ICKY!

Daddy's been gone most of this week and we've been talking up the pumpkin carvings- like, "When daddy gets back you two will carve the pumpkin together!" NJ's been very excited about the whole idea. He loves to spot pumpkins in the stores, eat pumpkin bread and talk about carving so I thought the pumpkin carving event would be a BIG hit. But just at soon as we opened our orange beauty up and NJ got a look at the seeds and strings, he said, "No, no, icky icky" and started making his get-away. In fact, he really didn't want to even be able to see it. I think at one point he literally gagged when he saw grandma pull a handful of gunk out!

The little man kept his distance as daddy scraped and cleaned. We did end up convincing him to try to help draw a face on, but really, he was hesitant until the little saws came up. He was very interested in cutting the pumpkin- until he got a chunk out. Daddy asked him to pick it up and throw it away, but he was having none of that!

We actually had a second pumpkin, but it seemed like too much work to carve it when NJ wasn't at all interested. Oh well! Maybe next year!

The inevitable happened this morning

I went out front to pull the trash can in and told NJ that if he went and got his shoes he could water the potted plants. But when he came back with his shoes he accidentally locked the deadbolt instead of opening it. Then he couldn't figure out how to get it unlocked. Of course, I have no keys, the back door's locked (plus there's a pad lock on the gate- can you see a big pregnant lady trying to scale the wall?) and my cell phone is in the house.

I tried to get him to unlock it but he said he couldn't. He said, "Mommy do it, Mommy do it" and started crying. I started contemplating how easy it would be to break into my house through a window (I'm always telling my hubby that's how any bugler would get it) and then realized that NJ can barely reach the deadbolt. So, I told him through the door to go get a step stool. (For some reason, he choose the one from his bedroom- the heaviest and furthest away.) I guess the added height helped because he got it open. *sigh* I have a house key in my bra now (stupid maternity jeans have no pockets!)

A Two Year Old With Opinions????

Last year, I was visiting my sister right before Halloween and we did a fun project where we made the kids costumes out of hoodie sweatshirts, felt, and glue! It was great! The only problem is that it was so hot on Halloween here in Yuma that I could only bear to put him in it for a few minutes at a time.

This year, I've been thinking for months about making a costume! NJ's really been into jumping lately, so I thought I a Tigger costume would be great! Can't you just see a little two year old boy jumping around in a Tigger costume!?!? For some unknown reason I never doubted my ability to sell NJ on the idea- he's barely two years old, after all. At first he didn't really get the concept, but after I told him all his friends would be wearing costumes, he agreed to the concept. Simultaneously, I've been working on the Tigger idea. We've been reading a lot of Pooh books lately and I've been really talking Tigger up! I was thrilled when he fell in love with a small stuffed Tigger at Walmart, which I uncharacteristically bought for him. Then, in accordance with my general parenting philosophy, I gave him a choice between being a Tigger and a frog costume. However, he refused to get excited about either. Sometimes when we were talking about it, he'd say "frog." I generally chalked it up to him still not getting the costume concept.

Wow, now that I write it all out, it seems so premeditated and manipulative... it really wasn't like that... honest! I don't even know why I got so sold on the Tigger idea to begin with.

Anyway, I was very excited about making another costume at first, but lately I've been a little more panicky about it. I picked up another course to teach (rather unexpectedly) and suddenly I've got way more to do than time to do it in. So yesterday we visited a few stores looking for a pre-made costume. I was disappointed to not find any Tiggers in his size, so we looked through some of the other costumes. My primary complaint with the bought costumes for kids is that they're made all footsie jumpsuits made out of polar fleece- don't they know that it's still HOT in some parts of the world???? So, I was focusing on the cooler, simpler costumes. The problem with these is that they're $30 and only consist of a vest, a hat and some trinkets, but whatever- Halloween is in less than two weeks and I can't have my boys costume-less- especially after I told him ALL his friends would have costumes!

So, we're looking through the train conductors and the cowboys, the firemen and the veterinarians but he's just looking at me, totally unimpressed. We go to leave the store and pass by the fleece jumpsuit costumes and do you know what he says? "Di-saur mommy! Di-saur!" Seriously? dinosaur? Since when is he old enough to get ideas on his own?????? I look and sure enough, it's three different adorable dinosaur costumes made for below freezing temps.

We leave the store, and don't mention it again, but now, anytime anyone asks him what he's going to be for Halloween, he says, "di-saur!" with that cute little two year old voice...

So, last night we went to Joann's to look at patterns. When looking at the kids on the patterns, NJ picks out the one kid in a dinosaur outfit, so I pick it up and head back towards the material. Now, I don't really sew a lot, my machine doesn't even have a stretch stitch, and I've never made anything from one of those patterns in an envelope so I called my mom in Tucson for a consult. After a few minutes she says, "It's too bad I'm not there to do it with you!" (It really is too bad because she's a pro at this stuff and NJ loves to watch her work, as shown in these photos from last month!) and then she adds, "how about I just make it for you and send it over next week?" *audible sigh of relief* I'm not sure I realized how stressed I was feeling about this silly costume until she offered to make it. I said, "Yes, thank you!" and instantly felt better (even though NJ was beside me yelling about something and my husband was sitting there looking pitifully tired.) Next she asks about colors and, to my surprise, NJ quickly says "Green!" (I should have know he'd have an opinion.)

Pheeeeew!

Every candle, every tart burn, every electric tart warm I own is currently activated to try to mask the smell of 60 bags of cow manure. Who cares that I'm mixing cinnamon, pine and nutmeg scents? I'm pregnant and the smell is so real I can taste it every time I step outside. If I had a potpourri face mask I'd be wearing it.

On the plus side, we should have a beautiful law in a week or two! My poor husband looks like he's been through boot camp, but his wife wanted a beautiful winter lawn, so... he mowed, he raked, he thatched, he raked, he thatched again, he (and his goooooood friend) raked, he seeded, he spread manure, he raked, and he watered! What a man!!!

When it was all done he said, "Happy Halloween Honey!" I guess with that much work it seemed like it should be for a specific occasion. ...hum, maybe I ought to consider myself lucky that he didn't say, "Merry Christmas Honey!" I think it might have been enough work to justify it.