a happy Halloween

No tricks, just treats. The best way to celebrate Haalloween. One thing I noticed, there were quite a few “nurses” attending the Halloween party Bill and I went to. Maybe I tried too hard. But then again, green is my color.

branching out

Thanks to a local Tweep of mine, Ruben Porras, I have a new adventure to add to my personal juggling act: a actual, real, paid writing gig. MY very first article is currently up and for your viewing pleasure. Because Sunday is the start of National Adoption Awareness Month I am kicking it off sharing a short list of famous and natural families. Go and check them out. You just might be surprised.

and sometimes all you need is a friend

…who will bring you home-made chicken noodle soup, chicken pot pie and potato soup and let you ooh and aaahh over her sweet, delicious, newborn grandson and listen to you whine and whine with you about how life can suck sometimes and laugh with you over the fact that social media does sometime make our life less challenging and more fun.

She also can forgive you for writing that incredibly long run-on sentence in the previous paragraph.

It’s good to have a friend like that.

Yeah, I know, I’m blessed!

sometimes social media makes it too easy

There are some things that I have done in my younger, more foolish years that I have kept from my parents and will carry to my grave. It’s not that I was some sort of bad seed or delinquent but there are some things that my folks will never find out about. No, I’m not going to share here. MY family, whether they admit it or not, does read this blog. Like I said, I’m taking some things to my grave.

On the other hand, my kids just don’t seem to have that kind of skill. It’s a good thing. But even if they had inherited this trait of mine, I would still find out because I am an accomplished sneak. It’s my job to be as their mother. I will admit Holly challenged me a lot during her adolescent years. I do enjoy a challenge. But these days, thanks to social media, this sneaky mommy gig of mine can be a cakewalk. Even if they do remember that that they friended me on Facebook and MySpace or that I follow them on Twitter, their friends have asked to be a part of my social network. It’s just too easy sometimes.

Don’t believe me?

I give you exibit A:

• Circus clown asks permission to spend Saturday night at a close friend’s house.
• parentals give their consent
• but wait, circus clown #1 is having a Halloween/housewarming party at her new place.
• parentals ask if darling clown was wanting to go to big sister’s party.
• circus clown tells us no , really wants to spend the night with and hang out with best friend.
• okay then
• but then parental discovers while checking out her Facebook friends’ updates…
• “new house and halloween party
  31 new photos”
• hmmm….let’s see what pictures Holly’s friend posted…

• click…

cute costume, of course it's cute, it's Holly!

Holly and friends never looked better, especially Amber and her beard!

oh look! it's Bob Dylan at her sister's party!

awww....sisters!

You know HAD she asked, we would have allowed her to go. My social network makes this too easy. But then again, this sneaky mom knows how to use all the tools at her disposal. I have to. We’re talking about my kids. Give up kids!

taking the time to enjoy

I’m feeling a little better today. It’s a beautiful thing to move around without hurting all over or feeling like I might pass out, especially since I don’t believe there is anyone around here to catch me if I do fall. As sick as I have been, I still missed the opportunity to get out and run. I know that sounds strange but, well, that’s me. But following doctor’s orders…I know, me, following directions…I am going to take it easy today. If it weren’t so crazy windy outside I would maybe take a walk and enjoy the Fall colors and stop and smell the flowers. Instead I think I’ll just stay inside and enjoy this video of Hazey-Face enjoying and smelling the flowers.

HIS choice for Halloween

It would seem that Daniel is not so much my Little Man anymore as this year he made it very clear that he wanted to choose his costume for Halloween. Fair enough I thought and I took him to the “Halloween Store” a couple of weeks ago to make his selection. While he walked through the store occasionaly marveling over the awesome and gruesome decorations and carefully considered his costume options, mom couldn’t help but recall the past few years of Halloween celebrations for Daniel and how much he has grown and changed.

There was that first Halloween where I really felt comfortable with taking him out trick or treating and how it just was not meant to be.

And then that year even Johnny Depp just couldn’t measure up to his awesomeness.

And last year, as a young, dimpled, Anakin Skywalker, he clearly defined what Trick or Treating was. ..oh, and yes, he did get lots and lots of candy!

But this year it is clear that my Anakin has grown up…

Because I would LOVE to win a Flip (please pick me!) go check out SITScation sitsta and fellow mom of five and circus, Angie over at her Wordful Wednesday edition of the Seven Clown Circus. And to answer Angie’s question:

Why do you want a Flip?

Why? Oh my goodness! Angie! Like you I have five kids and I have a grand-girl. All of them are doing such funny, amazing things that I just HAVE to be capturing with a Flip. It would be sooo much easier than begging hubs to borrow his camera with the video and then cussing over frustration as I try to upload and edit my efforts. I know that Bill is over it. Waaaay over it.Also Jen Hinton totally inspired me at SITScation to give this vlogging thing a try. I NEED the Flip! That’s why!

still in Vegas

I’m thinking that my immune system is still on vacation in Vegas most likely playing blackjack and marveling over the 5 foot 8″ tall women teetering in 4 inch high heels and sashaying about in size zero, skin tight mini dresses with the most amazing plastic boobs ever. I have no doubt that my immune system is wondering the same thing I did last weekend, “How does she walk much less stand without falling over?” I’ve come to the conclusion that my immune system is still playing in Vegas because I am still sick. After watching this video I am positively certain that my immune system never board that return flight home.

I guess the only blessing is that no one else under the Big Top is sick…yet.

I should be crying

There are some days as a parent where you wonder if all the good you try to teach your children is really sinking in. I mean, how many heavy sighs or eyerolls can one really take? Then you catch them being good, being kind and you can’t help but to marvel over it all. It’s an amazing feeling when you get to witness your child working so hard and giving her all for the good of someone else. You find yourself so proud, so happy, so ready to cry and so willing to forget that teen-aged snark you put up with earlier in the day. This was one of those moments.

I’m very proud of you Jodie!

Brava to my favorite Dance Stars!

Yes, I do believe that this messed with the wrong mom!

watching forever

I swear I could watch my Jodie dance forever and never get tired. She has so much energy, so much joy, so much grace, so much strength, so much emotion all in that size zero frame of hers. Tonight she and the rest of her competition team will be dancing as a surprise at a local breast cancer fundraiser. They are dancing in honor of one of a friend of the dance moms, who is battling breast cancer, to “A Woman’s Work”. While the choreography will be their own, I have no doubt their performance tonight will have an impact no less than this dance, choreographed by Tyce Diorio, had on last season’s So You Think You Can Dance.

Good luck to my Dance Star and all the other Dance Stars.

taking charge

Halloween is only EIGHT days away and the Big Top is woefully anemic when it comes to spooky decor. Oh, who am I kidding, we are sucking it big time in the spooky house game. But I am in good company as pretty much everyone else on my street doesn’t seem to have their spook on either, even my friend Kelly, who always out-spooks everyone on our street because she is that awesome (even if she doesn’t blog…yet). But Kelly does have a very good excuse. It’s tough work this enjoying your awesome newborn grandbaby. I know.

Still it is the fact that my Big Top and my circus that doesn’t seem to have our Halloween on that matters here and no, we don’t. Most of us have our costumes planned for trick or treating or parties. I can’t wait to wear mine. Daniel works his so well I know I must vlog it for you all to enjoy. Hazel is test driving a few in preparation.

No, she is not going to be a unicorn, but isn’t she so freakin’ cute as one? She is. But I have to say that Zoë has come up with the most perfect costume for herself this year. What, you ask? Wait for it, I answer back.

Meanwhile Zoë is showing us all how to get our Halloween on as she has taken responsibility for getting the decor, any decor that says Halloween is here people out for all to see. Thank goodness someone is taking charge because daddy just isn’t feeling it and mommy just isn’t feeling well at all.

Someone has to do it and it might as well be my girl here. She can be so much like me sometimes. Zoë took note that we didn’t even have a pumpkin, much less a decent jack-o-lantern around here so she took matters into her own hands.

There now. Isn’t that better? Zoë has saved Halloween here under the Big Top!

I don’t know about you but I’m beginning to feel a little spooktacular