I was just scrolling through my posts and when I passed the picture of E and C looking at each other, I wonder what they were thinking. Perhaps it went something like this:

"There's C with some crazy white things on her head, and that bow is totally not in her hair. I wonder how it stays up there? Does she know it's there. I bet she doesn't even realize that I am dressed like a train conductor, or does she? She sure is squeezing my hand hard. Can't I just go running around again? Maybe Dad will toss me up in the air. How do I get another lollipop?"

Or maybe it just was a mutual thought of:

"Pictures...not again."

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She missed out on the Halloween post, but here she is in her "Cutest Little Girl In The Whole World" costume!

Halloween

Halloween comes early when you have the wee young ones. Although we are not big Halloween celebrators, we do enjoy the season of Fall and how cute those same wee ones look in their costumes! A couple of nights ago, we met some friends at the local Y for some seasonal socializing. None of the adults wore costumes, unless you count those of us in orange shirts who could have been masquerading as pumpkins, but the kids looked adorable. I was a little hesitant that Eli would fight me on his costume and not want to wear it, but I explained the idea of pretending and our last minute costume was one he could really get into! Here he is with his good friend Clara. She was Hello Kitty, can you guess what Eli was?




Since Jason could not remember ever having carved pumpkins, and I have fond memories of backyard pumpkin-gunk scooping, I bought a pumpkin to initiate the boys. Once I cut the top off, I scooped out the innards and offered Eli a turn. "No, no , no, no, no," he said while emphatically shaking his head and pushing the pumpkin away. I did NOT expect my two year old to be grossed out by this! He overheard me tell Jason that you scrap the sides with a spoon to really clean it out so he ran into the kitchen and would only touch the pumpkin with the ice cream scoop.




Having never carved anything more that triangle eyes and gaped toothed smiles (which my dad did), I decided we should go big. How about carving Nemo? Eli would like that right? So Jason got online, sketched someone else's brilliant work and I transferred it to the pumpkin. Voila!

Deep breath

The days are beginning to run together. Sickies have taken over the house and if I have to blow my nose one more time (which I will) I will cut it off (which I probably won't). I can’t think straight, and with everybody grumpy, the days loom large. It is on days like this that I wish I could channel my inner animated character. I wish it was something I could call upon whether after a sleepless night, the five o’clock hour before dinner, or the last hour before bed.

Like all good animated characters I would be slightly over-weight (and perfectly fine with how I looked), have a voice that always sounded musical, my lips would be perpetually in a smile, and my creativity, spontaneity, and humor would be limitless. All my ideas would thrill my children, a song would pop into my head at the most appropriate moments, and I would never have to run to the store for last minute craft supplies, ingredients, or batteries.

Of course, if my inner animated character were to emerge, it would by default cause my children’s to emerge as well. They would find all my ideas to be extraordinary, see the goodness in sharing and willingly clean-up after themselves. There would be no crying at bedtime, no whining about going to the potty, and Leah would be joyful as she tried to steer her hand to her mouth (because she would get it every time). When it was time to come inside, change activities or settle down, everyone would be full of smiles and enthusiasm.

Alas, I still sing in severals keys at once, dinner isn't always planned ahead, Leah cries and Eli whines. And that's my life...most days I love it, a few days take a little more convincing.