September Mourn

OK, so I am sure that wasn't exactly the way Neil Diamond intended it when he penned the lyrics to his 1986 hit, but as I was packing away all of my summer fashions- white pants, white shoes, sun dresses, swimsuits, summer purses and accessories, I found it surprisingly difficult to pack away these:

My beloved white sunglasses.  I think I bought them at TJ Maxx or maybe Marshall's for like, 9 bucks...but oh, they are worth so much more than that to me.  Whenever I put them on a feel young, fashionable and...well almost frisky!  I can't explain why they have this effect on me but they do.  As I pack them away, I feel like I am packing a part of me that has been buried beneath breastfeeding, booty-wiping, sippy cup filling, boo boo kissing and all the other makings of motherhood for the past 6 and 1/2 years.  I really can be fun, spontaneous and full of laughter...I promise.  So, as I pack these away I am going to make an effort to never lose myself again...to be the "me" that I truly am and not just the "me" that I think I am supposed to be.  Oh, and I have an appointment with one of my besties to go shopping tomorrow...TJ Maxx and Marshall's is definitely on the "hit list".  Here's hoping I'll come home with a little (new) piece of me!

"Look at what you've done

Why, you've become a grown-up girl"
 
-September Morn, Neil Diamond

Ellie at 9 months

Boochie, Roni, Bitzer & Ewie

If you know our family well, you know that we come up with all kinds of crazy nicknames for each other.  For starters, Derek and I have called each other "Boochie" since...well, I cannot even remember when or why or who started it.  When Tate was born he was Tater, Tate Mouse, Mitter and apparently "Boochie" seemed appropriate for him as well as the two children that would come after him.  Now we call him Tony or Roni or Tate-opolis.  Then there is Brit who was Bit, Bitzy, Bitzer, Bitzerpotomus, Bellus.  So here is Ellie and we call her bellie, smellie, Ewie, Petunia, Belles.  Even our dog, Rose has nicknames: Rosetta Stone, Rosa Barks and Rouge (like, what your grandma calls the pink stuff she powders on her cheeks)...usually said at an ear-splitting volume ROUGE!!!!!!

But we don't limit ourselves to the monikers (thank you, Laura) listed above.  Just yesterday Derek called me corn chip and fuzzy Popsicle.  Its kinda fun to just call someone whatever comes to mind at the moment.  It keeps life interesting and definitely keeps us laughing.  Oh, and don't worry, chances are we have a name for YOU as well...you just don't know what it is...and we'll never tell!

Finally his first

After several seasons of sitting on the sidelines watching his brother play sports, Britton is finally old enough to join a team of his own. He had his very first soccer practice tonight and he loved it. I expected him to do well, and he did. I hope it gives him more of his own identity since Tate decided not to play this year (regrettably so, as you can see in the picture). I am excited to be able to see Brit run and play and hopefully do well during his first team sports experience.

While practice was going on, I couldn't help but take a few snapshots of Kristin's baby...what a love!

From Collages

up to and into

Ellie was 9 months old on August 21st, and I must say that she "grew up" more in one month than she had in the last 8.  She went from happily sitting and observing to actively exploring her world.  She's UP TO 16 1/2 pounds and INTO just about everything!

Busted!

Her favorite indulgence right now is her brother's marker collection.  As soon as she sees the pantry doors open, she scurries over to discover what markers look like, feel like and taste like. 

She also loves my cookbooks.  She can occupy herself for a good 15-20 minutes pulling them all off the shelves in the kitchen making this funny little new laugh that I MUST capture on video soon.

Ellie has also discovered that it's OK if she does not like a particular food, because Rose will eat just about anything.  I've caught her tossing pieces of veget ables and bread to our four-legged friend.  Rose LOVES when its time for Ellie to eat.

"I didn't do it."

She has discovered brooms, drawers, the dishwasher, shoes, toilet paper, the bathroom scale, the bathtub drain plug, the fancy balls that mommy keeps in a basket/tower thingy on the fireplace, daddy's computer keys, the vacuum cleaner cord, the drawer that sits just beneath the surface from which I am right now typing (has found change, stamps, earrings, flash drives, iPod ear buds...all kinds of neat things in there!).  So her curiosity and propensity to explore means more than ever that I CANNOT TAKE MY EYES OFF OF HER.  And I don't.

More work for me...less undivided time on Facebook...more time shucking my "to do list" to spend time sitting right with her and chasing her all over the house.  I love it though.  I love to see those wheels turning, the zest for more, more, more, as she takes in her little big world.  UP TO 20th percentile in height and weight INTO 100 percent more than that!

We interrupt this marriage...

It's here, folks!  And just in time for kickoff, a cool breeze meanders in from my back porch and through the open french doors into our living room.  Welcome, welcome Football & Fall. 

I have one happy fella perched on the couch, tuckered out from today's noon-thirty game with a sunburn he wears as if it were a badge of honor. 

We took Tate to the Raider Game last night and tailgated with a few friends.  This was the first year since I've been up here that I didn't have a family member either on the field in uniform or shaking pom poms from the sidelines. Kind of sad to think that almost all of the cousins are grown.

I love how football brings everyone together; the young and the old, the Gator and the Dawg...the passion and frenzy that surrounds this season is exciting and special and treasured in our home.