Alex is on the radio!

Alex left for young men's last night around 4:30 pm.

They were headed to Provo to visit a radio station and go to some famous hot dog joint.

He called around 5:15 and excitedly told me to turn on the radio. He was going to be on the air! 

I tuned in and turned it up really loud as I made dinner. 

I listed to KSL news radio for over and hour. 

All through dinner. 

We didn't even turn it off during the prayer. 

I figured they were going to interview our scouts or ask questions or something but after an hour and a half and hearing nothing  and everyone begging me to turn it off, I let the girls turn it off and listen to their music.

Alex came home around nine pm and excitedly ask:

A: Mom, did you hear me on the radio?

Me: No, Alex. I'm sorry. I kept it on for a long time but I didn't hear you.

A: (With a disappointed look) You didn't hear me clap?

Me: Clap? I was listening for your clap?

A: Yes, and we said "whoo" too.

Me: (Bursting out laughing) No. I'm sorry. I didn't hear you clap.

Oh my heck!

His clap? 

Rylee as Anastasia!

Rylee just wrapped up West Jordan's children's theater production of "Cinderella's Glass Slipper". 

She played one of three wicked step sisters and she had a ball doing it!

Here she is in the 1st Act:

(The lighting was rather harsh from where I was taking pictures.)

This is the 2nd Act at the masquerade ball:

 One night I caught her in the hall before the 2nd act:

 The back of the dress:

The three wicked stepsisters after the show:

 Rylee & Ashtyn - her friend we carpooled with!

 Getting congrats from Grandma

 And a hug from  Grandpa

 The real wicked step sisters (I am just kidding!)

Austin had to work but caught the show the night before. He even brought a date! 

It was a cute show and so fun for Rylee. 

Alex wrote in his journal that she was the best step sister and that her performance almost made him cry. Brach sat by me and kept saying "She is so good at acting like....that!" (That would be a mean, spoiled, snotty step sister!)  She had Kambree and Devree rolling. She was hilarious. 

Congrats Ry! Good thing you're much sweeter in real life!

(And that you don't wear makeup like that daily!)

There is a song running through my head these days....."I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing". Know that song? That's sort of the theme of my life right now. So, I started my training at jetBlue (which I will now refer to in the future and forever more as JB. I've been informed - during my TWO day orientation - that I must make a statement on any social media site/public blog that my opinions and thoughts are not the views and/or opinions of JB - whew!  Got that out of the way!)

I don't know how mom's work full time on a regular bases. My hat is off and my head is bowed. 

Training is from 7 am to 3 pm but only through December 8th. Then I'll work my shifts for a couple of weeks up at the call center and then I'll get to work from home! Woot! Hopefully before Christmas. If not, I will be going to work on Christmas and Christmas Eve. Boo. 

I am working here strictly for the flight benefits. That and the dental benefits.

So here is a quick update on the family.

• Rylee's play is closing tonight! (I will post pictures later.)

• Devree made the basketball team....again

• Alex has his I-pod taken away again  - for downloading games that cost money and not asking or making arrangements for payment AND is doing his own laundry for the rest of the month due to yet again not checking his pockets and washing his chap stick - which got all over everyone's clothes. (Sigh)

• Austin bought a new X-box. Boo.

• Kambree is home for the weekend to see Ry's show and it was so fun to hear about her CNA clinical's. She's had to wash and wipe a number of patients and she handled it fabulously.

• James will be home Wednesday and home through Thanksgiving! Woot!

• And I am heading out to show houses all day on this blustery day, volunteering at Ry's play tonight, teaching Sunday School on Sunday and going back to training next week where I will learn another hundred acronyms for the airline industry and wonder....why am I doing this? I will then look outside like today and see dreary, windy, rainy weather and think of a sunny warm beach and my free flight benefits!

The Giggles Gave It Away

Last night - well after Alex's lights out - I could hear him giggling in his room. I was puzzled, no one else was home?
I heard him giggle again - I was reading in my room next to his - and I asked,  
"Alex, what is going on?"
Immediately he answered,
"Oh, nothing. I'm just tickling myself."
I believed him for about ten seconds thinking to myself,   
"What a silly kid."
and then I'm like 
"Wait a minute. You can't tickle yourself." 
( I know this from trying it myself at a much younger age.) I quietly walked into his room. 

"Yes mom?" he innocently asks.

"Umm. Alex, where is your iTouch?"
(He just got it back last week.)

"I'm not playing with my iTouch."

"I didn't ask if you were playing with it, I asked where is it?"

He sighed, "In my bed."

He handed it over and I took it into my room and discovered he was watching Disney's "Suite Life On Deck". True, he wasn't PLAYING with it - just WATCHING it.

Guess I'll be keeping his iTouch for yet another week.

And if he wasn't such a giggle out loud kid.....I wouldn't have even known!

Halloween Oh My Heck!

I was sharing with a blogging friend how stressful Halloween is.

Oh my. 

Whoever thought up this holiday must certainly not be a mom. 

Or maybe they just don't like moms? 

• First off there's the costume. I don't allow my kids to decide what they're being until after October 1st because - just like birthday gifts and Christmas presents- they change their mind a million times between now and then. I am also not a fan of store bought costumes - my own flaw - and that only adds to the stress. I like originality and detest the basic vampire, witch, hobo costume so, the stress starts early. First off coming up with the great idea, figuring out how to pull off the costume and then talking said child into my great idea. Another issue with costumes? Is every year at this time I get out my costume boxes (yes plural - I have lot's of costumes) and find someone has lent out my ballroom gloves, my gold pirate tooth is lost, the Yeti outfit is missing and I freak out!! You know how some people count their silver? I'm like that with my costumes. I don't mind lending or sharing but it irks me when things are not returned or worse! When my kids lend them/use them/lose them and I don't even know! (This year I replaced both black and white elbow length gloves and added 12 snakes and a pair of green and black stripped tights.)

• Then there's the decorations. Oh, I am so lame in that department.  I don't do gory-scary. Boo. I like cutesy, harvest, fall stuff. Having three girls and one boy for the majority of time - I only got grief from Austin that our house was lame because it is so NOT scary. I'm fine with that. We've always had neighbors that went all out. This year they had lights and a fog machine across the street. Go for it neighbors! More power too you. But as much as I don't like scary, I do like crafty-cute and I am not a crafter. I don't sew (which makes the costume issue an even bigger problem)  I don't paint, knit, crochet, applique, bedazzle, I don't even hot glue well. And when I do? I get knots between my shoulder blades and an instant headache and all I can see is the many mistakes and how dumb my craft looks compared to everyone else's.   So my cutesy-fall-harvesty stuff is made up of things I've been given by friends and visiting teachers over the years that ARE crafters!

• Then there's the school party - which I already blogged about. Dressing as a witch and telling stories? Not a problem? Being put in charge of treats, crafts or a "center"....more stress. (Unless it's games. Games that are just fun -without boards and prizes and foo-foo.) And then there's the "get you kid up and fed, and costumed & made up, you costumed & made up and remember all the treats, supplies and camera & props and clothes for child to change back into" morning on the day of. Not to mention you need to get them to school ON time and find a parking space that's not a mile away because you're wearing awesome witch shoes and they're are made for flying on a broom not traipsing from the north forty laden down with supplies for the class party. Once in the school you have to stake your place and hold the seats for your parents coming to watch the parade that don't want to show up an hour early like you. That's always fun. That's when you're glad your dressed as a witch because you are acting appropriately. 

• Now add the pumpkins. For year's we've grown our own but last year they were so deformed and ugly we elected not to grow them this year. So about two weeks ago I bought two lovely pumpkins. A short fat one and a tall skinny one. I wanted to get good one's before only the left overs were left. (Rylee wanted to do Phinias and Ferb. Cartoon people. And wanted specific sizes)  I came home, opened my SUV hatch and out rolled my thirty pound pumpkin! Splat! Big split. I stuck it on the porch all the same - to add to my cute harvesty look - and when Austin announced he needed a pumpkin to go to a carving party at Marissa's house later that week -with 5 minutes notice -  I volunteered up my tall, skinny, split guy. So, I had to replace him last week. By now pumpkins are down in price. Great. I should have waited. Not only for the price but because my short, fat guy who's been gracing my front porch is froze and was partially rotten. However, replacing   my tall, skinny guy was hard as they were very picked over by the time I got there. Grrr....

• Now the carving of the pumpkins is another ordeal. You know how the costume stress is my own issue? The pumpkin one is James. For years he has spend HOURS carving intricate characters into pumpkins. Often times just finishing up when the first (or tenth) trick-or-treater hits our porch. But he is not a fool. He has taken this passion of his and passed it on to his children and ALL our children can carve fabulous pumpkins. This year - even Alex joined in. It's been no small task passing on this torch - and don't ask me how they do it, if I carved pumpkins they'd look like this:

Not like this:

These are not actually ours- ours are always on the funny side. (One year we did Napoleon Dynamite characters and I served tator-tots at the door.  Another year he did each of the kids on a pumpkin. We've done Power Puff Girls, The Incredible, Scooby Doo etc.)

• Then there's the food. I always think it's a good idea to make chili and soup and invite my family over before trick or treating. The idea is to enjoy each others company, see all the kids costumes, have grandma & grandpa be a part of the event, include my single brothers without children,  just celebrate our family-ness? In theory this is a great idea - but we're running late, the kids won't eat -as they're too excited to trick or treat - and I am out of patience. So, on top of running to and from the school for the parade and parties, getting home,  referring how much candy can and should be consumed prior to dinner, making dinner, figuring out last minute costumes for my brothers or older children or my older children's friends, getting the kids back into costumes, re-doing their makeup, pumpkins carved, and candy purchased to hand out - I attempt to host a dinner party. What am I thinking??

• Trick or Treating. It's actually not a matter of who will take and who will stay home. James takes, I stay home and pass out candy. I also clean up the dinner mess, the costume and make up mess and think about how I can make things simpler next year all while eating candy bar after candy bar. I do get to hear all the compliments about our pumpkins- that I had nothing to do with.We have neighbors  down the street that always makes scones. Fresh, hot yummy scones. At least that's what I hear, I have never actually had one because I am at home passing out candy. But I hear they have quite a crowd and I am sure it's costs them a lot and is very time consuming. I on the other hand, just hand out candy bars - and not even full size one's. Another point where my children remind me I am lame.

And so it goes. For nineteen years - this has been my reality of Halloween. Rush, rush, quick, quick and snap a picture to document the chaos.

Until this year.

This year:

• Kambree was away at college. She had picked up a costume on her last visit home
• Austin dressed himself at the last minute as a nerd and went to hang out with friends
• Devree went as a basketball player and hit a few houses and then ended up hanging out with friends too
• Alex and Ry went trick-or-treating on their own as Ry has a cell phone these days and they're big enough to go by themselves.
• Alex & Ry did most of the pumpkin carving and we started on Saturday (James had to do some last minute help on both but the majority of the work was done by our two youngest)
• The school had all parties and parades on the 27th so none of the crazy, busy day activities.
• I made chili and stuck it in the crock pot, my mom showed up with clam chowder and my sister rolls and dinner was actually enjoyable
• James and I stayed home and passed out candy together - the first time ever
• And another first? Alex brought me home a scone. And it was warm and yummy. Just like I've always been told!

So....for you two readers out there with little's - it will get better! It might take nineteen years but it will get  better! 

Here's looking forward to Thanksgiving - another holiday created to torment us mom's!

Halloween Review

It seems Halloween gets longer and longer each year.

This year the elementary parade and parties were on the 27th so no costumes on the 321st at school for Rylee. The junior high had a no costume policy too -which was fine with Alex. Austin didn't feel like dressing up to go to high school but Devree did.

Here is Rocker Diva Devree:

That night Austin had friends to hang out with and got into the spirit of things. Lucky for him we just happen to have lot's of nerd paraphernalia.

Austin The Nerd:

Then we had the family over for chili & soup and the little's headed out trick-or-treating. 

Alex was torn - he told me last month he was staying home to help me hand out candy. As the big day got closer I could tell he really wanted to go trick-or-treating. I told him he was welcome to go. He was concerned because he didn't have a costume. I explained that when you're out of elementary you get to rummage through my costume boxes and make something up. He wasn't too excited about that because he wanted to go as a Halo character and apparently I didn't have the $900 costume lying around? ($900 dollars....are you kidding me?) He came up with my old lady wig, goggly eye glasses, an old graduation robe, a cane and skeleton hand gloves. (I am so okay with kids trick-or-treating until their 18. I'd rather them do that then get into mischief. There really isn't much else for them to do. And in Alex's case,  he's only trick-or-treated twice so I think he can go until he's 25!)

Rylee just did Medusa hair. The toga would be very hard to trick-or-treat in.

Close up of the hair:

Devree went that night to hang out with friends as a Murray High Basketball player. I know, not the most ingenious idea.

And the pumpkins!

Rylee's:

Alex's:

And 

Today, Halloween is all cleaned up!

The candy gathered (they get to keep 5 of their favorites), the chocolate in the freezer, the costumes put away and Thanksgiving decorations are out!

Carving Pumpkins

Day One: Cleaning The Pumpkins

Devree's participation

Alex found it "refreshing" to put his face in the pumpkin "guts".

He also tried to put the pumpkin on his head.

Day Two: The carving

Three years ago, Alex carved his first pumpkin during the hosting program.
He had looked through ALL of my scrapbooks and wanted to recreate a pumpkin we did the year prior. Not knowing what he was doing he messed it up and then proceeded to cry. James tried to help him fix it. (I thought I had blogged about it but I guess I didn't? Which I can't believe. But then, it was right around then when we were deciding about adopting Alex and our lives were crazy.)
However, his first Halloween was so funny. He couldn't say "trick or treat" so he ran - as in sprinted - from door to door saying "chicken-chicken". I'm sure he was in 7th heaven - getting candy at every house.  James had to get on his bike to keep up with him. At one point he tripped and fell down flat on his face - he jumped right back up and kept going. He came home with sweat streaming down his face. I can picture his cute sweating face in my minds eye but I didn't take a picture. But here is Rylee and Alex before leaving for trick or treating three years ago.

 

And since we're walking down memory lane - here's a couple of shots of my little guy on Halloween three years ago:

Look how little he was?

Last Halloween Parade!

Thursday was an end of an era for me.

Since Kambree was little, I've dressed up and told stories for my children's class Halloween parties. Fourteen years now - I think I've only missed two years.
Each year my costume is different. Some years are better than others. I don't like traditional - I always try to spice it up a bit. I've worn pink hair, a poke-a-dot face, my old home coming dress, I even shoved a blue pompom up under my hat one year and had blue pompom hair. My most creative year was the year I was pregnant with Rylee and came as the pregnant bride of Frankenstein but most the time I am some version of a witch. I really just rummage through my costume box and try to come up with something a little different each time.
My biggest stress is finding the right story. Something Halloween-y but not to scary or morbid. (And that is hard to do....trust me!) Regardless of my new story, I always end with my traditional "Blood Bones & Dirty Diapers" story and it always makes the kids groan and laugh. (Scary with a silly ending.)
This year I had at least 5 kids and a couple mom's ask if I was going to tell stories again - when I nodded in the affirmative - I got a squeal, a "cool" and a "your the best story teller" from the kids. Warmed my heart.
I don't know that I'm the BEST story teller but I do do voices. They're not always consistent. Sometimes my English accent starts sounding a little Irish and my Bronx brogue merges into an Italian immigrant but kids are very forgiving and/or don't seem to notice. (I also have a FABULOUS Russian accent - thanks to the in home tutoring and Ukraine experience we have these past few years.)
But, this is my last year.

My baby is in 6th grade and it would be so not cool to have your mom dress as a witch and come tell stories in Junior High.

So, I guess I'll be hanging up my witch hat.
Until.....I have grand babies!

Here is this years outfit - my make-up's not the best because Ry's hair took way more time than I anticipated and I just had to hurry!

Yes. That is a REAL frog person - thanks to Amy. Her parents brought it to her from the Philippines. (It even has a zipper on the underside and you can actually carry a lipstick or a pack of gum in it. But not a cell phone. I tried.)

James won't miss it. He really doesn't find my witch outfits too appealing. He tries to be supportive of my crazy need to dress up and act silly but he doesn't get it. 

He especially didn't like the wart this year.

Rylee was Medusa!

Her hair was the bomb!

TWELVE snakes were intertwined in multiple buns. (Hence the reason we were running so late!)

Why in the world we had the parade on the 27th when Halloween isn't until tomorrow is beyond me. But it's done. 

Perhaps the reason I like being a witch so much is because my mother use to call me "Wendy The Witch That Washes Her Hair In The Waters of Whohoo."? No idea where that came from. I'm not sure she even knows. 

But for whatever twisted, crazy, psychotic reason I like to dress as a witch - I will miss it.