BOO

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 
MY FRIEND!

I feel like it is the forgotten Halloween.  Frankenstorm is stealing all the thunder.  I missed our Trick-or-Treat on Friday night (I was out of town ~ post on that tomorrow!).  But here is how Trick-or-Treat went down:

T&T took my peeps Trick-or-Treating in our neighborhood (I think)
(i.e. Mom & Dad / Grammy & Buddy) 

Tracy:  Mom, did you take pictures of the kids for me?
T: No, I forgot
Tracy: Oh

It really is the forgotten year for Halloween.  Here is a snapshot that was sent to me from the school parade (I missed that too).  No pictures of Jack, at all.

Tracy

HOWL

The winds are howling just in time for Halloween.  Frankenstorm is officially upon us.  The winds are whipping and the lights are flickering.  The house is making funny noises ~ spooky.  We cleaned up all outdoor decorations and patio furniture.  I noticed that nobody else was outside doing the same.  I swear I heard something fly into my house!  Hmm.  I'll get you my neighbors and your little dog too!

Tracy

Hurricane Sandy 2012

just treats ~ no tricks

As we brace for Hurricane Sandy to hit New Jersey tomorrow, I realize we could live on Halloween candy for the next week if we had to. No joke. Plenty of candy here. Seriously, for the past few days, we did everything possible to prepare for the hurricane. A generator, food supplies, batteries/flashlights/candles, secure outdoor items, and so on. Additionally, I washed every stitch of clothing, baked batches of goodies and ran the vacuum. I think we are ready. Now, all we have to do is wait.

Tricia

Photo Friday 87

Cross Country Meet in NJ

Bright Lights, Big City in IL

It's That Time of the Year..

It is that time of the year already..holiday cards are in the air. Some years, I use a photographer, other years, I happen upon a lucky snapshot I have taken. This year, I am scrambling. The odds of capturing four children looking decent in one photo aren't in my favor. Throw in a new puppy and the odds get even worse. Sigh. What is this t to do??

I always pondered the idea of doing separate photos of each child. Find one really great shot and use it. Ordering cards online using digital photos makes it easy breezy. (honestly, I do require help from Ed with this ;) Remember when we ordered the cards and photos individually and assembled them all together??!! This required many joyful miserable hours. 

What do you have up your sleeve sister? You always wait until the last minute and pull off something amazing. I love how your cards have a twist of creativity and fun. I don't think I can compete with that. Stay tuned though for the finished product. I remain waiting for inspiration or even a sign from above.

Tricia

this would be a fun photo for my card..
too bad it only includes two of my kids.
would anyone notice if I signed it
"Kate, Emma & William"?

BUMP

Things that go bump in the night ... or people bumping into each other in my kitchen!

That's right, Oktoberfest 2012 was held this past Saturday night.  What a fun night.  The weather was perfect, nice and crisp, with a large circle of people around the fire pit.  The kitchen was packed thanks to tons of great food and kids swirling around everywhere.  

A shout out to all my helpers who did the outside finishing touches (magical and perfectly spooky), inside decorating with a little hip-hop to get us going, the sunshine cleaning crew who cleaned up the next day (think garbage bags in the basement) and to my babysitters who helped to keep the kids busy and happy.

As always there were a few bloopers that will always make me smile.  One blooper of note: at one point I heard my iPhone spewing out Christmas tunes.  Yikes!  Who made that playlist?

Tracy

Oktoberfest Sampling

I Know This Much is True

By now, I know this much is true. And, most likely, you know it too. The fun, interesting, exciting events we plan for our families..vacations, outing, day trips and the like..end up with tears, drama, yelling, and misery. Most of the time.

Classic example: fall trip to the farm. Honestly, I thought we missed the boat on this one. Pushing October 20th and not much time to spare for the farm. Feeling guilty as the five year old guy still appreciates/deserves/enjoys his fun on the farm. And so off we go..

Both t's, six of the seven kids, two grandparents and one farm in Pennsylvania.

We know we are in big trouble as we pull into the parking lot with thousands of other cars. No joke and too late to turn around. One t spies the tractor ride to the pumpkin patch and almost hops on it, bypassing the line of a thousand families by accident. No joke here either.

Next stop, the hay maze. Our anxious kids scramble through it until a man SCREAMS at a child for knocking over a hale bale. Everyone stops in their tracks -- my five year bursts into tears as the man was screaming at him.

Finally, after waiting online for the tractor ride, we arrive at the pumpkin patch only to find the pumpkins left are full of holes or smashed to smithereens. After much walking and searching, everyone finds something to take home. We wait in line again for the return tractor ride to the parking lot.

And in the end,  I also know this much is true --> our memories include the bloopers and tears and everything in between.

Tricia