Halloween Weekend

We had a great Halloween and the kids really got into it. Jarrett because I think he kind of understood what to expect for the first time, and Cara because Jarrett was into it. Jarrett dressed up as a dinosaur and Cara was a mouse...sort of. Couldn't get the girl to keep her hood on, so most of the time she just looked like a woolly toddler.

Jarrett and I had been practicing all week so he would be ready for trick or treating, role playing the whole bit.
Me: Okay, we walk up to our neighbor's door and what do we do?

J: We knock knock knock (pantomiming)

Me: Then, they open their door, and what do you say?

J: Tankoo!

Me: No, not yet, what do you say first?

J: Tricky treating!

Me: That's right! Then what does our neighbor do?

J: Dey give me candy!!!

Me: Uh-huh...then what do you say?

J: Tankoo!

Me: That's right, I think you are ready!

Jarrett had school on Friday and they had a costume party and parade. I pretty much think in this photo Miss Janet might be saying "Jarrett, get back over here". I say that a lot myself.

Let me say there is no amount of tuition discount that could make me take a job in a preschool. It is no place for a control freak.

That evening, and by that I mean afternoon, because around here people start trick or treating around 3 pm, we took the kids around the 'hood for some big fun. Jarrett was absolutely cracking us up. He had a ball and so did Cara though she got tired of walking and carrying her candy bucket...but hey, she's 2, that's a lot of work for a wee one. The routine went much like our above role play with only a few hiccups. The most alarming one was that on the first few houses, as soon as people opened their doors, Jarrett would just walk in and start looking around. We had a tough time convincing him that trick or treating took place on the front porch. Finally, when we knocked on a door and he heard a large dog barking, we were able to convince him that if he didn't want to meet a big dog face to face he might want to stay on the front porch...so he did. But that didn't stop him from craning the entirety of his upper half around our neighbors' legs to take a good look around their homes. Jeez..Nosy Norton!

a brief moment in her hood

Our next door neighbor and babysitter, Katherine. The kids LOVE her, and we do too

I think it is fair to say we enjoyed trick or treating as much as the kids did...it ranked right up there with our former Halloween parties, with a lot less clean up. Still had a hangover though. It was a sugar hangover, but a hangover all the same.











On Saturday we took the kids back to Sesame Place. It was a nice warm day and the last weekend it would be open till next spring. Our tickets were still good. And, I think I mentioned before, it is only 40 minutes away.

She thought this ride looked like it would be fun

Then, once she was in the air, she changed her mind

Enjoying the teacups

She had been dipping her cookie in ketchup. That one's for you, Auntie Carol.

Done With the Weather Bragging

I think over the last few weeks I have bragged to several of you "down south" that we are actually consistently having better weather than you are. Done! Done with that because I just looked out the front window and it is snowing to beat the band. Here's the crazy thing...it's also thundering. Did you know it could thunder and snow together? I don't think any of it will stick because it's not below freezing...but I think I will stay off the roads just the same. NJ drivers are crazy enough without adding snow, or even heavy rain to the mix.

Okay, maybe it is sticking a bit.

On Friday, Jarrett's school planned a field trip to a pumpkin patch and we all went. It was a gorgeous day and a lot of fun. They also had some animals which I think was Jarrett and Cara's favorite part of being there. Jarrett got a big kick out of feeding the animals which kind of tickled me since he lately seems to have developed a fear of dogs. Full grown ones that is. Cara wasn't so much about putting her hand in the fence to feed them but loved watching Jarrett do it.

On the Hayride

Also in the news, Jim had a birthday last Friday and we had a little celebration. Poor Jarrett, he has celebrated Cara's birthday and now Jim's and he just can't understand why it isn't his yet. I have explained to him that first it was Cara's, then Daddy's, then Halloween, then Jarrett's birthday and I think he may have it now. I think that because everyday, at least 10 times a day, he tells me, ticking each event off on his fingers. "Mommy, first it's Cara's birthday, then Daddy's birthday, then Halloween's birthday, then Jarrett's birthday, right? Yes, Jarrett. "Then I get big Doc, right?" Maybe so, Jarrett. My worry? First thing Saturday morning, he's going to wonder why we aren't celebrating his birthday. Oh, well, a teachable moment.

Friday night, when I was putting Jarrett to bed, he absolutely touched my heart. I was tucking him in and telling him I loved him, saying prayers and all that. As i was about to get up from the side of his bed, he said to me "I want Mommy music". I wasn't sure I understood him so I asked him to repeat himself and he did. So I told him I would turn on his CD as I left the room and he said to me "how 'bout you sing?" so I asked him what did he want me to sing, should I sing the moon song? And he says "no, sing don't cry?" Don't cry? What's don't cry? then he sings "baby don't cry?" And then I knew. He wanted me to sing Baby Mine, which I learned from a cassette (that's how long ago it was) that my sister Lisa copied for me of Disney songs recorded by popular artists. This one happened to have been done by Bonnie Raitt and it has long been one of my favorite songs and one I had dreamed for years (like close to 20 of them) that I would someday sing to my kids. And i have, to both of them, sung it regularly. Partly because it is one of the only songs that I can just sing in its entirety off the top of my head but mostly because I love it. And that busy little boy stared into my eyes the entire time I sang it to him and when I was gave me a big grin and said thank you. Absolutely melted me.

On Saturday, we had tickets to the 3rd game of the World Series in Philadelphia...how exciting is that? We went and had a great time although did not stay for entire game because the weather was awful. It was cold windy and very rainy and we just weren't willing to sit out in it and there was really no place to sit or even stand out of the weather. Now had it been the Cardinals playing, we might have been willing to risk pneumonia for the whole game. Again, still so exciting to have gotten to go at all.

Did you think we were the only babies who wouldn't go to our seats?

We're Ready!

I took a trip to Target a few weeks ago, and the check out girl told us we better get our winter gear, NOW. She warned that as soon as a weather person utters the word "snow" the stuff literally flies off the shelves. I asked her where do you get snow boots and the like and she grinned and said "right here, of course". Of course.

So, last week I went back to Target and got us all snow boots and coats, hats and mittens for the kids. Getting them to put it all on for the photo was easy; getting them to take it off and let me put it away was another matter entirely.

We've been told by several people since we moved here that one of the reasons we are going to love living in NJ is the mild weather. "We don't have tornadoes, hurricanes, or much winter weather at all." I gotta tell you their Target tells a different story about the winter weather. There were 3, yes 3, aisles in shoes devoted to winter boots for the entire family. There were 2 large rounders of heavy winter coats in the babies and toddlers department. I think we are in for it.

Green Acres

So you thought we moved to the big city? Think again. We see a ground hog, bunnies, chipmunks and squirrels, regulary, in our backyard. The whole town stops to let the geese cross the street. Click the link below to see what was toodlin' down the street a couple of weeks ago.


http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=CN&Date=20080907&Category=NEWS0102&ArtNo=809070801&Ref=PH&Params=Itemnr=1