Happy Halloween

As a mom, I kinda love that Halloween isn't a one day only holiday. Yes I realize that it is in fact only ONE DAY but that doesn't stop everyone from celebrating the entire week leading up to that one day. And we took full advantage this year. 


Fall Festival last Friday night...

Costume day at MOPS on Tuesday...

Trunk or Treating on Wednesday night...

I went as a ghost. Naturally.
An hour and a half of waiting for a ten minute event:(

Dinner out and cookie decorating with Papa & Grandma on Thursday night...

Pumpkin carving every night this past week....because let's be honest here...mommy could only handle one pumpkin each night. While pumpkin carving sounds like a great kid activity in theory. The reality is the kid chooses the design and impatiently demands the parent to execute it to perfection lickety split! So there was NO WAY I was carving three pumpkins with three impatient children all in one night.

We started with "Charlotte's" Hello Kitty pumpkin with a little assistance from Aunt Chelsea...

Then Hannah's spider pumpkin...

She requested a piggy pumpkin. I convinced her a spider would be easier  better:)
I think she likes it!

And finally Isaiah's Lego pumpkin...

Originally he wanted TWO Lego men shaking hands.
Thankfully after a few google image searches
 I was able to talk him down to ONE Lego head.

Let's be clear here, there are many, many reasons why it is hard having Joe gone for 5 weeks. We all miss daddy A LOT every.single.day. But not having our resident pumpkin carver here this past week definitely topped that list for me! Seriously it had been years since I had carved a pumpkin. Pumpkin carving is Joe's job.  I wasn't sure I was up to the challenge. But I didn't really have an option. So I carved. And I was shocked when they actually turned out halfways decent! I mean I am ridiculously proud of these pumpkins. Prouder than I should admit since clearly they are the work of a novice. 

Oh and today is orange & black day at the kids' school. I am a parent volunteer for the jump house party...you better believe I will be wearing my jack o lantern tee proudly! Joe helped me create this costume (before he left town) and I really, really like it. 

And of course tonight the kids and I will be off trekking through the neighborhood in search of candy. LOTS OF CANDY! Hopefully some non-chocolate candies for me. I mean I totally deserve it after all that pumpkin carving, right?! Plus it just wouldn't be a normal pregnancy for me without gaining 40 pounds;) We will look a little something like this...

Unless of course Charlotte changes her mind and decides to wear her Doc McStuffins costume, then we will look like one pumpkin + one black kitty + one black morph man + one Doc McStuffins. All with glo necklaces on. Safety first. Candy second. A very close second.

Living in my parents' basement.

Now if that^ doesn't sound like a dream come true, how about I add the subtitle "with my husband and children"?! Just living the dream over here. Try not to be too jealous:)

Ok now in all seriousness. Many nosey...ahem...inquisitive individuals have asked how this living arrangement has been working out for all of us. And since we have been here full time for 10 weeks already, I figured it was time I reflected on our experience thus far. 

And I am happy to report that it is going really well! Seriously, the kids and I are spoiled here. My parents are both retired, which means we all see a lot of each other. The kids LOVE all the attention. And I am absolutely loving all the help. And so far my parents seem genuinely happy to see the kids every morning despite all the noise and mess they perpetually create. Admittedly, they do seem to enjoy saying goodnight to the kids each night and reclaiming peace and quiet in their home as well:)

The perks of having grandparents around are almost too many to list but I will try. 

-My dad takes Isaiah to his bus stop almost every morning and picks him up many afternoons as well. Which translates to me staying in my pjs for much of the morning. It's pretty rough, but I manage:)

-My mom cooks most of the dinners!!! Need I say more?!

-At preschool drop off or pick up time I can leave Hannah at home with a grandparent and only have to haul the preschooler. So easy!

-I have been able to go to three prenatal appointments BY MYSELF. This feels downright luxurious compared to my last two pregnancies when I ALWAYS had an audience of little people....which created some awkward situations.
-Running errands is also infinitely easier now that I can choose how many children I bring along...which most of the time is a big fat ZERO!

-When the girls want to go to the playground Grandpa is almost always willing to take them. Which results in at least 30 minutes of alone time for me!

-My mom actually enjoys baking and therefore indulges Charlotte in her nearly daily requests to bake! (I do not enjoy baking so this is a definite WIN WIN situation).

Ice cream for dinner? Why not!

Oh and one of the best perks so far has been that my kids have learned firsthand how much work it is to have a dog. When my parents were out of town earlier this month we were left in charge of their dog. After just a few days the novelty wore off and it became a chore. An unwelcome chore. So much so that Isaiah no longer wants a dog for his eighth birthday! Woohoo!!! Best news ever!

These first two months have flown by. I am thinking the next seven will too. And then residency will start. Which means we will be moving out of here....to who knows where?! But what I do know is that I will be in for a rude awakening when I have to go back to doing everything kid and house related on my own. Because right now I have it easy. Very easy. Thanks to my mom and dad. 

Good Job

::Linking up today with Clan Donaldson for THEME THURSDAY::

Sometimes I am just so grateful for my job. This job of raising children. Sure there are a lot of thankless parts of this job. All the diaper changing, making of meals no one eats, the constant picking up and cleaning. Laundry, laundry and more laundry. The ever present noise and chaos. The needs of little people that feel never ending. The interrupted sleep and state of exhaustion that follows. But despite all of that this is a really good job. A job I love. Especially when I can just enjoy my children.

Like yesterday afternoon as I watched my children play in the leaves, I just knew this job was good and worthy and exactly where I need to be right now. 

Plus, despite being a complete DSLR novice, I feel I did a pretty good job of capturing my kids being kids. Them enjoying their childhood. And then I set the camera down and I enjoyed my job. Being their mom. 

Today has been a completely different day. A day in which I just knew my two year old was sick before there were obvious signs. 

I knew giving her that berry & spinach smoothie for breakfast was a bad idea. And then as I was cleaning up the aftermath, I REALLY knew it. And yet I also know that this job, this mothering, is a good job...even when it is incredibly messy and less than picturesque. 

Yes, yes that is the two year old's throw up bucket on the four year old's head. Is that a problem?!?

[Apparently I woke up Pollyanna today...I am sure I will be back to my normally scheduled doom & gloom soon enough.]