Halloween 2007

Finally Halloween is here! Eli and I have been in Halloween mode for more than a month, so it's nice that it has arrived and is done with. I'm sure the kids will continue to have skeletons and ghosts on the brain for weeks to come, but we can start to take down the cobwebs and un-decorate the house.

Zachary wore Avery's frog costume from last year, and Avery (with no prompting from me!) picked out a Harry Potter costume. This year Eli took them out trick-or-treating while I manned the candy bowl. He enjoys taking the kids, but I know he also enjoys the neighborhood tradition of Shooterween (alcoholic treats for the grown-ups). Since our section of Brambleton is pretty well self-contained we only get visitors for about an hour after it gets dark, which is nice.

Golden Pond had Halloween Parades for each age group all week long. I wasn't able to go to Avery's parade, but he was able to join Zach's parade the next day. The kids were very cute, following the teacher around the parking lot like little ducklings. I never thought I would see so many two and three-year olds following instructions so well.

A Busy October

October is always a jam-packed month for us, and these past three weeks have been no exception. On Oct. 12 we went to WV for a huge party to celebrate Grandpa's birthday. Grandma hired a caterer and went all out. It was nice to meet some of their close friends that we've heard about but never met. (We didn't ask but I'm sure it was strictly for A and B-list friends, so we felt privileged to be invited). Avery and Zach were the only kids in attendance and they basked in all the attention they got.

The next day Eli and I drove down to southern Virginia to go to Kris and Autumn's wedding. It was beautiful drive, and nice to be up in the mountains again. We haven't been down near Virginia Tech in almost five years. We didn't have a chance to stop at VT, but we did see a lot of close friends (and alumni) we hadn't seen in a while. It's funny that people can live 15-20 minutes from one another, not see each other for years, and then meet up at a wedding 250 miles away.

The next weekend we went to a Halloween party at Matt and Jessica's house. There was candy everywhere and we were going crazy trying to police the boys. Eventually we broke down and told them they could have a piece each time they ate a veggie from the veggie tray. Once the novelty wore off, they were able to play with all the other kids in attendance.

On Sunday the 21st we went to my parents' to celebrate my uncle David's 59th birthday. As usual he was very happy to see the family and talked about his job and how he'd been doing. Of course all the cousins were there, so the kids were bouncing off the walls and having fun playing together. I have noticed that Ellie and Gigi go off together to play by themselves more now that they are both in Kindergarten. I feel bad for Maddie because she is left to play with the boys, but she and Avery get along well most of the time. Zachary plays with Sammy sometimes, but he also likes to follow the older girls around too.

Last week was filled with doctor's appointments, and Zach and I met up with Leslie and Jessica at the mall. It was nice to be able to sit for a change. When I have both boys they go in opposite directions. With just Zach he generally stays nearby. I think I'll be able to go out with him and the new baby without too much difficulty.

On Thursday we had Grandma and Grandpa over to celebrate my birthday, and then Friday the 26th was the real deal. We went out to dinner at Nick's, and Eli gave me a pocket Suduko book to pass time in the hospital and when I am nursing. I also got an iTunes gift card, a jewelry box, and a new Canon digital camera from "the boys".

Saturday we had my family over, Nani, Nene, Seth, Rob, Gigi, and Sammy. We went out to a Japanese steakhouse / Hibachi restaurant, which I would have to say is my favorite favorite cuisine. The kids enjoyed watching the chef prepare all of the food, all except for the traditional "fireball" trick which was a little too scary for Avery and Zach.

Avery's 4th Birthday

I've been sticking with a Halloween theme for Avery's birthday parties. This year I got more decorations and made more decorations. We finally painted the dining room and I filled it with fall foliage. I love the fall and Halloween, so decorating the house is a lot of fun. I spent weeks getting the house ready, but it was worth it.

Our friend Jill made us a ghost/pumpkin patch/grave yard cake. It looked and tasted great, and was a big hit with Avery and all our guests.

Eli was also inspired by the Halloween theme and made dishes like a creepy vegetable platter. He also built a monster in the fire place. It had giant plywood teeth, a forked tongue, sound/motion sensitive eyes, and a fogger to blow smoke out the mouth.

The fog and monster eyes were quite a draw for the kids. They spent a lot of time clapping their hands to set off the eyes, and then screaming and running away when it "spoke" to them. We finally had to turn it all off to get them to settle down and stop all the screaming.

The next day we had my family over for a second party. We ate pizza and leftover cake, and watched the Redskins game while the cousins destroyed Avery and Zach's bedroom. Eli and I were exhausted from cleaning the house twice in three days, but it was a labor of love.

Big Apple Circus

Avery's birthday weekend started with a trip to the Big Apple Circus up near the Dulles Town Center. Right before intermission Avery asked if we could go home. I'm pretty sure he was just hungry, as he seemed to be enjoying the show. We got some snacks and drinks during the break, and after that he happily watched the rest of the show. Both boys loved the acrobats, horses and dogs.

Girl's Weekend 2007

After 4 years of being a full-time mother, I was finally able to take a little time for myself on a Girls-only weekend. Heidi, Jill, Leslie and I all went to Lewes, Delaware for some R&R and girl time. We left at 3:30 on Friday but what should have been a 3 hour drive turned into almost 6 hours thanks to terrible Bay Bridge traffic. We stopped once to use the restrooms and get drinks and a snack.

After we arrived we went out for a late dinner at Striper Bites. The food was excellent and this was our favorite restaurant of the trip weekend. Heidi told us that she heard they have the best Crab Cakes on the East Coast.



Saturday was our big day. We all had facials which included arm, shoulder, feet and hand massages. Heidi and I went first, then we ate lunch at the Second Street Grill in Lewes, and then Heidi and I walked around town while Jill and Leslie had their facials. In the afternoon we went to Rehoboth beach. It wasn't warm enough to swim, but we wanted to take our shoes off and feel the sand and water.

The day ended with a walk along the boardwalk and a hunt for somewhere to eat dinner. We hadn't made reservations so it proved to be difficult. After being turned away at several spots we ended up in an Italian restaurant that was... so-so.