An External Hard Drive is a Fine Thing

About a month ago, our computer started acting funny. Not much later, it didn't act at all.

The same thing happened three years ago. Only three years ago we didn't actually back up our computer on an external hard drive. (I know!) That is the reason why my son's first year scrap book has a page that says "Technical Difficulties." We are missing pictures from two months of his first year.

Now, fortunately we learned from that little episode. So, when a virus recently attacked our computer, our only worry was whether or not we'd have to replace the computer. We knew our pictures and other documents were safe on the external hard drive.

Otherwise I would have lost pictures like this:

It might not look like much to you, but it means a lot to me. That is a picture of my youngest getting her first hair cut. I'm holding her and my step mom is cutting her hair. My oldest, Ann is behind us.

As I opened the computer today, I realized my husband had loaded all of our old info back onto our computer. It was like magic! Not having pictures forever lost due to a computer's untimely illness is a fine thing indeed!

See what others are finding to be fine on this beautiful Friday morning over at The Finer Things in Life.

Let's Pretend It's October!

Why October? Well, because my computer was sick for most of the month of October. Maybe it was the cyber-version of the piggy flu. Who knows. The important thing is our kind friend fixed it and I have a computer once more!!! Woohoo!

However, if I'd had a working computer back in October, I would have posted some of these pumpkin painting pictures.

Why use a paint brush when you have hands?!!

I'm pretty sure Chris was the one who decided to ditch the paint brushes.

Little Jane had a lot of fun. Some of the paint actually made it onto the pumpkin. I promise!

Now, I could have taken a picture of the finished product, but I'm sure you can imagine what they looked like. The color on their hands was smeared all over the pumpkins. I proudly plopped them on the mantle. We all know the finished product wasn't the point. Good thing too since they looked much better unpainted!

Happy Pretend October!

That Was Fun...or Not

We just got back from picking up pictures of my little ones. I've never had professional pictures taken of all three of them. (Well, truth be told I hadn't had professional pictures taken since Ann was one, but whatever.) I used the Target Portrait Studios and was pleased. That is all beside the point.

The point is that we were at Target, the same Target we visit at least once a week. Before I headed to pick up my pictures and do a little shopping, I did what we always do...I took the kids to the bathroom and then bought some popcorn. A dollar or so is a very small price to pay for peace while shopping. Anyways, Ann did something she has never done.

As we all headed into the women's restroom, she stopped in her tracks and insisted that I was heading into the "boys' restroom." I insisted that it was the women's restroom as indicated by the sign. She still wouldn't enter through the door.

I was about to grab her hand to coax her into the restroom when I noticed someone was holding the door open for us. As I turned, I knew, I just knew what was going to happen and I wanted to crawl into a hole.

You see the woman holding the door for us had short gray hair. She was a store employee and was therefore dressed in a red top and tan pants. I could easily tell that she was indeed female, however, I could see how a little girl who thinks all females wear all things girly, might think it was a man at first glance. That is why I panicked.

Since my hands were on a stroller and I was keeping an eye on my son who'd already entered the bathroom, I didn't have time to clap a hand over my daughter's mouth.

Instead, I started talking very loudly hoping to distract Ann from saying what was on her mind. I said something like, "No honey, this is the girls' bathroom. See, there are all girls in here."

That was the wrong thing to say because that simply opened the door for what she wanted to say. She stuck her little finger in the air and said, "But look..." and pointed at the sweet woman holding the door for us.

I looked at her like I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about and said something like, "I only see girls sweetie." I'm pretty sure I grabbed her at that point and nudged her toward a stall.

I gave her a mini lecture about not calling people boys or girls when we aren't absolutely certain. I really really hope that information sunk in that sweet little head.

Oh, aren't kids the best!