Happy Halloween!

We crammed a few more Halloween things in just in time. 

Last night was the Halloween piano recital. 

Then we headed home to eat dinner quick and carve pumpkins. I genuinely enjoy the smell of pumpkin innards. I mean, not in like a "I want to buy this candle" kind of way. But in an annual tradition kind of way. It smells like a memory. And all the years of my life, where that smell connects to every other time I have carved a pumpkin.

Today was obviously a chance for the kids to wear Halloween costumes or clothes to school. 

And tonight they will once again don their Pirate and Nerds Gummy Cluster costumes for an evening that is totally ours. It will look an awful lot like this: 

M had been invited to go with friends. We had all been invited to go to the next town over. And we (Husband and I) decided that this year, 2025, was a year for us together. We have so very few years of this left after all. Before costumes and walking with your parents isn't even appealing anymore. 

So we are leaning into that. Perhaps it makes me overly sentimental and wistful. But tonight I am going to hang out with my people, celebrating Halloween in the best way we can... together. 

Happy Halloween! 

Oh Hey... Fall!

We are a high-needs sleeping family. I'm not going to lie. My kids come by it honestly. 

We use white noise, fans, eye masks, special pillows, and blankets. It's a whole thing. 

We cracked the code to get M to sleep at camp. She took a travel white noise machine that is shaped and put it under her pillow so only she could hear it. They aren't allowed to plug things in at camp, so we bought 5 and charged them up. Packing one with each pair of pajamas so she could pull a new one out every night to make it through the whole night. 

I actually brought one with to Disney World in August, though I could charge it daily, so I didn't need to pack multiple. 

All this to say: at 1:40 AM, the power went out. And 3/4 of us woke up IMMEDIATELY. Luckily, we could pull those discs out and we all went to sleep at least a little. 

Did I spend an hour grumbling and refreshing the outage report to determine when it would be restored? I did. But then went to sleep. 

When the power came back on at about 4:00 AM I was relieved to turn my fan and true white noise machine back on, though. 

In other news, as we roll through to the end of October, trunk or treat was on Friday. An honored school tradition. And might I present to you M's Halloween costume: 

A Nerds Gummy Cluster. 

And C is a pirate. 

M's costume was very popular. And mostly made up for all the effort that went into making it. Friday was actually the end of the first quarter, and it was a 2-hour early out. That was HORRIBLE. My children did not need extra time at home to anticipate the festivities.

At about 3:00 that afternoon, she freaked out, concerned that "no one would get it. " I told her to suck it up because it took forever, and we didn't have a backup plan anyway. Overwhelmingly, people got it. A few said bubble gum. One person said Covid-19. But most people got it right away. 

We had a nice time trunk-or-treating and then I went with my friends to a haunted house. I am not a haunted house person. But it was Marisa's birthday and so I obliged her. I was braver than I thought. Some of the jump scares got me for sure but other parts didn't. They had these things that poofed air at your ankles as you walked by, and those got me 100% of the time. No pictures since it was against the rules. But here's the outside! 

Weirdly, the worst was the very end, and that was the part I was actually most concerned about since it was a chainsaw maze. But it was very lackluster. Mostly, we stood around with another group that came out right after us and then stood there while a few teenagers revved chainsaws. 

Only... they wouldn't let us out. And it wasn't scary. Just confusing. And stinky. Gas-powered chainsaws are very fume-y. BUT THEN... they demanded a sock. Since I had come from trunk-or-treat, I was wearing my favorite Halloween socks. No way was I giving up a sock. 

Finally, Marisa did, and we all left. I was in full mom mode though because... so many expensive Nike socks hanging on the fence! Are those all the rage where you are? They aren't cheap! And you just know there are annoyed mothers at home mad that their teen came back from a night out with friends without the expensive sock they had purchased! 

In other fall news, I went to another String Art class last night. It was good. We made these pumpkin trucks and I actually quite like mine. 

And that's the last bit of the fall activities we have been up to! And why we were up last night! 

My Girly Pop's birthday

School day birthdays, when your mom has to work at night, are not always the most fun. 

But we made the best of it. After our McDonald's breakfast, we headed to school. The Mickey Ice Cream bars were placed in the freezer with the Dilly bars we snuck in the night before. (Mickey Bars for our friend with peanut allergies. It's basically the same thing.) 

I am told she had a good day at school, and the ice cream was a hit. 

When we got home, she had a call with my brother so she could open a present from him. It was a whiteboard! Please know that when I tell you a majority of her wish list was office supplies, I am not lying to you. That's what she wanted! 

One of her presents from Mom and Dad was a purple sparkly Bogg Bagg. 

We went to 4:30 dinner at Texas Roadhouse. She was adamant she wanted to go there but NOT sit on the saddle. Her wish is our command! 

Here she is posing with some of her other presents. An Alaska Bear eye mask. We love this brand, and she wanted an upgrade to the kind with eye cups. 

Mechanical pencils that "look like real pencils like Arlo has." (This went with her Expo Markers, Expo Board Cleaner, Flair Pens, and Gel Pens.)

I had to go back to work to teach the second-grade sacrament class, but when I got back we had her cookie cake. 

We were so happy to celebrate our 11-year-old! What a gift she is to us! 

Happy Birthday M!

Dear M,

And just like that, my sweetest girl turned 11. With a breakfast from McDonald's because that's what she asked for. (And their hashbrowns really are good so... I don't blame her.)

It's kind of poetic, really. You were born on a Wednesday, and now here we are on a Wednesday again. That 2:12 AM birth means that you woke up 11 for real. 

I could lament for days about how I can't believe that you're 11, but you know what? I can. I love seeing flashes of the little you from time to time. And I can also see who God is calling you to be occasionally. But I am especially loving who you are today. Not without drama... but full of heart. 

You want so very much to be independent, but you refuse to go to sleep unless an adult has put you to bed. You can do everything by yourself, but the moment something gets too complicated, you come running for help. And I am so glad. You're meant to grow up. But that doesn't mean you don't need us. 

I was rereading your note from last year, and it's pretty much all the same: a kind friend who loves art, purple, being outside, camp, music, but pop music specifically, chicken tendies, strawberries, donuts. 

The big change is that this year, 5th grade, you don't have a lot of friends in your class. And I know that is a huge bummer for you. But what I have already seen is that not having your friends next to you has given you the confidence to try harder. You just have to work harder than a lot of people for the same result academically, and I know that's frustrating! 

But oh, how that will serve you in life. Knowing how to work hard is a life skill no one can take away from you. You just need to embrace that. I get it, that's not the cool answer for 5th grade, but whatever. It's the LAST YEAR of spelling tests! And you are not sad about that! 

The funniest thing about you this year is that you really can't think of anything you wanted for your birthday. Apart from the ChompSaw and you already know that it will be a Christmas Present from your grandparents. Hang in there... that's coming. And you will create some true masterpieces out of cardboard. 

You are such an artist. And I love that about you. I would put you in classes, but I think that would actually ruin your creativity and appreciation for all things artistic. We don't even like Tim Burton, but your school assignment of "Tim Burton Style Self Portrait" is truly stand out good. 

Today, you are halfway to your Golden Birthday! And I can't wait to celebrate you more tonight. You are my favorite girl in the world, and I love you so much! Happy Birthday, Baby Girl! 

Love, Mom

A Whole Week

A whole week has passed, and I don't have a ton to show for it. I am clearly in a season where every day feels much like the last. Definitely a season in which I am not taking pictures. 

I was in charge of checking people in for the church directory last week. The day before, my friend was in charge, and there was a mouse that ran through. She told me to keep my feet up while I was waiting... so I did. 

The staff at school was bringing everyone a spooky witch's brew. They had different bases and syrups to offer. Mine is Sprite with Pineapple and Blue Raspberry--it was delicious. 

Thursday was the 7th grade's Outsiders Day. They read the book. Then got to dress up and watch the movie. 

C went Original Broadway Cast Greaser over film Greaser. 

They also had a rock, paper, scissors rumble. C was pleased that his snack for the movie was mini Golden Oreos. Husband was so kind to stop by the Dollar Tree where C had seen them to pick them up for him. First of all, because he likes them. Secondly, because they're punny. "Stay Golden Pony Boy!" 

Friday, I went with the 7th grade to Fiance Park for a field trip.  So in 5th grade they went to Biz Town and that was a lot of fun. 

Finance Park is similar, though not as much fun, I didn't think. They spend the whole day on an iPad. The lesson itself is quite solid--each kid is given a profile: they may be single, they may be married, they may have children, and they have to budget for a month, factoring in all the things. 

They rotate through a bunch of stations to learn about different budget categories, and then at the end find out if they have been approved for a mortgage loan and an auto loan. 

I was in charge of the Charitable Contributions section, where we had to brainstorm different ways they could give charitably and what that might look like in their lives. I am so glad to say most everyone had something near and dear to their hearts that they could think of to give their time, talent, or treasure to going forward in life. I pray they will always live in a spirit of generosity. 

We were joking with the people at JA that none of the simulations were the Catholic Family Model with more than 3 kids. (And truthfully, there were a lot of single-parent models that I didn't completely appreciate for 7th grade.) 

There were a lot of eye-opening conversations about paying for water, clothes and other things. I think it would be a good life lesson to repeat when they're seniors and about to go out into the world too. 

Friday evening we went to see the High School Production of The Little Prince. It was fine. We saw this same script (written by a local) performed twice before, and with educational theater, there are always some strengths and some weaknesses, right? 

Saturday we went as a family to sing at a Memorial Mass for the school's former recess monitor. After we went home and changed and then went to Cracker Barrel for lunch. M found herself a piano to practice on. 

That evening I went to see another show, this time to review. It was funny. And horrifying. All at the same time. And that was the point. 

Our Sunday was wonderful. We went to Mass back at our old Alma Mater to see the new Bishop Thom's Mass of Thanksgiving. The man is a fantastic homilist. And his was no exception this weekend. Since it was homecoming, there were also a bunch of people there to see and a special alumni blessing at the end of Mass. It was nice. 

That afternoon Husband and I had a meeting for a retreat we are helping out with in a few weeks. I took no pictures, but here's one that makes me laugh. 

Then yesterday was a pretty normal day. We tried a new recipe for dinner and it was just okay. A cranberry pork tenderloin. We are going to adjust some of the ingredients and try it again. 

And here we are lapping into Tuesday. And that's what I know basically. 

A Day With No Pictures

Everyone loves a day off. I know I sure do. 

There's something so freeing about waking when the sun is actually up instead of in the dark. Just that extra hour makes a world of difference. 

Yesterday I took no pictures at all. But we sure had fun. 

We took C to get his hair cut. Picture retakes are today and I figured if we were doing that anyway, the least we could do is get his hair looking fresh. (It was not his hair that was the problem the first time around but it couldn't hurt.) 

We went to Walgreens for muffin liners. They didn't have any, so we went to the Dollar Tree and they did! 

Then we went home and made our annual Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. My friend Billie Jo posted these on her blog many years ago, and it's still the recipe we use every year. We love them. C declared, "NOW it's fall!" There's one in his lunch box today. And I brought one for a friend. 

It was sunny and warm yesterday. So the kids played outside a lot. And we practiced piano. And spelling words. And our voice lesson work too. 

C went to choir because the districts across the river did not have the day off. 

We ran the dishwasher. And the washing machine. We cleaned up the playroom and even got some of the pantry tidied. (Why do they always leave empty packages in there? Just my house?) 

We had spaghetti for dinner. 

And I took no pictures of any of it. But don't worry. We were making memories anyway. 

Fall Friday!

Yesterday afternoon I finally got my car back. It was with the place for 18 days. I was quite unhappy with the place and their service. It was where insurance wanted us to go so they'd cover it 100%. I am DELIGHTED to have my car back, though! 

Last night, after voice lessons, the kids and I went to another free library class to paint pumpkins. M and I were registered. C was along for the ride and helped me out a little. 

We had a nice enough time with the activity but the librarian and the artist teaching were really annoying. The librarian told someone her entire life story for an hour and 45 minutes in a room that was otherwise silent. So we all heard it. 

Then the artist kept walking around saying how she works with kids all the time and "there's no bad art! Do your thing!" Then she would promptly stop at someone's table and say things like "oh did you want to use that color?" 

For the low low price of free, we are happy enough with them. 

Today is the high school homecoming, so the kids could be out of uniform in red, black or white. Or school gear. 

I thought they looked cute. And we are all looking forward to the 3-Day Weekend! 

19.5

You know how Gilmore Girls just turned 25 and suddenly Gilmore Girl fans are everywhere? Welcome to the club everyone, OG super fan here. 

Like the kind of fan who took Season 1 and 2 on DVD to college, Freshman year, because those were the only seasons out on DVD at the time. The kind of fan where when Luke and Lorelai broke up I put a purple ribbon on my door because I refused to take sides and I wanted them to be together. (Longest 3 weeks of my life waiting for new episodes.) 

And in 2006 when my little brother got a cat for his birthday, I convinced him to name her Lorelai. 

This is a picture of a picture hanging on my fridge.

Last night, that sweet 19.5-year-old cat crossed the rainbow bridge and went to kitty heaven. I am thankful she waited, just like humans do, until the kids and I could say goodbye to her on Teams. We sang her song to her. 

"Patting your head, we're patting your head.

You're very cute so we're patting your head!

Patting your head."

It will never win a Grammy, but we sang it to her all the time. Often, with a proxy person doing the actual patting. 

I am sad. But gosh, 19 and a half years is a long, long time to have a cat to love. How lucky to love her! 

Puffness of paw, sweetness of self. When she was a kitten, and she'd get zoomies, we would call her a scram jet. She loved red dots, catnip mice, and sparkle balls. 

And in May, we discovered she just really liked cat soup. 

My mom always called her my "fuzzy sister," so ignore my crazy eye in our selfie. :) 

I will miss her a lot. The proof in the pudding of my Gilmore Girl fandom. Named while the show was still on the air! Even though I didn't live in the house with her long, she always knew who I was. 

It's a Monday.

Well... Happy Monday everyone. 

On Friday, we did, in fact, all wear pink! Which was nice. We had a nice time hanging out together and I am glad we could. 

I have no pictures to show for Saturday. We ran a lot of errands, and I did a lot of papier mache. 

Sunday... 

Confirmation!

Grace is going to do great things with the fire of the Spirit within her. I can't wait to see how she uses her gifts! 

And my sweet goddaughter was there for her big brother's confirmation so I got a cheeser pic with her too. 

It was a good good day!