Fall is fun!

I hate thinking of blog titles

Going for walks is a big deal around our house. If we aren't prepared to actually go for a walk....but want to use the word..we must spell it in order to avoid a disappointment induced meltdown by the little one. If we are indeed going on a walk...the mere mention of the word results in dancing, girly screams, spinning until dizzy and falling down, and the word "shoes" being screeched over and over in excitement. Based on this reaction you would think I keep her in a crate all day long. I have no idea what we are going to do when we are smack dab in the middle of an Oklahoma winter. Someone should really start a toddler walking business. 

"I'm Free!"

 Oh..I love these curls. I want to make a curl coat out of them.

Pooping? Perhaps.

Yes, pooping is very likely

For the love of Myrtle

I am not an animal lover. If you know me well, this is no surprise. But I've always had a special place in my heart for turtles. It all started when Myrtle became a part of my life in 5th grade. I fed him strawberries from our garden and he loved me..and I loved him. Eventually I set him free but I've never forgotten.  I'm sure he's out there somewhere in B-town..with his strawberry stained mouth.  So this story about a turtle amputee just kills me. Oh my. It's so sad. Can you imagine...just swimming in circles...over and over...and over. 

Circling sea turtle

A suspected shark attack left Allison, a 5-year-old sea turtle, with a single flipper and a life spent swimming in circles. Now she has her own sharklike dorsal fin -- a carbon-fiber rudder on the back of a black neoprene suit that covers three-quarters of her body, and allows her to swim in any direction.

Since Allison didn’t have enough stumps remaining, staff at Sea Turtle Inc., a Texas nonprofit group that rehabilitates injured sea turtles, knew prosthetics were a no-go. Canoe physics became the key scientists used to come up with enough equations needed to fit Allison with new suits, all the way up to the 600 pounds she may very well achieve.

Ornery as the day is long

The Old and the Brave

I don't know why, but this cracks me up. Look at his hurdle moves and tackle technique. Oh..and the kick by the woman at the end! Awesome. He is brave, though. I would have ran right out that door.

twinkle toes

I'm sure my daughter will end up being a tomboy. Opting for softball cleats and sweat pants. Which is just fine.  I have a sporty side. They (one person really..) didn't call me Amanda Block in H.S. for nothing.  But I need to be prepared for the time when she is old enough to tear the trendy dresses from her body and kick off the metallic shoes I strap onto her feet. But until then. She is powerless.

Keds. With Sequins. 

In other news...My friend Tami flew in for a visit last weekend.  Friend isn't even a good enough word to describe her. She is like a sister. Like the sister I never had. A sister that lets me boss her around and pick out her clothes. What a dream come true. During one of our lengthy conversations we realized that we have lived in different cities 12 of the nearly 15 years we have known each other. When you factor in the distance, it's really quite amazing we have managed to remain close and have our friendship grow! I knew she would be in my life forever the first time I met her. Not to get too cheesy....but she really is a kindred spirit...my real life soul sister. And E calls her Aunt Pampy. Isn't she pretty? If you are 27-37 years of age, a man, a nice man, tall, funny, laid back and want to meet Pampy, let me know. 

Today

I normally don't spend a lot of time looking back. Or at least I try not to. But on a day like today, I can't help but reflect on 2001 and try to remember what I was thinking and feeling when our world was forever changed. 

I had just started working at Capitol Abstract & Title Company as a receptionist. My hair was pink and I was tall. Still am. I wore chunky heeled black boots and self tanner was non-existent. I paint you a pretty picture. Anyway, I had previously been working in property management. Because I was bored and restless and tired of being responsible, I decided to leave that industry and figure out what I really wanted to do with my life. Being a receptionist sounded easy with low expectations...and that's what I was after at the time. My alarm radio sounded on September 11, 2001, and I caught the tail end of a report about a plane crashing into a building. In my 80 cent draw induced fog, it didn't register. On my way to work I listened to the news and heard the whole story. I remember not getting it. A terrorist attack? How? Why? It wouldn't compute in my brain. I guess you could say, I was uninformed at this time in my life. More concerned with my social life and fun than the state of the world. I didn't understand the method of terror. Why a plane...a hijacking. If I really focus, I can still remember what that 24 year old was thinking. Even though I had been old enough to understand the OKC bombing, this was something different. Something that went beyond 2 or 3 people. I think that is why it took me so long to fully grasp the magnitude of this attack. As I became more aware, I could feel my brain shifting. There was a world out there I knew nothing about. For the first time as an adult, I started to see past American borders. This was a defining moment in my life. I don't think I knew it at the time. But looking back, this is when the last of my innocence and naivete was stripped away. I could no longer see the world as I once did. From time to time, and especially today, I think about the families and friends who were directly affected by this act of evil and I am filled with compassion. And I am so thankful for my own family and friends. Why does it take such a tragedy for me to fully appreciate what I have and where I was born? What a blessed life I lead. 

Kiddos

I did a photo shoot last week with the sweetest and most adorable children. I wanted to take them home with me. Then I remembered I have my very own adorable child and she isn't always so sweet. So I changed my mind. 

The twins were so funny. He loves the camera...his sweet little face just lights up.....her, not so much. I got a few glares and very few smiles. But she is still extremely cute and sweet...even when she's frowning at me. The oldest is a such a star...I think I will have to do a shoot with just her. She takes direction so well and the camera loves her. 

Here are a few of my favorites.

Bloodsuckers

Along with every pre-pubescent, pubescent, middle aged, and 30 something female in the country, I read the Twilight Series....and was completely engulfed by the characters and fantastic story. And because I loved the books so much I was completely underwhelmed by the movie. I never read a book after it's made into a movie. I've tried. This is why I'm so delighted I read this series before I knew Kristen Stewart would be playing Bella. It would have ruined the books for me. The amazing thing to me about books is that every person who reads them comes away with a completely different interpretation of who the characters are. I love that. So many layers....like an onion. And I'm sure I'm the only one who understands this, as I am extremely enlightened and aware. I'm so thrilled to be able to share my vast wisdom with my readers. That being said, I have high hopes for New Moon and really want it to surpass even my expectations. Although, the photo below does give me reason for concern...hmmm...does that look like a SNL skit to anyone else? I'll try to keep an open mind.  Especially since a new special effects director is on board. No more stupid sparkly vampire skin...I hope. And they replaced Rachelle Lefevre with Dallas Howard Bryce. I never thought that Rachelle chick was a good pick. When I see her trying to be a psycho vampire I just think about her playing a not so convincing stripper on the show, What about Brian. Which was a really bad show, by the way. So bad that I watched it every week.


Until next time.

Sometimes a girl needs to put her foot down

And by A Girl...I mean me. This is not fashion. This looks like you have poo in your pants. If I see you wearing Harem pants, I'm gonna have to say something.  I get it...fashion repeats itself....but this was never fashion to begin with. MC Hammer wore them for like 5 minutes...and yes, some ladies in the early 20th century grew tired of their corsets and wanted to breath, so they wore harem pants. But maybe that was more about practicality and the fact that their clothes were as tight as sausage casing.  I can see "they" have tried to re-invent this style by adding extra pleats and a super high waist. However, this only adds to the poo- in- pants effect. Someone needs to be fired.