thankful.

... because it doesn't get any better than this.

It's the morning after, but Happy Thanksgiving!

imagination at work here, people!

What you are witnessing here, ladies and gentleman, is a demonstration of the "Color-nator 3000" by my #2 duckling. (Yes, she named it herself. And designed it.)

Created of only the most durable of materials (a roller-style hairbrush, a mechanical pencil, and yes, that is none other than: Duct Tape), the Color-nator 3000 will soon be featured on Nick Jr.'s "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy"! (this according to its creator, Ms. Lydia)

Does it get any better than this?

anyone seen my dinoaur?

... he just won't slow down!

seasons past.

Even if only for a brief moment, when walking through my neighborhood this weekend with my 3 ducklings... the sound of leaves rustling under our feet and the smell of burning leaves in the air... I am taken back- way back- to my youth, a young girl walking to school in the crisp air that is "fall" in Western New York State...

I am quickly brought back to reality however, at the sight of my nearly-7 year old running through the park in shorts... in November. The fall in the mid-south is nothing compared to that that I remember of fall in WNY.

peek-a-boo...

... Jack sees you!

october, where did you go?

For as much as I resisted the season's change in September, I sure am sad to see October move behind us. We so enjoyed all the preparations for Halloween: decorating the house, a trip to the pumpkin patch, getting costumes ready, and we even hosted a fun evening with our neighbor friends before all heading out together to trick-or-treat!

Moving on though... Thanksgiving is upon us and right behind that Christmas is waiting. I find myself already about half finished shopping and now I am mentally planning our decorating. Can't wait for that fresh smell of the tree to fill the house!

first things first.

We have been busy these days and I am almost certain that has everything to do with the fact that we recently added another living, breathing thing to our number. Finnegan is doing great... he has such a sweet personality and he has fit in just fine with our bunch. Dublin doesn't seem to mind his presence, but will not hesitate to "scold" Finn if he is misbehaving. Our kitty boy, Smokey, is completely oblivious to the puppy's presence however- which is a stark comparison to how he feels about Dublin (which I think is Dublin's fault, just by virtue of being a dog). We spend much of our day working on "little" things like potty training, keeping fuzzy slippers and running shoes up out of his reach, and really just enjoying him. Like my 2-legged children, the 4-legged ones grow up and old way too fast!

Here is a picture of the boys from this morning, just sitting on the patio enjoying the warm, sunny morning:

October has turned my baby boy 2! We had a very small celebration in honor of Mr. Jack Patrick, complete with chocolate cupcakes,

... a big birthday candle,

... chocolate cupcakes,

... and a small handful of good friends!

So those were the first things that I needed to put first. I have loads of pictures to share- as I mentioned, October has been very busy in these parts... visits to the pumpkin patch and the botanic garden, decorating for a most beloved holiday, and just enjoying Fall!

More soon...

faithful companion in training.

As promised, an introduction to our newest 4-legged family member, Finnegan!

Finnegan, Finn, Finnie, whatever you like, is a 7 week old boxer baby boy. We are all in love, especially Dublin- our almost 9 year old boxer boy. Or old man, really. He greeted Finnegan yesterday upon his arrival home as if he had been waiting everyday of his (almost) 9 years. Great friends already.

Today, Finn's first full day being a Bray, he is busy learning rules. And one of the number one rules is that when it is snack time for the 2-legged kids,

... it's naptime for the 4-legged ones.

At least until snack bowls are emptied. All done! Wake up puppies!

on being out-numbered.

It is early Sunday morning. The child-care center at the gym will open at 8:00. Ideally, I would like to be there at 7:59, greeting the sweet young women who will entertain my 3 while I try to stop this weight-loss pendulum from swinging in the other direction. I feel like I *might* be treading into dangerous territory these days; seeing recent pictures of myself that seem to indicate my cheekbones are in the process of disappearing again. This time I have no excuse: there are no more babies, there is no more nursing. I may have unwittingly used up all that momentum from the first few weeks of weaning Jack- the weight loss that was jump started by the simple fact that my body was no longer supporting an additional human being.

But I am out-numbered this morning. I hate hate hate to make excuses. My husband is in bed at the moment, coping with the gastro-intestinal side effects of 10 days of Septra, and my 3 have made it abundantly clear they are not going to be left in some child-care center this morning while I run off to do something foolish and frivolous like work out.

Out-numbered. Not a good place to be when you are a mommy.

On a different note, watch this space because very soon there will be pictures of our newest family member. Later today we will pick up our 7 week old boxer puppy, Finnegan! And then I will probably never work out again because the child-care center at the gym probably won't watch the puppy for me while I work out and anybody who has had a puppy knows that you cannot leave them alone for more than like, 2 and a half minutes.

Still out-numbered. But very, very happy. Happily out-numbered. Because "this too shall pass". All too quickly even.

Right? Maybe out-numbered is a good place to be so long as you can have fun at the same time. And we all know there is no shortage of fun at our house.

it's raining? again?

We have umbrellas! Let's go to the zoo!

Brian has spent the last few weeks recovering from a series of "flu-like" symptoms and when he is not resting in an effort to recover, he is often in the process of catching-up on all his work-related business. To do my part to help him along in the resting, recovering, and catching-up efforts, I tried to keep the kids un-bored this rainy weekend. Saturday found us watching Mariachi music at a local performing arts center and Sunday we headed off to the zoo!

Yes, it was raining. But from my days working at the zoo I have the fondest memories of the most rainy days. The zoo is (mostly) empty when it rains, making lots of room and time for just watching the animals and perhaps learning a little more about them than you would on a busier, sunnier, warmer day. We had nothing but time and in an effort to stay (mostly) dry, we lingered in the buildings making lots of new discoveries... spent some time in the Herpetarium, the Aviary, the small museum at the Farm, the polar bears!

a rainy day is a great day when you are creature of the tortoise-variety! this fella had his head buried in the mud when we came upon him.

the komodo dragon.

margaret, a bit surprised at what she is seeing.

the great big handsome silverback, mwelu.

a visit to the zoo is not complete without visiting my old friend chickie.

totem poles at the entrance of the polar bear and sea lion exhibit.

graceful: characterized by beauty or grace of form, manner, movement, or speech; elegant. yes, i would describe elephants as unbelievably graceful and elegant.

china!

seems to me that ya ya has the right idea... a nap on a rainy sunday morning!

Thankfully, the new week finds Brian doing much better and headed off to work. Keeping our fingers crossed whatever he has been dealing with doesn't affect the rest of us like it has him!

5 things i have learned while being busy.

1. Cold apple pie is a breakfast food. And a really tasty one at that.

2. All those things "they" keep telling us about keeping the tires on our cars properly inflated to preserve gas mileage? Turns out "they" know exactly what "they" are talking about. An $8 gas gauge thingy I picked up this week at Autozone showed me it is true. Amazing.

3. Rainy days are good for cuddles on the couch and watching Sesame Street while having a picnic on the carpet.

4. Golf umbrellas. A must for busy people with busy little kids. Nobody likes to get wet, and this monster of an umbrella keeps me and all my ducklings dry as a bone.

5. Singing in the car at the top of my lungs is fun. Singing with my kids in the car at the top of our lungs is fun. Even more fun if it is Taylor Swift or the Jonas Brothers. (We listen to lots of Radio Disney while out and about...)

September 11.

I told my husband this morning that I wanted to forget about what all happened that terrible, horrible morning in 2001. I just didn't think I could relive the events like the networks wanted me to this morning. Every moment, every face, all captured on video- to be replayed each year on this day. With my 3 happy faces to wake up to, I wanted to allow myself the luxury of forgetting.

How selfish of me.

Because the widows don't have that luxury. And the parents- mothers and fathers who never again saw their children, never did most of the things for their kids again that I perhaps take for granted each day. Reminding them to brush their teeth, studying spelling words, math worksheets. The children who lost their parents- who will never again feel the warmth and comfort of that last hug before sleep arrives. They don't have the luxury of forgetting either.

The many friends, co-workers, supervisors, employees, teachers, the list goes on, and on...

So today, on September 11, 2009, I will remind myself that I should never forget. That I have a duty as an American to instead remember, in all its horrifying detail, what happened to us that day. I have a duty and responsibility to teach my children that what happened that day changed us, and it changed us all forever.

We will not forget, and today, we should also be reminded on that very day it didn't matter what side of the aisle your Congress-person sat on. It didn't matter who you voted for- we all came together despite our differences and supported each other through a very dark and uncertain time in our nation's history. As we struggle through another uncertain time, let us all be reminded that we really are working toward a common goal... we may have very different paths in mind to reach that goal, but let that shared goal be what brings us all together.

As always, God Bless America!

if you must...

The little sliver of sunlight peeking into my kitchen at dinner time tells me the sun is lower in the sky these days. This fact alone is enough to tell me Fall is on the way. I must admit, as much as I love Fall- with the mums, the leaves, Halloween!- I am just. not. ready. this year. We have had such a wonderfully fun summer! It's nice to be at a stage in our parenting career that we can just pack up our 3 and take off with very little effort. This summer took us to Sandestin (twice!), Disney World, Pickwick Lake (more than twice!), the zoo, splash pads and play fountains, the beach; the list goes on...

So much to look forward to in the coming months though. In just a few weeks time a new 4-legged baby will join our brood- we are getting a new boxer boy! For those keeping count, that is 3 kids, 2 dogs, 1 cat (the goldfish died of "natural causes" a few weeks ago- and no, those "natural causes" did not involve the "1 cat"). We might just be out of our minds, but something tells me with all the love to go around we will be fine.

School is in full swing and our first grader seems to be enjoying herself for the most part. Our afternoons are becoming very typical of a home with a grade schooler- homework, reading, practicing spelling words for Friday's test. Soon enough we will be juggling swim lessons, Daisy Scouts, and ballet classes. Preschool and Mother's Day Out begin tomorrow (tomorrow!!!) for Lydia and Jack and this mommy (:::pointing to myself:::) is looking forward to some well-deserved time alone.

So Fall, come if you must... I know you and your splendor will keep us plenty busy while we await the arrival of the sunshine and warmer days of Spring.

peace in the valley...

While one is off at school, doing the things that first graders do...

... the other 2 nap peacefully, one in my bed...

... and the other, on the couch.

Peace in the valley, I tell you...

summer, where did you go?

the view from there.

After being on duty nearly every day and every night since January 7, 2003, it was nice to retreat kid-less with my beloved for a bit. Fortunately we had a view.

And a nice one at that, right?

Lots of big things going on at our house over the past several weeks, and so far life shows no signs of letting up any time soon. Which is good.

The first day of first grade for Margaret lingers just around the corner. Preschool starts again soon for Lydia, and this year, Jack. We have a new puppy, that's right, a new puppy, coming to live with us closer to the end of September. We have a boat! A boat! Who would have thought we would ever own a boat! I foresee lots of weekends spent lazing about this boat this fall, swimming off the back, bobbing in the warm water...

Lots of big things, indeed.

650 days.

650 days.

Nearly 21.5 months.

That is how long I breastfed my sweet baby boy Jack. After 650 days, our last nursing was this past Friday afternoon at naptime. It is definitely a bittersweet occasion... I am ready to be finished, he doesn't really need it anymore; it's much more of a security thing than anything else at this point in his life. I will miss it though. Nothing can compare to those sweet moments as he would drift off to sleep, looking up at me, smile on his face.

After 2 admittedly half-hearted attempts at nursing our girls, this has been such a wonderfully rewarding experience in my mommy career.

I am just so proud of myself.

But while I am celebrating another milestone in my son's life, a woman whose blog I am a loyal follower of is quite possibly the closest she has ever been to losing her sweet baby. Jennifer McKinney, better known as MckMama (<---click that link if you are so inclined) in the blogging community, could really use any extra prayers and good thoughts you might have to share. Her sweet baby Stellan is hospitalized right now with a prolonged episode of SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) and is not doing well.

Many thanks...

karma is a... fish?

Meet Smokey.

Smokey? Blog readers... Blog readers? Smokey.

Smokey is our cat. Cats eat fish. Smokey ate our pet beta a few weeks ago. Survival of the fittest, I tell you.

Guess what came home with Lydia from summer camp this afternoon? This must be karma because deep inside I was happy when I learned Smokey ate our last fish... One less thing for this mommy to do.

This? Is "Goldfish Water". Who knew the water in our town was so dang toxic to goldfish, but amazingly fit for human consumption? Thank goodness for water filters I guess, right?

This? Is the fish's new digs. The kids' bathroom. Door closed. (But don't worry- there is a window in there too so the little guy will get plenty of natural light during the day. He gets bottled water too you know...)

Best of luck to you, little one. Your caretakers are 6 and 4, so I'm just saying they don't always remember to close the bathroom door. This will be key to your survival as Smokey roams free. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you though.

(*Now I will say that when I picked up Lydia this afternoon that I was told we didn't have to bring home the fish if we didn't want to. So who was going to break this news to Lydia, when she worked so hard fishing the little guy out of the kiddie pool with a net today at camp and her prize was all bagged-up and ready to go? So now we have another fish.)

somethin' tells me it's all happening at the zoo.

i do believe it, i do believe it's true...

This Sunday morning, Brian and I decided to surprise our 3 with a stop at a beloved bakery for donuts and then a trip to the Memphis Zoo. We were extra-lucky this particular morning because our good friends Aneel and Alexis and their twins, Maya and Jude, decided to join us (they skipped the donut part though- pillars of virtue I tell you).

Our visit started with a trip through Primate Canyon (where yours truly used to spend most my days...) and we paid one of the most beloved orangutans I know a visit.

This is Chickie, still as beautiful as ever. Doesn't it look like she styles her hair before stepping outside for the day? Her bangs were always the perfect length and I know to me it always seemed like she may have had a pair of scissors hidden somewhere (but I know she didn't because I was just that good).

After wishing Chickie a good afternoon, we headed to what would easily qualify as the highlight of our day: Birds and Bees (honey bees and budgies, but not flying around together in the same place; the bees were locked up in their little hive that you could peek into...)

For $1 you could buy (rent?) a wooden dowl with a clothes pin on the end, holding a spray of millet seeds. You then walk over to any of the 500 or so budgies flying around and offer them a treat. Margaret and Lydia loved this.

look very carefully and you will see a zoo map tucked under lydia's arm. she was the self- designated "map holder" for this trip and as you can see, she took her job very seriously.

There were blue birds and yellow birds...

... mostly white birds...

... and green birds.

And the good news was that once one decided he was finished snacking and flew off,

... there was another watching and waiting, eager to take his place.