Halloween Part 2

Dn. John dressed up as "Scary Man who just sanded the entryway" this year. On the up side, the entryway is sanded!
Marina the LadybugMegan the Bumblebee!


Carving a Pumpkin at Aunt Diana's house, with Aunt Mary, Luke and Megan.

Megan gives her "Aunt Jess" Evil Eye. (I swear my little sister used to make this exact same face when she was younger).

Marina did NOT like the hat.
Our God-son Roman (age 9) who was a Refrigerator. Hands down, the best costume I saw all night. His younger sisters were Eva and Wall-E. Megan was asleep when they came by...she is going to have a heart attack when she sees this picture!

Halloween

Ah, Halloween. Probably my least favorite of all holidays. I severely dislike the "scary" aspect, anything having to do with darkness, evil, blood dripping from fangs, etc. Also high on my dislike list is the idea that Halloween gives you an excuse to dress like a tramp. But we digress.

Things I do like about Halloween....well, the candy. I am a major junk food addict, and any excuse to have candy lying around, and given to us for free by the neighbors, is a-ok in my book.

Also, it is really fun to see all the kids dress up. Megan was going to be a princess this year, simply because she has dress-ups and a crown, and her Mom is cheap. But two days ago, she woke up and decided that she wanted to be a Bumblebee. In fact, her world just might come to a crashing half if she couldn't be a bumblebee. Dn. John and I have no idea where this came from. We had hardly discussed Halloween at all with each other, let alone with her. But there she was, insisting that she was going to be a Bumblebee, and nothing else could possibly compare.

So I had a quandary. Did I rush out and buy a $20 costume, just to make her happy? The thought of paying full price and searching at the last minute gave me a headache. But, as luck would have it, I decided to go to a killer sale at Old Navy yesterday with some friends of mine. I wasn't even thinking of costumes, but there, in the corner...WAS A BUMBLEBEE COSTUME. It was like the heavens had opened and shined a ray of light right upon it. Of course, it was $22. It was also a size 12-24 months. After having a quick pow-wow with my friends that I was shopping with, it was easily decided that we could cram Megan into the costume, and she would be so excited she wouldn't ever realize that it was a shade too small. But what to do about the cost?? Anyone who reads this blog (or really comes within a foot of me while I'm having a conversation these days) will know that I am rapidly developing an aversion to paying full price for anything. I also wasn't about to drop $22 on a costume that Megan would wear for an hour. So I carried it around with me and thought, and thought, and thought. (It was a very Winnie the Pooh moment).

And then, a fellow couponer/sale shopper gave me this little bit of insight--ALL OLD NAVY COSTUMES WERE MARKED DOWN TO $2. Heck yeah! I could spend $2 on it! And then, I remembered that the coupon I had entitled me to 50% off my entire purchase. That's right ladies and gentlemen, I got the Bumblebee costume for ONE DOLLAR. Megan (who wasn't at the store with me) was thrilled to pieces, and has been wearing it nearly non-stop since yesterday afternoon. She also answers to "Bumblebee" now, and won't come unless you ask her to "Buzz on over here, little Bumblebee!" I also heard her playing with her dolls this morning (while wearing the costume, of course), muttering, "Buzz buzz buzz buzz," under her breath. It's pretty much the cutest thing ever!

Marina was not going to dress up this year, again simply because I'm cheap and didn't want to buy her a costume. But my neighbor Lesa, who is one of the sweetest ladies in the world, overheard me telling a friend about a super-cute Ladybug costume I'd seen at the store. She showed up with it a couple days later for Marina. So we are taking our little Bumblebee and Ladybug Trick-or-Treating this evening, and Lesa and her husband John are packing up the girls to take them to a Harvest Fair (complete with hay rides and bobbing for apples!) this afternoon.

Have no fear, pictures will be forthcoming! Have a safe and fun Halloween everybody, and if you get too much candy, feel free to chuck it my way.

Recent Meganism

I spent last weekend working a Craft Bazaar with my sister. Evidently, Megan misunderstood where I was all day, because she told her Dad that I was at a "Crack Fair." Good times.

Weekly Journal

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW...

It is 7:40 and dark outside! Winter is on it's way.

I AM THANKFUL...

For the brief visit from Matthew we had this week, and that Anastasia and the kids get to stay another week! Also for the screaming deal I found at Target for Dr. Pepper. Hooya!

I AM READING...

I'm still reading Cheaper by the Dozen, mainly because I haven't had any time to read this week. I get in a couple pages before bed each night. I intend to reread "The Strong Willed Child" next, as well as "Dare to Discipline." Both are Dobson's, and both are favorites. I reread the sections pertaining to my kids (well, at least Megan for sure!) every few months for pointers and encouragement.

I AM PONDERING...

Why Marina is having such a hard time sleeping the last couple days. Head cold? Teething? I have no idea. I just want the issue solved, because I am tired!

I AM LISTENING TO...
Marina wailing in her crib. Not one of my favorite sounds.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...
How I am going to get my house clean tomorrow! I was gone all weekend running a craft fair booth for my folks, so the house got no attention at all. It is a disaster!!

IN CHURCH THIS WEEK....
Actually, I have missed every church service for the last week. Wednesday night, we were at our Goddaughter's birthday party (Happy birthday Olivia! We love you!!), last night the kids were unable to handle Vespers, so they took a bath and went to bed early. I did get to go to about half an hour of Matins this morning, but I had to leave to open the booth at the Craft fair. I miss it. (Church, that is).

IN THE KITCHEN...
On Friday, I went bananas making meals for Fr. John. I made him Penne with Sausage and Pumpkin Cream Sauce (oh man, it was sooo good!), Crab Cakes, Meatloaf, Pork Chops, Portobello Pizzas, and Stuffed Acorn Squash. I try to stock him up for a month at a time, so tomorrow I have to finish! I plan to make Spaghetti, Ham & Egg Breakfast Burritos, Pumpkin Muffins, Salmon Croquettes, Vanilla Pudding, and Baked Apples.

THE REST OF THE WEEK...
Tomorrow is tumbling day! Hooray! Megan loves her tumbling class, and she is so stinking cute in her little leotard and tights. I love how she interacts with her teacher too. She is so eager to please, and never gives her a moments trouble. She always obeys the first time, and is helpful and compassionate towards the other kids. Maybe I should invite Miss Becky to move in with us. Also on the docket tomorrow is finishing some cooking for Fr. John, and getting the house cleaned up!

Tuesday, is MY DAY. (Having said this, I'm sure the kids will both get sick now). I intend to start dinner in the crock pot in the morning, have the house cleaned before I go to bed Monday night, and (da da da da!) OPEN MY NEW SEWING MACHINE! All I want to do is play with it all day long..... *sigh* Can't wait!

Wednesday I'm working, Thursday I have no plan that I can think of (I'm sure that will change), and Friday....also no plans! Wow. That never happens. I guess that means I will be catching up on projects, like the church bulletin board, and making two dozen phone calls getting stuff ready for the Bazaar in a few weeks. Saturday...also no plans! This is shaping up to be a great week! My days have been way too overstocked the last month or so.

MEGAN AND MARINA...

Megan has had more good behavior days than bad this week, for which I am immensely thankful! It's good to remember the sweet little thing she is, before she gives me a run for my money again! Right now, she's having a blast playing with Luke. She's so glad her Godparents are in town!

Marina is walking like crazy! She hardly ever crawls now, but toddles around in that little "drunken baby" mode that I love so much. She can say "Hi," "Mama," "Dada," "Up," and "Nono," as well as do the sign language for "More." I'm not really sure if she knows it means more, or if it just means "food" to her, because she makes it when she's hungry. As stated above, she's been having a rough time sleeping the last couple nights. Combined with the runny nose she's got, I'm honestly not sure if she's got a cold or is teething. Either way, I hope she gets better!

I AM PRAYING FOR...
Danielle. She is my friend whose baby died a few weeks ago. My heart still breaks for her every time I think about it, although she seems to be doing well. Also praying for my nephews, especially the two oldest ones. They've got those "teenagers trying to develop into adult" woes, and I just hope that they are able to get through it and become upstanding and responsible men. I also hope my sister doesn't kill them in the process.

A PICTURE TO SHARE....
My family, one year ago! How they have grown! (The girls at least....it's slightly less amazing to see the change in Dn. John. haha).

!!!!!!!!

MY NEW SEWING MACHINE IS HERE!!!! Hooray! I am currently forcing myself to wait until Monday to open it, because I have way too much going on this week/weekend to sit and play. But, the plan is to have the house clean Sunday night, and dinner ready to go in the crock pot so I can play with it all day Monday. I feel like a kid in a toy store! :)

My coupon class is tonight, so that should be loads of fun. I still need to clean my house in a major way, but that will get done soon enough. Marina's asleep and Megan's watching the Incredibles (thank you, once again, Pixar for making a movie that she will watch 10,000 times so I can get some stuff done!), so I get to take my "10 minutes" of breather time. Of course, this usually stretches into half an hour, but who cares? If 30 minutes is all I get all day, I am taking it baby!

It just occurred to me that all I've had to eat today is a piece of bread, a string cheese, and half of a Dr. Pepper. Should probably go have lunch.

Keeping up with Naomi

My friend Naomi posted this on her blog, and I am stealing it, because it is such a cool idea. It's basically a weekly journal. We'll see if I'm able to do it each week!

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW...

It is sunny and cold today! Not the best combination. But up here, once we hit October sunny days mean cold, and cloudy days are warm. I suppose the clouds hold the heat in, but I don't know how scientifically accurate that it. The trees are almost completely bare of leaves, which has left giant piles for Megan to crunch on the ground. She loves to do that.

I AM THANKFUL...

For nap time. Today's been a rough one with my sweet little girls. Marina is so active and into everything right now. I think I forgot about this stage. But she empties the trash, pulls all the shoes off the rack, dumps out crayons (and eats them too) all over the floor, grabs food off the table, and empties the bookshelf...all of these at least three times a day. It's exhausting and depressing having to clean up the same messes over and over and over and over.... Also thankful for nap time because while Marina naps, Megan gets to watch a movie, which she will do quite nicely (and QUIETLY!) all by herself, which gives me a break from the incessant questioning and fit throwing that are so currently prevalent in her personality.

I AM READING...

I started "Cheaper by the Dozen" last night, which I re-read on a fairly regular basis. It's such a great book. They have twelve kids, so it helps me keep my life slightly more in perspective, along with giving me some good chuckles along the way. I am also working through my stack of Taste of Home magazines that have piled up over the last year. I've read them all, but now I am going through and ripping them apart, clipping coupons and recipes that I intend to try.

I AM PONDERING...

How to be a better Mom. I totally lost my cool with Megan this morning, and it made me really stop and think about the kind of parent I want to be. Also, I figure if I want my kids to grow up to be calm, patient, rational, and compassionate, I had better learn these traits too.

Also pondering how Marina can poop so much. That's a little less cool, though.

I AM LISTENING TO...
Silence. Ahhhhh........ I have also rediscovered my love of George Winston over the last few days. Lots of classical piano at our house right now, at least until my husband comes home and puts on the new Pearl Jam album to listen to while he works in the entryway.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...
The feeling of satisfaction I get after I have crossed off the last item on a long to-do list.

THE REST OF THE WEEK...
It's going to be a busy one! Tomorrow I am helping with a fund raising dinner for the school. I am working with the 5th & 6th grade class to make all the rolls. We have to make at least 400, so it's going to be a doozy. Wednesday, I work at the bakery, and then it's our Goddaughter Olivia's birthday party in Anchorage in the evening. Thursday, I've got to re-stock Fr. John's freezer with meals, and Friday I'm watching Oscar for a good chunk of the day. Saturday and Sunday, Kali and I are running a booth for a bazaar in Wasilla for my folks' bakery. (This is assuming that Kali and her kids are over the plague that has hit her house...otherwise I might be on my own). Of course, most importantly (and excitedly!!) is that Anastasia, Luke and Hannah get her tomorrow morning for a two week visit!! YAY!

MEGAN AND MARINA...

Megan is.....seriously, words are failing me right now. I really want to say positive things about her, but it's been rough lately. I had hoped that as she eeked closer to three years old, the terrible twos would end. It seems mostly though that the last year was just a tiny little "teaser" and she's now moving into the main event. Lots of fits, lots of screaming, lots of abusing Marina, lots of melting into a puddle of whining on the floor whenever I ask her to do something. She is teaching me patience alright. And humility. (And humiliation, but we digress).

Marina is also moving into a tougher phase of life. She walks everywhere now, and likes nothing better than to be the cause of a giant mess. She also still puts everything in her mouth, which I had hoped she would outgrow by now. But, I am still rescuing small toys, crayons, old chips, and goodness-knows-what-else from her. She is still having some minor health issues. We haven't made it in to see either of the specialists yet, due to the fact that their offices refuse to return my calls. It's annoying. But, I'm hoping that we'll get in soon, and figure out what is upsetting her tummy so much.

A PICTURE TO SHARE...

Sorry it's blurry, I was having trouble with the camera. This is our friend Breandan, reading a story to both our girls, with his daughter Claire sandwiched in the middle. So cute!

Shopping with Megan

Megan had a screaming fit at Walgreens today, informing me that what I was buying was "too 'spensive!" When I told her it was okay, she melted into a puddle of insanity on the floor and bawled. "Put it back! You don't have money for that! Put it back!"

Her Dad would've been proud

My Day

My day began this morning at 2:30 am, with Megan climbing in bed with us. We let her snuggle for awhile, and then put her back. Just as I was drifting back to sleep, she popped her little head over the side of my mattress, and climbed back over me to her favorite "sweet spot," nestled right in between Dn. John and I. We put her back again.

It is now 3:00 am. Megan is in bed with us again, and Marina starts to howl. She comes in bed too. We let both girls stay for a few more minutes, then stick them both back in bed. Marina stands and screams (for a good ten minutes), Megan has a giant fit.

Fast forward to 4:00 am. They are both in bed with us again. Neither Dn. John nor myself has slept since 2:30 when Megan woke up the first time. One or both of the kids has been a) crying, or b) kicking us in the face for the last hour and a half. Megan insists she isn't tired and doesn't want to sleep, refuses to lay down in her own bed, and would like to wake up.

It is now 4:30 am. Marina is talking to herself in my arms, and Megan is screaming again. I had the audacity to try and put her back in her room, and she is having a conniption since she wants her Dad, and apparently I am not allowed to touch her.

5:00 am. Dn. John's alarm goes off. The kids are awake and rolling around in our bed. We have been up since 2:30.

5:30 am. I give up and get up with the kids, and give them breakfast while Dn. John gets ready for work. I come to the conclusion that I do not like seeing my husband before he goes to work, namely because he leaves at 6:00 am and I would much rather still be sleeping at that hour.

At 7:00 am, we are dressed and climbing into the car to head to the bakery. I work on Wednesdays, and usually don't get there until 10, but since I've been awake for five hours already, I think, "What the heck?" and go.

7:01 am. Marina is fast asleep before I even get out of the driveway.

7:10 am. We're driving through Peters Creek, and Megan is passed out.

7:30 am. Get to work. Attempt to keep both my sleeping kids asleep while settling them in my Mom's office so I can work in peace. Doesn't work. Both kids wake up. Scream. Settle down. Marina hangs out with Kim up front, Megan is pacified with cake scraps and frosting (yes, at 7:30 am).

It is now 3:15. The girls are dead to the world, and have been for quite some time. I napped until the phone rang, and then decided to get up and share today's experience with the world. If we have a repeat performance tonight, I will probably have to admit myself to a mental institution.

Holy Sheetrock Batman!

Megan has "Goodnight Moon" memorized, and was "reading" to Marina earlier. So cute!
Screwing in the last piece of sheetrock!


Working on getting that perfect fit.

Entryway progress

Well, today is Dn. John's day off (Columbus Day? Is that what it is?). Anyway, the perks of working for a bank continue, and he is home today. We got up and had a family breakfast of French toast (yum), and now we are progressing to sheetrocking the entryway! Breandan also has the day off today, and he's going to be here any minute to help. The guys got the closet done yesterday, and are hoping that the rest of the sheetrocking will go quickly. Hooray!

Rocking the grocery store

Two jars of pasta sauce, two boxes of pasta, two packages of hot dogs, two bottles of salad dressing, 3 bananas and a mini pumpkin for Megan. All name brands. Are you ready for this?

$2.87!!

So help me, I never thought shopping could get any better. I was so, so wrong.

Marina's Breakfast

I just wanted to report that Marina ate more than Megan and I combined at breakfast today. She had an entire banana, a 6 oz yogurt, a handfull of Cheerios, and a string cheese. Good grief! Can anybody say growth spurt??

The exterior is done!

My New Love Affair, Part 2

Well, I hit my usual "pay day" shopping today and yesterday. I saved over $90 using coupons! I can't believe it. And this is only after two weeks of saving coupons and watching deals. I am seriously in love, and my husband is happy too. ("Dn. John" and "Happy" are not usually words associated together when it comes to me shopping). Included in my shopping bonanza were four free bags of candy (yes, free!) and six (SIX!!!) free (FREE!!!) tubes of toothpaste.

On top of that, my awesome husband finished the outside of the entryway! Well, at least as much as he can this year. We will have to wait to stain the siding until the spring, as it is too cold out now. Next stop is yard clean up, and then sheet rock! Hooray! Hopefully we can get all the sheet rock up before Anastasia comes up on the 20th, so she can show us how to mud and tape (we hear you are the best of the best at this! So we're waiting for a demo.) So he is downstairs in the living room, taking a well-deserved break with some football and a frozen pizza (which I scored for $2.50 using coupons!!).

I am going to go actually get off my chair to find the camera so I can post the pictures Dn. John just took a few minutes ago.