It's been too long. So, I'll begin my catch up with a bit of Halloween, which it amazes me has turned into an incredible endeavor, lasting about a week with all the activities....it's exhausting. I'm so glad Nov 1 came when it did, and doubly so that Miss Monkey didn't have school that day---some smart people there.  There was a nautical theme this year, the new mermaid costume was completed in time, and the Second born was ecstatic to wear the previous purpler version.

We've been regulars at Boo at the Zoo most of the past 6 years, this year was no different. Mermaids of course must ride dolphins or small polar bears.

Baby rode around as an inking octopus, and I've not hunted down the better pics of that costume. After the first outing I had to tweak it a little to make it more realistically shaped.  He wasn't especially enthused about donning the costume, but was out cold in the Ergo every time.  Note: costumes must be durable and ready to wear multiple times, minimum 3 this year (Boo at Zoo, Trunk or Treat, school costume parades, and of course Halloween proper evening)

There were many pumpkins this year as we attended an extra carving party, and of course baby had to have one as well, I think we totaled 7.  

A success all around. : )

Thank You Gratitude

I'm likening gratitude to a steam engine.  Some days it's challenging to get it going, the wheels might slip with that initial forward chug, but once the momentum has gotten the best of the weight of my activities, gratitude is self perpetuating.  This moment gives birth to the next.  If I fill this moment with gratitude, the next moment can't help but bring blessings.

A is for abilities, of which I have many (apple pie, too, I made for The Man's birthday).
B is for bounty, which will be on our table this Thursday.
C is for cat, Porter is older than the kids. <3
D is for downward dog, yoga-yoga-yoga.
E is for Toddleator E, whose bright silliness fills our moments with giggles.
F is for Miss Monkey, whose imagination, energy, and intensity are sparks through the day.
G is for gymnastics coaches who take my Bigger Girl and have aided teaching her strength and determination.
H is for help, and knowing when to ask for it.
I is for me, and the I Am that I Am.
J is for juggling, 'cause one day I'll know how.
K is for kites.
L is for love, that really does conquer all.
M is for magnets as grateful hearts collect blessings.
N is for night, when those babies are sleeping.
O is for others, those people that change me.
P is for pumpkin, with which I will bake.
Q is for quiche, because it's so tasty.
R is for ribbons for little girl hair.
S is for soup, 'cause Soup Season is here!
T is for The Man, he's totally tops I tell you!
U is for umbrella, as F is obsessed with them.
V is for vibration, and a higher frequency at that.
W is for water, running through my home.
X is for Ximena, who complimented my Spanish accent.
Y is for you, yes, I'm grateful, thankful, for you.

Snow punkins

Pumpkin Carnage

Let the festivities begin!  Well actually began yesterday with co-op party, today we carve up our squashes, hit Boo @ the Zoo, and get some relaxation before tomorrow's adventure to see Lions @ Broncos. Too too fun!

Princess Leia & R2D2

IT CAME FROM....

the baby?  the 4 year old?  one can't be too sure with familial epidemiology.  But I got it, and if Baby E had it before me it must have morphed into something bigger and uglier special for me.

My harrowing Halloween tale of fever dreams and delirium started Friday afternoon, mild fall day, Miss Monkey in her costume walking her baby, Leia, and I wearing the infant exploring our small new community.  Then the goosebumps started, flashes of chills, my skin began to hurt, I finally said, "I think I need to go back inside and lie down."  By the time The Man arrived home from work I had given up on being vertical at all, called in Dr. Sparkle (who by the way is very good if you've need of a pint-sized pretend physician), and was lying on the bed covered head to toe with jammie-pants, hoodie, and blanket.  He said he could feel me baking underneath it all...I was just soooo coooold.  103.7 F read the thermometer, and as Dr. Sparkle took notes, The Man decided he'd head to the grocery to get additional supplies.

Saturday was spent feeling as if I'd been run over several times, then was being pulled in multiple directions by the other members of the family, I was eventually ordered (and partly retreated) to the bed where Baby E chewed on a toy while I dozed.  After an afternoon nap whilst The Man whisked Miss Purple Princess Monkey away to Boo at the Zoo, I felt somewhat better popped more pain reliever and allowed myself to be talked into going to the family Halloween costume party we had planned on attending.  He aided me tying a green blanket toga 'round myself, I called myself a stem wearing a flower-baby.  I was warm at least, and somewhat coherent for a couple of hours.  We carved pumpkins Sunday, 4 now, and mostly hung around...again I'm dozing in and out of feverish sleep.  BUT is that ALL? is that then END? You say, surely you must feel better now, right? At least according to my schedule I should've shaken this by Sunday evening. 

No, instead I'm sitting right now, ridiculous early, sans voice, with a terrible cough, and ears I swear if I'd an icepick I'd relieve the pressure horror movie style.  Voiceless, I went to bed super early to awaken at midnight or so with my head so filled with gook I thought I'd gotten water trapped in my ears somehow, and so engorged I had to come downstairs to pump.  Every turn of the head was painful, and the fever was back up again, took another Tylenol and waited for it to work.  Few hours later, somehow Baby E has slept all the way through the night, I'm awake again with sweats and painfully engorged breasts.  I bided my time 'til 4am, and decided I'd just get up.  Too uncomfortable to sleep, the Tylenol helps a lot, but doesn't make it go away.  And what are the friggin' odds that The Baby sleeps all the way through the night? sheesh.  Breastfeeding while ill is hard on me 'cause I feel as if I'm being drained of more than milk.

So, here I am, praying for it to be over already, and praying that the little ones don't get it from me--at least not the version I'm fighting.  Pictures of our Halloween soon to follow (minus the illin' mama).

Preggie Punkin Clothes

I shopped for maternity clothes today. A chore, but more fun this time around as I'm in totally different shape than when we started this whole family process 4 years ago. I know what is practical to wear, I know what I like to wear. I'm really getting more comfortable with a "love the belly" attitude. I might say that I'm enjoying being pregnant this time, but then it's pretty early on to make that call. When I feel well, much of the time surprisingly, I wonder if I'm really pregnant---it's that different.

Rock Creek Farm is awesome. It's where we went last year to get pumpkins and where I'm sure we'll return for years after, at least until we grow our own. It's a biiig place, the corn mazes aren't less than a mile long, and they won't let anyone into them after 4 pm. Totally a working farm, we saw the Collie out herding the goats on our way in. Today was gorgeous early on with clear views of the mountains & beautiful cloudscapes. "Happy little clouds," said Gary. By the time we got to the farm this afternoon the front had started moving in and chill winds whipped across the pumpkin fields. We didn't spend much time out there this year. The early frost had ruined a lot of the crop, even as novices we could tell. The farmers (or farmers' helpers) had gone ahead and removed most of the viable carving pumpkins and put them in crates for easier access. A really nice customer service touch. As it turns out, only the BIG, thick skinned, super-firm pumpkins survived. So this year our jack-o-lanterns are going to be about the same size---certainly not an issue for Fiona, who, insisted on a big pumpkin 'cause she's "a big girl". She was a champ trying to carry it to the car. Priceless.

Carved

Yesterday was Halloween, All Hallows Eve, Samhain...


We had breakfast, carved pumpkins, there was a Toddleator nap, and then to the Treat Street at The Children's Museum of Denver (unfortunately I forgot the camera). After chasing loot, exploring, & playing---though Fiona's favorite part was the mini-train ride---she gorged on candy as we navigated traffic bound for home. After a pit stop for burgers, I took Fiona to just a couple of houses to Trick or Treat. Finally at home, she was exhausted. The only way to tell that her battery had completely run down? Her compliant behavior. I didn't even have to ask her to remove the costume, she stripped to underpants to eat---resembling a superhero on break---with just her face painted mask and hair do, lounging about with chicken strips. Then upon "time for bed" call she toted her potty to her room (odd, but no complaints from me), stacked her 2 chosen books on her bed, promptly picked out pajamas and began the "getting cozy". I was just grateful that it was easy going, it's hard enough without the doorbell ringing every few moments with other costumed-kids. Last night was the first time Gary & I have every had trick-or-treaters at the door. Never saw hide or hair of ghouls or goblins in Hawaii. This marks our 6th Halloween together. :) So a few choice pics, and then off we go into November!

Pumpkin Hunt

Pumpkins aren't that difficult to hunt. They actually sort of mill about in fields, yes, fields upon fields of pumpkins. Herds of the orange gourd* are offered for autumnal festivities, most specifically at Rock Creek Farm. Here's the odd thing, some of them are even free of their vine tethers and still they don't make a run for it. But then gourds aren't known for their speed or their intelligence. We came across a few that had the looks of escaping, it's hard to say though as they move only a bit faster than rocks.

I am in love with Rock Creek, I don't even know if they do more than pumpkins every year, though I suspect there is much more to their farming operation than Pumpkin Season. There are mazes, photo ops, baby animals to ogle (officially not for petting, though no one reprimanded us for it---how does one explain that baby animals within Little Girl's reach aren't for touching??), varieties of mini-gourds*, pumpkin products, and pumpkin honey from bees that pollinate the fields. Super-kewl. A small tip, wear proper boots, when cleaning little boots do not clap them together as to splatter field mud all over oneself---then again, a little dirt never hurt anyone!

* pumpkins aren't actually gourds, they're fruit, but I'm allowed some artistic leeway...besides, I really enjoy the word, "gourd", try it....it's fun to enunciate!

Mean People, Peas, & 18 month check in

Miss Fiona says "No".
It's not really a big "no", kinda more like "nope" with a shake of the head...and it is the answer for everything. Even if I were to ask her about something that she is doing, the answer is still an endearing "no". It's entertaining, obviously more a practice than a real refusal. She also nods her head in big dips, practicing a "yep" or "yeah", her yes is more like a "djess" and it's rare. Other words, Mamma, Pah-pbah, bee-bee (baby), and many more attempts at much used words. Today we saw Dr. Katz for Fiona's 18 month check-up. She is 22 lbs 10 oz (35th percentile), 34 inches (95th percentile). We both got flu shots and the doc says that she's on target for growth although definitely tall and "thin" by baby standards.

Yesterday we visited the Children's Museum again, was a nice morning for it, until another little girl hit Fiona. Gary was with her, I was savoring some coffee nearby, apparently the offender didn't hit her too hard but several sharp smacks and Fiona's feeling were so hurt that she didn't want to play anymore at all. It dawns on me while I'm consoling her that I have to explain to her about mean people in the world. Some kids are just mean or haven't learned how to behave. It can hurt our feelings and is sometimes scary. She did a good job of not reacting, the slightly delayed response was intense though, fear filled sobs and fat baby tears. We went home shortly after that.

Lately Fiona's in love with green peas. It was peas for breakfast one morning after Gary offered her choice after choice of food. Amidst eating them she's a fan of smushing the peas one at a time with just one finger, it's the small things that can sometimes feel so powerful. Sometimes I smush one with my sock on the kitchen floor, that's less than pleasant.

Halloween was rather quiet. No parties to attend and no trick or treaters beating down the door. I considered Fiona dressing up, but she didn't really understand the costume thing yet, next year will be a bunch of fun! I did carve a pumpkin though, I do love my pumpkin carving!

Life as a Game of Memory

Remember (hah) the game Memory? With all the little cards, different pictures on each one, only two of each picture though. Lay them all out face down, then flip them over one at a time and try to remember where the pairs are located, having successfully paired two butterflies, umbrellas, or birthday cakes, you remove those cards then try again.
Now, imagine this game permeates your life, and there's a Toddleator wandering about mixing up the cards, moving them, hiding them, eating or tearing them apart covertly--while you're playing. Thus is my life, at least it seems that way sometimes! I am always scanning my memory for last glimpse of sippy cup, snack-trap, random tiny-sock...now where did I see the horsey/blankie/doll-shoe last?
The Toddleator strikes again, I've wandered the place for 10 minutes looking for the sippy cup, cannot locate it, then in hindsight--ah, yes, she was playing in the cabinets first thing this morning--there it is, neatly placed in her cabinet next to a couple of stacking blocks and a rock. And once for a split second everything is in order, all is quiet, but not for long...she'll be back.

Yesterday Gary, Fiona, & I went to the Pumpkin Harvest at Four Mile Park. What a neato-kewl place! I wish we had arrived sooner, Fiona was tiring already by the time we got there. People in period costume, hay-rides, potato sack races & tug'o'war, scare-crow assembly, crafts, frontier seminars, bake sales, not to mention the field of pumpkins ready to be adopted and mutilated into something spooky. I learned 2 things: 1. Don't let Gary navigate--he always argues with the GPS, 2. If I let Gary buy the pumpkin bread, I won't get any :)
We had lotsa fun, Fiona ran around, got real excited whenever the horses went by and seemed to enjoy stumbling around the pumpkin patch trying to lift or sit on all the gourds.
http://www.fourmilepark.org/

Have you a pumpkin roller? We do, oh yes, we do!