In no particular order...

 First of all, Hazel.  The many faces of Hazel.  I usually see the whole gambit while sitting on a stool in the bathroom while she is sitting on the potty.  I have revoked her going "self" for a while because in the last 24 hours she has had three, THREE accidents in the exact same spot, just like a dog.  Don't worry, I didn't rub her nose in it but I did make her stand there in wet pants until it was all cleaned up every single time (it apparently made a huge impression.)  The girl has done amazingly well from the beginning with the whole potty situation but every once in a while she will have multiple accidents in one day.  AND she has suddenly turned into the most obstinate, stubborn,  independent two year old I know which will make for one heck of an adult but makes for a most unruly and irritating toddler.  I try not to dislike when my kids develop their own opinions.
Is it too much to ask for one, ONE child that will listen and follow with blind, devoted obedience?

Item #2: My backyard.  I love that we live in another place with lots of trees, even more than the last neighborhood.  Our backyard is surrounded by trees and a state park behind.  We have been told that there is a trail that leads to a stream back there...we have yet to explore but I like the thought of that.  I love that the trees leave just an opening of sunshine and sky in the middle of the yard.  It feels cozy and secluded but magnificent with rays of sunshine spilling down into our little space.  Our very own pillar of sky, if you will.

 And I love that I can stare at it while I am doing something less fun, like dishes.

 I am sure that I will be sad when all the leaves fall off the trees and we can actually see other houses...and I am only slightly concerned about the volume of leaves that will be on the ground.  I wouldn't want to lose a child or anything.  Well, maybe the obstinate two year old.

Last weekend we had more guests, that I am embarrassed to say, I didn't get any pictures of-what?! OK Nolan and Jocelyn, now would be a good time to send me that picture that I kept saying I needed to take and never did because I am a doofus.  Plus, I need it for our visitor log/bulletin board.
Clark's brother Nolan and his wife Jocelyn and adorable daughter Maddie joined us for a weekend.  They are so much fun and we loved having them...just picture them in the next sequence of fun because they were totally there.

 We went to an amazing farm about an hour away.  Gorgeous.  I want to live there...rolling green hills, farmland, trees, the Appalachians beginning in the distance.  Breathtaking.  I really, very seriously, would like to live in North Eastern Virginia on a rather large plot of land.

 Humongous (and fast) slides that the adults couldn't stay off of, and the kids wouldn't stop going down until they were too tired to climb the stairs to get to the top.

 We put Abby in the stocks and then laughed and ridiculed her.

 Haley and Clark played chess...Haley won a ribbon at her school last year for a competition in the chess club.  She's not bad...and just look at those adorable tights.  Smart and cute!

 Hazel developed a drinking problem...

 Gorgeous, amazing, wish you were here...

 Hazel tried to lift a pumpkin...unsuccessfully.

 Haley took a break and finished off the kettle corn...(perhaps a little family lesson on modesty should be in our future...)

 And on the way home we were following a car onto the freeway that had a mouse on the back bumper.  We stayed close as long as we could to see how long that little rodent could hold on.  So adorable when it is not anywhere near where I live.  (We didn't ever see it fall off...maybe it was time for city mouse to leave his country cousin and return home.)

 I am so glad to be living somewhere that still has fall.  This was taken last week.  Since then, the leaves have absolutely exploded into the brightest palette you have ever seen.  We have showers of dropping leaves throughout the day and an arsenal of falling acorns, as seen in this next picture.  Clark and I expeditiously cleared out the garage enough to fit at least one car.  We each have about a dozen dents in our hoods from falling acorns.  When a breeze passes, it sounds like a war zone outside.  Loud bangs and thumps can be heard on the deck, sidewalks and roof.  I just keep waiting for one of us to be thunked in the head so hard that we fall down.

 And then this morning, for no reason at all, I decided to char my bagel beyond recognition.  It worked....what didn't work was the fire alarm behind that closed door that you see there.  Funny, it went off several times the first week we were in the house and I burned something, but today, not a peep.  Glad to know we are all safe and sound...although at this point, I would guess we would be taken out by a falling acorn before a housefire.

Today I continued to work on Haley's Halloween costume.  Everyone else is set but I had to actually construct hers.  I was rather happy to be creating something.  I have been so preoccupied with organizing the house that I haven't had time to just enjoy doing my thing.  My "blahs" quickly began to disapate at I created...unfortunately, the blah's returned just slightly again while cleaning up tinckle again-that was after getting a $50 parking ticket (for a 20 minute visit to a nursing home, doesn't service exempt us from stuff like that?) but before the homework/dinner/bedtime wrestling match.
Don't worry though, the kids are in bed after storytelling and snuggles, and all is well.  I still mostly like them.
And as always, I still love them, so that's something I guess.  The blah's were also brought on by the fact that my husband has been traveling this week.  A situation that makes me want to stick my head in the microwave.  You see, we didn't know when he got this gig, that traveling would be part of it.  I am trying to focus on the positive though.  It's still way more of him than I have had for a long time.  And what the heck, who doesn't like a few nights here and there where I don't have to cook a real meal, I can work on my projects while watching girl shows and eating ice cream and soon-to-be-Halloween stashes?  At least that's what I will tell myself every time I do the bedtime routine with the gremlins alone while he is eating real mozzarella in Italy and taking naps in his downtime (jet lag? it's just an excuse if you ask me.) In any case, I will try to keep my head out of the microwave and continue to go with the flow.  Especially because if I went with the microwave option, the fire alarm probably wouldn't go off and no one would find me for some time. And who wants to miss Halloween? Not me.