Happy Halloween

Not Harvest, not Fall Celebrations, just plain old Happy Halloween. Candy is good. I've got a few pictures of my boys at Halloween that I'd like to share. Since they were wee ones when the photos were taken, that should appease my Loverboy.

These are of Pete:

Pete started wearing Buzz at 2 1/2 years and continued wearing it for the next 2.5 years. Not sure where that mask came from.

We went to Disney World when Pete was 3 1/2 years and participated in the Not So Scary Halloween shindig. Yes, for and additional $38.00 per person, Pete got to dress up and trick or treat at Disney. Don't think BN and I didn't take our bags too. Halloween at Disney: $over a hundred; Pete's smile behind that mask: priceless. (this is a page from my scrapbook and I am almost 7 mos pregnant with RePete)

These are of RePete: RePete was just the cutiest baby.

Take a look at that mop on his head. he has curls that are out of control. We try to tame them but they are wild!

And here they are wearing the same Clown suit. (Pete then RePete)

And I would be remiss if I didn't show my other child as Batman (poor Kubi):

Trick or Treat,

~R

Oh I almost forgot Hootin' Anni and Debs gave me treats before Halloween. Since I don't have time to pass them out, as Hootin' said, just grab 'em. Thanks, Girls.

For the crafty voyeurs

Thanks for the interest in yesterdays mindless wanderings. Ami, I'm still laughing with you, not at you! I'll save you from further blabbering with these:

Here's the yarn Pete picked out for me. I love the jewel tones and it'll look great with my black leather jacket. And it feels like suede. Mmmm.

Here's the 2nd Santa I cross-stitched, can't find the first one right now.

Here's a little close-up of that Santa. Can you see the little pearl beads I used for snow. This doesn't look totally finished. I don't see all the outlining that makes it pop. I guess I have a little left on this one too.

And the one I started a few years ago and am trying to pick back up on now.

And a little close-up of the children.

And here's what I discovered. I didn't have the 2nd one around when I bought the new materials but I could have sworn they were the same size. BUMMER! Now I don't know whether to scrap this one and start all over with a new fabric. The larger one looks so much nicer in person and I want them to all be the same for the future quilt. What to do? What to do? Maybe I can make the small one a pillow...Oh and FYI , Frost measures 9.5"w x 7.25"h and Kringle measures 12"w x 9"h.

Anyways, that's it so far. I'll show you a craft I made for everyone last Christmas (after Thanksgiving rolls around and I pull out the Christmas decorations). I made one for myself and might make more this year.

~R

Christmas Quilt

This time of year always makes me feel all warm and cozy - probably because it's still in the 80's around here. Christmas carols pop into my mind at random intervals, I actually want to dust off my stove and cook my family a fabulous meal (fabulous in my head, anyways!), and craft. I love making things and making things for other people. I always wonder if folks still appreciate handmade gifts or if those days are long gone and someone forgot to tell me.
This weekend, I pulled out my crochet stuff (that hasn't seen the light of day for about 14 years), my card making and scrapbooking supplies, and my cross-stitch. I found this great cross-stitch book probably 15 years ago that had "the Santas of the world" and they were gorgeous. BTW, I love-love-love Christmas. Being cheap, I photocopied all the patterns (at work) and started on the first one. It took forever, but I loved the results. About a year later, I started another one and when finished, carefully stored it with the first one. I wondered what I'd do with all these Santas. Now, about 15 years later, I've started the third one and Pete saw them and went gaga (he appreciates pretty things) and asked if he could have one. I decided to make two quilts once I am done with them all. That could literally be years from now which is a good thing, because I don't know the first thing about quilting so I'll have time to learn that too.
One day, I'll pass the finished products down to Pete and RePete. OH YEAH, THE OLD PART...
I can't see the fracking holes anymore. You know what made me feel better. Repete sang the Harry Potter theme song at the top of his lungs all the way through Michael's. He's awesome.
~R

Quotable Pete

Pete always gives us a run for our money and since he used complete sentences at around 18 mos, we've heard all sorts of funny stuff come out of his juicy little lips. Today was no exception.

With regard to buying a cap gun: "Mom, am I a big kid?"

When I told him we might see the lion cubs at the zoo today: "See, I told you they were married." (that's right baby, married.)

Must be from a movie: "Well if that wasn't a nasty piece of business."

Soothing his little brother: "Don't cry, Repete, just breathe, one...two...see don't you feel better?"

Seven is a fun age.

~R

Glue habit and tape

It's every Mother's nightmare. My son has a glue habit.

Don't worry, his habit involves hot glue. It has become THE answer for whatever happens in our home. "Mom, my lego Annikan's head won't stay on anymore. Can I get the hot glue gun?" or "Mom, I want to stick Darth Sidius to my bed so he won't fall off when we are sleeping. Can I get the hot glue gun?" and other such needs. I had to put my foot down when he wanted to use hot glue for construction paper and made him get his glue sticks.

It's BN's fault. When the boys hung and swung on the doors to our tv cabinet and the screws no longer stayed put and BN used wood putty but they still came out when the boys hung and swung, he then got the bright idea to use Gorilla glue and those doors aren't going anywhere now. So anytime something breaks around the house, I say, "Honey, I don't know what happened. I was opening the cabinet to look for chocolate and couldn't find any and the cabinet door came off in my hand. Can I get the Gorilla glue?" or "Honey, Repete figured out all by himself that swinging on the storm door was a whole lot of fun and now it makes this cracking noise when it closes. Can I get the Gorilla glue?"

And tape. Who knew it had so many uses. In fact, I think the only time I've ever used tape is to wrap presents. Pete mummifies his action figures, legos and anything else it will stick to. And if you need your envelopes secured, Pete's your man. Although you may have to pay extra postage.

~R

Is the grass any greener or just a different variety?

I must be really sappy. I am still thinking about everyone's stories from Monday. Some romantic, some not so. Some weird, some exciting. But one comment really stuck out in my mind.

I won't look it back up and quote, I certainly don't want to draw attention to it personally. I just want to talk about it. One person admitted on another's blog that they wondered if Mr. Right was out there but added the current Mr. was a good man. I think I only saw two people who wrote about a different love than their current one and I wonder how many people think about "what if?" I wonder how they got where they are, with all that longing. It saddens me, but considering the whole 1 out of 2 marriages end in divorce statistic, there must be a lot of longing going on.

I had a few other offers during that almost 2 year break up. I had an offer while I was engaged that I politely turned down. One was too obnoxious to even consider, one had a hairy back (sue me) and one - well duh, I was engaged but I really hope he found someone special.

A few months back, I saw an ad on the tv that was for the "perfect match". This one was different because it offered to let you input you and your spouse's information and see if you are compatible. I actually gave it 10 seconds thought at the time, thinking I would put everything in and it would come back and read just how perfect we were.~*~sigh~*~ And then the 10 seconds were up and I thought, oh my gosh, what if it comes back that we are not compatible...that I should have taken that last offer. haha. So I never input the info.

So it started me thinking about BN and I. We just hit 17 years of marriage and I wondered if when we got back together way back when, was it just comfortable? Or was there more to it? So I thought back over the last 17 years. We spent the first 10 years living footloose and fancy free - meaning no children. Those first 10 years were wedded bliss, one looong honey moon. We slept naked, went on dates, went on a LOT of dates, and then dated some more, with one another of course. Each day still felt fresh and new. Then we decided to have baby number one. We started sleeping in pajamas, I wore bloomers, being overprotective, we didn't go on dates. Our priorities changed. Four years later and we added baby number two. More of the same - but not bad more of the same.

Over the course of the last 17 years, we've both changed. We've also both stayed much the same. BN still does the silly things he did when we were in high school to get me to laugh. He's called me NB and I've called him BN since the early days and it's still has meaning for us. We're starting to feel comfortable letting others care for our boys, so we're dating again (thanks doo and YMCA).

I'm fairly certain that when RePete leaves for college, we'll start sleeping naked again. I think you can waste a perfectly good marriage wondering about what ifs.

~R

Consider Yourself Lucky (I didn't take pictures)

Today, my sweet little RePete again refused to use the pot. If you missed the old posts let me just catch you up. He refuses to even stand in front of a potty or toilet and TRY!!!!! Instead he chooses to hold it 9 hours or until he can't hold it any longer and then with his little toes turned inward, he takes "the stance" and proceeds to piss out the mother load. Oh and he calls both things you do in a pot, pee-pee.
Today, he "peed" his pants twice and both times on the front porch. The first time I stripped off his clothes out there in front of God and everyone and hosed down the porch and his shoes. I got him cleaned up and back in fresh undies and shorts. The second time I walked up to the front storm door and looked at him all pigeoned toed and serious looking and asked through the glass, "what are you doing?" to which he replied, "pee-pee."
This time, I told him to take off the wet pants and then step inside to get cleaned up. He only took off his shorts. So I yanked his undies down to the sound of "thud-thud..thud..thud-thud." The fact that he didn't take his undies off himself should have been a warning, but I didn't listen. So now I have a half-nekked little thing standing there looking innocently at the turds on the rug by the front door.
~R