We're watching Nick JR today and the Glade commercials are in heavy rotation. I actually really like the Glade cinnamon and apple candles (and the price is right), but the commercials for their new fabric spray is just wrong.
An impeccably dressed mom sees her family off in the morning. Hair done. Earrings in. Slacks and blouse. I'm pretty sure she was wearing shoes, too.
That's the first thing wrong with this commercial. Or maybe it's just me. But when I see my family off my hair is matted, I'm barefoot, and I have on pajama pants. I am so not getting all dressed up like I'm going to a PTA meeting before 7 am if I'm not actually going to a PTA meeting or something.
The commercial shows the mom spraying various surfaces with the Glade fabric spray...the couch, the carpet, the drapes, etc., and then she heads out for tennis and a fun meal with the girls, and other leisure activities.
Her family comes home and takes a big whiff and praises her for spending all day cleaning.
First, I want to know how spraying things with fragrance makes the house clean. Cleaning for me is vacuuming rice out of the rug, scrubbing crayon marks off the floor, washing, drying, folding, and putting away laundry, washing, drying, and putting away dishes, polishing furniture, making beds, scrubbing toilets, picking up toys and random crap off the floor and other surfaces, and on and on. All the while someone or someones go behind me and undo about half of what I've done.
If all I did was spray some crappy air freshener around, my family would come home and say, "This place is trashed. What did you do all day?"
Second, this is not the kind of commercial that is going to appeal to stay at home moms. We work. We can't relate to playing tennis and having leisurely margarita lunches because we're battling it out in the trenches with our dirty houses, grubby little children, and all the scheduling crap we have to handle.
Either the commercial family is fabulously rich, in which case, hire a maid, or mom needs a J-O-B.
And third, all this commercial does is reinforce society's idea that SAHMs are lazy and not doing anything all day.
So, good job, Glade. Way to be a douche. Now, I've got to go scrub some ravioli sauce out of the carpet. Or maybe I should just spray it with fabric spray and call it good.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Christmas Parade!
Only 12 more days until Christmas!
We went to the city parade today. We really loved the prancing pony. Have you ever seen a pony prance? It's the cutest thing ever!
There were some pretty interesting floats and displays. We didn't stay the entire time because we wanted to avoid the traffic, but for about an hour we enjoyed the sights and music and the kids got a bit of candy.
Here's Xavier turning Orian to face the camera for a picture, haha!
Isabella and Daddy:
I really liked the HEB float:
Reindeer firetruck!
I also got a haircut:
Aaaandd...I got my nails done!
And yes, my skin does have a nice pale sickly glow! Many apologies for not being tan!
We went to the city parade today. We really loved the prancing pony. Have you ever seen a pony prance? It's the cutest thing ever!
There were some pretty interesting floats and displays. We didn't stay the entire time because we wanted to avoid the traffic, but for about an hour we enjoyed the sights and music and the kids got a bit of candy.
Here's Xavier turning Orian to face the camera for a picture, haha!
Isabella and Daddy:
I really liked the HEB float:
Reindeer firetruck!
I also got a haircut:
Aaaandd...I got my nails done!
And yes, my skin does have a nice pale sickly glow! Many apologies for not being tan!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
My Wish List
I feel disorganized in planning and preparing for the new baby. One minute it seems urgent and the next I feel like it would be silly to begin preparing now.
I will be 35 weeks tomorrow. Two weeks until full term. Of course I have no doubt that Dahlia will give me a full 5+ weeks to prepare. I guess that's part of my hesitance. I don't want to get myself excited when I know I will likely go past 40 weeks.
And then there's Christmas. I feel like it's Christmas first, then baby. I don't want to start getting things set up and make it crowded during Christmas.
I did get the infant car seat out and scrub it down and wash the cover. It looks very nice. I will probably need to clean the stroller as well, but I don't forsee using it a lot. It is just too bulky. I will probably wear Dahlia in the Moby Wrap on most outings. I was serious about getting a double stroller for a while (and a generous friend offered to gift me with one her children had outgrown), but I don't see why I can't use the umbrella stroller for Isabella and the Moby Wrap for Dahlia. I think that will work.
So many things I realize are wants or "nice to haves" but not really must-haves, so I have to keep reminding myself of that.
A big thank you goes out to Angela Marie for sending me just a ton of adorable baby girl clothes. She included everything from sleepers and onesies to fancy dresses and two piece outfits and in all sizes. I am terrible with thank you notes, but I am very appreciative for her thoughtfulness and generosity. Dahlia's dresser is F-U-L-L!
Adrian told me last night I should make a list of baby needs/wants to help me focus and not feel so worried and unprepared, so here's my list:
1. I need to pick up diapers. Seems premature just yet. But after Christmas I'll grab some Pampers Swaddlers in NB. We have wipes, but I think I will switch back to Sensitive instead of Baby Fresh.
2. Alcohol swabs for umbilical cord care.
3. I need to check on my breast pump and make sure it is fully functional and super clean. I don't think I have any bottles, so I might pick up one or two.
4. Breast milk storage bags and Lansinoh.
5. We are not sure if we will do pacis or not. I got a couple to stick in Dahlia's stocking (yes, she has one!). We'll see if she likes them or not.
6. Bassinette sheets. I can never spell bassinette correctly. I have a few, but I think more would be better.
7. Along those lines, probably a few more blankies. Or not. I still have Isabella's blankies, but it's cold here and it wasn't cold in Hawaii, so more might be better.
8. Waterproof pad for the bassinette.
9. Baby book. That's a want.
10. I have a baby bathtub, and just need to scrub and sanitize it.
11. Baby wash cloths. Probably don't need. Can probably wash her with regular wash cloths. I have a few baby towels too. Maybe a couple more would be good. I can't remember, but I think I did actually use those with Isabella.
I am going to be washing so much laundry.
12. I have a mini-swing and a bouncer. I just need to check them out and make sure they're very clean.
13. I have 2 bassinettes. They need to be cleaned and assembled. Actually I think I only need one. I won't need one upstairs, so it would overkill to set up 2 downstairs. They are very portable.
14. Here is the bassinette I want. This is not really a part of the list, haha, but I think it deserves a number nonetheless. I don't know if anyone else has ever seen one of these, but it's freaking sweet. And it costs as much as a nice piece of furniture.
Behold the Fisher Price Zen Collection Glider Bassinet:
Is that sexy or what?
15. Diaper bag. I have the "breastfeeding diaper bag" the formula company gave me at the hospital after I had Isabella (ha!), but I am so not going to use that. I think a backpack type diaper bag would be the most convenient. I have expensive tastes in diaper bags, but I realize a bag is a bag is a bag.
GAP had one that was not too insanely priced and had lots of great features but I don't see it on their site anymore. I guess any backpack could work. I won't have a lot to carry, really...diapers, wipes, diaper sacks, some extra clothing, snacks for Isabella...my wallet...what else, really? We are kind of low-key.
16. This is a want. A full-size swing. There's really no *need* for anything but mommy or daddy's arms, but realistically, with a toddler and two growing boys, there are going to be times I wish I had a swing.
Isabella broke hers so there's not a hand-me-down one. I do have the mini-swing although I have concerns that Isabella will be sitting on Dahlia in that one, haha.
I could find a cheap one, but I have a very specific one in mind. Adrian says I can have it if I can come up with half of the cost of it. It's the Graco Sweet Peace Soother. I guess it's technically not a swing. But it has great reviews and incredible features.
Part of me knows it's superfluous and part of me just wants it.
My other unneccessary want is a co-sleeper or an Amby hammock, but I do realize it could get seriously ridiculous with so much gear in the house.
So, I guess the list of "needs" is pretty short:
- diapers
- wipes
- alcohol swabs
- breastmilk storage bags
- waterproof bassinet pads and possibly a bassinet sheet or two
- some sort of diaper bag or backpack
Items that are wants but that I'll probably get:
- baby book
- some extra blankets
- extra wash cloths and baby towels
Maybe, maybe, maybe - Graco Sweet Peace Infant Soother
I don't know if I'm forgetting something important. I probably am! Although, the bare essentials are really a car seat, a pair of breasts (I guess just one could be ok, too, LOL), and a few warm clothes. And I've got those things. Oh yeah, diapers. I don't know if that counts as a need universally, but it does at my house.
I don't think I feel any more organized.
Ooooh my other want is an exercise ball for labor. I used to have one but it didn't make the move. See. Not organized.
As a little side note, I read a poem in my HynoBirthing book last night that really, really touched me and I wanted to share it, and I figure this is as good a place as any.
Please, Mom and Dad...
My hands are small. I don't mean to spill my milk,
My legs are short -- please slow down so I can keep up.
Don't slap my hands when I touch something bright and pretty. I don't understand.
Please look at me when I talk to you. It lets me know you are really listening.
My feelings are tender -- don't nag me all day. Let me make mistakes without feeling stupid.
Don't expect the bed I make or the picture I draw to be perfect. Just love me for trying.
Remember, I am a child and not a small adult. Sometimes I don't understand what you're saying.
I love you so much. Please love me just for being myself, not for the the things I can do.
-- Author Unknown
I don't know if it's hormones or what, but I can't read that without crying!
I will be 35 weeks tomorrow. Two weeks until full term. Of course I have no doubt that Dahlia will give me a full 5+ weeks to prepare. I guess that's part of my hesitance. I don't want to get myself excited when I know I will likely go past 40 weeks.
And then there's Christmas. I feel like it's Christmas first, then baby. I don't want to start getting things set up and make it crowded during Christmas.
I did get the infant car seat out and scrub it down and wash the cover. It looks very nice. I will probably need to clean the stroller as well, but I don't forsee using it a lot. It is just too bulky. I will probably wear Dahlia in the Moby Wrap on most outings. I was serious about getting a double stroller for a while (and a generous friend offered to gift me with one her children had outgrown), but I don't see why I can't use the umbrella stroller for Isabella and the Moby Wrap for Dahlia. I think that will work.
So many things I realize are wants or "nice to haves" but not really must-haves, so I have to keep reminding myself of that.
A big thank you goes out to Angela Marie for sending me just a ton of adorable baby girl clothes. She included everything from sleepers and onesies to fancy dresses and two piece outfits and in all sizes. I am terrible with thank you notes, but I am very appreciative for her thoughtfulness and generosity. Dahlia's dresser is F-U-L-L!
Adrian told me last night I should make a list of baby needs/wants to help me focus and not feel so worried and unprepared, so here's my list:
1. I need to pick up diapers. Seems premature just yet. But after Christmas I'll grab some Pampers Swaddlers in NB. We have wipes, but I think I will switch back to Sensitive instead of Baby Fresh.
2. Alcohol swabs for umbilical cord care.
3. I need to check on my breast pump and make sure it is fully functional and super clean. I don't think I have any bottles, so I might pick up one or two.
4. Breast milk storage bags and Lansinoh.
5. We are not sure if we will do pacis or not. I got a couple to stick in Dahlia's stocking (yes, she has one!). We'll see if she likes them or not.
6. Bassinette sheets. I can never spell bassinette correctly. I have a few, but I think more would be better.
7. Along those lines, probably a few more blankies. Or not. I still have Isabella's blankies, but it's cold here and it wasn't cold in Hawaii, so more might be better.
8. Waterproof pad for the bassinette.
9. Baby book. That's a want.
10. I have a baby bathtub, and just need to scrub and sanitize it.
11. Baby wash cloths. Probably don't need. Can probably wash her with regular wash cloths. I have a few baby towels too. Maybe a couple more would be good. I can't remember, but I think I did actually use those with Isabella.
I am going to be washing so much laundry.
12. I have a mini-swing and a bouncer. I just need to check them out and make sure they're very clean.
13. I have 2 bassinettes. They need to be cleaned and assembled. Actually I think I only need one. I won't need one upstairs, so it would overkill to set up 2 downstairs. They are very portable.
14. Here is the bassinette I want. This is not really a part of the list, haha, but I think it deserves a number nonetheless. I don't know if anyone else has ever seen one of these, but it's freaking sweet. And it costs as much as a nice piece of furniture.
Behold the Fisher Price Zen Collection Glider Bassinet:
Is that sexy or what?
15. Diaper bag. I have the "breastfeeding diaper bag" the formula company gave me at the hospital after I had Isabella (ha!), but I am so not going to use that. I think a backpack type diaper bag would be the most convenient. I have expensive tastes in diaper bags, but I realize a bag is a bag is a bag.
GAP had one that was not too insanely priced and had lots of great features but I don't see it on their site anymore. I guess any backpack could work. I won't have a lot to carry, really...diapers, wipes, diaper sacks, some extra clothing, snacks for Isabella...my wallet...what else, really? We are kind of low-key.
16. This is a want. A full-size swing. There's really no *need* for anything but mommy or daddy's arms, but realistically, with a toddler and two growing boys, there are going to be times I wish I had a swing.
Isabella broke hers so there's not a hand-me-down one. I do have the mini-swing although I have concerns that Isabella will be sitting on Dahlia in that one, haha.
I could find a cheap one, but I have a very specific one in mind. Adrian says I can have it if I can come up with half of the cost of it. It's the Graco Sweet Peace Soother. I guess it's technically not a swing. But it has great reviews and incredible features.
Part of me knows it's superfluous and part of me just wants it.
My other unneccessary want is a co-sleeper or an Amby hammock, but I do realize it could get seriously ridiculous with so much gear in the house.
So, I guess the list of "needs" is pretty short:
- diapers
- wipes
- alcohol swabs
- breastmilk storage bags
- waterproof bassinet pads and possibly a bassinet sheet or two
- some sort of diaper bag or backpack
Items that are wants but that I'll probably get:
- baby book
- some extra blankets
- extra wash cloths and baby towels
Maybe, maybe, maybe - Graco Sweet Peace Infant Soother
I don't know if I'm forgetting something important. I probably am! Although, the bare essentials are really a car seat, a pair of breasts (I guess just one could be ok, too, LOL), and a few warm clothes. And I've got those things. Oh yeah, diapers. I don't know if that counts as a need universally, but it does at my house.
I don't think I feel any more organized.
Ooooh my other want is an exercise ball for labor. I used to have one but it didn't make the move. See. Not organized.
As a little side note, I read a poem in my HynoBirthing book last night that really, really touched me and I wanted to share it, and I figure this is as good a place as any.
Please, Mom and Dad...
My hands are small. I don't mean to spill my milk,
My legs are short -- please slow down so I can keep up.
Don't slap my hands when I touch something bright and pretty. I don't understand.
Please look at me when I talk to you. It lets me know you are really listening.
My feelings are tender -- don't nag me all day. Let me make mistakes without feeling stupid.
Don't expect the bed I make or the picture I draw to be perfect. Just love me for trying.
Remember, I am a child and not a small adult. Sometimes I don't understand what you're saying.
I love you so much. Please love me just for being myself, not for the the things I can do.
-- Author Unknown
I don't know if it's hormones or what, but I can't read that without crying!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
It's Just Never Easy, Is It?
This month has just flown by. It's hard to believe that it's going to be Thanksgiving tomorrow. It seems like just yesterday I was wondering if it was too early to put up Fall decorations when it was still blistering hot outside.
At least it has cooled down some!
Things have been kind of hectic around here. Saturday night we got a call from Orian's teacher, requesting a conference on Monday or Tuesday. As it turns out, Orian is failing EVERYTHING. Yeah, EVERYTHING. He has a 10 in spelling!!
He just doesn't do his work in class. He might start something but only does a small portion of it before he begins goofing off.
All his testing shows he has a high IQ and that his abilities match (and often exceed) those of his peers, so it's not like he's struggling and doing his best and just not making the grade.
He is just extraordinarily lazy. I'm about at my wits end with it. We can motivate him for a short period of time, but as soon as he thinks he can start sliding by, he will. UGH.
Tuesday after the conference his work had improved. He simply HAS to get serious or he will repeat the 3rd grade. Pretty sad for a kid recommended for TAG.
Annnyways...
So, it's been getting colder here. Isabella hasn't been playing outside as much lately but she insisted on Monday. It was cold so she was in tights and a long-sleeved dress, but she quickly stripped off her tights.
She enjoyed drawing with sidewalk chalk and picking small flowers. (Ignore the yard, Adrian has decided mowing season is over, LOL)
We had a busy day that day and she had gotten up early so she was cranky. After the Parent-Teacher Conference, we came home to find a package from my new favorite website (www.figleaves.com). She entertained herself by peeling all the shipping stickers off the box.
I left the room for a few minutes and noticed that she was quiet, even for sticker-peeling. Imagine my surprise when I came back in the room and discovered that she was dead.
Ok, luckily she wasn't dead, but I've never seen a child fall asleep in a more alarming position and I've seen kids fall asleep in A LOT of positions. No worries, I laid her down and didn't leave her like that!
Yesterday was busy too as I had so much work to catch up on to prepare for our trip. One of the things I worked on was a set of votive candle holders with colored leaves and decopa...decopague...decopaj...with water and glue...and tissue paper.
Isabella had a great time "helping" and painting with water and drawing with her crayons.
Later when I finally got her down for a nap (naps 2 days in a row...it's incredible!), I worked on the kids' annual Thanksgiving shirts. I'll post pics of the boys wearing theirs when we get back, but here's Isabella's T-Day outfit.
I would have liked to pair her shirt with a denim skirt and some crazy fall-patterned tights but we didn't have that, so instead she gets hokey turkey pants, haha!
And of course, things can NEVER go smoothly. Yesterday Xavier came home from school and informed me that he had left his "jacket" at school. What he meant by "jacket" was $30 GAP pullover hoodie that matches his brother's and is absolutely perfect for pulling on when it's cold and taking off when things warm up.
I was not happy about it. The boys keep leaving crap at school.
I sent him back to go get it. He had left it in his desk, which is not allowed. His teacher took it out of his desk and then another student came in and took it home with her.
How this student didn't realize it didn't belong to her is beyond me. And how his teacher didn't realize that Xavier wears it to school several days a week and so it must belong to him...especially since it came out of his desk...again, beyond me.
I was a little angry.
Xavier felt horrible about it, and he kind of should. He has to pay attention to his things. I don't look for the hoodie to come back. Hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised.
Of course, that doesn't do us any good for the Thanksgiving break.
I took him to GAP and got him a new one. The only pullovers they had said "Football" on them, so we got a zip-up. The new one has a fur-lined hood and jacket lining inside. It's a size 12 too so he should be able to wear it next year and then gift it to Orian.
So now I've got cleaning, packing, and cooking to do. And of course I'm sick again. But I'm excited about our trip!
At least it has cooled down some!
Things have been kind of hectic around here. Saturday night we got a call from Orian's teacher, requesting a conference on Monday or Tuesday. As it turns out, Orian is failing EVERYTHING. Yeah, EVERYTHING. He has a 10 in spelling!!
He just doesn't do his work in class. He might start something but only does a small portion of it before he begins goofing off.
All his testing shows he has a high IQ and that his abilities match (and often exceed) those of his peers, so it's not like he's struggling and doing his best and just not making the grade.
He is just extraordinarily lazy. I'm about at my wits end with it. We can motivate him for a short period of time, but as soon as he thinks he can start sliding by, he will. UGH.
Tuesday after the conference his work had improved. He simply HAS to get serious or he will repeat the 3rd grade. Pretty sad for a kid recommended for TAG.
Annnyways...
So, it's been getting colder here. Isabella hasn't been playing outside as much lately but she insisted on Monday. It was cold so she was in tights and a long-sleeved dress, but she quickly stripped off her tights.
She enjoyed drawing with sidewalk chalk and picking small flowers. (Ignore the yard, Adrian has decided mowing season is over, LOL)
We had a busy day that day and she had gotten up early so she was cranky. After the Parent-Teacher Conference, we came home to find a package from my new favorite website (www.figleaves.com). She entertained herself by peeling all the shipping stickers off the box.
I left the room for a few minutes and noticed that she was quiet, even for sticker-peeling. Imagine my surprise when I came back in the room and discovered that she was dead.
Ok, luckily she wasn't dead, but I've never seen a child fall asleep in a more alarming position and I've seen kids fall asleep in A LOT of positions. No worries, I laid her down and didn't leave her like that!
Yesterday was busy too as I had so much work to catch up on to prepare for our trip. One of the things I worked on was a set of votive candle holders with colored leaves and decopa...decopague...decopaj...with water and glue...and tissue paper.
Isabella had a great time "helping" and painting with water and drawing with her crayons.
Later when I finally got her down for a nap (naps 2 days in a row...it's incredible!), I worked on the kids' annual Thanksgiving shirts. I'll post pics of the boys wearing theirs when we get back, but here's Isabella's T-Day outfit.
I would have liked to pair her shirt with a denim skirt and some crazy fall-patterned tights but we didn't have that, so instead she gets hokey turkey pants, haha!
And of course, things can NEVER go smoothly. Yesterday Xavier came home from school and informed me that he had left his "jacket" at school. What he meant by "jacket" was $30 GAP pullover hoodie that matches his brother's and is absolutely perfect for pulling on when it's cold and taking off when things warm up.
I was not happy about it. The boys keep leaving crap at school.
I sent him back to go get it. He had left it in his desk, which is not allowed. His teacher took it out of his desk and then another student came in and took it home with her.
How this student didn't realize it didn't belong to her is beyond me. And how his teacher didn't realize that Xavier wears it to school several days a week and so it must belong to him...especially since it came out of his desk...again, beyond me.
I was a little angry.
Xavier felt horrible about it, and he kind of should. He has to pay attention to his things. I don't look for the hoodie to come back. Hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised.
Of course, that doesn't do us any good for the Thanksgiving break.
I took him to GAP and got him a new one. The only pullovers they had said "Football" on them, so we got a zip-up. The new one has a fur-lined hood and jacket lining inside. It's a size 12 too so he should be able to wear it next year and then gift it to Orian.
So now I've got cleaning, packing, and cooking to do. And of course I'm sick again. But I'm excited about our trip!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Changed my mind...
I don't know if it's the sweater or what, but I think I look bigger, so I decided to post a 32w1d pic for comparison. From the front I just look like a regular fat person, though!
Also, I finally figured out how to fix the other post, so if you want to see the pics, be sure to go back and look. :)
Also, I finally figured out how to fix the other post, so if you want to see the pics, be sure to go back and look. :)
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Successes and Epic Fails
After the weekend was spent getting the kids' rooms (except the loft) in order, I decided this week to tackle our master closet, FINALLY.
I didn't take a before pic, but let me paint a picture with words:
The floor was covered in stacks of an unholy number of ACU pants and tops. Random books scattered about. A duffel bag here, a small luggage bag there. A huge, impeding stack of coat hangers made opening the door all the way impossible. Here's a shoe. Oh, look, there's its mate. Oh, no it's not. Baby clothes. Maternity swimsuit. A t-shirt I didn't know I had. The shelves were exploding with t-shirts and jeans and shorts and everything else.
Some minimal effort at folding and stacking in an organized manner had been made, but not enough. The closet bar was straining under the weight of 12,003 shirts, pants, and dresses no one will ever wear.
Now the photos you are about to see may not look like much, but please believe me when I say it's a HUGE, monumental improvement.
Look at the floor. It's empty!
I took some pics of the boys' room too. It's not the most awesome room ever, but at least it's clean!
And here's their closet...
Orian's Lego bucket is in the closet, and he plays Legos in the closet, LOL. It's a little weird.
It's a relief to have those things taken care of even though there is still so much to do. It takes me a while to get things done because when I start to work on something, THIS happens:
Among my other recent failures, pumpkin fudge. It was more like pumpkin sludge. Delicious, sweet, sugary sludge. Nice.
And then yesterday I ruined my area rug. I was vacuuming and smelled a burning smell. I turned it off immediately, but it was too late. Not sure what happened, but there's a melty, burny hole in my rug. D'oh!
Arrgh.
I am 32 weeks today and took a pic but when I uploaded it I noticed I look pretty much like I did at 29 weeks. So, if you want to see a belly pic, look at the one from 29 weeks. HA. I seriously didn't see any change at all.
PS - I had to do and re-do, and then do and re-do again this stupid post because it kept messing up. Because I put so much effort into it, it's only fair that EVERYONE who even GLANCES at it leaves me a comment. Seriously.
I didn't take a before pic, but let me paint a picture with words:
The floor was covered in stacks of an unholy number of ACU pants and tops. Random books scattered about. A duffel bag here, a small luggage bag there. A huge, impeding stack of coat hangers made opening the door all the way impossible. Here's a shoe. Oh, look, there's its mate. Oh, no it's not. Baby clothes. Maternity swimsuit. A t-shirt I didn't know I had. The shelves were exploding with t-shirts and jeans and shorts and everything else.
Some minimal effort at folding and stacking in an organized manner had been made, but not enough. The closet bar was straining under the weight of 12,003 shirts, pants, and dresses no one will ever wear.
Now the photos you are about to see may not look like much, but please believe me when I say it's a HUGE, monumental improvement.
Look at the floor. It's empty!
I took some pics of the boys' room too. It's not the most awesome room ever, but at least it's clean!
And here's their closet...
Orian's Lego bucket is in the closet, and he plays Legos in the closet, LOL. It's a little weird.
It's a relief to have those things taken care of even though there is still so much to do. It takes me a while to get things done because when I start to work on something, THIS happens:
Among my other recent failures, pumpkin fudge. It was more like pumpkin sludge. Delicious, sweet, sugary sludge. Nice.
And then yesterday I ruined my area rug. I was vacuuming and smelled a burning smell. I turned it off immediately, but it was too late. Not sure what happened, but there's a melty, burny hole in my rug. D'oh!
Arrgh.
I am 32 weeks today and took a pic but when I uploaded it I noticed I look pretty much like I did at 29 weeks. So, if you want to see a belly pic, look at the one from 29 weeks. HA. I seriously didn't see any change at all.
PS - I had to do and re-do, and then do and re-do again this stupid post because it kept messing up. Because I put so much effort into it, it's only fair that EVERYONE who even GLANCES at it leaves me a comment. Seriously.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
New Furniture in the Girls' Room, Less Crap in the Boys' Room
This morning I made Pumpkin Waffles with Maple-Apple Syrup (well, just regular maple syrup...we were out of apple juice!). Adrian and the boys were crazy about them.
Maple-Apple Syrup
1/2 cup maple-flavored syrup
1/4 cup frozen (thawed) apple juice concentrate
Waffles
2 1/3 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Powdered sugar, if desired
1. In 1-quart saucepan, heat syrup ingredients, stirring occasionally, until juice concentrate is melted and mixture is warm.
2. Heat waffle iron; grease with cooking spray, vegetable oil or shortening. In large bowl, beat all waffle ingredients except pecans and powdered sugar with wire whisk or hand beater until blended. Pour batter onto center of hot waffle iron. Close lid of waffle iron.
3. Bake about 5 minutes or until steaming stops and waffle is golden brown. Carefully remove waffle. Sprinkle with pecans and powdered sugar. Serve with syrup.
(From the Betty Crocker website)
Yummy!
I spent pretty much the ENTIRE day working in the kids' rooms. We bought a super cute girls' dresser set on Craigslist and Adrian picked up most of it last night and then went back this morning to pick up what wouldn't fit.
I'm super impressed with him! This stuff is pretty heavy and he got it all up the stairs and the pieces all put together all by himself.
While he was gone Orian and I moved Isabella's old dresser into the boys' closet. It's a baby dresser, but hey, it's in the closet. No one's going to see it. And it's not too obviously baby-ish. Well, yeah, it kind of is.
The boys had some of their things in plastic storage drawers in the closet, so now those will go in our master closet. It's a scary mess in there so I'm going to be organizing it tomorrow.
Last week when the boys brought their laundry down I thought it seemed like a pretty small amount.
It was.
The boys' closet was 1 foot deep in dirty clothes. Nice. I have been too sick to really go up there and check on things and I guess THAT'S what happens when I don't go and check on things.
When Adrian got the girls' dressers assembled I wiped them down with a magic eraser and they look great. There was some crayon on one of them and it came right off. The dressers are wood but have some sort of laminate finish, which I like because it makes them super easy to clean.
I re-organized the girls' room and sorted out the toys and clothes. Dahlia will have plenty to play with when she's ready! Isabella loves her dressers. She calls one of them her "house" because she can open up the cabinet and get inside.
Here are some pictures of the new dressers. Isabella has torn the ribbons off her wall and I haven't fixed it yet. I don't know when I will because I need a new, more stable, less caustic method of attaching the ribbons. Ideas, anyone?
The dressers don't look as clashy with the paint as they do in the pic. In the room lighting they actually look very nice with it.
The dressers don't match the bed, but no one uses the bed anyways! Well, the Carebears sleep there, but Carebears aren't picky.
The boys' room was a major project. What a mess. They just never put anything away properly. I can organize and organize and re-organize and within days it's back to looking like crap. Ugh! I guess that's what boys do. Keeping things straightened and neat is not really a boy priority.
The closet dresser is now a school clothes dresser and then the main dresser in the room is for play clothes. I sorted through several big boxes of toys they had crammed in there and found some interested items.
I found some missing clothes of mine and Isabella's, too. And one of Adrian's socks.
I condensed all the Lego pieces into one HUGE box, much to Orian's delight. The boys were really excited by all the toys we found. I keep telling them that if they would keep things put away in the right places they would have more fun because they would know where things are.
I got their bookcase straightened up and re-boxed all the stuff in their room. Really, the only toys in there are the Legos, the UB Funkeys, and the Gameboy stuff. I like it better that way. Toys in the loft. Clothes, books, and beds in the bedroom.
I didn't take any pictures because I was waaaay too tired when I got finished several hours later. I should have taken before and after pictures!
I ended up with 2 trash bags filled with loose papers, broken toys, and crappy fast food toys. I hate those stupid fast food toys.
I had a My Pet Monster (the kind you draw on) that I could have given away but someone had written something about farts on it, and it dried that way. I don't think anyone would want that. LOL.
Tomorrow is our closet, laundry, laundry, laundry, and then hopefully some projects. I have some Thanksgiving outfits to do for Isabella and then the kids' "Thankful" shirts they wear every Thanksgiving. And two different votive projects.
I should be doing Thanksgiving crafts with the kids. I am really slipping. But I'm finally feeling better, so maybe this week. We're running out of time!
Maple-Apple Syrup
1/2 cup maple-flavored syrup
1/4 cup frozen (thawed) apple juice concentrate
Waffles
2 1/3 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Powdered sugar, if desired
1. In 1-quart saucepan, heat syrup ingredients, stirring occasionally, until juice concentrate is melted and mixture is warm.
2. Heat waffle iron; grease with cooking spray, vegetable oil or shortening. In large bowl, beat all waffle ingredients except pecans and powdered sugar with wire whisk or hand beater until blended. Pour batter onto center of hot waffle iron. Close lid of waffle iron.
3. Bake about 5 minutes or until steaming stops and waffle is golden brown. Carefully remove waffle. Sprinkle with pecans and powdered sugar. Serve with syrup.
(From the Betty Crocker website)
Yummy!
I spent pretty much the ENTIRE day working in the kids' rooms. We bought a super cute girls' dresser set on Craigslist and Adrian picked up most of it last night and then went back this morning to pick up what wouldn't fit.
I'm super impressed with him! This stuff is pretty heavy and he got it all up the stairs and the pieces all put together all by himself.
While he was gone Orian and I moved Isabella's old dresser into the boys' closet. It's a baby dresser, but hey, it's in the closet. No one's going to see it. And it's not too obviously baby-ish. Well, yeah, it kind of is.
The boys had some of their things in plastic storage drawers in the closet, so now those will go in our master closet. It's a scary mess in there so I'm going to be organizing it tomorrow.
Last week when the boys brought their laundry down I thought it seemed like a pretty small amount.
It was.
The boys' closet was 1 foot deep in dirty clothes. Nice. I have been too sick to really go up there and check on things and I guess THAT'S what happens when I don't go and check on things.
When Adrian got the girls' dressers assembled I wiped them down with a magic eraser and they look great. There was some crayon on one of them and it came right off. The dressers are wood but have some sort of laminate finish, which I like because it makes them super easy to clean.
I re-organized the girls' room and sorted out the toys and clothes. Dahlia will have plenty to play with when she's ready! Isabella loves her dressers. She calls one of them her "house" because she can open up the cabinet and get inside.
Here are some pictures of the new dressers. Isabella has torn the ribbons off her wall and I haven't fixed it yet. I don't know when I will because I need a new, more stable, less caustic method of attaching the ribbons. Ideas, anyone?
The dressers don't look as clashy with the paint as they do in the pic. In the room lighting they actually look very nice with it.
The dressers don't match the bed, but no one uses the bed anyways! Well, the Carebears sleep there, but Carebears aren't picky.
The boys' room was a major project. What a mess. They just never put anything away properly. I can organize and organize and re-organize and within days it's back to looking like crap. Ugh! I guess that's what boys do. Keeping things straightened and neat is not really a boy priority.
The closet dresser is now a school clothes dresser and then the main dresser in the room is for play clothes. I sorted through several big boxes of toys they had crammed in there and found some interested items.
I found some missing clothes of mine and Isabella's, too. And one of Adrian's socks.
I condensed all the Lego pieces into one HUGE box, much to Orian's delight. The boys were really excited by all the toys we found. I keep telling them that if they would keep things put away in the right places they would have more fun because they would know where things are.
I got their bookcase straightened up and re-boxed all the stuff in their room. Really, the only toys in there are the Legos, the UB Funkeys, and the Gameboy stuff. I like it better that way. Toys in the loft. Clothes, books, and beds in the bedroom.
I didn't take any pictures because I was waaaay too tired when I got finished several hours later. I should have taken before and after pictures!
I ended up with 2 trash bags filled with loose papers, broken toys, and crappy fast food toys. I hate those stupid fast food toys.
I had a My Pet Monster (the kind you draw on) that I could have given away but someone had written something about farts on it, and it dried that way. I don't think anyone would want that. LOL.
Tomorrow is our closet, laundry, laundry, laundry, and then hopefully some projects. I have some Thanksgiving outfits to do for Isabella and then the kids' "Thankful" shirts they wear every Thanksgiving. And two different votive projects.
I should be doing Thanksgiving crafts with the kids. I am really slipping. But I'm finally feeling better, so maybe this week. We're running out of time!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Sick House
I feel like I haven't posted in forever, but we have all been sick. The boys had a cold briefly last week but then Isabella and I caught it. Adrian had it for a few days over the long weekend (bummer), but he's all better now.
Me and Isabella, though...still sick.
She was miserable for days. Snotty nose, grouchy, coughing. Today she is just well enough to be a PITA. On the plus side, she peed in the potty today. On the downside, she dropped a poo on the floor when she unexpectedly whipped her diaper off.
I have been ill, ill, ill. It feels like sinuses, and a cold, and allergies, and lung crud all in one. I can tell I'm getting better but it's just taking soooo long.
Isabella keeps trying to nurse and she can't because she can't breathe. It's very sad. And especially sad for me because I have to humor her for the time it takes for her to realize that it just ain't happening.
I don't think she'll wean before Dahlia gets here, so looks like I will be tandem nursing. I have a feeling I'm going to be very annoyed from being over-touched. And I can just see Isabella getting territorial about it, LOL.
She loves to tell her brothers "Shoo! Shoo! Away!" and "I busy!" Poor Dahlia is going to be minding her own business nursing as newborn is entitled to do, and Isabella is going to come bounding up, knock her out of my arms and tell her, "Shoo! I busy!"
So, I haven't done laundry in nearly a week. Just a load here and there. Not enough to keep things from hitting critical mass.
Adrian has been doing the dishes and cooking as well. I'm pretty impressed with him. He made a potato soup with red bell peppers, garlic, and onions tonight and it was really good.
The boys have been pretty helpful since they know how rotten I feel.
Catching up on housework is going to be difficult, though. Adrian and the boys have kept up with the normal "surface" maintenance stuff like picking up and vacuuming, and I have tried to pick up as I feel up to it, but there's a lot of scrubbing that needs to be done.
I'm sure my house is cram packed with sick people germs right now.
The boys are busy compiling their Christmas lists. I am trying to prepare them for the shock of getting like 1 game and then a few other less expensive things. Games are just so expensive, but then again, that's what they will use the most. If we get them a lot of less expensive toys, they won't get played with since they've mostly grown past that. Orian does like to play with toy swords and guns, though, haha. As does Isabella...she says, "Chop, chop!"
I got her a big kitchen playset from someone on CL the other day for $30. It's in like-new shape and very clean. Great bargain! That will be her big gift.
I haven't been good about keeping track of the Christmas fund. I have forgotten how much I have tucked away. It's grown, but I will have to look later and see how much is there. I also got the refund today for my contacts, so there's $30. Nice. :)
When I feel better I have several things to sell on CL and of course, doing it around payday is good because people are more spendy then. I have some writing money I need to withdraw for the Christmas fund and more work that I'm doing now that should contribute nicely.
Of course, I also need to be saving for my doula expense, so I'll have to figure out how much I want to set aside for Christmas and then start putting everything beyond that away to pay for my doula.
What else? I don't know if I posted this, but we spray painted our dishwasher black. LOL. It's the poor man's appliance upgrade. It looks fine so long as you view it in low-light.
An unexpected side effect was a black floor after all the particles in the air settled, but that's mostly scrubbed up. I wanted new flooring anyways. HAHAHA.
I have several fall crafts I want to do but have just been feeling way too rotten to get started on them. Maybe this coming weekend.
I guess I'm entitled to be random since this is my blog, so I'll share a couple of funnies...
Isabella is really into counting, although her consistency in counting correctly is somewhat lacking. We were surprised and laughed really hard when I asked her the other day, "Aww, are you sick, baby?" and she told me, "No. I sefen." LOL!
She also blessed me this morning when I sneezed! Her vocabulary has exploded recently and she is speaking in sentences more and more.
And here's my funny from probably a month ago. I took Xavier with me to go to Wal-Mart to pick up some staples and we saw an obviously homeless man on the corner at the stoplight selling newspapers.
Xavier said, "That doesn't look like a very fun job."
I said, "At least he gets to work from home."
We both LOL'ed at my genius comment.
I feel like one of those lame people who sends their stupid quotes in to Readers Digest, but dammit, that really was funny!
Ok, gotta go switch out the laundry. The boys are down to 1 and a half days of clean school clothes left!
Me and Isabella, though...still sick.
She was miserable for days. Snotty nose, grouchy, coughing. Today she is just well enough to be a PITA. On the plus side, she peed in the potty today. On the downside, she dropped a poo on the floor when she unexpectedly whipped her diaper off.
I have been ill, ill, ill. It feels like sinuses, and a cold, and allergies, and lung crud all in one. I can tell I'm getting better but it's just taking soooo long.
Isabella keeps trying to nurse and she can't because she can't breathe. It's very sad. And especially sad for me because I have to humor her for the time it takes for her to realize that it just ain't happening.
I don't think she'll wean before Dahlia gets here, so looks like I will be tandem nursing. I have a feeling I'm going to be very annoyed from being over-touched. And I can just see Isabella getting territorial about it, LOL.
She loves to tell her brothers "Shoo! Shoo! Away!" and "I busy!" Poor Dahlia is going to be minding her own business nursing as newborn is entitled to do, and Isabella is going to come bounding up, knock her out of my arms and tell her, "Shoo! I busy!"
So, I haven't done laundry in nearly a week. Just a load here and there. Not enough to keep things from hitting critical mass.
Adrian has been doing the dishes and cooking as well. I'm pretty impressed with him. He made a potato soup with red bell peppers, garlic, and onions tonight and it was really good.
The boys have been pretty helpful since they know how rotten I feel.
Catching up on housework is going to be difficult, though. Adrian and the boys have kept up with the normal "surface" maintenance stuff like picking up and vacuuming, and I have tried to pick up as I feel up to it, but there's a lot of scrubbing that needs to be done.
I'm sure my house is cram packed with sick people germs right now.
The boys are busy compiling their Christmas lists. I am trying to prepare them for the shock of getting like 1 game and then a few other less expensive things. Games are just so expensive, but then again, that's what they will use the most. If we get them a lot of less expensive toys, they won't get played with since they've mostly grown past that. Orian does like to play with toy swords and guns, though, haha. As does Isabella...she says, "Chop, chop!"
I got her a big kitchen playset from someone on CL the other day for $30. It's in like-new shape and very clean. Great bargain! That will be her big gift.
I haven't been good about keeping track of the Christmas fund. I have forgotten how much I have tucked away. It's grown, but I will have to look later and see how much is there. I also got the refund today for my contacts, so there's $30. Nice. :)
When I feel better I have several things to sell on CL and of course, doing it around payday is good because people are more spendy then. I have some writing money I need to withdraw for the Christmas fund and more work that I'm doing now that should contribute nicely.
Of course, I also need to be saving for my doula expense, so I'll have to figure out how much I want to set aside for Christmas and then start putting everything beyond that away to pay for my doula.
What else? I don't know if I posted this, but we spray painted our dishwasher black. LOL. It's the poor man's appliance upgrade. It looks fine so long as you view it in low-light.
An unexpected side effect was a black floor after all the particles in the air settled, but that's mostly scrubbed up. I wanted new flooring anyways. HAHAHA.
I have several fall crafts I want to do but have just been feeling way too rotten to get started on them. Maybe this coming weekend.
I guess I'm entitled to be random since this is my blog, so I'll share a couple of funnies...
Isabella is really into counting, although her consistency in counting correctly is somewhat lacking. We were surprised and laughed really hard when I asked her the other day, "Aww, are you sick, baby?" and she told me, "No. I sefen." LOL!
She also blessed me this morning when I sneezed! Her vocabulary has exploded recently and she is speaking in sentences more and more.
And here's my funny from probably a month ago. I took Xavier with me to go to Wal-Mart to pick up some staples and we saw an obviously homeless man on the corner at the stoplight selling newspapers.
Xavier said, "That doesn't look like a very fun job."
I said, "At least he gets to work from home."
We both LOL'ed at my genius comment.
I feel like one of those lame people who sends their stupid quotes in to Readers Digest, but dammit, that really was funny!
Ok, gotta go switch out the laundry. The boys are down to 1 and a half days of clean school clothes left!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
29 Candles, 29 Weeks
Adrian celebrated his 29th birthday today. Yep, he was almost a Halloween baby. :)
I spent the morning swapping out Halloween decor for Thanksgiving stuff, and baking his cake. Which was an epic fail.
Not only did I break the cake flipping it out, but I suck at icing cakes, and poor planning/spacing made for some ridiculous "decorating". Never ask me to make a cake for you. I am HORRIBLE at it!
One of the interesting things I learned (or maybe I knew it before, but just never noticed), is that it's really hard to find a single box of candles with at least 29 candles in it! I did get one with 36, but they were tiny and very plain. Apparently old people must like short, plain candles.
The cake put off a lot of flames:
Blowing out the candles. Xavier told us that when you blow out the candles on your birthday cake, however many are left still lit are the number of girlfriends you'll have. Adrian could have 2, but he decided he already has too many women in his life, LOL.
Orian is such a happy guy.
Isabella liked the icing.
Adrian got lunch at Pluckers (wing place) and Fall Out 3 (video game) for his birthday. The boys made cards for him too.
Old Navy is moving to Harker Heights, so the normal sale they have going was + 30% off. I got a nice little dress for Dahlia and jammies for both girls for cheap. Isabella likes her new jammies because they have "meow-meows" and butterflies on them!
And finally, I didn't take a 29 week picture on Thursday, so here's me at 29w2d with baby number 4.
I spent the morning swapping out Halloween decor for Thanksgiving stuff, and baking his cake. Which was an epic fail.
Not only did I break the cake flipping it out, but I suck at icing cakes, and poor planning/spacing made for some ridiculous "decorating". Never ask me to make a cake for you. I am HORRIBLE at it!
One of the interesting things I learned (or maybe I knew it before, but just never noticed), is that it's really hard to find a single box of candles with at least 29 candles in it! I did get one with 36, but they were tiny and very plain. Apparently old people must like short, plain candles.
The cake put off a lot of flames:
Blowing out the candles. Xavier told us that when you blow out the candles on your birthday cake, however many are left still lit are the number of girlfriends you'll have. Adrian could have 2, but he decided he already has too many women in his life, LOL.
Orian is such a happy guy.
Isabella liked the icing.
Adrian got lunch at Pluckers (wing place) and Fall Out 3 (video game) for his birthday. The boys made cards for him too.
Old Navy is moving to Harker Heights, so the normal sale they have going was + 30% off. I got a nice little dress for Dahlia and jammies for both girls for cheap. Isabella likes her new jammies because they have "meow-meows" and butterflies on them!
And finally, I didn't take a 29 week picture on Thursday, so here's me at 29w2d with baby number 4.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Halloween 2008 Photos and Commentary
Happy Halloween!!
I think Halloween may be my favorite holiday. Or maybe a tie with Christmas. I like Halloween A LOT. Now all the festivities are over and tomorrow will be spent celebrating Adrian's birthday and changing the decorations out for Thanksgiving decor.
Maybe a trip to Target for clearance Halloween goodies?
Ok, that's probably a bad idea!
Here are the 2008 Halloween pics (well, the first one is from Thursday):
Isabella just looked so cute in her thrift store dress that I had to take a picture of her. Unfortunately she was too busy going outside to look at the camera!
Yesterday I painted mason jar ghost lanterns. I think they turned out pretty cute. I made six and then lit them up with LED tea-lite candles tonight for Halloween.
Earlier today I made mini caramel (and chocolate) apples. They are like tiny versions! I made more than this, but the plate with all the chocolate-covered ones turned out the best.
Here's Adrian and the kids ready to go trick-or-treating.
Xavier designed his own costume. He was a mad scientist who was half normal, and half monster-ish. He looks unhappy in this pic because he was just informed he couldn't use the sack from the Halloween store (that he had saved for weeks) as his trick-or-treat bag. Bummer.
Orian was Annakin Skywalker. He pitched in $16 of his allowance to be able to buy the upgraded costume. He also got puked on at school today, LOL. Poor guy.
Isabella was a kitty cat. We tried to give her a kitty nose and whiskers with Halloween make up, but it didn't turn out well and it was going to be messy, so she went au naturale.
Adrian took the kids to trick-or-treat in the neighborhood. They got a fair amount of candy but Adrian said there were a lot of houses that weren't handing out treats. I am not sure if it's a Killeen thing or what, but I think trick-or-treating is a nice community activity and it lets you see/get to know neighbors you've only seen or spoken to in passing before.
After trick-or-treating, we headed out to the city carnival. We decided to put the candy we had left on a table by the front door with a little note ("Happy Halloween from The Neals"). Before we left, I mentally accepted that I might come back to no decorative (plastic) candy dish or even no table.
The kids were excited about the carnival, as evidenced by Xavier's slightly happy expression. That's pretty happy looking for him, LOL.
The boys got to do the haunted house, which Xavier pronounced "pretty gay" (I know, that's a terrible thing for a kid to say, but it's the "sucks" of the 90's...one of these days everyone will be saying it. I'm pretty sure gay people even say it).
Orian got a little scare from the haunted house, but he was reluctant to admit it.
Isabella got to roam in a pumpkin patch and we stood in line for 30 minutes to have a balloon flower made for her. She loves balloons and she loves flowers.
The carnival was really overcrowded and didn't offer a lot in the way of entertainment. I don't think we'll go next year. Adrian mentioned that it might have been less crowded and offered more if it had been for-profit.
We've heard that Austin has a really great Halloween parade, so maybe next year. By then we'll have 4 little ones in costumes!
When we got home, we were pleased to discover the candy dish was still there, as was the table. All, and I mean every.single.piece, of the candy was gone, but that's to be expected. I just hope that it was spread out over many trick-or-treaters and not gobbled up by the first teenager to arrive on the scene.
Not that *I* would have done something like that as a teenager, but you know, if some wicked teen came by...
I think Halloween may be my favorite holiday. Or maybe a tie with Christmas. I like Halloween A LOT. Now all the festivities are over and tomorrow will be spent celebrating Adrian's birthday and changing the decorations out for Thanksgiving decor.
Maybe a trip to Target for clearance Halloween goodies?
Ok, that's probably a bad idea!
Here are the 2008 Halloween pics (well, the first one is from Thursday):
Isabella just looked so cute in her thrift store dress that I had to take a picture of her. Unfortunately she was too busy going outside to look at the camera!
Yesterday I painted mason jar ghost lanterns. I think they turned out pretty cute. I made six and then lit them up with LED tea-lite candles tonight for Halloween.
Earlier today I made mini caramel (and chocolate) apples. They are like tiny versions! I made more than this, but the plate with all the chocolate-covered ones turned out the best.
Here's Adrian and the kids ready to go trick-or-treating.
Xavier designed his own costume. He was a mad scientist who was half normal, and half monster-ish. He looks unhappy in this pic because he was just informed he couldn't use the sack from the Halloween store (that he had saved for weeks) as his trick-or-treat bag. Bummer.
Orian was Annakin Skywalker. He pitched in $16 of his allowance to be able to buy the upgraded costume. He also got puked on at school today, LOL. Poor guy.
Isabella was a kitty cat. We tried to give her a kitty nose and whiskers with Halloween make up, but it didn't turn out well and it was going to be messy, so she went au naturale.
Adrian took the kids to trick-or-treat in the neighborhood. They got a fair amount of candy but Adrian said there were a lot of houses that weren't handing out treats. I am not sure if it's a Killeen thing or what, but I think trick-or-treating is a nice community activity and it lets you see/get to know neighbors you've only seen or spoken to in passing before.
After trick-or-treating, we headed out to the city carnival. We decided to put the candy we had left on a table by the front door with a little note ("Happy Halloween from The Neals"). Before we left, I mentally accepted that I might come back to no decorative (plastic) candy dish or even no table.
The kids were excited about the carnival, as evidenced by Xavier's slightly happy expression. That's pretty happy looking for him, LOL.
The boys got to do the haunted house, which Xavier pronounced "pretty gay" (I know, that's a terrible thing for a kid to say, but it's the "sucks" of the 90's...one of these days everyone will be saying it. I'm pretty sure gay people even say it).
Orian got a little scare from the haunted house, but he was reluctant to admit it.
Isabella got to roam in a pumpkin patch and we stood in line for 30 minutes to have a balloon flower made for her. She loves balloons and she loves flowers.
The carnival was really overcrowded and didn't offer a lot in the way of entertainment. I don't think we'll go next year. Adrian mentioned that it might have been less crowded and offered more if it had been for-profit.
We've heard that Austin has a really great Halloween parade, so maybe next year. By then we'll have 4 little ones in costumes!
When we got home, we were pleased to discover the candy dish was still there, as was the table. All, and I mean every.single.piece, of the candy was gone, but that's to be expected. I just hope that it was spread out over many trick-or-treaters and not gobbled up by the first teenager to arrive on the scene.
Not that *I* would have done something like that as a teenager, but you know, if some wicked teen came by...
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