as National Poetry Month winds down...

I'm bit disappointed with myself for not spending more time exploring the worlds of poetry this month. But today I was treated to quite the wonderful poetry experience. A poetry reading. Seventeen wonderful poets shared both examples of their own poetry and favorites of theirs by other poets.

My invitation was delivered a couple weeks ago, and I've been impatiently waiting for today to arrive ever since. Walking into what had been a typical third-grade classroom before today was quite a treat. It had been transformed into a lovely poetry coffeehouse. Yes, complete with a stage for the poets, with tables graced with tablecloths and vases of fresh flowers, with a coffee/hot chocolate/juice bar, and donut/bagel/muffin bar. They worked so hard to make this a fun experience for everyone! And these seventeen poets...man, they rocked!

Including this incredibly cute fellow here (said with all the impartiality that a mommy can muster). This kind of thing is so far out of his comfort zone, but he pulled through. The photo came at a price, however. I knew Gray was nervous enough about the whole thing, and he hates having his picture taken as it is, so I really didn't want to push things. I'd asked him if I could bring the camera to take pictures and wasn't the least bit surprised when he said "no". But I brought it with me in case he changed his mind. He knew I wouldn't break my promise not to take any pictures of him unless he agreed...so he made the most of it. Yep, the little rascal ended up with an IOU for a trip to Pizza Hut, and I ended up with this photo. That's okay...don't tell him, but I think I got the better end of that deal. Unfortunately, he won't allow me to share the poem he wrote for the occasion.

*****

Okay, and since this is sort of poetry related I'm going to share this here, too...

So, you all know that sweet, generous, creative guy
Carl, right? Well, in yet another unbelievably awesome gesture to Miss Annie, he sent her a special birthday package. I'll let her share with you the other goodies, but I just had to show you all this. Carl not only bought her this beautiful journal (oops, should have taken a picture of the cover, too, because it truly is lovely), but he made it just over-the-top incredibly special by printing up one of Annie's own poems that she posted on her blog and personalized the inside cover of the journal with it. Is that not just the coolest idea ever?!! Carl, I honestly can't begin to tell you how much she loves it!!!!

*****

And thus ends a sort-of-poetry-post for National Poetry Month.

a mommy post with some book stuff thrown in, or vice versa

First of all, let me tell you all how very lucky you are that I was "on blog break" last week when I read this book. Seriously, it's just one of those books that you want to talk about something on darn near every page. Since I already gushed away once, I'll skip it this time around. Instead, like Nymeth and Chris, I'll share the damage this damn book (and I mean that in only the nicest way) did to my wish list:



*How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer
*George and Sam: Autism in the Family by Charlotte Moore
*How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World by Francis Wheen
*True Notebooks by Mark Salzman
*Random Family by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
*What Narcissism Means To Me by Tony Hoagland
*This is Serbia Calling by Matthew Collin
*We're in Trouble by Chris Coake
*Every Secret Thing by Laura Lippman
*Early Bird by Rodney Rothman
*How to Be Lost by Amanda Eyre Ward
*A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews
*Citizen Vince by Jess Walter
*Pure Pleasure by John Carey
*What Good Are the Arts by John Carey
*Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov
*Running in the Family by Michael Ondaatje

Yeah, isn't that pathetic?!! He also had me wanting with greater intensity books already on my wish list, had me wanting to pull books I already owned immediately off my shelf, and had me wanting to reread books I'd already read! He's a menace, I tell you. A menace. ;)

*****

***Many thanks to our lovely hostesses, Eva and Alessandra.***










George and Sam: Two Boys, One Family, and Autism by Charlotte Moore. See above for blame on this one. :)










Fax from Sarajevo by Joe Kubert. Whim. Looks really good.











Circle of Cats by Charles de Lint and Charles Vess. Chris, you've not only earned yourself another point, but you've earned an enormous thank you from me! Oh my gosh, this book is so wonderful! And beautiful, oh so beautiful! Both to look at and to listen to. Basically, it's the story of a little girl who is bitten by a venomous snake and how she is saved by a group of cats who use magic to save her.

As if the book itself weren't special enough, the experience of reading it to Max was one of those truly cherished moments of motherhood. He's gotten so big that he rarely crawls right into my lap anymore, but he snuggled right in for this one. He was completed enchanted by this story. And after it was over, we had one of those melt-your-heart mommy moments. In fact, when he went running off right afterward, I immediately had to write down our conversation:

Max: If I was her, I'd tell Aunt that I was that kitten.

Me: Do you think Aunt would believe her?

Max: I don't know. She probably doesn't believe in magic.

Me: Do you think people stop believing in magic when they grow up?

Max: Do you believe in magic?

Me: I don't know. I think I do. Do you?

Max: Yes. And that means we both have magic in our hearts. 'Cause that's where magic lives.

*****

And I had a couple more "great mommy" moments in the last few days, too. Yesterday we received an invitation in the mail. An invitation to "the opening" of the 2009 Youth Art Month Show. Each year the school district puts on a show of student art. The art teachers from each of the eight schools in the district choose a handful of art work done by students in their particular school to be featured in the show. And the art teacher at Gray's school chose one of his pieces. I can't tell you how teary-eyed this makes me, because if ever there were a little boy who could use some self-confidence, it's Gray. Even he didn't know about it until we received this official invitation yesterday. I'm not sure if I can stand waiting these few weeks until "the exhibit" opens. :)

*****

And then there's Annie. I know I talked before about how she took her first college course last semester, and she did very well. But I'm not sure if I mentioned that she was taking another one this semester. Spanish 101. And I admit, I worried about her a little bit. It's a much bigger class, and it's not in her normal comfort zone of writing. Turns out I needn't have worried though. She just got back her first test...not only did she get an A, but the professor said she was the only one in either of his two sections of this course that did. Needless to say, she was very happy. Ummm, and yeah, I was pretty proud of her. :)

bit by the blogging bug

Well, now this family is taking up even more space in the blogosphere. Yep, Gray has now started his own blog. And he is so excited about it! His first post is so very 8-year-old boy. :) I'm hoping I can get him to do a book review now and then...but I'm not holding my breath.

in our neck of the woods...

It was another busy, fun-filled week here as I'm sure it was for many households last week...

*On Monday, my sweet, sensitive soul, Gray, turned 8-years-old! He was thrilled to receive two new games for his Nintendo DS, two new bears, and a huge box of Pokemon cards. And he was thrilled to hit Chuck E. Cheese for supper, where he alone ate 5 pieces of pizza (where does this kid put it all, and how the heck are we going to afford to feed him in another 4 or 5 years?!!). Annie and I were also able to head into his classroom to deliver special birthday treats. And he got cake #2! All in all, he proclaimed it a very good birthday.



*And of course, like for so many, Friday meant trick-or-treating! And though we woke up to snow Wednesday morning, by Friday afternoon the weather was positively glorious, with the temps hitting 60 degrees! Annie went off with her best friend, but the boys hung with us. And while Annie came home with mountains of candy, the boys were perfectly satisfied to just go around our block and call it good. Then we came home and watched It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Halloween is Grinch Night.




Hope everyone had a wonderful week past, and has a wonderful week coming!

Monday morning musings

*Weekends fly by much faster during the school year.

*I drink way too much coffee. But I doubt I'll cut back anytime soon.

*Gray just may gain some much needed confidence in himself. Most kids are both tying their shoes and riding a bike by age 4 or 5. But Gray, at age 7, was doing neither. The shoe-tying thing was greatly our fault, as we have always allowed the kids to pick out their own shoes. Until last month, Gray's always chosen ones with velcro closures. And it wasn't until last week that we told him that he had to start wearing his new shoes instead of the old, totally-falling-apart ones. Problem being, of course, he didn't know how to tie them on his own. The bike riding thing, well, he just hadn't wanted it bad enough to ever put in any effort. He is waaaay too big of a perfectionist for his own good.

Anyway, on Saturday, he decided he was going to learn to tie his shoes and to ride his bike. And I'll be damned if he didn't do it! We, of course, were very proud of him. But the pride he had in himself was just absolutely priceless!




*Fall is definitely getting the upper hand on summer. And I'm loving it.

*Those Dolphins really tried to give me hope in a better season this year, but ultimately failed. Thankfully, Penn State's keeping a smile on my face.

let me apologize up front

Not sure what's wrong with me lately. I'd say I'm in a bit of funk, but that's not quite it. Nothing is really wrong, and I certainly have nothing to complain about. Just been feeling disjointed and out of whack, if that makes sense. Can't seem to keep things organized, despite my compulsive list making. Anyway, I'm betting this post will reflect my general feelings of disorganization. So, I don't blame you one iota if you decide not to trudge your way through this one...seriously. (But I do hope you'll read the next paragraph.)

I just want to thank everyone for their incredibly sweet comments on the last post. You were all so very kind to one sappy old mom! And I so very much appreciated that. :) And I should tell you that this sappy old mom felt so much better when she talked to her daughter on the phone after her class. My goodness, the pure excitement in Annie's voice when she told me about how her class had gone knocked all those selfish "you can't grow up" thoughts right from my head. Her enthusiasm truly was priceless! And by the way, I'm sorry if I misled anyone. Annie hasn't started college full time or anything like that. She's just taking one class at the community college. Though it is an Honors Level Advanced Composition course that I think would kick my butt. Just hope it doesn't kick hers! She showed me the writing assignment they had to do in class that first day, and whew...all I can say is "better her than me!" I'll be anxious to see what her professor had to say about it (I think they're supposed to get them back today). I really hope she did okay, as I'd hate to see her get discouraged right off the bat.

*****

And what about my sweet little guys? I didn't have any back-to-school photos to post yesterday morning, because they wouldn't let me take their pictures. No, my little guys definitely do not have their sister's outgoing, try anything personality. Two very shy little boys who hate the unknown. They were extremely anxious yesterday morning, and the last thing I wanted to do was cause them any more stress by insisting they have their pictures taken. I even had to carry poor little Maxidoodle onto the bus, just as I did on the first day of kindergarten last year.

But their faces were lit by smiles when they arrived home. They'd both had a good first day. As Gray said, "It was good; it wasn't wonderful." Believe me, that's high praise coming from him! And they both allowed me to take their pictures after school, so technically we've still got those obligatory "first day of school" photos to be scrapbooked.




*****

And speaking of scrapbooking, I'm pretty darn sure I have the best husband on the planet. He's definitely the best husband for me! :) Anyway, he took over all kid duties on Saturday so I could spend the entire day scrapbooking. It's been a long time since I've spent any real time scrapping, so it was quite a treat. Maybe one of these days I'll even get my finished layouts posted on my craft blog.

*****

On the book front, I did something I rarely do...I gave up on a book. It was a book (Fiscal Pear and Shimmer in the Call of the River Whale) that I was reading to the boys. It started out okay. In fact, Gray was really loving it, in part due to the fact that he is a true fan of the pear (seriously, I think they rate above Smarties on his list of favorite treats) and having a book with a pear as a main character is definitely unique. But as we continued, we just found the story extremely hard to follow. Gray, Max, and I all eventually agreed that we just didn't want to stick with it. I honestly can't recommend reading it or avoiding it, because we didn't finish it and therefore don't have the full picture.

We didn't want to end our reading last night on a down note though, so we started a new book, The Witches by Roald Dahl. Oh my, and are we ever in love with this one!

I'm still working my way through The Stand: Complete and Uncut. Have finally passed the 1,000 page mark. Not sure why it's taking me so long to read it...just too little time to read lately, I guess. But hopefully I'll finish soon so I can jump into some of my RIP reads!

*****

Well, this is quite a day for me...for the first time since Annie was born, all my munchkins are off in school. (Actually, that's not quite true...Annie went to preschool 2 mornings a week during part of the time I was pregnant with Gray, but I was too sick to enjoy the alone time.) Anyway, it shall be that way every Tuesday and Thursday for the next few months. Maybe I can now get a bit caught up on lesson planning, and maybe my poor family won't have to live in such pig sty anymore. :) But on slate for today is painting the boys' bedroom. Ugh...I hate painting. They've decided that they want to share a room again, so we're going to turn Max's room into their bedroom and turn Gray's room into a playroom. We already went out and found some bunk beds that we could sort of afford. Heck, any price would be worth it if they'll actually sleep in them and aren't both sleeping on the floor of our room anymore. :)

*****

And thus concludes this even-more-rambling-than-usual post.

his best day ever

We decided to go out and run errands as a family Friday evening...and then we got really wild and decided to splurge on dinner out. We hit the only decent Mexican restaurant in the area (good Mexican restaurants are something we have sorely missed since moving here).

Anyway, we had a wonderfully friendly waitress. When she came for our drink order, she patiently listed all the drinks the kids could choose from. The very last drink she mentioned was "Mexican orange soda"...well, they jumped all over that. Pop, in general, is a big treat for them (as their mean old mom and dad rarely let them have it), but having "Mexican" in its name just seemed to add to the thrill. And their happiness increased exponentially when the waitress brought their drinks, for it came in bottles! They'd never seen pop in bottles before (yeah, I know, we really need to let them out the cave a little more often, huh?). As their bottles were set on the table, Gray says, "It's just like beer."

We all sit and munch on chips and salsa, and then enjoy a wonderfully delicious meal. And when we've all finished, the waitress brings the kids some individually wrapped Life Savers. Gray obviously can't believe his luck, for he leans back contentedly against his seat, sighs, and says a little too loudly, "This is the best day ever. First I get drunk, and then I get candy!"

Rich and I laughed so hard we had tears streaming down our cheeks. (Of course, we were also looking around for anyone surreptitiously using their cell phones to call Child Protective Services.)

kid logic

"Multiples of five are crazy."

This is what Gray said to me this morning. I was baffled. For one thing, I had no idea he knew what a multiple was. But mostly because I just didn't understand why he would say they were crazy. So I give him that "I don't understand...could you please explain?" look.

He just points across the room to where his brother and sister are in the midst of silly fit. It took me a second to comprehend, but then it clicked...Max is 5 and Annie is 10.

Couldn't argue with his conclusions.

homeschool happenings and highlights...and public school highlights too

When asked for this week's highlights, Annie had a hard time narrowing it down, but finally went with these...

*The Ensemble East concert, a Japanese chamber ensemble. (Her #1 favorite for the week!)

*The Giver. Annie loved this book as much as I did, maybe even more. And it has set us off exploring. We had a really interesting conversation about euthanasia. And we have also begun investigating genetic engineering. Rich was kind enough to give a short talk about the nuts and bolts of how genetic engineering is done. And we discussed different ways genetic engineering is used today, and may possibly be used in the future. We discussed not only scientific aspects, but ethical ones as well.

*Geometry. That Annie mentioned anything to do with math as a favorite for the week shocked the crap out of me. Though the language arts is where Annie really excels, she manages to do well in math as well...she's just never liked it much. Maybe this is the start of a whole new day :)

*Reptiles. She seems to love everything in the science realm, but she definitely has a special affinity for all things animal. Pretty common kid trait, I think. Anyway, this week, among other things, she watched three Nature episodes (one about snakes, one about turtles, and one about lizards), did some research to find three examples of snakes featured in mythology, and did a dichotomous key exercise to identify, from pictures, several species of turtles.

Each week when I ask Annie about her favorite things from her "schooling", I always ask the boys as well. The answer I usually get from them:

"Nothing."

Gray answers in this manner, because that is who Gray is. With the exception of bears and dogs and gems and drawing, it's hard to get Gray to admit he likes anything. He provides plenty of evidence to the contrary, of course. For example, there was no hiding how much he's enjoyed the weaving they've been doing the past couple weeks at school. But ask him straight out, and he'll deny he likes it down to his last breath.

Max answers in this manner simply because Gray does.

Anyway, imagine my delight when I asked them about their favorites from this week of school, and Gray piped right up with "Measuring!" His face lit up and his voice was filled with pure joy as he went about explaining the wonders of inches and centimeters. Totally priceless to this mama, I tell you.

And as Gray wasn't holding back this week, Max apparently decided it was okay to be excited about school as well. So what did he enjoy most...(1) swinging on the ropes in the gym, (2) building a boat from clay, and working on it until it would float, and (3) building a boat from aluminum foil and testing whose design would hold the most pennies before sinking.

Yep, three kids giving school a big thumbs up for the week...can't beat that!

brain break

I've been diligently working away on Annie's first quarter progress report. I know I stress out about far more than necessary, and I know I include way more information than is necessary. Just my nature, I guess. But I decided I just needed a breather. So instead of doing something productive like cleaning or catching up on the laundry, I decided I'd pop in here for a few. Though frankly, I don't have anything of interest to say.

Yesterday was a busy one. Not full of the usual busy stuff, but those things that only pop up once in while...

Like taking all three kids to the dentist for their cleanings/check-ups. Good news--no cavities. Bad news--it still cost close to $500! Ouch! (Gray had sealants put on his molars, which upped the cost.)

Like receiving a jury summons. Which I had to call in about, because I simply don't have anyone to stay with the kids. All I have to do is send in copies of the munchkins birth certificates and I get a 2-year reprieve. Actually kinda wish I could do it. Back when I was young (850-some odd years ago or so), I used to enjoy going to watch trials just for the heck of it.

Like parent-teacher conferences. Which went extremely well. No big surprises or anything. We did make the decision with Gray's teacher to have him see an OT to help him with his fine motor skills. Someday I'll have to take a picture of the way he holds a pencil. It's amazing he can write legibly at all, let alone crank out the abundance of artwork he does. Academically, he's excelling. And as for Max, I'm so grateful he has such a sweet teacher. It took her no time at all to realize that Max is mortified to be the center of attention, so she's very good about only asking him things when he raises his hand (which I'm surprised he ever does).

Like getting to go to Borders without the kids in tow. I was very good, too. Bought two small Christmas gifts. And otherwise, only bought two books, both from the bargain tables. Dune, which I've been thinking of reading with Annie for school. Probably not until next year though, because we've already got so many on slate for the current school year. Also bought Light on Snow, by Anita Shreve. I've never read anything by her, and I'd never heard of the book, but it sounded like it might be good. I'll find out next year, because I substituted it for my "weather event" book for Annie's challenge.

Suppose I've wasted enough time. Back to the reporting.

under the weather

Max is staying home from school today. Let me tell you, he's really broken up about it...ha! Nothing major, just a slight fever and a really ugly cough.

Baker is the one who had me worried though. He had another seizure last night. He was right on the floor beside the bed...if he'd have been out in the living room, I might not even have heard him. It breaks my heart and scares the crap out of me while he's in the midst of one. I stayed up with him for about half an hour afterwards...he was fine and eventually got to sleep.

Whenever Baker has one of his seizures, which luckily is not that often, it always brings back worries about Gray. I guess that's only natural. Especially as he eases closer and closer towards puberty (though that's still a few years away). Back when Gray was being weaned off his medication, his neurologist told us that that's the time when his seizures are most likely to come back. And there's only a 1 in 3 chance that that will even happen, so the odds are with him. And yet still we worry...guess it comes with the old parental territory, huh?

a different perspective

I admit it...I love all times of the year. I feel so lucky to live in a place where we get to fully enjoy each and every season. Each season has such wonderful things to offer.

And here we are in October already...how did that happen, by the way?!! October is such a delightful month. One with a uniqueness unparalleled. I mean, when else do we get to carve pumpkins and put on costumes and eat unhealthy amounts of candy and celebrate all that scares us silly? The air is cooler and holds that refreshing crispness, the cornfields take on that "autumn look", the trees paint the hillsides.

This October may be a bit different around here this year though. Gray (self-proclaimed "medium kid") is really going through a "terrified of his own shadow" phase. We're going to have to be careful about our nightly Halloween reads this year. And the movies we choose for the haunting season. I even had to pack a few decorations back up that were simply too much for him.

That's just fine though. For all we forego on his account this year, he'll give back tenfold. Gray, with all his sensitivity, brings us gifts of his own uniqueness. He makes us ponder with his limitless curiousity...last night he asked us what number came right before infinity. And he never fails to astound us and make us smile with his boundless creativity.

And you know, he's even adding his own little imagination into this season of spooks and chills. At the supper table the other night, we were all discussing the things that scare us. Annie said she was afraid of sliding down the pole at the playground. And she was also afraid of spiders. Ever-brave Max declared he wasn't afraid of anything.

Then Gray spoke up. "I'm afraid of being alone."

Short pause.

"In a big room."

Another short pause.

"With marble floors."

Gotta say, he gave me a little shiver there.

better than expected...

Wednesday. Back-to-school for Gray. First day of school for Max. Tears from Gray. Tears from Max. Tears from Mommy (though she held hers until she was alone in her room).

Actually, things went better than expected. Hey, that's what you get for having low expectations, huh? No seriously, things really weren't bad at all.

Gray was the first to head off. He was fine all morning. Happy as could be. Until we went outside to take those obligatory "first day of school" photos. That's when the meltdown occurred. "I don't want to go to school!"..."I hate school!"..."Why do I have to go?" Hence this photo...



But then I asked him what it might be like to go to school where he was the only kid, and the other students were all dogs. We talked about what kinds of dogs would probably be the smart ones. He said he wanted Baker to be his teacher. (I said he probably wouldn't learn much.) He said he wanted Scout (his cousins' dog) to be the principal. (I said that school would be pure chaos.) And all this silly talk cheered him up. Hence these photos...




And he remained happy until the bus arrived and walked up those stairs with a smile on his face! Whew!

Max is in the afternoon kindergarten group, so unfortunately he didn't get to ride the bus with Gray in the morning. I really, really, really think that would have made all the difference...

He was actually quite the happy little fellow all morning long. Even when it came time to go out and take his "first day of school" pictures. He clowned and hammed it up in typical Maxidoodle fashion...




All was well...until the bus turned onto our street. Panic immediately set in. Max ran off and tried to hide. He had to be carried back out to the road. And then he refused to go up the stairs. Again carried. Luckily, there's only a few kids on the bus, and at least for now an "extra" grown-up. He helped Max get buckled in, and off they went.

Then came the waiting game. But three hours later, the bus pulled up with two very happy little boys. Thursday went much more smoothly...the boys got off the bus together laughing and talking a mile a minute. Friday...better yet, with both boys volunteering that they had a "really good day" at school.

Max still isn't exactly happy about getting on the bus to head off to school, but I think in another week or so, all that anxiety will have left him for good. So all-in-all, I would have to say that most of my worries were for naught. Isn't that usually the way?

a new look

Gray, our incredibly sensitive, compassionate, creative little soul. It's hard for most people to really get to know this sweet kiddo because he is so painfully shy. He gets along very well with other kids, but is generally very reluctant to join in without a specific invitation. And of course, on the playground, that's just not how kids work. You just go play. But Gray has apparently been spending his recesses just wandering around by his lonesome. So our poor little fellow has been feeling mighty blue about school lately. Breaks my heart into a million pieces! I talked to his teacher and she's now trying to make sure he joins in the fun.

Anyway, last week, this cute little kiddo told us he wanted his hair cut in the this very particular way...spiky. I told him that I didn't think I could do it, so he would have to go to a "professional" for this one. Something he's been very reluctant to do in the past. He was so excited about this haircut that he didn't hesitate for a moment. So Monday evening we headed off to the hair salon.

The result: One very happy little boy.


And now each morning includes a new routine...styling with hair gel. Hmmm...now if I could only get Annie to just brush her hair without a plethora of whining.

Anyway, it was a very small price to pay to help one extremely special little boy with his self-confidence.

**Sorry, it took me so long to post this picture, Mom! But doesn't he look happy?

Thursday Challenge

This week's topic for Thursday Challenge is MOTION.



Maybe not the best take on the theme, but I like this photo anyway.

not quite a balanced diet

I was just cleaning off the kitchen table. A never-ending job, if ever there was one. Anyway, as I was sorting all the various and sundry papers, I came across this...



It is the grocery list Gray wrote before Rich headed to the store Saturday morning. I guess I should be thankful that he at least asked for oranges, huh?

step away from the computer...

Wasting time. Lots of it.



Screwy start to the day. Schedule all goofed up. Had to take Gray to the dentist...his front tooth suddenly turned a not-so-lovely shade of gray. Wasn't really a big deal (easy for me to say, since it wasn't my tooth that had to be yanked out). The dentist said it just happened because even though the big tooth was pushing it, for whatever reason that baby tooth just wouldn't give up it's claim to that front and center stage. She almost pulled 2 additional ones...the x-ray showed it looked like they were headed for a similar scenario in the near future. But we decided to just let them go for now...to get those he would have had to go through the whole laughing gas, etc. routine. See photo? He's been through that whole ordeal too many times already. And frankly, it sucks. And poor guy...I tell you...it just isn't fair! He is sooooo meticulous about brushing his teeth. Just like he is with most everything he does, the little perfectionist. You should see him wash his hands...you'd think he was a mini surgical resident or something.

Anyway, this trip messed up the whole flow. And I just haven't been able to get back into the groove. Hence, I am wasting far too much time playing around here.

taking Thursday's Challenge

Thursday Challenge is a place for photographic fun and learning. A theme is announced on this site each week. You may either take a new photograph related in some way to the theme or select one that you have taken previously.

"CUTE" (Baby Animals, Babies, Children, Clothing, Beautiful, Charming, Dainty, Delightful, Pretty,...)



Well, of course, to this biased mommy, the boy and the dog are both as cute as can be. But what I find especially "cute" is the relationship of a boy and his dog. Nothing quite like it.