Spooky Times

Well, Halloween is almost over...I am the only one left up right now.  It was an interesting night getting the kids to bed...Michael we told he could stay up--he went to bed a little after 9 p.m.  Willow, we got her to bed at 9 p.m.  Then she woke up saying her white windbreaker was scaring her (she thought it was a ghost).

Chewy is upstairs saying his stomach hurts from candy snacking...and I am up not wanting to let go of Halloween.  (Geez, I remember when I used to stay up way late on Halloween and watch scary movies...now, I am going to bed around 11 p.m. and there are not that many scary movies on regular television)...

So, a wrap up of Halloween festivities...

On Saturday (before Sandy disrupted everything around here), we went to the Halloween celebration at the zoo...

Michael scared a lot of little kids with his costume--especially since he did it very straight and would not get out of character--even when I insisted he show the little boy/girl that he was just a teenager under that mask...

There was a new play area at the zoo...Willow LOVED it.

Looking at the jack o'laterns.

And then there was a scarecrow on stilts...who loved Willow's ruby slippers...

There were games to play...including throwing sticky spiders onto a web (she won a spider ring for that).

And then there was tonight.  Trick Or Treating!  We split up the kids--Michael wanted to be more independant (actually he originally wanted to go on his own--we decided he and dad could cover more ground on their own).

That was okay, cuz Willow and I had a GREAT time!  She was running, skipping and joyful to be Trick or Treating! This was the year she lasted a long time and enjoyed it so much!

Willow just before we went out.  The black residue on her check is from an earlier temporary tattoo of a bat.

Meanwhile, Michael is on the other end of the neighborhood, scaring up trouble--and candy...

First house!

I just like the red lighting...

At the end of the night--the Haul picture...

(psst...I think she got more candy than he did...)

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

Perfect Moment Monday

Lori at Write Mind/Open Heart says Perfect Moment Monday is about noticing a perfect moment rather than creating one. Perfect moments can be momentous or ordinary or somewhere in between.

Moment #1:  Reading is sometimes more than the words.  The physical-ness of books are important sometimes.  The smell of a newly opened book, the musty smell of a library book, even the smell of cigarette smoke to remind you of the person who last had the book.  These are reasons why I am a bit resistant to e-reading.* Especially tonight as I read to her.  A book that is old, that has a smell of far away.  Of my home when I was young.  And the inscription from someone dear and long gone.  As I read to her, I explain how and when I received this book...and I think of the person who gave me this present so long ago.  It brings me closer to more than just my daughter.

Moment #2: He calls every day after school once he gets home (safely--my insistence was for him to call, now that he is walking home from school).  I look forward to it--we say very little to each other.  The thirteen year old boy and the mother at work.  A couple times I have missed his call.  It fills me with guilt because I want to show him I am there for him at a moments notice.  The best part, though...he leaves a voice mail message.  And I save them.  And listen to them sometimes at random times--just because I like hearing his voice.


*Not to say I do not see the advantages to them.

School Portraits...

And these are the ones I am sending back....

Willow's school portraits are differently distributed than Michael's pictures.  At his school, you have to decide on the package before you get the picture.  At her school, the photographer sends you 10 sheets and you pick the amount of sheets you want to keep for a certain price.  Such a hard choice...but this year I have picked 5 sheets...so the other 5 gotta go back...above is the "preview/last view".

Monday Snap Shot - Pumpkin Time

Been a while since I have done Monday Snap Shot with PAIL Bloggers...

This weekend was a perfect weekend for some pumpkin fun!

First, we did some pumpkin bowling on Saturday:

On Sunday, we carved our pumpkins.  This is the first year I did not carve a pumpkin.  Michael carved his own pumpkin.

He hurriedly went into the house to grab some gloves to scoop out the filling.  I was impressed by his thoughtfulness (hey, in all my years of pumpkin carving/scooping--never occurred to me to use gloves).  He was kinda irritated that I then wanted to document him...

His final out come.  (A vampire)

Willow helped daddy scoop and daddy carved her pumpkin...

Decorations are up; pumpkins carved--Bring on Halloween!!

A Meal in the Dark...

Yesterday I got to have a profoundly interesting experience.  I went to a Blind Cafe performance.

My friend and I were led into a totally pitch black room by a blind person (conga style with my friend in front of me and people holding on behind me).  We were told where our seat was, and that our meal was prepared and set in front of us.  Olive oil and bread was on the table to share.

It was very very dark.  I could not see my hands in front of my face (I know--I tried to do that several times!)

I found the olive oil -- my hands were soaking in it!  Found my water bottle.  Found my plate and starting eating the wonderful vegetarian meal prepared for us.  With my hands.  Nice and squishy and soft and tasty. Only later did I realize that I had a fork...and then trying to eat with my fork, not as succesful as my hands.  I went back to hands.

While we were eating (this was with about 50-60 other people), the chef, who was blind, explained the meal he prepared (butternut squash, beets, pasta salad, kale coleslaw, etc.).  And our blind guides into the room told us their life stories and how it is to be blind. They answered questions, handed out desserts of dark chocolate pieces.

And then we listened to music in the dark.

I found it so interesting to establish myself in this complete darkness.  And I know that it was not to "feel how blind people are"--no, that is too complicated an issue to deal with in this experience.  But it was a sense of profoundness and of feeling and BEING.  Listening to others and cooperating and contemplation.

It was so sincerely life affirming.

Morning Time

“Do you have a favorite animal?”


“I like butterflies and horses and reindeer…do you like reindeer?”

“I like reindeer and rainbows…”

“I love horses too.”   ---  3:30 a.m.


Dealing with the various transitions in our lives lately has occasioned some anxiety in the family and when better to have those anxieties show up than early in the morning. A few nights this week have found the children coming into our bed around 4 a.m.

It is one thing to have that happen in the early morning of a day off. Monday morning, poor Chewy had to leave to go to work, while kids and I were cuddled up in our bed—sleeping in for once. It was a great way to start the day off—and I really enjoyed my day with the kids.

Yesterday, though—I was grumpy and sleep deprived and head-achy at work…but every so often, while I grumbled about my lack of sleep…I thought back to that conversation I had with Willow by my side. She was helping her brother push me out of bed (unusual—that is usually what they do to dad) and at some point Kif jumped up for good measure.

And the Cat Came Back, the Very Next Day...

But the cat came back, she wouldn't stay away
She was sitting on the porch the very next day
The cat came back, she didn't want to roam
The very next day it was Home, Sweet Home.

After two weeks, after we were totally expecting never to see her (alive) again... Gabby came back!!

 
We had went out for ice cream.  When we came back in the dark, our car beams caught a cat running around near our house.  We thought it was our neighbors black cat, but no...it was Gabrielle!  Chewy was able to catch her.  Immediately we opened up a can of cat food and she devoured it.

Gabby was slightly worse for wear...she looks like she lost a few pounds and lost her collar...hope to take her to the vet this weekend...

After a few hours of tentative moments between the two cats, Kif and Gabby seem to be back to their normal routines.




Including yesterday morning, snuggling on some clean laundry...

Independence

Not much time for blogging, but a lot of things happening around here. My work is going well. It is a very different environment from positions I have had in the past and it is a definite promotion. Whereas before I was an Administrative Assistant/Legal Secretary, this place wants me to become a Paralegal/Admin. Meaning I have a LOT more learning to do and a LOT more responsibility. Being a small office (and smaller by one attorney as of next week) means that I am counted on even more.

I am not sure how I am with this. I am pretty fine with it, but like a lot of things in my life right now, the timing is a bit off. I was looking for a position that was challenging, for sure, but I was not really looking for a Career Track...which is what this is.

At the moment, though, I am doing very well and everyone seems pleased with my performance. I learn quickly and I am a hard worker so that helps. However...I am very exhausted and trying to get the new normal around here is taking time.

Especially since the new normal includes Chewy starting a new position on Monday. Although I haven't written about it here on this blog, Chewy was laid off from his position at the start of August. Well, officially, the department was closed and the last day is tomorrow. Tomorrow he hands in his equipment and badge, etc.

Luckily, with such advanced notice (and the genius that is Chewy), he was able to secure a new position relatively quickly. But, yes, the past few months have been a bit tense...

Meanwhile, the kids just keep trying to grow the hell up.

We found out early into the school year that the bus route was eliminated from his school--that what we had envisioned earlier, which was him being dropped off at the corner and going home after school was not going to be. We live a little over a mile away from school, and I guess the mile mark is the cut off for bus routes. 

So, after I got all the paperwork ready for him to go to an after-school program on Monday--Michael showed us his independent streak....he wants to walk home after school. On.his.own. Yes. He is thirteen. Yes, he is more than capable. Yes, there are some busy streets. Yes, as a mom I am worried and anxious and why does my little boy have to do something SO Dangerous...ahem....**

Yeah. So, today he did a "test" walk, with dad shadowing him a bit in the car. (Actually dad just met him at school, then drove home and waited for him).

Tomorrow, dad has to go to work to finish up and hand in that equipment, etc. So. Tomorrow. My son will walk home from school. And use his key to come into an empty house. And yes, he is thirteen. And I know he can do it. But, damn will he be in trouble if he doesn't call me as soon as he gets home. Every day. I mean it.

Willow...damn if she is closer to five than four years old now. Every day, she is showing me how independently she thinks and feels. She is in Pre-K now at school and she is learning to writer her name and write numbers. If you meet her, she will tell you: "Hi, my name is Willow. Willow starts with W. I have two cats. Their names are Gabby and Kif."

OH. Yeah. Gabby...is still missing! Over a week ago, we came home from being out and realized we hadn't seen her all day. At this point, we have searched all over the house. Being indoor cats, they really do not go outside at all...we have a busy street right in front of us. She must have gotten out. Kif misses her. We miss her. Not sure where she is...hoping she comes home soon.


**I would like to point out here that I actually walked home from school when I was in junior high school.  Like, all the time.

Monday Snapshot -- Portrait Time!

PAIL Bloggers have changed Memorable Moments Monday to the Monday Snapshot, please click over HERE to see more and meet a PAIL Blogger! (I was featured last week)

Last time we got a family portrait, Willow was 2 years old.  We figured it was about time to get another one, so today we went and got pictures taken...

Got the CD of the pics cuz too many were cute!

Not gonna show the family portrait, but here is a preview of some of the pictures (these aren't even the best ones!)

I like this one because they are being silly even in this typical pose. Also, the hair. The hair, the hair...my kids hair can not be tamed easily...

Her expression is just so cute in this one--mainly cuz she is in mid giggle. Oh, and the shoes.  So Willow.  Those are NEWish shoes.  She loves to bounce/jump on her tip toes--always scuffing those shoes.  

This one looks kinda silly, but I just like how she can contort herself like that...

Handsome...no way this is my little boy anymore.  (Oh, did I mention his voice is cracking lately...)

This is the seventh or eighth time I have put the damn bow hair thing in...

Working Away...

Obviously, the first few weeks/months at a new position can be exhausting and time consuming--hence why I haven't blogged in a few days.

So far, things are going well. It is definitely a change from being home for so long. And it is a change from the last position I held. I am learning a lot of things and I feel that so far I am making my mark.  Made a couple of mistakes today, but all in all I think I am getting up to speed pretty quickly.

Michael has already done one project for school; has another one due next Tuesday. Willow has been moved up to the Pre-Kindergarten class at daycare. She loves the new classroom and is becoming obsessed with how to "grow up".

And the start of wishing for presents has already started....

In sum--busy busy tired tired stress stress weekend? yay!

8th Grade - First Day

Today was Michael's first day of school! He took it pretty much in stride... Starting off the day by coming into our bed and taking it over--and not wanting to get up!!

 



Then he got himself a breakfast of frozen waffles and fruit...note the television remote in hand...

 

Then it was time to go...and more photos!!


I love what he wore today.




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"All right mom--can I go already?!"





 

Memorable Moment Monday

Another installment of PAIL Bloggers Memorable Moment Monday:

With the end of summer and the end of my unemployment and start of the school year and the return of my role as working mother; I thought I would post some pictures from the past couple weeks.

Playing with a science kit -- making different colors in test tubes.

Making colored crystals.

And they are squishy!

Made crowns (she is a princess, I am a prince).

Eating a poison peach (yeah, we had no apples).

Michael has been enjoying experimenting with different foods--so I was thrilled that he asked to try steamed clams...which he did not like, btw...

Creating on her own. I have no idea what this is--but it needed to be painted with pink sidewalk paint...

And a white flower added to make it pretty too.

Going to Rockport this weekend.

And, of course, eating Lobster!