October 6, 2010

Yesterday we had the opportunity to spend the day with good friends. Of course Mina and Ari and I were very excited to have them over. The day was spent doing the usual: trampoline, GameCube, computer games, walks around the block, impromptu games of soccer on the driveway, scootering in the house, and many other very fun things. Our friends stayed for dinner and then when they were headed home Mina was so sad to see them go. However, she fell in to a deep sleep about a half hour after they left. We hope to see them again really soon :)

Nothing goes better with cabbage...

In the new version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory directed by Tim Burton there is a scene where Charlie's father comes home from work. Upon entering their home Charlie's mother inquires if he has brought anything home to add to the families evening meal. Charlie's father has brought nothing and Charlie's mother who is chopping a head of cabbage says, "Oh well, nothing goes better with cabbage than cabbage."


This morning I was lamenting that I "needed to go to the store" that we had "nothing to eat". Most people in the western world have never even experienced the concept of having "nothing to eat". And yet, I can bet that most people have felt as I felt this morning. I was telling my friend that upon looking around I realized that I had a ton of food in the house. That I was focusing on what I did not have in the house and then the above scene popped in to my head as a subtle reminder of what it would really look like if I had "nothing to eat" and no way to change that material fact by just going to the store.

October 5, 2010

6:30 has become my own personal witching hour. For 3 days now I have woken with a start at this same time. The other two days I also managed to wake up my kids but today I am on my own. Little Mina woke up speaking of bugs again yesterday and it was not until last night that I put all the pieces together. We are currently experiencing an aphid infestation unlike anything I have ever seen. From what I can find on the internet the center of the infestation is around 10 miles or so south of us, which makes me wonder how much worse something like this could get. We have been unable to even walk around the block without being covered in the little bugs for about a week. Then last night Mina pointed out that my unshaved legs felt pokey to her like bugs were on her, ding ding. Bugs outside coupled with something uncomfortable touching you while you sleep.

Ari started her day playing Wizard 101. This has become her new favorite. Mina mostly sat and watched her and cheered her on, it was so cute. While they did that I made breakfast and cleaned up some of the kitchen and livingroom. I have several rooms in the house that are in need of attention lest they sink completely in to disorganization.

Mina came out at one point to help me feed the kittens. The cat food container is a plastic bin about 2 feet tall and at the top it is around 2 feet wide with wheels on the bottom. Mina started riding it around the house, laying her stomach on the top and kicking off with her feet. Then Ari wanted to bring in her roller skates. We spent some time Mina riding the cat food container and Ari roller skating in the kitchen and livingroom. Then we brought in both of their scooters. Ari requested signs that said "Stop", "Go", "Parking", and even a bathroom sign for the bathroom door. While the girls scooted we put in a Halloween cd we picked up on Saturday when we got our Halloween costumes. Mina wanted to listen to the Scooby Doo theme song over and over. And then we heard the theme to The Aadams Family which got me thinking that Ari might like this little bit of tv history. So we found episodes on Hulu and she sat and watched them on the laptop for a couple of hours.

Mina and I read some of our favorite Halloween books and watched a favorite of hers Busytown.
Then we headed to the library to return some books and to pick up some pizza for dinner, since John was going to be late at work. We ended the day watching episodes of Scooby Doo.

October 4, 2010

Our big kid and grandma showed up at our front door at 12:30 this morning. Apparently, Ari could not sleep and grandma just decided to drive her home. But they both said they had a wonderful time and grandma seemed totally okay with driving her here. Then at 6:30 little one woke up speaking of bugs and other such things that make sleeping unpleasant. Rough start but oh well. We all went back to sleep after moving to the livingroom.

Ari woke up shortly after I did and we read the Warriors book for a bit. When Mina was up we talked about going to the museum of natural history. Ari said she would rather go to The Museum of Ancient Life and I sort of felt that was an expensive outing and was not really ready to be driving that far so we opted instead to stay home and decorate for Halloween.

Ari made specimen jars using things like plastic spiders and crushed ramen noodles coated with ketchup to make them look gooey. Then she gave them names like "Blood and Guts" and "Sun Dried Spiders" and lined them all up- they are quite spooky.

We all played on the trampoline for a bit then it looked like it might rain so we headed in to get on our rain gear to go for a walk. We went to our local park which is tiny and the only puddle we could find to jump in was at the bottom of the slide so we jumped in it. Then the girls slid through the puddle until thoroughly soaked. We proceeded around the block and then back home again to make dinner.

I made a yummy egg dish from a Rachel Ray cookbook and then ate it while watching Rachel Ray. The girls both had various things like they always do, Ari had potatoes Mina had carrots. Then they both had noodles. Then John finally made it home from work. Now, well I am wanting to head to bed and maybe the girls will be willing too :)

October 3, 2010

Today Ari and I went to Craft Sabbath with Grandma Michele (John's mom). We had a special order to pick up from Grimmleighs and Ari had just gotten her toy money so she thought she may want to pick up some things. I found a cool shirt by White Elephant Collective. I mean seriously who does not need a shirt with owls that have mustaches? We spent some time at our favorite fountain and then we headed to Oasis and The Golden Braid Bookstore. We browsed the bookstore and picked out a few items, both Ari and I were in need of new journals and then we went and had a late lunch or early dinner however you want to look at it. On our way out of the cafe an employee I know from previous visits asked Ari if she would like a cookie. She told him she had not left room and would pass but thanks. I did not think twice about it at the time but an 8 year old passing up a cookie because they are full is pretty great self-control.

Ari wanted to show me one more thing in the bookstore and I went back in with her. She found a pen that had an eyeball top. I told her I had spent as much money as I felt good about. She kept pressing me to spend more money and I told her that I would like to look in the store with her but if we were going to keep having this discussion about buying more stuff I was going to need to leave. She walked to the back of the store and I went to sit by her. She told me she was upset that a purse she had wanted earlier had been bought and it was the only one in that color. I reminded her that she had spent all of her money at the craft show, that I had agreed to buy her a new journal and had also bought a heart shaped rock but that I thought we had spent enough- I did not feel bad about not buying everything. Part of me wanted to pressure her to leave but another part of me remembered that conflict has to be resolved in a way in which everyone keeps there power or it harms your relationship. I waited for her to be ready and all was well.

We came home and Ari made plans to sleep over at Grandma's, which is where she is right now.

October 2, 2010

Our enjoyment of the Halloween season borders on crazy.

We all went as a family today to get costumes. John is going to be wolfman- his costume is pretty scary and had not only Mina but the cats all kinds of afraid. Little Whisker ran in to the sliding glass window with such force we thought he might dent it.

I am going to be a witch this year and I am pretty exited about my lovely spider jewelry and cape. Its the little things in life that get me all excited. :)

Ari is going to be Frankie Stein which is a character from a new line of toys called Monster High. We had no idea we would find a costume for Monster High but since she also collects the dolls she was really stoked. Why am I not creating a link you may ask- because if she sees I am so easily giving away her Halloween costume she may not be so excited about it.

Our dear little one, Mina bought a Tinkerbell costume but upon putting it on declared it "itchy" and will not go near it. So, I guess we will have to figure out something else or attach the wings to something less itchy or we always have that huge basket of dress-ups in the toy room.

Now I think we need to start making some more decorations and maybe a pinata as the girls are thinking they want to have a little party, Boo!

October 1, 2010

Today we had an interesting jaunt to the pumpkin patch. It was hot, it was dirty, and there were horse flies who wanted and took a piece of each one of us. Did I mention we bought 8 pumpkins plus a bunch more small ones? We will be carving and carving some more.

We ended our day at a friends surprise party. It was so great and cool to be a part of a great surprise for some one I really adore. It is funny though, I am just not a party gal. I think that is what I really needed to know about myself. I love, love to spend time with other people in very small intimate gatherings, but parties, well they just don't do it for me.

I am off to read to Ari.