Jayne’s field trip to a local apple orchard was cancelled due to rain, so last Thursday I attended an “Apple Festival” at her school. It was to make up for the missed trip and we did apple-esque activities and ate pizza, naturally. I had a blast and methinks Jayne enjoyed herself as well.

Thanks to Suzanne for the picture. Blogging Mom that I claim to be, I completely spaced and forgot my camera.

I guess since this is my blog, and it is about my children, I shouldn’t feel weird about bragging. I mean, I am proud of my kids and I showcase them here… but I really try not to be a braggart. This is a blog, not a blag.

But I’m going to do it anyway.

I am so proud of Jayne when she wants to eat the salad bar for dinner when we go out to Ruby Tuesdays. Or when she devours her asparagus. Or when she is given the option of having chocolate cake for dessert, and she says, “No thanks… Can I have applesauce instead?”

Now she still eats her hot dogs and mac and cheese like the stereotypical kid… but hearing her excitedly exclaim, “Look Mom, there’s spinach!” after finding it tucked away under the olives on her plate… I just love that.

This morning I was concerned about Jayne. Her eyes looked kinda glassy and red, however she didn’t have a fever and insisted she was fine. I took her to school to find a sign posted to watch for signs of pink eye, as it has made it’s way into her classroom. Together with her teacher and the school director we surveyed Jayne and decided she could stay, they’d just keep an eye on her (no pun intended) and call me to come get her if necessary.

So as I was dashing to the ringing phone all I could think was that it was the school calling with the bad news.

Hello Nikki? This is Angie from preschool [Jayne's teacher].

Me thinking: Uh-oh, here it comes.

Yeah, I’m not calling about Jayne’s eye, it’s fine. But she walked into the concrete tunnel on the playground and for lack of a better word has a “puncture” on her forehead.

Me thinking: Well, at least she won’t be infecting other kids with clutziness.

I spoke to a boo-hooing Jayne who asked that I bring her Pooh Bear when I pick her up and she told me that it hurt really bad.

Poor kid. Either way she’s ensuring a sucker and movies this afternoon.

So I am always trying really hard to capture the next perfect masthead photo for this blog. As I confessed earlier, it ain’t easy.

Jayne, put your head next to Wes. Wes. Wes. Wes. Look here! Click. Jayne, you are supposed to keep smiling. Ooo… Wes… Wes! Click. Jayne! Wes! Look at the camera! Wesley!! Click. Harumph.

I got the two photos below, and I actually made an attempt at Photoshopping them into one. I couldn’t make it work… but I had to share them. I think they really sum up how the kids feel about these impromptu yet obligatory photo shoots.

For a while now, my sister has told me that she gave birth to my daughter in her middle child, Tori. At first it was because our baby pictures looked so much alike. But now I find out it is because she is extra-moody, especially for a seven-year-old.

Even though Jayne and Tori have some baby photos that look identical, I never really thought that I too gave birth to my sister’s kid… that was until she started talking. Wendy is well known in the family as a “motor mouth” and as we all know, Jayne has the gift of gab.

And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Recently Wendy’s husband, Chris, was in town for business and stopped by our house for dinner. He and I were visiting in the living room, when Jayne climbed on my lap and commandeered the conversation. As she continued to talk and talk and talk and talk, suddenly Chris’ eyes got really big and exclaimed something along the lines of, “Holy cow, you truly did give birth to your sister’s kid!!”

There you have it. Straight from the horse’s mouth’s husband.