Halloween Costumes

Anika has been most anxious for me to post about our Halloween costumes. Probably because she looked so gorgeous in hers. Here is Ani as a Rani (queen of India.)
Lissa went as a Vampire. And I was supposed to do some makeup--pale face, trickle of blood--but I never did. Oh, well.Anderson is a bat. You'd think we were trying to get rid of him by dressing him in all black to go trick-or-treating on Halloween night. But this was his costume of choice and he wore it for three days straight. Plus he had a hat with ears.

Meredith insisted on being this pink cat that is a size too small for her. But hey, she was happy, and I didn't have to do a thing except snap her up.
I made the first part of Rosalie's spider costume for Meredith to be a witch in three years ago. This time I added the extra legs and made a little hat with six googly eyes on it. She wore the hat for about 20 seconds and refused to put it on ever again.
I wore one yard of tulle draped around my shoulders and said I was a cobweb. Rosalie was my prop.

Autumn Wind

Lissa wrote this song called Autumn Wind for the Reflections competition for her school. She is very gifted at making up songs. Now if we could only get her spend as much time practicing her recital pieces as she does making stuff up :)

Goblinitis and other symptoms of Halloween

We have a goblin infestation.

They're everywhere.

Watching us. Lurking. Leering.

Smirking. Sneering.


Or being endearing. (This one looks like Gonzo.)That's what my kids did after school today.

And my own crafty self did these little shirts for the little girls a few days ago. Orange dye covers the brown stains that we always (always) get on our white shirts. I didn't invent this craft, or the goblins either. I got the ideas from One Pretty Thing.


Meredith painted the face at the bottom all by herself.

Not my costume this year

So a few years back there was that big thing with the Lord of the Rings movies. Remember? And I never would have done this under my own motivation, but my friend Star got a bunch of us excited to go to the premier of the final installment in costume. I worked hard to come up with costumes for myself and my husband. Star came up with costumes for her entire extended family, as you will see if you follow her link.
And Halloween has reminded me, once again, that I have never worn my costume again, not even for Halloween. Why? Why, when I put so much effort, time, sweat, and money into it have I never worn it again? Here is the reason--babies.
Babies don't care if you are wearing silk and other materials that are not even hand-washable. They don't get it if you ask them to please not hug you or wipe their spaghetti smeared faces on you. In fact, they think that is what you are for. Or at least, that is what I am for to my babies.
So here are pictures of my "not for Halloween yet" costume. In a few years maybe it will get out of the closet more than virtually.

Funny Face Family

While we were waiting for everyone to assemble for Family Night, we got a little silly.








Anderson's is an alien, of course. Somehow, it just doesn't have the same effect.

Fire House Tour

Ever heard of E.D.I.T.H.? That's "Exit Drills In The Home" for those of you who have forgotten your elementary school days. I remember resenting them for taking my name and making it even nerdier than I already was. But I'm so over that now, right?

This week was Fire Prevention Week! In honor of said week we took a tour through our new fire station with Star's husband Lee, the Fireman. Or, anti-fireman, really. ( By that I mean he is anti-fire.) The kids loved his laid back attitude towards all the cool stuff--"You want to climb all over the ambulance? Go for it! Climb the firetruck, too! Want to spray the hose? Want to hold the "jaws of life"? Just kidding, it weighs more than you do. So does my fire gear but put it on anyway!" You can imagine the kids had a good time.


And here I am asking what they would do if my house were on fire: "How would you get water? There are no hydrants out where we live. Could you siphon water from the ditch? But they turned that off today. So, could you knock the cap off our well and pump water out of that? Huh? Couldja? How are you going to save my house!?!"

Yeah, I'm about as much fun as an exit drill in the home.

What with a dozen kids and all that equipment, an accident was inevitable. You can see that Anderson is disfigured for life. Just kidding! The only scars are emotional.

Oh! We got a new camera! Hooray! Now we are waiting for a new memory card to come in the mail because the one that came with the camera holds about ten pictures. Sheesh.

four-year-olds at play

My sister-in-law Jenny had Meredith over to play with Andrew today. She was sitting at her computer while they were playing and she started transcribing. (Thanks, Jenny!)
Here is the result:

M: We’ve got all the things.

A: Good, let’s knock stuff down.

M: Here are the snow people.

A: I will break down the gas station. I mean, only the gas. There I’m done.

M: Now let’s go up. Can we go, and put all the tied up persons in jail?

A: I’m swinging on the swing. I’ll put one person on the flying swing.

M: Hey! Can I PLEASE break down this metal egg?

A: No, this isn’t a metal egg.

M: What is it?

A: It’s a spider house. Now break it down.

M: Let’s put a mask on so she couldn’t talk.

A: Okay. I’m going to put a mask on her. MMM....MMMM.....MMMM

M: And they put a mask on all the people.

A: Even the cat? So he can’t say meow?

M: Yeah, and we had a little mask for the little people.

A: Here comes the snapping beetle!! The snapping beetle is coming!!! (Blue clothespin)

M: Feed the snapping people the little tiny people.

A: The snapping beetle is the pet.

M: Here, eat this. (She feeds him a little person), and then drop it in the water. And now we snap this person. And now we will snap all the people, EVEN the snow people, I mean the rainbow people. Snap it, my precious. You are my precious little snapping beetle.
I’ve got the tiniest little mask for the kitten. (Strained meows). Snap her and put her in the water forever!
And now they drown!

A: Hey, that’s my swing. It can swing itself and the beetle can fly. “I’m going to eat this house!”

M: Okay, eat it.

A: Yummy house

M: If you want to eat more, I have this nuther house, if you want to eat more. And it will be gone for good.

A: What’s that song from? (Referring to a song she’s singing)

M: It’s from your precious mother, and you are my sweet snapper.

A: Yum, a mouse. I ate a mouse.

M: Good. Now can you go home.

A: I am home.

M: Well, there’s a problem, we have to let them go.

A: I have to eat them. I have to eat this house down.

M: Well, you can eat the house.

A: This is the snapper’s bedroom right here. And here is the snapper’s friend. (Lightning McQueen)

M: What do you want to do? (Speaking to Lightning)

A: Help. Just help get people out. I’m snapper’s friend. I mean, I’m snapper’s brother. But snapper thinks I’m his friend.