Ok, ok...you win.

I put up a good fight. Really I did. But I do believe summer is officially gone. Wanna know how I know? This showed up at Starbucks:

I think it would be very difficult to drink a pumpkin spice latte if it was still "summer". I tried my first one this week...I nearly gagged. I know it's hugely popular, and I looove all food relating pumpkins, but I think the coffee/pumpkin combo was too much for my young coffee addiction.

Another sign of fall's arrival? Our family Labor Day get together. We have a family gathering for e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. Someone lost a tooth? Party! Someone fell down the stairs? Party! So it's only fitting that this fam should welcome fall with a party.
Ah yes...another great way to know fall is here. Target's hysterical halloween shirts. They drive my mother insane. Every year she says to me "stop dressing your kids in those ridiculous ghost-y things!" Sorry, mom...I am enough rebel that I cannot resist a skull with a cute pink bow on it's head, and Merrick is definitely the creature from next door. ;)

And a definite favorite sign of fall around here? College football. We love some college football around here. Me and Billy even agree on a team. *Hook 'em Horns!* (Pro football is another story. One Cowboy and one Redskin make for many arguments.) What are some of your favorite signs of fall?

My name is Tirzah...

...and I'm addicted to orange creme slushies from Sheetz. Seems like I recall doing a post like this about her brother, too...;)

Check out more shots at Communal Global,
and 3 Boybarians (the 2nd shot is my pick for Sweet Shot Tuesday)

No shoes: a problem.

Growing up Dad always used to fuss at me when I didn't wear shoes. I loved not wearing shoes in the summer. I do notice myself fussing at Merrick to wear his shoes when he goes outside though. I think, now that I'm a parent, I realize that I'm not really trying to ruin his life, I'm mostly just trying to prevent a trip to the hospital to have something removed from his foot.

I try to be understanding of my little redneck children, though, and let them go shoeless as much as possible while it's warm. This recently got me into a little bit of trouble, however. I got "reminded" that Tirzah needed to wear shoes while at the Y. (In my defense...they don't require shoes unless they are walking, and she started walking all of a sudden and I cannot remember everything.) And Merrick has gone shoeless for so long that he decided to go the other extreme and wanted to wear nothing but snow boots...in August.

Thankfully, as with most things they do, this seems to be a phase. Tirzah has gotten used to her new shoes, and even brings them to me so I can put them on her. Merrick has now moved on to wearing his sandals again...but with socks. I think I prefer the snow boots. ;)

The Italian Hour

I'd never heard of any such thing. I've heard of happy hour, the witching hour, the golden hour, the hour of power, etc...but not the Italian hour. My parents have an Italian house guest...long story, but he's training with their company. And the other night he fixed us some authentic Italian food, at "the Italian hour" as he called it, which was 9pm.

My American upbringing, and my American metabolism, was screaming "No, no! You cannot eat pasta at 9pm." But my American stomach was saying...excuse me, we were supposed to eat dinner 3 hours ago.

I was slightly famished and nearly ate an entire box of cheez-its while waiting for dinner, but it was worth the wait. He made a pasta dish...I know, duh, he's Italian. I thought I wasn't going to like it. I loathe most noodle-y dishes, and pretty much would like to see spaghetti's eternal demise. This wasn't typical spaghetti, however. I really liked this stuff.

He used fresh tomatoes, olives, capers, basil and olive oil for the sauce. Rigatoni, chicken, and bread, also. I was very helpful and grated the for-reals Parmesan cheese, as well as my left thumb. That was about the extent of my helping with dinner...I was demoted to photographing the event. Probably safer for all involved.

He served us the meal in two different courses, after I also helpfully tried to put all the food on the table. From what he explained, they take their time eating and enjoying their food, and serve coffee afterward. I love that idea, but the kids barely tolerate me cramming a granola bar in my mouth without taking it or running away from home. Maybe I should send them to Italian boot camp.

I discovered I'm not a very good Italian, grating fingers and trying to eat everything at once. (In my defense it was 9pm...us skinny girls need to eat or we get reeeal grumpy.) But I did really enjoy the authentic Italian food. Olive Garden you are dead to me.

The Morning People.

I don't believe anyone in this house is a morning person. So I don't know why I named this post that. Mornings are annoying in my opinion. I don't like them, and can't recall there ever being a time I did. These pictures were taken "in the morning"...as in 11 am. That's usually about the time all of us have gotten rid of our morning crankies.

My kids are definitely more early birds than I am. I let them be my alarm clock in the mornings, and usually they have us up and at 'em by 8. *Late I know, for some people. So I shouldn't complain. And I know that will all change once we get to a point where we are in school.*

My mom used to wake me up in the mornings by turning on my lights and yelling at me. It used to make me so angry that I probably still have blood-pressure problems. Then after she so rudely awakened the grizzly that is me, she would say "good morning" and expect me to say it back. I'm not the kind of person you say "good morning" too and expect to make it out alive.

I need the appropriate amount of time to wake up before I speak to people. I think my son has definitely inherited this trait. If he wakes up on his own he's fine, but if you wake him you should probably wear full body armor. I try to be understanding, since, he kind of got it from me. Tirzah seems to be the only family member to have escaped the curse, and wakes up giggling at the world. It's so cute...in the most annoying kind of way.

I am trying to work on this, and my children have definitely helped me. Albeit involuntarily. I realize it's important to be joyful, and to set an example of how a human should behave in the morning, as opposed to a hibernating grizzly. Maybe one of these days I'll be able to say "good morning" without choking. ;)