Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween. Stay safe everyone.

No real post today. Three back to back Halloween parties today (what was I thinking) plus trick or treating has left me very, very tired!

Starting tomorrow, I think I'll join NaBloPoMo, (National Blog POsting Month) where I will once again be posting every day.

Spooktacular Jack O'Lanterns

Here are the picture's of the Jack O' Lantern's I promised.

Togepi

Manaphy (front and side)

Jack Skellington
(as Einey just informed me, "but Mom, it's not Jack Skeleton, it's Skellington". And here I just thought they were having a hard time pronouncing Skeleton.)

Zero

Pre - Halloween

Growing up, I remember Halloween being a one night affair.

This year, we started with a Halloween Party thrown by my father-in-law's work. There was a haunted house, pumpkin painting (because we now have a patch of 9 painted pumpkins - one more due on Wednesday - and three carved) and snacks. Tonight, we attended their school's Halloween party. It started with pumpkin painting and make out own treat bags. Then we listened to the principal read a story and the kids paraded around the gym. And then, then it was time for the fun.

The fun being the trunk or treat. Trunk of treat was a new experience for us, although I had heard of it in the past. About 25 parents decorated the back of their car/truck/vans and lined them in two rows. The kids then proceeded to trick or treat at each vehicle. The kids had a blast - seeing that it was all their friends and it was safe since there were no moving vehicles to worry about. Oh and since we haven't had the time change yet, it was still light out. Moe, oh Moe got it all figured out. She realized once we were done and standing around the back of the van, she could walk up to the vehicles next to ours and get more candy. And then the next one and the next one, until we realized what she was doing and brought her back. But then, once we weren't paying attention, she could do it again. Didn't she do this last year? Maybe it's because she has yet to develop a conscience?

Tomorrow night we have a night off and then Wednesday is the big day. It includes two - yes TWO - separate school Halloween parties with trick or treating through the classrooms (because they didn't get enough candy already) and then the real deal at night.

The candy, oh the candy. I have enough candy to give an army cavities. I even went through and tossed ALL the candy in their candy box (stuff sitting in there from Christmas and beyond) to make way for new candy. The box is now already filled without the big night complete. And this box is anything but small. The good thing is, it all gets combined before they can lay claim to certain types of candy. Now I am just sure I'll hear "can I have candy" a million times a day.

And if that wasn't enough, we got Spooked tonight. Spooked is when a friend leaves a bag of candy on your doorstep, rings the bell and then runs. I'm pretty sure I know who it is but now have to find time to "spook" three other people. It should be easy enough with the mountain of candy we got!

Oh and the pumpkins, I have to say, Husband managed to pull off the Pokemon pumpkins the girls asked for. Pictures tomorrow as I am too tired to post them tonight.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from Einey (age 5 1/2)

Photo Hunt Staurday - Pink

You would think with three young girls, I would have plenty of pink pictures to share. But they don't wear much pink. These little guys were at a local agricultural fair earlier this fall. We were watching them when one of them decided it was lunch time and started squealing. When these nine and the seven in the pen next to them are all squealing at once, it's quite a noise. It scared the girls it was so loud!

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I'm sure you've all seen the pink in the store's this month. Every thing from candy to appliances has gone pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. WhyMommy over at Toddler Planet has been battling a rare type of Breast Cancer called Inflammatory Breast Cancer. She's been bringing awareness through her blog and has recently been featured in magazines and on FOX news. Go visit her and see some lovely pink pictures from the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure. With the love of family and Friends, she was able to participate!

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For more pink pictures, click here.

Mis -Interpretation

I thought you were going to send me stuffed shells for lunch?

I did. You didn't like them?

I liked them, but they were noodles. I wanted stuffed shells.

Stuffed shells are noddles honey. They are stuffed with cheese and sauce.

Oh, well what are the clam things then?

Stuffed clams? You wanted stuffed clams?

Yes, can I have some stuffed clams when we get home.

I can see how she was confused! My little sea food addict (yes, the one who won't eat common veggies - see below) was a tad disappointed that she didn't have one of her favorite foods that she was expecting for lunch.

All that hard work and nothing to show for it

Let me start off by saying, the girls have never really been picky eaters. They won't eat everything, but they do eat alot of different foods.

And while those different foods include the hard-to-get-kids-to-eat-veggies such as spinach, cauliflower, broccoli and eggplant, try getting a tomato or cucumber or pea or carrot past Einey's lips. Go ahead, try, I dear you too.

But then something strange started happening. You see, during the spring, I slave over making a small vegetable garden. Working the land, planting, keeping the weeds out and watering it. And by July, I can see that the fruits of my labor are about to pay off. The tomato's are almost ripe, there are snap peas in the corner and the peppers are getting larger.

But then, they're gone. All the ripe veggies are gone and the not so ripe ones left. Okay, we'll wait a few more days, we can eat them then. Oh, wait, now they're gone as well.

You see, my child who won't eat common veggies if they are put on her dinner plate (and her siblings) are like that pesky Peter Cottontail. When hey are out playing, if they spy a ripe veggie, they take it and gobble it down. If they are in the mood and there is enough, they will share them. And while Husband and I have to resort to veggies from the grocery store or farmer's market, at least we are comforted by the thought of our children eating their veggies. We'll plant again next year and maybe, just maybe, they will leave some for us.

The moral of the story, if you plant it, they will eat it.

This post was written for the Parent Blogger Network's Friday Blog Blast and is sponsored by Harper Collins and their new title, Deceptively Delicious, by Jessica Seinfeld. Answer the question below on your blog and you could win a $250 gift card for William Sonoma.

Are your kids picky eaters? Were YOU a picky eater? What have you tried to get them to eat, and what have they done to avoid eating what you’ve served? Post about your mealtime skirmishes and strategic maneuvers on your blog anytime today, October 26, before midnight PST. Title your post creatively - we’ll list them below by post name!

Attitude Child

Overheard at Soccer

"Okay kids, back on the field. It's getting dark and the Red Sox start playing in 15 minutes..."

Fell in Love....

Today I fell in love. I know, I know, I said I wasn't looking for a new one yet. I know I've also said I wasn't going to look. And I'd never buy an old one again. But this one just caught my eye. I saw it, mentioned it to Husband and that was that. A few days later, I mentioned it again because I could stop thinking about it. He admits he's thought about it as well and even researched it online. We did a drive-by and it was perfect. Well almost perfect. But we can look past a few imperfections, right? So we called to see if we could see it better.

And you know what, it was everything we ever wanted. "It" is a 90+ year old farm house. Complete with a barn (okay, so the barn isn't in that great of shape, but it could be). It has 7 bedrooms and 13 rooms all together. It has a yellow kitchen (I always wanted a yellow kitchen). It has a stone patio and swimming pool (we've always wanted a pool). It sits on just over 2 acres, which is enough for me. In the center of the stone patio, is an old fountain, but it would make a great fire pit. Or fishpond - we've both claimed it for different things. It has a tree swing and an old wooden swing set. It has an old tree house. It has a driveway! A circular drive. One where we could actually, you know, have friends come over and park in. It has a large bay window. To sum it up, it has everything we've both ever wanted and everything we've dreamed of. It is the house we've been trying to make this one. Moe's face was just one of absolute joy as she sat one the swing as we looked around the yard. Her tiny body swaying back and forth as the cool air blew in.

The price is low for it. We went in expecting it to be in need of a lot of love. But it has a new roof, new furnace new electrical. All it would need from us is new paint - more modern paint. It's in a different town with a better school system. One that if I chose, I could be tempted to send my kids to public school. It's off the main room, but not to far from the house we currently reside in, so we wouldn't have to change anything. The girls could still be on the same soccer team, play with their same friends and go to the same school.

We walked in the barn, from one room to another when Moe looks up and asks "but where are the horsies?" . No honey, no horses, but we could if we wanted too. As we walked to the back of the barn, where there were some old stalls, she again asked where the horses were.

In that hour, I envisioned parties on patio, the kids running into the pool, them chasing each other through the yard. The leaves were falling and I could "see" them running through the leaves. I could see them in the tree house. I could imagine them playing hide and seek - in the hidden stair case, or one of the many bedrooms. I could imagine coffee on our private balcony or sitting outside with a friend in the morning for a nice cup of joe. I could hear the laughter and see the joy. I could see the place where I'd plant my roses and my vegetables. I could see the barn cats we'd get because the girls always wanted a kitten but daddy has allergies. I could see the puppies chasing our older dog through the field.

But alas, as quickly as I fell in love, I knew it's too good to be true. While the house is much lower than what is expected, it's still a little out of our price range. If I was working, it could probably be done. But there are too many "ifs". If we didn't have to worry about a new oil bill (we'd be leaving a house here we never had to worry about a heating bill. Solar power is definitely a great thing). I know the market may be great to buy a new house, but it's not so great to sell an old house. And while we'd still probably make a profit off our house, I don't think it would be enough for what we need.*

And so, I sit here with a heavy heart and dream of the house I love.


*We'll find out in a week when we have the Realtor come do a market value assessment.

I saw this on a friend's blog and had to copy it. It's way to moving not to share!

Kids will be kids....

As promised in my previous post, I would post about scissors and how practical they are. Scissors are great, they are great for cutting paper, ribbon, flower heads, and other odds and ends. These are kid scissors. The girls love cutting paper with them.

See how much fun cutting paper is.

But wait, that's not paper!

So yeah, that's about 3 1/2 inches of hair from the right side of Moe's head.

This is the final look after we made an emergency visit to the hair dressers yesterday morning.


I can't say I'm overly pleased. I liked her hair better longer. Short hair just doesn't look right on her.

I should have known something was up when I saw her putting the scrapes of paper away (Moe almost never cleans up messes without alot of prodding). When I exclaimed "wow, look at the great job you are doing picking up the paper", I got this in reply:

"Yeah and my hair too".

Photo Hunt Saturday - Practical

I was having a hard time trying to come up with the "perfect" picture for this week's hunt. But this morning, it sort of just appeared. What can be more practical than a pair of scissors. There are many types of scissors out there, made to cut a variety of things. The scissors I have are kid scissors.

Tune in later for how this post came to be and the practical uses for kid scissors.

For more practical pictures, click here.

It's that time again...

Scroll down for newer posts.

For the last 7 years, we have been walking for the American Heart Association every October. Rain or shine, pregnant and 1 week postpartum, we've done it all.

Here is a direct link to our team page: Sponsor us here

We walk for family and friends who have been affected by Heart related illnesses. Did you know Heart attacks and strokes are the #1 and #3 killers today?*

This post will remain at the top until the event. Scroll down for newer posts.

*2006 statistic

Three Year Old Ingenuity

From the bathroom:

Mom, I need some help. I need to wash my hands

Okay, I'll be right there.

30 seconds later......

I washed my hands in the toilet.

.......

.........

Um, lets go wash your hands again.

But the soaps all gone. They're clean.

Soccer

With the days getting shorter, we are quickly losing our evening light at soccer practice. At the end of practice, the kids run from one end of the field, down around the opposite goal and back. Standing at the starting point, it's gotten so you lose the kids three quarters of the way across the field. We jokingly told coach that we're all going to have t oline our cars along the edge of the feld and turn the lights on. Or give the kids glowsticks or flashlights.

Looks like next week, we start practice a half hour earlier.

Broken

Our lawnmower has been broke for the last six weeks. It needed a new bolt to replace the blade and it was hard to find. We found it, only to find out that the whole lawnmower is dead. Yup dead. Had we known this six weeks ago, my yard wouldn't have more grass than a chia pet.

Today we got a new lawnmower. Now to ge tHusband to mow the lawn soon!

Communication

Communication, or lack there of, is what almost gave Husband a heart attack tonight. He was on the phone when I went to pick up his mom from work, but apparently didn't hear me tell him I had Moe with me. Two minutes after I left, I got a frantic phone call asking if I had Moe. I could hear the relief in his voice when I reassured him she was with me. I'm not sure why, but something told me to keep my phone up front in case he called for that very reason. Net time, I'll make sure he hears me before I leave with one of the girls.

Psss. I'm not here today

No one can deny that payday is their favorite day of the week. But what happens when you are no longer the employee –but rather the boss? And just how much do you pay these micro employees? And just what do their job descriptions entail?

[Click here to read the rest of this post...]

Heartwalk

The sky was blue and the air was brisk, but still held a tad or warmth. We headed down to the coast with breakfast to go (trailmix in a bag) and made it with time to spare. At ten minutes before 10, we started our walk (a bit before the actual walk started). We walked by the salt marsh, out onto the main road in and all the way to the entrance of the park. We then turned back through the campground area and ended our last mile across the white sand beach. All three miles completed in just over an hour. All done without a stroller or wagon. Einey and Meenie walked, much to their dismay, well Moe got to ride on Daddy's shoulders. Einey and Meenie started to enjoy it when we had them race to the yellow route signs. Competition brings out the best in them.

All in all, I was happy with the results. We usually do the full five miles but due to having all girls walking (instead of being carried or pushed) I was happy with three. I thought we would have to do the quick one mile loop! Overall donations were lower than our previous years, but not as bad as they could be. We raised $730 this year (bringing our seven year walk total to approximately $5,500!).

Thank you to all of you who continue to support us in this cause!

Photo Hunt Saturday - Smelly

I knew once I saw the topic, which photo I would post. This is a piece of skunk cabbage in the spring. While it wasn't stinky when we say it - it had yet to grow the leaves, its a smell easily identified in our neck of the woods. Found primarily in wetlands and swampy areas, it's pretty easy to spot. It's smell isn't too bad unless you break off a leaf, and then it's pretty foul.

For more smelly items, click here.

School Days

Just what do kids learn in school these days?

I'm constantly amazed at what Einey learns in school. I'm more amazed that these little things surprise me.

1. Reading: Einey's reading constant amazes me. No longer can I keep things from her "No that paper doesn't ask if you can go to a party", spell things I don't want her to know or write things down without her reading it. Don't they teach these things in oh, I don't know, sixth grade now?

2. Telling Time: Gone are the days when I can arbitrarily say it's bedtime. No longer can I use the setting sun (which is going down earlier and earlier now - pretty soon to be setting around 3pm) as an indicator. "But Mom, it's not 8 o'clock yet."

3. Healthy Eating Habits: Hey Einey, why didn't you eat your string beans today? Well, X doesn't like string beans. They're not X's string beans, they were yours. Yes, said conversation happened. So much for resisting peer pressure.

4. Competative sports: Did you know speed stacking was a competative sport? Apparently they even have big tournaments.

5. Music: Einey learned a new favorite song: "Yankee's up, Red Sox down" that she likes to chant over and over. We don't even watch baseball.

6. Science: Did you know A pulled out her tooth today in school? Hey C threw up in school. It was gross. Only in first grade would they be amused by this!

7. Geography: She's learning where places like Disney World, and Maine and California are. And of course with it, also comes wanting to visit these destinations.

But most of all, she's learning to have fun in a safe, enjoyable environment. She's learning more than I can ever imagine and is always happy.

This post brought to you by Parent Bloggers Network and Scholastic.com Parents .

What makes it all better?

My kids are always bumping, scratching, bruising something. It's to be expected, they are after all, normal active kids. Last week, boo-boo bear disappeared. He's our soft bear head shaped ice patch that they reach for whenever they bump. Whether they need it or not, an ice pack is the tied for first as the thing they want when they are hurt. The other item? Band-aids. I had to make a rule that no blood- no band-aid or they'd use them like water. And every time they get hurt, it reminds me of this:

Band-Aids

by Shel Silverstien

I have a Band-Aid on my finger,

One on my knee, and one on my nose,

One on my heel, and two on my shoulder,

Three on my elbow, and nine on my toes.

Two on my wrist, and one on my ankle,

One on my chin, and one on my thigh,

Four on my belly, and five on my bottom,

One on my forehead, and one on my eye.

One on my neck, and in case I might need ‘em

I have a box full of thirty-five more.

But oh! I do think it’s sort of a pity

I don’t have a cut or a sore!

They have to expect it

Every year, the beginning of October (and in collaboration with Fire Prevention Week) they teach fire safety to the kids at the local schools. There are activities, worksheets, visits from the fire department, ad most importantly, a review of fire safety rules. Meenie came home form her first year of preschool with a paper phone where the numbers nine and one were colored in. In addition, 9-1-1 was written by her on the bottom. She properly demonstrated to me on the paper phone and the play phone how to dial the number. The she remarked how she wished she had a real phone to use.

At that point, I made sure to sit and talk to her about only dialing those numbers on a real phone if there was a real emergency. I hope I got through to her, if not rebelmom, she'll be calling you guys soon.

So dispatch mom and rebelmom, just how many "extra" phone calls do you guys get during fire prevention week????

We just did our first family fire drill. The whole time I was trying to get the kids out of the house, they kept asking if it was real. They were pretty slow and skeptical. Husband wants to try a drill at night (because they have slept through the alarm in the past). He also randomly brings home his fire gear from work to show the kids what a fire man looks like so the yare not scared. We've also explained to the kids what a fireman sounds like - like Darth Vader - and that they shouldn't be scared.

I couldn't have said it better even if I tried

Today is our eight year wedding anniversary. I tried to sit and think of something to write, but I think I wrote it well last year. So I am just linking back to that post here.

Moe's one toddler act...

The scene: In her car seat in the minivan.

Welcome to Baker's Dozen, watcha want

A smollie and a coffee.

What else you want?

Um. Yes. Sugar and sour cream please.

Thank you.

It's sixteen fifty dollars. Here.

Bye. Come back yesterday.

Makes me think I spend to much time getting coffee.

Click Everyday

See the new button on my side bar? The one that looks like this:

If you click it, their sponsors will pay for free mammograms for those who need it. The more you click, the more they give.

So go. Click. What are you waiting for?

Pigs DO Fly...

Husband surprised me last Friday night, in honor of our upcoming (tomorrow) anniversary, in arranging to have his mom watch the kids overnight. The first time that did not involve a hospital in almost six years (since the night before Einey was born). Unfortunately, because his mom kept waffling on whether or not she would take the kids, he couldn't make concrete plans. And we had to pick them up by 8 am so we couldn't just drive to Boston or New Hampshire and spend the night.

So since they didn't take the kids until 5pm (we were supposed to drop them off after Einey got out of school at 3:30 but they were not home) we drove up to Mass and ate at the Outback. We cracked Aussie jokes in fake Aussie accent's all the while saying our Aussie friends would be so disappointed in us. Not to mention that they would probably scoff at the menu as it isn't true Aussie fare. It was fun to be able to relax and talk in grown up terms about grown up subjects. Without interruptions, without fingers grabbing food of our plates and eating while our food was still hot. I didn't have to share and it was very relaxing.

After dinner, we hit Toys R Us (I know, no kids and we go to a toy store) as we have a birthday party coming up and can only find Pokemon toys at TRU. We were able to actually browse and get some ideas for Christmas without kids pulling us in thousands of directions.

Then we headed home. Our plan was to stop and grab a bottle of wine and a movie. Unfortunately, we didn't think this through and forgot that alcohol is not sold after 8pm in our grand ol' state. We bypassed the movie and were going to watch one of the dozens we have at home but haven't had time to watch. Instead, I crashed on the couch at a way too early time. But I actually got a really really good night of sleep - no kids climbing into bed, no kids tossing and turning, no nightmares, no coughing. Just silence. And silence is golden.

Harvest Party

Yesterday, we attended a friend's Harvest Party. We all had a blast.

There was food, oh so much food. Chicken pot pie, beef stew, chili, homemade bread, cornbread muffins, baked mac and cheese, chicken nuggets (for the kids), buffalo wings, crackers and cheese of all kids, apple pie, pumpkin doughnuts, apple cake, bacon biscotti bread, stuffed pumpkin, apple danish, candy apples, cupcakes and cookies. I'm sure I missed something. Then there were dozens of types of October Fest beers and pumpkin spiced ales. They had apple cider, hot cocoa and spiced teas. To end the night, there was a giant bon fire where we sat on hay bales and there were fleece blankets to wrap yourself in.


For the kids, there were games and activities, pumpkin painting and cookie decorating. There was a honey comb ball to roll around in and a moon bounce to jump in. A word of advice, put the kids shoes somewhere where you could find them before it gets dark. There were soccer balls and baseballs. Frisbees and beach balls. There was an innovative bobbing for apples game where you had to use your foot to grab the apple.


It was a great way to usher in the season.


The only problem was the weather. Don't get me wrong, it's hard to find fault with a clear 85 degree day. Except when the weather should be crisp and cool. Where you should be wearing jeans and sweaters and huddling your loved one's for warmth by the fire.

Photo Hunt Saturday - Curvy

Today we took the girls to the local orchard to pick some pumpkins to bring to a friends' Harvest Party. Just look at the curves on these pumpkins! Like apple picking last week in 90 degree weather, picking pumpkins when it was above 80 just didn't seem right. The Harvest Party will likely be fun, but with such autumn staples like pot pie, homemade bread, warm cider, pies, hot chocolate and a bon fire, I just can't seem to fee l in the festive mood. Hopefully it cools down before they light the bon fire.

For more curvy items, click here.

Sign Me Up

I am the type of person you look for when you need a extra hand. I have this tendency to volunteer for everything. EVERYTHING.

Case and point, I'm active in my local MOMS Club. I already do their monthly newsletter, so when they needed a new activities coordinator, guess who raised their hand. Yup.

Last week at the open house at the girls school, guess who not only volunteered to be a room mother, but also to be on their playground fund raising committee, home school committee (PTO), development committee AND marketing committee. Yup. I did. I think however, that I may just do two of them as it's probably too much. They'll probably get sick of me. I also try to do most of the fund raising they send home as I know just how important it is to the school. Even though my yearly contract is $400, I usually surpass that.

And people know I'm a sucker for helping out. The girls soccer organization is undergoing alot of changes and will be in need of an entire new board come December. Einey's coach asks his wife if she knows anyone who would be interested and without hesitation she says "I know Whirlwind would probably help out some way". So far, I've been able to bite my tongue and not jump right onto their board.

On the town level, I have been involved for the last few years with a group that is trying to build a "Boundless Playground" - a playground geared for handicapped children where they can play side by side with all kids. And finally, all the hard work is coming to an end. They had the ground breaking last month and construction should begin any time now. My local MOMS Club is even going to be hosting a walk-a-thon to raise more money for the project. And I'm at a loss to whether I should help out or not. It was an idea I suggested and I should help out, but I hate asking my friends and family to donate to yet another cause I'd like to help.

After all, they have already generously donated to our annual family project - the American Heart Association walk. And for some reason, one I am only going to admit to you guys here, I just am not into it like I have been in previous years. Sure I'm raising money and yeah I'll walk the whole 5+ miles, but I just am not pushing myself to ask for donations.

I think I may just be burnt out.

Toys, Toys, Toys

Moe just celebrated her third birthday last weekend with a small party with friends. I didn't obsessively check the toys point of origin or give them another thought. But maybe I should have. I came across this link and my fist thought is not again. We have/had? some of those Baby Einstein blocks. They may be long gone by now, I haven't seen them in awhile and have slowly bee weeding out the baby toys.

[Click Here to Read the Rest...]

Car Seat Woes

Lately Moe wants to sit in a booster seat when her sisters aren't around. She is three and 36 pounds, so technically she doesn't meet the state requirement of 40 pounds. Neither does her 37 pound five-and-a-half-year old sister (but that besides the point).

It's been alot of hair pulling on my behalf trying to get her to sit in her seat. I've even resorted to telling her we'll leave her where we are (which upsets Meenie every time).

Today:

You need to get out of Meenie's seat and into your seat.

I don't want to.

Fine you can stay here and be the monkey girl who lives at the park. We'll come visit you on soccer days. It looks like you'll be awfully hungry though as I don't see any fruit trees.

No I don't wanna be monkey girl. The monsters will eat me.

At least she didn't fight me moving her back into her seat.

Does anyone else's child protest sitting in their seat?

Nice Matters

A few weeks ago, Jenifer at Mommy 911 bestowed me with the "Nice Matters" award. Jenifer and I grew up in the same hometown and even danced at the same dance school for many, many years. She was a few grades ahead of em in school and while I may recognize her, I really don't know her very well. I first came across her on the blog-o-sphere through a friend of a friends blog. It's amazing how small a world we really live in. Thanks again for the award.

And to keep it going, I am passing the award to:

Fairly Odd Mother is someone who has been reading my blog for awhile. She always has something nice to say in the comments. She has three children close in age to my own, so I feel a kind of kinship with her.

Who Am I ?

Recently, I was asked for a photo and blurb about who I am for the New England Mamas blog. Always being the person behind the lens, I don't have very many good photo's of myself. Having no drawing talent, I can't draw one. So I did what any sane person would do. I handed my camera to my four year old.

The results?

Um thats the bars.

Not sure what this is.

Warmer.

Even Warmer.

Okay so that's not working. Let's try giving it to the three year old.

Well I am actually in this shot...

Well since that didn't work, I'm going to have to try something else. Luckily, I have a tentative family photo shoot set up for October 15th with a friend. Maybe she can get a decent head shot for me.

31 for 21

A fellow New England Mama, Tricia from Unringing the Bell, asked if anyone was willing to post once a day for the month of October in honor of Down Syndrome Awareness month.

One thing I think of immediately is a project I am helping work on in the community. For the last three years, I have been on a committee to raise funds and help design a Boundless Playground at a local park. A Boundless Playground is a playground designed for children with and without disabilities. Their goal is to build playgrounds that children with disabilities can use, and play alongside their peers. They create barrirer free playscapes - with ramps and walkways, where all children, with and without disabilities, can play along side each other, and helping to teach lif skills throughout play. Last month, we attended the ground breaking for our local playground. Soon, the park will be filled with workers constructing the playground. In November, the MOMS Club I belong to is organizing a walk-a-thon to raise extra funds for the playground. Although I will not be actively walking, I plan on being on hand to help sell tee shirts, bears and brinks to line the playground.

So check back often for new posts!