-Z Blueprint 3 yes...Jay-Z from Jay-C....
Anyway.
I'm enjoying my new cd in the truck yesterday,
when number one son says to me...
and I quote...

"You know women your age don't listen to Jay-Z"
(oh no he di'int...yes. he actually DID)
"Well...that's not nice. And yes they do."
"Really?!? Name one."
(at this point...for some reason...only one name came to mind, I have no idea why)
"Gwen Stefani. She loves Jay-Z and she's older than me."
(ok. and cooler. and hotter.....details people. details)
"Oh... Ok."

So. yeah. I have no idea if Gwen is a Jay-Z fan...or not.
probably not...
but I won.
so thank you Gwen.

A woman your age.
Psfff....
whatever.

Oh. and for the record.
it's raining. Seattle minus the cool. for serious.

28.

Oh dear.
I think I've done 21 photos out of 28 this month.
That's no good.
and,
I can't lie. I took this photo yesterday.

"I might wear black four years straight,
I might bring back Versace shades"
Jay-Z

bringing back the fleece no sew blankets.
zebra for me.
camo for Coley-O.
dorky, yet fabulous. Funny story.
Sometimes when Gabby and I get together we get our craft on.
I had decided back in the day,
when Jack was tiny,
we should make these no-sew fleece blankets because all the kids had them at soccer and baseyball...and it seemed only fitting that mine had some as well.
From what I understood they were super easy to make and cheap.
We also decided they'd be great cheap beach throws.
So off we went to get the fleece.
Clearly, we had no clue what we were doing...
and ended up getting the world's most expensive fleece.
Honestly when all was said and done we spent at least $50.
That would be for two blankets.
One for me.
One for her.
Grant it they were large, and the fleece was much nicer than subsequent blankets I've made...but whoa.

6-7 years later...
Somewhere in that time, I ended up making a soccer one.
And those two blankets have been the BEST early morning sporting event blankets ever.(spendy ridiculous blanket on the left....cheap blanket on the right)

Of course the cutie pie print on the
red and blue-what kind of idiots spend that much to make a blanket-blanket
is a little babyish..
so the boys asked for a new one...
hence the camo.
and while I was cutting, I made myself one.
2 for less than $20.
cheap. dorky. fabulous.

27.

I got an orchid for my birthday.

This is Astrid.
So pretty...

Angela: Per your instructions, we have the personalized M&Ms with the baby names. This is your boy bowl, with the name "Chevy." And this is the girl bowl, with M&Ms with the name "Astird."
Phyllis: That can't be right.
Angela: Michael wrote down "Astird."
Michael: She said it is the name of a Viking princess. So...
Meredith: Ass...turd.
Michael: I know. I know. It is beautiful.

Hopefully she is a hardy little orchid.

POTD break take 106...

for Gaga ♥ Jared
he's not happy with this take...but I think he did ok...
(you get the idea anyway) :)

and one of the outtakes...just for fun.

26.

photos of my day.
by Colin and Jack.

After soccer practice in the rain we had a lovely dinner.
Then we came home and I opened presents...(I got some really great stuff)

Then we had cookie cake.
Which is not remotely gluten free...but is seriously yummy.Making a really good wish.
(which I got to make several more times because my funny boys used re-light candles)

I had a really nice day.
Growing older only means I get to spend more time with my boys...
and that's the best.

PS. Birthdays on Facebook are really fantastic...
my wall yesterday made me a happy happy girl.

PPS. Pay no attention to the giant stack of magazines on the coffee table in that first photo.

PPPS. Or my hair. Pay no attention to that either...

24.

Memphis.
Saturday.
Soccer tourney.
Bluest blue sky.
and
I forgot my camera.
(go figure)
Madman Jack photo via Jared's phone.

23.

10,001 or 3.
Ok.
actually I took like 10.
It's rainy here...so photos were inside the Italian restaurant.
providing lovely decor as a backdrop...
cough...cough...
and horrid lighting....
very helpful
but here are a few...of my tiny baby...
homecoming night.
with beautiful Claire...and one shot of Jared's two favorite people...Claire and Hanna.
Hanna wore chucks with zebra laces...
(had to add that because I knew Gab would appreciate it)
CUTE girls I tell you...how much fun were high school dances?!!? SO much fun...
I loved seeing the girls all dressed up and picking out the corsage.
(I loved less paying for all of it...but that's beside the point)

bad blogger.
poor neglected blog.
it has been a crazy busy week here....so sorry.

someone is going to the homecoming dance tomorrow...
tomorrows "photo of the day" will be photoS....
if a certain someone allows me to take the 10,001 that I'd like to.

I can not believe I have a freshman in high school....whoa.

18.

this is what soccer looks like at 7:30am and 37 degrees...
frosty. freeze-y. slippery. sloppy. muddy. and messy.
but.
kind of pretty.
(phone photo by jared)

My friend posted this on facebook, and I thought it was wonderful...
so I'm sharing it too.

16.

my camera and my computer weren't speaking yesterday.
they had a tift or something...
so two photos today.
but one is yesterday...for reals.

Any guesses what we're doing this weekend?...soccer tournament.
correct answer.
times 3. (first time with 3 playing)

aside from the soccer "gear" we will be packing...
an assortment of beverages, organic "pop-tarts", and whole wheat bagels w/ cream cheese (for breakfast), sandwiches/roll-ups, pretzels, goldfish, all-fruit fruit-rolls, bunny grahams, honeycrisp apples (love♥love♥love those apples I do), bananas, baby carrots, celery with pb, cereal in baggies, granola bars and popcorn.
holy cow.
soccer makes boys hungry.
anyone want to come with us?
we have plenty of snacks...

15.

My sister commented on this post

"gabbyfek said...
tell jackman i want one of those for my crepe paper flowers,
please. xoxoxox"

only funny,
because I'd already done this with mine.great minds I tell ya....great minds....

***ETA: Yes. Super simple. Just Modge Podge (I almost used glue as I couldn't find said podge right away...I'm sure it would work the same) and tissue paper randomly cut up.

14. birthday remembrance cheesecake

Alex's birthday...and we all know I can't make the cheesecake ♥

13. after school craftiness

when I started the photo of the day project...
I envisioned
a photo
each day
with maybe a title
but not a lot of commentary.

I have failed miserably at this, because I can't shut up.
SO.
I'm going to try for the rest of the month to do a photo a day "properly".
try. to. I. am.
:)

12.

Sharkbait.
the world's best goldfish.
that somehow manages to survive here with us despite---
often having a murky tank...
having an excessive amount of food...
"Ooooops!!! Mom!!!! I didn't mean to!"
or a tiny amount...
"Did anyone feed Sharkbait?!?"
moving from Ohio to Arkansas...
and losing two dear fish friends.

it's remarkable how well this poor fish has fared.
and now I'm kind of attached to him...
maybe....
just maybe
someday we'll get a "real" pet.
until then.
Sharkbait pretty much rocks.

***his tank is not, contrary to appearances, disco purple...
it looked pinkish in the photo...so I tried to correct it, and made it purplish...and gave up.
although...he has a lovely tail that I'm sure could totally disco if given the chance.

11.

Little behind...and playing catch up...Sunday.
French toast.
Sunny but cool.
Jared's scrimmage.
a whole box of Cheez-Its consumed.
Meatloaf-beatloaf-we-like-meatloaf for dinner.
football now.
movie later.
that photo...just because it made me smile.

10.

Saturday. Still cold and ch-ch-chilly...
The boys had soccer practice in the morning,
and then were happy to have a completely free day to go play with the neighbors.

9.

Colten's matchbox car crash,
a reenactment of a crash we saw Thursday at the four-way stop by our house.
(everyone involved was fine...but it was pretty gnarly to see)

Friday was lovely.
Well, it was rainy but lovely...
we had homemade spaghetti and meatballs for dinner,
and then went to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs together...
which made for a very nice evening...
wish I had a photo of that for my POTD, but alas....I do not.

ordinary extraordinary life

I was uploading...
or is it downloading?
flip videos...which clearly I hadn't done in awhile...
and came across this one from March.
dinner time at our house.
Colin on the phone with work.
Bad radio music blaring.
Jared trying to be funny.
voice cracking.
Jack putting just an absurd amount of peanut butter on his plate.
(We were having chili, with apples and peanut butter)
Colten being serious.
my annoying voice.
love that this is all captured on video.
cracks me up.♥

eight.

you might have noticed in Jared's birthday post a certain sparkly silver "star"
hanging over the table...
or not.
when I said something about cleaning up the decorations,
Jack said "You can clean it all up....but please...please leave this"
pointing to the star.

the next day when I was cleaning up...
I decided to move the star into the boys game room...
Jack was elated.
our Christmas star from Germany.
making our daily life just a little more festive.

here is the best advice I can give...
when it comes to birthdays,
and holidays...

save the confetti...
get the straws with the streamers...
the little umbrellas that go in drinks...
keep all the odds and ends that you can re-use
from every themed party you've ever had.
and when it comes to special days ...
pull it all out...
it doesn't need to be neat and themed and matchy...
(although that's nice too)
just do it up...
crazy...
mismatched...
fun.
take out the wine glasses...
use the soccer centerpiece,
with the sponge bob napkins,
and the fourth of july confetti.
hang things...
get out the twinkle lights...
the new years eve hats that glitter.
get a ton of different candles that re-light...
sparkle...
change color...
make sure they know that you love making their day spectacular.
it's just an easy thing to do...
but they notice...
and it matters.

Jack "when is your birthday again mom?"
Me "the 26th...are you going to decorate for me?"
Jack "OH. I can try, but it won't be as good as when you decorate for us"...

mismatched.
crazy love.
xox

7

6.

rain today.
no soccer practice.
instead
block towers.
army men.
and of course...
Godzilla.

October the 5th...aka Photo 5

For the record it's not a matter of me not doing the laundry...
it's more of a folding issue.

And...
in case it should occur to you to buy your teenage son
the world's most obnoxious
inappropriate
boxers ever made...
ones that have girls names circled and crossed off...
with little ♥ hearts ♥ everywhere...
in a moment of weakness...
when your younger children are not getting along...
and you no longer want to be shopping in the men's underwear section of Target...
if it ever occurs to you to do this...
STOP.
refrain.
just
put
them
down.
because the minute you set them on the little conveyor belt to checkout...
a nun will come up,
in line behind you...
and have to put her towel next to your son's horrid underpants.
sigh...

Also don't let your teenage son see that the photo of the day
shows his underpants.
That doesn't go over well either...
"Nice Mom...real nice"...

October 4th

tattoo sleeve love from Germany
(a glimpse into my future perhaps?)

October 3rd

4 games.
9am. noon. 1:30 and 3pm.
the littles pitched a fit about the last two (jared's games)
they wanted to go home.
until they realized three of their friends were staying.
then it was...
4 hours of bare feet.
sticky faces.
giggling.
acting like fools.
shooting on the goals.
concession stand treats.
talking.
playing.
playing.
playing.
dirty.
happy.
boys.

October 2nd

Friday was the first day of pumpkin pie concretes
at Andy's Frozen Custard.
Of course we had to go...
Jack's face is a testament to the deliciousness that is the pumpkin pie concrete.

October 1: When Good Art Goes Bad

Pretend it's still yesterday.New Nike slogan:
Just Do It, but try not to spill bright green paint that doesn't wash on out your good running shoe while doing it...

*ETA: the foot belongs to Colten. Art accident took place at school.

soccer tournaments pumpkin spice lattes baseball games carmel apples crisp air orange-and-black halloween parent-teacher-conferences my birthday pumpkin-pie-concretes carmel candles decorations apple crisp trick-or-treat the pumpkin patch hay rides
jack-o-lanterns apple cider changing leaves chili candy corn

I love fall.
love love love...
I told Tara that I'd do a photo-a-day the month of October with her.
She claims it to be much less labor intensive as the week-in-the-life project.
We shall see...
I think I am one of five scrapbookers that hasn't done a photo-of-the-day...

The idea was really well received around here...

This morning.
Jared "Mom. Why are you bringing your camera?"
"I'm doing a photo-a-day this month."
"Are you kidding me?!? When you did that week thing we had no clean laundry"
They. are. SO. demanding.
I swear...

So.
Here's to October.
Daily photos.
and
Clean clothes.