HALLOWEEN!

What a night! Maybe a little too much for our little family. After dressing the kids in the their costumes (Elliot a cat and Grey a duck), we went downtown this afternoon and went trick-or-treating to all the businesses there. It actually was a lot of fun and we saw so many people we knew. Made us feel part of a community. Then to Burger King for a quick and nutritious meal (ha ha). And off to our tri-ward trunk-or-treat and carnival at the church. Poor Elliot about half way around the parking lot she was complaining that she was cold and wanted to go inside. I am saying, "No Elliot. We have to finish. You are having fun." I felt so bad. Like "you will have fun, darn it!" Anyways, we made it around and back into the church. A little hectic with so many people and kids and all, but had a good time eating goodies and playing little games. We were all ready to come home and crash. The kids are in bed now and Justin is helping at the high school football game. Halloween has never been a favorite holiday of mine. I don't have many memories of it as a kid. I remember a few random costumes (a witch several years, one year I was Charlotte from Charlotte's Web, can't really remember others) and I do remember my brothers and I dumping all of our loot out on the floor to sort it out and give everything with nuts to my mom because none of us liked nuts. Then we would trade and stuff amongst each other. But now with kids, Halloween is a little more fun. I am not into dressing up myself, but it is kinda fun to dress the kids up and have a fun day for them. And we have enought candy to last us until Christmas (but realistically it will be gone in a week or two...I know I have a sugar problem. It is the main reason I exercise regularly, I will admit. And I wonder where Elliot gets her love of sweets). Hope everyone out there had a good Halloween! And now the count down is really on for the holiday season!

Random Goodness

Amazingly enough, Elliot woke up in a good mood this morning. She tends to not be much of a morning person so this was so nice to have her happy first thing. The rule at our house is she has to get out of her pull-up before she can do anything else. She said okay right away, but wanted my help. Then she goes on to tell me, "Mom, it's okay that I peed in my pull up a little bit last night. I am still learning to go in the toilet." Oh, sweetheart. (We took this picture of Grey this afternoon and I had to put it in here...what a cutie!)

Then later in the afternoon, I was in the kitchen and I heard Elliot reading. I peaked in the front room and this is what I saw:

So dang cute seeing my two babies together like that. Elliot was reading to her brother. It doesn't look like Grey is really very happy, but I assure you he loves his sister and the attention that she gives him. Some times it seems to be "scary love" and "smothering love," but it is love nonetheless and he is becoming very durable from all of her "love." Hopefully she will be able to help us teach him all of the good things that he needs to learn.

Then Elliot and I started to make dinner. It is one of our favorites tonight- ham and cheese calazones. It is from kraft.com and if you haven't gone there and ordered their free magazine with awesome, easy recipes in it, do it today. It is a great magazine and a great site for very easy, but good recipes. All the calazones are is pillsbury pizza dough cut into 4 squares, put a slice of ham on each square, mix ranch dressing and shredded cheese together and spoon on ham, top with sliced tomatoes and fold the dough over on each one to make a pocket. Bake at 400 degrees for about 16 minutes and dinner is ready. Yummy! And Elliot even gobbles it up. Here she is sitting in her "special spot" where she always sits to help me in the kitchen.

My Handsome Men and a Little Lady

We decided to put Grey in his shirt and tie today for church and, oh, how cute he looked! He's been fun right now as he is starting to grab at things and really like interaction with people. We are struggling a little bit with day care and I think it is because I hold him so much that he doesn't like to be left alone much and Terri has to because she has 4 or 5 other children she is tending. It will continue to get better, or so I tell myself. And I am thankful that it is only 2 days a week. Here are a couple more pictures from this afternoon:

A few weeks ago, Justin and Elliot cultivated the last of our garden which was the squash. We have a whole wheelbarrow full of hubbard squash to either eat, give away or get rid of somehow. I like squash, but I don't know about that much squash. If anyone has some good recipes or ideas, let me know.

Poopy Diaper

I know all you fellow mothers will appreciate this. Grey tends to not like to poop on a regular basis. Like not everyday or even every other day. Sometimes we are going on a week. And this is him breastfed- I'd hate to see him if I was using formula. Anyways, he, not suprisingly, gets a little upset if it has been too long and this was happening yesterday. The doctor says to give him a suppository and he will go in 20 minutes. Not my child though. Did one last night and nothing. Did one again this morning and several hours later it finally happens. He and Elliot were in the other room and Elliot calls to me, "Mom! He stinks!" I don't get overly excited because he always has terrible gas. I evenually go in there and it really does smell exceptionally bad. S o I take him into his room and it doesn't seem too bad- nothing has leaked out...or so I thought. I get the diaper halfway off and partly cleaned then realize it is actually halfway up his back. And he is kicking around all happy probably because he is about 5 pounds lighter now. The more hygienic I try to be the worse it gets. And who ever said thay boys have fewer crevices than girls must have had a skinny boy because mine has plenty. Anyways we got it all taken care of. He is feeling much better and I am glad that he has cleared out a bit.

Hello? Is anyone there?

Elliot found this old toy cell phone the other day and hasn't put it down since. And it cracks me up the way she talks on it. She will come up to me frantic, "mom, where's my phone? I have to make a call." Or "I need to check my messages." Then she gets on her phone and the conversations go something like this: "Hi Kolby (her cousin). Yeah (pause) yeah (pause) No, I'm just watching a movie. (pause) My brother's crying. So your dad is fishing? Yeah (pause) I had time out today because I wasn't listening. (pause) Yeah..." And so it goes. I am trying so hard not to crack up as she does this because I don't want to embarass her and discourage her from using her imagination, but oh it is so funny. Once she was "on her phone" and Justin and I were talking. She comes up to Justin and looks sternly at him and puts her index finger up like, "excuse me, do you mind? I am on the phone, give me a minute."

Less Time

I started back to work last Wednesday and ever since it has been crazy. Even though I only work 2 days a week, it seems like the rest of the week becomes shorter too. The first day was especially hard because I had to race out of work (and even leave a patient and a dirty room for my wonderful co-workers to deal with) to pick up my kids because Justin couldn't because of parent teacher conferences (which are totally useless in my mind at the high school level, but that is another subject). I get to Terri's house to pick up the kids at 5:31 (pick up is 5:30) and ask how the day went. She says, "Well, Grey took an hour nap in 15 minute increments. Is that usual?" And her question came like, "if this is usual, I don't know if we are going to be able to keep this up?!?" We talked for awhile and both agreed that it is just an adjustment period and that both she and Grey will get used to each other over the next few weeks. Elliot did great- so great that she threw a fit about leaving. Thankfully I didn't have to go to YW tonight (Thanks Shana and Ashley!!!). I was able to regroup and gear up for the next work day. Grey did better on Thursday taking a 2 hour nap. We will see what this week brings.

And now, a frustration that I have to go deal with. I accidentally deleted my whole blog list instead of just one. So I need to go through and remember who all was on it and add to it. So irritating.