November

It's November. That feels crazy. It was just August yesterday people. But nevertheless it is in fact November.

We survived trick-or-treat. We started out by bopping over to Husband's Aunt and Uncle's house. They gave our kids Halloween treat bags with two books each and stickers and candy. Then we went around their cul-de-sac which is like twelve houses. M didn't even go to the last two houses, she was over it already. One of the house was the best house ever. They were handing out spiked hot apple cider to the adults. It was delicious.

We headed to our house to trick-or-treat in our neighborhood and M flat our refused. She just didn't want to. But C wanted to and he wanted to go with me. It was so super sweet going out just the two of us. Years past it's always been Husband going out so it was a real treat for me. He held my hand and we went from house to house. He did a good job with his manners. We did about 12 more houses and then headed back to our house. Even though we did ultimately buy a bag of candy just in case (my Native American name would for sure be Little High Hopes) we didn't get a single trick-or-treater. Boo.

And now it is November. Holy cow. M and I did the school Mass yesterday and she did a pretty good job. We bopped out just a smidge early because we had to pick C up across the street.

November came in as November usually does; gray, cold and damp. Yuck. November is definitely not my favorite but I am going to try really hard to not let it be a bad one. I bought a door decoration on Amazon so that at least my door is Festive.

We have hanging jack-o-lanterns for September/October and a Christmas Wreath. I also have a big yellow Sunflower from about May to the time I put up the jack-o-lanterns. Now I will have the Turkey for November and then I need to get a snowman or something for rest of the year.

November is here. I just can't believe it!

It's Almost Halloween!

Happy Almost Halloween!

Yesterday we carved pumpkins which is one of my favorite parts of Halloween. I really like the smell of pumpkin inards. Like, not all the time, but once a year? Yeah, okay! I am sure none of you will be shocked by my telling you that we made a Sorcerer Mickey pumpkin and a Minnie Pumpkin.

They look very cool lit up! We look forward to tomorrow night when they can shine all night, for no real reason since we never get any trick-or-treaters. But whatever. 

Today we had our friend's Halloween party. This was our 5th year going to their Halloween party and it's just so fun! The kids played games and ate treats and played. Childhood fun at it's core. Bingo was the hit game of the day and I think I am going to make a version for Thanksgiving because it was a great time and because it was pictures even M was doing a good job though she really wanted to eat her marshmallow markers. 

My little Minnie was tickled pink that her bestie was ALSO Minnie! Two Minnies running around the party was kind of a hoot. 

Here are my little Minnie Mouse and No. 2 Pencil in a not too shabby picture of them in costume. It's so hard to get a good picture!!

26 years ago the pencil costume was worn by ME! My grandma made me this costume for Halloween when I was 5! Now it's C's turn to be 5 and a pencil! I have no doubt in my mind that my grandma would LOVE that the pencil costume is still in good condition and that her great-grandson was wearing it. 

Tomorrow he will get to go out trick-or-treating wrapped in deep sentiment and I cannot wait! Today was our last day of Fall break and we are right back at school tomorrow! Pumpkin shirts for everyone! 

And Now Fall Break!

Hello friends! We made it to Fall Break!

C's Conference on Tuesday evening was just wonderful. A night and day difference from last year's. I always felt last year that they never really knew my kid. Does that make sense? They weren't unhelpful with their comments or his educational progress reports but they just never got C. 

But this year, they really see him for the unique and wonderful little boy that he is. As suspected academically he is kicking tush and taking names. Apparently he even read a book to his classmates during story time. (Things parents would love to hear from their kid instead of what they had for snack!) The very best part of the conference though was the way his teachers clearly delight in my child. They love him and it makes my heart so happy that he is in a class where he is seen and loved. That's what any parent wants from their child's teachers. 

Yesterday at school was the Pumpkin Patch. Which apparently parents were invited to? I missed that memo but C didn't seem to mind even though I felt terrible. But M wouldn't have handled it well since she would have wanted a pumpkin, so the story I am telling is that it was a totally conscious choice! He was excited to get a pumpkin. And then we we got home he made our own backyard patch. 

The chalk art is really hard to read because of the sun/shadows coming through the trees, but it says "Welcome to Are Patch!" I was only consulted on how to spell "welcome" so that's why the wrong use of are over our. 

Last night was also trunk-or-treat at school which was a wonderful kick off to the Halloween season! We got stuck behind a one-year-old and his parents would just not. pick. him. up. And it was frustrating because he didn't get it and was apparently crabby which I get, but he was slow and didn't want to trick-or-treat. But it was fun despite being kind of crazy and lots of people ran out of candy before we got to them. The only pictures I have that are good are ones from inside the fellowship hall before the pizza dinner. 

I kid you not that the pictures I took in my backyard all have my probably intoxicated neighbor in them. Luckily we have a few more opportunities for pictures in their costumes so we will try again! Hopefully sans my neighbor. 

And now we don't go back to school until Tuesday! Awesome! School is great but so is a break!

Fall Stuff

Today is the first real chill of the season. It's in the mid 40s. And dreary. It was rainy but I think that has passed for the day.

It called for a delicious crock pot meal of Mississippi Mud Roast. Which is a recipe I originally got from Beth. I fancy mine up just a little and add potatoes and carrots to the crock pot too. Because root veggies feel so very fall to me.

And if I was making a fall dinner, why not make a fall dessert? So I obviously have an apple pie in the oven.

So my house smells like Heaven right now, that is for darn sure!

Want to hear something kind of fun but really geeky? Well for our library and their ebook check out you can recommend books that they don't own. I recently started following Penguin Random House on Instagram and they have been posting about Turtles All the Way Down since it's a new release. Well I went to see if my library had a copy and they didn't.

So I recommended it and when you do that you are automatically added to the "hold" list so if they buy the book you have a spot in line. I recommended the book on October 20. Which was last Friday. Well YESTERDAY October 23 I got an email saying a book from my hold list was available. I was FLOORED when I logged in and saw that it was Turtles All the Way Down.

It is a pretty good YA book about a girl with severe anxiety as she copes with friendship and sort've kind of love. Not to spoil this book but it doesn't follow the usual teen relationship trope which was really refreshing. It was a very quick read as an adult but totally worth a read.

Tonight we also have C's conference, I am really excited about it. I am curious how he's doing and whether we made the right choice with the whole full day/half day/wait/go debate.

Celebrating A Third Birthday Minnie Style!

My girl turned THREE yesterday. Three. Golly that seems so darn big to me. We had a special weekend celebrating her! My parents came to town on Friday and that was greatly exciting. Because they brought her birthday balloons!

Saturday she woke up to her much anticipated Minnie decorations!

Mid morning we went with my parents to Shnucks which is the little tradition they have with my kids. After filling the kid carts with an all manner of things we didn't need but the kids wanted, we headed back for her birthday party!

The weather on Saturday was gorgeous and we had a Minnie Picnic! M just loves loves loves hot dogs. Which is apparently pretty common for kids but C doesn't care for them at all. Anyway, it was a very easy party, we had Minnie fruit bows, Mickey's Veggie Chips, potato chips and party punch to accompany the hot dogs/hamburgers.

After lunch we changed her into her party outfit. M loves ketchup but has a tendency to get it all over everything.

The Minnie leggings are Lularoe and the Happy Helpers embroidered shirt is from this wonderful Etsy shop!

Then we played the game we had planned, Put the Ring on Minnie. Thank you Party City! M took two turns, but she got the ring on the right spot on her first try. I don't know if somehow she could see or what?

Then we opened presents. After every. single. present. she said "I always wanted [insert item here.]" It was precious. My brother's Skyped in to join in the fun too! She has been saying for weeks how she just wanted a "Red Minnie" so she was pretty happy!

We had cake after presents and it was perfect. I kid you not, she picked this specific cake out in May and was anxiously awaiting it's presence in our house. It did not disappoint. She blew out her candles in one full swoop too so all that practicing on Thursday paid off.

And that was pretty much it for the "party." We spent the rest of the day just kind of hanging out and playing outside. 

Yesterday was a super gloomy day, a far cry from the near 80s the day before. We played with her new things, including at least four rounds of "Hi-Ho The Cherry-O." It slays me that she calls it that.

We had Happy Meals for lunch and incredibly liturgically correct Papa John's for dinner. Pope St. John Paul II was such a powerful intercessor for her birth and I love him so much!

I always feel like I am somehow letting JPII down by not celebrating him, but I know that he would absolutely support me celebrating a birthday with my family over focusing on him. I truly 100% believe that.

We ended the day snuggling together as a family and read "Happy Birthday Cupcake" and "On the Day You Were Born" and I only cried a little. All in all, the weekend was wonderful celebrating the best way we knew how.

Happy Birthday Miss M!

Little Girl,

Oh my little bonbon, you are just so important to me. My heart just aches that you are three already, you are my baby and three is just such a big girl age. But you are so excited for your day that I can't even ask for time to slow down, at least not until tomorrow. You deserve a day to shine and get exactly what you want. 

I have felt so much guilt as we've planned your party this year. Because of Daddy's food show your birthday hasn't been planned down to every last detail the way we have for your brother's. And yet, I am reminded that because all your decorations have Minnie Mouse and Daisy on them, you aren't going to care one bit. In fact, you are going to love every second of it. I don't ever want you to look back and think somehow that I love you less. Because nothing could be further from the truth.

I am so lucky to get to spend all my time with you. I am not at all looking forward to sharing you with the world next year but you are so independent and already ready for school. You cried so hard when we had to leave C on his first day and I can pretty much guarantee you I am going to be the one crying next August leaving you. Recently we've been making friends with kids your age and you just love playing with kids who are "your size." 

Our biggest struggle this year has been sleep. Oh little girl, you are such an early bird and I don't know how to reconcile myself to that. It doesn't matter what time you go to sleep, you will wake up between 5:45-6:30 anyway. It is such a struggle for your night owl mama! But I love you and I love how cheerful you are so it's all okay. You have always preferred to sleep in pitch dark but just recently you have requested a nightlight. But not too bright. So particular Little Miss. 

I often find myself sitting back and just watching you. You are so very different from your brother and that is such a good thing. You are strong and opinionated, sassy and funny. I hope you never lose that. Lately you go through phases of the day where you couldn't give two hoots where I am but then at some point you just need your mom and the hugs you give take my breath away with how much I adore you. I have no idea how you got to be so athletically minded and I solemnly swear to try my hardest to help you find your passion and not hold you back!

I love how you talk. I wish I could record you all the live long day because every single thing you say is my favorite. You have a sweet tooth my girl and I kind of love it because you are always up for sharing with me. You love outings and adventures except for the adventure of potty training. You don't care about that even one little bit and NOT for lack of trying. But gear up kid, because I am over diapers! 

And less I forget, ever, how much you love Minnie Mouse. Because it's a lot. Daisy and Cuckoo-Loca are pretty close seconds but you are OBSESSED with Minnie. If there was a product with her likeness on it, you want it. Truthfully and just between us girls, I am a-okay with that because it's so easy to find! You are never far from Minnie Mouse. Someone rides with us in the car every day, either Minnierella, Polka dot Minnie, Big Minnie, Blanket Minnie... etc. I love how they are each important in their own way for you.

You are just absolutely everything to me. I never knew how much I needed a daughter but golly I did and I am blessed by your very presence in my life. Happiest of happy birthdays to you my sweet girl! I love you entirely!

Love,

Mom

On to the Next Thing!

Today is the first day of back to normal. Well... as normal as normal get you know? The food show is over!

Once upon a time, Husband got a promotion that didn't include more money but did come with a lot more responsibility, namely, being in charge of the food show. As it approached Husband got more and more busy and a little bit more cranky. And finally it was Sunday and he left the house suitcase in tow and he returned last night!

Apparently it all went well. Want to see it? Turn your head sideways and get a peek!

Of course as with anything there are always little things that come up or things that could be improved for the future, but all the major details and such were pretty great. Apparently. He was excited to stop dreaming about the food show but alas, woke up this morning after more food show dreams. I am sure those will stop soon though right? 

I had 54 hours of soloing, which is nothing in the real world of business travel and deployments but man, I am a better mom when I am not the only one calling the shots at the end of the day. 

This was the only picture I took of my kids over the course of the few days. And they weren't even supposed to be playing with the window clings. But they have been and I pretty much just let it go because they were $3 and at least they're being entertained while they destroy them. 

Also in a funny story, we went out to dinner on Saturday and M was looking through the desert/drinks menu. 

She really wanted the ice cream brownie and when I told her no she asked for this Root Beer Old Fashioned. She told me "I want this drink. But with a lid. And no cherries." I am proud she asked for a lid so she wouldn't spill! It was really funny to me, and perhaps that won't translate to being funny to you but there it is. 

Anyway, now that it is Wednesday and the food show is all over it's just a steam roll to Christmas... M's birthday, Halloween, Elton John, Thanksgiving, Christmas. So, hang on to your hats (yes, like Herbert Nenninger and No-Noggin') because the rest of 2017 is coming up quick!