FYI

wynona robison

If you didn't heed my advice and come to Spark....

brooke, gladys, margie, me

big mistake. BIG mistake.

Just sayin'.

falling

I really wish we would just stay on daylight savings time all the time. I hate that it will be dark so early. I have been wishing for more hours in the day and now it will seem like less.

But I do enjoy the fall back. One more hour in the morning to loaf around and play in the bath.

osama bin mama

I got a phone call last Wednesday from the boy's teacher.

Phone calls from teachers are never a good sign. In fact, I think I might dread them more than a tax audit. At least if we were audited I could be sure that everything is on the up and up.

With the boy you just don't know.

It was explained to me that, evidently, my son told one of the little girls in his class that I was going to come kill everyone in the class.

Yes folks. Kill.

So.

An interrogation was preformed. Denials were made. Quite frankly, I don't think the kid could remember what he said the day before.

And then I thought to myself, you know, even if he did say those exact words, (and this is when I had to stop and think if I had in fact threatened to kill everyone around me because that is, sadly, a likely scenario these days), even if he did throw out such a heinous remark, I wouldn't punish him.

He's six.

And he's a boy which means that war and fighting and battle and weapons are just super cool right now.

So he talked a little smack. Then again, maybe he didn't do it at all. Who knows?

And who cares?

He's six.

And I find a certain sense of satisfaction in that he pulled out the big guns. Instead of threatening to have his dad beat someone up, he choose me.

He knows who means business around here.

The photo I took of my crab apples has absolutely nothing to do with this post. I just like it. It makes me feel all fallish and domestic and not so much like Osama Bin Laden.

runner up

Fashion really is what it's all about, BUT the treats are a close runner up.


Wilton has some really fun baking kits out this year. They really spice up your goodies.

Too bad I can't actually eat these morsels. Alas, Nazi Natalie is sticking to the one treat a week rule.

A big wet raspberry to that.

let me just reiterate that point...

The fashion.

the true meaning of fall

Fall is really all about the fashion you know. People will try to make you believe that the secular holiday's like Halloween and Harvest are really what it is all about. But around here, we believe in a higher meaning.

It's about fashion people.

Fashion.

This is Birdie's "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful, double chin and all" pose.

Oh my how I do love tights.

birds of a feather

You may be wondering what I am up to today.

Probably not, but I'm going to tell you anyway. This is Thomas in 2004. He went as a bald eagle for Halloween.

He was the cutest bald eagle this side of the Mississippi (m-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i right?).

Although, to be honest, I can't really say that I've ever seen a cute bald eagle. Surely there must be one in New York somewhere. He probably lives in Manhattan by this store that I am dying, just dying, to go to.

Five years ago I was head-over-heels happy with my baby boy. This year I am head-over-heels happy with two babies.

Isn't life grand?

For Halloween Birdie is going to be, you guessed it, a bird.

An owl to be precise.

Today I am working on her costume and carving stamps, not to mention the ever present laundry.

Just in case you were wondering what I was doing this fine Fall day.

and before i forget...

Just one thought before the warm weather slips away:

I miss the beach.

It's not so fun with a newborn who has pink Scandinavian skin.

We didn't go much this past Summer.

I missed it.

kryptonite

Moments after Birdie made her big entrance into the world.

I can't quite seem to remember a time when she wasn't with us.

Who is this little bird that has come to teach our family how to fly?


Who is this child that can melt me with a glance of her bright almond eyes?

Do all mother's love their children so much they could lick them like a cat?

In the moments before Thomas was born, he reached his chubby little hand up and took a chunk of my heart with him, claiming it as his own. He's had it ever since.

When did Birdie get her chunk?

She sucked it out of me the moment she was born and we locked eyes. The moment we recognized each other. She let me know she'd be needing her share too.

I'm the mom. I'm supposed to be in charge. But I'm powerless against these little people. They have me just where they need me.

Their smiles are my kryptonite.

Heaven help me.

And them.

boo!

I finally finished off the spooky decor on my mantle and I nearly scared myself to death. Not because my decorations are freighting, but because it dawned on me as I was sticking up the last bat that the year is nearly over.

In just two weeks I'll be taking all this down and getting ready for Thanksgiving.

You know what I say to that?

Shut the hell up.

No way is this year almost over. No. Way.

I wasn't even going to decorate the mantle this year. I'm so completely exhausted these days. Can I just tell you that within a twenty-four hour period I have been barfed on by both my children, more than once by Birdie, agreed to watch a friend's dog over night, chased said dog all over tarnation to get her to come back in the house, mopped up an over flowing toilet, changed no less than six poopy diapers, wiped up dog pee and scrubbed black icing cupcake barf from my carpet?

Believe me, you haven't seen scary until you've been to my house.

So I wasn't going to decorate. But then I thought of Thom and how these are the years he will remember and how festive stuff is the pumpkin spice of life. How could I deprive my children of that?

So the mantle was decorated and after I got over my panic attack of realizing that 2009 is almost gone, I sat on my couch and made a plan to take things as they happen and enjoy the ride.

I will just mention though that there are only 10 weeks left until Christmas. If this alarms you, take deep breaths, go to your kitchen and find something to calm you down.

Like camomile tea or Oreos dipped in peanut butter with whipped cream on top.