This is My Forties

We're still going strong with our happiness levels out here. Yesterday was a little bit rough because Tristan was especially whiney, but today was amazing :) We got our grocery shopping done and even managed to have fun doing that! Noah and I were singing Christmas songs already while Tris and Bren laughed at us. Tristan sometimes piped in with a "all the way" when we were singing Jingle Bells. Noah was cracking up when I sang him the Batman version :D After all that excitement the 2 wee ones went down for their naps and Noah and I gave Bosley a bath with his new tea extract shampoo. He looks and smells so wonderful now :) He was in such a good mood after that too! Noah made a concoction of plum leaves, olives, dirt, and paper which he called "olive a cado". While he was doing his own grocery shopping I was taking some macro shots with my new focus point knowledge. I'm very happy. I thought I loved my camera before! Anyway... We also built a littl...

Last weekend was hard on me, despite the photographic cuteness... really taking pictures is sometimes my escape. Usually it's therapeutic for me because I get to do my own thing, but I am still there for them when they need me. Well it didn't really work. I tried going on a drive and listening to my music and that didn't work either. I was still on edge and frustrated, very sick of certain things Tristan would do or Noah would say. Then I had a sudden change of heart. I don't know really what triggered it... maybe it was all the exercise I've been getting. Maybe it's Josh being on a new shift. Maybe it was staying off the computer from 10am-8pm (unless they're asleep). Maybe it was writing in my journal again. Whatever it was we've had a great week. I've actually been having fun with them and I am a patient and loving Mommy again. Today we had an early dinner and then went back outside to play hide-and-go-seek in the dark with our flashlig...

I finally got around to getting our Halloween Photo Shoot done... though I guess it's more like just a Fall shoot since they're not wearing costumes. But, they all have on their orange shirts and corduroy pants! Hey Michelle, it fits!!! There were many many cute shots, but not of all of them at the same time haha. Bosley just had to get in there and give everyone kisses at least once, but for the most part he stuck with me out of the way. Here are the ones that made the cut. Consequentially, I just figured out how to move the focus point and change the focus area on my camera (after the shoot, as luck would have it) so expect the pictures to get even better... cuz it's fast and easy and amazing. I can't believe it took me this long to think about it :P Oh well, learn something new every day! I have no formal training so I will give myself a break ;) We harvested most of the almonds from our tree this weekend and got to work shelling them. Tristan was a better ...

Tristan officially entered into the ranks of the two year old boy by running face first into the corner of our lovely brick stairs. No one was chasing him, he was not chasing anyone else... he just wasn't paying attention. I didn't actually see it happen, but I am pretty sure that's what happened since he was sprawled out on his back right behind it and there was a square-shaped bruise already beginning to form. Maybe he's had a growth spurt recently or something and his body is bigger. Too bad babies don't have whiskers! He's slowly getting out of the whining stage, which is great because it's driving me crazy. I've been encouraging him to use words and that seems to make him much happier. They just can't stand not being able to communicate. Plus he's probably bored because his brain is like a sponge right now and we don't do enough around here to keep it exciting. Brennan is bulking up to enormous proportions. He's a solid blo...

This was a pretty good weekend. Despite my frustration with being alone with all these living things to take care of, we have our joyful moments more often than angry ones. I got to take a couple cute pictures of my babies all together and they almost all cooperated at the same time. Believe it or not it was Bosley who was giving me the most grief! He kept walking into my shots!! He's in the background of nearly every single one. I tried to make him come sit by me, but he just has to be by his boys! They are still cute pictures :) Brennan is almost sitting up all on his own now. He is still a bit wobbly and doesn't quite sit "up" yet. He mostly folds in half and happens to not roll over haha. Tristan is suddenly very interested in talking and actually has a vocabulary now! :O Today's new words were "bean" and "thank you" and "Bosley". He sounds so cute! I need to get another video. Ever since Noah started school he'...

We had a few really warm days this week and I noticed the weather report seemed to indicate they would be our last. So... out comes the water buckets! Yeah sure we have a pool, but nothing beats the simple pleasures of containers full of water outside on the patio. Plus the pool is drained and green. We started off with the idea to make some stinky stew out of buckeyes, almonds, madroños, olives, and whatever else we could find... but once the boys saw water they wanted to get their hands wet :) I'm doing better. Not as stressed. I'm getting things done. I live my day to day. Sometimes I go out. Most of the time I don't. Brennan is slowly cutting out his numerous naps so I expect a change in the following months. He's also eating cereal twice a day... a LOT of it. I tried to buy some baby food veggies, but forgot... then I tried again and was out of luck because there were none to be found at that grocery store. Sigh. Oh well. There's always tomorrow ...

I got a special request from my sister Michelle to share a funny story from my past with the blogosphere. There are so many to choose from! I am not what you would call a "cool" person. I freak out over certain things like bugs, shadows, sounds... in very embarrassing girly ways. I am always on edge, always alert and waiting for random disasters. Most girls are I think. Having kids only magnifies the situation. Every moment alone on a wooded path or dark street is clouded with fear. Then you have kids and it seems like it's all fear all the time. So here I am, living in a constant state of fear, ready for the psychotic rapist to come crashing through my bedroom door any minute. I know my escape plan. I know my fighting tactics. I have thought this through. Maybe a little too much. We were in San Antonio and I was waking up for work. Even at this early hour I am like a cobra, ready to strike. I saunter out of the master bedroom, heading for the kitchen when ...

Las Lomas is a suburban, rich, well-manicured area. That's why I was shocked to find an old run-down bullfighting arena out there... right behind the private sports complex, after the huge fountain. It was so out of place. I couldn't get very close. It was all fenced off and I had the boys and Bosley with me so I wasn't in any position to hop fences or any other illegal nonsense. It was interesting enough just to see it from the outside. There was a dirt road behind it that took us through the woods for a bit and then dumped us right back onto the street. The huge stadium seating was still there, but obviously in poor condition. All the random buildings were all standing. Concessions, barns, holding areas and whatnot. The stained glass on both sides of the ticketing area was really pretty. The mural at the front entrance was also still pretty amazing, despite its obvious overexposure to the elements. There was a lot of emphasis on horses so maybe it was more lik...

I am going to force myself to leave the house! I have been sitting around, trying to make the days go faster by grinding them into the ground with monotony. The poor kids must be so bored. I don't know where we're going, but it's going to be outside and hopefully fun. My shoulders are really tensed up from carrying Brennan in the front pack, but what can I do... maybe force Tristan to walk. HA! He just cries and whines all the time and it drives me nuts. I'm hoping once he gets out he will chill a bit. I got a few cute pics of the babies the other day in case you didn't notice. That's pretty much all I have to say. I miss Josh. I always miss Josh. I don't miss his messes though.