Happy Halloween, Part Deux!

Well all of my goblins are asleep, including the 3 (yes I said 3) four legged ones. I, however, cannot rest until I share the joys of our Halloween.
First the costumes. Pre Trick or Treating.

There's the Pirate King and the Jolly Roger. And we already had the sword.

And now the Post Trick or Treating pictures.

Well the Jolly Roger became the Great Pumpkin. After 15 minutes in the skeleton costume, Little Bug decided he didn't like it. Thankfully, I still had last year's costume. And double thanks that he still fit in it. We walked around the block and they got plenty of candy. We weren't so lucky with Trick or Treaters. Only 6 came by the house. Now I have around 4 pounds of candy in the house. If anyone needs a pound and a half of candy corn, just come on over.

By the way, I did mention that I got all 3 four legged creatures down for the night. We got a new puppy this week. It found us on the coldest day this week. After a few day, we finally broke down and said we would keep him. And named him. So joining the motley crew of Mac, the miniature schnauzer, and Tabitha, the calico, we have Bojangles, the mutt.

Aren't they adorable?

Happy Halloween!

This is hands down my favorite holiday. Actually it's tied with Thanksgiving, but I like that holiday for a completely different reason. Back to Halloween. I love that today is the one day of the year that it's acceptable for adults to be like a kid. Kids get to be goofy. I always loved seeing the costumes at school. I remember at my elementary school there would be a contest for best costume. One year my mom made me a hobo clown costume. She didn't go out and buy it from the store, she made it. I can't remember it, but I've seen the pictures, and I will say I looked cute. As I got older I got to be a surgeon, in full scrubs, that won me the best costume award! Thank you, Claudia! My favorite was the year in high school where I dressed as death. I had the black robe with hood and I covered my face in white makeup. The best reaction I had to it was when my history teacher was returning a test or homework or something like that and she saw my face. She jumped back and almost screamed. I had a small knot of satisfaction from that. In college, I was more practical. I wore my high school uniform as a costume. Halloween was fun.
This year I was so excited because my oldest boy was starting Kindergarten and he would get to wear his costume and start his enjoyment of Halloween at school. Then I got the note from the school yesterday saying that costumes were not allowed. They gave no reason. I went to Catholic schools and they always let us wear costumes. What has happened? Is it just because I'm living in South East Texas as opposed to San Francisco? I just saw Good Morning America where they are broadcasting from an elementary school in Orlando, and no one has a costume. It didn't even look like they had decorations. So maybe it's a Southern thing.
I have another theory. The way the world is today I think the schools are trying to keep kids from getting hurt. Emotionally hurt. Yes, it would be crushing to get to school and be the only kid in class without a costume. But what about the kids who want to wear a costume? Who have been begging for weeks to wear a costume to school. What about their emotions?
Well, later today, I'll have pictures of the boys in their before we go Trick or Treating. Hopefully, we'll be able to do that.

Lose the Flu, Catch a Cold

Oh, what a fun week I've had. Wednesday I took the boys to get their flu shots, and got one for myself as well. Ten minutes after leaving the doctor's office, I felt like I was going to be sick. I guess I'm just susceptible to the suggestion from my doctor that I might get mild flu-like symptoms. So I feel crummy the rest of Wednesday, which included a trip back to the airport to get my husband after work. Thursday I woke up fine, then came that hit by a truck feeling. But it wasn't the fluey feeling. It was a cold. A nasty cold that took my voice. And is still holding it ransom until I pay it with rest and sleep. Which of course, as a mom of 2 chaos creating boys, I have absolutely no chance of getting. So it's a couple of days of Ricola and Chloraseptic. Maybe I'll be better for Halloween. Or Thanksgiving.

The Lonely Porch

Last week my neighbor had their house moved out. It was damaged from the storm. A tree crashed into it and split it in two.




You can't see much, because of the aforementioned tree, but you can the front porch.















And here's the front porch this morning. All lonely without it's house. Sitting in the middle of what was the front yard. As of this afternoon, the porch was gone. All that's left to show that there once was a house, is the slab and back stairs.



We, the neighborhood, wonder if they will rebuild. From what was learned in the days after the storm, I doubt it. It seems that Ike wasn't the only storm that blew through that household. What a story that is. Maybe I'll tell you all on another post.

Dinner, courtesy of the U. S. Government

Well, since I've a dearth of ideas, so I decided to show you the meals the Government passed out to those who lost power and water during Hurricane Ike.

We have Pot Roast with Vegetables, Peanut Butter, Cheese Spread, Crackers, and a Cinnamon Scone. I chose not to eat the PB, Cheez, or Crackers. I ate the Pot Roast w/Veg-alls. Edible. The boys enjoyed eating the PB and Cheez from a tube. The crackers, not so much. Big Kid said they tasted dry. I'll say they looked like cardboard. Then there was the Skone. It looked like a flattened version of the ones I've seen at StarBux. Smelled nice, tasted OK, but dry.
So, as far as food for those who really need it, it was good. However since I have 3 and a half boxes (12 meals in a box) left, either they are going to be saved until the next hurricane (they're good until 2012 and beyond) or they'll be eaten during The Husband's treks to the deer lease.

The Quiet

Before Ike came whipping through, there were particular sounds at night. The sounds of frogs croaking, the owl in the tree out back, crickets chirping. In the week I've been back I haven't heard the sounds. I have heard other sounds at night. The sounds of generators for our neighbors to the south. I would hear the generators when I went to bed and then when I would get up before dawn to get the oldest ready for school. Now that the neighbors have their power back, I hear nothing. No frogs. No owls. No crickets. I wonder how long it will be before the animals come back. Of if they come back.