Catching my breath...

I've been busy working on some projects lately, so I either haven't been in the mood to write, or alternately haven't had any time. Usually both. Thus, the need for some catch up, because life doesn't pause when I take a blogging break. Plus, I've got some pretty cute pictures for you, and I hate to keep those to myself. Half the fun of taking pictures is in the sharing. In the interest of not drowning you in photos, however, I've broken it down into some galleries on Flickr, so I'll give you some highlights here, and then if you're interested (i.e., related and feel the need to See Every Photo), click on over.

In the past few weeks, Greg and I have gone out to a few shows in Austin. First, to a Del Castillo show:








(More pics here)

And then to a Wolfmother show:









(More pics here)

On Thursday, Andrew received an award at school for perfect attendance. I thought this was rather funny that he was even a candidate, since he started the school year so late, but Jonah, Lavella and I attended the ceremony anyway.









We checked in on Elijah's class, and followed them to lunch, so that we could hang out with our favorite preschooler. Here we are, eating at the far end of the lunch table where the "lunchbox kids" sit (there is a child in their grade with peanut allergies, so this way they can ensure that he remains separate from anything harmful to him that may have come in the lunchboxes).





Last week was "Red Ribbon Drug Free Week", so each day they did something as a school to emphasize this (team shirts for "Team Up Against Drugs Day", crazy socks for "Kick Away Drugs Day"). I asked the little girl sitting across from Elijah at lunch (pictured above in the pink shirt) what she'd learned about drugs. She looked at me very seriously, pointed her finger sternly and said, "Drugs aren't free. Also, this is what they do to little kids: they TAKE THEM AND MAKE THEM SCREAM!" (Demonstrating with her cup how someone might be kidnapped by "Drugs")

On the way home, I asked Andrew and Elijah what they'd been learning about drugs.

Andrew: "Well, it's just stuff little kids aren't supposed to do...like smoking cigarettes and drinking beer..." (brief pause, in which Elijah looked thoughtful...)

Elijah: "Yeah, and putting jelly on sandwiches."

Andrew: "Um, Elijah, I don't think that's drugs..."

Elijah: "YEAH, YEAH, because that can get really messy."

On Friday morning they had the "Scare Away Drugs/Halloween Parade". Andrew and Elijah dressed up as robots. Since Lavella and Jonah and I were there to cheer them on, Lavella arrived as a Princess/Butterfly/Fairy.









I'm not sure what Jonah was, as he refused to talk. :)





Elijah and some of his class, waiting for the parade to start.





Elijah's teacher:





Andrew and class:









Elijah tried really hard to show me that he wasn't having a killer time:





Although, of course, he was.





It was so adorable; the parade was just through the school halls, but all of the children took themselves so seriously, and were each so proud of themselves for their "official" role as Parade Marchers.

Lavella and I hung out with Elijah's class afterwords:





Lavella is so jealous of the boys that they get to go to school. She fits right into their preschool -- sitting down in the group and participating as though she belongs. She can't wait until she's old enough to go herself for real!

Next, we joined up with Andrew's class for their Run For Life out on the track.









I loved watching how Lavella immediately made some friends, and she and these girls walked along talking during their last lap:





She's got incredible stamina -- I think she made it around the track 6 full times!

For more on these two days of school activities, click over to the Flickr set here.

Enough pictures for today -- next post, I'll tell you all about what we did as a family on Octobor 31st.