Back-to-School Dinner

Good Wednesday morning!

The Gallery Pics are just a couple of summer photos... very random. I have a feeling there will no "theme" this week.

Sandestin - Day Four - The Photo Shoot

As many mothers will tell you, some of their favorite pictures in the world are of their children at the beach... dressed in khakis and white shirts... sitting in front of sand dunes and sea oats... the wind gently blowing their sun-lightened hair... their smiles genuine and sweet.

And I know there are really and truly families out there whose children are compliant and well-behaved during those photo shoots.

I just don't have one of those.

Over the years, the unimaginable amount of photos I have taken of the kids has turned the boys vehemently against the "scheduled" photo shoot. In fact, if I told one of the boys today we were having a family portrait taken this afternoon, at ages 19 and 16 they would throw themselves onto the floor and roll around gnashing their teeth and moaning. (I am NOT kidding!) And to be perfectly honest, Mikie wouldn't be far behind them!

I walked in on Mikie the morning we left for the trip talking to the boys. "She has the new camera. This is not going to be a real vacation for any of us, but just bear with her. When she says 'Smile,' just do it. When she tells you to wear a certain shirt, just do it. I'll make it up to you later."

I immediately put their minds at ease. "This is a 'candid shot only' vacation," I told them. "No posing. No preening. Just enjoy yourselves, and I'll get pictures whenever I want without bothering you."

You would have thought I had given them $1,000 each to spend as they please, so happy and relieved were their expressions.

So imagine my delight and surprise when Roxie scheduled her own beach shoot. "We need to watch the sunset tonight so we'll know when to come to the beach for the best pictures tomorrow," she told me nonchalantly by the pool.

"What are you talking about?" I asked... hoping, but not yet believing.

"I packed a couple of outfits, and I want a photo shoot before the sun goes down tomorrow night."

I think I passed out for a few minutes, but when I came back around she was still talking. "I'm going to do the traditional white shirt with denim, but I brought a yellow cami for a splash of color. And I'm going to straighten my hair."

I love her.

We watched the sunset that night, and decided we needed to be on the beach by 7:15 for pictures between 7:30 and 7:45 the next evening. A short window of time, but with a willing subject and a new camera hundreds, NAY, thousands of photos could be taken!

And taken they were. Oh, the fun we had in that short 30 minute romp on the beach.

Then Roxie gave me the greatest gift of all. When we walked into our room, she quickly said, "Pause the X-Box and get on the deck!" The boys did as they were told, and I took even more pictures of all three of them with the sea and pink skies behind them. It took three minutes.

"Okay?" Austin asked.

"Okay," Roxie answered. "Get back to your game."

I have to admit. I teared up a little. She's going to make a great mom someday!

AUGUST SPECIAL GUEST - LAUREN PATRICK - PART THREE - Only three questions left... I'm going to miss Lauren on A Simple Life. She has been (and is) a joy.

20. Who are you most like... your mother or your father?

My Mom... all the way! (Truer words were never spoken!)

21. What is your favorite holiday, and why?

Christmas. Everything is amazing! (I love how she sums up Christmas using only one word... "amazing." And she's right. As a grown-up, sometimes I forget how "amazing" Christmas really is.)

22. What is your favorite cereal?

Raisin Bran. (She's smart, too. If Raisin Bran had been my favorite cereal when I was her age, I wouldn't be on fiber supplements now. That may have been too much information.)

Good-bye, sweet Lauren. (I'll see you Sunday!)

Wednesday Wisdom - With Austin departing for college (again) in five days, I'm once again in a reflective mood. This time last year, I was in the "depths of despair." I'm happy to report this year I am only "desperately melancholy" and "heartbroken." See. I told you I would get better! Today's Words of Wisdom are about kids growing up and away. I didn't want to be "desperately melancholy" and "heartbroken" all by myself.

"My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." Clarence Budinton Kelland

"Few things are more satisfying than seeing your own children have teenagers of their own." Doug Larson

"Raising kids is part joy and part guerrilla warfare." Ed Asner

"You know children are growing up when they start asking questions that have answers." John Plomp

"When mothers talk about the depression of the empty nest, they're not mourning the passing of all those wet towels on the floor, or the music that numbs your teeth, or even the bottle of capless shampoo dribbling down the shower drain. They're upset because they've gone from supervisor of a child's life to a spectator. It's like being the vice president of the United States." Erma Bombeck

Back-to-School Dinner

This is a transition tradition for our family. For over 12 years, we went to breakfast as a family the first day of school. However, things have changed. Since Austin leaves for college Sunday, and Josh and Roxie do not start back to school until Wednesday, breakfast is out of the question for the Faulkner Five.

In order to keep the tradition alive and well for at least two or three more years, we changed a couple of details.

1. Instead of having breakfast together as a family, we've picked a night before Austin's departure to have dinner together. This date has been written in ink on the calendar.

2. Rather than going out to eat, we've decided to prepare a special meal at home. Steak dinners are a HUGE crowd pleaser around here, but we don't cook steaks very often. That reason alone makes it a "special" meal.

3. Mikie will cook the steaks on the grill. I will bake potatoes, toss a salad and bake THE pound cake. Weather permitting, we will eat on the deck.

I know this is another no-brainer, but it is just another simple way to keep an old tradition alive (and well) a little while longer.

Have a wonderful Wednesday. On Thursday, Blog Linkage and date ideas will fill the page (Code for YOU'LL WANT TO COME BACK).

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda