The Kids Going to School...

When I take the kids to school, Johnny rides up front with
me because, well, first of all he is BIG enough and second of
all it's easier for him to jump out where I drop him off- it's
on the sidewalk side of the car.

I'm bummed that this picture is blurry but it's the
only one I took and it shows Saila in the back.

Johnny, crossing the street to get to school. I LOVE his
Crossing Guard!! She ROCKS!! She does the BEST
job and she is DEFINITELY getting cookies from me
this Christmas! And I'm going to make her something for
Halloween too!

See, he starts the day off with a smile!

Johnny's school starts at 8:10 and Saila's at 8:40, so
we drive to her school and hang out a while till school
starts. We just talk and sometimes I crochet.

Look at how PRETTY she is!!

Waiting outside the classroom, all lined up!

Here is her Kindergarten classroom. It is soooo cute and cozy
and fun! (Yes, there is a girl crying in this picture
but she usually gets over it and has fun too!)

And for anyone wanting to ORDER!! Orbiter 500 T-shirts
are in now! Better hurry and get one while they last!!

Sunday Picnic with the Family

We all got together to wish my Tio Wily a safe trip
back to Bolivia- where my Mom and Dad are right now!!
Here is my sister Tania, my sister Rosy and me (with
little Izzy looking up at us and Marita grilling in the
background)

My handsome Rob and his LONG (crazy) hair!!

Johnny and Saila were sneaking tortillas from the
picnic tables to feed the ducks...ok, I snuck some too!

I got some really cool duck shots. There were so
many kinds there that day, including coots!

Saila and the ducks.....I swear that white one
is looking right up at her!

My Johnny boy....we figured that tortillas are
corn and ducks can eat corn....right?

A pretty, little female Mallard.

Close up of the "swan," I guess I have to take Johnny
to see a swan now- they are three times bigger than
this big, white duck was!!

Rob and me

I sooo wanted a coot picture and I got one!
My Mom always tells me that this was the bird
that first made me really belly laugh for the first time
when I was a little baby.

Tio Carlos and Tio Wily relaxing on some blankets
in the shade of a beautiful tree.

Saila took this picture. I think she really likes my
Tio Carlos a lot because he has a soft voice like her.

She took this one of him too!

Saila likes soccer and she's GOOD at it too!!

Saila playing with her little cousins (second cousins??)
Isa and Izzy- they are 3 and she is 5!

My Tio Wily with his granddaughter Valerie on the left
and Evonne (my niece) on the right- 16 and ALMOST
16 and crazy like that!!

My brother-in-law Joe and my sister Rosy

My cousin Fernando and his wife Maris
(Izzy's mom and dad)

From left to right: Marita, Mini, Valerie, Tio Wily,
Evonne and Pepe. I think this was after the Good
Luck Shots were passed around!!

It doesn't matter WHERE we are- Shadow always
ADORES coming with us!!

Then we came home and the kids- the DARLING kids!!-
they cleaned their room!!!! Johnny even vacuumed it!!
Such angels, I went and got them Smores Icecream!!
You don't EVEN want to know how MESSY it was!! And
now look how neat!! Even their beds are made! And even
tho it was mostly Johnny, they did an EXCELLENT job!!
Yay for my GOOD kids!!

Then Rob read them a story and it was GOOD NIGHT!!

Ps. Tomorrow is the Autumnal Equinox!! Please do something
outside and send your blessings out to the stars! It's going
to be a very gracious Autumn, I can FEEL it!!

Some Things Around the Backyard...

There are four beautiful Orb Weavers in our backyard
right now. They are gorgeous, giant, and good luck!!
This one built her web really close to the ground.

This one was camera shy, so she climbed back up and
headed towards her hiding place. Do you think she's
mad at me? Is she rearing up her legs??

This is the first one we spotted and she lives by the
tomatoes. They all build such gorgeous webs!

It was hard to capture this one as she was still hiding
out. This one is SO BIG!! She is absolutely ENORMOUS-
possibly the biggest one I have EVER seen!! She lives
in the "still to be figured out" compost bins that the
people before us built for the house. She must hibernate
because she comes back every year and builds her web there.

Webs are beautiful and it is so mesmerizing to
watch a spider build one!!

A strange variety of pear that grows in our
backyard- crunchy and sweet.

One of my little pepper plants. It's not doing too
well- am I doing something wrong?? I do admit
I don't always water them like I should......I was
sooo jealous of Rob's mom's GORGEOUS pepper
plants in Ohio!! Maybe they like humidity?

I know this picture is blurry but I just had to add it!
Saila planted this yellow summer squash plant and
even tho it's very small, it is still growing squash and
she is so very proud of it!

A view of the lemon tree in the backyard- I LOVE
lemon water!! Everyone should drink it, it is soooo
good for you!!

My tomato craziness!! There are 5 plants in this
container but so many more plants sprouted up from
last years crop (cherry tomatoes), that it is a
complete JUNGLE in there!! We can't even find the
tomato worm that we KNOW is in there!!

Saila with a tomato and a fuchsia blossom.

My sweeties!!

Johnny boy! ("Sweets")

Saila girl! ("Pretty")

Saila and me and some lemons.

These are some pictures of the baby surprise pumpkins
that came up by our front walk way.....these are the tiny
miniature kind that you decorate your house with. DON'T
just toss the old ones in your soil or they will grow like
crazy......or DO do that if you want some baby pumpkins!!

LOVE the curly-ness!!

I cut Johnny's hair after dinner....

My dinner idea was so pretty in the pan that I had
to take a picture! The ingredients: diced onion and
garlic, organic ground beef, spices, salt, peas, shredded
carrot, and red bell pepper. Yummy!!

I put that all over some Coconut Rice: my concoction
of brown Basmati rice, half water, half coconut milk,
salt, onion flakes, garlic powder, and dried basil.
I NEVER measure anything!! (Except for the rice!)

Before, with long hair- he's all bummed that I
"forced" him to cut his hair but, hey! The next
day was picture day!!

Side view of his crazy hair (ok, it was cute but it
needed some trimming for picture day at school!)

Out of the shower with shorter hair!

Side view!

I like it better when I can see his handsome
face, don't you??