Happy Halloween!

The last couple of days have been a hustle and bustle of Halloween fanfare. Fringe, feathers, beads, straw hats, apples, cards and candy! Last year I stayed so busy with all the preparations that by the time I got to the Ward Halloween party, I was exhausted. I was hoping I wouldn’t overdo my self like that again. I didn’t, but close. Thankfully, Tanner had a Halloween birthday party to attend about a week ago which got his costume made and out of the way. I am pretty sure this will be my last year to decide what Tanner will be for Halloween. (I think I said that last year too.) I kind of just made it and told him what he was going to be and he was cool with it. He did inform me as he was putting on his chaps, vest and cowboy hat that he wanted to be a spider. I told him if he still wanted to be a spider next year for Halloween, I would make it for him. He has been talking about being a spider the rest of the week, but happily and most excitedly, puts on his cowboy costume. What a trooper!

I went to Walmart to see what I could find for fabric for Tanner’s chaps. I found some awesome fake-suede looking stuff that was nice and stiff, but with a little spandex in it for give. Perfect for kids, and only $2.39 a yard. I bought one yard. Then, I found some fringe for $1.29. I bought 2 yards. Viola! I made two set of chaps (one for Tanner and one for Colin) and two vests for $4.97. For Lexie I borrowed a Pocahontas costume from a girl from church. It was missing the headband so I found some of grandma Gloria Ellingson’s ribbon and sewed some feathers into it. She looked darling and I was grateful I didn’t have to make her something.

So, this year for Halloween, I had a cowboy, an Indian and a little buckaroo!

It has been a long time since I have dressed up for Halloween. I was wandering around Target one night late and walked by some orange and black stripped stockings. Perfect witch attire! So, I snatched them up and brought them home. Next, was the hat. Walmart had a fairly fancy one for $9.99 but that was out of my budget. Actually, I don’t have a Halloween budget so it was coming out of my grocery budget and ten bucks was too much. I found a bare-bones plain witch hat for $1, added some black tulle ($1), fringe ($1.43) and then made a sash and big black rose from some scraps of material I had at home.


Our tradition for giving away apples on Halloween continues. I bought 9 bags of apples this year and went through all most all of them just at the Ward Halloween party. I have decided that this is by far a more expensive route than if I were to buy the "good" candy at the store, but I sense they are valued by the comments I get from the children and parents as they walk by, so it is worth splurging for. This year Tanner labeled himself “principal apple stuffer”. He single handedly stuffed all 9 bags of apples into individual sandwich baggies. He also cut up all the little tags we put inside each one, but decided it was mom’s job to stuff those in with the apples and tie them off. It was a fun project to do together. Lexie is still too young to understand what it means to bruise an apple. Though, honestly, I am pretty sure she isn’t too young, I just haven’t taken the time to cut open an apple and show her a bruise. I spent some time yesterday keeping her from throwing the apples around. Glad she likes balls I suppose.

Happy 6 months Colin!

My how time flies! I'll never forget the day you were born. You came on our date night and a wonderful datenight it was! We walked back and forth over the bridge between the medical towers and the hospital and I would lean into your dad as the contractions would come. With each contraction, he would tell me of a memory we had together over the last 5 years we have been married. It was a sweet walk down memory lane all the while we were anxiously looking forward to your arrival. You came so quickly too! Just two hours of labor and then you slipped right out. Your dad got to deliver you!

When I first saw you, I thought, that looks like a healthy baby! You had lots of fat already built in and you immediately knew mom was holding you just seconds out of the womb. You were a good sport. Well, we were both good sports!

The last 6 months have been delightful. You LOVE to smile and are my first baby to smile and laugh so early. You also love your mom and love to be with me. I've been savoring my moments with you and can see our interactions together that you are one smart kid! You are a snuggler and love to be held chest to chest. It has taken you almost your whole 6 months to feel comfortable being held facing outward, but you are now discovering the world around you and all that there is to explore. I look forward to the rest of your life as discovery will be your main focus for quite some time. Introducing you to this beautiful world you now live in is one of the BEST parts of being a mother. I love being your mom. I love you Colin!

ps: The red hair and drool forever make you my son!

Can I come in?

Another one of Tanner's findings! This one was slithering his way under our screen door as if to say, "can I spend the winter with you?" He wasn't all that big, maybe a foot long and 1/4 inch in diameter, but he was nearly through and could have easily invited himself in unbeknownst to the rest of us. Good eye Tanner!

Munch, Crunch, a Bunch!

Tanner and I found one of these "little" guys in our garden at the beginning of the summer. We put him in our bug catcher with some tomato plant leaves and watched him eat us out of house and home. All, scrunched up, he's about 3 inches long and a sturdy 1/2 inch in diameter. He's got a tail that flairs out as if to say, "if you touch me, I'll getcha" and some decieving spots to camouflage himself into his environment. The first frost of winter has already passed through and our tomato plants are gonners, but we did find this fella still munching away!

homemade tortillas

Derek brought home some masa the other day to try his hand at making homemade tortillas. So tonight while he was out with Tanner doing his home teaching, I found a recipe and tried it out. It was my first time making them and they turned out fabulous!

Here's the recipe:

1 3/4 cups masa harina
1 1/8 cups water

1. In a medium bowl, mix together masa harina and hot water until thoroughly combined. Turn dough onto a clean surface and knead until pliable and smooth. If dough is too sticky, add more masa harina; if it begins to dry out, sprinkle with water. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and allow to stand for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle to medium-high.

3. Divide dough into 15 equal-size balls. Using a tortilla press, a rolling pin, or your hands, press each ball of dough flat between two sheets of plastic wrap.

4. Immediately place tortilla in preheated pan and allow to cook for approximately 30 seconds, or until browned and slightly puffy. Turn tortilla over to brown on second side for approximately 30 seconds more, then transfer to a plate. Repeat process with each ball of dough. Keep tortillas covered with a towel to stay warm and moist until ready to serve.

Homecoming

This weekend was Mizzou’s homecoming game. I guess this is where Homecoming all began, back in 1910. It is quite the event here complete with parade, and the biggest tail-gating party I have ever seen. The school spirit they have in this town is thicker than the sorghum (molasses) they grow and sell out here. It has taken me a year and a half, but I told my darling Derek that I think by the time we move from this town I’d like a Mizzou sweatshirt.
So, we went to the homecoming parade on Saturday morning. We met up with our good friends, the McGowans and enjoyed the show. One of the best parts about the parade is the loot my kids walk away with. Everything from bubble gum to bouncy balls. Lots of cheap candy we end up throwing out and a few toy goodies to savor until they break or die. My favorite toy they’ve gotten now these past two years are a long strand of black beads. They are the best kept secret to a happy baby. (Especially one who is stuck in his carseat for 17 hours at a time.) You’ll see me sporting these cheap jewels for Halloween this year too!

Tanner really got into the spirit of things this year. We taught him to yell "Go Mizzou!" or "Go Tigers!" at the floats as they passed by. He learned quickly that translated into "Hey look, I'm a kid, cute and over here! Throw me candy!"

Aside from all the toys and candy, my very most favorite part about a parade is the marching band. Clarinets, whistles, trombones, trumpets. tubas, flutes, and flags all marching in step to the beat of the drums. It is a great way to introduce how much fun a musical instrument can be to a child. This year Tanner and Lexie both got out into the street to boogie with the music. (Though, not nearly as good as their McGowan buddies!)

I must thank my dear, sweet husband for taking us to the parade. He is not a fan of parades, but humors me and I think he even confessed this year to having a good time.

If you give a nitwit a nap

If you give a nitwit a nap she probably won’t take one. She’ll probably sneak up onto your bed and jump. While she is jumping, she might see the alarm clock next to your bed and play with the buttons. The bright red numbers on the alarm clock will probably remind her of the bright red lights on the baby monitor. And if she wants to play with the baby monitor, she may want to use it like a plunger and pretend she is unclogging the toilet. While she’s playing in the toilet, she’ll get some water on her sleeve. She’ll probably want you to change her shirt for her. Once you change her shirt, you’ll want to put the nitwit back to bed. And while you are there, you’ll probably want to check out the damage done in the bathroom. You’ll pick up the baby monitor that she has carefully put back by the side of your bed. A long, steady stream of H20 will pour out of it. And while you are still in shock over the baby monitor, you look up at the alarm clock to see the bright red numbers say that nap time for your nitwit is over.

Lesson # 2

How to dry out a baby monitor or any other piece of electrical equipment. Before I got married, I was the CFO of sorts for a business entrepreneur. He had several small businesses and I managed the finances for 4 of them. The largest and main one being a graphic design studio. As with all good entrepreneurs, he was a bit scatter brained and functioned in large part on flying by the seat of his pants. One particular occasion, he literally did. He came running out of the restroom calling my name frantically. I ran into the hallway to meet him, where he dumped the contents of his cell phone in my hands. They were soaked. Apparently, he received a phone call while using the john. You know the rest…

”Quick Emily! Fix it!” He claimed he rinsed it off, but honestly, wouldn't you have a tough time believing that?

So, I took it over to the t-mobile store a couple of blocks away where the nice gentlemen there sprayed some air into it. To no avail. Briefly, I did feel badly for my boss since I knew every phone number in his life was in that thing and he probably had little back up for it.

I had an extra errand to run to at the grocery store on my way home, so I left the cell phone on the dash board. In the hot, July sun, I was hoping it wouldn’t be completely melted by the time I got back, but at least it would get good and dry. When I came back, it wasn’t melted, it turned on, and has worked great ever since that day.

So, my baby monitor, didn’t get a dashboard treatment, but I did take a q-tip to it and a blow dryer. What a blessing, it works great!

Lesson # 1

Don't clean up your kids room for them. You might not watch where you are going and break your nose. Besides, isn't it a disservice to them anyway? Geesh, they really are lucky kids!

Princess Tanner

Cross dressing is taught at an early age in our home. NOT! We owe this picture to Aunt Carlie who contaiminated us with princess attire for Christmas last year. Seriously, why is it not a wierd thing to see a little girl playing with a train, ball, or car, but there IS something very wrong to see a boy in make-up, dress-ups, or anything PINK! Tanner, I love you just the way you are buddie!

ps: Aunt Carlie, we really do love the princess gear!

Uh-oh, mom brought her camera

We met for dinner one Friday night at Rock Bridge State Park. The evening was a perfect one for taking pictures, but nobody wanted to take pictures but me! Fancy that! Lexie ran all the way to Devil's Ice Box and back again chasing Tanner at his heals. Derek told me to put the camera away and let them be in peace. So I let him have it with my, "I don't bug you guys very often for a good family photo and the lighting is perfect right now." At the end of the hike, he called the family together and this is what we got. He is such a great listener! It is my first attempt for a fall photo, and a good one, but doesn't quite satisfy my "itch". Derek told me to get some anti-itch cream. He's such a doc!

A family afair

I looked down at church to notice we all kind of matched, so I called a neighbor when we got home to see about a family photo. The lighting was all wrong and we had all been sitting too long at church to sit again for the camera. So, here is my second attempt at getting a nice, fall family photo.