WOW! Just one more month to go until we hit another year! How in the world does time move so quickly?? You would think I would have had a better way to judge the passing of time with a tiny helpless baby turning into a destructive mobile little man, but I honestly have no idea where it all went. One day he was unable to roll over and now he can run! This year we have grown a little person, healed broken bones, and managed to stay afloat. Next year, hmmm ... not sure what we have headed our way, but I am hoping the majority of it will be fun.
Sorry, just had to make that trite little observation about "time flying" and such. It really hit me today when I looked at the calendar. That, and when Mom called from Toys'R'Us doing Christmas shopping. I know, I know, it is just around the corner. I have never been one to jump the gun. I am perfectly okay with waiting until the last minute. We are not going to this year though, but mainly because we are going to make an actual list of what to get the kids, and get it. We won't be adding to it all along, ending up spending too much and getting too much. Katie's room already looks like Toy'R'Us exploded in it, and Connor is completely set up for a while with toys. Katie had a tendency to ask for boy toys when she had already gotten all the girl stuff she wanted. Heck, we potty-trained her by rewarding her with Matchbox cars. One of the big gifts she wanted a few Christmases back was a tool bench. Connor needs stuff to open, but at some point you just have to stop adding to the stuff??!!
I read the other day that there was a letter writing campaign to toy companies, asking them to gear their advertisements toward the parents instead of the kids. Parents writing and asking the toy companies to stop tempting their kids, making them beg for toys the parents can't afford. I am in that same boat. I can't buy everything she wants. HECK SHE WANTS EVERYTHING SHE SEES ON TELEVISION!! But seriously, the toy companies are just receiving the affirmation that their ad money is working. Sure, as a favor to the consumer they are going to stop appealing to the kids. It is a great idea, but it ain't gonna happen! They might take the advice of also running ads that explain in tiny little words to the parents why their toy is better than the competitors, but isn't that what you read reviews for??!! First rule of advertising, don't give free time to the competition. Even mentioning their name to say you are better than them is publicity. Katie is spoiled. She has received way more junk than she ever should have. But that is our fault. We did not say no, and now she has this idea that she should get whatever her little heart desires. I can't blame the toy companies for it. Until we can totally remove commercials from our kids tv viewing then we have to deal with it.
I just wish kids got excited over clothes!! I have seen so many cute things lately. If you have never heard of Boden, you need to look over their website ... request a catalog, they are yummy!! They have adult clothes and kid clothes. They have adorable ADORABLE girls clothes. I especially love their skirts. They just make you want to spin around and dance! And the cutest tights! Katie even loved this one!! And they even have some cute boy clothes. I LOVE this t-shirt! The women's clothing is gorgeous, and I wish I had the money to buy it all .. or any of it! But seriously, request a catalog. You can also send catalogs to other people, maybe a grandparent :)
I have spent a lot of time the past several days surfing around the computer. Okay, I have not strayed too far from my normal haunts, but even at those I found some new and beautiful content. At Shutter Sisters they are selling a gorgeous necklace. It is based on an old flashbulb. I can't say that I really need it. I have worn the same necklace almost non-stop for the past 5.5 years. I would feel naked without my James Avery, Mother's Love necklace. But, if I had to ever change it out, this is what would follow. Also, in a link off Shutter Sisters I found a beautiful blog. SweetSalty by Kate Inglis. If you have ever lost a baby I would highly recommend you stop by and read her heartfelt beautiful words, she also takes gorgeous pictures. She expresses things I never could.
Mostly I have been enjoying watching the kiddos. (Ignore the horrible lighting in all pictures!!)Connor adores Katie, and I know I have said that before ... but I think he has become even more smitten with his big sister. Well, that and he has discovered how to give hugs. He will toddle over to her and wrap his arms around her head if she is sitting in the floor. And his voice saying "Katie" is the absolute sweetest thing I have ever heard! It comes out more like "Kay-ee" but in this tone of adoration. They interact so well with each other. 
If I could just stop Katie from getting too effusive in her play time. She gets carried away and forgets that he is still a baby. She will run up to him (and I mean RUN) and sometimes he gets so tickled that he flops over, sometimes smacking into walls or furniture. 
In the tub tonight they were splashing by smacking their hands on the water, and then Katie picked up two handfuls of water and threw it in his face. Sure, there was enough water hitting him already, but she does not understand the difference between the "splash" of water and the deluge of water. Mainly she is a wonderful and loving sister. Nothing she does can get him upset for too long. He thinks it is the greatest thing ever, everything she does. He loved the water in his face, he enjoys her pushing on his tummy when she tickles him, and he doesn't even mind smacking into a wall every now and again as long as she is paying attention to him. I have just had some wonderful, perfectly contented moments lately watching them. I hope I can always remember the way they are now. Even with Connor learning to feed himself!!
He did much better with the bites of chicken and cooked carrots, but he is REALLY good at chocolate chip cookies!
I have especially had those moments with Katie where I want to snatch them up and keep them safe. Laying in bed reading bedtime stories, or her crawling in my lap for a snuggle. All the times she says "I love you Mommy!" Those moments locked up safe and tight for when she is a teenager. I am in mortal fear that she will be a horrible teenager, like I was. I AM SO SORRY MOM!! I know it is only fair that I get repayed in kind, but I hope so much that we can keep as much of this closeness as possible!! I think she also might turn into a little shutterbug. Tonight while Connor was eating I asked her to grab my camera. She came back with the strap looped around her neck, and she was the one that took pictures of her brother. I was SO proud. My little photog!!
Happy December all!! Try not too stress too much!!
Lost cause
8 months ago
About 5 hours before we were supposed to jump in the car and drive. Sure, I guess I should just be thankful that it did not hit me while I was enroute to Atlanta with two kiddos in the car, but I would have preferred if it could have bypassed me altogether. Katie was absolutely crushed. She cried for quite a while after waking up when we told her. I wanted to cry too, but I am pretty sure that the sobbing would have sent me running for the toilet. I miss my MOMMY!! I want to see her and my brothers and my SILs and my nieces and nephew and various and sundry friends!! I did not want to be stuck in my bed, stomach cramping, insides churning. I wanted to drive 6 hours with two kids screaming. I wanted to be with my family for Thanksgiving. I wanted my mom to see Connor walking, see his two teeth firsthand, and hear his sweet little voice without it being through the phone. I wanted Katie to be able to spend time with her Grammy (though she has started calling her Grandma). I could not wait to see Katie with her cousins, and especially to see Connor and Milly together! Oh, I can just imagine the hilarity that would have insued. Connor would yank Milly's hair, she would scream, they would fall all over each other. I am sure it would have been priceless! Not to mention how long it has been since I have been junking with my Mom! Who wants to go to Walmart on Black Friday when you have a Goodwill or Last Chance Thrift Store or My Favorite Place (also known as Bob's)??!! The junk places around here just have, well ... JUNK! In Atlanta they have treasure! So, in other words ... I wanted to be in Atlanta for Thanksgiving.
you can play with the hue ...
you can apply a filter, like Solarize ...
You can play with the Hue, then Solarize ... 
It really is just too much fun!!
a 
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The Brownie is in pretty rough shape. At least on the outside it is, but the inside seems to be pretty clean. The 
It is likely that the bridge is over the Mississippi River, but I am not exactly sure which bridge it is. The Memphis Bridge does not have peaks nearly that tall. Of course that is now, but I don't know whether the bridge has had a 
