House of Estrogen

Halloween Weekend - Everything Else

This post is just a hodge-podge of the rest of our busy weekend.

First, the requisite Halloween attire for the end of the week. Nina, of course, chose to accessorize hers a bit!

 

   

Friday Night was the Fall Festival at the elementary school. It had all the usual suspects - big inflatables, games, crafts, polish sausage, pony rides, popcorn, and a cake walk. There was one new addition this year though, karaoke... really, really LOUD karaoke, like wishing you had hearing aids you could turn off loud. It was cute to see the kids Elise's age up there singing their hearts out to Hanna Montana songs, but seeing the fourth and fifth graders belting out lyrics like, "I kissed a girl just to try it. I hope my boyfriend don't mind it" or "Them good ol' boys were drinking whiskey and rye" was just a bit unsettling. 

   

  

We have attended the fall festival every year since Elise started kindergarten, but somehow we have always missed the "kiss the pig" event. The kids vote on which teachers should kiss the pig. Since Nina's kindergarten teacher was one selected for the honor, we made sure not to miss it this time. When I had heard about this in years past, I pictured a cute little pink pot bellied pig, perhaps Wilbur from Charlotte's Web. I had no idea the teachers had to kiss this humongous grey boar!  If there was ever any doubt as to why it is hard to attact people to teaching, it isn't just the money, it is the fact that they are made to KISS PIGS!  Mrs. S - you go girl! I think I would have called in sick (with swine flu, of course!)

  
 
  
Saturday morning, Elise made bagged lunches for the homeless with her Brownie troop. With all the excess of the weekend, I think this brought some needed perspective in her life. She came home wanting to round up our old coats and shoes to donate. One of her troop leaders was homeless for a time in her life, so she spoke very passionately and emotionally to the girls about what they were doing and why. I think it really resonated with Elise.

Next on the agenda was Nina's end of season soccer party. Nina really had a great time with soccer this season. I hope she'll decide to play again in the spring. Her coach was wonderful!

 

 Finally, just a couple pictures from Nina's last soccer game.

 

  
 Whew! What a weekend... lots of fun, but I'm glad its over!
 
 
  

Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet!

By all accounts, this was a near perfect Halloween. It seems like something usually goes wrong on Halloween to put a damper on the festivities. The year I was pregnant with Addie and had pelvic separation, I walked about 6 houses with the girls and then could barely move the next two days I was in so much pain. The year Elise was a mermaid, she tripped on her costume and ended up with horrible skinned knees. Invariably, something always seems to get in the way of our fun - not this year though! We started out with dinner at Five Guys - nothing like great greasy burgers and fries to walk off while Trick or Treating. The weather was perfect - around 75 degrees and pleasant. We went out with Sharpay and Gabriella from High School Musical (Elise and Nina, respectively), and a very reluctant Piggie who refused to wear her cute shoe covers, and would only tolerate her piggie head for mere seconds before it was thrown on the ground.

 

How cute is that tail?

 
 

Once Addie settled in for the ride in her stroller with a miniature pack of M&M's, she was a slightly more willing participant with the pig head.

I even got in on the action this year. Can you believe someone seriously asked me if this was my real hair that I just dyed with green and purple streaks?

We met up with Dorothy and Anakin Skywalker and off we went!

  

We have two neighbors who do fairly elaborate haunted houses. Elise walked about 6 feet into one and ran back out. At the other one, the girls went into the "fun house" section but didn't brave the scary part. You can always hear their music, the chain saw, and screams of the participants from all over the neighborhood! Here is their display for giving out candy!

 

Addie lasted longer than we expected given that we had set out to trick or treat very close to her bedtime, but as her eyelids grew heavy, I brought her home and rolled the little piggie into bed. All of our neighbors in the cul-de-sac had pulled out chairs and were having a trick-or-treat party there in the street with beer and wine a-plenty, chips and dip, pita and hummus, and their bowls of candy. I grabbed our candy stash and a Mike's, and joined them. That was a great way to spend the evening. The kids trick-or-treating could hit four houses in about four steps, and we all sat around visiting all night. I think that may become a new Halloween tradition!

The girls made it home later, sorted through their loot, and then Nina lost her second tooth! Halloween and the tooth fairy all in one night - does life get any better than that?

 

 

Spirit Week

We just wrapped up Spirit Week at both the elementary school and daycare. Does anyone know the motivation behind Spirit Week? Is some educational goal accomplished through Spirit Week? After enduring eight years of Spirit Week, I've come to the conclusion that it is an evil ploy by the schools to throw parents completely off their game just prior to the holiday season. I have yet to figure out why they do this, but I'm pretty sure there is a vast right-wing conspiracy behind it.

On an average morning, it is truly a miracle if all my children leave the house dressed, with hair brushed, glasses on, and make it to the bus stop on time with lunches packed, folders signed, homework finished, and checks made out the the PTA for the latest pizza/wrapping paper/cookie dough/mixed nuts/magazine fund raiser. The more typical scenario is a missed bus, forgotten glasses, missing homework, no lunchbox, bed head hair, or all of the above. Add anything else to our mornings, and what had been a barely manageable level of chaos suddenly turns into a total anarchy. Remembering show and share once a week and sneakers on PE day is my limit. Beyond that, and you have maxed out my morning mothering skills. Spirit Week adds in  "Wear Red Day", "Crazy Hair Day", "Bring Your Stuffed Animal to School Day", "Dress as Your Favorite Storybook Character Day", "Wear Your Favorite Color Day", "Wear Stars Day" - the list goes on and on. STOP THE MADNESS! What happened to "Send Mom to the Spa Day" or "Leave Homework at Home Day"? Really, schools... WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO US???? 

Don't you know that when the one and only sports team shirt is in the dirty laundry pile on "Sports Team Shirt Day" that you are slowly and deliberately sucking the life out of both the mother and shirt-deprived child?

You see my children arriving at school daily with hair barely brushed, if brushed at all, and you really think I have time for the hairspray, glitter, and rubber bands required for "Crazy Hair Day"?

WHY SCHOOLS? WHY??

We somehow muddled through it and survived yet another Spirit Week, but what kills me is that I missed the one and only really excellent Spirit Week day. Addie had been out sick Monday and Tuesday, so I had no memory of what oddball thing she was supposed to wear on Wednesday. Wouldn't you know that Wednesday was "Pajama Day"? The ONE day of the year when I don't even have to get my child dressed, and I MISSED IT! The Gods of Spirit Week must have been punishing me for planning to dress Addie in black on "Favorite Color Day" because I wanted her to wear her Halloween T-shirt. Her favorite color could be black, right?

I am ready to return to the stress of sneakers and lunchboxes. No more crazy hair until next year, please.

 

If You've Ever Wondered...

...what it might look like to get stung by a bee on your eyelid, now you know.

  

 

A Fall Tradition

We took our annual fall trip to the pumpkin patch this past weekend. The kids played on the hay mountain and in the corn crib, went through the toddler hay maze (thankfully skipped the corn maze this time!), fed the animals, went on a hay ride, and picked out pumpkins. Fun day!

   

   

   

   

   

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

How Tall Are You This Fall?

2005 - Elise and Nina

 

2007 - Nina and Elise

 2008 - Elise, Addison, and Nina

 
 

2009 - Nina, Addison, Elise

 
 
 

Got DNA?

My mother

my daughter, Addison

  

How 'Bout Dem Apples?

Addison has taken great delight in yelling "Appuh! Appuh!" at all the giant orange "apples" seen all over town this time of year. Discovering the carved "appuhs" on the front porch was like toddler ecstasy!

 

 

  
 
 

These Boots Are Made For Climbing

Hello? Hello? Is Anyone There? What's Wrong with This Phone?