Movie Monday

Photo Friday

Barn owl at Riverbanks


Sleeping during Family Movie Time! Did that stop me from watching Follow That Bird by myself? Nope!


Yes, that's a Thomas puzzle in my washing machine!


My little sweetie


I love this dog!


Ready for the pitch


"I want to wear Daddy's clothes today."

Tim Russert

Last weekend, I watched several Tim Russert tributes, and the things that seemed to most resonate were that he was an amazing journalist and that he was completely devoted to his family and faith (albeit Catholicism).

I was talking to a friend, and fellow Meet the Press junkie, about the fact that, in interviews, you could never decide if Russert was a conservative or a liberal. He always did his homework and knew as much about his guests and their stances as possible, so he could take the "other side", whatever that side may have been. He could interview/argue from both sides completely objectively and, what's most amazing, is that he did it so effortlessly. Yes, I know he was a democrat and, arguably, a liberal, but he didn't wear his personal ideaology on his sleeve and certainly didn't bring it into his interviews. He was always equally tough on both democrats and republicans- tough, but always fair. This is why he was both loved and feared by liberals and conservatives alike. His hard-hitting manner of journalism never came across as mean. He was always decent and civil to his guests, which, knowing who some of his guests were, was a pretty remarkable feat.

I heard that Tom Brokaw is going to replace Russert through the Nov. elections. Because he was such a close friend to Russert, and is so well-respected, I suppose he was an obvious choice. I definitely can't see him being Russert's permanent replacement, but I think he will do well in seeing Meet the Press through the election season. No, the tough interviews that Tim Russert was famous for are not going to happen this year, which is unfortunate because Russert seemed SO ready for Nov., but Brokaw will do his job and will do it well.

I don't know how the exact wording of the original adage goes (it's a little different every time I hear it), but I think Tim Russert epitomized it: "Love what you do and you'll never work another day of your life." Russert seemed to love and embrace his job whole-heartedly and he made a tough and grueling job look easy and even, at times, fun. There will never be another one quite as good as him and my Sundays will never quite be the same...

This morning started out like every other Sunday. I took a shower and got Caleb up, fed, and tossed in the bathtub. I was just starting to dry him off when I realized the time. It was almost 9:00, so I rushed to get Caleb dried off and dressed for church, and we hurried into the living room. I turned the TV to NBC and sat down. I guess in going through my normal routine, it had somehow slipped my mind. As Meet the Press came into focus, I saw Brian Williams. I looked over at Isaac and sighed, "I forgot." Then, Caleb, with a confused look on his face, said, "Mommy, it's supposed to be Tim Wussert, right?" Yes, Caleb, it IS supposed to be Tim Russert.

Alison A.K.A The White Rabbit

"I'm late. I'm late for a very important date..."

If you have ever ridden with me somewhere, invited me to an event, hung out with me, or just known me for longer than a few months, you know that I am always late. It's something that has driven my family mad for years and continues to bug Isaac to no end.

If you know Isaac, you know that he is very punctual. He's the guy that arrives 15 minutes early for work "just in case." I am the person who aims to be somewhere early and is lucky to be there before the event ends. I am just chronically late.  I know it's awful, and I absolutely hate it.

I know that my tardiness partially stems from procrastination, but I think the main problem is that I truly have no concept of time.  I seriously cannot tell you if 10 minutes or 30 minutes has passed, and, unlike Isaac, I CANNOT judge the time, to the minute, based on what it looks like outside (Freak!). Time is just a foreign notion to my brain, no matter how hard I try to drill it in.

I am starting to take things more seriously, as Caleb gets older. I'm so scared of being the mom whose child is constantly late for school or is the last to be picked up, but, if I don't get this under control, it looks like a real possibility.

Taking the first step:

Today, I purchased a watch.

Ordinarily, I don't wear a watch. In fact, until today, I didn't even own one. Besides feeling like they get in my way when I wear them, I usually end up breaking or misplacing them.
But, this time I'm going to force myself to wear it no matter how much it annoys me, and I'm going to develop a concept of time. I'm determined!

So, with my new watch in tote, I hope to begin a new journey on the road to being on time or, at the very least, being able to tell just how late I am. :)

Fun Times

Friday night, our adorable niece, Camryn, spent the night with us. It was so much fun! The kids had a blast playing with one another. I wish they could get together more often.

It was a really hot day, so we were forced to stay indoors, but we did manage to have craft time. Since Caleb and Camryn are both big fans of the Wonder Pets, I thought it would be fun to make flyboats. They turned out pretty cute and the kids really seemed to enjoy making/playing with them.

Here are a few pictures from her visit:

The kids loved taking turns "blowing" Isaac and me over.

One of the many songs Camryn sang for us. So cute! This was, by far, my favorite. "He's the great I'm yam."