Happiness Week 40

Seriously 2012 is going by fast. I can't believe I am 40 weeks into this project with just 12 weeks to go. I don't know about you but I wish life would slow down a little bit! This week we had early release for parent teacher conferences as well as no school Friday. I'm happy that it's October. The first weekend in October is always the Issaquah Salmon Days Festival, to celebrate the return of the salmon to the creek. I've gone to this festival every year since I met Steve, rain or shine, for 20 years. Usually it rains but this year the weather was actually nicer than many of the days this summer. I love how Issaquah is nestled in the valley surrounded by mountains and trees. On a fall day it is breathtaking. I was struck by how old the kids are getting. Particularly because Evie is on the verge of becoming a young woman. It feels like yesterday she was my baby. We had a fabulous time and I hope I'll have a chance to blog about it this week (with pictures): hamster balls, yummy food, kittens, monkey seeds, salmon, alpacas, music and dancing.

Tomorrow Ainsley has an appointment with the ENT doc. He will do a nasoendoscopy (camera scope down the nose) and with any luck (Ainsley needs to hold still) we will get to see her airway. I am excited to know if there are any changes to her airway since her tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in July.  You really just can't tell by external observation. We've been fooled many times in the past. I started a general update post for the blog, so perhaps I'll have that finished later this week, and will include what info there is from the appointment. Ainsley's been eating some new foods this past week, and I'm excited to share that.  

I hope you have a good week and are enjoying your October!

Daily Happiness Photos - Week 40

10/01 Fall at the Farms

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We live near a valley at the edge of Woodinville and Redmond that has a lot of farms like the Root Connection or Dr. Maze's Farm . Every time I drive through this area I think how beautiful it is and how nice it is to see land instead of more housing developments and shops but it is especially beautiful in the fall and I had to stop to get a close up shot of the pumpkins and sunflowers.

10/02 A Learning Opportunity

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I love an opportunity to teach my kids a lesson through natural consequences. Today was the day that The Mark of Athena came out and Evie REALLY wanted the book. She'd been talking about it for months and I encouraged her to save her money for it, which she did. Since it was Tuesday Adrian had soccer practice and Evie had ballet. If she wanted the book she would have to get all her homework done by 6:30 (normally she works on it until nearly bed time, middle school, with 6 classes, is tough) because otherwise there wouldn't be time to go to the book store since ballet lets out at 8:00.  She DID it (and now I know she really CAN if she doesn't dawdle) and Steve took her to buy it. She read 100 pages in the first day.

10/03 Fruit Bowl

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I don't know what made me happier: finally getting a piece of Portuguese Majolica after loving but not owning any for yearrrs, finding the perfect fruit bowl for only $10, being able to check "find fruit bowl" off the to-do list, having a place to keep fruit in the kitchen (hopefully this will lead to more eating of fruit), having a little color to break up the black counter top, or the cute face the fruit in the bowl made.

10/04 Real Mail

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In our increasingly digital age it is becoming quite a rare day indeed that you open your mail box to find...real mail..not bills and junk mail but a beautiful card sent out of the blue by a friend just to say hello.  The written word on real paper is a treasure. E-mail and texts, they just aren't the same are they?! I love the sentiment of this card so much I think I might frame it.

10/05 Ainsley Putting on a DVD By Herself

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Wow! Seriously Ainsley played this DVD all by herself. I was really impressed that she was able to do that.  I had told her no because I needed quiet in the TV room (where the computer also is) but it's pretty hard to be mad when she was able to do something like this all by herself. It is a challenge when you can't talk to your child about such things. She's at the age or stage to question me, but she can't. It makes me happy that she's showing a little moxie.

10/06 Fair Food

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My favorite fair foods: corn on the cob, elephant ears with cinnamon and sugar and fresh cut curly fries. This weekend we got all three. Yum!

10/07 Dancing

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I love to dance. I love music. In high school it was typical that I was out at the dance clubs 3 nights a week (as you can imagine my grades suffered). I love to dance with my kids at every opportunity. Even Ainsley likes to dance even though she can't stand. We don't let that stop us. Grandpa got in on the action with Ainsley. He likes to dance too. I think she made a lot of people smile this weekend. If you look real close you can see Steve in front of the mixing board.

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To view a slideshow of the entire Happiness Photo Project click here. Confused about what this is or why I'm doing it? Click here for an explanation of what it's all about.