T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

This boy is Trouble- with a capitol T! Just look at that naughty grin. You know that is the look he is giving me all the while listening to me tell him, “No, no Zeke. Get off the table please.” (I’m sure it doesn’t help that Little Miss was trying to put Isaiah’s Luigi mustache on from Halloween.)

The reason this one is so much Trouble…he is quiet. Too quiet.

I wish I could tell you of all the mishaps that occur around here that I only stumble upon after the fact. Our main living area where we are gated in together is fairly compact so how I miss his escapades as they are happening in real time is only because he does his naughtiness is silence. He’s a ninja. : ) (You know like on Electric Company- “Silent E is a ninja.” Only he’s not an E, but he is silent and thus he is like a ninja.)

An example you ask? No problem. So the little monster comes by me to get a little lovin’ and I see he is soaked. His legs, his belly, his feet. Immediately I think he has been in the shower (many a time this is true). I shrug it off (it’s only taken me a dozen or more times going through this to get over being truly annoyed) and get him changed. Half an hour or so later I come upon a mess in the corner near the couch. What really happened was he had taken his daddy’s water glass, left there from the night before, and spilled it all over the floor and his graham cracker. Nice. So much better than sitting in shower water.

I’m telling you the kid is QUIET. He has definitely learned a thing or two from those who have come before him. He’s watched them (Katie) get caught in the action being all loud and stuff. Un-uh, there’ll be none of that for him thank-you-so-much.

And the bookshelf clearing? Oh, don’t get me started! It is like he romps from one side of the house to other clearing shelves. And I know you are thinking, how does he do that quietly? (I think the trick here is that there is plenty of background noise he can hide behind. Smart kid that he is, he uses it to his advantage. And my detriment.)

He’s a ninja, stealth-like and up to no good. Man, oh man I am in a real fix with #4. Just tell me- why does he have to be so cute?

Angry Pumpkins

Oh, yes they were! We had us some seriously angry pumpkins this Halloween.

Every art project we have done this Fall has in some way, shape or form revolved around Angry Birds. At least for Isaiah it has. I should take a picture of a few other projects just so you know I am not lying to you.

(If you don’t know what Angry Birds is, count yourself lucky! It is addicting. We only became aware of it because of the movie Rio. The DVD came with a little card on the inside giving a code that allows you to play a free demo game on the computer. The rest is history.)

Mr. Isaiah wasn’t the only one pleased with how our efforts turned out. When Husbandry came in the house he was chuckling over the black pumpkin. That was the one that got him. Katie liked Mr. King Pig.

Several of the people who visited our house and collected candy commented on our patio decorations. Guess we aren’t the only ones to have been sucked into playing the game.

But just so you don’t think us too sad or ridiculous here are the other pumpkins that we decorated. : )

I’ll leave you to guess which artist painted which pumpkin- Katie or Kiersten? Tough call, I know. : )

Halloween 2011

This one was memorable. (Aren’t they all though?) Many a story needed to be shared with Beloved once we made it home.

This year we had Luigi, a fairy and a sock hop girl.

Isn’t that mustache hilarious on Isaiah? : )

I wish I could have kept a tally of all the people we passed by who said, “Hey! It’s Luigi!” And each and every time we heard that we promptly heard a little someone pipe up, not to be missed or forgotten, “And I am a little fairy!”

That girl. I tell you, she is something else! I wasn’t the only amused at my little miss so-and so.

I can only say, in this season of battle of the wills, that she definitely keeps life interesting. There is never a dull moment with that child. Never. Did I mention there is also never a quiet moment? Ah, well I suppose that is neither here nor there.

Anyhow, back to Halloween. The cuties and I hit the streets around our neighborhood shamelessly asking for candy. I brought the wagon along – just in case. (If you didn’t know it a three year old feels the need to frequently change her mind. Said parent of certain three year old person has come to learn to be prepared. You know, just in case.)

Trick-or-treating took an interesting turn when a little boy tried to help himself to Katie’s candy as he walked by. The Dad intervened and said she wasn’t handing out candy and then moved the little boy along before a crisis of dramatic proportions broke out. The incident, however, didn’t quickly leave Katie’s mind. From then on any time we came near to another child her hand went over the top of her pumpkin basket and she gave them the stink eye, just daring them to make a move on her loot.

It wasn’t long after this she decided she was done trick-or-treating. We weren’t yet home, in truth we were only a few blocks away, but she gave it up and took residence in the wagon. The other two went up and down many a sidewalk gathering more candy. Several people noticed Little Miss sitting in her wagon but that she was making no move to come collect their candy. They inquired and I just let them know she said she was done. (Oh, she meant it.) Few people still made me come get candy for her not realizing the extent to which she sticks by her guns once she has decided the way a thing should be. Lucky them.

Another mentionable thing that happened was a boycott by the girls’ of certain houses. Some decorations were just too scary. Kiersten, my ever cautious one, refrained from a handful of so houses because she didn’t ‘feel comfortable’ going up to the door. No problem. Katie joined her sister on the curb at a few houses as well. One house Kiersten didn’t go up Katie did but as we were on our way down the steps she said, “Scary, but not cool!” (You’d have to have seen the movie Rio to know where she got that phrase from.) The timing and well use of the movie line brought a smile to my face.

What about Isaiah, you ask? Did he pass by any houses that looked scary? No, indeed he did not. He was on a mission to collect candy. He would still be on people’s porch having barely said his thank you when he would yell, “Mom! I got a (insert name of candy here).” No lie, he reported his treasure from each and every house the moment it landed in his basket. Each and every house. What a nut.

There you have it, Halloween 2011. I’ll be back in a few days to show you their pumpkins. There has been a theme to most all things art where Isaiah is concerned. Pumpkin decorating was no exception.

Love at First Sight

Oh they tried, those of kids of mine, to get my Beloved and I to love these crazy cuties as much as they did!

We went to this apple orchard nearby to grab a few pumpkins and, of course, some apples. : ) What we didn’t expect to find was a whole litter of baby kittens. These fuzz balls captivated all four kids’ the moment they were spied. Just look at Isaiah’s face. (Those red cheek’s tell me we should have taken that coat off sooner, but his facial expression says, “Can we please take one of these precious kitty’s home?”)

It is a good thing we have built up an immunity to any and all cuteness related to the kids trying to get their way!

(This poor cat owed me one after I rescued it from Zeke. The cat thought to meander away from his grasp and he not so gently grabbed what he could, that little tail was a perfect candidate, and started to reel that cat back in!)

This orchard boasted several different animals, several of which were behind mesh gates. It also had a small hay bale maze-ish type area for the kids to run and jump in as well as a nice little slide. All of these great attractions and they kept coming back time and again to pet and hold the kittens.

Isaiah said, “I just can’t help myself! I have to come see the kittens again.” I finally had to order the kids away from them because other people were trying to get a little lovin’ too. : )

I wish I had been able to get a picture of all four kids but Zeke was having none of staying still. That boy wandered the area like he was in his own back forty. My but he is an active one and he loves being outside.

The kids’ had a really wonderful time, the weather was excellent and we ran into a dear family while there. The latter part being something my Beloved and I were particularly blessed by.

All-in-all it was a gem of a day. It was quite the feat but we came away sans kittens , if you were wondering. They tried, I tell you, they tried. : )

Tasty Fall Goodness

The kids’ and I recently took a quick trip to visit a dear girlfriend and her young family. She had baby#2 over the summer and had moved 5 or so hours closer within the last year making her house a day trip away. : ) When I knew Beloved would be gone for just shy of a full week for work it was the perfect opportunity to go. So go we did.

We all had a wonderful time meeting sweet Sara’s family.

So the tasty Fall goodness. While at Sara’s house I noticed her Midwest Living magazine lying out on the side table. My mother-in-law also gets this magazine so I knew them to contain some good recipes. This issue was no exception. I stumbled across their gingerbread pancake recipe and knew when we got home we would have to give them a try. (I wrote the recipe out not knowing I would find it on the web. I wasn’t chancing it!)

We tend to do pancakes every now and again…a dinner that the kids’ quickly (& quietly) consume. I don’t think it has anything to do with the Ready Whip and sprinkles on top, do you?

Anyhow, this is a nice warm version of the usual pancake recipe we use (& still love). There is just something about molasses/gingerbreadish food that fits Fall. Now I know I mentioned some toppings to these but to be honest with you I eat them with no syrup cold the next morning. They are that tasty. : )

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