Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!  To date I think today was the best Halloween I've ever had.  It was packed full of fun.
From my husband being a kid and leaping into the leaves to trick-or-treating with the girls.  It was a fun filled!

The Spirit of Halloween 2010

This year I really wasn't into the spirit of Halloween.  I didn't decorate the porch like I usually do, I don't know why, I just didn't.  But today as I took pictures of my kids in their Halloween costumes I really got into it.  I was inspired for a little while by a witch and a skeleton.  My little princess didn't want to be photographed  and she didn't want to get dressed up either.  Until this afternoon she too was a witch.  Emily was a green and black witch and Amy was supposed to be an orange and black witch.  But when it was time to get ready she didn't want anything to do with it.  Oh well at least I got pictures of her after her party at school.  Amy was trying on my witches hat and holding onto it tightly as the wind kept blowing it off.  Finally some inspiration.

Autum Poem by ME

Autum Poem

By Laura L. Brittain

Autumn colors all around

Leaves of beauty on the ground

Watching them as they fall

Wind blowing leaves

Autumn colors all around



Fuzzy Little Caterpillar

The kids found a Fuzzy Little Caterpillar today.  We all became fascinated by it, mostly me.  I loved taking pictures of it.  Watching the Fuzzy Little Caterpillar crawl quickly across the stick and leaf, his funny suction-cup feet, when it was scared it curled up into a ball.

Beautiful Busy Fall Saturday

Another busy soccer Saturday morning.  It was sunny and crisp this morning for the girls soccer games.  By noon it was warmer and we were able to take off our sweatshirts and feel the warmth of the sun.  After soccer we made a quick stop at home to drop them off and then Emily and I were off on a Brownie adventure to Five Rivers.  The girls loved exploring in the education center and then outside for a nature hike.  They were working on part of their WOW Journey Book and learning about the water cycle.  Emily found a teeny tiny snail.  While the girls were busy Listening, learning and searching for water bugs and animals, I was seeing things through by own eyes.  Keeping my eyes open to what was naturally there, reflections in a swamp, my shadow on the creek and the colors of fall.

After a beautiful day enjoying nature we ran home to change and pick up the rest of the family, to go out for a celebration dinner in honor of my parents 40th wedding anniversary.  My sister said a beautiful toast that I ended and now I wish I had written down. 

Field Trip Surprise

When I picked Amy up at school today I told her I had a surprise for her, we were going on a "Field Trip."  I told her we needed to pick up a surprise to bring with us.  What surprise she wondered...  I told her we were going to pick up a friend to bring with us on our apple picking field trip.  She got so excited and guessed right away that is was Grace.  The two of them were so happy on the ride there, sitting in the back of the van together.  We had a wonderful afternoon at Bellinger's Orchard on a beautiful Indian Summer day picking apples and enjoying friends.  Beth and I each got caught up taking pictures capturing every moment and making memories.  We had a very nice picnic lunch in the orchard and then the girls played in the hay maze, sitting on pumpkins, finding a grass hopper, hugging the apple trees and of course picking apples.  We ended up with a wonderful mixed bag of apples of every size.

Waiting for the Train

I took time to pick flowers with Amy today while waiting for the train.  I know the saying is "take time to smell the flowers," we did that too.  Amy was more focused on picking them.   When the delayed train finally pulled into the station, Amy had the flowers hidden behind her back for Aunt Barbara.  It made Amy's day when she told her they were her favorite flowers.

Our Schools

I'm still doing an apple a day, but having problems doing the rest of my BE list.  I'm still trying to get into the swing of things.

I watched the Oprah episode about "Waiting for Superman."  We have a problem in our schools here too.  I would love to figure out how to fix it.  Ken and I had a long conversation about it afterwards.  Here they changed our public neighborhood schools to magnet schools just as a way out of charter schools coming to Amsterdam. 

Some of what Oprah said really hit home. 
"Everybody wants to win the lottery but you shouldn't have to win the lottery to go to a good school."
"We as a society have be come so overprotective that we have forgotten who we are protecting."

I feel like our school's "improvements" are just a face lift disguising the real problems.

Creative Energy and Writers Block

Can't believe that for the past week I have had no creative thoughts.  I have been working on me but I've mostly been wrapped up in the back to school, sports and scouts routine.  Can't believe that I'm talking about this and 42 days have gone by since that night when I couldn't sleep and had to write this wonderful idea of my BE List down and now days 32-42 have flown by.
Day 32- Soccer Saturday, Busy morning of AYSC Soccer then home for lunch and lawn mowing
Day 33- Lazy Sunday- Did nothing today, it was a day of rest. Everyone is fighting something, hot & sour soup for the cure all.
Day 34- Apple a Day but not much more
Day 35- Writers Block
Day 36- Experimenting with new recipes
Day 37-Boot Camp and Picked up Aunt Barbara from the train station with Amy
Creative thinking did occur.  I took pictures of Amy.
Day 38-  Lots of running around
Day 39- Soccer Saturday
Day 40- Apple picking with Emily and the Brownies
Day 41- No Boot camp Stomach Ache
Ever have a day when you didn't want to do anything?
Day 42- Drive to Albany do Girl Scout Leader errands

It's Finally my turn

It's finally my turn, let the boot camp begin! 
Day 1 at Fit "1" Boot camp.  It feels good to put ME back on my to do list.

I had coffee & Kashi Go-lean Crunch with milk for breakfast.
Delicious super food smoothie after working out.   Turkey on wheat with tomato and cheese, water and my apple a day.
Honey wheat pretzels with tea for a snack.  I used my tea pot and tea cozy to keep it warm.  It reminded me of my dear friend Linda from Massachusetts who gave it to me. 

I love my artsyBE blog and want to tell the world about it but I also still want my identity to remain anonymous.  I want people to find me accidentally and share me with their friends and most importantly follow me be cause they like the content of my blog, not because they know me.  My husband says to say, "I have a blog but it's in the stealth mode.  If I'm discovered it's OK but I'm not publicizing it yet."

Chinese taco's for dinner, that's what the kids call them.  They are so goo.  It's Chinese seasoned chicken, with rice and carrots in a lettuce leaf.  YUMMY! 

First Brownies meeting tonight.  Emily's principal was the guest at our meeting.  She showed the girls her old handbook, pins and a certificate from camp.

Life Lesson's from the Judd's

I've been watching a lot of Oprah lately that I record and watch when the kids go to bed.  Today the Judd's were on.  I had to write down some of the things they were saying that keep them on track with each themselves and each other these days. 

"Is now a good time for a hug?"  (Always ask don't invade each others space.)
"So what you're saying is..." (Mirror each other in a conversation to make sure you are listening and understanding.)
"I can understand why you feel that way although I don't feel the same way too."

The best one...
"PUT ME BACK ON THE LIST!"

Not BEing Me yet, too busy BEing Mom

Again, it's happening again...I don't have the time to focus on BEing ME.  All of the back to school stuff, sports and Brownies has taken over my life again.  I need some motivation to get working on BEing ME.
Back to school and right into beautiful fall weather, but I'm really missing those lazy days of summer at the lake.

"Are you bored with life?  Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never BE yours." -Dale Carnegie

I think that as busy as my life is this might BE my problem.  I'm bored.  How can this be?  Creating my BE List and artsyBE has been so exciting to me.  Over the summer I couldn't wait to work on it.  Now once again with my crazy days I think I'm bored and need to put my heart back into it.