Shh....

Don't tell them, but all the candy is behind the iPod thinger on the fridge.
Also, don't tell them that while they were only allowed to have one treat, I had candy for dinner.
(Candy for dinner: STELLAR part of my training program for the OBX half-marathon!)





The inevitable post-sugar crash

I have just about had it...

with this,



and this.




Thankfully, these two are lovable, precious and cute no matter how miserable, snotty or gross they happen to be.

The Obligatory "Pumpkin" Post

Its that time of year when all the classrooms across the region flock to the local farms for the "pumpkin picking-hayriding-cider sipping" field trip and Josh was not exempt.

He loved it, named his pumpkin "Wagon" (don't ask) and got us thoroughly misdirected in the corn maze.

Good fun had by all!

The other side of the desk...

Tonight I get to go to Josh's "Back To School Night"! I'm kind of excited to hear what they do since I usually only get random muttering about trains and a few broken lines of the weather song.

And I think it is extra nice to be on the "other side".

I didn't have to organize a presentation.

I haven't spent the last 4 hour straightening, laying out papers, straightening some more, and trying to find little Jimmy's family picture that was stuck to little Susie's.

I'm not sitting there yawning thinking, "Heh, I have to be back here in about 10 hours. I'm tired."

Yeah for being the parent this time!!

Little Birthday for a little girl

We celebrated Leah's birthday quite simply this year with just Josh, Mom and Dad.

Her cupcake was the highlight, of course.



Second to her gift.



Which apparently required too much effort to open on her own.

Baby wearing?

Check!



Gentle Mothering...



Not so much.



But, I suppose a baby sling is handy when you want to jump off the side of the couch "hands free".

Ok, so we weren't quite...

ready to give up on summer.


Which is why we found ourselves back on the beach visiting with friends this Thursday.

And while I was all sweatshirts, blankets and brr...

the kids were all beach, swim and sand.

I'm pretty sure NOW we are officially done.

I think.

Two years ago...

this tiny person joined our family.

We named her Leah Suzanne.

Leah, because I love the story of Leah in the Bible and "Red Tent" was my favorite book that summer. By the way, "Leah" means weary. Which is fitting, because while she is rarely weary, she makes us very weary. Happy, but weary. Suzanne after one of her fabulous aunts.

And now she is two.

A very joyful, silly, adventurous, -ready-to-be-big-like-her-brother while still loving being our baby- little girl.

Happy birthday, baby girl!