A Not So Spooky Night

This Halloween was a little different.  There wasn't as much build up or excitement.  I just wasn't that into it.  I can't say the kids were too hyped about it either.  At first this had no impact on me, then as the day got closer, I began to feel sad.  I was sad that maybe we were growing out of this holiday.  Not sure what caused this funk, but I'm blaming it on a few things.

First, the kids are a little bit older.  While free candy will draw even adults out to trick-or-treat (yes.  We had a mom come to our door.  With her child, but also with her own bag.  Weird.), getting all dressed up and tromping through the neighborhood sounded exhausting for some reason.  The novelty is definitely wearing off.  Secondly, we skipped the churches annual Fall Festival for the first time in the seven or eight years that we've been going to this church.  I had a photo session scheduled for that night, so we decided to skip the annual tradition this year.  Third, we didn't have costumes figured out.  The Little Man picked his costume out the year before at the Halloween clearance sale.  Somehow, that made me forget all about getting The Girl a costume.  Needless to say, she wouldn't have had a costume had it not been for school.  They were allowed to wear their costumes to school today for Halloween, and then had a little parade with some trunk or treating at the end of the day.  Well, there was no way she was going to miss that!  So at 7:00 the last night, we rushed to pick some supplies up for a costume.  So, you see, I'm just not into Halloween this year.

I did finally get my act together, and I'm glad I did.  As usual, the kids had a great time at school and trick-or-treating.  Here are some pics:

Some Instagram goodness of the kids carving pumpkins a couple of nights ago:

This year we let The Girl carve her own pumpkin.  She did great!

 My sweet girl as Missy Franklin in the school parade:

My boy as Jengo Fet...at least that's how I think you spell it.  It's a character from Star Wars:

Here they are the night before:

Missy Franklin showing off her medal:

This is Missy's "Seriously, I'm about to take the block" look.  It cracks me up:

Some Jengo Fett:

Can you tell The Little Man grew more than we had expected in the last year since we bought the costume?

He was so mad at me for making him take pictures before he could go trick-or-treating.  Can you tell?

Here, The Hubs, snuck up behind me and was trying to force a smile.  Can't you just hear him saying, "Come on, DAD!  Stop being so silly!"

 

So, not too spooky of a night.  Lots of candy and lots of smiles.  I'm so glad I got out of my funk, just in time!

Overheard

As we continue to enjoy Fall Break, the kids are getting rather used to waking up, eating breakfast, and then promptly turning on the Wii, at leisure.   Today, The Little Man, was getting a little cranky at the fact that his sister was spanking him at bowling.  The Hubs had a small talk with him about sportsmanship, encouragement, and perseverance.  He suggested that The Little Man be a better sport when losing, and that sometimes encouraging the other person can bring back the fun into what is supposed to be "Just a game".  Especially since The Girl has pretty much decided that she hates playing games with her brother.

This was overheard not but fifteen minutes later:

P: That was a really good job, sister...really good... not the best...'cause I'm the best...but still good.

I just can't understand why she doesn't like to play Wii with her brother. Also, we may need a lesson in humility.

Did You Know?

Did you know, since the last time I wrote:

• I've been abnormally and insanely busy.  Seriously, there are days that I clock in at about 5:00 am and don't clock out again until 10:00.  I have been busy volunteering at the kids' school for the most part.  That and taking pictures of other people's families.  People like to have that fall picture for their Christmas cards!  I do love seeing people and catching up with their families after a year since their last session.

• The Girl landed the role of The White Queen in the school's production of Through the Looking Glass.  It is the part that she wanted and she was over the moon with excitement when she found out.  She has done a really great job at learning all of her lines, and I've enjoyed running through her script with her on occasion.  Also, I might have been destined to be an acting coach.  I feel like I really rock at interpreting the mood and feelings of the White Queen, and then helping The Girl make adjustments where necessary.  So, I'm either going to be an acting coach or a professional bike rider when I grow up.  It's hard to say.

• The Little Man had four teeth pulled, two cavities filled, and three sealants all in one dental visit.  He did really well and recovered pretty quickly.  It was perfect that we had all of this done so close to Halloween because he truly looks like a walking Jack-o-lantern.  We recently had some family pictures taken, and The Little Man and I  had a small coaching session before hand, using a mirror, so we could make sure our smiles were right.  He did great.

• Our dog had a bladder infection. I don't want to discuss how the vet suggested we get a urine sample.

• On a recent field trip with The Little Man to Miller Farms, I collected so many potatoes, carrots, onions, and corn cobs that they couldn't fit in my fridge.  My master plan was that I would be making all of these veggies into a wonderful soup.  After making three soups and only using a third of the veggies, I gave up.  Well, technically, the veggies are still on my back deck.  It's been cold enough that I figured it would be just like they were in my fridge, right? I'm sure the potatoes are still good.  Eventually, I'll make potato chowder. 

• My nesting phase officially came to a screeching halt about 2.2 seconds after my last post.  Therefore, while we may be on Fall Break this week, there will be no painting of The Little Man's room.   He hasn't asked yet, so I think I'm in the clear.  The only problem is that I have hung the new curtains up (because the old ones literally fell off the wall), and they match the way the new room will look, not the current room.  Oh well.  No one goes upstairs anyway, right?

• The Little Man reached his goal of running 40 miles this season at run club.  True to The Little Man's competitive personality, as soon as he reached it, he wanted to know if I thought it was possible for him to reach 50 miles by the end of the week...I'm proud of him for reaching his goal.

• The Girl may be growing out of Halloween. We still haven't found a costume for her this year, and she isn't too concerned.  When we've gone out looking, she's totally uninterested in the options.  For right now, she is saying she'll just be whatever she was last year.  While I'd like to buy this, because it will save me serious cash, I just don't.  I go between feeling sad that she thinks she is too old for Halloween, and feeling like I'm being tricked.  I feel like when Halloween actually gets here, she's going to freak out about how she, "Can't be the same thing as I was last year, MOM!"  We shall see...

That's what has been going on in our tiny corner of the world!