Trick or Treat

 
Today was candy day for my little Peanut. She did remarkably well, considering Mama had her wearing little white slippers that kept 'slipping' off of her feet and the smallest bag that I had for her loot was as tall as she was. She had a very fun time. We even managed to get her to say thank you at most of the houses.

Hallowe'en is such a fun time for me. I know that there are a lot of people, many of them my own friends, who don't think it's right to celebrate Hallowe'en, but for me it has always been a fun and festive holiday. When I was a child, we always made our costumes and had family costume parties. I especially remember one year when my youngest aunt, newly married and moved into her first home, turned her house into a "haunted house" for all of the nieces and nephews. She had a different "scary" scene (my Grandpa dressed up as a clown, a witch handing out donuts and cider, crepe paper spiders and sticky webs, ect.) set up in each room, culminating with apple bobbing and pumpkin carving in the basement. It made such an impression on my little four-year old mind, that I can still remember the prizes that I won that night and what a good time we had.

As I've grown older, Hallowe'en has become a good reason for my stodgy, old, adult self to wear costumes and have a good time. I've never run with a real "party crowd" so most of the fetes I attend are pretty tame. We just have a good time and enjoy the company and costumes. My fav costume of my adult life was the year I was almost nine months pregnant and I went as mother nature. It took almost five yards of white flannel to make a toga to swathe my huge belly. I kept telling everyone all night long that I was a very fertile, late summer, mother nature. It was lame, but pregnancy costumes are really hard to come up with. It was also one of the few times during my pregnancy that I allowed my picture to be taken, lol!

I love to make costumes. I went to a small school that was lucky to have a drama department, so most of the drama club wore multiple hats. Along with my acting roles, I also got to handle props and costume making. We had to be pretty inventive because there was no budget for drama. Anything we needed, we had to get by donation or pay for it ourselves. This led to a certain amount of creation on the fly, but really, that was half the fun. I will never forget the time we were traveling for competition, two hours from home, and our leading lady realized that she had left her costume bag at home and had brought nothing but jeans and shorts. At curtain, we found ourselves dressing her in one of the supporting players dresses and sending said supporting player on stage in nothing but her undies and a full length winter dress coat. Ahh, the memories!

Now that I'm a mom, I'm in my costume-making glory. I love to dress up my little Peanut, and I'll be the first one to admit that I have to watch myself, as I can tend to go overboard on costumes, such as the aforementioned slippers. They were so cute and the perfect finishing touch, but she was slipping everywhere on their shiny satin-ness. We actually had to stop back at the house and switch for real shoes, but that's OK, she still looked oh-so-cute! Boy, am I dreading the day when she won't let me pick her costume anymore, but hey, there's always grandchildren to look forward to!

Hope everyone has a safe and fun Hallowe'en! 

Peas and Carrots

Peanut and I had a Veg-Out day today. We got out the Play-Doh, spread crayons, colored pencils, and markers all over the livingroom, and dug out all of those toys that I find myself saying "no" to most days because they are such a pain to clean up afterwards. We stayed in our pajamas all day. I fixed popcorn, cheese and crackers, and a nice warm bowl of chili for lunch. We also left the TV on all day (gasp! I should probably have my mommy license revoked!) and watched my Sweetest Day present from my hubby, the first season of "The Adventures of Pete and Pete".

"TAOPAP" is a hilarious (if slightly skewed) little show about the everyday lives of two brothers, both of whom are named Pete. They face all of those normal rites of passage dealt out to American kids in the suburbs. Sibling rivalry, first loves, and evil nemeses with funny names (my fav is "Butt Stripe", the kid with the stripe of mud up the back of his pants from riding his bike in the rain. I went to school with this kid!). It's all there. That mixture of love and embarrassment every kids feels towards his parents, the charms of summer vacation, and the fear of being humiliated in front of the world. All presented in a lovely, off-beat way that made this one of my favorite shows in high school. I never missed an episode.

My husband gives me the best presents!

Have A Holly Jolly October

Ok. It's time for me to come out of the closet on this one. I am a Christmas addict.


There, I admitted it.


I love Christmas so much. The planning and preparation. I just thrive on the suspense.
Which would be why I Christmas shop all year long. Trust me, it has nothing much to do with being organized. I just love to plan for, buy, and make gifts. I put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving, and some years I wouldn't wait that long if my husband hadn't made a "No Tree Before Turkey" rule, lol. Peanut and I are already listening to "christas moosik" and singing and dancing our way towards Hallowe'en. It's just such a joyous and wonderful holiday, I can't help but want the thoughts of Christmas with me through the wet days of April and the hot days of August!


The thermometer is reading 36.1 degrees here in my office tonight.
Maybe we'll get snow!

I'm Still Here!

Boy, does time get away from you! Seems as if October just began and now we are staring at Hallowe'en!

Some sobering facts:

Thanksgiving is only 31 days away

Christmas is only 61 days away

I will be thirty in less than a year


It's been all hustle and bustle here in my little house. We are getting ready to purchase some land for our new home and have been playing with houseplans like a couple of eight-year-olds with a new dollhouse. I'm very excited about the prospect of building, but the truth is, we are a year or two away from actual hammer on nail. We are putting our own house on the market (hopefully before the end of autumn) and I'm a little nervous about the idea of a self-sale. Also, when our current house sells, we'll be moving in with my parents-in-law for an undetermined amount of time, until we are finished with building, which is a situation that I have mixed feelings about.

Although my PIL are the sweetest people on earth and we will technically be living in our own apartment (the lower level of their home is a two bedroom apartment), I just can't help but remember how awkward things were for me when we lived in their home for a few months after we were first married. I also worry about my wonderful little Peanut. They spoil her mercilessly, as do I. I don't know if her little psyche can handle so many over-indulgent people on a daily basis, lol! Hopefully, things will work out well and all of my fears will be unfounded.

Aside from preparing for moving house, I've also been busy preparing for the holidays. My gift shopping and crafting is done, but we have started the yearly tradition of sitting down to decide just whose parties we can and cannot attend this year. It's never a fun task and this year, we've decided to trim the excess even more so that we can have more at-home-alone time with Peanut. That leads to deciding just what food I'm taking where and what recipes need to be converted into sugar-free forms. And don't hate me, but I've already started addressing my Christmas cards.

Things have been crazy but good. I've been a little over-stressed, but in a not-too-bad way. The big news is, my Huffle scarf is now past the half-way point! I just cannot wait for the new movie! It is going to be so good!

Stuff

The Machine That Seems To Suck Away My Will To Live is still running wonky, so no pictures posted of current projects yet. But...

I broke down and gave my sister her Gryffendor scarf today, for her birthday, instead of waiting for Christmas. Mainly because I also got her tickets to "HP and the Goblet of Fire" for opening weekend. I didn't want to be the only adult standing there looking silly in my HP gear, lol!

Yes, I have already bought my HP tickets. It's become our tradition, my sister and I, to go together and see the movies. Then, I also go with my husband, of course. Frankly, I'm so thrilled by the new trailers for this flick that I don't know how I'm going to make it another month!

Fives

Catching up on a tag, sent my way from thicketdweller.
I'm not tagging anyone in return, just though I'd post my answers for your entertainment.


What were you doing ten years ago?

It was 1995. I had just turned nineteen and I had just graduated high school in June. I now spent my days arguing with my parents about the fact that I gave up my scholarships and didn't go to college. After pushing myself so hard to prepare for the "college track", I discovered that I really didn't want to go, and I needed a break from academics. I bummed around with some older friends, working at a small local movie theater/video store and avoiding any "real" work as much as possible. A true Gen-X slacker.

What were you doing five years ago?

In 2000, I was 24. I had now been married for 2+ years. I owned a home, two dogs, three cars. I was working 50 hours a week for the world's second largest jewelry distributor, chatting with people in foreign lands all across the globe on a daily basis, but talking to my own husband for no more that 20 minutes a day. Our schedules were opposites. We actually saw each other more back when we weren't married and living in the same house. I really didn't like my life or myself much at this point. I wasn't very comfortable with the life that I was creating for us and our home. My how things can change in five years!

What were you doing one year ago?

In 2004 I had just celebrated my 28th birthday and I was preparing for my beloved we've-been-so-blessed-finally-I-understand-isn't-she-the-most-wonderful-child-ever Peanut's "First Birthday Bash". I was juggling invitations, food plans, and family feuds for 60 people. I was stressed about the party but loving being a mom. The breastfeeding, the little clothes, the smiles. It was all just so good!

What were you doing yesterday?

Thursday. Errand Day.

I did the grocery shopping. I washed the car and filled it with gas. Bought my hubby's Sweetest Day gift (first season of "Everybody Loves Raymond" on DVD). Did two loads of laundry. Visited my new niece and nephew. Took down all of my birthday cards. Worked on Peanut's Trick-or-Treat costume. Finished reading "Everything is Illuminated" by Jonathan Safran Foer. Knitted a few more rows on my Huffle scarf and listened to two chapters of "HP and the Half Blood Prince" on audio book.

5 snacks you enjoy

1. garlic bagel chips
2. tortillia chips dipped in sour cream
3. caramel corn
4. green bell peppers
5. cashews and raisins mixed up together

5 songs that you know all of the words to

1. The whole Wiggles catalog (I know this is waaay more than five, but I will not bore you by listing them all)
2. "The Parting Glass", A traditional Irish folksong (I know all of the words, but can rarely sing them without weeping, lol)
3. "Tom, Dick, and Harry" from "Kiss Me, Kate"
4. "The Hairbrush Song" from the Veggietales
5. Just too many more to list. My sister and I sang everything while we were growing up, and I still do today. I'm that really hilarious looking person you see sitting in her car at stoplights, belting out the words to the song on the radio, eyes clenched shut, pretend microphone in hand!

5 things you would do if you had a million dollars

1. Set up trusts for each of my nieces and nephews
2. Pay off all of our parents' bills
3. Pay all of our bills
4. Take Peanut traveling when she gets older
5. Build a larger house with enough room for both my husband's hobbies and my books

5 things you like doing (just 5?)

1. reading
2. knitting
3. cooking
4. singing
5. visiting

5 bad habits

1. nail biting
2. too introspective
3. being lazy
4. being disorganized
5. tend to get carried away on a new project, but lack the discipline to see it through

5 things that you would never wear again

1. hot pink cullottes
2. jelly shoes
3. big, pouffy bows in my hair
4. the absolutely gorgeous blue velvet, three-inch heels that I bought for one of my husband's formal business dinners, in which I danced my way to 5 blisters and a twisted ankle. (but, boy did they look nice!)
5. cowboy boots

5 favorite toys

1. my computer
2. my mp3 player
3. my digital camera
4. my sewing machine
5. my sewing box

Viruses, Electronic and Otherwise

Boy oh boy, do I feel like I've been gone forever! Our computer has been at the doctor for the last 8 days, due to a nasty bit of spyware that I just couldn't remove myself. Meanwhile, I've been stranded in no-technology land, not even able to check my email. I had over a thousand messages waiting for me when we got back up and running!

The house was run through by a little bug, of the human-affecting variety, and we had many days of drippy noses and sore throats. Everyone is now well though!

It may take we a few days to get caught up on everything, so if you have left a comment or question, don't despair! I will get back on track soon!

One plus side to the lack of computer. I have now knitted my Huffle POA scarf, in all it's yummy Merino glory, up past the fourth set of trapped bars! Yea! Plus, I was able to make an interpretation of an apron that I own, that once belonged to my Grandma and I have always loved but never wore very often for fear of spoiling it. I now have one to wear in my own kitchen. I'll post pictures later this week.