Day 145

Joel and Paul, members of Miniscout Troop 2, were quite proud of their tepee.

Day 99

***WARNING: This post contains nudity and may offend sensitive eyes! Might not be safe for children.***

Last Tuesday, our family went to the State Fair of Texas. On Saturday Oct. 9, we visited again, and this fountain on the grounds of the fair is the scene of Saturday's LEGO photo:

(Here's where you might want to send the kids out of the room.)

Aaron wasn't exactly thrilled about using the public showers, but after a long day at the fair, a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do.

Day 86

Mary Lou had never seen such carnage in her life. She tried to scream, but no sound came out.

Day 77

Little JJ couldn't believe it--this had to be the best birthday cake EVER. He was a little disappointed that his dad wouldn't let him use the sword to cut it, though.







If you'll refer back to my first blog post and my "Not a professional here!", the background on this one could still use some work, but it would probably take me another hour or two (that I already don't have ;] ). I used scrapbooking paper for the background and used PSE to paint a grass texture and try to bring back the shadows. Not perfect at all, but not bad for somebody who's not supposed to be using their hands. :)

Day 70

Barry spent a lot of time at the library, where he was known for being a history buff.

Day 61

His spidey-senses tingling, Peter was halfway up the building before he remembered that he wasn't wearing his costume.

Day 48

One of the questions I'm asked a lot is, "Do you work?" That's usually met with the Captain Obvious look and a smile. I have six children. Of course I work! When do I ever NOT work? No, I don't have a salaried position outside of my home.

Every six months, though, I spend two days working as a staff member for Divine Consign, one of the largest semiannual consignment sales in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. (We may even be the biggest; I'm not sure.) With two locations, Grapevine and Plano, DC has a combined 70,000 square feet of kids' clothes, baby gear, toys, maternity, and nearly everything else that's baby- or child-related. As a staff member, I work during the presale, when the sale is closed to the public but open for volunteers, consignors, and first-time moms. I'm a devoted DC shopper--with raising six kids on one income it's been a lifesaver--and have shopped there almost exclusively for eight years.

This is a shot taken last night in Plano--AFTER all of the consignors and volunteers finished shopping, and this is still probably less than a third of what is there. (And yes, that's Drew ducking to try to get out of the pic. Didn't work.)

So yesterday, at the Plano presale, I scored some great deals as a shopper but also spent 12 hours on my feet working my staff position. Total exhaustion, but I'm excited to do it again next week in Grapevine! If you're in the Dallas area, check out the Plano sale, at the Plano Center on Spring Creek just east of 75. The Plano sale is open to the public today (Friday) from 9a-8p, and Saturday is half-price day, also 9a-8p. Grapevine is next week, and there are still volunteer shifts open that will allow you to shop the presale night.

With all that being said, the Plano sale floor was the setting for yesterday's photo.

Brian and Josh had heard about the black market for body parts, but neither had any idea it was this bad. In any case, they were confident that they could rescue the next intended victim.

Day 32

Indy rolled over onto his back in frustration and defeat. He could manage "Left foot green," but "Right hand yellow" was NOT going to happen. Maybe this just wasn't his game.

Day 31

Diana really didn't understand why tabloids made such a big deal about plastic surgery. Every woman she knew had had work done to maintain her perfect appearance, and Diana herself was no exception.

Day 30

Speculation was rampant throughout the league, but no one had any real proof that the twins were using growth hormones or performance-enhancing substances.

Day 26

Jennifer was very excited to go see her friends, out of state, all on her own.

She'd never traveled first class before.

Day 25

Despite local rumors that their new house was haunted, Joe and Rita had never had any problems, and they didn't believe in ghosts anyway. There were times, though, when Rita couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.

Day 23

Clearly, Sue didn't know what she was getting into when she signed up

for the Ultra-Economy-Class Frequent Flyer Program.

Day 22

Like many misfits without social lives, Joe's typical Saturday night consisted of staying home, eating popcorn, and watching a movie with the other nerds.

Day 21

She could smile about it now, but it had taken Carol a long time to be OK with the fact that all the aerobics classes in the world would not give her an hourglass figure.

Day 19

After a crummy day at work, Rebecca managed to hold herself together until she got home. She made it as far as the entryway before falling apart completely.

Day 16

Kevin didn't remember how he'd gotten home after his night out with the guys. The next morning, he woke up on his front doorstep feeling like he'd been run over by a truck.

Day 15

"I love it, Tom, but I don't know if we should make an offer. It might be too much house for our little family."

Day 14

Run as she might, Sarah just could not make it back into the picture before the camera's self-timer went off.

Day 6

At the end of a stressful day, Debbie relaxed by diving into a good book.