Happy Halloween!

I think we've found our next car.

More Highlights from Our Awesome Trip to Illinois

Ackerman Farm

The Aquarium

Lake Michigan

Animal Lover Elsa

The Dutchman

Happy Chloe

It was such a fun trip. We hope we can go back soon!

What do you get when you combine...

an empty cornfield...

in the pumpkin capitol of the world...


with a group of people with nothing to do on a beautiful October Saturday...


and a bunch of people willing to build contraptions with the sole purpose of flinging 8 lb, round, orange objects as far as possible?????


You get the Morton, Illinois Annual Punkin' Chuckin Contest!!!


It's pretty sweet!

Childhood

My Little Posers

Beautiful Day

The last couple days have been gorgeous!! Quoting Jacob, "It's the exact temperature of heaven." Yesterday, Ella said, "It's a beautiful day! Mom, lets go be in the beautiful day!" So we did. We got our cameras and headed out to enjoy the best time of year in Tucson.

Apparently, Ella was feeling angelic when she got dressed.

Big Day

Sophie's been busy...

She found a good hiding place for her yogurt.



She learned a new word. "Baoon!"

She figured out how to get into the junk drawer

She figured out how to open the front door...

then threw a melt-onto-the-floor, feet kicking, fists pounding tantrum when I made her come back inside.
(In hind sight, taking pictures was probably not the best parenting strategy for the moment).

She didn't find a good hiding place for her crackers...

or her marshmallows.



"Phew, it's hard work keeping Mom busy. Good thing it's nap time!"

The Y Files: Case of the Proverbial "Kick Me" Sign

'Y' as in Yes, I am losing my mind!

Case Number: 9834512 WQ
Current Status: Embarrassed

I ran some errands today: library, Costco, etc. When I got to the library I turned on my hazard lights while I dropped some overdue books in the book drop. I got back in the car and drove away. I didn't notice, until I got to Costco, that my hazard lights were still on. I guess this was bound to happen eventually, considering that it's not uncommon for our car to randomly make blinker-like clicking sounds, even when the blinkers aren't on. This is a problem that Jacob fixed 2 months ago, by replacing the hazard switched (see Car Talk). It lasted a record 2 weeks before the random clicking started again. And for the record: No, we haven't picked out a new car yet; and Yes, our car has started leaking coolant again. But I digress. So there I was driving obliviously across town with my hazard lights on, dripping coolant like a leaky faucet, animatedly singing "If Your Happy, and you Know It!" with my girls at the top of my lungs.

What a dork! I'm totally embarrassed. I might as well have walked around Costco with "Kick Me" sign on my back. Photo Courtesy of Ella

The Y Files: Case of the Missing Cookie Cutters

('Y' as in Yes, I'm losing my mind)!

Case Number: 2013566 SB
Current Status: UNSOLVED

Yesterday I decided to treat myself to a little window shopping, and enjoy the Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations that are out in the stores. These excursions can be a little damaging to my bank account, but on this particular occasion, I managed to leave only a measly $2 dollars poorer. I bought a few fun fall cookie cutters, with the intent of doing some Halloween baking this weekend.

On the way home Sophie started crying (I think she really wanted the two adorable mirrors that would look perfect in my bathroom) and then wailing. I tried Bear...I tried snacks...oops, I forgot toys...I handed her the cookie cutters. Those kept her occupied for about a half a minute, then she started screaming again.

So 20 minutes later we arrived home totally frazzled. I got the girls in the house, and Sophie down for a nap, and went back out to the car to find my cookie cutters. They weren't there. I checked my bag...not there. I checked Sophie's stuff...Not There! I went back out to the car...Not There! I searched in, around, under the car seats, in the glove compartment, in the trunk...am I losing my mind?...My cookie cutters are (cue eerie X files music) ...gone!!!

I have come to the conclusion that my cookie cutters are the same place as that J.C. Penny receipt, which is a whole nuther............... nuther?, another?, whole other?............which is a completely different story (and one for someone else to tell).

There is just simply no other explanation.

Have You Seen Us?

Missing:
Wilton (R) Harvest Mini Metal Cutter Set
Set of 6 shapes: pumpkin, apple, maple leaf, oak leaf, elm leaf and acorn.
Recipe included.
Each shape is approximately 1 1/2 in.
Set Number: 2308-1217
Last Seen: 10/09/2008 in a
Silver Oldsmobile Alero with Tucson License plates

Debates could be more entertaining.

I usually prefer to skip the debates, and read the reviews/critiques of the event that simplify all of the political mumbo jumbo. However, I kind of hate to admit it, but I actually somewhat found the Vice Presidential debate last week to be kinda, sorta interesting...maybe. And the Presidential debate scheduled for tonight is intriguing me a little bit. It might be, dare I say it, interesting. (I think that means I'm getting old).

So, in honor of the debate tonight...

Presidential debates would be more entertaining...

1. if Ryan Seacrest was the mediator..."We're live, America."
2. if Paula, Randy, and Simon critiqued each answer.
3. if it included an immunity challenge.
4. if it had a catchier title, like "Survivor: Electoral Collage" or "America's Next Top Commander in Chief: Cycle 44" or "Project White House" or "So You think you can Debate" or "America's got Controversy."
5. if it included a dance challenge.

Okay, so now I'm out of dorky reality TV references. But seriously, if a network came up with a reality show based on the campaigns...I think it would be a hit.

I like it.

I was organizing photos today, and came across this one of my niece that I took several months ago. It's still one of my favorites.

Quirky Tag

I was tagged by Brooke

So here it goes... 6 unspectacularly quirky things about myself...

1. I love bananas, can easily eat 3 a day, but I despise banana flavored things. I won't eat banana bread, banana shakes, banana candies (especially the little banana runts, and banana flavored Laffy Taffy). And I really don't like it when a banana's been kept in the same bag as, lets say, a sandwich, and the sandwich tastes like banana. Even if the sandwich has been in a Ziplock bag, I can always tell if it has been closed in, in close proximity to a banana.

2. I have a pack-a-day chewing gum habit.

3. I can only handle 2 noises at a time. If Ella's trying to talk to me, and Sophie's crying...no big deal. If Ella's trying to talk to me, and Sophie is crying, and Jacob is watching TV, something has to stop. And I can handle the radio, and the TV on at the same time, but if someone start talking...so I have a hard time at busy restaurants, and big parties. I don't think it's a volume thing, because I like to listen to loud music, and loud theaters don't bother me. I think it's just the chaos.

4. The last thing I eat every night is a handful of pretzels.

5. I don't like my bones touching. For example. When I sleep on my side I can't have my legs perfectly lined up on top of one another so that my knees and ankles touch. It makes me shudder just thinking about it. It made for an interesting conversation the first time Jacob and I were riding together in the back of a squished car, and our knees were touching. I tried scooting, and re-situating myself in order to prevent our knee caps from touching, but it was just to squished... so I just put my hand between our knees.

6. I like to pretend I'm an awesome choreographer, and choreograph dances while I'm in the shower.

I tag Megan, Lesley, and Justin!

A few hours at the zoo

The cutest thing at the zoo were these adorable girls!

Looking for birds.

Sophie's favorite thing: all the birds.

Ella's favorite: the flamingos.
There was some confusion, because before we got to the zoo she talked about seeing the "sausages," which I finally figured out were "ostriches," but when we saw the ostriches she said "No, I want to see the pink sausages."

My Favorite.