Fall Festival

Part 3 of Halloween 2010 was a little anti-climactic. At least as far as pictures go. Seeing as how we aren't doing actual door-to-door this year and didn't get all gussied up for a big night, I didn't really feel as compelled to take pictures of the kids last night at our Ward's Fall Festival. Add to that the fact that Luke has been dressing up as Iron Man for over a month now and last night Cindy could not even find half her costume and well, there wasn't much new excitement for me to document :) I will say however, that my gypsy costume really came together! DeAnne and I have moved our relationship to the next level by having now officially shared clothing. She lent me a skirt and it was absolutely perfect. (Of which I didn't not get a picture- GO ME!) And for the first time since pre-school, Cindy's fake jewelry actually served a purpose other than littering the floor of my Honda and making me want to hang myself with it. Free costumes are the best :)


Luke and his posse. Nathan and Ben Bailey and Ryan "Bam-Bam" Fallaw.



The only reason we were sure to take this picture was for you, Maggie!


The real-life version of the popular fairy tale where the handsome Prince Charming sweeps the Gypsy off her feet and they have two children; a Merfairy and Iron Man and they all live happily every after :)

A Luke Quickie

Yesterday I was making some pumpkin bread with Luke. He was overjoyed about this project and proved to be the most agreeable kitchen helper ever. At one point we were adding some Pumpkin Pie Spice into a bowl. I wondered out loud, "What exactly is in pie spice?" He said all smiley, "I don't know!" And then I read the ingredients to him. "Cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and sulfiting agents." To which he replied with absolute giddiness, "I LOVE SULFITING AGENTS!" Well, they are pretty amazing.

Halloween Parade 2010

Yesterday was part 2 of the Halloween trifecta for my kids this year: The Bartow Halloween Parade. Since my mom's dental office is on the street where the parade is held, we always get some prime seats. And this year we even made the shade! Which was fantastic because it was almost 90 degrees. Another Halloween tradition down in Bartow... Anyway, the parade was good, the kids got more candy, they got to see their friends, and Ronald McDonald and a pony dressed as a sheep. What more do you need?

Yeah, yeah, bring on the candy, lady. Just put it right in there...



Awh, crap. They're all lemon. Why did I even bother to come this year?





Wait, Thomas is here! Well, that makes it all worth it :)

Chillin' with Olivia and Maddie.

2010

2009

2008

2007

And long may this tradition continue!

Here, Kitty Kitty!

In the grand spirit of Halloween, I have been trying to put Mr. Potato Head glasses on Lady Cucuface for about the past 6 days and have had zero success. Actually, a number less than zero would be more accurate. At any rate, I would just like to know how in the world any of the following pictures are possible? I mean, come on cats! Have you no pride? Or claws? Fight back! Resist! Okay, fine. Just look humiliated and get it over with...

Clearly, this cat his given up in probably all areas of his life.

I laugh so hard every time I see this.





And finally, maybe cats really are trying to take over the world....

Degree of Difficulty

I remember reading a church article one time that asserted that Motherhood will draw on every facet of formal education one receives over the years; so whether one actually works outside the home using a college degree or not, the calling of "Mom" will require in some way for you to use all that knowledge, creativity, critical thinking, judgement, etc. you developed while earning that degree. I wholeheartedly agree with this thinking. Mostly because now I have to help my kids with their homework. Which requires nothing less than having to figure out ridiculous mathematical word problems, writing stories about runaway apples, and even magically turning a pumpkin into a pigeon :)

Let's face it, we ROCKED this assignment!
(P.S. Thank You, DeAnne for the pipe cleaners and googly eyes! You're a lifesaver!)

I need your help...again

So coming up for another one of my blog projects, I need your suggestions and recommendations. I am going to attmept to watch 30 movies in 30 days. I know, I know, you wish you could be as original me... However, if you know me well, this challenge might be next to impossible because I am not really a huge movie fan. In fact, any movie I watch at my house usually includes a good 45-minute nap. But I don't want to just choose any old 30 movies. I want your recommendations. I want to watch movies that everyone in the world has seen but me. I want to watch the favorite movies of my loyal readers. So I need you to comment on the blog or send me an email and give me your thoughts. Tell me what to watch! It could be your favorite movie, a movie you just think everyone should see, something ridiculous from your childhood, whatever! (No rated R movies, of course :) I will try to link every movie I watch to one of you. I will even mention you by name and give a brief bio on you and short history of your life. Okay, maybe not all that information. But highlighting one of my readers each day would be pretty cool. I can tell you are excited :) So lay it on me! And don't worry, I already plan to watch a movie they call "The Notebook." Whatever that's about...

Merfairy: Take One

Life has been crazy for me the past few days. I have been slammed with errands to run, house projects, soccer games, and most importantly, DJing my first Single Adult dance. It was epic! (Best part of the night was when a guy told me, "My hearing aid battery is dying, so can you turn the music up a little?" Awesome.) Anyway, I finally have time catch up on my blog, you lucky dogs!

Since Halloween falls on a Sunday this year, there is not going to be any official neighborhood door-to-door trick-or-treating for my kids. Mom of the Year! So I am hoping that the combination of Cindy's school Autumn Eve Festival, the annual Bartow Halloween Parade combined with the Fall Festival at our Church this Saturday will be more than enough trick-or-treatery. (And even if it isn't, oh well, sucks to be them :)

So here is part one of the Halloween trifecta: Cindy's Autumn Eve. Last year I took both kids. This year I wised up and left Luke at home. That's brutal, I know, but it is just too hard to please both of them at the same time. So Cindy and I got some good one-on-one time while Dad did soccer practice with Luke. Win-win! She decided just the day before to be a "Merfairy" (see Barbie Mermadia for reference). So this is what we came up with:


Fairy on top....


Mermaid tail on the bottom! Ta-da!

I took a ton more pictures last year at the school, so this time around I decided to be cool, calm and collected with the camera. Only the most important events. So here ya go: An elated Cindy on a horse.



Pony rides were a huge hit this year!



Donut on a string. Delicious and fun!



Cindy was a little too wylie for me to catch her on the super huge jumper house. I'll get you, Gadget!



Finally, we had to get some cotton candy. This one's for you, Aunt KaRyn!


The best part of this costume has got to be the pink hair. Cindy was in heaven. The body glitter powder, however, may have been a serious tactical error on my part. Every day since Thursday I have found more and more of my things that are absolutely covered with glitter. Last Friday Lady Cucuface could have doubled for Edward Cullen in the sunshine. However, there is a point where I draw the line. There will be no sparkly Iron Men in this house!

Let Me Blow Your Mind

I am not sure why we, as a society, tolerate the totally inept packaging of sour cream. Giant tubs are useless. Squeeze bottles are the way to go. I mean, you don't see the guy at Taco Bells getting out a little container and trying to spread around a huge dollop of sour cream on your taco with a spoon, right? Of course not! He has a GUN for sour cream! A GUN. It comes out in a convenient steady stream for even distribution. So basically a few weeks ago I decided to go pro. I put my sour cream (only a cup or so at a time, in case I do need a larger quantity from the tub) into my dollar store ketchup squeeze bottle and miracles have ocurred in my kitchen! I just thought you should know about my condiment revolution. And maybe the sour cream people should know too. Oh, and also the peanut butter people. And definitely the guacamole people.

Attention: We have a wiggly tooth!

I can't believe this day has arrived. Cindy finally has a loose tooth :) For some time now, every single one of Cindy's friends have lost a tooth. And not just one tooth, but many teeth. Sometimes her friends have lost two teeth in a week! (How careless, I know...) But not Cindy. Despite the deepest desires of her heart, her teeth have simply not budged. Not a smidge. She hasn't even had a wiggle. Not anything. And she was not happy about it. In fact, Cindy's envy was so green it could be Obama's Jobs Czar. However, last night at soccer practice she showed me that indeed Houston, we have movement! This announcement came about 10 minutes after Cindy got kicked in the face with a soccer ball by her teammate, so I am not sure if that had anything to do with it or not, but remind me to thank that girl later. For now, it is just keeping Cindy up at night and making her do ridiculous things like asking to eat an apple for breakfast. (Fruit? Who are we kidding?!) So now we are officially on tooth watch around here 24-7. Today she has a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch and then the park, so naturally something will happen when she is far from home and unable to reach me. But as soon as that thing is out- which will be another fantastic blog post I am sure- pictures will follow. Thank You, Picture Day, for being last week :)

Television's Finest?

You know what's frustrating? Not being able to find enough shows on TV about cops, crime and murder. I mean, really, what's a girl gotta do to do to find a good drama about violence, malfeasance and uber-savvy police detectives that slickly solve crimes in 60 minutes or less with nothing but their dashing good looks and sharp attention to detail? Oh, wait, I guess I just have to turn on my TV to any channel at any hour of any day and I will find one. Silly me!


As a person living in the land without cable, my TV choices are limited to begin with. But you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a cop/crime show on television. First, there is the Law and Order series, which I believe is under some sort of Federal mandate that it be airing on a channel somewhere at least 20 hours out of every day. (Personally, I think the spin-off Law and Order: Food Stamp Patrol is a bit of a stretch....) But then we also have Rookie Blue, Dark Blue, Dark Blueish Rookies,CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, CSI: Tatooine, Bones, Cold Case, Lie to Me, NCIS, Castle, The Closer, COPS, The Mentalist, Southland, Criminal Minds, Detroit 187, Memphis Beat, Rizzoli & Isles- and those are just a few of the ones currently on the air. Not to even mention the fact that Hawaii Five-0 and The Rockford Files are both being remade and coming back to TV this season. (I swear If CHiPS comes back I am taking a hostage...) Seriously? Is there really nothing else to have a show about? It's always about murder. Bo-ring! It's always about insurance money. Yawn! It's always about a mistress and revenge. Predictable! Or kidnapping, or covering up a crime and trying to get away with it, or killing your transvestite boss because he made you work one too many swing shifts. Is this really all we have to choose from? I think we need to ban all future cop/crime shows. There is just no need for them. We have plenty already! And here are the only 5 of those shows we really need:

1. COPS- The original reality TV show. Because this truth is stranger than fiction nearly 100% of the time. And like a bad accident, you just can't turn away from it....
2. Psych- Because it's hilarious. And if there's gonna be murder and crime, let's at least make it enjoyable, am I right? Plus, the facial expressions of Gus are unequaled anywhere on television.

3. Medium- Because it combines a little sci-fi and a tiny creepiness factor into police work that is about as far as I need to go into the world of death and disturbing violence.


4. Alias- I have said it before and I will say it again, Jennifer Garner on this show is one of the only actual, believable, butt-kicking girl spies I have ever seen. Every other character is too over the top in looks and attitude. I believe she really exists somewhere.

5. Monk- Because to make a good show, you need a really unique character to begin with. And 'unique' is definitely the right word for this guy.

Honorable mentions: Numb3rs (as a math teacher's wife, I am required to endorse this one), CSI Miami, Matlock, Moonlighting, Remington Steele (I am my mother's daughter), The Unusuals, and The Sweeney (even though I have never seen this British cop show, obviously it must be pretty awesome).

Don't get me wrong, cop shows have their place. It's just that it's apparently in every television time slot from 8am-8pm. Well, I gotta run, Grey's Anatomy is on. It's a drama that takes place in a hospital! Isn't that original and cool!!??