Halloween 2012

Halloween 2012

Anna was busy for a couple of weeks working on Anders horse costume this year.  They made a very realistic paper mache horse head, and a pretty big body as well.  It looked great, but similar to the whale costume a few years ago, a little tricky to actually trick or treat in.  All the same, Anders was determined despite multiple malfunctions this evening and he grew accustomed to being at the end of the line of trick or treaters.  Kuba was a simple goat and he and his friend Jasper lead the pack running nearly all the while.  It was a nice night of pizza with friends and then a big pack of trick or treaters we were.   Here here to another fun Halloween!

It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

PMS Mothering

AKA - Rotten day with Mommy.

I had the worst PMS today.   Serious sensitivity.  To noise, oh to pretty much everything aound me.
It's the worst kind of day for a mom.
I needed solitude. Time alone. A time out really.
Plus it was a day off from school for both boys due to Hurricane Sandy.  Anna worked, I was on.
This meant that by 1 pm in the afternoon I was fried.   I was trying to do too much.  The boys were playing all morning, but I was trying to clean, organize, sort through a long list of things to do, and trying to stay tuned in to them when things seemed to go awry. And today with me, that felt like every second.  Additionally,  Anna plays volleyball on Tuesday nights, so I also had bedtime duty.

I had a wicked chocolate craving as well, and I became a victim to 3 slices of a delicious brownie some secret halloween friend had dropped off.  Was she psychic or what?

I took Kuba to work with me for hours today hoping he would scoot around on his new plasma car while I did some work.  Anna took Anders to the allergy doctor.  I brought my ipad for him, I had art supplies, I had him helping me put together a display, but none of this was good enough.  He really needed devoted one on one time, and I was only half way engaged.   Not a good combo. I felt annoyed more than I felt engaged with him.  Not my ideal definition of a good day with mom.

And now, I am going to bed.   Let's hope tomorrow is better. 
And let's hope the crazy desire for sugar can be tamed in the new day. 

T R A C T O R

Grinning Orange Totems

 

searching for pumpkins    

my boys touch every one   

Hail! Jack-o-lanterns 

The Ten Poses of Kuba

We have a yoga mat in the house and Kuba found it.  It's now his yoga mat and he wanted me to take pictures of him doing yoga.  These are all invented poses but very yoga like all the same.

Perhaps we should sign him up for a kids yoga class?

Kuba's Biscuits

Call Kuba amazing. He made a batch of biscuits for dinner tonight that were super-duper delicious. An articulate boy that little guy.

Watch this cute video of Kuba baking.

1% Granola Bar

I made granola bars yesterday for the first time.
I found a recipe while I was at my sisters and it seemed simple.
I also buy a lot of granola bars for the boys lunches and I just felt like they should be easy to make and that I could save myself a lot of money.

So, I did it.  I used pecans, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and chopped them in the cuisinart...if my boys saw whole nuts they would most likely not eat them.  I added sesame seeds, 5 grain cereal and oatmeal.  I then mixed this with melted butter, honey, brown sugar, and almond extract.  (They were sweet alright)  It was simple.   They look exactly like a granola bar, except way more delicious.  They were simply divine.  We all LOVED them.

When Kuba went to bed at night he asked me:
"When I wake up after sleeping can I have one of those granola bars you made?   Can we send them all over the world and package them and call them 1% bars?"  I don't know how he came up with the name, but I know what he meant by this statement.  I think he liked them.

My Beautiful Family

The Adventures of the Robot Friends

We have a routine at night that always involves a story, a made up story that is, by Anna or me.
There are three options, depending on how early we get to bed.

1. A regular full length made up story.
2. A teensy weensy - this is when there is no time for a full story, so this option is about one minute long- and usually really silly.
3. A teensy weensy wishy - this is when there is pressure from both boys for a story that's just a little bit longer than a teensy weensy...but still much shorter than the regular story #1.

Tonight we had time for a full story.   The boys named it the Adventures of the Robot Friends.
(The name came after they heard the story)

This story involved 4 robots.  Beep beep bop, Tin Tin, R2D2, and Schwa.  They all lived on the planet neptune. 
The tale began when Beep Beep Bop headed up to the top of a mountain with his little robot body.
Soon, Tin Tin came up and joined him.  Followed by R2D2, and finally Schwa.
The fun part of making up this story is that I got to tell the whole story in a robot voice.  Wicked Fun!   Anyway, after all robots made it to the top of the mountain they all came down again because Schwa said there was a robot man giving away free things.
They all lined up.  Beep Beep Bop was first.  He was given a button.   The Robot man said, "Put it on and it will work for you."
Tin Tin got a switch.  The Robot man said "Put it on and it will work for you."
R2D2 got a lever.  The Robot man said "Put it on and it will work for you."
Schwa got a light bulb.  The Robot man said "Put it on and it will work for you."
All the robot friends put on their free things.   When Beep Beep Bop pushed his button, he farted.
(You can imagine my boys laughter at this surprising element.)  When Tin Tin flipped his switch, he peed.   More laughter.   When R2D2 pushed his lever, his Robot pants fell down.  And finally, when Schwa turned on his light....nothing happened.   Huh?   All the robots leaned in to see if the light would turn on.  Nothing.  They moved closer still.  Then...they heard a voice coming out of the light bulb, singing in a sweet soprano - "You light up my life....you bring me light...."  My boys cracked up so hard!    I ended this crazy story after this, but the boys demanded more.  They want it to be a chapter story that I tell night after night and keep adding on to. 
I had to write it down so I woudn't forget all the details.  
I see that this might lead to something.  The boys want me to keep adding more robots that represent their friends.   So far, Anders has claimed Beep Beep Bop, and Kuba has claimed Schwa.   Tin Tin and R2D2 will be their friends Sebastian and Julian.   Kuba's little friends are being added in chapter 2.
I can imagine I can get them to draw the robots...etc.  

This is our life at night.   I think ths is going to keep me from getting old.... using my imagination like this on a nightly basis.  And just as a disclaimer, not all of my stories involve potty humor.