Halloween, On Delay.

I'm seems I'm behind in most of my duties and projects lately, and blogging is no exception.

Sigh.

Let's stop wasting more time and move on already.

Fiona was everyone's favorite burlesque ladybug, which has made appearances on Bella and Mia in years past. The racy features are much cuter and more prominent when she is not wearing a turtleneck, but since Halloween fell in late October this year we tried to keep her warm. You'll have to use your imagination.

Gasp-the same costume! How embarrassing. 

Bella was the 'BellaBot 2010', as designed by Timm and I. I'm pleased she was excited about the robot, since I devised the plan last year. Her friend Naomi below, was mystified when she rattled off the list of Bella's possible costumes, none of which were correct. I think she went through princess, fairy, and mermaid before she was out of ideas as if to say, what else is there for a 5-year old girl? Certainly not a robot.

Not just any robot- We went to the typical box of hard drives, motherboards and electrical parts that everyone keeps in the garage and got to work. A little hot glue and we're set, complete with knobs that really turn. Her arms were effectively immobilised encased in the dryer hose, so we cut a door into the front of the box. We inserted a key dangling from it, and affixed a pillowcase to the interior where people would drop her candy. She adopted a speech she promptly delivered at every candy donor: "Trick or Treat. Please put the candy in my door. Thank you." People kept saying "Her arms aren't really in there, are they?" which made me wonder where they thought her hands were coming from. In their defense, the arms are hanging at a very unnatural angle.

It was a big hit, what can I say?

'They're Baaack...'

I got an early Halloween scare today when Bella came in from outside and told me she had a surprise and to close my eyes. I opened my eyes to find a medium-sized singular mushroom. It had an orange cast to it. I gasped and quickly breathed 'Where did you get that? Did you get that from the back yard? Are they back?!' "Yeah' she replied, 'Three piles.'

?!@#$&*!

I give you...

{Photos once again taken from the safety of the deck, one story above the specimens}

I know it's silly. I know that it makes no sense, but these things freak me out! Why does no one understand?! You may recall last year's reaction. (I just reread it, and did you remember that they were steaming and had juices running from them? Do you still think they are harmless and I am overreacting??) Afterwards I hastily put it out of my mind and rested well believing that the offenders were cut asunder and my place at the top of the food chain was well established and proven to any and all who might be thinking of plotting another such overthrow. Not this time, fungi!
Apparently they didn't get the message. They lay dormant for a while, scheming...I just mowed the lawn a bit over a week ago and there was absolutely no sign of growth. I did check while I was there because it crossed my mind but I breathed a sigh of relief when it appeared to only be host to authorized, properly manicured grass and weeds. Then today, I go out onto the deck after Bella's surprise, and I can't help it, I screamed. I swear I wasn't trying to be dramatic, and even though I braced myself for it, the sight instantly sent chills all over my whole body and I let a scream escape. From then on, every time i thought of it I got full-body chills.
I talked to Molly today and she pointed out that it was well-timed, being the day before Halloween. I replied excitedly with 'Yes! Because they're like Zombie Mushrooms!!', thinking that maybe someone finally understood, but she was merely referring to their pumpkin orange color. Damn it.
Really? Does no one understand this (albeit very strange) idiosyncrasy? It's anything that clusters- bee hives, wasp nests, small weed-like onions growing in my yard that I tried, futilely to dig up, just constantly unearthing more and more...even the word 'cluster' in this context makes me shudder. And 'piles'. Ew. There should not be piles of anything growing.
Robin sent me an email this time last year called 'Grillin' Bees' and it was a story and photo documentation of just a sick ridiculous hive and it almost makes me sick to my stomach. If you're interested let me know and I can send it on, but be forewarned.
I'm really not afraid of anything. Anything else, I guess. I'm cool with bugs, insects, rodents, dirt, all manner of farm animals, spiders, snakes, you name it. I'll touch it, I'll dig in, I'm down. No fear. But show me a sprouting vegetable or a fast-growing brightly-colored mushroom in the yard, and I'm done.
Done.

Field Trip

Today Bella had her first field trip in the form of one Patterson Farms in Mount Ulla, which is about 40 minutes north of here. Owing to our transportation limitations right now I was prepared to tell Bella we weren't going to be able to go, but it made me sad to think of all her friends going and talking about it at school and her feeling left out. I was inspired to ask Linda if she wouldn't mind terribly taking her, at least half-expecting a 'no', but she was happy to do it. At least she convinced me of that. Fiona and I came along and I'm so glad Linda was generous enough to drive us up there and spend half the day with us.
These are two of Bella's favorite people at school: Sydney and Madeline. Both are cute girls and I am curious to get to know their mothers better as well. Incidentally, Sydney reminds me of me at her age. Mom, do you agree? Shell? I don't know who else would know- Denise? I need feedback. My next thought was that I think she's really cute. I don't mean that to sound as vain as it does.

One of the first (and best) attractions of the farm was their farm animals. They had lots of goats, including babies and pygmies alike. So cute! I know goats get a bad rap, but I think they're so cute! I kept getting mad at the bigger alpha goats who would butt the little guys away when we were trying to feed them. Big mean bullies. I tried verbal chastisement and arm waving but they did not concern themselves with my disapproval. I sneaked some extra to the babies when the jerks weren't looking. how else will they ever get big enough to challenge their elders?
I loved this sweet looking sheep. I don't know what kind it is but is looks just like ones you see in romantic pastoral paintings. It just evoked peace and simpler times to me. Maybe it hated all of us gawking and chattering away, but her cool demeanor did not betray her thoughts. They also had a cow, a couple of ponies, 3 tiny sleeping black (thus un-photographable) potbellied pigs, chickens, peacocks and rabbits. Right up Linda's ally. Incidentally I still dream of having a gentleman's farm, i.e. one that is non-productive or large-scale, but maintained for fun. I've always dreamed of living on a farm and having chickens, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, maybe a cow or two. Not too many, just a few of each. I love the barn smell, especially horse barns. Hay, leather, tack oil, fresh air and even manure. The peace and solitude of simple hard work in the barn with your animal comrades. The chorus of animal sounds- clucks, maa's, baa's and the like. But I digress...
The scene.
Linda is so sweet with my girls and they return her affections. She held Fiona much of the time and kept her smiling and happy. Fiona's hair still smells like Linda which also smells a bit lie my mom since they wear the same perfume.

Our chariot awaits.
Listen, I'm sorry about the cleavage. There's not a whole lot I can do working with what I've got- I'm tempted to give you my bra size for a point of reference but I don't want to offend any shy readers so I will keep it under wraps. You can always email me if you really want to know. Anyway, all I'm saying is unless I'm wearing a high crew neck, which I am not wont to do- something's going to show. And I'm sorry. Oh, and this is me and Bella on the 'hayride'.
Fiona enjoying the view.
The view.
I tried to put Fi's hair in pigtails with much difficulty. Her hair is in a weird stage right now and unfortunately for her she has a double crown (2 swirls/parts on the back of her head) so it's all kinds of crazy.

She walked around trying pick up many pumpkins.
Bella roamed those fields picking up nearly every pumpkin, apparently testing their heft and appearance carefully. Incidentally, Bella's hair is also is a weird stage right now. We're trying to grow out her bangs for the first time and they are long enough to skim her eyes and be obnoxious, but not long enough to do much with. Her hair's getting crazier as she gets older. I need to figure out what to do with it but she is reluctant to make any changes. Plus, one time when mom was visiting she mentioned in her presence that Bella's hair looked weird with her bangs to the side and now Bella complains that she looks weird every time we do it.

All in all a good time was had by all. Linda saved the day by driving us there, keeping me company, and holding Fiona. We got a lot of good adult conversation in, something my days don't see enough of. Tomorrow I have to walk Bella to school in her costume (no car) as well as Fiona and a pumpkin for us to carve for the 'Pumpkins with Pops' activity that Timm is unable to attend. With Halloween a few days away it's a big week for parents!

Trick or Treating

This was the costume I wanted Bella too wear, sent to us of course, by Grandma. I call it a Burlesque Ladybug. It is the freakin' cutest "stume" I've ever seen. (I threw that lingo in there for all of you 'Office' fans-) Unfortunately, it was a rather small size 2 and since Bella is 3 1/2 it looked closer to fitting Fiona. I tried to swing it because she loved it too, but it was painful for her to wear. So, I'm saving it for Fiona.
We settled for a slightly less cute version of a butterfly made by the same company. (Both were purchased at Marshall's.) It's a size 5, so we can reuse it again next year, Bella willing.
Requisite pictures of Bella modeling the costume, indoors and out. After I took these I wisely put a white long sleeve shirt on under her bodice, and it was still cute and she was warm(er). I was so glad she agreed to wear the antennae and kept them on the whole time without complaining! Also that she didn't insist on wearing her neon green Crocs with it.
Me, attempting a self-portrait of the three of us. I'm not looking at the lens, Bella's unsure about the whole venture, and the blurry back of Fiona's head tells us she's squirming. Still I consider it a success.

Bella, pounding some Nerds along the way.

Ringing the doorbell. She went up to all the houses by herself while I waited at the end of the driveway. She was never scared to go alone, or of any of the various Halloween decorations. Despite my reminders at every single house, I'm pretty sure she stood there, mute, ready to receive her loot and walk away without incident. Except however, for the first house we went to. She said 'Trick or Treat', picked out some candy and then proceeded to ask if she could come in. I only know this because the woman called down to me, and I replied, "Yeah, she's new at this!" I'm pretty sure that is a cardinal rule of trick-or-treating: You should never, especially small children, enter a stranger's house who offers you candy. Alone.


I thought she was pretty cute, and apparently I'm not just being a mother crow because everyone we passed, saw, or trick-or-treated, praised her profusely, admiring her person and costume. It made me glad.
Timm stayed home to dole out candy with Fiona while Bella and I trekked. We went for a little over an hour, walking down the main drag of our neighborhood, our street, and back. She did great until the very end she started complaining that she was tired and didn't want to walk, but we got home with only minimal whining. I however, tried to unsuccessfully coerce her to keep going.
"This is the only night of the whole year when people are just giving you candy for free! Everyone! And we're giving it out too, so it's our due! Let's keep going and get more candy! I know you're tired but think of the greater good- think of the cause: More Candy!"
"But I don't want to get too much candy and get sick."
"But you won't get sick because you won't eat it all at once, you can save it so it lasts forever! Are you sure you don't want to go out with daddy now? Just to the end of the block? Are you sure you don't want more candy?"
Oh well.
(Un)Fortunately, I bought 9 bags of candy in expectation for a heavy crowd in our neighborhood. I think we might have given away 2, and that's only because Timm started giving more and more generously as it became obvious we had a surplus. Now I won't have to pillage Bella's stash.
We did complete the night without any costume trauma for the first time. You may remember:

this,

and this.

We were still subject to the way past bedtime, tired and sugar-loaded tantrums that came when we finally insisted on bedtime at about 10:00. Luckily she didn't sleep in at all and woke up at her normal time, so she is sleep-deprived with a huge bowl of candy she can't eat on the first day we once again begin, Potty Training. Yep. I had to stick to it because we scheduled it with her a while ago and did a paper chain. So, tired or not, we're doing it. Again. For the last time. Really. I mean it.
Updates to come...

Happy Halloween- Gross

Look closely. This is a mouse, inside a hot dog bun. The left hand side appears to be like a cross-section of the mouse, but if you study it you will see that it is in fact, part of the bun, thus the mouse is baked right in. This was on the news last night, and through the powers of DVR I saved this and took a picture. I didn't hear the actual story- the headline- and image- were enough.

Happy Halloween-Sweet

Joy School Halloween Program

As you can clearly see, Bella is the unequivocal star of the show. Hmm.
She's not shy- I don't even think she knows what shy is. I think she's just bored and distracted by that point. If you hear a snapping noise, that's me snapping at her and looking threatening to coerce her out from under the rug.
Her costume/outfit is lovely. It is supposed to be a butterfly, and is pretty cute, but she refused to wear the wings and the antennae. She also refused to take off her pants, which I think offset the look beautifully.
Kids are from left to right (in the first video): Bella, Cai, Sebastian, Ashley, and Naomi. Sebastian is Molly's little boy (the cowboy) and I just really like him in general. His performance only sustained that affection. It's a good thing he was involved or the performance could have been- dare I say-a little lackluster.
3-year olds. Hmph.

Happy Right Now

Halloween Peanut Butter M&Ms,

Delicious waxy Candy Corn.

Pre-Halloween Festivities

Incidentally, I love our neighborhood. I've never lived anywhere that did so many organized activities and traditions together. I love the feeling of neighborliness and friendliness. They (someone?) did a little sneaky treat drop off where (unfortunately kind of like a chain letter-) you had to make 3 copies and then reciprocate to others in the neighborhood. You then had to tape the little 'Boo" sign to your door to indicate that you had already received it and for 'them' to pass on by. Little I know, but I enjoyed driving around the neighborhood inspecting all the front doors to see who had participated in this little scheme. I felt like we were in on something.
Our neighborhood did a Trick or Treating night on Saturday since it was the last non-school night before the actual Halloween. We debated whether we should take Bella since we are 'Trunk or Treating' at church on Halloween, but of course we had to take her. It just sneaked up on me since it was so many days before the actual Halloween.She was a 'Princess Witch' for lack of a better name. It is a Target costume since I still lack the sewing skills I desire. She was very cute. I bought these children's tights that were 'One size fits most' and they were enormous. We put them on her over her shoes since we didn't have any matching shoes. When we were undressing her for bed, Timm performed an experiment.
Here she is appeasing our request, though you can tell she is nearing her limit. (If you look closely, that 'smile' is very near the crossover to crying. Also note the unspent tears in her eyes.)

Now she is imploring me for help...

Now she's feeling rejected that I didn't assist her but rather encouraged it further while taking pictures-

And now it's too much. She's broken. It's time to put the camera away and pull down her tights. Ha.