Happy Halloween!

Sugar Hangovers for all.

Photos Tomorrow!

I made the boys Wall-E costumes, and I will take pictures and post them tomorrow. I promise.

It really is hard to stop and take pictures. Although I took a couple today of Nate painting a pumpkin while I chopped up my own.

I have never been good at carving pumpkins. I am not that great an artist, and I'm not that great with knives. Add the two together and it's like asking for a finger without a hand. This year I drew what I took to be a reasonable face on our pumpkin. However, moments into my carving, I realized I had both eyes reaching up to where I cut off the top, as well as meeting at a point in the middle. Which meant that, by carving my eyes, I was also carving out the triangle separating them. So I tried to erase the eyes. Unfortunately, I had used permanent marker. So instead I just drew my new lines over the old ones, and while I was at it I fixed the mouth. When I finished carving it looked OK, but the lines all over made it look really... odd. I turned the extra space above into eyebrows. But I needed have worried. In the dark it looks fine.

Just Until Tuesday

I want to know who the people are that change their minds when political forces call them on the phone.

Are there really people sitting around wishing that the Republicans of New Hampshire will call them up so that they could ask their questions and clarify a few points? Do politicians honestly feel that voters will come to like them and perhaps even change their minds about who they will vote for if they are called repeatedly? I mean, the tactic must work, because we are certainly getting enough phone calls for it. But personally, all they make me want to do is wish I could reach through the phone lines and squeeze the callers lips shut REALLY TIGHT with my fingers. Or perhaps bash them on the head with the phone. For the greater good.

I know I shouldn't answer the phone. But the caller ID NEVER says who's calling. Once it said OBAMA, way back before the primaries. But these days the callers are from companies hired to harass us, so all that comes up is OUT OF AREA, and sometimes people I know show up that way as well. Sometimes the callers are volunteers, and private numbers or wireless numbers pop up. It could be a school parent, or a teacher calling from a cell.

Next time, and I'm sure there will be a next time, I shall ask the caller if the tactic - calling people and harassing them, is working, but before I get an answer I'll interrupt. "But now isn't really a good time for me. Why don't you give me YOUR home number, and I'll call YOU?"

Today I missed Yesterday

Nicholas is Star Of The Week this week at school.

This means that, all week long, he gets to be line leader. It also means he gets to bring in a toy to show and tell to the class. And a snack to share with the class. And a photo collage to show off his family. Which is great, isn't it? Except, as with many other things, this is something engineered to focus on the child, but which actually required a lot of extra hours and participation from ME.

Which is fine. I don't mind making a picture collage - even though I had to wrestle with the printer and find special paper and print out photos on Steve's work printer instead because mine was out of ink. No problem.

But tomorrow he needs to bring in snack. Nicholas wanted to bring in peanut butter and jelly sushi, but of course we can't because of the peanut butter. Instead, we decided to make cut out cookies for Halloween and decorate them. But I didn't make the dough yesterday, and this morning I didn't have time because I had to get the boys to Gymnastics. The kind I make requires the dough be refrigerated 3 to 4 hours before rolling it, so as soon as we were back and the boys had lunch and I got them down for a nap I threw together a couple of batches. And I have to tell you, I don't understand baking. I put it all together, and I'm supposed to refrigerate it, but instead of a ball of dough I have what looks like a pile of sand, and no matter how I try to get it to stick together it keeps falling apart. And refrigerating it never really helps.

So when the boys wake up and I distract them until the dough has been in the fridge almost 3 hours, I take the balls of sand out and attempt to turn them into something I can roll. But Nick is three steps ahead and already trying to open the sprinkles, and Nathan is frantically trying to use his cookie cutters to cut the pile of sand into pumpkin cookies. After much coaxing of both boys and dough, I finally manage to roll something out, and the boys start using their cookie cutters. Only Nicholas doesn't understand that you can't overlap the cookies, and Nathan eats each dough shape as soon as it's cut unless I am watching and take it away. By this time Andrew has climbed up the stairs three times, has splashed the dog's water all over the place and is soaking wet, and is howling loudly.

We somehow manage to cut out a bunch of cookies and put them in the oven. The boys then get to decorate, which they do by dumping as many sprinkles on a cookie as they can. I try to outline the cookies in orange icing, but the result is spectacularly runny, since I had to heat it in the microwave but left it in there too long because Andy was crying and the next batch of cookies was ready and Nicholas was screaming at Nathan because he was eating all his special cookies for school.

We have a plate with a number of strangely decorated, dry tasting cookies. It is what we are bringing for snack. Next time we have to bring snack, I'm bringing Chips Ahoy. And for Christmas this year we shall use the premade ones, with the Christmas Trees already painted on.

Pumpkin Head

Today I finally cleaned out my car from our trip to Tennessee.

Today Nicholas went on a class trip to pick out pumpkins. I remembered to pay the $6, and I remembered to pack a brown bag lunch and to pack a drink. I forgot to leave his booster seat, and when we got home I found out the pumpkin Nick was holding had the name "AJ" written on it. Nick had been telling me he had AJ's pumpkin, but I hadn't realized he had been talking about a pumpkin that belonged to another child.

Today I vacuumed the basement.

Today I clipped the hedges in front of our house so that they no longer look spiky. But I neglected to rake up the branches and pine needles.

Today I ran four miles of the treadmill.

Today I did one load of laundry.

Today I made roast chicken and potatoes for dinner.

The End

Supper

One of the perks of belonging to a church is that we actually get to interact with other people. Sometimes in an organized way.

Yesterday we attended a supper organized by the church. A few people sign up and take turns hosting these meals, and everyone brings something.

I hadn't met any of the people at the supper before - a total of four couples, including us. And I was a bit nervous because I wasn't sure what these people were going to BE like. I am uncomfortable in situations like these. What does one TALK about?

Well, the night began with a conversation about cats. Everyone had a cat story, including us, but as you may know, some people - GOOD people - can have a few more cat stories than one might want to listen to. And this cat conversation went on not exceedingly long, but long enough for me to start thinking that perhaps all we had in common - besides attending the same church - was that we had cats. But I didn't mind too much, because I also had a glass of wine, and after a few moments considering the evening ahead, I decided that I could deal with cat conversation as long as I had wine.

Of course my fears were unfounded. We all love our cats, but there is life beyond that, and we had a fantastic supper with grown up conversation beyond pets, beyond children even, and I had a wonderful time.

Dressing Like Clowns

Yes, this is a picture of Andy walking. A few days ago we lost one of his shoes, so I've been dragging him around in socks. The trouble is that it's getting cold out, and he's... well, walking. So he needs shoes. And in my frugality, I refuse to buy him another pair in his size, because he's going to grow out of them next week. So I went through all the little sneakers we own, and put him in the next pair up. And they are too big. He still manages to walk in them, but every once and awhile they slip off.

The other thing is... in the morning, it really is cold. To bring the boys outside I stuff them in winter coats and hats. And in the afternoon I stuff them in the same stuff, but when we get outside the sun is shining and it's warm. Not hot, but pleasant. Too warm for that poofy orange coat.

So wherever we go, we look a little funny.

La la LAAAAAA

Steve and I have started going to church.

Nobody panic.

I know that among the readers of this blog there is a wide range of religious beliefs. This particular church makes me happy because I feel I have found a place I can be all spiritual about without feeling hypocritical. And as of yet we haven't had to give up our worldly possessions and move to a commune. And also THEY HAVE A CHOIR.

I actually attended a few services before working up the courage to join, and then I left for Tennessee, but yesterday after dinner I finally attended my first rehearsal. And it felt SO GOOD! I mean, I have to be honest with you, my voice is rusty, but considering how long it's been, and the fact that I couldn't even sing in the shower for months after Andy was born, I think I'm doing pretty well. So I thought I would share, because I know I've been all grumps lately.

Also, on an unrelated topic, you should watch this, just in case you haven't seen it. Just do it.

Fishing

My mother can spend hours at the grocery store. And I have always made fun of her, considering myself smart for making a list, and knowing exactly what I need before I step in, so that I can get through as quickly as possible.

Do you buy tuna fish? Canned tuna, I mean? I tried to buy canned tuna, and you have no idea how confusing it can get. Not only are there different brands, but there are different sizes - big cans, little cans, and even bags, now. Not to mention different kinds - solid white, chink white, albacore, tuna in water, tuna in oil.... flavored tuna fish... It was so confusing I couldn't tell which brand was the most expensive, or which was least expensive.

So I spent fifteen minutes just buying tuna fish, something we don't buy very often, because the kids hate it.

chilly chilly

I think part of the reason fall gets me so down is the cold. I don't mind the cold, as long as it stays on the outside. But the cold has been creeping into our home and it's starting to irritate me. I haven't put the storm windows up yet, because I'm lazy and that requires some sort of effort. I should do that because then I might feel less guilty about turning the heat up past 60. Which may be comfortable for SOME people, but not for me.

It is going to be a looooong winter.

Really Tired

I tend to lean toward the dramatic side. I'm just saying that first, so that when I write this next thing, you'll know to factor in the dramatics.

I am so tired. Andy is sick or teething or possessed or something, and he wakes up at three or four and will not WILL NOT go back to sleep unless I am holding him in my arms. Or STAY asleep, which means I place him, sleeping, in his crib, and he is screaming by the time I am halfway out of the room.

I can't concentrate on anything. My mind wanders during conversations. I walk across the room and forget what I need. And frighteningly, I have to keep reminding myself to pay attention while driving the car.

More than anything, I am so incredibly bored and frustrated with laundry, and cooking, and shopping, and doing dishes, and getting the kids into the car seats and out of the car seats and making sure everyone has shoes, and finding the shoes, and putting them of feet, and convincing small boys to wear jackets when common sense says they should actually be wearing hats and gloves, too.

There are a billion things I want to be doing and need to be planning, but I can't seem to get everything in there. Sometimes I honestly think I'm loosing my mind.

You Want To Try And Stop Her?

From pulling the boys around in the wagon? Not me. I'll just take pictures.

I promise that I'll get around to actually writing something soon. Something revealing and deep and meaningful. But right now I really have nothing to write about. Nothing that comes to mind.

Chocolate Cake

Because no one reads the words anyway

Sorry! Still no Photos!

I have a couple of new pictures on my camera, but I am far too lazy to actually download them.

Andrew is running me ragged. Oh, hes still cute. It's just that these days he moves so much. He knows where things are, things I do not want him to play with, such as the toilet brush, the dog's water bowl, the mop, and the stairs. He has also learned how to open cabinets and certain drawers, and can now remove the extra rolls of toilet paper from the bathroom cabinet. And then try to eat them.

Secrets

I don't post about trips or vacations ahead of time. Instead, I pre post and let people know when we've returned. The idea is so that people won't find "Our House Will Be Empty For Five Days and by the way Our Dog Won't Bite" all over the internet.

Anyhow, I am tired and so are the kids, who are still recovering from our trip. Last night Andy woke up five times, and so did Nathan. In fact, Nate ended up in the bed, with us. I discovered this in the morning, when Andy woke me and I peeked in the see if the other boys were awake. And Nate's bed was empty.

Today was also picture day at the school, and I can't wait for the pictures.

I know these posts are jumbled and not interesting. But I really am more tired right now than I have been in a long time. And I haven't even started unpacking, or cleaned out my car. So... please be patient.

Late for Nap

Passing Out

So... last week I took a road trip to Tennessee on short notice. Well... short notice for me. I knew I would be making the trip, but the details weren't sorted out, and when they finally got sorted out I had 36 hours to get ready. Which is fine if you're a college student, but different when you're an adult with three young children.

We drove. With my mother. It took two days each way. The visit was great, and to tell the truth, driving isn't bad. It's less expensive (for us) than flying, and we get to stop when we want to and don't have to worry about delays or anything. It's just two days instead of one (because flying usually ends up taking a full day anyway.)

But now we're back, and I am very glad. And I don't want to talk anymore.

Another Nate Picture

Update

Andrew's eyes are still blue, everyone. Just in case anyone was wondering.

Love this boy

Lounge Lizard

Genetics

And even Andrew is at home at a computer.

You might have noticed that I've been low on actual, well, writing, as of late.

I just need a break. Hang in there. I'll be posting photos for a little bit, and perhaps I'll be even more entertaining when I get back into the swing of things.

Can I see?

Rockin Out

Who needs sleep?

Sorry if I've been out of touch. I've been tired.

Andrew, my little mellow baby who is so sweet and calm, had become a terror and a force to be reckoned with. He now has the ability to sleep through the night. He sometimes goes to sleep and does not wake until 4am, at which point he goes back to sleep very quickly. But the past few days he has woken up every couple of hours crying. I go in, rock him back to sleep, and place him in his bed, and he usually remains sleeping long enough for me to set one sleepy foot in the doorway before crying out in outrage that I, his mother, have left him in his BED. ALONE. To SLEEP. He can cry for a long time. And he cries loudly and angrily.

During the daytime he cries whenever I put him down. To fix dinner. Or tie a shoe. Or use the bathroom. He cries and crawls after me, turning my frantic dashes back and forth across the kitchen to get the boys out the door in the morning into some odd combination of child neglect and obstacle course. He clings to my feet and my pants and pulls himself up, giving me the choice of either giving up what I was doing and staying still, or punting him across the room like a football.

I have had a lot of fun these past couple of days with my boys. We had shared funny moments and all that stuff. But these moments are just windows in endless days and nights of crying and trying to convince a nine - almost ten month old that he does not need to be in my arms 24 hours a day.

I One The Sandbox

Sense of humor develops with age. And it keeps going. I remember thinking the movie Spaceballs was the funniest film I had ever seen! And when I tried to watch it again a couple of years ago... well, I just got bored really quickly and found myself rolling my eyes.

Kids don't get jokes right away, either. I've tried to get Nick and Nate to "get" knock knock jokes for awhile, but... It didn't quite... well...

ME: When I say 'knock knock' you say 'who's there?' OK?

Nick: OK

Me: knock knock

Nick: It's Nicholas!

But last night, suddenly, I was able to tell one, and Nicholas laughed! He got it! So then I went on and did the "I One The Sandbox" thing with him.

In case you don't know "I One The Sandbox," the second guy is supposed to say "I Two The Sandbox" and then the first guy says "I Three The Sandbox" and it goes on until "I Eight The Sandbox" at which point person one says "You ATE the Sandbox? Yuck!"

Nick liked this one, too. He also liked "One Q" "Two Q" "Three Q" until "Ten Q" then the other person says "Your Welcome!"

So he kept laughing and making me do it over and over again with him, knowing they were funny but not quite getting that the funniness wears off. The boys were both laughing themselves silly. I was washing dishes and shouting my lines over to them.

Then Nathan started begging for me to do it with him. "One Q!" I shouted. And he shouted back "I Eat The Q!"

And then I laughed so hard I peed my pants.

Ring Ring

Political Survey People keep calling our house.

I grew up in a house where the phone rang at least once every fifteen minutes. But here, the phone can stay silent for days. It's ring always startles me.

These days, however, we have been getting quite a few more phone calls. The caller ID says they are from FLORIDA or ALABAMA, or sometimes OUT OF AREA. Some are obviously from machines, because when we say hello nothing but silence ensues. But others are from survey takers who would like to ask us questions. I know they are political calls. They ask a bunch of questions about groceries, or Health Insurance. And they don't care when they call. I answered one call at 10pm.

This afternoon a very nice lady told me she wanted to ask me a few questions and then flat out asked "Are you going to vote for McCain and Palin?" I wanted to tell her NO, and then explain how Palin was destroying the universe one interview at a time. But before I did my good sense hit me. "I'd rather not say." I said. "Does this mean you're voting for the other candidate?" she asked? As though saying the name "Obama" would set off an alarm somewhere. "Well", I said," I just don't think it's any of your business who I vote for." Because it really isn't. Some people are proud of who they support, but others want to keep quiet about it to maintain a sense of safety within their community, their workplaces, their families, even. And I do not have to tell her who I support. But the way she's calling and asking makes it so difficult to keep it my own business.

"Oh!" she said. And she sounded surprised. As though this thought hadn't occured to her. "Well then... I'll move on. Do you plan on voting for Shaheen or Sununu?"

Brains, people. Of course I'm blaming the Republican Party. I know she was a McCain supporter because she told me at the end that she knew I didn't want to say, but she hoped they could count on my support anyway! All high pitched and chirpy and I wanted to tell her that hoped I could count on hers! But I didn't. I just hung up. And that's the last time I speak to any of these people. I mean all political survey bothering me pn the phone people. I just have to make it another month.