the mandel 5

We went to Megan's Halloween parade this morning and then to mommy and me where the boys got to have their own parade. We stopped at Wal Mart and Logan had a fit because I wouldn't by him a Sally car. I reminded him that he already has every single character from the Cars movie but they have been taken away - one for each time he poops in his pants (tmi - I know). So, we get home and play a little indoor baseball and then Logan says, "Hey Mom, I'm going to poop in the potty and get all of my guys back!" And then he did! So, I got down his basket of "guys" and he is playing with them as I type this (instead of napping). The big question is - will he do the same thing tomorrow or will the guys go back up to their shelf? The Cars movie comes out in exactly one week and I am hoping that will be even more motivation for him. parading watching with the guys not letting these guys out of my sight even while I'm napping.....

Hopefully this link will work, don't know if you have to be logged in. This is the jeweler I have been using for my biz. I may be adding another one soon. Isabelle Chase Studios I guess you have to be logged in to read the little blurb but you can see the image by clicking the link above. little blurb: Peek of the Week This week's Peek of the Week perfectly illustrates why I love to see what other people are doing and I hope you do as well. I'll admit that when I designed the Coral Cube & Pearl Necklace back in June or so, I had the 4th of July on my mind. In fact, I wore my own necklace to a July 4th barbecue. It just seemed to me to be the perfect Patriotic looking necklace. So when Mitzi's order came in with this adorable photo of her kids gathered around Santa's legs, I was delighted. I just hadn't seen it! It turns out that what I saw as a lovely summer necklace translates easily into the colder winter months as a terrific, candy-cane striped, holi...

Probably my last year to coordinate costumes....we will be going as Jessie, Woody, and Buzz tomorrow night....Happy trick-or-treating! And just to make sure no one got any more attention than Logan, he tried a second costume....

added more images below... Well, I have about 20 images from tonight that I want to edit for my scrapbook. Maybe I will add more here later but this one is too cute not to post. Everyone (Dad, Grantie and UB, Brady & Jen, Blake & Kayla, Casey, Kris, and the kids) came over tonight for pizza and pumpkin carving. I can't believe how long the kids stuck with it all. Definitely our most successful carving year yet. notice mr. jojo...

Megan went on her first kayak fishing adventure today with Daddy and Papa Bob. When she came home, she walked in the door and announced that the "fish were not hungry for squid today and Daddy did all the paddling for me." Rob said she had a great time and was really good all day. She *loved* being the center of attention and doing something that little kids can't do. =)

Today was the big day - trying to get our own holiday card portraits done. Megan's dance is on hold until soccer is over. We can only do so much. That leaves Wednesdays free - whew! Megan got a much-needed haircut after school and then we put on our new Hannas and headed to the park in the valley I've been using. Rob was my assistant and official lolipop holder. I just decided to use all my tricks that I pull out for other kids and it went pretty smoothly. Then the kids changed and we played baseball as a reward. Nathan and Logan could swing at a ball ALL day long. And Megan took pictures of them playing. And of the trees. And the grass. And the sky. And the ball. Darn near filled my card. Then we went out to eat. Now I am faced with the job of designing our own holiday card. Of course, I can't leak our card photos this early but here are some of us playing afterwards! =)

It's been a busy week here at our house. Well, mostly for me. In the last week, I've had 15 portrait sessions. My monitor bit the dust so I am trying to get used to a new one that Rob ran out to get me on Friday. I've spent so many hours in meetings this month for the Print Expo that will be on Nov. 5th. All that work is paying off. Both magazines in SCV ran articles about the Expo and did a little blurb on my Santa sessions I'll be doing there. I'll have to post the one in INside SCV Magazine....it has a color image of mine in it. I entered my prints for competition on Friday and Jen and I got to sit down and watch Tim McGraw on Live (why was he wearing that vest?). Plus the usual dentist appts, soccer practices and games, speech, mommy and me, and girl scouts. My shooting schedule is booking so fast I almost hate to check my email and voicemail. If I didn't take any more sittings for 2006, I'd be fine. And happy. But I can't say no, especially to fami...

Rob and I got away this weekend with no kids (thanks to Brady, Jen, and Lise). We went to Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo - two places I can't believe I've never been to. We kayaked with seals and birds, explored caves, found really cool sand dollar-looking shells which I've never seen in California before, and saw the monarch butterfly groves. We ate at the Apple Farm Restaurant which was so good and reminded me af a Cracker Barrel which sadly, we don't have anywhere near here. It was very refreshing and relaxing and the kids all had a great time playing with their "babysitters." Hopefully, leaving Brady with the kids won't ruin my chances of more nieces and nephews one day! our seal friend who thought it was fun to jump behind the kayak and startle us a kitty named Sassy who lives on the dock where we rented the kayak morro bay rock....and birds the shells we found Look closely...everything orange is a butterfly. I might have passed the whole tree if Ro...

Megan's last official day of fall break. We went to Riley's Farm with Jen and Julie and her girls. It was so fun and gorgeous. It was WAY farther away than I thought though. Next time we'll have to plan a longer trip bc there were u-pick pumpkin patches near there, too. Maybe an overnight trip...Ontario Mills is just 30 minutes away from it. =) Can you tell I had fun playing with my ps actions? I love when the images are for me and I can do what I want to them. I took a Kaiya Eve skirt along...anyone shocked? Megan loved it. We found this broken chair in the orchard. How perfect. sisters Jen took these...she has learned so much hanging out with me. Megan took these. Julie and I have been friends since we were 12. You guys can do the math. Where did the time go!?