Short cut

We're getting mighty impulsive with this girl's hair lately. She is almost four, after all.

I like it.

And I didn't even think about crying.

Lounge lizards

In case you've been wondering what the coolest cat is up to, it's just a whole lot of lounging--

**she was comfortable moments before i took this**
And, forgive my horrific expression in this one; I either: was reacting to being told that cat was nuzzling in my hair, really need reading glasses, or could faintly smell that sandwich.

Anyway, Nimbus has been lounging around--just like the rest of us.

If and Remember

If you finally convince your son to start having "school lunch," (I personally loved it as a kid)

you should remember that you used to make him a sandwich everyday and hide it away in that nifty little tupperware pouch at the bottom of his lunch pack.
Where it's been lurking for a week and a half.

Man of her dreams

Allianna made this confession to me the other day while we were swinging:

Allianna: Mom, I have a husband.

Me: Oh, really? Does he look kind of like your dad?

Alli: No. He has orange hair.

[swing, swing]

Alli: And a black body.

[swing]

Alli: And a white face.

Alli: And he's sixty-nine. But I'm seventy-nine.

Trick or Ten

Our Halloweenie Top Ten List

10. When we went to get some carving pumpkins the night before from a local church's pumpkin patch, we arrived to find out they weren't selling pumpkins any more. However, we could take any that we found that weren't rotten (my reason for waiting til the night before to purchase in the first place--aah, TX). So our grand total was about 54 gourds, mini pumpkins, and a large white, green, and orange squash. FREE. This has brought untold rapture and joy around the house as pumpkin patches sprout up in all the rooms; it will probably continue through to December.


9. At our third stop, Mark and Simon find a lone carve-worthy pumpkin. They bring it home and are appeased; we have to appease Jack with two slices of bread, apparently.
8. Dorothy
7. the Bat. Not "bat man, bat boy" or any variation thereof. Trying out his new kindergarten playground vocabulary Simon tells me that his face paint is "sooo hilarious" but means something closer to "horrendous" or "humiliating" and wants me to wipe it right off.

6. A shout out to Grape Street. It had one of the few blocks that managed to have consecutive porches offering treats--back in the day when tricks were expected our neighborhood wouldn't have fared well.



5. Alli's cold medicine had her pursuing treats like this for 75% of the night.
Until she could finally be persuaded to take a pack of Skittles.4. The little (repurposed) Mermaid.
I faced my personal sewing machine el Guapo and (thanks Melissa!) came out victorious.

3. Mary Tessa caught on quick to what the trick-or-treating gig was all about. She wouldn't let go of her bag for anything and wanted to eat most of it immediately. It's the first thing in her life that she's taken personal responsibility for. Couldn't be prouder. She wouldn't entrust it to any of us for fear that we'd pull a fast one on her hard earned booty.2. All's well that ends well. This was the pace: Mary downs three suckers and a pack of M&Ms, Alli packs in an entire pack of Rolos (plus some various ?) and her cheeks stick out like Jack Nicholson before I notice, Simon DEE-LIIBERATES for a full 45 minutes before gingerly choosing ONE piece to try. He kept chastising me for tempting him to eat some while we were walking. Firstborn. Please notice how Simon's clutching his bag and won't pour his bag out because doesn't trust his sisters to STAY BACK even though they've got plenty of their own.

1. In an effort to regain balance, this morning Mary Tessa poured and poured and poured salt all over her cereal. Savory, sweet, savory (Chinese take-out), sweet (Trick or Treating), savory (her breakfast). Looks like it was okay for me to follow the pattern and serve candy for Sunday lunch.

Wish us well til Mark returns from his La Jolla trip.