Family portrait session

I have wanted to take family pictures with Ginger since our family was completed after Elliott was born.  The idea of family pictures with a kid, a baby and a dog, however, was disgusting, so it's been put off for almost six years (because a kid, a toddler and a dog wasn't any better).

But finally, we did it.  I don't love the whole family pictures we got but there are enough good pictures that I feel it was worth all the effort. 

This will be printed in a large size and displayed somewhere.  It was the only great (and by great I mean pretty good/not awful) whole family shot.  

This is pretty spectacular. 

Same as above, just cropped. 

Can I get a poster of this? 

 

I think our photographer was not great because she said she had to chop Ginger's legs off because Michael was too tall.  Well, that sounds weird and like something that could be fixed. 

Then we get to the next four shots and everything is worth it.  

We got a gift certificate for $50 for doing these pictures so I'm already throwing around the idea of trying again in the spring.  We're definitely doing family pictures in the spring, I'm just not sure if Ginger will come along or not. 

Quick

Just a very quick little wrap up before we jump in to a lot of fun times. 

On Tuesday the 17th Michael and I broke down and went to Verizon to get new phones.  We were both desperately overdue, but dang, the price.  The kids were granted a lot of screen time while we did everything.

On Wednesday the 18th we went to have family pictures taken at JC Penney.  I had done my nails in preparation.  There will be a whole post with all of the pictures.  Probably tomorrow. 

On Wednesday I also posted this picture on Instagram because one of my kindergarten kids asked me where I had bought this Candy Crush in a box.

On Thursday the 19th I took some lovely pictures of my view from my window at work. 

On Friday the 20th I taught Art Masterpiece in Spencer's class.  Since I was on campus he asked me to take a picture of this poster he and Cole made for their student council fundraiser. 

See, I told you it was quick.  Boring too.  But here's what we have coming up that will be a lot more fun: family pictures, our trip to Prescott, Halloween decorations, Halloween dance and party, Halloween and my trip to California. The trip to California hasn't even happened, but I anticipate it will be a fun post to write. 

A really (not) spectacular end to fall break

Let's see.  The last time I blogged I ended at Thursday, October 12. 

The kids and I stayed home most of the day on Friday the 13th.  It was just too risky to venture out with the voodoo and black cats and all.  Spencer did have a PT appointment that afternoon.  I tried to take some stealth pictures. 

That evening I gave Elliott a mani-pedi. 

And then we let him go to sleep in our bed because Spencer had a friend over and they were being too loud for Elliott.  We moved him to his bed when we went to bed. 

I had a lot of work to do on Saturday the 14th.  Progress reports and SOAP notes for my clinical supervisor job, evaluation reports and IEPs for my school job.  I vowed to get them all done that day.  I did not. 

I did get a lovely picture of the display I created on top of the wine refrigerator.  The pumpkins are real. 

Ginger, looking to be fed. 

Spencer's ankle 11 days post sprain. 

On Sunday Spencer went to a birthday part and Elliott ate dinner early, so Michael and I ate on TV trays so we could watch TV during dinner.  It was just like the early days of our marriage, except we used to eat on the couch but with no TV trays. 

We had T-bone steaks for dinner.  I gave Ginger one of the bones.  It kept her occupied for hours and then we had to hide it from her and she was pissed. 

The whole TV tray thing reminded me of sitting on the couch in our first apartment.  This was our TV.  This picture was taken the summer or 2002 right before we started packing to move to Colorado. The only things in this picture we don't still have are the wreath on the wall (the pictures on the wall are in my office) and the TV. 

See?  Same entertainment center.  Different TV. 

Spencer had his 10 year check-up on Monday the 16th.  His 9 year check up had been on October 13th, 2016.  When I took him in for the sprained ankle it was October 10th and our pediatrician pointed out that we almost made it a year with no visit.  Just six more days and we would have made it.  So now my goal is to have no pediatrician visits for him until after October 16th next year.  By going public I am almost guaranteeing we'll have about nine visits this year. 

That afternoon we tested Elliott's 5 year 10 month pictures outside.  The lighting wasn't working for me though. 

So we settled on a fun photo shoot in front of the new spider curtain.  Well, with a few test shots "behind" too. 

I think this might be the official shot. 

But maybe this one too. 

The very last hurrah before I went back to work the next day was that Spencer and I went to the movies to see The Addams Family on Monday night.  The tickets were affordable but we spent way too much money on food at the dine in theater.  It was fun though.