2 years ago October 9th,
our daughter was placed in our arms..
she had just turned 1, 2 days earlier...
Happy Birthday Precious!
Happy Forever Family!

This weeks FFFF at Loving Lydia is a personality picture of your child. That one photo that says it all. Well, it was really hard to choose just one photo, so I made a layout for each child. (yes, I cheated)!!

BUT

if i HAD to choose 1 photo..
this would be it

Fast and furious and going by in a blur!
The wild one at the wheel, her side kick riding shot gun and safety girl in the back making sure seat belts are on and she can talk them out of jail!

We spent a great day at the park last weekend, I think it was our last warm day.
Fall is now in the air, crisp and windy!!
We went apple picking yesterday (pics to come) and I baked pumpkin cookies (today) from Bamboo Sprouts.

This weekend we celebrated the Mid Autumn Moon with a little party of our own. I had 14 children over, we made lanterns, lit them with flashlights, and carried them on dowels, they had hot chocolate while I read the story of Hui Yi and Chang E, the parents had wine, dumplings, rice and spring rolls, later we lit sparklers and paraded to their cars to go home! Whew, what a night. After everyone left, we realized that we forgot to open the mooncakes and have chinese tea! DUH!
So on Tuesday night, with the full moon is sight, we had a few friends over and had mooncakes and tea, and then champagne!

I've linked this page to Loving Lydia for the Friday Foto Challenge!
http://lovinglydia.typepad.com/loving_lydia/

Finger painting!!!
Gotta love it!

I got her to play with a big bowl of dish soap bubbles, to tidy up.

Not too much happening around here... Lily still has a bit of a cold, seems it has left her nose and went to her chest and sinuses. She was very clingy to mommy this past week, but seems to be in a better mood today! Whew!

We had another playgroup here last Thursday with Lily's "China Sister's" My photo's didn't turn out, but Andrea's did. I think I spent most of my time blowing Lily's nose! (It's even in one of the photos) LOL

We had a great time and Lily loves these get togethers. She asks for the girls all the time! I am glad we've decided to meet every week now.

**update**

My wonderful DH just came home with a Beautiful Bottle of Bordeaux !
I'm not sure who I love more right now....

him

or


him

You know your old when....

you bend down to pick up your daughter's book bag and put your back out!!

Yup! That is what I did this morning. How pathetic is that?


then being an idiot...I decided to bathe the dog, bent over in the tub, with Lily helping me!! DUH
So now, my back is in spasms....and I'm not happy!
I am going to either open a bottle of wine or a bottle of Gin, or a bottle of good narcotics! Heather...feel like sharing?? ;)

Well, not a hell of a lot happening here so I am going to follow the lead and spit stuff out..

• not only is my back out, the kids are sick! Sneezing..runny noses...coughing and a huge amount of whining! I was going to post a picture of Lily's runny nose, but she wouldn't let her nose get "runny" enough for a good picture! Lucky you! She will YELL "Nose running" before her nose actually runs! Very particular about NOT having a snotty nose!
  
• The girls had their first full week of school and homework and gymnastic training. They were real troopers, getting up without me nagging. We even had 15 mins to spare every morning before the bus arrived.
  
  
• Not sure if I told ya'll this before, but DH is now working out of town everyday again, gone at 6am, back in the evening around 7:30 - 8pm. He arrives home just in time to kiss the girls goodnight.
  I get the girls up, and off to school, do all the house work, have supper cooked before the kids come home, do homework with them, get them to the gym, drive back home, bathe Lily, clean up from supper, get luches made for the morning and get the kids off to bed! I swear it's like I'm in 1950! He has supper on the table, kids all clean, and a drink ready for him! well..ok, he has to re-heat supper, the kids are clean, but he puts them to bed, and he opens his own beer and puts some laundry away!
  It's a good thing he's good with the handy man stuff....or I would have to get rid of him. (you bunch of dirty minded people.. you thought I meant in bed !! ) tsk tsk! ;)
  Well, ok I did!
  So after having a full week of school etc.. I have to say that I am very proud of myself and of the girls! No break downs!! YEAH! Everybody happy!! YEAH!!
  
  
• now on a completely different topic.. I am thinking of having a Mid-Autumn Moon Festival "party". But I'm not quite sure what to do for it. Make lanterns, eat moon cake and have tea, and read the story of Chang E and Hou Yi, the Moon Goddess and her husband the God of the Sun.
  Any suggestions out there?? I think the party should take place when the moon is in the sky, but for most of us, the child that this holiday pertains to, would be in bed sleeping! LOL I would love to hear your suggestions.
  
  
• oh yeah, here is something else I did this week...Lily and I joined a child care exchange with 2 other mothers. So on Monday, I babysit their child, from 9am to 1pm and in exchange, I get free child care on Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 - 1pm. Cool eh?
  I went for coffee on Tuesday sans enfant and even went out for lunch! (Thanks Lu).
  Now I have to think of something for this Tuesday and Wednesday. Hmm...anyone want to meet for coffee?
  

Hanging out to dry...

How cute is this??

I can't believe that I managed to get (almost) all of her special bears in 1 wash! She didn't even have a fit, they must of smelled really bad! LOL