Its Tuesday, not Monday, And We've Made It To November

I think because it was Halloween yesterday, and I had someone cover for me at work, this is why I feel like today is a Monday. I will be telling myself its Tuesday all day long.

DS12 enjoyed his last year of trick or treat, even though his Al Capone belly pillow fell out only a block away.

I'm thinking next year we throw a party and ask everyone to bring a different bag of candy. Then Christmas cookie exchange style, all the guests can put together an assortment to take home.

We watched several episodes of R.L. Stine's the Haunting Hour we had recorded and had a nice evening. I tried to make a healthy supper, salad with chicken breast and roasted potatoes, but we still probably ate too much sugar.

Another plan for next year, DS16 says we should get many more pumpkins and carve a pumpkin a day leading up to Halloween. How I will fit all those pumpkins into our tiny composter after Halloween, I don't know, but I like the idea of lining the driveway with pumpkins.

I had an interesting conversation with DS12 yesterday while he was carving his pumpkin. I thought he was being too hard on himself and he said back to me, "Mom, being hard on myself is what motivates me to do better."  Whoa.

We talked about the importance of knowing when you cross that line. We also discussed how every person creates their art differently and what's important is that you stay true to your individual style.

After he had finished carving, he did say he was pleased and it came out better than he had expected. I guess I shouldn't worry so much.

I can't believe it's November already. We've made it to November without putting on our heat!! Last night we got close to putting it on, but I had this goal to try and make it to November. It's only in the 50's on average during the day, and the evening temperatures drop down to the 30's, but with all the living we do in our Sleepyhouse, it somehow naturally stays warm enough. Our house temperature has maintained around 65. I joke its the heat from all of our glowing electronic rectangles!

On my agenda for November, organize my closet. I would have more room if I store way the summer gear.

I also hope to accomplish Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving. I say this every year, and never quite reach that goal. I would like for the shopping to be done, so I can completely enjoy the season without the stress come December.

My last goal for November, stay healthy! So far so good, but November brings the serious start of cold and flu season. At work I'm constantly exposed, although at home I try to keep the bottle of Lysol on hand. I think if I have DS12 hide away all of his Halloween candy, that will help me keep the sugar intact down. I know sugar and stress are what weaken me.

On that note, I suppose I should get moving here to help me reach that "be healthy" goal. Have a great TUESDAY!

Happy Halloween!

We've carved our Jack-O-Lanterns, over 200 pieces of candy are waiting at the door, and DS12's Al Capone costume is ready. Bring on the Halloween fun!

DS12 had a trial run at G-Ma's last night and scored so much candy! Several people commented on how his scar was missing, so tonight we'll try to correct that. We researched Al Capone's scars today and we'll draw them on tonight.

The boys made a funny Halloween skit with their cousins and friends, called Halloween Police. It always amazes me how quickly they can throw something like this together.  Click here to check it out.
 

Orangutan Safe Halloween

Our local zoo has trick or treating for kids, and the pool I work for participates in this fun activity. I learned from our zoo that orangutans are in danger of losing habitat and not all companies use sustainable palm oil. I'm passing along information from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, regarding orangutan friendly companies who do use sustainable palm oil.

This information is meant to be a helpful guide for consumers that are concerned about orangutan conservation and deforestation due to non-sustainable palm oil production in Indonesia and Malaysia. The companies listed below are members of the RSPO (Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil) and are committed to using certified sustainable palm oil. Please support companies that are doing their best to make a difference for orangutans.

Make a Difference for Wild Orangutans
Orangutan Friendly Sustainable Palm Oil Halloween Candy List

Note: Any products made by Nestle, Kellogg’s, PepsiCo (Frito Lay),
Hershey’s, Mars, Walmart (Great Value Brand) and ConAgra (even if not listed below) are good choices as they are all members of the RSPO.

If you do not find your favorite snack/company on this list, take action by writing
a letter and asking the company to join the RSPO and be committed to using
certified sustainable palm oil.

For a sample letter and more information on how you can Make a Difference for Wild Orangutans visit
www.cmzoo.org/conservation/PalmOilCrisis.

Company Name & Snack Name

Nestle Baby Ruth, Butterfinger, Crunch Bar
Wonka (Nestle) Sweetarts, Bottle Caps, Laffy Taffy, Nerds
ConAgra Fiddle Faddle, Crunch & Munch, Poppy Cock
Kellogg’s Rice Krispie Treats, Fruity Snacks, Pop Tarts
Kellogg’s Austin Crackers (all varieties)
Kellogg’s All Keebler Brand Cookies
PepsiCo (Frito Lay) Cheetos, Doritos
PepsiCo Grandma’s Cookies
Hershey’s Twizzlers, Jolly Ranchers, Whoppers
Hershey’s Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Almond Joy
Hershey’s Mr. Goodbar, Heath Bars, Milk Duds
Mars Snickers, Twix, M&M’s, 3 Musketeers
Mars Milky Way, Skittles, Dove Chocolates
Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups, NutButter (All flavors)
Lindt and Spungli Lindor Truffles (All flavors)
Ghirardelli All flavors
Walmart Great Value Brand products (Candy, Cookies, Crackers etc.)

Our Halloween Night

Here's our Businessman Zombie. Before he got dressed, he looked very creepy staring at us from the dark hallway. He hauled in quite a stash of treats, and all the walking he's been doing helped him cruise through the neighborhood in record time this year.

DS15 stayed home with friends in the Mancave playing games. I was on doorbell duty while DH and DS11 were out. It started out slow but really picked up. I was glad we had picked up extra candy because we ended up with about 200 trick or treaters.

After Trick or Treating, we watched The Walking Dead. So far, it seems interesting, although fairly obvious they are proud of their special effect makeup. I was surprised by the amount of graphic violence, (head shots) on regular TV, but maybe AMC isn't considered regular TV?

Happy Halloween!!

The boys carved their pumpkins last night. I'm still getting used to our new camera. Sometimes it seems to focus, other times it doesn't. I like the "orbs" in this shot. Very fitting for Halloween.

We went to see Paranormal Activity 2 yesterday. I think I liked it better than the first one, but that was because much of the film is shot from home security cameras, meaning there's less hurky jerky camera movements. The story ties into the original rather nicely, and there are a few good, jump from your seat moments.

At home we watched The Crazies, (the remake). We all enjoyed this movie too, although its more of a thriller than chiller.

Tonight I'm excited to check out The Walking Dead on AMC. This will be after my own zombie finishes trick or treating. He's going to be a businessman zombie. I just need to figure out how to layer him up since its going to be 29 degrees tonight.

The timer's going off so I have to run. After soaking them all night in salty water, I'm roasting the unborn.

Halloween 2008

Pumpkins & Posse

I'm using my extra hour to sleep.

I'm wiped out. Thankfully my sister is moved! Yeah! The house she is renting now is so much better for her family. It was worth the work. The weather cooperated, my body did too, although now I'm exhausted. I pray things work out for her, and she can purchase the home within the next 6 months.

Trick or Treating went very well. We had our biggest turnout yet. DS9 got lots of compliments on his Poptart costume. (I'll show you next week. DH promises to burn my photos to a CD at his work for me since I'm still struggling with moving them to our PC with our USB cord or card reader.)

Even though the Posse Rats were a little hyped up from all the Halloween candy, the sleep over party was stress free. I made hot dogs, (easier and cheaper than pizza), added a few bags of chips and 2 liters of soda. I should start calling these all night video game parties, "all nighters" instead of sleep overs. None of them get much sleep. I was just glad they were all safe in our basement, instead of running around the town Halloween night, possibly getting into trouble.

Maybe this sleep over seemed less stressful because of our new deal. The boys were getting a little tired of being "abandoned", (left with a babysitter), while DH & I rocked away our midlife crisis with Blind Melon concerts. We've made a deal they get to have a sleep over for every concert we go to now. This Friday will be our 8th concert since last March. I don't know if my luck will hold. Every concert I've been stage front and managed to grab a set list or a pick. Every time I see them, I tell myself this could be it. This could be the last time I hear their songs live.

Well, I'm off to bed. I'm really trying to get 8 hours, get my exercise and drink my Emergen-C. The boys have colds, and I mistakenly drank from a contaminated water bottle! Not that I couldn't have breathed in their rhinos will all the sneezing that's been going around. I must stay well for next Friday's road trip!

Clog time

I'm still around. Just having a hard time getting back on the blog wagon. A big part of it is I'm still struggling to get my photos transferred. I bought a card reader but for some reason, it's not reading my SD card. Next paycheck, I'll look again for a USB cord, but that didn't go so well last time.

I want to get on here though, and journal at the very least what we've been up to. In the long run, this blog's purpose is to record our history.

We brought mini pumpkins and gourds to Great Grandma's grave stone. Yesterday she would have been 80. It still seems so surreal she is no longer with us. I miss her. She was such a loving presence. She always greeted you with warmth and smiles. She gave great smushy Grandma hugs too!

The boys tried a little trick or treating in K-town. It was way too windy to wear the Poptart costume. DS9 would have been blown away into Lake Michigan like a sailboat! There weren't too many kids out so they really made out. At the last house, the kind lady probably gave them each 10 mini chocolate bars!  She basically dumped her bowl because she wanted to get rid of it. Now of course, its my problem!! DS9 isn't fond of Snickers, but unfortunately, I can be tempted!

Saturday I worked at the pool. We had our Olympic Swim Meet for the season and afterwards we hosted a free Halloween Party Family Swim. It all went very well. My creepy stalker guy was there swimming in his street clothes. I don't know. I think he may be Muslim, but I thought it was only the women who had to cover up?

Have I told you about my creepy stalker? I can't remember, and I'm too lazy to read back to see if I have. If I'm repeating myself, feel free to skip this part. Creepy Stalker guy is this dad who has brought his daughter to swim lessons forever. He doesn't have a good marriage. I know this because he's shared the ugly details with me. I think it was an arranged marriage because that is common in his culture. Anyway, he is always hitting on me even though I've dropped numerous hints I'm happily married. A few weeks ago, he asked if he could have his photo taken with me because, I "motivate him." I declined. Last week I was selling snacks, and he began to walk behind the counter.

"Dawn, I need your help. Its something only a woman can help me with."

WTF!! I asked him to leave the employee only area and then he explained he couldn't get his daughter's earrings out. Now why didn't he just say- "Can you help remove my daughter's earrings?" Because he's freaky creepy and someday if I go missing, I've told everyone at the pool to give the police his address and phone number!! I found out its not just me he flirts with. I guess he's been asking the girl who closes on Fridays all about her life.

My sister is moving! Yeah! She currently rents from a slum lord who is letting a historic landmark crumble to the ground. I'm uber excited because now she'll just be a few blocks from my door! I really hope this works out for her. The house she'll rent went into foreclosure, a real estate broker picked it up, and because she hasn't been able to sell it, she's renting it out for 6 months. My sister may have the option to buy it at the end of the lease. I hope it works out for her. She deserves to live in a safe home, without mold issues. Its a bonus too she's getting a better home for less rent!

I've decided to vote early. Our village hall is offering this to help with the expected crowds on election day. Last year I was able to go during work hours so I only had to wait in line with the other SAHMs and senior citizens about 20 minutes. My working sister and husband waited two hours after work to vote. I remember they didn't turn anyone away, but the voting was still going on long after the polls were suppose to close. I hope we have an overwhelming turn out again.

I think DH and I are going to break down and go mid-life crazy again. Blind Melon had to cancel several shows because the lead singer is having vocal cord trouble, but low and behold, they didn't cancel the Fort Wayne, Indiana show. I think its a sign! If we can get tickets, we're doing the crazy drive through the night thing again. I know we're cutting it close. It will be November and just last night we saw flurries. I hope we can squeeze in one more show, before we're snow bound or they quit touring. I'm a Bee Girl at heart, and I need one last slice of Melon!

Time to stop rambling. My chicken meatball soup DMIL made me is ready now. Take care!

Happy Halloween!

I had to post the boys in their costumes because they looked so good! I thought DS12 did an excellent job on his zombie makeup and even though we couldn't get the crab legs to stick out, DS8 still rocked it. Now we have way too much candy!!!!

Carving Jacks..

(Ok I can't figure out yet how to post more than one snap in a post. I tried to use photobucket but I'm getting a message I have to update and I'm too lazy right now to work through that. I'm going to just try this using Multiply.)

Except for me cutting the top off, the boys did everything themselves. In years past, I've got stuck scraping guts and making cuts. I think you can tell from the snaps, they had a great time. Give a boy a knife and how can they not have fun?!

 I love the picture of Yumi reaching out her paw to claw DS12. She thinks she's being sneaky, hiding behind the curtain! LOL!

Trick or Treat!

Here is DS8 trick or treating at Great Grandma's nursing home. It was very cute. They had many of the residents lined up, circling throughout the center.  The children paraded around in their costumes, stopping at each resident to get a smile and a piece of candy.  The staff  made sure each resident had candy and there was more than enough to go around. This was our first time trick or treating this way, and I'm regretting we hadn't tried this sooner. Of course this is our first Halloween with Grandma in a nursing home, but you didn't need to have family in the home to trick or treat there. The public was invited. It was such a great idea. If you have children and need a safe place to trick or treat, look into nursing homes in your area!

Thanks for accepting my invites!

I feel like the party's about to start! Thanks to everyone who's accepted my Multiply invites. Its great to see everyone here and to make new friends as well!

Last night we had our dress rehearsal. We discovered green is not the best color choice for zombie makeup. DS12 ended up looking like The Creature from The Black Lagoon. I'm sorry I didn't get a picture before he washed it off.

DS8's Lobster/crab suit needs some adjusting on claw length. They were dragging on the ground.  He still managed to crawl through the haunted maze at our friends' Karate school party. He really looked more like a crab when he was scurrying on all fours.

I headed into town once again to find blue and gray makeup so hopefully tomorrow DS12 will be more zombie like. I promise to take pictures this time.

We plan on watching monster movies, carving our pumpkins and popping corn tonight. I love fall!

Tomorrow its road trip time to K-town to say hello to Great Grandma in our costumes and trick or treat in her town.

Thankfully my sore throat has been chased away by all the fruits and veg I've eaten along with lots of fluid and sleeping in. I feel like I've won this first battle but the war isn't over. Flu season is just getting started.

Oh! I had another bad dream last night! I was riding in a car when we hit a traffic jam. A man walked up to the car with a gun. I jumped into the back of the car and grabbed DS8 into my arms. The man moved around to the rear window which was partially rolled down. He pointed the gun at me and I begged and pleaded for him not to shoot. He ended up throwing up on me!! Gross, but hey, I wasn't shot. He became embarrassed and ran away crying. I was grateful DS8 and I were safe. Very weird huh?!

Well, I better start my crab leg alterations so I can enjoy the night time fun. Hope your weekend is going great!

I know. Its pathetic.

This is what you get when your mom sews only once a year on a machine built before she was born. I know he looks like a lobster rather than a crab. I can't get the legs to stand out. I'm using batting and newspaper since I don't have any wire hangers. Thankfully it gets dark around here shortly after we begin trick or treating.

Monster Fest Time on AMC!!

I know we are going to watch too much TV this week, but its MONSTERFEST! The AMC network is showing horror movies now through Halloween.  I married a horror movie fan but its not my fault. I can remember being a little girl and my mother would ask on a Saturday afternoon, "Should we see if there is a monster movie on and pop some corn?" I loved to hide from the scary parts by climbing between the couch cushion and my mother's back, piggy back style. I remember she liked the classic Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney movies best.

I wasn't tramatized by a scary movie until I foolishly watched the Exorcist with my best friend Lisa. We were only 12, home alone. For two weeks I was convinced I would become possessed and I couldn't sleep.

I found out years later DH also had watched this movie when he was 12. His mom was on a business trip and he was home alone. (Relatives lived next door.) He had turned off all the lights but by that first scare, every light in the apartment was on! DH and I have told the boys this is the scariest movie on earth and they can't see it until they grow up!

Getting ready for Halloween

Halloween is coming and I have to start sewing. I'm not really good at sewing, but I give it my best try this time of year. DS8 wants to be a crab this year. DS12 hasn't yet decided what to dress up as. Last year I made this Whoopee Cushion costume and it was a big hit. I saw a picture in a catalog and just winged it, without a pattern. Here in WI it helps to have costumes that fit over winter jackets!