The Costume Box

Almost as exciting as Halloween night was the night we pulled out the costume box. Being the youngest of seven my mom had accumulated quite the collection of Halloween costumes. You could taste the excitement as we pulled out each costume remembering what we had done in years past and trying to figure out what to do in the future.

This last weekend the kids got to pull out our costume box and experience the same thing. It was so fun watching their excitement as the went through each of the costumes. I love how with no suggestions from us the each gravitate towards their own costume.

"I'm a Boy Witch"

I think someone is not sure what he wants to be.

The Motivator

Have you ever watched the show Wipe Out? Our kids love it. We love watching it with them. You know the "Motivator" that comes down to get people to attempt the big balls? I have found that using the "Motivator" at home has increased the speed at which our kids get moving and doing their chores or other tasks. It still means I'm going to spank you if you don't get moving but they start laughing and calling out to bring on the "Motivator". We don't "spank" our kids, we "Motivate" them.

All Expenses Paid* Vacation

We moved in two and a half months ago. We unpacked like crazy for a weekend so that we could survive in our house then we concentrate all our time on getting our old house ready to rent. By the time we were done with that we had lost our motivation and started to just live in a halfway unpacked house. That lasted a few weeks until we invited people over and then realized that we no longer had the excuse that we had just moved in to explain the boxes in the kitchen. We got to work and got everything unpacked. Things aren't perfect, there are still cosmetic changes we want to make, but we are all moved in. Except for well, er, um, this.

This is our, ahem, "guest room". Also known as the room we shove everything into when we don't know what to do with it. To be perfectly honest I am completely unmotivated to do any work in there. I think it's going to stay that way until I am forced to clean it.

So how about it? The weather's great! 80 degrees! I'll even cook you breakfast.

*By all expenses paid I mean you get a roof over your head and you can eat my food. Travel expenses are not included. Two little boys running wild in the house are.

Throwing Caution to the Wind

A few weeks ago, the local drive in theater was having a special deal. Free movies! They were showing UP, Night at the Museum, and Star Trek. Well we don't go to the movies all that often and we take the kids even less often so even though it was a school night we decided to throw caution to the wind and take the kids to the drive in. Yeah I'm a bad parent, whatever. Really I bet his teacher appreciated the lack of energy Alan had the next day. And no, we didn't take them to Star Trek. We kept to the kids movies.

Only, I think kids movies are getting to be too adult. I didn't even realize until later that UP was PG and not G. Oh, it's not like it has swearing, or blood and guts, but why can't kids movies be innocent anymore. In UP you deal with infertility, loss of a loved one, absentee parents as well as the bad guy trying to kill the main characters. I liked the movie. But really, it wasn't a great kids movie. Alan, our sensitive kid, halfway through didn't want to watch the movie anymore. It was too much for him. As it should be. These things should be foreign to kids. I know that reality is a lot harsher than the movie, but why should kids be exposed to these things before they have to? Can't childhood be innocent? Or should I be more worried that I'm taking my kids out on a school night?

My Ladies

So I told John that I have a book club. We meet together monthly to have deep intellectual discussions on quality literature. Really it is an academic group, not a girls night out. Never mind that we all bring enough goodies and treats to feed an army. Or that the discussion might lead away from literature and towards telling pregnancy stories or discussing our color palate (I found out I'm a winter. I've always liked the Autumn colors best but I'm ready to move on and stick to my best colors).

Really these girls are my lifeline. In a house of boys I really need my girl time. The books are fun but even if we can't read the book (or just plain aren't interested), we still come to enjoy our time out. I love that even after moving, when I don't get to see some of these girls as often, I still have a chance to get together with them. They are a wonderful group of women to be with. Let's hear it for the ladies!

It's Starting Already

I love when kids are little and free from outside influences. When the music you listen to is cool and Santa Clause is real. It's scary when they start school and you realize that for a good chunk of the day they are not where you can keep an eye on them. Alan finished kindergarten relatively unscathed but first grade just started and he's starting to notice trends.

Alan left for school with his backpack on just how it should be. And this is how he came home, with his backpack hanging around his bum (yeah, I did that trend for a few years while growing up too). Oh it makes me so sad that I am not his main influence any more. I know it's just a backpack but what's next? Drugs, skipping school . . . OK maybe not in first grade. But still, why can't he be my little boy forever?