The Twelve Days of Christmas....

So, my original plan was to post something each day, but I am more than twelve days behind. So this is a quick run down of what we did for the twelve days of Christmas. Some of my plans worked out, others are on hold, and then a few had to get scraped all together.

On the first day of Christmas, my mom and dad gave to me...
a Barbi "Christmas Carol" DVD.

On the second day of Christmas, my mom and dad gave to me...
a Christmas ornament of Barbi in the "Christmas Carol"
and a Barbi "Christmas Carol" DVD.

On the third day of Christmas, my mom and dad gave to me...
a pair of Christmas pajamas
a Christmas ornament of Barbi in the "Christmas Carol"
and a Barbi "Christmas Carol" DVD.

On the fourth day of Christmas, my mom and dad gave to me...
the Polar Express book
a pair of Christmas pajamas
a Christmas ornament of Barbi in the "Christmas Carol"
and a Barbi "Christmas Carol" DVD.

On the fifth day of Christmas, my mom and dad gave to me...
a Barbi ballerina Christmas ornament
the Polar Express book
a pair of Christmas pajamas
a Christmas ornament of Barbi in the "Christmas Carol"
and a Barbi "Christmas Carol" DVD.

On the sixth day of Christmas, my mom and dad gave to me...
a book called "Fancy Nancy and the Spelendiforous Christmas"
A Barbi ballerina Christmas ornament
the Polar Express book
a pair of Christmas pajamas
a Christmas ornament of Barbi in the "Christmas Carol"
and a Barbi "Christmas Carol" DVD.

On the seventh day of Christmas, my mom and dad gave to me...
a black sequined Christmas dress
a book called "Fancy Nancy and the Spelendiforous Christmas"
A Barbi ballerina Christmas ornament
the Polar Express book
a pair of Christmas pajamas
a Christmas ornament of Barbi in the "Christmas Carol"
and a Barbi "Christmas Carol" DVD.

On the eighth day of Christmas, my mom and dad gave to me...
a black sequined hat and a black and silver sequined scarf
a black sequined Christmas dress
a book called "Fancy Nancy and the Spelendiforous Christmas"
A Barbi ballerina Christmas ornament
the Polar Express book
a pair of Christmas pajamas
a Christmas ornament of Barbi in the "Christmas Carol"
and a Barbi "Christmas Carol" DVD.

On the ninth day of Christmas, my mom and dad gave to me...
a set of three ballerina Christmas ornaments
a black sequined hat and a black and silver sequined scarf
a black sequined Christmas dress
a book called "Fancy Nancy and the Spelendiforous Christmas"
A Barbi ballerina Christmas ornament
the Polar Express book
a pair of Christmas pajamas
a Christmas ornament of Barbi in the "Christmas Carol"
and a Barbi "Christmas Carol" DVD.

On the tenth day of Christmas, my mom and dad gave to me...
a book about a snowman
a set of three ballerina Christmas ornaments
a black sequined hat and a black and silver sequined scarf
a black sequined Christmas dress
a book called "Fancy Nancy and the Spelendiforous Christmas"
A Barbi ballerina Christmas ornament
the Polar Express book
a pair of Christmas pajamas
a Christmas ornament of Barbi in the "Christmas Carol"
and a Barbi "Christmas Carol" DVD.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my mom and dad gave to me...
a pair of house slippers
a book about a snowman
a set of three ballerina Christmas ornaments
a black sequined hat and a black and silver sequined scarf
a black sequined Christmas dress
a book called "Fancy Nancy and the Spelendiforous Christmas"
A Barbi ballerina Christmas ornament
the Polar Express book
a pair of Christmas pajamas
a Christmas ornament of Barbi in the "Christmas Carol"
and a Barbi "Christmas Carol" DVD.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my mom and dad gave to me...
a Christmas nightgown
a pair of house slippers
a book about a snowman
a set of three ballerina Christmas ornaments
a black sequined hat and a black and silver sequined scarf
a black sequined Christmas dress
a book called "Fancy Nancy and the Spelendiforous Christmas"
A Barbi ballerina Christmas ornament
the Polar Express book
a pair of Christmas pajamas
a Christmas ornament of Barbi in the "Christmas Carol"
and a Barbi "Christmas Carol" DVD.

Side note... so you don't think we are just spoiling Kaelin rotten (already been done by others in the family), we do have reasons for giving her something everyday for the twelve days of Christmas. First, no one likes to get Christmas pajamas on Christmas day or get books to read about Christmas when Christmas is a year away. So, we give her those things that lead up to Christmas. It allows me to talk to her about Christmas, for her to be involved in decorating, and then to have a little fun in the process. Also... it also helps to lower the anxiety and anticipation of all of the wrapped gifts under the tree. When she knows she is going to get to open something, the other things aren't so tempting.

What did we do for twelve days... (not everything I had planned, but we tried):


We held a party (described in a previous post) where gifts were brought for a needy family.

Kaelin helped shop for gifts for the kids of the family. (we discussed why we give gifts to families that might not have them otherwise)

Kaelin helped buy groceries for the family. (we discussed why we share food with other families)

Kaelin helped wrap the presents for all of the kids.

We bought and donated baby items to a local shelter.

We bought poinsettas to bring to a nursing home (but the wind destroyed them before I got them there... we will try again next year).

Party Pics

As promised, I have lots of pictures from our Christmas party last weekend.

Sometimes I stop and wonder if she will be mad at me when she grows up for the extra BIG BOWS... I don't think so... she likes them as much as I do.

Kaelin would have sat on Santa's lap all night if he would have let her. We went through those few incidents where there was no way she was getting near Santa much less on his lap. Those days are sooooooooooo over.

Look Santa did give me a present, even though I was told he might not due to my questionable behavior...

Update on our family we adopted....

There were four kids ranging in ages from 1 to 12. Each of the kids got about 8 presents each. They got toys, clothes, backpacks, etc. We gave a ham, turkey, and 3 big boxes of food. They also got a gift card and some money to buy things they were in need of. I think they are going to have a pretty good Christmas, thanks to our awesome friends and family who pitched in to help us give others a memorable Christmas.

My kind of Saturday

Today was definitely my idea of what Saturday's were meant for. As soon as Kaelin woke she asked me if we could go shopping. And, seeing how I have really not gotten much crossed off on my Christmas list, I thought this sounded like a wonderful idea.

So....

We headed for the Galleria (yes... I realize it is the weekend before Christmas).

We started at Macy's, went to a few other stores, stopped for a lunch break and then ended our trip with ice skating. Kaelin had never been ice skating, but she loves to pretend she is skating on the kitchen floor, so we decided to do the real deal. She was great (in fact, she was pretty impressive). She did not fall (much), only held my hand for a little while, and insisted on trying it all by herself.

Don't ask how much Christmas shopping I accomplished, but we had a great time ice skating.

Recovery

We had our Christmas party yesterday and it was a HUGE success. We are now into our "Twelve Days of Causes". We have decided to do something for the next 12 days to give back to different causes. Last night started off our fast and furious quest to do good things for the next 12 days (no, that does not mean that I get to do bad things after that).

Last night at our party, we had two special events going on.

First, we sponsored a family in need, so we asked everyone that wanted to participate to bring a gift for one of the family members. We got so many great things, that family is going to have an awesome Christmas. It was wonderful to watch how giving and generous our friends were (but we knew that, otherwise, they probably would not have been on our friend list to begin with).

Second, we had parents bring a gift for their own child and our guest of honor (Santa) handed out the presents to all of the kids. You should have seen the kids. They were ecstatic when they saw Santa walking across the yard. In fact, Kaelin attached herself to his leg. It was way too funny.

Kaelin listens to everything....
As soon as Santa called Kaelin's name, she ran up there, jumped in his lap and got her present. Then she immediately ran up to me and said "Mommy look, I got a present. You said I wouldn't, but I did. Santa must have thought I was being good." As you can guess, she has been threatened about Santa not visiting if she acted up. This was a major relief to her when Santa gave her a present. (I think she was a little stressed about this, because some of her choices have not been the best lately and she knows it).

I promise to post pictures later in the week.

Wrong Crowd

So, I made it back to Austin with no problems. I even think (or everyone told me) that Kaelin was dressed nice every day.

Funny Austin Story...
In Austin, I felt like I was constantly eating (no, I am not complaining). We had lots of catered meals and then ate in big social groups for others.

I realized I was probably in the wrong crowd when I went to dinner one night. I went to dinner with a group of my colleagues from other schools.

Before the waitress came over to take our drink order, my friends started talking about the different wine selections.

They started talking about the Beaujolais (yes, I had to google this word to even spell it correct). Evidently, (according to my friends) they had a fabulous crop this year and the wine is suppose to be excellent. ---- This is where I began saying "what in the world..."

So, as we talked about different grape harvests and wine selections, my mind began to wonder because I am not accustomed to talking about wine selections.

My mind began wondering (never a good thing)...
I wonder how the harvest is going on Boone's Farm?
I wonder how the grapes are up on Strawberry Hill?

As they were talking about the wine, I wanted to ask (but didn't) "Does this wine come corked, in a screw cap, or boxed?" (I am good with all of the above)

I did order a glass of the Beaujolais (double checked spelling again). It was good, but I don't think I could really tell a difference in that and the stuff from the grocery store.

After talking (or listening) wine for an hour or so, I began to think about the "redneck gene" that I am convinced I was born with.
- "Do these people know what NHRA stands for?"
- If asked who Jimmy Johnson is, would they answer "owner of Lowe's", "a football player", or "Nascar Champion"?
- Would they know that beer comes bottled, canned, and even kegged?

I am sure I can answer these questions for them and the answers are not that pretty.

The real kicker.... the dinner we had was terribly over priced. I had one of those Beaujolais's (again checked spelling) and a Chilean Sea bass and it cost me more than a pair of designer shoes. (I would have rather had the shoes).

These people are super nice and I see them many times a year, but I think they somehow missed the "redneck gene".

If I were making the decisions, we would go eat some Bar-B-Que and maybe stop by Wal-mart on the way home (and then still have enough money left over to buy the designer shoes).

Should I be worried....

I went to a girlfriend get together at a friends house tonight. When I left, Kaelin was dressed in matching clothes. This is what I came home to...

Seriously... what is wrong with this outfit? (Besides the bow and headband that matches nothing, the cowboy boots with the skirt, the t-shirt that is too small...)

In the morning, I leave for Austin and won't be back until Wednesday. I was not worried or concerned until I came home tonight and found this ensemble. So, now I am a little stressed thinking my daughter might make it out in public wearing something like this.

I may be going a little overboard, but you can never be too cautious when it comes your baby. I have gone through her clothes, picked out everything she will need to wear for the next few days. Then I even went as far as to label the sets of clothes according to the day she will need to wear them.

Now... I will just have to wait and see if my foolproof plan works.

Let It Snow!!! Let It Snow!!!

Oh, I am so spoiled... this is two years in a row that we have gotten snow around Christmas time. This really helps put me in the Christmas spirit. Kaelin is convinced that we live in an area that is accustomed to seeing snow. I don't have the heart to break it to her that this is not normal (although two years in a row is pretty awesome).

From now on, the years with no snow just mean we have to go to Colorado and see snow. I am definitely game for that.

Today was awesome, it was snowing by 8:30 AM. I got off work by noon. (Now, why couldn't every most days be like this?)

I think this might be our Christmas card. (No, I am not organized enough to have that little project taken care of yet)

This was definitely a day that you are affirmed of God's presence. This world does not get much prettier than today.

Go Cowboys

So, Todd and I went to the Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins game the other day. What a monstrosity!!! That place has absolutely everything. It is almost ridiculous.

The Cowboys did win, but barely. They were not playing so great.

This was Todd's favorite part of the game.

This is when I realized that Jerry Jones had outdone himself. He has personalized port-o-potties. Now is that not just the most ridiculous thing you have ever heard of?

I ended up having a great time and wanting to go back again, even though football is not on the top of my list. It really was fun!

Mark Your Calendars

We are having a Christmas party. It should be lots of fun.

Santa is even making an appearance. (Note to parents...bring a wrapped gift for your child and Santa will give it to them.)

We are also making this Christmas all about giving back and giving to those in need. So, we are making this Christmas party our kick off to the 12 Days of Giving others a Christmas.

We have adopted a family and are hoping to be able to give the four kids and their mom something special to open on Christmas morning. We are asking everyone that would like to help to bring a gift for one of the four kids or can goods for the family (details on the family are enclosed in an additional envelope in the invitation).

Everyone is encouraged to invite their friends and family. The more the merrier...

We also have some yummy food plans for this party as well.

Being Thankful

Kaelin and her dog, Britni, posing for the camera.

We spent Thanksgiving with Grandma Kay and PawPaw Bill in Corsicana. We had a great time, wonderful food, and a relaxing weekend. (What more can you ask for????)

We brought all 3 of the dogs (since you are suppose to spend Thanksgiving with family and they are family). They ran and played until they can barely hold their heads up. They will all probably sleep for the next week.

Wrapping up the end of the Thanksgiving weekend...

There are several things we are thankful for...

1) We are thankful that we got to spend Thanksgiving with family.

2) I am thankful that we have 3 weeks until Christmas break (but who is counting).

3) I am VERY thankful that black Friday only comes once a year.

4) I am thankful that I was one of the crazy people that went to Wal-mart at 5:00 AM on Friday, but was smart enough to walk right back out of the store (buying NOTHING). What a mad house... even I know when it is smarter to pay full price for an item...

5) We are thankful to have jobs (this will allow me to pay the full price for the items I was not going to fight for at Wal-mart on Friday)

6) We are thankful to be healthy (despite the enormous deductibles we have given to the doctors lately)

7) I am thankful for cornbread dressing and giblet gravy (the extra 5 pounds I gained are proof of my appreciation).

8) I am thankful for not having a clue where to start with my Christmas shopping or what to buy for anyone (at least I will not be bored over the next month).

Stay tuned for my black Friday specials. I did find some things (just not at Wal-mart).

Background information:
Last night Kaelin started running 101 fever and was still running over 100 this morning and has an awful cough. So, I had to take the day off and get her to the doctor. The doctor found out that Kaelin had the beginnings of pneumonia. She went to the doctor about a month ago for a sinus infection. She took 10 days worth of antibiotics, but evidently there was still some junk left. Her doctor said she had some antibiotic resistant bacteria that had built up in her chest and was forming into pneumonia.

Taking the day off of work: used a sick day
Doctor visit: so expensive they would not even give me the bill, they said they would send it to the insurance company first.
X-Rays of her chest: again too expensive. They will surprise me later.
Radiologist reading the X-ray: Again... we will surprise you later.
Pedialyte popsicles: $6.00
Children's Tylenol: $4.00
Cost of lunch while we waited for the presciptions to be filled: $33.00
Prescription for an antibiotic: $12.00
Prescription for Nasanex: $80.00 (yes that is American dollars not European)

My baby feeling better: Priceless

Yes, she is beginning to feel better (if bouncing off of the walls is a sign of feeling better). She still has not eaten anything significant in two days (she does not get that from her Mom- no matter how yucky I feel), but she is drinking lots of liquid.

So, we are battling a little illness, but nothing that an astronomical insurance deductible won't cure.

Thanksgiving Feast

Monday was Kaelin's Thanksgiving Feast at her school. It was so much fun with some yummy food.

Kaelin and her PawPaw getting ready to eat some lunch.

Kaelin, Mamaw, and papa... (why is Kaelin always looking at something other than the camera?)

Mamaw, Papa, PawPaw, and I attended the feast.

The kids performed a little program before the lunch. They sang two songs and got to dress up in some paper costumes they made in class. I told Kaelin she made a great Indian and she corrected me by telling me she was a turkey not an Indian. (My mistake).

Kaelin is on the back row (she is a turkey... not an Indian)

After lunch, Kaelin really wanted to go home with her PawPaw, so she did. She just hung out with him while he did a little work in his office and then they watched TV. She had a blast.

Relief

We just got home from running in the San Antonio marathon.

I am trying hard to find a bone or muscle in my body that is not screaming in pain. I am sure there must be one, but I have not found it yet.

I was ready (and could have been) for bed at 6:00 this evening.

This is not my first (and most likely not my last) race, but man... I am wiped out.
I keep thinking how my 26.2 miles is really going to look in January. Today we (only) ran the 1/2 marathon and there is a HUGE difference in 13.1 and 26.2.

Todd did really good (of course). I, on the other hand, had difficulty after mile 9. I finished, but was about 8 minutes slower than my goal. Which is not promising for my January marathon.

Kaelin had an absolute blast this weekend. She loves hotels (and this one had an indoor pool). She was such a trooper. She got up early this morning and watched us start the race. She will definitely be a marathon crazy person like her mom and dad. She was dying to run this morning. So, before my run, I ran with Kaelin for about 1/2 mile. That was just what I needed today... to add an extra 1/2 mile of running. Oh well... it was worth it. She had a blast.

I had a group of girls that ran with me today. Lisa and I had matching outfits. Our motto is... if your running doesn't look good, there is not reason you should not. So, we go the extra mile to make sure we have extra cute outfits (and bows in our hair). Even Kaelin got a little jealous with the bows in our hair.

(If it looks like there is something on my face... there is... it is a rub on tatoo of a girl running with 13.1 written below.)

If I find the bone or muscle in my body that is not screaming in agony, I will be sure to blog about it.

Happy Birthday To You!!!!

Today is Todd's 35th birthday.

We went ahead and celebrated his birthday last night because we are leaving for San Antonio this afternoon.

We are running in the San Antonio marathon this weekend (which is needed to run off this cake we ate last night). Let me tell you about this cake... (no, I did not make it but wish I knew how)... it was a Carval ice cream cake (from the Wal-mart bakery) that was Snickers flavored. Had I known how yummy this cake was, I would have probably opened it in the car before I ever got home.

We went to Aunt Debbie's for dinner. Uncle Truman and Kaelin made spaghetti Parmesan last night. It was super yummy also.

We had a whole football theme going on. First... the cake. Second... a Dallas Cowboys shirt from Aunt Debbie and Uncle Truman.

Last... Kaelin and I got Todd two tickets and a parking pass to a Dallas Cowboys football game. He is going to see the Cowboys play the Redskins next weekend.

My idea was for him to be able to take a friend with him so they could really enjoy and talk football... this has back fired... he wants me to go. Not that I don't like football and probably would enjoy going, I just thought he might like to take someone that knows the difference between a touchdown and a homerun. (This is like him giving me a gift certificate to the Galleria, I would never expect him to go with me.) Oh well, at least I will get to see Romo in person- there is nothing wrong with that.)

35 Things I love about Todd:

1. He is calm (even when I am not)
2. He is athletic (even though I am not)
3. He is a very caring husband
4. He is a very loving father
5. He makes rational decisions
6. He has listening ears even when he might not like what he is hearing
7. He loves animals
8. He loves being outdoors
9. He lets me watch my favorite shows when we are going to be rather than sports
10. He is very smart
11. He is a great leader
12. He is always there to help whomever needs it
13. He can cook
14. He actually enjoys cooking (and does a lot of it)
15. He likes to dress nice
16. He does not ever ask how much money I spend on Kaelin's clothes (thank goodness for this)
17. He is very respectful of everyone around him
18. He does not like to yell or argue (again... thank goodness)
19. He keeps my car washed
20. He does not complain when I prefer to spend my weekend shopping
21. He knows when to let me have my space
22. He enjoys spending alone time with Kaelin
23. He always takes Kaelin to her babysitter's in the mornings (so I can take my time getting ready)
24. He takes out the garbage
25. He always has coffee waiting for me in the morning
26. He is very faithful
27. He is a great handiman
28. He knows the vacuum cleaner can be run by male or female
29. He will get up in the middle of the night to tend to doggy throw up
30. He is a great friend
31. He is a great son
32. He likes Nascar and drag racing as much as Kaelin and I do
33. He is so patient
34. He reads books to Kaelin
35. The final thing I love about Todd... is that I get to spend the rest of my life finding more things to add to my list

Happy Birthday and I love you!!!!

High Maintenance Competition

I am convinced that Kaelin and Moe (the crazy dog) have formed a conspiracy against me.

I don't know what I have done to these two to make them gang up on me... but whatever it was, it must have been good.

Monday night...

Around 2:00 AM, I woke up to Moe throwing up on the floor and then he was hyper-ventilating. So, I had to get down on the floor and hold him and pet him until he calmed down and started breathing better.

Todd got up and cleaned up the throw up.

Finally, back in bed by 2:20 AM, 2:30 AM, Kaelin starts crying in her room. So, once again, I get out of bed to see what is going on. I get in there, she has calmed down and gone back to sleep.

2:35 AM, back in bed, 2:50 AM, Kaelin starts crying again. I get up, go in the room, and once again she has calmed down and gone back to sleep.

2:55 AM, back in bed. But the whole time I was up and down, Moe was acting up in the bed. Every time I laid down, he crawled on my legs (thinking I was really going to let him sleep on my legs).

5:00 AM, the alarm went off. I am not sure if I really got any sleep. I felt like a jack-in-the-box.

Monday night... Moe wins the high maintenance award.

Tuesday night...

After throwing Moe off of the bed (2 times by me and then at least another 4 by Todd), I finally went to sleep.

1:00 AM, I woke up to Moe scratching on the side of the bathtub. When I went into the bathroom to see what the heck was going on, he had already jumped into the bathtub and was licking the water off of Kaelin's bath toys. (and I wonder why he throws up)

1:50 AM, I woke up again to Kaelin standing beside my bed. She decided she had spent enough of the night in her room and wanted to spend the rest of the night in my room. So, I pick her up, get her all situated and am trying to go back to sleep when she suddenly realizes she does not have her baby. Well, I know I put the baby in the bed, but I can't find it. I have to end up getting out of bed, turning on the light, and searching for that darn baby. I found it and she was content with that.

2:20 AM, I really am going back to sleep, but Moe crawls on top of Kaelin and she is not having any of that. She starts hollering for me to get him off of her. She said " I just can't sleep like that". I responded "Well I just can't get any sleep."

Between 2:20- 5:00 AM I must have kicked Moe off of my legs 5 times and removed him from Kaelin's blanket, head (yes... I said head), and legs another 6 times. Plus I removed Kaelin's feet from my ribs, back, and side at least a half dozen times also.

Tuesday night... although it was a close race... Kaelin wins the high maintenance award.

Wednesday night... I am going to sleep on the coach and lock the gate at the top of the stairs so neither Moe or Kaelin can wake me up.

Opening Day of Shopping Season

Oh Happy Day... Oh Happy Day!!! (in most households)

Men affectionately know this weekend as "Opening day of deer season".

I on the other hand consider this "Opening day of shopping season".

This is where Kaelin and I go shopping every weekend because Todd is at the deer lease.

We would put a lot of planning into just which mall we were going to conquer that particular weekend.

But....

Todd got off of his deer lease this year...

He claims the drive was too long (5 1/2 hours), he got tired of going by himself, and he had not shot anything in (a month of Sunday's) several years.

But....

My interpretation of the REAL reason he got off...

I think he finally added up the cost of what he was spending plus what Kaelin and I were spending and realized we could have owned our own island in the Caribbean by now.

So...

Sad day... Sad Day

We are not sad that Todd will no longer be scouring the hills looking for Bambi or Bambi's daddy, but we are sad about the shopping being curtailed. There is no way on God's green earth that Todd would go along with the amount of shopping that Kaelin and I accomplish while he is away.

So... Still Sad Day... Sad Day

Still Trick or Treating...

Is it wrong to still be trick or treating?

We did not go to Mrs. Mary's house on Saturday night due to a misunderstanding on my part. I thought she was out of town, but she had just come back in town.

Anyway... we have trick or treated Mrs. Mary's and Mr. Ken's house since Kaelin's 1st Halloween, so there was no way we could miss it this year.

So, today Kaelin got to get all dressed up again and we headed over to Mrs. Mary's house.

I did get some strange looks from my neighbors, but this is not the weirdest thing they have seen us do, so it should have really come as no surprise to them.

I thought this was so cute. This is Mr. Ken giving Kaelin candy last year.

Trick or Treat

We are all trick or treated out this morning.

But, the extra hour of sleep has been nice and needed.

We did not trick or treat our neighborhood because we had an event to attend on Kaelin's social calendar. We had a Halloween party that was a lot of fun.

For the first time that I can remember, Todd dressed up. I will dress up for anything at anytime, but Todd is a little more reserved. So it was fun to get everyone to dress up.

Kaelin, of course, was the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader. She made her dad proud. It also gave him a conversation starter to begin talking football with all the other dads. As soon as someone would see her, the conversation would quickly turn to something like... "Did you see that Romo last week?" and "If I was Jerry Jones..." and "They have the potential to be a good team, but..."

Todd was a hippie. He had hair (for the first time in months) and it drove him absolutely crazy. He had to borrow a rubber band from me, so he could pull it away from his face.

I was a gypsy fortune teller. So, at the party, I had a crystal ball setup at a table and I would tell all the kids their fortune. I told them fortunes like "you will obey your mommy and daddy", "if you eat too much candy, you will get a tummy ache" and "you will do something fun tomorrow."

Before the party, we trick or treated Aunt Debbie's house. Kaelin's cousin, Trip, came over and we got to help him put the finishing touches on his costume. He was a vampire. It was good that Kaelin got to see him with no makeup on his face, then she got to watch me put it on. She might not have been to receptive of him if he had shown up with his face already done. She is not a fan of anything scary, creepy, spooky, or haunted. So, with her watching and helping paint his face, it was not so scary to her.

This was Kaelin's costume last year. She was a scary pink pirate. I thought I would let you see what she was last year.

Pumpkin Tales

Kaelin and I spent so much time carving out and decorating pumpkins this year. We had a blast doing it and Kaelin loved turning the battery operated candles on each night.

However....

Our pumpkins did not make it. We had to peacefully lay them to rest (in the trash can) on Tuesday. I came home from work Monday and there were some little bugs swarming all over the pumpkins. By Tuesday afternoon, it was just disgusting. Our pumpkins had completely rotted. (I guess we may have carved them a little early)

So Kaelin was just devastated. She had worked so hard on her poor little rotten pumpkin.

But... Todd saved the day. On Wednesday, Todd bought us both new pumpkins. They are fake (but look real) and the light plugs in rather than runs on batteries.

So, now we have new (fake) pumpkins. Kaelin is happy. And the rotting gourds are off of my porch as well as the nasty little bugs.

At work, someone got the bright idea to have a pumpkin carving contest. We had to bring them on Wednesday and they were judged on Friday. By Friday, they were so stinky. It might not be a tradition that is continued next year.

This is the winning display. I loved this one, except it made me want to get a pack of M&M's out of the vending machine everytime I looked at it.

My office made a snow man. We called it "Is it Christmas break yet?"

This is the other one that I thought was cute. It is a purple people eater. They were playing the song "Purple people eater" beside the display. It was pretty creative.

Life as a cheerleader

Kaelin has been keeping us EXTREMELY busy lately. Her social calendar is full. (This is the reason for not posting more stuff this week).

Last weekend, Kaelin had a birthday party to go to on Saturday. We took Laney with us.

The Cheerleader and Bat Girl were ready to party.

The Cheerleader had partied herself out. She was just about asleep in the swing.

On Wednesday, she had book character day at her school. Of course, Kaelin was a cheerleader. The only problem was, I did not have a book to go along with her character. So I just sent a Fancy Nancy book with her. Fancy Nancy is probably a cheerleader in one of her books, so I just sent it with her.

Kaelin the cheerleader and her friend the fairy along with their pal Buzz Lightyear (I think).

Kaelin was a little upset because I could not be at her book character party. I had mistakenly scheduled a meeting at the same time as her party. But, I made it up to her the next day. I brought her and two of her friends Happy Meals for lunch.

Our final cheerleader outing will be tomorrow night. Kaelin's social calendar even has us busy on Halloween night as well.

Pumpkin Time

Kaelin and I went to the pumpkin patch today. We were searching for the perfect pumpkin, but ended up with 3 perfect pumpkins.

When I was a little girl, pumpkins were orange. I guess in a world so focused on the color of your skin, the pumpkins had to get in on that action as well.

We came home and began decorating our pumpkins. We got two out of the three done. We will finish the other one this weekend (in our free time...ha ha ha).

Of course Kaelin's pumpkin has jewels on it.

I don't know if Kaelin was trying to make a scarier face than the pumpkin, but she looks a little scary.