Autumn

I love autumn. The bright colors of the leaves. Carving pumpkins. The smell of Jack-O-Lanterns. The cool weather. The sound of the heater kicking on in the house. Here are some pictures of my favorite season. (P.S. I am going out of town and won't have the internet for the next few days....So, HAPPY HALLOWEEN, everyone!)

Taiger wore his Jack-O-Lantern costume to the Pumpkin Patch. When I was puting our pumpkins into the back of the car, he said, "Wait! I have to get in, too! I am a pumpkin, too!" and climed in the back. SO CUTE!

We decorated the front of our house with some Halloween/Fall decorations. Taiger drew the faces on the two pumpkins to make the pumpkin kids. He did so well, I was really impressed! (Notice the Iron Man costume. No, he is NOT being Iron Man for Halloween...he just LOVES wearing costumes.)

Each year, I LOVE taking Taiger on a "leaf walk". It is something my Mom did with me as a child, too. We take a plastic back and walk around the neighborhood collecting beautiful leaves. Usually, we make some sort of craft with them, but didn't this year.

Okay, so my internet is REALLY slow and wouldn't load the rest of the pictures, so this Blog post is "TO BE CONTINUED..."! LOL!

Three Amazing Multimedia Musts!

I have experienced amazing multimedia as of late. Here are my three most beloved:

1.) As touching, real-life, imagination-set movies go, this one takes the cake! "Phoebe In Wonderland" is as real as it is full of imagination. This movie follows a young girl as she suffers every day with something undiagnosed in the first of the movie, so I won't say here and spoil it. The main character, Phoebe, spends much of her time drifting into her imagination, something that sooths the side-effects of her condition. This picture is from one of my favorite moments on the movie. Phoebe is in the throws of her illness, and you can really feel her suffering, when suddenly, her little sister comes to her side and goes through the motions of her suffering with her. This part made me want to cry. In that moment of pure lonliness and suffering, Phoebe wasn't alone.

2.) I am reading an inspiring and amazing book called, "Three Cups Of Tea". It follows a young mountaineer and climber as he attempts to build a school in Pakistan. I haven't finished the book yet, so I don't know the outcome for sure. This book is absolutely wonderful!! It inspires me on my quest to build my safe home and feeding program in China. ANYTHING is possible!

3.) Last night, Jeremy and I finished watching "Nosferatu", a silent horror film. I have seen several silent-films, and the acting is more entertaining than believeable. This one is no different, save for a couple of actors, one being the main character. It seems more like he really IS Nosferatu, rather than someone acting a part. Nosferatu is a vampire, and he is the scariest I have ever seen (and I have watched my fair-share of Vampire movies, and I am not talking about Edward Cullen). Nosferatu is a must-see for Halloween haunting!

Shannon

I love to write. I carry a little notebook with me and while I am at the grocery store, or driving down the street (okay, just kidding about that last one), if I think of something I want to remember, I write it down. Sometimes, it is a complete thought, sometimes, just something I feel. Sometimes, I write something that doesn't "go anywhere" but is the entirety of what I am thinking.

A few months ago, I was thinking of my Best Friend, Shannon (cockadoodledooly.wordpress.com) and I wrote this about her in my notebook:

When we first moved from the big city in Colorado to as small town in Idaho, I thought my life was over. I was so sad and depressed. The styles were behind the times, the music was behind the times, even the people seemed socially "behind"...

Then, I met my best friend, Shannon. She was a REAL COWGIRL! I remember the way she looked. Not her physical appearance (although I DO remember that, too), but the WAY she LOOKED, with her eyes. When she looked out at the horizon, it was like she could see things I couldn't. When I looked at Shannon, I saw the world differently, and through different eyes.

At that point in my writing, I was getting hit with shopping carts because I was stopped in the middle of the aisle, and Taiger was screaming to go get bananas and I had to stop writing (for safety reasons).

But there is so much more to say.

I would look at Shannon while she looked ahead, and I wondered what greatness she saw. She saw greatness in people and in the world around her. I saw the greatness in her. I admired her so much! I wanted to be just like Shannon! And I still do. She really is my hero. I love her so much.

Shannon taught me about confidence, about being happy. She taught me how to be silly and how to love myself. She taught me how to speak up and to not look down in shame. She taught me how to set goals and to work hard for my dreams. She taught me to work hard in everything! She taught me to accept everyone. She taught me patience. She taught me trust. She taught me faith in God. She taught me how to compliment others, and how to find the goodness in myself. She taught me to love unconditionally.

How did she teach me all of these things? By DOING them!

Yes, she really is THAT amazing.

I hope someday I can LOOK like Shannon, look OUT at the world and see what Shannon did when we were younger. That I can look out at the horizon and see things that others can't, things like beauty and goodness, like fun and adventure and excitement, things like hope and possibility. She never saw the bad in the world, in other people, or in me. She filtered it and saw only the good. Her eyes were the most beautiful brown, and when I looked at her face as she looked out beyond here and now, her eyes sparkled.

Lyman

We have this new body wash that has little "beads" of Shea butter in it. SO COOL! Well, I just put Taiger in the tub and scrubbed him up. Then, I came in my room to do some work and let Taiger play in the tub (the bathroom is next to my room, so don't worry...and he is so loud in the tub...if it were quiet, I would go running in there!). A moment later, Taiger hollared out to me, "Mom, Lyman is my best friend."
"Who?"
"Lyman."
"Lyman? Who is Lyman?"
"No, LYMAN" (s0mehow I had mispronounced his name. I tried several more times at a proper pronunciation befor letting it go.)
"Okay..." I answered without thinking much of it.

A moment later he asked, "Can you get me a cup to catch Lyman?"
"In a minuet..." I said.
A moment later, "Mom? Can you get me a water bottle to catch Lyman in?" Well, now I was curious! I got his cup to catch Lyman. Handing him the cup, I said, "Here's a cup. Now, who is Lyman?" He giggled in a funny way. "Come on, who's Lyman?" He layed down on his stomach in the wayer, his face close to the surface and said, "This is Lyman! He's my best friend!" Where he pointed was one of the little Shea Butter "beads", floating around in the water!

The Fishies Sleep With The Fishies Now

When Taiger finished his "Ocean" unit in Homeschool, I had considered buying a goldfish for our classroom so he could see and identify on a live fish, the gils, fins, etc. Seeing as how i HATE animals, I took him to an aquarium instead.

Two days ago, chance had it that I came into owning seven fish; five in one jar, two in another. Taiger loved them! Without any prompting, he showed me the gils! (Mission accomplished for Teacher Mom!) When Bryttan asked what the fish's names were, he named two of the fish: The smallest one was Sushi, and another was Octapus Legs. Yes, he really did come up with those names himself.

The other day, one of the fish had died. It could have been that I hadn't fed them more than bread crumbs. It could have been that there were FIVE fish in a mason jar. Either way, I decided enough was too much. Upon my request, Jeremy took both jars into the bathroom and we dumped the contents of both into the toilet. All seven fish, six happily swimming in the new, clean water, and one dead one floating on top. And then, FLUSH. They were swept away to their new home.

The fishies sleep with the fishies now!!

A Photo Op with a Mantis

I. HATE. BUGS.

All bugs. ANY bugs. I hate them! People always think I am exaggerating and say things like, "You like ladybugs/butterflies/etc. don't you?!" Nope. The ONLY bugs I can ALMOST tolerate are bees, and I am so allergic to them i have to avoid them like the plague. I really, really HATE bugs.

This evening, I found TWO bugs on my bed. TWO. At different times. In my book on how to avoid bugs, one is a fluke...two is a trend, So, all night I have been paranoid. I keep thinking I am feeling little legs crawling on my skin. EW! Well, at one point I was SURE I felt one! I flipped it off, and turned to see if it was on my bed (it was on my back)...but nothing. As I was looking away, I saw two HUGE eyes...LONG legs...the SUPER bug. To my utter joy, it was on the OTHER side of my window.

What was it? A katydid (I think..I don't like to learn about bugs...the pictures freak me out! When Taiger was little, I tried to teach him about butterflies...the pictures were too much. That homeschool topic ended abruptly). Anyway, I saw this as a GREAT photo opportunity and grabbed Scott and snapped away. The creature held very, very still. Until I moved away to adjust my settings. Then, he cocked his head and seemed to be wondering where I had gone. I came back and snapped some more. I knew this would be the closest I would ever be to one of these bugs. If it weren't on the other side of thick glass, I would have been HYSTERICAL. First, I would have been surprised, probably even jumped. Then, I would have become VERY mad...even IRATE! How dare this disgusting thing intrude MY space! Then, I would have freaked! This thing is in MY ROOM! I would have wakened the WHOLE house and made someone dispose of the helpless creature. Lucky for him, and everyone, he was outside and there was nothing to be upset about.

Well, i LOVED taking pictures of this little guy. Very interesting. Very cool colors. Close enough to get some cool shots. And then, he moved. He had moved little bits already, and that was cool...good for pictures. He bit at his hand, and rubbed his head. Turned his head. Those kinds of things. Now, he began to walk. I clicked away. He moved his legs up onto the window. I almost threw up but I wanted to get some good pictures of his belly to show Taiger tomorrow. It was all pinkish and reddish...very cool to a three year old boy, I assumed. But after a moment, I realized he was staying like that...pawing at my window, trying to get in to the warmth of my lamp.

And that's when everything changed. That is when he grossed me out. No longer cool. Just disgusting and a bug. Yuck. Even as I type this, he is clamoring at the window, trying so hard to get warm. Trying to get through that invisible and mysterious barrier to the heat radiating from so close, but so far away. He knows it is there, he may even be able to feel it slightly through the glass. But there is more. Oh yes, there is heat indescribable. He knows it. But he can't get to it.

Seeing him now makes me want to vomit. Yuck.

I just hate bugs.


(Tried to upload pictures but internet is too slow. Just take my word for it...the little creature was revolting!)

Sun- Day

Today, in homeschool, Taiger learned about the sun. It was really fun! It was a SUPER short lesson (I have learned these are best for Taiger), but he learned SO MUCH! To make today's class shorter and more fun, I actually "taught" him a TON about the sun last night in the car. I told him today's class would be about the sun, and just went on to tell him about how the closer planets to the sun are warmer than those farther away, and I told him about Solar Flares.

Today, we looked in his book about space and saw pictures of the sun and talked a little about what the sun is made up of, and why it shines. In the picture was a satellite, and that caught his attention, so I briefly explained what a satellite does and he remembered it later today! Could not believe it! Anyway, then we pretended he was the sun. He stood on a chair way up high and I "orbited" around him. Then, I was the sun and as he was orbiting, I decided this would be a good way to review at least one planet without having to make it so formal. So, I asked him which planet he was. He said, "Let's look at our chart" and looked at the picture of the planets I have hanging on the wall. He chose the biggest one (surprised? He always wants to be bigger!) and I reminded him that that one is Jupiter, the biggest planet in the Solar System. After our "orbiting", we did our little poem about the planets, and he totally got into it! Then, we went upstairs and made the sun. I cut out squares of thick yellow craft cellophane and he glued them on the big circle of yellow poster board. I also had cut lengths of that curtly ribbon, and he glued those on for Solar Flares. As he was doing this, I had him tell NaiNai what we had learned today in school and was VERY impressed he remembered SO MUCH! He was excited to say that he had been the sun, way up high, AND that he had been Jupiter. He was excited to tell her about satellites, and even expounded some, saying they were made of gold (they looked gold because of the sun reflecting off the metal). I corrected him, but he went on to say they take pictures of space, and they make up his space book..."Right, Mom?" he asked to make sure his conclusion was correct. I was impressed he could rationalize through that without me having said anything about it. GO TAIGER! So smart!

Later today, it was raining. Taiger wanted to go out in the rain with me but he wasn't dressed, so I told him he couldn't because it would be too cold when he got wet. He ran in the house and came back a moment later with a pirate hat on, exclaiming, "This will keep the rain off me!" I was laughing so hard! Of course, he not only had the pirate hat, he also was waving a pirate gun and a pirate map...don't know how THOSE would help in the rain, but Heaven forbid he have the hat and not the entire ensemble. Funny part was, he got all that instead of just getting his clothes back on! LOL! Silly boy!