Milk Dance

To catch you up, all 3 of you, I will have to write a series of posts since it has been so long. Why not begin with something a bit light-hearted? Life has been really full lately. Lots of work, being busy with kids, mom having pneumonia, then knee surgery. And then a tragic loss of a dear friend and mentor. More on all of that later, this is to be light-hearted after all. So to kick it all off, something fun and humorous.

I don't know what it is about my kids and dancing in the grocery store. But come to think of it, I'm the one who sort of starts dancing and they take it from there. Just a bob of the head keeping rhythm at first, then singing along to whatever song is playing over the store's system, and then it inspires an all out dance off with my kiddos. And actually when I look back on my life, I can recall MANY dance breaks in the grocery store, Home Depot, K-mart, you name it. Hmmm, doesn't everyone do that? So anyway, here is a look at Clara breaking it down in Trader Joe's a while back... Enjoy!

More Fall Stuff...

I really do love the Fall so stinkin' much. The crisp air, the brightly colored leaves, the seasonal beers, long sleeves, pretending (or not) to care about football, pumpkins, all baked goods, Fall for Greenville, the list goes on and on. So here are several pictures that sum up our October and early November...

The view at Fall for Greenville. We had so much fun. We rarely get out these days, so we lived it up and ate and drank our way down main street with some good friends.

A rare photo of me. The backdrop is that beautiful, funky old tree in Falls Park.

Melaina about to enjoy her first carriage ride kicking off her Birthday Weekend Celebration!!!

I love this picture of Melaina posing for a split second. She loved watching the horse and talking to the coachman.

A blurry pic of the whole fam, Grandma, Papa, Clara, mommy, Daddy and Melaina!

Clara meditating amidst the pumpkins at Sky Top Apple Orchard.

Melaina dubiously admitting one photo of her and her pumpkin that she picked out. To be not-so-shy, the girl doesn't love having her photo taken...

...except after helping Daddy carve the Jack-O-Lantern. (this goes out to my friend Ashley: What is that spherical object along the left side? Spooky)

HAPPY FALL, Y'ALL!!!!!

Halloween Fun

I wish Halloween came more than once a year. It is my all time favorite holiday. I have such great memories of Halloween as a child. The first Halloween I remember was when I was 5 or 6 I guess. I dressed up as Annie and went to my uncle Max's house. I guess he was having some kind of party or something since my mom got dressed up, too. I don't remember what she was supposed to be, just that she was super creepy in a teased out blond wig and scary makeup. Then for the next 5-6 years I was a witch. Not because I wanted to be a witch for Halloween, well maybe the first year, but because mom had bought a giant piece of black fabric to create this costume that would stand the test of time and Lord knows she had to get her money's worth. We were broke as a joke in those days so there was no use in protesting it. I would try to petition my case to be a fairy or a princess, but mom would just say in her most ghostly voice "Halloween is not for being pretty. It is meant to be a SCARY and SPOOKY night and what is more SCARY and SPOOKY than a witch?" Then I seem to remember a loud cackle. Humph. It was no use.

So what else is being a parent for than to make up your own rules!!! So, no witches this year for my girls, but Super Girl and a Ladybug instead. I actually do agree with my mom about the scary and spooky part, but maybe when they're a bit older. Hey, wonder if she's still got that costume somewhere. Watch out Melaina and Clara!!!! (Cackle...)

Enjoy some pics from our fun night trick or treating in the neighborhood. It all started with a visit to our friends' house, then a parade led by a fire truck, pizza at the club house, and then the trick or treating!!!

I love this costume so much. Tom picked it out for Melaina in San Francisco before she was even born and now my little Clara is sporting it.

BFFs, Super Girl and Princess

"So, you got stuck whirring your sister's old costume, too?"

"Yeah, I wanted to be one of the Angry Birds, but I can't talk yet so here I am"

The neighborhood gang...