A Surprise Addition

Do you remember how last time I was raving about Fred the snail? Well, we have a new addition to our tank. It's a tiny baby snail. Rhianwen insisted that we no longer could call our snail Fred, and that from henceforth, her name must be Ballerina Princess. Ballerina Princess does not seem to be fazed in the slightest with her new role of motherhood. In fact, her schedule has changed not a bit. She seems to think that baby snail can fend for herself (please, please, let it be a she; I really don't want more snails). I'm quite inspired. Come January, maybe I'll try the same thing...

Baby snail has taken over the role of reaching those hard to clean places like between and under the rocks. It's amazing how tiny she is...about 1 cm long. Adorable!

We've been enduring a September of sizzling days. I just loved the color of this bamboo at Duke Gardens; it helped remind me of fall even if the weather was hot and dry.

Maybe that's why they painted the bridge red at Duke Gardens. I am feeling very sorry for all those poor traditional brides who now have to pose on a red bridge for wedding portraits. It used to be so nice and white. In the spring it'll be interested next to all the pink blooms nearby. Yes, I realize this makes it look more authentically Asian and that perhaps the modern bride may find this color vibrant and lively.

Because we'll never be able to afford a cool owl mobile for the baby, Alden and Rhianwen decided to make one. This was so much more fun and cuter anyway. It's always fascinating to see how differently they make things in comparison to what I would have done.

We may add more projects later. It's colorful and textured and moves, so who cares if the owl part didn't quite materialize?

Picking the last of our gourds.

RAIN and cool weather!!!! FINALLY!!!! After suffering through 0.13 inches and 95-97 degrees this month, we are loving it.

All this fall weather makes me hungry for ginger cookies and pumpkin bread. Alden loves helping me cook.

Painting everything with a mix of cornstarch, water, and food coloring. Awesome. We painted the sidewalk, bricks, planters, trees, rocks, and leaves. It's all washed away with our rain.

This is just a funny video of Rhianwen and Alden attempting their own church service. Rhianwen is the senior pastor, and I guess Alden is assistant. He has a pretty funny interpretation of a benediction.

Funny Rhianwen song: "Oh praise, oh praise, Oh give me a hooooome where the buffalo groooan!"

Next week my girl turns 4!!! Amazing and a little sad. She's really not a baby anymore.