Costume Made Halloween

This was an odd year for Halloween it being on Sunday and all. I am usually ready to go with decorations and costume boxes to be dug through and costumes decided on by the 15th at the latest. But, this year it was hard to get in the spirit (a little Halloween joke) and my usual Halloween night soup, and treats Hangout, a 7 year tradition, was on the 29th, which coincidentally was the same day as the three little boys school costume parade and my second day of cooking (Usually cook for at least three days) first day of decorating and cleaning.

The costume box found it's way to the living room on the 28th around 8:00 pm which is when #5 decided to use the 11 year old wizard costume first worn by #1 and #6 decided on the 12 year old grim reaper cloak most often worn by #2 (a child with a darker humor) and #7 grabbed a Sponge Bob costume given to us last year by who knows who.

The 29th dawned cloudy and cold and very early. At 7:10 am three boys were on my bed with the bag of colored hair sprays and face paint left over from last year.

#5: (round faced 9 year old) Should I wear this wizard hat or this wizard hat?

We have two wizard costumes and a lizard costume, one year due to #4 and his inability to pronounce his L's we had a Wizard, a Wizard and a W(L)izard. I love all the memories that haunt me when I open the costume box each year. (I know, I've obviously eaten way to much pilfered trick or treat candy and really need to knock it off with the lame Halloween humor attempts)

Boy Mom: (Very sleepy 40 something) We could forget the wizard hat and spray your hair gold. (As she smears white and black grease paint on a pale skinny #6 in his too big grim reaper costume)

#5: Do wizards have gold hair?

Boy Mom: (yawning) Duh! They can have whatever hair color they want...they're wizards. We could spray your hair black. ( to grim reaper boy)

#6: (He was already pale, probably in anticipation of puking his guts out later that night, and with the white face paint and black around his eyes...) Actually, Grim Reapers have white hair.

#5: Actually, Grim Reapers have NO hair.

#6: Actually, you're right!

#7: (Excited, Blond, 6 year old in a sponge bob costume.) Actually, can I have blue hair?

#5 and #6: (Loudly and in unison) You're Sponge Bob???!!!

Boy Mom: (Feeling her first caffeine craving of the day) Actually, I could use a couple more hours sleep...Arghh!


We had a lovely get together with friends, some have been coming to celebrate with us for all 7 years now. Decorations were up! Soups were hearty! Treats were abundant! House was mostly clean! Puking didn't start until 5:00 AM or so.

And even though it seemed an odd year it ended up being a Bootiful Happy Halloween!

If I pinky swear no more Halloween humor, will you all come next year?!!

Pink Mystery

Not a lot of pink laying around at boy house...just isn't there.

Also, you would be sadly disappointed if you were looking for a girl toy. Wait, we have those.. so to speak, uhh hmm... I believe I'm trying to say, play items directed towards the interest of little girls.

Take baby dolls for instance, we did get one once. Just before #2 was born I bought a baby doll with a little blue pajama sleeping bag outfit to prepare #1 to be a big brother. He held it for 20 seconds or so, handed it back and patted me on the leg, "You baby, Mom." He said.

That baby doll was loved on briefly by each of our sons when they went through the figuring out the difference between mommies and daddies phase. And, that baby doll, he remained clean and in his little blue pajama outfit until little girl cousins came to play... Y'all, girls are hard on baby dolls. They draw on them, undress them, drag them out to the sandbox....

Any who, the other day my American Girl catalog arrived in the mail. This is a super sized, super little girly magazine full of dolls and every accessory imaginable for dolls themed to different eras of American history and the beautiful faces and customs of the many immigrants that make America.

I get the American Girl catalog because at some point, a few years ago, I was sure I would get a little girl some day and that she and I would delight in all things pink and girly...I was probably delusional from puking non-stop for 5 months with morning sickness.

On the second page of the catalogue is pictured row after row of versions of the original doll. All the same face, full cheeks and a darling mouth with two perfect little white teeth; but, with nearly any combination of hair color, skin tone and eye color so that your little American Girl can have a doll that looks uniquely like her.


#7: Mom what's this. {He hands me the magazine with a confused look}.

Boy Mom: It's a catalog of baby doll stuff.

#7: Huh????

Boy Mom: For girls.

#7: Ohhhhh!! {He looks at the rows of dolls on the first page.}

#7: They're all the same! He's confused again.

Boy Mom: They have different skin and eyes and hair so the doll can look just like the girl. Which one would look like you?

#7: Hmmmm, {he has to check, he climbs up to look in the mirror.} I have white hair and white skin and blue eyes. {Our boys don't learn hair color words until they're umm...18?? }

{What??? it just doesn't come up.}

#7: I'm like that one. {He points at a blue eyed, blond doll.}

Boy Mom: Good job! Shall we look to see what kind of clothes you like to wear.

#7: Uhhh, {he gives me a why on earth would we do that look} Let's look to see what doll Lily is. {Lily is his best friend who is a girl.}

#7: Hmmm??? {He intently studies the pictures but just can't figure it out.}

Boy Mom: What about this one? {Points at a Lily looking doll.}

#7: {Peering closely at the doll.} Yep, I think you're right Mom. Her has Brown Hair like Lily. Her has brown eyes like Lily. And, her has... buck teeth?????


Did I mention that female pronouns aren't learned at an early age either?

And that I'll be cancelling my American Girl catalog.

Powelling Around

First! Will someone please hurry over and SLAP me for that post title!

In Utah and surrounding states we are known for our amazing sandstone canyons. Many are national parks. Zions! Arches! Capital Reef is one I've spent a lot of time hiking and swimming in. These are crazy beautiful creations of nature and I never get tired of hiking, exploring and discovering for the bazillionth time each little nook and cranny of brilliantly colored canyon, dry, sandy riverbed floors enclosed by, 100 foot straight up on either side, rock walls.

Pictures (mostly pirated from friends cameras) are of me and my boys and the many friends that have joined us at Capital Reef over the years. I include them so you'll have a picture of how how incredible these parks are and then be able to imagine how cool they are when you add water. Just Add Water... now that would have been a good post title.



One of these canyon areas, carved by the Colorado River, is Glen Canyon which at some point (really not in the mood to research a Utah history lesson here) was filled with water when they dammed the river so that desert states like Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada and California would have water available year round. This huge man-made lake, well known to folks in the Western US as Lake Powell is named after a one armed explorer (really, he had one arm).

Lake Powell is a hugely popular recreation site and we have some friends who have a house boat. They have asked us many times to come down and hang out with them so, over fall break we went. Neither the other Mom nor I brought our camera so you'll have to imagine how fun it was and how great we all looked in our swimsuits four days straight.

I worked up until the day we left so trip preparations, which usually for me include, multiple changes of clothing for every family member , any food and drink item imaginable, 5 or more preparation only trips to stores, a spotlessly clean(in case we die and someone has to go through it) house, all the laundry done and a valiant effort to lose 50lbs and get into Olympic triathlete shape all in one marathon 24 hour rush the day before we leave, were severely limited.

Yes, of course, Adorable Hubby and the boys love my OCD trip preparations...OK! I'm lying! Preparation for this trip was exactly their style. We made it to Costco with no menu plan carefully written to include food preferences, allergies and favorites of each person in the travel party, with alternative meal items and specialty foods. We bought some stuff! We went to a football game, came home found a couple coolers, went to bed got up 45 minuets before we were leaving, yelled at everybody to put on a swimsuit grab a blanket and some pajamas, piled in the suburban and pulled out.

Fortunately our hosts were terrific and didn't mind that between #5, #6 and #7 there were two pajama pants and 1 shirt, and that #3 wore Underarmor underwear as a swimsuit, I never did quite figure out if he didn't bring a swimsuit or just thought it was an acceptable option. They also didn't complain that there was no garlic in the Alfredo sauce even though I insisted that no floating marina store would be without garlic and that it would be worth the 45 minute trip.

We spent four days zipping over the lake, wind in our hair, soaking up the last rays of sun, swimming, eating, skinny dipping...uhhh chunky dunking, laughing, climbing up huge sand hills, making inappropriate sand shapes, eating, laughing, exploring, building rafts, eating, listening to bowel sounds, laughing and wondering why it had taken us so many years to get to Lake Powell.

Thanks to our Pals the Gardner family for being such terrific hosts, for finally getting us down to Lake Powell and for the best fall break ever,"We'll Powell around with you any time."

Really, really needing that slap right about now...

Dazed and Confused Mondays

There are some things that leave me feeling befuddled.

Take goat cheese. It smells like barf. So when is it too barfy smelling to serve?

Tonight leaving a church meeting I passed the teenager meeting just starting, as I walked by I heard their leader encouraging them to be on time. Out in the parking lot I said hi to several people coming late????? Uhhh, maybe talkin' to the wrong crowd, darlin'.

You know that building? The one that is a new resturaunt every 6 months. What is it about that building??? And, who are these people that think, "ahhh... but the last 30 owners didn't have what I got."

Walking past a 3 foot x 3 foot talking, blinking skull at Costco. #7 says, "Woahhhhh! Mom, that's the coolest Christmas decoration ever!!!"

"Uhh, the coolest Halloween decoration ever?" I question.

"I know! Right?" He gives me a thumbs up.

"???"

Don't you just love it when the traffic Gods are smiling on you and the perfect left turn opportunity opens up before you? The kind of left hand turn that flows, not to close to the car in front of you, no braking, Nascar stuff, taking you smoothly through a crowded intersection without a pause. What really was the point of a pale Adorable Hubby mentioning that it was a four way stop?

Costco once again, I've escaped all by myself for a little girl time. I have two items a lime green and blue bottle of Herbal Essences shampoo, and a twin pack of feminine products. "Is that everything?" asks the checker, he's looking mighty fine in his pointy toed shoes and his mod shirt. I'm kinda distracted by the highlights in his perfectly messy hair or something because I say, "Yes....Oh! Wait! I forgot! I need a weiner!" What the... is the matter with me? It's like I need a Haz Mat wash down to get the testosterone off before I go out in public.

So what makes you a bit soft in the head?

Seasoning

It's turned blustery and it snowed on the mountain tops. I love fall, breaking out sweaters and soup recipes.

This fall has felt like an endless summer, 87 degree days, air conditioner and sprinklers still turned on, Saturday I got sunburned at the football game.

Football? Well if you insist.

I'm kinda the quintessential football Mom.

I get that you can't wash the luck out of winning uniforms, "Embrace that smell!"

I know that winners need celebration and losers need space.

I don't talk to coaches during the game even if it's something real important like, what they want for dinner.

I don't yell, "Ohhhh man, I just washed those pants!" Well, not out-loud anyway.

I bring cool after game snacks.

I mostly know what all the penalty signs mean...well, I know what grabbing on, face masking and pushing look like. And I know to yell, "Let em play!" When it's against us, and "That's right!" When it's against them.

I know to bring sunglasses and ice water and blankets and hot chocolate to the same game because you just never know.

At little league games I stalk up and down the sidelines and shout encouraging stuff, "That's OK tigers, shut them down on the...uhh, after..point...thingy!"

When my little players get hurt by the big, mean first and second graders on the other team I give them a hug, a drink and yell, "Now go kick their asses!"

And some Saturdays I do it all at the same game while wearing my Fully Chested t-shirt, I'm just quintessential that way...

And, WOW! am I looking forward to football being over and nothing but raking and baking.