BSM: Vision of Fall

For my Best Shot Monday, I chose this image from my trip to Sulphur Springs last weekend in the backyard of our hosts' home. It shows the ever so slight hint that fall is on it's way, and I can't be more excited.



For more visions, visit Mother May I

Friday Night Lights

So it begins. Football season is here which means Friday night high school football. First game was last night and I was looking forward to it because I have yet to see what this year's band performances are. Since Sophia is now 2, we figured we could take her and enjoy the evening as a family, which was nice. Even though he's a sophmore, I found that I still have to fight back tears when I see Domi march.

I'm a bit cranky today, but I think it's because I'm sleep deprived. I didn't get home until 1:00 am. (!) Unloading the band trailer seemed to take much longer than usual and then Domi decided to stay for the viewing of the recorded march from the game (without telling me... AND he forgot his cell phone so I couldn't call him to find where he was). So, I was a grumpy mom waiting for over an hour behind a mess of cars at the high school. And I couldn't get out and look for him because I had literally rolled out of the house wearing a tanktop (without a bra) and wasn't going to go traipse all over the band hall like that.

And then this morning, Sophia decided she was not going to let me sleep in. Ah, the joys of having kids that range from teens to a tot. I know, I shouldn't complain because it comes also comes with great stuff like this. At least my son isn't roaming the streets doing gawd knows what at 1:00 a.m. and driving around trying to find him. It's all good stuff. I've got good kids. I'm just ready for him to drive!

These are the only images I was able to capture. Why? Because my battery died. After taking only a handful of pictures. This is not the first time this has happened. So, I'm breaking down and getting me a backup battery, additional compact flash cards, and a damn camera bag to put it all in. I'm tired of missing shots.

A Lefty?

Sophia has taken a keen interest in drawing. I like how well she holds whatever she's writing with and she will sit and work intently for several minutes at a time. Her scribbles have turned into waves across the paper. She also pretends to write her name (very tiny) on the corner of the paper. I suppose she sees me write the kids' names on their artwork and is doing the same.

Whatcha think? She gonna be a lefty like her mama?

Curls and Freckles

Had to share this darling shot of Lulu. She came back today after her summer break and returned with longer curls, new freckles, and a boatload of new words. I could not be happier, as I missed her dearly.

BTW, I've created a separate blog dedicated to the kids and activities of Casa T., so I will no longer be posting those images and posts on my personal blog. Unless there are some shots I absolutely HAVE to share, I will. Or if you're one of my friends, and you'd like to continue to read about what we're doing, shoot me an email, and I'll add you as a reader.

Sulphur Springs

Went up to Sulphur Springs for Mike's annual Fantasy Football auction thingie that he attends with the Osborn clan. The wives stay behind at the (beautiful) home of Mr. and Mrs. Osborn while the men do their thang. The day started with a large lunch (of boiled shrimp and fried catfish), which my awesome honey helped prepare, and was hosted by Frank , (lawdog), and then the guys were off for the auction that lasted well into the evening.

I was unusually tired but I suppose considering it was so dang humid there, that was the reason, so I didn't get to take as many shots as I wanted. When I downloaded my images, I realized I had taken pictures of mostly the boys. I only have one shot of Miss. Olivia, but figured I'm off the hook considering, I got this gorgeous shot of her during the crawfish boil at Chris and Lori's last spring.

Oh, and our friend, the guy in the previous post below, the one with tat on his back...
This is his boy, Ethan.
Can you say cuteness overload?



The lovely Osborn home that sits on 10 acres.




Dallas and (O'Mama) Natalie

















I know the next three shots are grainy, but I'm too tired right now to go back and clean up the 'noise'.


So stinkin' cute, I couldn't resist posting this pic again. Except this one's uncropped.

BSM: Serious Art

Getting someone else's name inked on your body, I think, is a HUGE deal. I don't have any tats, nor does my husband. I don't have many 'inked' friends, so when I caught a glimpse of our good friend donning a tat on his back, I quickly snapped a shot. This type of photo is not usually what I post, however, I think it's worth sharing. I don't think there's a more meaningful tattoo, than that of your child.



For more stirrings of the heart, visit Mother May I.

Accomplishments

I think this is the first post that isn't accompanied by a photo, however, I felt very excited about a couple things my kids accomplished. Got Domi fitted for his Letterman jacket, which by the way, he earned after only his freshman year and so it was paid for by the band boosters. We added some other frills to it (you gotta have your last name printed on the back, you know), so we had to cover the costs of those added items. But how cool is that, he already has his jacket and he has an All Region Band patch which is ready to be added. And Sophia stayed dry in her training pants for over an hour, we went to the restroom, and she not only sat on the toilet, but even managed to pee in it. A lot.

These are the joys a mother experiences when she has kids that range from teens, to a tot.

Sisters

A few more from the girls' recent visit.

Helping Out

Today, C-Man's mama had an appointment, so he got to come over and hang with Sophia and I for a couple hours. He helped us assemble our new puppet rack, participated in a very animated puppet show, dug out the good ol' wooden cars, did some car stacking, and gave his seal of approval on our cool new sandbox Sophia's daddy made. Miss. Sophia enjoyed digging in his mama's backpack and found some hand sanitizer that she insisted on putting EVERYWHERE. I even found some in her tea set.

BSM: Girls, Just Wanna Have Fun

My nieces came to Austin with my inlaws, and we got a heavy dose of what teenage girls are all about. I used to be one myself, but I almost forgot what it was like. I'm used to having teen boys around here, so it was different change of pace. We had a great time, swimming, shopping, eating, and hanging out. They were wonderfully compliant when I asked to take some photos of them. I have a few more pics from our camera play, and will post those soon,but for now, I'll leave you with this image, which I chose as my Best Shot because it shows how happy, playful, and alive they are.



For more inspiration, head over to Mother May I.

Longhorn Baseball Camp

Jay asked to attend UT Austin's Summer Longhorn Baseball Camp and at his age, he was able to place into the advanced camp. I have no idea how these guys get through the day in this heat. Camp was from 8:00-4:00 and the temperature averaged about 102 degrees, (in the shot below, you can see it on the scoreboard), and with the turf this field has, the heat coming off the ground is approximately 130 degrees. His shirt was completely soaked when I'd pick him up at the end of the day. They must get in a trans of some sort because there is NO way, I'd be able to hang.

Was hard to get a good close up shot with my fixed lens (need a zoom lens, need a zoom), but my guy is the one batting in the red shirt.

Summer Fun: Vote!

So, I just found out I'm a finalist for this awesome summer fun photo contest. There were over 400 submissions and only 20 finalists! There are so many fabulous shots and I'm hoping you all can send some love my way and VOTE for my image, if you feel it deserves it. ;)

Oh, and the winner takes home $500. Oh yeah!

This image, of one of my favorite little ladies, was what I submitted. I feel it image captures the essence of what summer is about.

Brecken

This post concludes my shots from my recent Seattle trip for my rendezvous with my childhood girlfriends. One of the most gratifying moments for me was seeing my dear friend Dawn, as Mom. You see, the rest of us had children very early (most of us have teenagers now), and she's the only one that waited. A long time. I'm going to tell a quick Dawn story even though this post is titled Brecken. You have to know a bit more about Dawn to see where I'm coming from on this post.

Dawn, Liza and I go WAY back. Back to elementary school. Like, back to big crayons. Dawn was what some teachers would have described as say ... um... ahem, a 'spirited child'. She was one of the brightest crayons in the box, but man, this girl was ALWAYS getting in trouble at school. She was a 'textbook' redhead (short tempered, fiery, fiesty) and let's just say, she spent a LOT of time at the principal's office, and I'll leave it at that. ;)

Dawn has been a teacher for over ten years and recently was promoted to be an assistant principal because she has an amazing way with students. But, when I saw her with her son, with so much patience and love, my heart melted, because I saw a love so pure, so true, and so unconditional. Like I said earlier, I just loved seeing Dawn, as Mom.

This is her boy, Brecken and I was very pleased to finally be able to meet her little man.













He tells me this is what he likes to do before bedtime. Part of his routine.



I couldn't resist these shots because look at Henry, the adorable dog!

Brunch with Friends

Today, some old friends came over to hang out with Sophia and I. We had a date for brunch and our buddies showed up with homemade quiche, muffins, and fresh fruit! After an impromptu tea party, we devoured our food and then dyed the rest of our playsilks. It was a fun filled day!