Sunday, August 31, 2008

Boys and their toys


Cole purchased a new toy at the Powers Crossroads Craft Fair we went to yesterday. He was completely enchanted with the 'Medieval Weapons' one craft vendor was selling. I guess every boy dreams of cool medieval weapons. Cole has been playing with it ever since we got home yesterday.

Look at the concentration on his face! This is serious target practice. (We set up some coke-can targets today.)



Look carefully at this photo - I caught the arrow leaving the crossbow! You can see it moving along. Cool!



"VICTORY IS MINE!!"

Friday, August 29, 2008

Photoshop Fun



This is my friend's precious little girl. She's starting dance classes soon at her Preschool. I couldn't resist playing with her photos.

Another Favorite Photo...


This was taken at Lake Conasauga ~ my favorite camping place in the whole world. We were packing up to leave and the boys were restless, so I sent them down to the lake to toss some rocks in, and just generally play, and use up some energy before the long ride home. I followed them a few moments later...and took this picture (with our old Canon 35mm.)
It was such a sweet setting. Brothers, together at the lake shore, fall leaves all around, reflection off the lake ...just a beautiful moment. After I clicked the picture the usual happened...Ian accidentally knocked his little brother down into the mud. The screams, yells, muddy mess and normal chaos resumed at full speed. But that's alright... the moment was over, but I caught a priceless fraction of it on film forever.

Monday, August 4, 2008

Back to School Blues



The party is over.
No more lazing around in their underwear or PJs all day long.
No more veggin' out in front of the TV, Computer, Gameboy and/or Playstation all day...or at least while Mama is as work.
No more fun. Ever. Nope - it's ALL GONE...forever, or at least until May 29, 2009.

The saddest day of the year came around again this morning....the first day of school!!!!

While I think school starts tooooooo stinkin' early around here - Early August!!! - deep down I'm not sorry to see the boys have to get actively involved in life around them again. They have vegetated around the house all summer long. We didn't visit FL - gas is TOO high, and I couldn't take time off of work. We didn't go camping - again, gas is too high for any kind of traveling. And we kept day trips to an absolute minimum. A weekly outing was usually just lunch at Wallace's BBQ (yum!) when I got off work, then the library, and/or WalMart. yippee. :/ Soooo, it's been a short, mellow, and boring summer. But for some reason the boys were very glum this morning. Cole was beyond glum...he was plum mad! Maybe he's heard me say that when I was a kid summers use to be June, July AND August and he feels cheated. Maybe he regrets all that veggin' around. May all those 'wonderful things' he planned to do this summer never got done. But if they look back & reflect - we did do a few things.... a couple day-hikes at Sweetwater Creek, plenty of go-cart riding, Monkey Joe's and Fireworks on Cole's birthday, lots of swimming at Ma's pool, plenty of watermelon, ice cream, and popcycles, and Ian had his first job...mowing Ma's lawn all summer long. And we DID go see The Mummy 3 this past weekend. (Fun movie in typical Mummy/Brendan Fraser style.)

So life will be quite different around here. Ian will have band practice 2 days a week + Friday night football games, in addition to his HS schedule/homework and all that goes along with that. Cole is starting his last year of elementary school. More homework & the mounting pressure of Middle School looming in his future. (I think his only honest gripe about MS is no more recess. *G*) But we'll survive....but morning comes awful early when you have get 2 boys up AND dressed AND moving out the door.

***The best part about the boys going back to school....I get my Fridays Back!!!!!!!!*** So there IS a bright side to every situation. *Snerk*