Halloween and other tidbits

I'm going to have to come back and post pictures because apparently our laptop is dying a slow and painful death and I am having to store my pictures directly on the backup drive. And to be honest, I'm far too lazy to even consider going upstairs to the desk to do that so.....pics to come!
We had a fun Halloween celebration yesterday and today. Yesterday at the preschool the kids dressed in costume and the parents stayed for a fun parade. My two little supermans were fabulous and marched right along as they should. Then as room mother for both classes, I provided the treats and favors for Sam's class and stayed to help with the party in Jack's class. It was so much fun to be able to watch him in action. He's quiet, but not too quiet. I was pleased to see him thriving there. And I have learned SO much about food allergies this year! In Sam's class the treats have to be Gluten free, egg free, dairy free, and peanut free, so it has been an interesting challenge. But I enjoy a good challenge and so for the first teacher birthday we had colored rice krispies treats made with gluten free rice cereal, dairy free butter, and gluten free marshmallows! For Halloween I made a trail mix with the gluten free rice chex, dairy free butter, marshmallows, dates, dried apples, and raisins with a cinnamony, sugary, appley flavor. It was actually pretty good! Much better than the way too sticky rice krispies treats. I offered Sam a second one when we got home from school that day and he said "NO, I don't want those. They're TOO STICKY!" Well, thanks kid. That's appreciation for ya'!
This morning we went to a local outdoor mall that does trick or treating, hayrides, and a petting zoo. Then we grabbed pizza. On our way home, I told the boys that Halloween wasn't over and when it got dark we would trick or treat in our neighborhood.
"AGAIN?!?" Jackson asked incredulously.
Ryan and I laughed and said yes.
Jackson began explaining to us complete with elaborate hand motions all about trick or treating in the daytime and THEN trick or treating at night. When Ryan and I laughed again, he got mad and said "Hey, guys, STOP laughing at me."
I said "Jack, we're not laughing AT you, we're laughing WITH you." He paused, deep in thought and was quiet for a moment. Then he said "BUUUUT, I wasn't laughing AT ALL!" Which of course made us laugh AGAIN and further agitated him!
They were troopers out trick or treating, but by the end of our street, Jackson was DYING of thirst, so we headed one street over and then cut back through our backyard.
Each time I took off Sam's costume, both yesterday and today, he would say "And now I'm turned back into Sammy!"
Olivia marched up and down the streets, trying to trade candy with the neighbors, politely saying her "Thank you" which sounds more like "Day doo" in a sing songy voice that I LOVE! She was a hit and charmed everyone we met. I think I was threatened with kidnapping about a million times today! My adorable little supergirl! I'm not sure who loved them being the "Superteam" more- Olivia or the boys!
Jackson's fourth birthday will be Thursday and I simply can't believe that's possible. And while for the past three years I have gone pretty much ALL OUT on his birthday, I had made some elaborate plans this year and was staring to laze out a little on them. UNTIL yesterday. One of the projects he brought home from school was a long strip of paper with his handprints on it. It said "My family is special because..." and he responded "We have good birthdays." And suddenly all the HOURS I have poured into their birthdays in the past are all worth it. And I can't wait for his party this weekend. It's going to be the best one yet, buddy. I promise.

Bizarro World

I think I have spent the last two days in bizarro world. After a couple weeks of the kids driving me nearly mad, it seems they have become DIFFERENT kids.
I think Olivia has been teething or something because she has been an absolute monster for a few weeks. She wants up, no down. She wants every toy her brothers pick up. She wants her milk AND their milks AND my coffee and don't you dare tell her no. The theatrics she pulls, OH the theatrics; she throws herself down (carefully of course) looking over her shoulder between wails to make sure someone is watching, screaming like a banchee, nose dripping snot. Her most used word has been "MINE" and anytime I am trying to accomplish something, aka a phone call, cleaning, or dinner, she wraps her arms around my legs screaming "MOMMEEEE" over and over until I pick her up. I mean, she's been a REAL treat is all I'm sayin'!
The boys have been fighting like cats and dogs. Screaming matches, hitting each other, stealing toys, you name it, they've been doing it.
But for the last two days, the three of them have been heading into the playroom TOGETHER, without being asked, and have played happily and quietly together for HOURS at a time. I kid you not. It has been AWESOME but also totally freaky. I'm starting to think there's been some kind of alien abduction/substitution prank pulled on me. We'll see what happens. Perhaps the Halloween sugar implosion will bring back my usual holy terrors. Only time will tell! Until then, I'm gonna LIVE IT UP! Woohoo!

One fine day

The kids and I had a really good day today. We woke up pretty late, snuggled under the warm covers watching tv for a while, and then finally snuck downstairs for some breakfast- if you can call fudge covered granola bars and milk "breakfast!" The kids played away the morning, peacefully if you can believe it, and Olivia took a decent nap. When she woke up, we headed out to McD's for some lunch, then headed to Target to browse, and finally hit the library for a new stash of books to snuggle up and read together. Of course at Target we found more than the items I planned to buy, including some Halloween flashlights with little disks that change to witches, or pumpkins, or ghosts. Those have been tons of fun for the boys today. We also found these little spider craft kits that I assumed (because they were called RACING spiders) included two full motorized spiders that you decorate and race. However, when we got home, my sister called and I had to take that call and give fondue ingredient advice. Sam threw a fit and I sent him to his room where he promptly fell asleep, and my neighbor called to get an opinion on the new paint color for her kitchen. The kids and I ran over there for a bit, in the meantime getting a call from Ryan that he had a last minute black tie dinner to attend and did I mind if he went? Not really, so when he got home to change clothes we were at the kitchen table making our "racing spiders" who turned out to SHARE a motor, so only one would go at a time. The boys handled it well, but were disappointed, so we hopped back in the car and ran back to Target where we got not only the last spider box, but also some monsters and skeletons to do another day! We grabbed Arby's on the way home (or the curly fry place as the boys call it- yeah, not a banner day for health food around here, but whaddya gonna do?) and as they heard me order the coveted Jamocha shake, cheers erupted from the back of my van- the silver rocket. Jackson said "Mom, this is a great world. And this has been a really great day."
We wrapped it up by coming home to eat, and the boys drank the shake while I put Livi to bed. They played with their new racing spiders and flashlights while I cleaned up the kitchen and put away toys, and then they took a lingering warm bath. We read 5 new library books, and they are now peacefully resting in their beds waiting to drift off to sleep.
I couldn't agree more, Jack. This IS a great world, and it was a really great day.

Apparently my boys think I'm BEEEUTIFUL!

Sammy one day while playing with my hair and piling it up on my head: "There, Mommy. I covewed up all the owange, and now you can onwee see da bwack." Um, time for highlights, ya think?

Jackson yesterday while we snuggled in bed first thing in the morning. He went from lovingly stroking my face to saying in a concerned way, "Mommy, your eyes are cracking. Like eggs. There and there and there." as he pointed out all of my wrinkles.

So thanks, guys. I'll do better. If you'd let me sleep!
Love, Mom

The potty playdate

Today Jackson had a friend over to play after school. This particular friend is in his class at school, and his babysitter lives on our street, so while his parents were out of town, I offered to take him to preschool with us, pick him up, and bring him home to feed him lunch with my boys. My sister called the day before to say she and her kids were coming for a while that day as well. I picked up Aidan on our way to school, ran errands and did some cleaning while the boys were at school, and then headed to the pick up line at the school. I went to the playground to collect Sam, and we sat in the car with the battery on until it was time for Jack and Aidan to come out. BUUUT, when I went to start the car it made a wierd grinding/cranking sound instead of starting. I freaked. I was the second car in line, so this was going to be a problem. Luckily, there happened to be a mom AND dad in the car in front of me so the dad used my jumper cables to jump the car. Fine. Done, and thank heavens. Started up, and on our way. Turned out Jack had left his light on for a few days and drained the battery. Oops!
After we got home and ate lunch, my sister and her crew showed up and I decided the boys should go out and play, but Sammy was poopy. So I started across the living room to change him and as I glanced out the window at Aidan and Jack, I was shocked to see two bright white pairs of buns staring back at me from the back of the yard. I did a double take and sure enough, the two of them had dropped trow, and were totally peeing all over my mulch bed and bushes. EEEEWWW! So of course I opened the door and yelled "HEY! What're you DOING? STOP THAT!" at which point, Aidan made a beeline for the house, pulling up his pants as he came, and ran to the potty to finish his work, and Jackson penguined back to the house, complaining the whole time that I startled him and made him pee on himself. Well that's what you get! And do you wanna know what Ryan asked when I called to tell him at work? "Did you get a picture?" EW, no. Didn't stop to grab the camera. I had enough flashing for one day, thankyouverymuch!

Right now...

the house is actually pretty peaceful. Jackson is quietly watching "Cars" while Sam and Liv play pleasantly together in the playroom. The last few weeks, however, not so restful.
Last Tuesday the boys decided to guzzle some Robitussen while I was in the shower, so I had to call our doctor, poison control, and once determining that they were fine, tell their teachers at preschool that they might be a little "off" because they drank cold medicine that morning. Yikes! I think I scared them by crying and saying they could die, because for the rest of the morning everything was "I will go really quick and then sit back down at the table so I don't die" and "Oh No! I finished my breakfast but Sammy didn't so he's going to DIE!" Dramatics- I can't imagine where they get that from!
I am in the midst of my sewing class, which has meant multiple trips to the fabric store, and Tuesday evenings are completely tied up with that. Add to it practicing during the week and completing "homework" for the next week and it's a little more work than I expected.
As the room mom for both of the boys classes, I have two Halloween parties to plan, party favor bags to make, and a teacher birthday party to take care of.
Jackson's birthday is in the beginning of November, so I've been trying to hash out the details of his "Lightning McQueen" party, making invitations, gathering materials, and ordering supplies. On one hand, the way overboard thing I do with their birthdays is tiring, but I know I only have a few years to do these things before they don't want it anymore, so I'm trying to live it up and make some fabulous memories for them while I have the chance.
I have seen a million adorable Halloween decorations online, and I've been dutifully heading to Michael's on Tuesdays and Thursdays to gather craft materials to make some of those things. When I'll have time to actually make them- who knows?
Halloween costume decisions have changed about a million times and I need to head back out to take care of that. The first round didn't fit, and now we can't seem to decide what to be! I wanted to do a little theme or something (like the three little pigs and Big Bad Wolf), but the boys are pretty determined to be superheroes. Occasionally monkeys or bears, but mostly superheroes.
We had a yard sale last Saturday, so most of that week when I had a few extra minutes I was working on getting ready for that.
I know all these little things shouldn't be enough to make me feel swamped, but man they do!
Hopefully things will settle down next week!