Growing up in the woods

Thursday, November 26, 2009

One of the boys favorite hikes is to the Lake Lenore Caves. We probably do it once a month. When I was in the hospital after Porters birth my mom and mother-in-law took the boys up to the caves, so now they call it the grandma hike. It really is that easy.

It's 3:30 in the morning and I can't sleep. My options are to sit down and eat the delicious pumpkin bars Robert sent for Thanksgiving or blog. What's keeping me up at night?..you might ask. Well, a week ago Wednesday Everett had surgery to remove his tonsils and adenoid. He is still very uncomfortable and wakes up at least once a night. We usually give him pain medicine and he falls right back to sleep, but not tonight. Poor kid. Thanksgiving is not going to be fun for him.

Remember that Brady Bunch episode when Jan (or was it Bobby?) got her tonsils out. She slept in her parents bed, got ice cream delivered on a tray, had tons of friendly visitors, ate more ice cream, slept some more...oh how I wanted my tonsils to act up just so I could do the same. I hate to burst any ones bubble who wished the mismo, but guess what .... sleep is the enemy and ice cream is prohibited. Yeah...I couldn't believe it myself when the doctor said no dairy. So here's what Everett has been living on:

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Trick-or-treat

We finally took some pictures after an hour of tricks and treats on our friends porch. It seems to be a tradition now. Meet at the Okamotos, run around Coullee City collecting goods, someone always tuckers out early, the boys always want to go all night, don't forget to stop at that scary house (this year decorated with bloody body parts) and back to the Okamotos to take inventory. As we left the Okamotos a group of goulish treaters told us the best place in town...the local grocery store. They let you pick out anything you want for under .89 cents. What a great tip!!! Here's a few other tips I wish I would have known.

Tip #1: Face Painting Doesn't get better the more you practice.

For some reason the first time is so new and exciting the child listens and sits paitienly waiting for the big reaveal. By the third (or was it the fourth) time you find your self skipping all the details just to get it over with.

Tip #2: Hold the screen door

On our way home we decided to stop at one more house. We knocked, a gentle elderly woman opened the door, we squealled trick or treat , she turned to gather her candy bowl with delight, then it happened... like slow motion... she opened the screen door and a gust of wind took it from her grasp hittting Tristen in the head, hurling him into Everett the two of them on to the ground. In the mean time she reached for the door falling off her step into my arms, there I stood with a senior citizen in one arm and a baby cattapillar in the other. JOSH GET OUT OF THE CAR!!!

Tip #3: The later the better..makes bedtime easy.

This photo was taken in 2007. At the time the monkey costume Everett was wearing fit perfectly and was so age appropriate. The next year I made him a batman costume but on Halloween Day he refused to wear it. He insisted on being a super monkey. (Notice the cape in the following picture)

Super monkey evolved to super batman monkey. ( Notice how the sleeves keep getting shorter)

This year when we began planning for Haloween Everett got out the old costume and finally agreed it was to small. The good old monkey costume is retired and in its place is a dragon. Hipp hipp hurray for the year (or 2 or 3) of the Dragon.

Fall Firsts

I love the fall. With school back in session and the cooler weather the park has become very quiet. The boys have been meeting some new challenges over the past few months. Tristen began and completed his first season of soccer, rode his bike without training wheels for the first time and is now riding the bus with the big kids. Porter is sitting in his Bumbo and rolling over. As for Everett he is enjoying his first year of Pre-school and loves his teacher.