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Each week the blog “I Should Be Folding Laundry” hosts a different topic for us  to capture in photos.  This week’s theme is Autumn, and have I got a few pictures to share!  Granted I am not a professional photographer like FireMom,  but I still like pictures!

My yard looked so awesome this year.

Meg worked hard on the leaves...all to jump into of course!

Elle got to actually carve this year!

This was Mita's first experience with pumpkin guts!

Enu cleaned out her pumpkin with good humor.

Thanks for the great idea I Should Be Folding Laundry!

October is my favorite month for taking pictures of the kids.  Not only are the leaves beautiful, but the crisp air tends to bring out the genuine smile of a child.   Their cheeks are rosy, noses are often glistening with a bit of snot (yes, even snot can be cute at times) and their eyes bright.

This week I’m going to post a lot of my pictures as I have been taking them like a mad woman.  With  one more Halloween party and trick or treat I am sure to take another hundred or so this week!

Mita participated in her first ever Pumpkin Bowling game at her cousin’s birthday party.

Elle wanted me to take this picture. She was feeling cute I think!

Enu was still recovery from the flu, but she loved getting out in the fresh air for a walk.

Meg milking a cow.  It was a fake cow built to teach people how to milk.  Not sure why this exists, but it does and it is at our local corn maze for the kids to check out!

All these pictures were taken by ME, Mom or Mandy W. in October 2009

September 11th will always be a day Americans will remember for a terrorist attack on US soil. My dear friend has blogged  about one of 9/11′s victims today.

While we as a family recognize the seriousness of this date, we also have started celebrating September 11th as the Ethiopian New Year.  Enkutatash is celebrated as the new year for Ethiopia.  If you want to get all smart on the subject check this out.

Since Hubby has a crazy work week we celebrated last Wednesday with Ethiopian food cooked by ME, believe it or not! I made Doro Wat (spicy chicken) and red lentils with fresh injera (bread) that I picked up in Columbus for the occasion.

Today the girls took some Ethiopian activities and some Ethiopian sweet bread to share with their classmates.

Doro Wat in the pot cooking.

Look at me cooking!

Mita and Elle at our Ethiopian table setting (no utensils!)

Enu with our Ethiopian Saba doll we bought the girls.

Meg with the Saba book.

Hubby with a full mouth!

The kids loved the dinner and ate and ate and ate!  I love having an Ethiopian-American family.  The heritage and culture of Ethiopia are amazing to experience and I encourage all of you to try some Ethiopian food sometime!  Remember if you want it to not burn off your mouth order “alecha” not “wat”!

By request, here are links to the Ethiopian recipes I  used the other night.  If you try it, let me know how it turned out!  Some of the spices have to be bought in a specialty store, or Amazon!  Doro Wat ,  Mesir Wat (red lentils).

It has been a great summer. We have gone from extremely busy to extremely bored in a matter of days.  We have camped, swam, hiked and biked.  Hubby, Meg and Mita have golfed it up and we all had a great time at King’s Island, playing license plate bingo (still need North Dakota and Hawaii), and at Ethiopian Culture Camp.  I have taken countless pictures of the summer and I made a Photo Book with a few of them.  Of course after I ordered the book I realized that I left out all pictures from King’s Island.  I hate it when I do that.  You can see the book here at my Shutterfly Site.

In looking at the pictures I have noticed something.  I am always in the back.  Most of the pictures are of my kids from behind.  It made me think of my role as a mom.  Always in the back, coaching them on, nagging at behavior, watching their successes and watching them fall off  bikes.  Here are a few of the pictures I am talking about:

When we were up at Geneva on the Lake and I was at the end of the bike line I started thinking about how symbolic it was for our family.  Obviously, I’m not the biker Hubby is and I don’t like to lead, so the end of the line is my comfort zone. But  it also lets me see my entire family. I don’t have to worry about where they are or what they are doing because I see everything.  Hubby leads the way and encourages them to go faster, protects them at crossings and is the adventure leader of the family.  I get to stop and walk with them when they are tired or fall.  I can yell out encouragements and  accolades (a few nags as well) when they need them.

One day I want to do an album of my kids growing up with all the pictures from behind.  A mom’s view of her family growing up, learning and starting their lives.

We all like to be in the front every once in a while, but my few years bringing up the back will fly by and I plan on enjoying every minute of it!

School started last week and I am behind in keeping you posted!  Here are the pictures  I took after they got home on the first day.  I forgot my camera that morning, as I am getting older by the second and forgetting everything!

Meg started the Fourth Grade, Mita is in the Third and Enu is in the Second grade.  Three in a row, won’t high school be grand for our family!

Elle started pre-school last Tuesday and is very excited to report that she was line leader on Thursday!

The Family in Front of Our Camper...Or is it?

We hit the road last Saturday with our new camper. We stayed close to home for a trial run and all went well! We had a good time together and had a lot of fun learning the whole campground thing.  We made lists and two runs to Wal-Mart and feel ready for a three-night trip this weekend.

A few things I learned:

1) Yes, it is work to put it all up and together, but once it is done you can relax. That was the beauty of it. I actually had time to read, write, nap and listen to my Shuffle. If I had been at home I would have been doing laundry and cleaning or worrying about laundry and cleaning.

2) Kids sleep well after cooking over a fire (pizza pockets and smores) and a three mile bike ride. I should wear them out more often!

3) I learned I can work the special break thing (the technical phrase I’m sure!) for the camper. I practiced in the school parking lot, so as not to cause an accident!  Don’t look for me to be parallel parking anytime soon though.

Meg and Mita Inside the Camper.

Elle and Enu Lounging Away

I Got Caught With Two Smores!

Our Real Camper and Bikes.

Do you have any camping in a camper tips for me?

We had a good time with friends at the lake today.  This was Mita and Enu’s first time to a “beach” with sand and all the fun that comes with sand.  They got to learn  what happens when you shake out a sandy towel (people yell at the sand storm) and that there are birds and bird droppings to deal with.

All went well and they had a great time. We beat out the bad weather and were one of three families at the beach at that time, which was lovely and made it easier to keep track of the girls!

A fun day in the Ohio sun!

I just had to share this picture with everyone.  The other day, Meg made me a breakfast of cheese, grapes and oranges in the shape of a face.  Really sweet and yummy.

This is the second photo I have posted of one of my girls giving me food.  Please don’t think all I do is eat!

Today, July 29th, 2009 is our 14th anniversary:)  Amazing, how time goes by so fast.  Very cliche I know, but the truth!  Traditionally a gift of Ivory should be given as a gift.  The modern gift is Gold.  Apparently now it is fashionable to have anniversary trips as well.  What is humorous is that the trip Hubby and I should take this year is to Africa.  Can you believe it?  We went a year to early.  What a faux paus.  I hope no one reports me to Miss Manners!

We just got a camper…I doubt it is made of ivory or gold, but not a bad anniversary gift!

I thought  I’d show you all some pictures of us through the years.

What we called our "Africa" picture. 1993

Married in 1995.

Trip across the US in 1997.

Trip to Disney in 2005.

Our Real African picture in 2008!

We really need more pictures of ourselves together!  Aren’t we adorable though?