Happy Halloween

Pictures are up at Flickr!

I want one!!!!!!

The Lake house dream evolves...

TEXAS TINY HOUSE

I saw these in a magazine and I can't even say how much I would LOVE one. A tiny house on lakefront property with a grey and blackwater system - all the eco-friendly works. Plush Camping!!! What a great weekend get-away. Excuse me while I daydream...

Oops

Halloween Riddle I posed to the kids:
"What do you call a Witch who lives at the beach?"
Benjamin: "A Beach Witch"
Ella: "A Bitch"
uhhhhhhhhhhhhh, no
"A Sandwitch"

Trick or Treat

Tonight was Trunk or Treat at Church -

Maiya won't pose!

I never got around to taking pics of the new tree so note it in the background!

The haul - Actually his favorite thing of the night was Bubbling Root Beer - (dry ice) He came running... "these people have this stuff their calling Root Beer but its bubbling and smoking"

A bird in the hand...

Maiya was beside herself tonight - She loved chanting "treet" and "day-do" that's Maiya speak for Trick or Treat and Thank You

Award Winners

Benjamin and Ella both won awards today - Eagle awards are given out at the end of each nine weeks. Benjamin got one for Generosity - they made a mistake and announced "extra effort" And Ella got one for Enthusiastic Learner. We were very proud. Kyle left a very busy day to come see them too. Maiya liked sneaking into the crowd and pretending she was one of the group.

Benjamin's Field Trip

Waiting in line sucks when you are this excited!
I am really trying to listen

The kids had to sketch animals in this statue garden so when they happened upon this pond with real turtles they totally freaked when the turtles started moving. It was hilarious. Notice the way too cool college student trying not to be annoyed with the second graders (the education center is on the UNT campus)

My fav pic of the day

Mrs. Watson's class

Excavation site

Found something!!

Water movement experiments, excavation site digging, chemistry tests, planetarium, it was a very busy day for my little man!!! I came home exhausted but immediately told Kyle how extremely lucky I felt to be able to go with Benjamin on his field trip and be there all day with him. I just have to say I love being a stay-at-home mom and being a going-on-field-trips-mom!!! The best part was the VIP treatment from Benjamin - He was so thrilled to have me there. When I got there he told everyone that barely walked by him "My mom's going with us". He held my hand when the lights darkened in the planetarium. And he wanted to make sure I got to see every single thing. I asked Kyle how many more years will he be excited that I am at his school. He said maybe one. Fighting back tears I humffffed away saying "I hope you're wrong"

Ding Dong Dorks

So last night we got ding dong ditched. A plate of warm brownies, departing tail lights and a note that read: "You have been spooked by the fourth ward ghosts!! Now its your turn to haunt." So tonight the kids and I hit the streets with warm cobbler and our own notes to go haunt. I prep the kids and we stakeout the house. Luckily I decided to make two pans of treats so that we could hit two houses. I wasn't sure who in the ward had already been hit so I wanted to branch out a little lest we close a loop. Its a good thing I did. The first house the kids sneak off very 007 like then come back panting. "You did ring the bell right" - "yeah (with a mild look of confusion on their faces" - "did you hear the bell ring in the house?" - "no" - "did you hear someone coming to the door?" - "no" sigh.... off to the next house. The second house had a reluctant to leave house guest that stood talking in their driveway for way too long - Little did they know their chit-chat cost them a pan of warm cobbler. So we head off for the Hambly's - A risky choice considering there are very fast kids in the house - one being Benjamin's buddy Nick. I park next door. The kids head off even more 007 like this time (Benjamin slinking around the garage with outstretched arms and rapid fire neck movements - It was quite entertaining in the warm van. Next thing I know I see him and Ella booking it as the porch light simultaneously comes on .. and drum roll please... Benjamin hits the dirt and his shoe flies away!!! He recovers, jumps in the van behind Ella and we squeal away with Nick giving chase and doing a very appropriate Na, Na, Na, We saw ya!!! As I round the corner Benjamin says "hey Why did they have a sign on their door that said "We've already been spooked" ? AARRRRGGGGGGHHHHH Benjamin!!! Duh that means someone already got to them. I went back and surrendered trying to get the goodies back to hit someone else but apparently my cobbler looks too good - they wouldn't give it up. So lets hope the other people got their treat and keeps the spook going!

I know very little about this but was pretty amazed by the video:
Life saving swimming lessons

How cool is this?

Bilibo

It was a great birthday!!!

We got the kitchen table at Buca di beppo friday night and it was a blast - great food and a great show watching the chef's cook! - And they sang me Happy Birthday when the yummy tiramisu came out!

We were right in the action

That was some garlic bread like I have never seen - it was covered with garlic but very yummy - don't kiss that baby!

On Sunday there was a performance by SuperBoy and SuperPrincess!!!

Then that night Ami and Jason our new friends that moved in down the street came over for cake and board games - We had a blast!

It was a great weekend! We were productive on Saturday: we planted a new tree - pictures to follow when it stops raining! and I made twelve sign up binders for the Nativity (with a lot of help from Sarah)

Happy Birthday, very funny

So they tell me its my birthday. An early phone call from my mom verifies this. I suppose I'll party because well, I love to party. But for the record I celebrated my final birthday last year. I stopped at 29.

And then there was a website

http://frisconativity.com/

Check it out and proof-read for me!

Lord of the Poop

One poop to ruin them all, One poop to scare her, One poop to cause the scream and forever after bind her.

So looking back I think one really bad poop has lead Maiya to 18months of constipation. I have talked to the doctor, read the books, reviewed her diet, tried to change it, and gave into MiraLax - I don't think its anything technically wrong her with except an underlying fear of pooping then subsequent refusal to let it come naturally. As you can see in these two videos she strains then holds back - this continues for the rest of the day. In a bad week she can hold it for days. I really wish I could reason with her. "Maiya - please poop now, then it won't hurt later" She needs to be in an anal retentive support group or something.

Woo Hoo

Kyle is on his second business trip to Las Vegas in two weeks. I am trying not to be jealous. My loneliness will be forgotten soon though because he just called and said he won an IPod Nano from one of the vendors. They had a Wii set up and the highest home run score was the winner. Obviously his hours of practice paid off!!! YEAH for me - I've already claimed it and he's not even home yet...

Frisco Storytelling Festival

I am using my blog to plug one of my favorite events here
Frisco Storytelling Festival - check out the website for details. I volunteered last year and I am volunteering again this year. I loved every minute of it. This year Target has sponsored Saturday so that day is free and there will be over a thousand craft kits for kids.
Don't miss it!!

Ella's First Field Trip

On top of the world
She insisted on a big one

Ella and her buddy Claire

Maiya found one a little too big

This one is just right

She is young enough to be excited that Lil Sis tagged along.

Class picture with Mrs. Bertalasio, who made them all "Field trip" shirts

You know that dream...

Where you show up somewhere naked? I had a huge embarrassing moment today. We were late for Ella's soccer game - so I didn't have my handy dandy chair to sit in. I am sitting indian style when I feel a hand fiddling on my shoulder. I don't pay it any mind because I think its Benjamin. I few seconds later I see one of the dad's out of the corner of my eye. - the next part happens in a blink of an eye. I turn my head to see what the heck he's doing, as he says "sorry I was just trying to get a spider off of you without scaring you" as simultaneously I see a hairy spider fall into my cleavage!! I FREAK out, jump up, and without a single brain synapse I start clawing at my bra and jiggling my junk to free this flesh eating spider. It isn't until I see a flash of my own nipple (but no spider) that I rejoin society and remember I am in public in front of a very comfy crowd of children and parents (and the opposing team). I return to the ground red faced and slightly psychotic with the spider still MIA. At the end of the game a non suspecting kid says "you have something on your shirt" I go ballistic once again clawing at myself - but more covered this time when I realize its food from Maiya's sticky hands. I left the field at that point, head hung very low.
Meg met me at the door saying "I had the most embarrassing moment today - I totally ate concrete in the parking lot - my bookbag flew about 10 feet away from me as I hit the ground. I definitely heard snickers, and then I was so flustered I couldn't find my car so my walk of shame included weaving in and out of aisles of parked cars." To which I reply (as I flash her) "IS THERE A SPIDER OR SPIDER CARCASS ON ME?"

Benjamin came home from school with this book. I am furious!!!

Camping

We had a GREAT camping trip this weekend. Never thought it would still be swimming season in October! The kids slept in their own tent right next to us - without whining! Maiya slept next to us and didn't join us during the night! We made some DELICIOUS dutch oven meals. It was a hike-in campsite so it totally killed unloading and getting there, but once there the kids could go exploring without fears of being by the road. We had some ginormous spiders hanging out in the trees above us but they never came down, and other than them that was the most insect free campout I've ever been on. They were better than citronella candles. We did have some annoying scouts next to us. One wimpy kid came over and asked if we could turn our fire down because "technically some of us have allergies and the smoke upsets us." To which I replied "Well kid you shouldn't go camping then!" - "Can't you just turn it down to LOW?" - "No hun its a campfire - its not a gas log" - Seriously what is wrong with America? Scouts are allergic to campfires? Luckily a leader never came over for me to have to confront cuz there was no way in hell after hiking in three loads of wood that we were not going to have a campfire.

There are more pictures on my Flickr account - just click on "I turn my camera on"

There is too much I will sum up...

Butttercup is marrying Humperdink in little less than half an hour...
I love random movie quotes...
To really sum up there is so much I haven't had the energy to decide what to blog. But I did want to let you know I am still here and surviving:
It was really nice to have Nana and Gram here and we had a lot of fun while they were here. It is so nice to be tourists in your own town. I swear there will be more pictures and info later.
School is going well. Benjamin seems so much more mature to me this year. He seems to finally get it - you go everyday and you have homework everyday - whining doesn't help your cause! He improved almost six reading levels since the end of last school year. I am so proud of him. He is also running for student council this year as a class representative. I don't know if I am ready for my little man to face a popularity contest. Ella is hmmmmmmmmmmm, learning. What she is learning is a whole 'nother subject. She was tested in the first week of school and she is at the reading level for entering first grade. They don't starting reading groups for kindergarten until January. So she has learned three new ways to throw tantrums by watching the bad behaviors of fellow classmates. She behaves perfectly at school she just tries the new stuff on me. The last tantrum included chewing on her clothes and drooling. It was a class act I nominated her for an Oscar. The teacher is really good and is starting her in reading early so I hope that challenges her. Maiya is starting to catch on with this talking thing. Her speech therapist was impressed with all the words she picked up when Nana was here. And just yesterday she mimicked about thirty words with Ella. Next is combining them and we will be cooking with gas.
Now my purpose about blogging tonight -- I have a new calling, well assignment really. I am the chair person for the annual Frisco Nativity Exhibit. I am excited but have quickly realized that this will be a 30 hour/week job until the first week in Dec has passed. So alas I will not be blogging at a normal pace for a while, if I get to blog at all. For all my local readers - Donate your Nativities for display and invite your friends!!