Happy Halloween

It's been a fun weekend!  I am loving how much more fun all the holidays are having a little one to share them with!

Friday Carly and I went to my friend Nicole's house.  We had a quick pizza dinner and then the girls dressed up in their costumes...

Then we loaded up and went "Trunk or Treating" at a local church.  I have never heard of "Trunk or Treating" let alone been to one, but it sounded like fun and I am up for trying anything once.  It was a blast!  They had games for the kids, some hot chocolate for the adults, and the parking lot was full of festive decorated cars and TONS of candy for all the "Trunk or Treaters"!



This is Carly's Hollywood "No Pictures Please" pose.  Awesome huh?!

 Carly came home with a pumpkin - O - sugar!  Which of course took my husband about a nano second to dive into.  I think that if he wouldn't be considered totally insane, he would still dress up and go trick or treating himself.


On Halloween, we went out to my Aunt and Uncle's house.  There is nothing I love more than my family being together.  It's loud, it's a little chaotic, but it's wonderful!  I love that my daughter plays non-stop with her cousins, and I only see her as a little blur when she runs by with the rest of the kid gang.  Too busy to offer more than a "Hi Mom." as she races to the next toy or game. 

Pre-Trick or Treating was a loud circus of kids half dressed in costumes, looking for missing pieces, last minute wardrobe changes, last minute costume ideas.  Finally everyone is dressed and there are giggles and excitement humming everywhere!  Then the front door opens and everyone burst out to the neighborhood, groups are formed and they are off to get as many treats as they can.

Carly was a trooper.  She was truckin' from one house to the next with the gang.

Then it was back to my Aunt & Uncle's to dig through the second pumpkin - O - sugar, picking out the favorite piece to eat just then.  (of course with my child it's a sucker!)  And a little while later we were on our way home.  My thought was that Carly would be so tired on the way home that she would pass out as soon as the car hit 30mph.  Yeah...right.  The excitement of the evening continued for the 50min drive and well into the evening at home.  I know it was probably the sugar running through her veins.  Because although I know I said "ONE sucker", I am sure a few other pieces of candy made it into my child's tummy.  And that's OK.  All part of the wonderful memories that are created every time we are together!  I love it!

Happy Halloween!!

Catching Up

So I am a little behind...let me catch up k!

Last Sunday my Mom, Carly and my brother Robert, his girlfriend Emily and I all ventured out to the Palace to see Disney On Ice.  Carly was so excited all week and patiently waiting for her spots to go away (which by the way turned out NOT to be the chicken pox, just some other random virus that came out in spot form).  And with her being spot free for two days, I figured an adventure to the ice show was well deserved and much needed.  But her excitement was temporaraly squashed when I made her pose for a pre-show picture...

With it clear that no more delays in getting to the show would be tolerated, in we went and it was all smiles from there!  Well almost...

This was the twirling Cinderella light that Carly picked.  And I couldn't get her to take her eye off it long enough to snap a smiling pic...

And after a hundred "Is it starting?", and a million "Where are the princesses?"...the show finally started and between the skaters and her twirling light she was pretty zoned for the whole show!

This is what I get for asking for a nice smile...payback for the forced picture at the start of the night.

Sadly, by the end of the show Miss Carly walked out with a 101 fever, and the next morning the spots came back with vengence...so back to the doctors we went.  And with some steroid cream and a few baking soda baths later, they were gone again.  And we were off again this Sunday... Family outing to the Cider Mill!!

Favorite part of the day...When out of nowhere the sunny skies were covered by some ominous looking clouds and in point two seconds the rain came down in sheets!  At that exact moment myself, my Mom, Carly, Emily & Nicole crammed into a red antique phone booth that was meant more as decoration than a hide out, because it was the only shelter within 10 ft.  Now if you can imagine....a phone booth, four grown women and a toddler, all stuffed in there like some clown car circus show.  Yeah, go ahead and laugh - we were!  And try as we might to get a picture of this, quite frankly it was pretty impossible, so just use your imagination and laugh it up!

After the rain let up and we unfolded ourselves out of the phone booth, we all took a hayride back to the pumpkin patch and Chris and Carly went off in search of the perfect pumpkin.  While my two brothers and their girlfriends got lost in the corn maze!  (Don't worry, they made it out!)

Then we ventured back to our house and had a nice family dinner and got to carving those pumpkins!

Ryan & Nicole carved a pretty sweet pumpkin!  But really...after the stencil figuring, gut cleaning, knife welding, team-working carving that went on...ALL the pumpkins looked glowingly fabulous!

And I even got my Love Bug to end the day with a smile!! 

See she does flash a good one every now and then!  And now we are caught up!

What do you wish you had known at 13?

So I am not a fan of copying.  Being a copycat, plagiarism, stealing somone else's idea, isn't what I am about.  But this one was just too important not to pass on and share!  And so in true referencing, I give this blog page idea to one amazing woman whom I have never met.  Her name is Kelle Hampton, and at some point you should go check her out!

So back to this...This weekend Dove is kicking off a Self-Esteem Movement titled: What do you wish you had known at 13?  (click HERE to learn more) And as I think about this completely LOADED question, I realize that at 13, there are a great many things I wish I would have known.  So many things I wish I could have said to myself, comforted, and yes even slapped myself a few times asking, "Why are you letting this bother you!?" or "What are you DOING?!"

I would have told myself that this too shall pass.  Nothing is ever as bad as it seems, and to remember that the girls/boys making fun of you are hurting too.  To let what they say just roll off, because it will all pass and your future holds so much happiness, laughter and blessings. 

I would have told myself to pay more attention.  Not to my clothes, or circle of friends I run in, or which boy likes me or doesn't, or what my friend's parents let them do that mine don't.  I would have said pay more attention to yourself!  Learn what you like and don't like, appreciate yourself.  Pay attention to your values, what makes you you and stay true to them.  And don't bend them just because it will put you one knotch up in the "cool group".

Pay more attention to your family.  Trust them.  Lean on them.  Remembering not to take anyone for granted.  Because they can slip away quickly.  And most importantly they are the ones who will be there for you when all the chips are down.

And the 28 year old me would like to believe that if I had the chance to tell this 13 year old all this, she would have listened.  But in knowning myself the way I do, I doubt it!  hehe  And though I wish I would have known all this at 13, not knowning has shaped me into the person I am today.  The road would have been a bit easier I am sure, but my path I walked has brought me to where I am now. 

What I do know is that I still have that 13 year old in me, as we all do.  BECAUSE we have walked that path, we continue to carry our past with us.  Sure we shed some of it, because carrying ALL our past is much too heavy.  But I know for myself, I can't completely get rid of that 13 year old girl.  She has made me the woman I am today, and beacause of that she is still with me.  So although I wish I could have told her all this 15 years ago, I can tell her now.  I can share all this with her when she surfaces every now and then.  When in certain situation all those insecurities come flooding back.  And now I know she will listen, because now I have PROOF! 

My proof is the group of close friends I have now.  No, they are not large in numbers.  I do not have TONS of BFFs.  I have a few.  But those few are the most amazing, non judgemental, supportive, loving people that I am so blessed to have.  My proof is my wonderful friendship and boundless love I have with my parents.  Who have shown me time and again that they have my back no matter what!  My fabulous support I have in my aunts & uncles.

With the fun loving relationships I have with my brothers & cousins. 

And the sense of security I have with my grandparents and relatives that have pass on looking over me - watching over me.  My proof is my amazing husband.  Someone who at 13 I would have NEVER thought I would one day be married to! 

And my proof is my beautiful daughter, who loves me unconditionally no matter what I look like, act like, dress like.  My Love Bug who gives me the biggest hugs, and tells me she loves me when she is half asleep in her groggy little voice. 

Someone who at 13 years old, I hope knows all the things I didn't.  And I hope that I can help her grow in a way that at 13, she at least know a few of these things.

Yes, I have the proof now!  So when my inner 13 year old sneaks past my "older more wiser self".  I can lay this proof out before her and say, "Look!  Look at what you have and remember everything I have said!"

So what about you?  What do you wish you would have known at 13?  What do you wish you could have told yourself then?  If you are feeling inspired, leave a comment.  I think all our inner 13 year olds should stick together.

Cooped Up!

So our spotted friends are still here...and I really don't think they will be leaving anytime soon!  And on day six of being cooped up in the house, it is safe to say that we are going a little stir crazy. 

I did manage a small escape.  Sunday I went to my brother's hockey game.  It was a good game with old rivals, and I was the proud big sister yelling in the stands!  And my awesome brother got an assist!  Rock on Arnie! 


My Arnie!


And when I got home, Carly and I laid down for a late nap.  And even though I knew this would mess up her bedtime, it was fun to snuggle with my Love Bug.  When we got up we went for a walk.  And despite the fact that the weather was trying to remind us of summer, my wonderful husband got us a nice fire going when we got home from our evening stroll.  

Carly loved it!  She was so good, she was mesmerized by the fire.  So we snuggled on the blanket and enjoyed the flicker of the flames.

She found a leave that she wanted to throw in the fire!

Carly informed me, as we snuggled by the fire, that she has a lion in her tummy.  And this special lion will be named Simba when it comes out.  Gotta love it!

And she has asked us for a fire each night since Sunday.  Monday, we made some sidewalk art.

And Carly found her fasinaction in some rocks from our driveway.  It still amazes me what kids can find to amuse themselves.   And how a pile of rocks can turn into bugs, and bird food, and other wonderful treasures.

Now if we could just get these spots to go away!  Cuz let me tell you, once they are outta here...so are we!!

We will be off and running!  Library, park, mall, and maybe even a special surprise adventure!  And Carly is "so excited about trick or treating"!  Wanna know something....I think I am as excited as she is!

Happy Soon to be Hauntings!!

Uninvited Guests

So they are here.  Uninvited.  No warning, completely unannounced.  Showing up in groups, all red and bumpy.  And it looks like they are staying too.  Yup, Carly has the chickenpox.  Yesterday, all the red spots in all their glory came out - and my poor Love Bug is covered in them.  Since she has had the vaccine for them, the doctor assured us that it will probably be a mild case.  Still she is a little self conscious of her spots, and it's taken a lot of coaxing to convince her that they will go away.  Even so, she is taking her uninvited visitors like a champ though.  (My doctor also reassured me that my little muffin in the oven and I are safe - since I have already had the chickenpox.)

So what does a spot covered girl do all day?   Well we painted...

And made Halloween cookies...

Of course, she couldn't wait until her favorite part!

Then we enjoyed a nice sun set...

Yup, she did OK.  Even today she isn't itching too bad.  I am so grateful that she got a mild case of them, because I know first hand just how miserable chickenpox can be! 

So this is our life for the next week or so, until our little visitors decide to take their leave.  Wish us luck!