Fightin' for peace is like screamin' for quiet...

Sooo, some of the gals do a Friday Afternoon Video, and here's mine. Also if you go here you can download the entire album for FREE until midnight tonight.




On a similar note, we went to vote yesterday and poor Elijah was confused. All day he thought we were going boating. So, he was very confused and disappointed when there was no boat. Only votes. Rock the boat baby!

Jack the Cowboy went up north

I've been slow to post about our fall activities, but rest assured, we aren't holed up just yet..

Eli almost got kidnapped, see above..
Ollie's thinking of raftin' down the Mississippi..

And to all the girls I've left behind....

We went to a fabulous fall festival that also had a host of knitters, weavers, and spinners, and their animals....

Gettin' lost in a corn maze..

Special thanks to the Foreman Four for a wonderful four year old birthday.

But I'd rather have joined that pirate ship

"No, I not eatin' candy..."
Cheese!

My tired pirate

As we settle into our fall routine, contemplate the holidays, we enjoy each other...usually.

Ollie told his father this morning that he smelled like rotten basil....

"Ah, think I'll call it a sheep."

Feeding the sheep

Pumpkin time!
Pouty McPouty- Teenager already

With the lips!

He brags of his misery, he likes to live dangerously

Oh the dangers of a faux hawk...

Mom might accidentally put hair gel on your toothbrush....

You can play with fire but you'll get the bill...

Go watch this for slight amusement today.

I hate to be crass, but no one was hurt, and this totally cracks me up. The poor workers had to be first scared, then amused....The big ole' charred boot...This is on the way to Ollie's school, and we say all of the firetrucks and smelled the fire... And, yes this is right near gas stations. Watch the video. The shot with the hotel owner, fire truck, and knight's inn owner, is well good comedy to me. Is this real???

Newspaper, newspaper, Can't take no more, You're here every morning, Waiting at my door

I have decided to turn off the news.

I am an avid NPR listener, but the economic news has gotten more prevalent and depressing than news of the war. The tales seem to be a self-fulfilling prophesy. I am not trying to be oblivious, but I AM a bit incredulous. My dad just got a great new job. Evan's job doesn't seem to be threatened. WalMart is packed. I just got a new computer, and I plan to drive to Arkansas today to pick the Raisin. I am getting new customers everyday. The "economic slow-down" seems a figment of my imagination. I am still marketing my booty off. If I never listen to the news, life seems peaches and cream. Maybe I am living in a bubble, but life is good, fall is here, and there are two children laughing hysterically in my house dressed as superman. What "depression?"

Hey Emily, I'm stealing this from you. Today is the last day to register in Tennessee. Now go register, you can decide later not to vote if you don't want to.

Man came to the door, I say 'for whom were you lookin'?'

The art and science of door closing is soon forgotten when children move out of the house. I can open and close a door as silently as native Americans were said to be able to traipse through the woods. Closing doors is an afterthought, unimportant, and a reflex to those without small children. But, it is a much needed parenting skill. I wouldn't dare risk nap time or bedtime to the bathroom door. Am I being ridiculous? Is this one of those things that sleeping children should just become accustomed to? Has a child ever even woken up prematurely because of a door being closed in my house? (NO). But, for some reason, I shudder to actually hear wood and metal connect. Turn first, then pull, then slightly and gingerly let go of the knob, then tip toe away... (Or don't worry about it, it probably won't wake the baby anyway!)

On the back of the Phish truck that loads, While my conscience explodes

Here was my favorite song of that Trey show the other night. I am so glad for the illegality of our nation sometimes. This is good stuff, and just gets my hopes up even more that our vacation will be spent in March here at a Phish show like old times.

Que romantico!

"Have you heard the news?" he said, with a grin,"The Vice-President's gone mad!"

Alex P. Keaton rears his head again in these parts. This could be an entire nature vs. nurture discussion. This morning on the way to school we had the following conversation:

Ollie: Where's Washington?
Me: It's the capitol of the US. It is where our leaders live and work, like the President.
Ollie: What's the President's name?
Me: George W. Bush. But, all the people in the US are about to vote on a new President. [cutting out the conversation on voting, and remember when you voted, etc...] In a few weeks there will be a new President that we get to vote on. Some people want John McCain to be President and some people want Barak Obama to be President.
Ollie: I like John McCain.
Me: Why?
Ollie: What's he like?
Me: (Trying NOT to make him look cool) He's very serious, and was a soldier, and acts before thinking.
Ollie: Yup, I like McCain. I want him to be President.
Me: But Obama is a peacemaker, he listens to other people's opinions before he makes decisions, he thinks before acting.
Ollie: McCain for President. McCain, McCain, McCain. He's a serious soldier.
Eli: (Finally weighing in to this intense political discussion) Obamamamamamaam. McCain loose, Obama winnnnn. (That's my boy!)
Ollie: McCain, McCain, McCain
Me: Oh brother!

I am almost positive that he asked his teacher who she was voting for as he stepped out of the car. She probably thinks we're Republicans. Oh the horror.

You play with my world like its your little toy

Okay, I know this isn't a political blog, and I do not want it to become one, BUT, please allow me to submit a couple of observations and solutions to our current bailout situation. Ahhhem,

First: There is this one Seinfeld episode (don't you love how many analogies can STILL be made to that show) wherein George was having great success in life doing the exact opposite of what he'd normally do. Well, I was reminded of that when our other George took to the TVs the past couple of days to warn of doom and gloom and we only have one possible far fetched, unplanned, unprecedented, tactic or surely we will all die. George has made this speech before, only it was for a war. Also, unprecedented, very far fetched, and very expensive and we are still bogged down indefinitely in it today. So maybe, dear friends if we do the OPPOSITE of what he tells us, life will be fine and dandy as it was with Castanza..

Second: If you want a real option and clear plan of action, please go here, read what Dave Ramsey says, and then DO something.

Third: Mom's suggestion was just to send everyone in the US 1 million dollars, let them pay off their own debts, invest in the economy, let the government tax it, and we STILL come out cheaper than the bailout.

Forth: Eli.isn't.sleeping. He woke at 3am this morning to play, and has since only cat napped in the car, and even now is yelling from his room where he supposed to sleeping, "Oh Courtney, I need you." (He calls me by my first name when he's serious.) (Oh boy I love 2) (And, this lack of sleep is the A #1 reason 2 children is enough.)