Fair, Birthday Bash, and Halloween Festivities

To be completely honest, I'm so far behind, and I just don't have the patience to post a bunch of pics here, so I'm going to put more albums on my facebook account. Just wanted to put a few teasers here....

Alabama National Fair 2009

Braden's Birthday Party -- 2 Years Old!

Fall Festival at Church
Trick or Treating


Also going on: Volleyball season has come to a close. We made it to the State playoffs, one of the Elite 8 Teams present.

Kenny's football team is in the playoffs this year!

Just recently spent some time in Texas with my family. Although I was there for my Papa's funeral, it was a treasured time.

I have a lot to say, but I'm not in the mindset right now to say it all. I truly am blessed to have such a wonderful family. This is a joyous time of my life.

Oh Man!

I sat down in the salon chair with a picture of myself from college when I had my hair in a short bob. I said, "it could be a little longer than that, but I definately don't want it shorter."

The lady said, "Ok." then started cutting. She made all of the appropriate parts. Then began the cut. Her first layer was way shorter than I ever remember anyone cutting. When she was about to start the second layer, she called someone over (the managing cosmopolitan) and said to me, "show her your picture."

The manager looked and said, "ok?"

The first woman answered with a shrug.

Manager lady, "It's just a bob cut."

The original lady said, "but she wants it stacked..."

Manager lady speaks. "That's what a bob is; don't you know how to do that?"

Original lady: "No."

Me: "THEN WHY DID YOU TAKE SCISSORS TO MY HAIR IN THE FIRST PLACE AFTER I SHOWED YOU AN EXACT PHOTOGRAPH OF WHAT I WANTED, AND YOU KNEW FROM THE START YOU DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!!????!!!"

That was all in my head of course.

Then my heart stopped for a second.

I proceeded to move to the manager's chair for her to 'fix' me.

"It's going to be shorter than the picture," she states. "So sorry."

Non-confrontational me says, "Well, make it look as long as you possibly can. The picture was cutting it close to my too-short comfort zone."

Original lady continues to hover and "learn" during what has turned into a teaching sesson. "Never cut shorter than their hairline...."

I stopped listening at that point. I picked up a few, "that's because of that first cut you made..." and "see how your parts were crooked? that would have messed up the whole cut in the end."

Seems to me the cut was messed up from the beginning; not the end.

When it was all said and done. My neck had been shaved...yes, shaved, and I got to only pay for a child's cut. Lucky me.

I did, however, get Sharon's (manager lady) card because unlike original lady, she will be allowed to touch my hair again. She turned a disaster into an uncomfortable for me (and Kenny), but yet still ok hairstyle.

When asked about how she likes my haircut, Avery states, "Part of it is okay. I like the front, but the back looks like a boy."

Thanks, baby; that makes me feel so much better.

Tackle!

For those who may not know, now that we are in season, Avery comes to volleyball practice with me, and Braden goes to football practice with Kenny. It really has worked out better than I ever imagined, and it's hilarious noticing what each pick up from their experiences each afternoon.

Braden has become quite the aggressive one. He's a boy. He loves his sister. He watches boys tackle each other everyday. Put it all together, and you get the following: (Pardon Avery's nakedness.)

He used to wait until people were ready, but now Braden has started tackling people when they are taken off guard. It really is funny....hilarious actually when they don't expect it. As long as no one gets hurt, and it's usually the older kid who does.

Our Gymnast

Due to the crazy schedule of what is our life right now, Avery has had to take a break from gymnastics class. We fully intend to pick back up where we left off once I get out of volleyball season, but for now we just get to practice at home!

That's a pretty great hand stand if you ask me! (She accidentally flipped all the way over, but since there were no injuries, it was fun for all!)

A Boy And His Dog

Having a dog is tiring. Especially one who loves to chew. on. everything.

But everytime I see this.

Or this.

I remember why we have one in the first place.

First Day of School!

We have been blessed with the fact that Avery is going to be attending K4 where we attend church. She is so excited that she gets to spend two days of the week feeling like a big girl. Her only problem was that she wanted to ride the bus to school! I had to tell her that there wasn't a bus to take her to school and that I would have to suffice.

The part I was not excited about this morning was having to wake both kids up! That is never fun to do. When they are sleeping...let them sleep!

The minute Avery's eyes were open, she remembered what a special day it was and ran to get her lunchbox then stood by the door....with no clothes on. Then she realized she needed to put the clothes on she had so carefully picked out the night before.

She was in such a hurry to get to school, she wanted to bipass the whole picture taking thing, but I insisted. The results are as follows. You can see the progression from not too thrilled to terribly excited once we got to her classroom.

Braden and I got to spend some quality time with each other. We aren't used to that, and I think it will be good for us.

Once we picked Avery up, she filled us in on how she wrote the letter A over and over and over and over. Then she wrote a lower case a over and over and over and over. She also mentioned that her teacher told them about snakes. Then she got to be the leader when they went to the playground. She also said she sat by a new friend named Adalyn, not her young friend Adalyn, but a much bigger one.

She also shared some thoughts that she had told her teacher. Kids really have no filters, but I love it. I'm sure her teacher will think our family is crazy by the end of it all. Oh well; we are so there!

Throw-Down In The Aisles of Wal-Mart

Today the kids and I ventured out to run a few errands. First stop Wal-Mart. I know people hold strong feelings toward whether or not they like that store. Personally, I don't have a problem with the store itself, other than the fact that they don't have some things in stock that I need/want (but that's a whole other post in itself).

Back to the story at hand. We had been there for probably an hour. We weren't there on a mission, just a leisurely outing to pick up a few items, plus look at the kid toys per Avery's request.

Of course I'm biased and think my children are beautiful, but I was backed with other comments throughout our shopping experience. We enjoyed our normal shares of "how cute they are!" and "what a basketful of joy you have there!" followed with "such sweet siblings!"

On the way to the check out lines something cute caught my eye, so I veered to take a closer look. That's when it happened.

A woman started walking toward us, staring daggers right at Braden. I was a bit confused, but prepared myself to say 'thank you' to her assumed oncoming, "what a cutie" remark.

Then a grouchy mumble ensued as she continued past us, now making direct eye contact with me.

My gracious smile disappeared as her words sunk in: "that child's hair is entirely too long for him to be a boy!"

My mouth dropped open, and I was speechless. Who. Is. She. That she thinks she has the right to tell me how my son's hair should be? As I gathered my thoughts, I stared after her wondering if I should chase her down and inform her of all of her unfortunate style choices she had made that day.

That would make me just like her, so I didn't.

Then I decided that she was probably just jealous that Braden's blonde hair is his true color, and she will never get such natural looking curly locks.

But the mother in me still wanted to take her out back and show her a thing or two.....