pumpkin time!!

It's pumpkin carving time! I love Halloween! I think it may be something that they feed us subliminaly in the Salem School System, but I just love Halloween! Tonight Ali and I carved our pumpkins. I was thrilled to find great pumplins at an amazing bargain at Walmart. All of their large pumpkins were $4.00! We got two, one tall one and one round one (plus a bag full of gourds for Ali). The first one we carved Ali cleaned the inside of, she did a great job! She then picked out the design she wanted from the stencils that came with our carving kit and I carved. I put it out on the porch with a candle, and it looks great! Here is it:


For the next one, Ali "had no energy" so it was up to me. I tried to use a stencil, but I couldn't get it, so I did this one free-hand. I am pretty impressed with myself!


Here are the two of them on the porch all lit up!

And what is the best way to end a pumpkin carving night? Why baked pumpkin seeds of course! Ali was asleep before they were done, but I am sure she will be trying them when she wakes up! Yummy.......

Not broken!

On Monday I had yet another of my gracefull episodes. Yes, I fell. Luckily this time I did not land on my face but rather my knees. That's what I get for wearing big-girl shoes (platforms). I was on my way in to work, stepped on a broken piece of pavement, my ankle twisted and I went down on my knees. Ouch. I may have stayed there for a minute, but 1, there was a delivery truck RIGHT in front of me and I was mortified that the driver saw me go down and 2, I was afraid the curtains were open and my students saw me which I would never live down. The driver jumped out to make sure I was ok (nice guy). I went inside, but boy did it hurt! My left knee has an ugly bruise on the inside of the calf under the knee, my right side however was bad. I landed on my kneecap. I finally broke down and made an appointment to see my dr (after everyone who saw my knees said "OOOOOHHHH! Get that looked at!" I had x-rays and I am glad to say my kneecap is not broken, only bruised.

It's Fall!!

Alison and I were able to go leaf hunting today. For those of you not in New England, I am sorry. This has been a particularly beautiful season. This first picture is taken from my porch of the cemetary across the street.
Of course, Alison had to dress up to go leaf hunting. I mean, you can't be 4 and go leaf hunting in what you wore to school!
I think I took about a million pictures of this tree. The light was hitting it just right and the color was just amazing. I wish I had brough my *gasp* film camera with the telephoto lens, I could have gotten better shots. Maybe later in the week.

And just one more picture. My favorite color leaves. When I saw this I kept thinking Robert Frost's Poem "Nothing Gold can Stay." Although he is talking about spring, I think it also applies to the leaves. Gold is the hue least seen, and it is gone to orange and red so quickly.

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leafs a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

- Robert Frost

New Church

Alison and I went to a new church today. Last year (school year) we were going to the church I grew up in, but I wasn't very happy there. Ali did have a great Sunday School class, but there was nothing there for me. There wasn't anyone there my age and any suggestions or ideas that I had seemed to fall on deaf ears. Then I read an article in the local paper and one of the people quoted in it was a lady who attended my church when I was little. She was in charge of the acolytes and she was also my confirmation teacher. When she was ordained she moved to a new church and I lost touch with her. This article mentioned that she is now the minister at a church a city over from me, so I decided to try that. It was wonderful! Everyone there was extremely welcoming, Alison had a ball in her new Sunday School class. I was able to talk to the minister briefly and reminisce a little. It is such a relief to have a new church!

visit to NY

Last weekend Alison and I headed out to NY for my sister's NY baby shower. We had a great visit. The shower was wonderful, she received most of what she had registered for (well, what was left) and enough money to get what she didn't receive. Ali was a huge help with opening and throwing away away paper while I sat in the back and chatted with her friends. The next day I helped Julie organize everything and pack it up. They bought the co-op last Tuesday, so hopefully they will be moving in the next few weeks.

Julie looks amazing. From behind you can't even tell she is pregnant. No stretch marks yet, and she is at 30 weeks with twins. She is going to kill me for this, but here is a picture from last weekend. We had a great time feeling the babies moving. Ali loved it. Julie was very sweet in sharing her tummy with us!

Julie had a dr. appt this past week, you can read all about it on her blog. The babies are doing great, Lily is now bigger than Mia. Julie is doing great.


School has kept me busy. I am definately holding myself to a higher level now that I am a "veteran"teacher. I know what is expected of me and I want to exceed it. I have been doing better organizing everything which really does make a difference.

Ali's dad has a blog from Afghanistan. If you are interested in what he is up to, you can go to it here: pain-in-my-butt. Yes, yes I know it is silly making that the link, but what the heck, simple things for simple minds.

I have to get off of this computer and go through the winter coats, I think Ali is going to need a new one. She has gotten so tall this year!