Halloween

Thought everyone would like to see the Halloween costumes. I am proud to say they are homemade! My wonderful seamstress mother helped me with them, and I am really happy with the results. William's costume was a hit everywhere we went. He was so excited about it, he would bound into any room, run up to people (or into their houses while trick-or-treating) and say, "I'm Syndrome!" Which sounds like "synsssrome" when Will says it. And he talks so fast no one really knows what he's saying but us.



Rowen was Max from "Where the Wild Things Are". I was the monster who is also in that book. A lot of people thought Rowen was a rabbit, until they see the black tail, and then I have to explain. But a few people who are fans of the book got it right off the bat!



William, doing a Syndrome pose and eating a sucker! (The only treat he ate from trick or treating today! So far.)



A happy mama. With a costume that's really only half done. I need a black beard and a HUGE mouth with teeth, or as Will would say "owie teeth". I never did make the beard, but I did wear the makeup on Saturday to a Halloween party.



Our tails.



William got a new haircut tonight, I'll post pics of that soon. Actually Rowen had his first haircut the other day, inspired by the photo a couple of posts down from Home Depot. You'll see Rowen's hair getting really long above the ears. Ala Orthodox Jew. Don't know what it is, but genetically we must be Orthodox Jew, William had a similar hairstyle when he was this age. We just need to curl it and get black top hats for them.

And we are off to California tomorrow and there will be plenty of pics coming of that! Wish me luck on the 14 hour drive with two rambunctious boys who will be forced to sit in the car. What am I thinking? Oh yeah, redwoods, beaches, good friends, vacation, road trips....that's what I am thinking. But I do need some luck to survive the drive.

Family Travel

If anyone has a good tip for traveling a 14-ish hour drive with kids, let me know. But in my quest to find such information, I found this article. I will copy my favorite parts after the link. It really is what I should read about 5 times every day.



http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/family-travel/pit-stops.html

If anything, being a mother has taught me pride has no place, plans are made to be broken, rules change constantly, dreams don’t always come true, and zippers in snowsuits seldom last longer than six weeks. It’s a profession of bewildering yet exhilarating proportions; qualifications are unnecessary, recognition is rare, and quitting time is nonexistent. The demands are colossal, but they are dwarfed by the rewards. Every day is an adventure. Every moment is precious. Every child is unique.

When my children are parents, I anticipate they’ll make the same miraculous discovery I did; mom’s mistakes weren’t as dreadful as imagined. I hope they'll be able to say that in our home hurts and adversity were soothed with the ointment of laughter, love and grace.

If my sons can take their places in this world as men of honor and distinction, then I will have done well indeed. It’s a responsibility and a privilege beyond mothering or fathering; it’s the living out and the passing on of all that is admirable, true, lovely, and good of the human spirit.

At times it’s a challenge I meet beautifully, but often I fail miserably. I believe, however, the road ahead will always abound with pit stops and pitfalls; it’s the way it’s traveled and the tracks we leave that count.


Well, there it is. I guess I am in a little introspective parenting mode these last two posts. Oh well, you'll either enjoy it, or you'll get over it. Either way it'll be okay. :)

Boys and tools

What is it with boys and tools? The kids LOVE Home Depot. They also love the carts they have there that are like a race car. This is one of the cutest pictures ever. Taken by Jason's iPhone. Gotta love it.

Today I learned...

That sometimes your screaming kid doesn't NEED you to hold them. But sometimes after they stop screaming, they do. And after that, they are "happy now, so it's okay." And when you cry, they kiss you better and tell you it will be okay. They don't dwell on emotions, they experience them, and then move on. I also learned that the best thing you can do for your kids is shut your mouth. We were playing at the park, where there is COLD, dirty water and mud, and two little boys. After a few, "no, don't walk in the water, just throw the rocks in," I shut my mouth and they had a great time, Rowen even walking in the water and sitting down in it. I learned that your child's laughter can heal any pain. I learned that little boys experience great joy in mud. The whole world can be fun, if you let it. Sometimes your camera doesn't turn on. Sometimes you just need to remember the moment, and not capture it with a camera. I remembered that being a mom is the best job in the whole world. It's the hardest most demanding and most amazing and joyful job in the whole world. If you aren't on the way to a wedding, let your kids get dirty. If a bath can fix it, it is probably a great activity to participate in.

I have a little quote book in my room, one of those calendars you turn for each day. One of the quotes was this:

A boy is...a noise with dirt on it.

I couldn't say it better. I love my boys.