Preview....

Here is a preview of Layton's costume for Trick or Treating...

What Are They Doing?...

Got any guesses?

Where is Pumpkin?...

Instead of going to a big pumpkin patch this year, I took the children to a local orchard. They have rows and rows of pumpkins lined up for you to pick from. I was disappointed that I didn't make it to a real pumpkin patch this year, but hey, at least I bought them each a pumpkin! Ha!

Sleepy Little Gals...

Charsy spent the night with us recently. The girls stayed up late watching Netflix instant movies. This is how Charsy and Ella fell asleep.

Too cute!!

What Did He Get?...

I almost forgot to show you what we gave Layton for his birthday!

Yes, he finally got his own TV!!!

Layton Had a Birthday...

Layton had a birthday earlier this month. He was so excited to eat cake! We didn't have a party for him this year. There just wasn't enough time to plan a party and squeeze it in with the way our month had been going. He loved the candles he picked out for his cake though!

Homecoming...Burn It...

Every year the local high school has a bonfire to kick off the Homecoming festivities. For some reason, I felt compelled to take the children to the bonfire. It had been a long day, and I really didn't feel like going. I had promised the children though, so I loaded them up and off we went.

The fire was pretty big this year. The band plays, and the cheerleaders all stand around the fire for the cheering. Layton had the best time out of the three little ones. He danced and danced and danced to the music! It was adorable!

There's Just Too Much...

Overwhelmed. That's how I feel a lot of days. Between packing school lunches, navigating car lines, making sure bathes and homework are done, managing tax returns, doing laundry, attending parent/teacher conferences, making sure medicine is taken, loving on my husband, and explaining why it is not okay to call people fat to their faces, I have a lot going on. Being a parent is hard work. I find myself ten minutes late for everything. Did I turn on the dishwasher before I sat down to blog? I have no idea. I'll check on that later.

The phone rings almost every day at the same time. Dinner. It is usually some politician's network. They want to know if I have a few minutes to answer a few questions. I have said yes a time or two and found that I am not a good person to survey for a political questionnaire. There are some topics that I am liberal about. Others, I am a total conservative. I have never voted a straight ticket. Ever.

Then, later the phone rings again. It's some charity wanting to know if they can count on my monetary support again this year. Breast cancer, children's cancer, fraternal order of police, domestic violence relief...and at the end of the day, am I really supposed to be worried about Lindsay Lohan going to jail? Well, it's all over the news like it is something I should be concerned about. Honestly, throw her blow snorting butt in jail already; I'm sick of hearing about it.

It seems that we are all bombarded every day to care about everything. EVERYTHING. The prayer list never ends. Every time one disaster is cleaned up and the survivors are patched back together, something else happens that captivates the world's attention. When it comes to caring, I feel like I am treading water and barely keeping my head above water. I want to help. I do. BUT, how can I adequately help anyone when the laundry is overflowing at my house and Layton is covered in some goo that cannot be identified?

I am envious of those who have one cause for which they are champions. Take Jerry Lewis for example. He is all about the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Or Marlo Thomas who is the voice for St. Jude Children's Hospital. I am a champion of none and a small contributor to many.

How are we supposed to choose who to give to? How are we supposed to choose who to support and rally for?

Overwhelmed. That's how I feel a lot of days.

A Quote...Courtesy of Dewey...

"That's the way life goes. First your money. Then your clothes."

My grandfather Dewey said this a lot when I was young. I didn't figure out what it meant until I was much older and repeated this in public. My mother promptly scolded me and said not to mention prostitution so flippantly. Yes, that was the light bulb moment for me. Ohhhhhhh. Ewwwww. Why the heck would my grandfather say this??

He also used to quote Shakespeare. Except it wasn't really. Imagine my surprise when a middle school teacher asked the class about Shakespeare...and I realized that Dewey had just been teaching us dirty limericks and calling it Shakespeare.

Oh, he was so much fun!!

Pumpkins...Where Are They?....

Last year Jay and I took the little ones to Tate Farms. It was a great day. Here are some of the pictures from my blog post about it a year ago.

The thing is that it took forever to get there!! It was in the middle of nowhere and took us a good hour to get there. We had been to other pumpkin patches in the past, but they weren't close by either. My dilemma is this. I want to take the children to the pumpkin patch, but I don't want to have to spend two hours in the car (round trip) just to get there. Does anyone know of a place closer to town?

Layton's Angel Wings...

These are patch tests. For allergies. We called them Angel Wings the whole weekend he had to wear them!

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Neglect...

My poor blog. It is feeling so neglected. I am feeling neglected. The past month has been hurried and rushed. I've been to Nashville and back countless times. Mom was in the hospital for nearly two weeks. Ella got sick, and I didn't realize just how sick she was. I was foolish and thought it was just the funk and that it could wait a few more days. Nope. She spiked a fever on a Thursday night. The next day I took her to the pediatrician only to discover that she had pneumonia. Yep. Mother of the year award right here. My work has overwhelmed me. I've had a number of big projects that had to be completed by the 15th of this month. I've put in long hours here and there and everywhere. The stress of working and raising a family can seem like too much from time to time. There are moments when I want to cry. There was one day last week when I really thought I was going to come unglued.

As I type I am reminded how important it is to seek a Sabbath moment. A candle cannot burn at both ends for an indefinite amount of time. Here lately, I have felt like I am trying to burn the candle at both ends. My emotions and moods have been compromised by neglect. I have not taken the time to feel good. I have not taken a long weekend away with my husband. I have not relaxed and had a pedicure in forever. I have neglected my basic need for peace and quiet. As a result, my patience is thin. I am not able to be the kind and compassionate person I want to be when I am stressed to the limit.

So, I am planning a little sabbatical for the hubs and me. Any suggestions for where we should go for a long weekend? What are some of your favorite places for a quick get-away?

Before He Had the Fro...

Sometimes I forget that Layton didn't always have a blond mess of curls atop his head.

We let him run around in his diaper all over the farm. And didn't worry about anything getting stuck in his hair!

Climbing and Smiling...

He loves to climb.

He loves to smile.

Sibling Love...

My children adore one another.

I took this picture while we were sitting in the car line waiting for Hadley to get out of school. It melts my heart to see them love on one another, and they do it often. I have never seen three little ones love each other the way my three love.

Don't Use Your Hands....

At Davis's birthday party, some of the children played with a soccer ball for a while. Maybe I should insert a story about how I know Davis's parents. Everyone calls Davis's dad Moose. We have called him that ever since I can remember. I have known Moose ever since I can remember. We have older brothers who played soccer together from the time they were itsy bitsy, which means that we have known each other basically our whole lives. Moose started dating Lacy when we were all in high school, so really, we've known of each other for decades now. Wow. That makes us seem old.

While Layton and Davis were playing with the soccer ball, they kept picking up the ball. Moose and I kept yelling, "Don't use your hands! You're not a goalie!"

Shark Bite....

Balcony...

Jay and I stayed in Nashville over night a few weeks back for some appointments that had to be tended to. Layton was with us and had the best time looking down at the world from the balcony of our hotel room.

I (of course) was scared that something would happen and my precious Layton would plummet to his demise. I'm only a little over protective! Ha!

Oh to Relax...

Wouldn't it be nice to relax on a regular basis?

Not Entirely Sure....

She Isn't Picking Her Nose; It Just Looks That Way...

Ella is a huge Alabama fan. She loves to dress up in her Alabama cheerleader outfit on game day and the day before. She's even worn it to school a few times lately.

This is the best picture I have of her wearing it this year. And, it totally looks like she's picking her nose even though she's not. HA!

Playground Fun...For A Few More Weeks...

We've had several cold days lately. Not really cold compared to most parts of the country, but it's been cold for Alabama. We are enjoying our last few weeks of playtime outside. The children had a ton of fun at Davis's birthday party last weekend, and there was a great playground too.

Sir Sleeps A Lot...

Layton sleeps in the car a lot. It isn't uncommon for him to drift away while we are in the car line to pick up the girls in the afternoons. This particular shot of him snoozing is one of my personal favorites.

He's out cold. Sunglasses tipping away from his face. Ketchup dried on his nose and cheeks. Mouth open. Blanket pulled up over himself.

There are few things as sweet as a sleeping child.

Still Sleeping...

Spider Webs...

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This Book...

This book was wonderful. I admit that I cried while I was reading it. There is a young mother in our community who recently lost a baby, and I have the overwhelming urge to give my copy of this book to her. I don't really know her all that well. Do you think it would be odd if I stuck it in her mailbox without a note?

Eye Art....

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Two Men and a Tutu...

The Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddler's Convention is one of my favorite events every year. I love the smells and the sights and the weather!! This year, my friend Lacy had a booth selling her adorable tutus!! She wanted to have a chance to walk around and do some shopping. So....

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Her husband and my husband sat in the booth with all the tutus while the women shopped!! Imagine the look on my face when I came back to discover two manly men working the tutus!! HA!!!

Where Have I Been?...

I haven't blogged much lately. Those who follow me on twitter know that my mother has been in the hospital for awhile now. She has had pneumonia caused by MRSA. To go in and see her, we had to suit up like this:

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This is my older brother with me in this picture. Mom has been so sick that I called him to come home from Atlanta where he lives.

We are hopeful that she will make a full recovery, and she is doing much better.

What Do You Think About This?....

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