Arrrgh! Trick or Treat, Ya Scurvey Dog!

Halloween. As a teacher, I'm trained to hate the idea. Let your children stay up late to knock on people's doors and beg for sugar products with no nutritional value. Unfortunately, I appreciate a mini Kit Kat as much as the next person, so having children who can provide them by working their first real job is a plus. Last year, Chase became wise enough to choose a costume idea for himself. Last year he was Thomas (see last October's posts). That one did not come as a complete surprise. This year, he informed us that he wanted to be a pirate. I'm not sure where that notion came from, if not from catching the last half hour of the second Johnny Depp flick 3 months ago. Anyway, he can be seen here with Dad, patiently waiting for the grandparent-parazzi to attempt in vain to take reasonable pictures of Pirate Number Two (I may have told five out of six readers already that this is most likely the only year I will be allowed to dress my kids in complimentary costumes). I also tried to take pictures of the boys together, but Hayden was not in a still pose mood. I failed to get a nice picture of the "pirate ship" grandma constructed from a wagon, a giant cardboard box, a broom handle and tag board. Very cute. Also, no one wanted to ride in it. We trick-or-treated about an hour before retreating to our much warmer home to answer the door. We cleared 300 pieces of candy by 8:00, and this time we only ate 10 ourselves. Here you can see the only good picture I grabbed of Hayden. It turns out that deckhands like burritos, which is handy when you need them to sit still for photographs. Since I actually ran out of candy this year, I have no choice but to raid Chase's Halloween loot. He's got three cavities, so I figure he really doesn't need it anyway. So happy Halloween to you and yours. So long, me mateys.

It's My Kid In a Box!

SNL fans, I hope you were singing that title in your best Justin Timberlake. Don't think I wasn't while I was taking these pictures. And don't be concerned about the super long cord in the back. I was taking a vacuum break. I was also trying to put away a box of out-grown clothes, but Hayden has his own ideas.

(Number) 2 Major Milestones

We have abandoned the high chair. Is anyone interested in the model shown? Chase: "Mommy! I just made the most giantest poop in the toilet. Take a picture." Seriously. I cannot make this stuff up. I love the two thumbs up.

Walking In a Pumpkin Wonderland

Friday I had the day off, and so we decided to seize the opportunity to visit the pumpkin patch before the weather turned foul. I know, it's a little early to get in the festive Halloween spirit. Especially if you have a three year-old, who doesn't do patient. We want to go trick-or-treating NOW - like yesterday. The good news is that it wasn't very crowded, and we had our choice of some choice pumpkins. My only hope is that they don't rot before we carve them. As you can see, the kids had a blast. Hayden loved walking over and around the pumpkins. Chase, in true, "I'm three, and I'm the boss," fashion, chose everyone's pumpkin. My days of picking short fat pumpkins are over - my kid is more of a long and skinny pumpkin lover. The patch also boasted a haunted graveyard walk. The witch informed me that this is a lot less scary during daylight hours. I also suspected this on my own, judging from the admissions sign which indicated a $5 increase for nighttime viewing. Shawn and I decided to risk it. Picture Blair Witch meets Walmart during the day, which gave the rural Lakeside scene a Hills Have Eyes quality. For me, the scariest parts were the "engineers," who appeared to be working on the sets with mullets on head and beverages in hand. Anyway, Hayden enjoyed the walking practice, and Chase was getting a hoot out of it until the brush on the walk got thicker, and the skeleton scenes a little spookier. I was reminded of a time when my mom took my cousin and I through the Haunted House at the Enchanted Forest. She had a kid attached to each leg as she wound her way through that thing. Chase never cried or yelled, but he did inform me a few times that he wanted to turn around (ah, the whole internal struggle for Mommy, "Is it further if we go back or forward?"). He started walking ahead of me, then went to hand holding; then some Mommy-dragged-me transisitioned to I-dragged-Mommy. Shawn and I had to laugh -- Example: We walked past a skeleton in a stockade, and my husband mumbles, "That skeleton is there because he pooped his pants (a sore subject in the March house right now)." I kept comparing myself as a parent, to myself in the Enchanted Forest Haunted House. I wondered if Mom was amused as she was getting her calf and thigh workout. I'll bet it was more funny after she was out.

The Cutest Thank You Ever

I am totally stealing this idea from my current husband's sister. I'll be using it for my next wedding. Very cool, Auntie Monica and Uncle Scott.

I'm So Busy, I Almost Forgot to Name This Post.

Fall is here. That means you will have to be patient with me, as it seems like a few things have taken priority over this blog. Things such as my job, my graduate coursework, potty-training (nearly finished), Shawn's return to academia (full-time student/full-time job), catching garbage before it goes in mouths, finding clean unwrinkled clothes for work, cooking dinners, Monday Night Football, the Beavers, building train tracks, wiping noses, getting another glass of chocolate milk, selling jerky for someone's preschool class, and finding the perfect pirate costume. As you can see, I have not even taken a picture of the boys in a month (also, my camera is experiencing some sort of technical difficulties that are too frustrating to share right now). Did I mention Chase has THREE cavities? Get that Mother of the Year award prepped for me. I'll be getting mine along side of Britney. I know you all wait with baited breath for every post, so keep your oxygen tanks handy. It's going to be a long winter.