Halloween 2012

We weren't very scary this year. 

Finn was the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man from Ghost Busters.

Niamh was the most docile Leopard this side of the Woodland Park Zoo.

I was a Giant Turkey.

Steve.....well, Steve was pretty scary as Ed Grimley from SNL. Its OK if you thought he looks like Pee Wee Herman. He was just as creepy. Keep him away from your kids, Folks.

We hosted this year's NeighborsMeetAndInhalePastaAndBeerGathering pre trick or treating. 

Finn was attacked by A Wild Thing, and a very chatty Leopard more than once before we headed out.

Help me, Rhonda. This gang is growing up.

Niamh, age nearly 9-Leopard; Anjali, age 7-Mona the Vampire; Kiran, age 4-Mailman; Ella, age 7-Witch (the good one); Simone, age 3-Leopard; Neighbor Finn, age 6-Wild Thing.

Their advanced ages were most noticeable while hitting the houses up and down our street. This year, they could all run and navigate stairs. Their speed and efficiency was greatly improved over last year. I think our typical route was complete in about an hour. I have no idea if they said Trick or Treat, or Thank You. I lagged behind jabbering to my adult friends and was never really at the same house at the same time as my kids. It was a successful evening by all of our standards.

 I'd like to take a moment to talk about Kelli.

Kelli is a young, cool, nice, popular, intelligent, beautiful, social gal. We don't know why she continues to hang out with us. Either she continues to be the geek she said she was in high school and has us all fooled, or she genuinely likes us. Finn and I really hope she likes us. Creepy Ed Grimley reminded me a couple days ago that for a while, after he first met Kelli, and before she started hanging out with us regularly, that he referred to her as Hot Nurse Kelli (not to be confused with Hot Nurse Jessica, Cute Nurse Meg, or Hot Friend Nicole. He really is a Creepster.) Anyhow, Kelli is up for anything. She's the same gal that comes camping with us. The only one without a kid, and she always gets assigned one to her. 

Halloween afternoon, Kelli texted me a photo of her dressed as a Bumble Bee with a couple of her Nurse Practitioner colleagues, and one of our Cardiologists as the Bee Keeper.  After making fun of her, I asked if she wanted to join us and the neighbors for spaghetti and trick or treating. She immediately said, Sure (after I confirmed that there would be beer and wine). AND, she showed up! She blows me away. I adore her. Finn has a crush on her that as a 6 year old, he can't verbalize, but he always wants to know what she's up to and if she is coming over, and when she does, he becomes shy but keeps his eyes on her. Its adorable. I totally approve of this relationship. I have a crush on Kelli too.

Enough about my 6year old son and my 39 year old husband and me and Kelli. 

November 1, I woke to Finn's voice: 77, 78, 79......The two were counting and sorting their loot, setting aside the peanut butter ones for me. Halloween 2012 was good.

It Happened

The day has finally come when she wears my old clothes. She has been waiting for this day since she was old enough to realize she wants all my shoes when I'm dead.

Here she is, wearing my circa 2002 Juicy Couture hoodie. Lucky for us all, I gave the pants away after wearing them through two pregnancies. I couldn't bear to look at them any more.

I remember buying this luxury item at the Westfield Fashion Square Bloomingdale's in Sherman Oaks, CA. I had to have one to fit in with the rest of So Cal. (I don't think I ever fit in.)

Niamh, may you get as much wear out of it as I did. I guess it was worth the $100 price tag.

She's Awsome

I guess when you don't hear it often enough, you just write it on your arm.

You ARE awesome, Niamh. I should tell you much more often. 

Maybe I should also spell it out for you.

Lakedale 2012

It was perhaps the most dramatic Rose Ceremony Camping Trip yet.

We had grown up tears, a kid with nocturnal emesis, bike crashes, long talks about life and love and the pursuit of happiness outside of the LA Area, and two dead car batteries. 

For next year, The Council has decided to take a vote before allowing pregnant campers to spend the night. I'm sure that our pregnant camper felt forced to stay...she was. I think we had to hide her keys, let her dog run amok, and strand her other kid in the lake to keep her there longer. I can't figure out why she even thought she should come at the height of First Trimester hormones (maybe because I begged her), but the Ferry was expensive and nobody wanted her to waste the fare.

For all the complaining we do about the set up, tear down, and kids waking up at the crack of dawn, we seem to manage a great time. For the record, we know we could probably scale down on our "necessities", but if the ball tent had kept Carson contained it would have been the most useful item Meg packed.

Meg and Katie, I know I have to trick you in to doing it again each year, but I swear you both just like to listen to me grovel and whine and tell you how nobody can make me laugh the way you both do. Geez, I'm pretty pathetic. Whatever works.

Aleah and Kelli, I can't figure out why you are both so willing to repeat history, but I love you for it. I need you two to help me convince the other two that we really are having fun. (We are having fun, right?) Finn loves you for it too, Kelli. In fact, Finn loves Kelli for everything about her. Finn plain old loves Kelli. 

I know I said that I was resigning as Camp Director, but nobody else wants the job. I booked Fort Worden for next August. Mark your calendars. NO excuses. You are all going. (Katie, you're still on probation. But, I think you prefer it like that.)

Go Team!

They have no idea how dorky this is.

Good thing I know... and had the whereabouts to capture the moment and share it.