Halloween 2006

We like to carve pumpkins for FHE the Monday before Halloween. When I say "we" I mean "Jay." He is the artist.

I like to have a theme for Halloween. Last year it was "Peter Pan." This year it was "The Wizard of Oz." I tried to get Jay to dress as the Tin Man, but I struck out.
I was up until 3:00 the morning before Halloween, making Mary's costume. I swore I would never make a Halloween costume, but I finally gave in when I couldn't find a decent Dorothy costume for sale. Even the expensive ones were ugly. But I swear I will never do it again. (Yeah, right.) Since I was going to all that trouble, I made it really big so she can wear it again.... every year. I really hate to sew.


Collin's costume was easy. With the exception of the hat, which I made the night before, I threw it all together a few minutes before we headed out the door for trick-or-treating.... Jay's sweatshirt turned inside out, the pants from last year's Peter Pan costume, some short lengths of tan yarn attached to elastic to go around his wrists and ankles, some rope from the junk cupboard, a scrap piece of fabric wrapped around his head and pinned under his chin, and brown lipstick on his nose. He looked great!

Jack's was the easiest of all.... I borrowed it from my mother-in-law's stash!

I'm Thankful For....

It's beginning to look a lot like....

Early this morning, Jack and I were taking a moment to cuddle before we started our day. Jay had left for work, and Collin and Mary were still sleeping, so it was quiet... perfect for a little toddler talk. I said, "Jack, Santa Claus is coming soon." His eyes got big, and he said, "Christmas?" "Oh yes, and he will bring you presents." Silence. I tried to imagine a 2-year-old's vision of Christmas. Then Jack let out a loud, "Ho, ho, ho!" I laughed and asked, "Is that what Santa Claus says?" "Yep," came the reply. Then, in my best Santa voice, I called, "Merry Christmas!" Jack giggled, and repeated the phrase... or so I thought until he followed up with "Jacky Christmas!" Nope, he doesn't get it.

Good Boy

I suppose it's typical for every mother of young children... the trial of getting them to do their homework, chores, etc. We pester, nag, plead, punish. Collin is typical. I have to nag him to do his homework, practice the piano, make his bed, clean his room. Sometimes he responds quickly, and other times.... not. And at those times when he is doing something other than the task I asked him to complete, he is usually involved in something that makes it difficult for me to ask him to stop. "Collin, please put down that encyclopedia and make your bed," sounds kind of silly. So does, "Collin, stop playing the piano and do your homework." You see, Collin likes to play the piano for fun, and reads non-fiction as entertainment. I suppose it would be a lot easier to say, "Collin, put down that Game Boy and clean your room." Fortunately, I don't have to worry about that since he doesn't own anything such thing. I hope it lasts.

Caller ID

Why didn't they think of this sooner? Oh the joy of being able to see who is calling you on the phone before you answer it... or not! What a concept!

However, it can be confusing sometimes. Names are usually inverted so that last names appear first with no comma between, so sometimes you have to think about it before you realize who is calling. And sometimes the abbreviations are quite entertaining. To this marvelous invention I attribute one of the best laughs I have ever had in my life.

A few years ago, our then-4-year-old precocious Collin loved to answer the phone. (He still does, and is quite the little receptionist.) Although he hadn't actually learned to READ yet, his amazing memory allowed him to recognize any word he had previously asked me to identify for him. So, one Sunday afternoon when the phone rang (Jay was napping and I was in a stupor on the couch), Collin was eager to answer it... that is until he "read" what was on the caller ID. After looking at it, his eager expression turned to one of utter horror, but he answered anyway, although not in his usual cheeful telephone voice, but a rather tentative "hello." A moment later he was holding the phone out to me with a look of shock on his face. I was a little concerned, and asked, "Collin, who is it?" After a long pause, and with eyes wide in surprise, he stuttered in a frightened whisper, "It's Jesus Christ!" I laughed in relief, knowing exactly what was going on... it was the bishop was calling from the Church, whose name had been inverted, and abbreviated to read "Jesus Christ Ch of." It was a little difficult to explain my laughter to the bishop, and even harder to explain to Collin, who must have thought I had done something really terrible to receive such a phone call.