Obligatory Halloween Pictures

I detest pumpkin carving, and usually (if we do it) put Mike in charge. But this year I must have caught a nice bug or something, as I not only allowed my kids to carve pumpkins, but I did it right along with them!!

Ellie, bless her heart did every single part of it herself. She turned down every offer of help and instead stuck with it, sawing, cutting and digging away until she had a darling little pumpkin face carved. And then, guess what winner mother neglected to take a picture of the finished product!?!

Check out that horse yours truly carved from Joshua's outline. Do you know how hard it is to carve a pumpkin in the first place, let alone a horse pattern drawn by a four year old!!

Megan and I were thrilled to have recently discovered, Barney Halloween on Netflix. Megan received it on VHS for her 2nd birthday, and it quickly became both of our favorites. The VHS died a sad death due to close to a million views. Oh--it was SO FUN singing along to the old Barney favorites I've tried to remember over the years.

And then of course there was Halloween Night.

And that folks was Halloween day around here.

The Dreaded Day

Halloween is my least favorite holiday ever.
My kids aren't really big fans of it either. (Hmm-imagine where they get that attitude from.)

Last week was Joshua's Preschool Halloween Program. I sent a picture text of Joshua to Mike during it and he replied, "Why didn't he dress up?"

(excuse the bent cowboy hat that was found stuck under the bed three minutes before preschool departure time)

My older boys will be cowboys (the youngest a horse), even though my BFF declared she would not give my boys candy if they show up at her house on Halloween night in their cowboy clothes, because, "They won't be dressed up."

Oh the technicalities of a silly old holiday.

On Halloween Eve, we had a family birthday dinner. And yes, I even had dry ice coming out of the cauldron filled with apple juice. To which Megan questioned, "For not liking Halloween Mom, why are we having a Halloween party."
It wasn't.
It was the October/November family birthday celebration.

At which Hank was the most popular attendee.

Although the dry ice experiments before it was thrown out were very popular too.

Now we're waiting for the dreaded evening of trick or treating, which actually isn't so dreaded this year as Mike and I struck quite the deal with the older two kids. They'll be no spousal arguing around here about who has to take younger kids out trick or treating.

Happy Halloween!

Thanks, But No Thanks

Luke's 4th grade class had a creative assignment last week. They were asked to bring a home-baked dessert cut into the shape of Utah. The brownies, cake, rice krispie treat or dessert of choice needed to be frosted with white frosting and taken to school on Friday morning.

The students would then decorate the cake with 'mountain ranges', 'lakes' and flags marking important places in Utah. According to the teacher's note, the dessert would then be brought home "to enjoy eating together as a family."

Excuse me?
Now I'm really not exactly a germophobe, but eating a dessert that has not only been transported to and from school by a nine year old boy on a school bus, but that has sat on a school desk for six hours being poked and prodded at by the said nine year old boy and who knows how many other students in the class is just not high on my choice of caloric intakes.

I didn't mean to offend Luke with my honesty when he asked if we could make Rice Krispie treats for his Utah dessert. Immediately upon him asking, I declared too abruptly, "What a waste of ingredients!" to which sweet Luke (knowing they are one of my favorite desserts) replied, "No, you can eat them when I bring them home."

I didn't say much other than, "I'm not sure how edible it will be with how many hands will be touching it all day."

Luke, the one who frequently needs reminding to wash his hands when returning from 'Hank's house', the rest room, or horse lessons, assured me he would keep the dessert safe while at school.

Friday afternoon, I happened to be sitting on the front porch as Luke approached the front yard from the bus stop. As soon as Luke got within hearing range and before any personal greeting to his dear mother, Luke declared with a proud grin on his face, "Mr Mills was really strict about making sure no one touched each other's Utah desserts, so it is totally fine to eat."

I looked at the stretched piece of blue candy that was now resembling the Great Salt Lake and tried to ignore the finger prints I could see in it. I tried to look past the pieces of cereal depicting the Wasatch Mountains that I was certain had been placed by little school boy fingers, as Luke talked about how yummy it will be to eat it as a family.

Instead, I decided to grab my camera and capture the big, proud, school boy grin. The bright sun prevented me from capturing the perfect picture. As I reviewed the picture on the little camera screen--it wasn't the squinty eyes or subdued smile that disappointed me... It was the dirty fingernails and fingers proudly holding  the Utah dessert pan belonging to my nine-year old dessert-maker son who had grand plans to share his creation with his mother.

I oohed and aahed over that thing. I made a fuss of every lake, mountain range, river and sign.

Then a couple of hours later, I did what any good mother would do...

As Luke gathered with four friends plus three siblings at the back door looking for a mid-afternoon snack I suggested, "Oh Luke, why don't you share your dessert with your friends. They'll love it."

Completely forgetting any plans of bonding with his family around a Utah shaped brownie dessert, Luke proudly cut up and served his friends the piece of their choosing.

Unfortunately there was none left for me.

Darn it.

MY 90210 Towel

I'm not ashamed to admit that while in college, I was an avid watcher of the television series Beverly Hills 90210. Further, I'm not ashamed to admit that if I had cable television, it is quite possible that me, a non-television person would probably spend far too much time watching re-runs.

I'm also not ashamed to admit I still have a Beverly Hills 90210 beach towel (with portraits of Brandon and Dylan from 90210 claim).  Although a few years ago, Mike declared it to be a 'rag towel' and it never quite recovered from whatever Mike used it for. My red and black 90210 towel's new home then became the 'rag towel cupboard' in the garage.

When I mop the floor, I like to walk on the wet parts with a towel. I usually always choose my 90210 towel to complete the task.

Even though the towel is among rags, I still feel a little possessive about how and what it is used for.

I wasn't exactly thrilled the other week, when Brandon and Dylan's faces were used to dry off... HANK!!!!!!

But I was quick to forgive, and after a couple of washes and extra rinses in hot water, it resumed it's place in the garage rag closet.

WELL, Monday morning during my laundry day, there were the typical rag towels in the laundry room sink waiting to be washed. (Mike had cleaned his truck.) As I started putting them from the sink to the washing machine, I NOTICED MY 90210 TOWEL HAD BEEN CUT INTO SMALLER RAGS. I was BEYOND furious, and Mike was DANG lucky he didn't answer the phone right then and there. By the time we had our 'confrontation' on the driveway later that evening I had cooled down (somewhat).

When questioned "WHY IN THE WORLD COULD YOU NOT HAVE CUT UP ONE OF THE OTHER 16 RAG TOWELS?" Mike's response with his crooked smile (that always softens me) said:

"I love getting a reaction out of you."

He cut up MY 90210 towel for 'A REACTION'?
I'm still working on forgiving my dear husband while Brandon and Dylan now sit in four nice equal pieces in my garage.
I may never mop the floor again

(I couldn't help but do a quick search online to see if those towels are still available. I found one. The description clearly states, "Never used." Too bad I can NOT say the same for mine.)

Loud and Clear

Forget all the sentiments about thoughtful homemade gifts or handwritten notes I wrote about yesterday. I received THE.BEST.BIRTHDAY.PRESENT.EVER. a couple of days late. Yesterday, my brother James and sister-in-law Kristin, gave me this:

I love it.
Some of my kids love it because they were able to come in promptly at dinnertime because they heard the first call.
Drew is scared of it.
Megan is mortified that her mother is going to become known around the neighborhood as the 'Megaphone Mom.'
And Mike, well I think his thoughts regarding it most closely relate to Megan's.

A couple of months ago our neighbors told me that sometimes if their television is turned off and their house is quiet they can hear me yell, "LUUUUKE, COME HOME." (Which incidentally, Luke is the most obedient child to come running home the very first time he hears his name being called.)

I'm hoping my new gift will help me not have to yell quite so loudly that the neighbors will hear. But on the other hand, they will probably hear me loud and clear no matter the noise level in their own house.

Perhaps not exactly a win-win situation.
But least my children will be on time for dinner.

Priceless Gifts

I guess while shopping at the store for my birthday, my kids reminded Mike that I wanted some new hand-weights. To which Mike replied, "I think we have enough things for now."

Luke, ever the thoughtful gift-giver, couldn't bear for me to go without them. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when just after I'd unwrapped my gifts, I was presented with some '91/2 pound' weights. To which he exclaimed, "I even weighed them so they're right."

And then there was the heartfelt card from Ellie that told me,

"You are pretty much the best mom.

"You magic stuff, you play games, take me on dates, see you are the best mom!"   

And of course the homemade cake and card from Megan, the cowboy drawing from Joshua and the scribbling and assisted 'I love you' note from Drew.

I loved all my store-bought things, but really these other things don't even compare.
They're priceless.

I love that Mike helps 'remind' the children to do something from the heart as well as simply wrap a store-bought present.

Except for the home-made weights...

The credit goes entirely to Luke for those.

Today!!!!!!

My dear friend, Lesley just stopped by to wish me a Happy Birthday and expressed shock that I didn't have a birthday post up. So, I will quickly use a small portion of part of my birthday present (personal time alone in a quiet house) to wish myself a Happy Birthday.

(Megan was slightly disappointed that I didn't want a fancily decorated cake that she makes so well. Just chocolate cake and straight (homemade) chocolate frosting for me, thank you.)

My mother-in-law made a reference this morning about birthdays being like Christmas at our house.

What an insult! ;)
My birthday is better than Christmas.

At Christmas everyone is important.
But on my birthday, I am.
And I have no trouble admitting it!

Even when I have to fight Drew all through breakfast for the Birthday Hat that I was wearing... Drew threw an almighty temper tantrum crying 'want da hat', and Megan was shocked that I, the mother, would not give it to him and instead replied to her, "It's my birthday, not his."

I know, I know, I'm 37 and he is 2, which is why I eventually gave in.

By lunchtime-he knew better than to ask for it again.

Happy Birthday, to ME!!!