Halloween Weekend...

Alternatively titled - Lots of photos of the kids in their costumes mixed with family members during Halloween weekend.

Family visits mixed with costumes - does it get much funner than that?

T Rex Dad's parents are leaving for Arizona so we had a big family gathering to send them off. Later in the weekend, my mom and sister came over to see the kids get ready for their trick-or-treat adventure as well as visit a couple homes with them (my brother-in-law and nephew were on a hunting trip).

T Rex Princess with G&G


T Rex (aka Buzz Lightyear) with Grandpa


Aunt Terri was the hostess of the big family gathering/send off.


T Rex ready for his trick-or-treating outing - with his Dad.


And with his Mom.

T Rex Princess with Auntie J - waiting to hit the neighborhood. More prep time than actual road time.

Ready to roll.


Heading to the first house - Good Neighbors D&M.

T Rex Dad taking the kids to a couple other homes in the neighborhood.

Going with our son on his first real trick-or-treating adventure was better than the first one of my own. T Rex Dad and I agreed, it's like being a kid all over again. I can probably count on one hand how many homes we went to but T Rex just HAD to show off his costume. Then he really enjoyed handing out candy, especially since he doesn't eat candy.

When the older kids dressed in scary costumes started coming around, we closed up shoppe since we didn't want T Rex to have a nightmares. We opted for some Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin as entertainment after all that excitement. Let's just say, that night T Rex Dad and I were able to watch a movie alone without interruption because T Rex went right to sleep. I cannot even remember the last time that happened.

Ruminations - What is happening to time? Part II

Recently I was assisting Bebe Sister maintain her balance while playing near a table. She really wanted to stand up and watch her brother play, but she's just not ready to be standing without some assistance. As I sat there steadying her I found myself quite bored. In my head I was listing off the millions of things I knew still needed to be done.

I started to tap on my little girl's tiny toes. I love baby feet. I think I would insist on an endless string of babies in our household just so I could always have baby feet to kiss and cuddle. Alas, that is simply not a good enough excuse. So, instead, I try to soak in every moment I can with the babies I do have.

T Rex had wonderful baby feet. I wish I would have kept them sock free more than I did. T Rex Princess (aka Bebe Sister) almost never has socks or shoes on - mostly so I can enjoy those sweet toes as much as possible.

As I sat there tapping those toes, I realized I'll never be able to go back and kiss T Rex's baby feet. His feet are now little kid feet - no longer chubby or flat. When did this happen? What I wouldn't do to be able to go back in time and hold a baby T Rex - just one more time. Yes, I have another sweet, sweet baby with chubby, flat baby feet, but it's not the same.

So, I am once again reminded that I have to soak up every moment possible because they never come around again. Yes, I'll get to go through the same stages with each child, but it's never the same because each child is different.

This just kind of makes me sad and nostalgic. But also very grateful I've had the wonderful moments I have had with the kids I do have.

Halloween Toddler Project...

Want a super easy project that is also super fun and yet can complete during the short attention span of a toddler? Or you need to do some inexpensive, fast decorating?

Halloween Ghosts...

Total time for 6 ghosts: 5 minutes. The almost-three-year-old was actually asking to do more so this tells me he had a good time and it's always nice to leave him wanting more.

Cost: $5 (less if you already have supplies around the house like cheesecloth for canning or yarn for knitting)

Supplies:
- Cheesecloth
- Scissors
- Black yarn or string
- Sticky eyes
- Foam balls (or spheres as T Rex calls them)

1. Double layer cheesecloth and cut about 12 X 12 inch squares. I used my scissors as a measuring reference. Obviously, I did most of the cutting but with these scissors, T Rex could help me close them so it gave the illusion he was cutting the cloth. Safety scissors just won't cut it - literally.

2. Cut lengths of yarn about 6-8 inchs - use two per ghost so cut as many as you will need.

3. Place foam ball at center of cheesecloth square and gather cloth around ball securing with string.

4. Place sticky eyes. This was T Rex's favorite part. We went with super small eyes just on the off chance Bebe Sister found a lose one and ate it. They are small enough to go in and out - just in case.

5. Enjoy your work. He's been having a grand time carrying these guys around in his jack-0-lantern.

(We'll probably run some white thread through the heads for hanging on Halloween weekend but it's been so rainy here we don't want to ruin our creations).

Have you done any fun Halloween projects or have any fun Halloween plans?

Punkin Patch...

Good Neighbors D&M invited us out to "the farm". It was seriously the best time!

Here are just a few highlights...

T Rex was a little nervous initially but he found some reassurance holding onto his dad. Before long, though, he was running with the other kids with no care as to where T Rex Dad or I was.

T Rex getting a little help from "Tall Buzz Lightyear" picking out pumpkins - some for carving and some for baking.

There were so many wonderful pumpkins - he finally decided this was the one (of many he would take home)! And Halloween is just not Halloween without Buzz Lightyear - you've probably figured out what T Rex is dressing up as this year!

Collecting and tossing tomatoes - how fun is that?!? He certainly doesn't get to do this at home! Note - Buzz has actually been put down for this activity.

Showing off his chosen pumpkins to friend J. The green one was very popular among the three and almost three-year-olds!

Riding "scoots" with with some help from T Rex Dad.

Stealing hugs from J.


All the pumpkins loaded in the tiny truck to haul back to the house.

T Rex was too afraid to ride on the little truck so he watched as it drove away with his pumpkins. Even though he did not actually ride in it, he was very impressed with it and talked endlessly about it on the ride home until he crashed from sheer exhaustion.

This little pumpkin slept the entire time we hunted for pumpkins, but her big brother was kind enough to pick out a couple on her behalf. She's working on a second tooth so she's been sleeping a bit less these days so she has to catch up during nap time.

T Rex Dad stealing some baby snuggles after her nap - she is always so snuggly after nap time - it's the best!

Bebe Sister made the circuit visiting everyone at the gathering. Here, at the end, I finally got my snuggles in.

It was so nice to hang out in a kid friendly environment outside the city and with the best of company on a glorious fall day. And very special shout out to Mr. and Mrs. V for this very special day - a very hearty thank you. We definitely owe you a pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread! And thanks to good neighbors D&M for arranging this and all the work you put into this special day, too! This is definitely one for our memory books!

Reading Time...

We read a lot of books in the T Rex Family Household. Most of my reading of late is school related - Health Assessment, Health Program Planning, Diagnosis and Assessment - fun, huh? And the kids both enjoy reading a variety of books. Yes, even Bebe Sister likes to pull books out of the bins and browse through them. She's been trying to pick the Cheerios off the Cheerios book since she recently started solids.

T Rex's favorite book at the moment is Eric Carl's The Very Quiet Cricket. He just can't get enough of it and anyone who will listen gets the entire reading. T Rex is delighted to have a new audience to listen...



Short video of the beginning of their second reading session - it was much shorter but makes for an excellent and download-able video.

What are you reading these days?

Toddler Translations

We've been struggling with our toddler.

His Spanish is growing by leaps and bounds but he cannot seem to understand basic English. Thus, we've been trying to analyze the situation and the first thing we've decided to do is offer some translations to better understand where he is coming from.

Here's the format:

"What we say" - His interpretation

"Feet on the ground." - Just squat where you're at (on a ladder, on a table, on the bookshelf, etc.). It gives the impression that your feet are on the ground.

"Mommy's on the phone." - Find your loudest toy and commence playing with it or if playing with loudest toy hit the same key over and over again.

"Gentle with Bebe Sister." - Give Mom a heart attack and continue jumping over her like she's a candle stick and you're Jack Be Nimble.

"Bed time." - Throw yourself on the ground and whine loudly because maybe it will eventually wear Mom and Dad down to the point they let you stay up longer. (It has yet to work, though).

"Choose one toy to take in the car." - Grab three of your favorite toys and begin negotiations which result in two toys going in the car.

"Smile for the camera" - Do everything but smile.

"No thank you - tub water is for bathing, not drinking." - Next time you're in the shower, drink the water from the floor.

"Careful. Cars are coming..." - Run at top speed for the street.

"Bebe Sister's awake" - Run into the bedroom and climb into her crib with her. It makes her giggle.

"We're going to the grocery store." - Hurry and put your shoes on so you can see the Lightning McQueen ride-on car, the giant M&Ms, the cake in the bakery with eyes on it, and the scary witch and skeleton on display. After all, going to the grocery store is about the sights, sounds, and smells, not about getting food. Oh, and don't forget to ask repeatedly to hold, pat, or take home various items along the way. One never knows when Mom or Dad might cave and actually comply with these requests - here's to hoping!

"STOP!!!" - Hurry up otherwise Mom will make you stop before you finish whatever it is you're doing. And if you're fast enough, you can pull the fire alarm at Dad's employee health center causing 300 people to evacuate the building during the busiest working hour. Then ask for a Sponge Bob sticker for waiting through the blaring alarm. (No sticker was given. I "wore my grumpy face" for a very long time after this!)

There is a reason we say T Rex is force of nature.

Yes...these toddler years certainly do keep us on our toes.

Do your kids have their own interpretations to your requests?

Wordful Wednesday...Manty

Meet Manty...

Short for mantis as in preying mantis.

We've mentioned our love for praying mantids before here and here.

Well, this year, we could not purchase any preying mantis egg sacs and were concerned we would not have any mantids in the garden. However, it would seem all our egg sacs of past have left us with some offspring who have decided to take up permanent residence with us. We've found them all over the yard and we can tell the difference between them by their size and coloration.

Manty is unique to us. Her color scheme is unlike any we've yet encountered. And it probably has to do with where she rests her antennae. We have a potted Roma tomato plant. It grew from some really old seeds and we just kept watering it and watering it. It's actually been our best tomato producer this year. That's not saying too much since it was a poor tomato year for our region, but I think the plant is happy because of who's living there.

Manty likes to come out during the day, especially when I water the plants. She'll bask and wait for the water droplets to hit her and then preening afterward. Sometimes we'll find her climbing a nearby wall searching for insects to prey upon. She's an incredible huntress. However, if we come too near her tomato plant, she'll scurry back and "guard" it.

Saturday was diaper day and around noonish I took my diapers out to dry in the sun. Our neighborhood does not allow clotheslines so I just use the patio furniture to hang my items. It actually works quite nicely. I really love hanging the diapers - they just come out smelling so fresh, clean, and completely stink-free. On my way back into the house, I greeted Manty guarding her plant.

A few hours later I went out and collected the diapers. I like to put them in the dryer for 10 minutes on air dry afterward drying outside. It fluffs them up, decreases the stiffness, and makes for super soft fluff on Bebe Sister's tushy. When the cycle was over I collected the diapers and dumped them into the laundry basket where I immediately took them for folding. Most of the time they sit in the laundry basket for a few hours or even in the dryer but I was running low on diapers so this load was immediately folded.

As I was folding this spider-like creature appeared in my diapers. I gasped and screamed...

T Rex Dad came running. Guess who had climbed into my diapers, went through the dryer, and was royally grumpy?!?

Manty was fine. We took her back outside to assess her well-being. Aside was being a little disoriented for a while and demonstrating every one of her defensive and aggressive poses/stances, she was alright. I was SO glad I did not even put on the tiniest bit of heat or run the dryer for longer than 10 minutes.

One never knows when one will encounter adventure...