That Low Golden Light

Everything looks beautiful at sunset.

My Favorite Age

So I really think that the most adorable age for kids starts right around a year and a half. For my kids, that's when their personalities really start to show. It's also when they finally move past the single words at random stage to the actual communication stage. This is the first time that I've actually felt a little sad at the speed with which my baby is reaching each new stage.
Just a few days ago Rosalie said her first sentence. It was "I want my binkie." It was slurred and sounded almost accidental, but she was reaching for her binkie at the time, so it was for real.



And today she came to find me just to tell me "Ginkie!" Which meant she was stinky. That's a good thing to know.

Have you ever had a one-year-old put their little moist hands on either side of your face and pat you repeatedly? Or be so glad to see you they plastered themselves to your front while repeating your name over and over? (Yes, "Mommy" is my name.) And then my cheeks are sticky and my front has more than baby plastered on it, but it's still my favorite age.

A bone to pick at the Love Feast

Okay, so Obama will be our next president. Unlike many of you, that doesn't fill me with pessimism or optimism. I am neither sure that he will ruin the country nor that he will save it.
And I thought he gave a very nice acceptance speech. There were just a couple of things he said that made me go "huh?"
The one I will mention is this: He said we were facing the worst financial crisis of the century. Now, either he means this century, as in the year 2000 onward, or he is saying we are worse off now than we were in the Great Depression. Um, maybe I am completely oblivious here, but I don't think so.
Are all of you out there really suffering that badly? If you are than I can understand why his platform of change is so very attractive. But really, this seems more like panic-mongering to me than fact.
I do believe that Mr. Obama has the best motives and that he really feels he will be helping us all by instituting whatever changes he can. But it all puts me in mind of the story "The Giving Tree."
--Yes, my child, you got yourself in a terrible fix with your greedy speculation and your desire to have it all. So now take my branches. Take my apples. Take everything I have to give you. That's what I'm here for. And don't worry about personal responsibility. There are no consequences because I love you. I will bail you out. I may be left a limbless stump in the end, but I will still give everything I have until there is nothing left and we are both old and fruitless.--

Oops, that sounds a lot like pessimism.

In fairness to Mr. Obama, I don't think this is his intention at all. But I think a lot of people in this country are expecting it to be.

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.