Trick-or-Treat

Trick-or-treating was a lot of fun this year.

Tyson refused to let us carry him or his heavy pumpkin. He wanted to knock on every door, but sometimes the girls were too fast. He learned to say "wait" and he did manage to say "trick-or-treat" once or twice. He was adorable at the doors though. He would hold out his pumpkin and if he didn't see a treat go in there, he would hold out his hand for more candy. One lady just held the bucket out to him and he just took handful after handful--we finally took him away. By the end of our street Tyson was ready to go home and eat his candy.

Kya was so grown up this year. She ran to each door and was the first to say "trick-or-treat" and "thank you". She eventually did get tired of carrying her pumpkin around and was ready to go home around the same time as Tyson was (better than last year when she only lasted 3 or 4 doors).

Jordan was the trick-or-treating master. She helped Tyson at each door. She could have trick-or-treated all night if we would have let her, but she went home when the rest of us were tired. When she went to bed tonight she was very concerned about what was going to happen to her candy.

The kids got quite a lot of candy this year--what are we going to do with it all?!

I had a dream...

I woke up this morning 10 minutes before Jordan was supposed to leave for school. This is very unusual since the kids usually wake me up long before I NEED to be up. Anyways, I was happy to be awake after the awful dream I had:

Everything was dark--it was night time. I was going out with some friends when all of a sudden we saw meteros flying through the sky and toward us ( I know, it sounds corny, but it was so real and terrifying). We managed to avoid them, but I was so scared. I remember thinking--"Is this the way I am going to die?" My only goal was to get home to be with my kids. I just kept imagining how scared them must be without Mom.

I don't know about any of you, but this isn't the first time I've had a "the world is coming to an end" kind of dream (I have been in terrorist attacks, earthquakes, tornados...). As much as I hate having these kinds of dreams, I love the feeling I get when I wake up and realize that it was "just a dream". For so many, these types of things are a part of their lives. We are blessed.

Does anyone else scream???

Oh my gosh, what a frustrating evening I had. At 6:15pm I found myself standing in the kitchen screaming at the top of my lungs. When I came back to my senses and realized what a loser I was, I wondered "am I the only one who gets so frustrated by the end of the day that I have to let it all out with a scream?"

I can't complain; my life really is great--but I'll complain anyways. Today was just one of those ones that put me over the edge--just one thing after another. I spent my morning searching for the final touches for our Halloween costumes. Tyson was less than impressed when I had to keep buckling and unbuckling him in his carseat. He showed this by screaming and arching his back, making it almost impossible for me to buckle his seatbelt (about three or four times). Then, of course, no stores had what I was looking for. I ending up buying something that wasn't quite right, only to find something a little better at another store (tomorrow will be a day of returning things that I bought today). Then I spent more time driving out to Salinas, not being able to find a Halloween store that was right in front of my face. By the time I realized it was there, Tyson had fallen asleep. I didn't drive all that way for nothing, so once again I dragged Tyson out of his carseat.

After his nap, Tyson spent the rest of the day pulling at my legs and whining. I couldn't figure out what he wanted, and it was so frustrating. I tried a new recipe for dinner that boiled over in my oven. When it was dinner time, all the kids refused to try it. I forced a bite down each of them which resulted in Kya spitting it out all over the kitchen floor.

Mike told me he was going to be home by 5:15pm. At 5:30pm he called and said he'd be home by 6:00pm. Well at 6:10pm all the kids were crying, I was wondering where the heck Mike was (especially since he was supposed to leave for volleyball at 6:30pm) and the day just got the best of me. I screamed and ran up to my room. Jordan followed me up--not to see what was wrong, but to ask if she could watch High School Musical. I said she could, then she said "I want you to watch it with me". That was enough to soften my heart and get me out of my frustration.

By the time Mike got home I was painting the girl's nails and we were pretty much happy (well all except Tyson who was still whining and wanting something). Mike stayed home a while longer to play with the kids and give me a little break. Now I have had the evening to read books with the kids, watch Y&R, and just relax. I hope there will be no needs for screams tomorrow.

Fall in Canada

We're back from another visit to Abbotsford! I love BC in the fall--it is so beautiful that the rain doesn't even bother me. I had a great visit with family and friends. I am so lucky. I love all of you so much and wish I lived closer. It is nice to be home and with Mike, but we miss all of you already.

Fishing

Mike managed to go fishing with Dad two out of the three days he was in Canada. They caught a few fish that Mom cooked up to make a delicious "fish and chip" dinner.

Pumpkin Patch

Lisa, Tina, and I took the kids to Alder Acres in Langley. We went on a hayride out to the pumpkin patch, fed the animals at the petting zoo, held bunnies in the barn, and even got to play in the mud a little.

Apple Picking

Since apple picking season was mostly over, Grandpa had saved Jordan and Kya some apples to pick during our visit. The girls had fun climbing the latter and filling their baskets of apples. Tyson had fun chucking the apples around after the girls brought them in.

We also had fun at the drop in preschool (with Ginny and Vienna), the indoor playplace, Go Bannas, playing at Sheri's, Lisa's and Tina's houses, girls night @ Collett's house, dinner out with the girls...Can't wait 'til next time.

Birthday Boy

My little baby is 2! It was Tyson's second birthday yesterday. I thought I would write a few things about my pregnancy with Tyson and his birth in lieu of his birthday.

-I was miserable in my pregnacy with Tyson--stressed all the time, sleepy, depressed, uncomfortable (to say the least), swollen and just HUGE.

-The night I went into labor with Tys, I was almost in tears thinking I was never going to have this baby (I always say Tyson knew how miserable I was and that is why HE broke my water).

-My labor with Tyson wasn't very painful. The nurses joked that they had never seen someone dialated so far and still had a smile on her face (the actual delivery was VERY painful, since my epidural did NOT work).

-Tyson was a big chubby baby with a little round face (9lbs 5oz--I think).

I am so grateful for such a wonderful, sweet, cute, silly, and wild little boy.

We celebrated Tyson's birthday in Canada. Tyson and his cousin Holly were born one week apart, so we did a little combined birthday party. It was so cute.

And We're Off...

We leave tomorrow for Canada--yahhh!!

My Not-So-Little Girl

Now

Then

We just got Jordan's school pictures back yesterday. When did she get so old?! I am just really feeling like time is going by too fast. Here's a few things that tell me that my little girl is "not-so-little" anymore:

1) We sat down and both wanted to watch the same thing--High School Musical 2 (great movie).

2) The other night I was reading the girls a bedtime story, and Jordan said "Can I read?". She then read the entire book to Kya (without much help from Mom).

3) She sends emails to Daddy.

4) When we made cookies, she cracked the eggs perfectly--no shells!

5) She sometimes takes showers--not baths and washes her own hair.

6) When we picked Jordan up from school, Tyson took off to the other side of the soccer fields. Jordan ran over, picked him up and carried that squirmy two-year old ALL the way across the field and back to me.

Sometimes I really can't believe this is the same girl who lived in my belly for nine months. She is growing up and I'm not sure it's going to be easy for me.