Happy Birthday to my Hubby

If you're a frequent reader of my blog you might think Henry is the only man in my life. But there is also Pete. Happy 33rd Pete! I love you!

Some actual amateur gardening...if you scroll down

There's been a lot going on these days...
I was going to post some photos of the Starling invasion we had a few days ago, relating back to my Birds reference from Halloween, but then I realized that maybe that wasn't very interesting to many people. So instead, here's a photo of Henry playing with the black play-doh he got on Halloween. I was very intrigued by the blackness of the black play-doh.
I also wanted to post this picture for those who read Amber's blog as well. She's been having bad dog issues. We've been having bad kitty issues here. Not only is the cat a terror to our furniture and carpet, she also seems to be losing some hair. When trying to muscle her into the kitty carrier she did this number on my face:
Does anyone want a kitty? She really is a very nice kitty. I hate to give her away, but I also really really hate to think about declawing a ten-year-old kitty. The vet said she would do it, but I just don't feel quite right about it. Oh the moral and emotional dilemmas of pet ownership...

I thought I might have some cool photos to share after we took Henry to see the Bubble Guy yesterday at the library, but sadly he was not so fantastic. I do have fun photos from Girls Night last night. I went out for Mexican food and a strange show with my friends from work:

Here's my favorite shot- two early childhood educators trying to figure out a dinner bill:
Here we are at the show. This is one of those awkward moments where I was making a goofy face, but the picture didn't take, and then I felt like I was just making the face for too long, so I started to look away, and then the picture took and I ended up looking goofy, but not in an intentional way.

Kristy, however, is just looking her usual lovely self:
I got a little bit of sleeping in time this morning, but then Pete sent Henry into the bedroom with a kazoo...I got the idea pretty quickly. We went to Starbucks and the hardware store this morning, and then spent some time in the yard. Pete raked, Franklin patrolled for squirrels and Henry and I planted some bulbs that have been sitting around for a bit.
Henry also spent some time in his favorite outdoor hiding space. Have I mentioned that his new favorite game is Hide and Seek? Come over and play it with him and you'll be his favorite person.
I had dug up an area to plant the last few bulbs, and ended up digging up lots that were already there. My notes from the spring show that there were not that many tulips, daffodils or hyacinths in that spot. The bulbs were all bunched together, perhaps offshoots of older bulbs, so I separated and replanted. Hopefully I did more good than harm. We'll see in the spring! It's hard to get a group shot with a squirmy boy and an even squirmier dog...but here's an attempt.

Just something to post...

A couple days before Halloween we had Henry's best girl friends over to make some cookies. Here we are before getting all floury.
Here's Henry's idea of how to utilize the rolling pin. I think it must have reminded him of corn on the cob.
Here he shows off his floury hands.
Sorry, no photos of finished cookies. We ate them too quickly!

Whew!

Halloween is tiring! Was it this tiring when we were younger? I just don't remember ever being tired. I remember getting home from trick-or-treating and watching The Birds on t.v. with Dad, but I don't remember getting worn out.
Today Henry joined me at school for our Halloween parade, then left after a tiny bit of our school party. When I picked him up we came home, put his costume on again and went out for our first trick-or-treating experience.
At first he was a little hesitant, but it didn't take him long to figure out what was going on. Before we knew it he was running to the next house. He was delighted to reach out and take candy, but then didn't want to put it into his bag "open!" he would insist. Pete allowed him a few Smarties along the way, which seemed to appease.
Pete snapped this photo quickly when he saw these kids running by with their rolling school bags. I think these are probably the same kids who grab a whole handful of candy and don't say "thank you".
We got another goose photo at the neighbor's house:
Henry was very good about saying "taint-tyou". He would look in each candy bowl and very carefully choose his piece of candy. Usually the bowl holder would tell him to go ahead and take another one, which he would happily do. Here we are, posing next to the pumpkin that the squirrels helped us carve...

I asked Henry to stand by the other pumpkin for a photo with Pete. As soon as Pete kneeled down Henry decided he had to 'pose' too. Note the Tootsie Roll Pops in each hand. When he took those from neighbor Bill he left his smaller sucker from the previous house in the bowl.
After a short break Sharon and the girls came over and we went back out to hit a few more houses. Henry loved running up to the doors with the girls (Pippi Longstocking and a Fall Fairy).
Then it was back to the house for the requisite candy counting and sorting and a lasagna dinner.
I was a little nervous about having enough candy, especially after Rob had been here, but we had plenty. Here are our leftovers:
After all of the excitement, Henry almost fell asleep in the bathtub. The good news is, he woke up bright-eyed this morning, and seems to have temporarily forgotten about candy! We'll see how long that lasts...

Barbie

Just in case you've been wondering what kind of Barbie I am...

What Style of Barbie Are You? (Good Pics & Great Details)

You are the REBELLIOUS BARBIE DOLL. Say goodbye to pink and skirts, and say hello to pleather and Harley Davidsons! You are a unique Barbie that has wondeful individuality because even though you're different, you can still make smart decisions for your life.
Take this quiz!








Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Happy Birthday Jonah!

Yesterday Henry had a lion costume trial run for Jonah's birthday party. He looked pretty darn cute. So did the birthday boy, who was dressed as a whale. Get it? It took me a while.
Jonah showed off some of his new toys to Henry, then they sat together for hot dogs and cake. Jonah even let Henry bring home a big Elmo halloween balloon! It's fun to have a pal to share fun birthday times with! Thanks for being a good buddy, Jonah!

Grandmothers, grab a tissue....

It was haircut day! Henry's first haircut at 1 year, 11 months and 6 days old. I took him to the mother of a former student of mine. She cuts hair out of her home and charges $3 for a 2-year old. Which was good, because as I drove up I realized I only had $4 in my purse. But that's not all she has going for her...she also sings the ABCs while she cuts and she has a dachshund named Lady. She also has a cement goose on her front porch, which was dressed as a Packer. Dressed geese are always entertaining. Stay tuned for a photo of the Batman goose that lives on the porch across the street.
But now, without further ado...here are the before, during and after photos:

Before:

During:

Goose:

After:

Please note that Henry did not lose that fuzz in back that so many of you were worried about. It's just a little easier to comb now. And I think we might have the curls back! Also, I did save a few precious locks in a little Tiffany box.

And, on a completely different note....here's a picture for the foodies- Wednesday night's yummy dinner:

Pork tenderloin spiced and wrapped around dried apricots, apples and golden raisins. I wish there were still leftovers.

In My Head...

In my head I had published an entry and you all had read it. I forgot, though, that there were Blogger issues last night and that entry never got saved. It's weird how a brain gets tricked...
Anyway. The original post was titled "Pretty Good Day" and told all about how Henry and I went to the Children's Museum (he went again today- thanks to Grammie for the membership!) and then we did a little raking and leaf-playing. These photos were titled: Where is my driveway?
And: Oh- there it is!
Then Henry and I went to the grocery with plans for a delicious meal. I suspected we might have something to celebrate. When we got home I found this long-awaited letter in the mail:
I had taken my comp. exam on Columbus Day. Wrote about 21 pages. Even used the word "moot". So I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing. But they told us 7-10 days for the results and it had been over two weeks. I was getting a little nervous, but not really, because after so many years I know how this university works. So. That's it! I can finally, officially say that I'm finished with grad. school. Unless I decide to go for another degree.... one more exam for my "type 10" certification too. You know, because graduating from an accredited program and taking one other additional exam wasn't enough. They just have to turn those screws a little bit more.
Anyway...the post yesterday ended with a statement about the yummy pork tenderloin I cooked for dinner. Pete claims it's one of his favorite dinners yet. It was stuffed with fall fruits. We also had asparagus and wine. Then I said something to cover up for my not-so-great eating habits as of late...something like "nothing like a good excuse for a hearty meal". Well, it's true.

Homophones

This morning we had a nice video chat with Chloe, who told us in words and fingers, that she is now "two"! Also, Henry has added the word "too" to his vocabulary today. For example, he was watching Muppets on the couch with his Papa and he said (demanded?) "Mom. Watch Puppets. Too!"

Last night Rob and Carrie came to meet us for dinner and some rock and roll at CJ Arthur's in Wilmette. Pete's band sounded really good, and several of my friends showed up! It was a nice evening all around. Here are Rob and Carrie with their best rock and roll faces.

And here's the band in a nice non smoke-filled venue. Pete had us a little worried in his plaid button-down shirt, until he took the "stage" and shed the shirt to reveal some rockstar red underneath. Also, in true rockstar form, he "lost" his wedding ring. Fortunately the guitar player found it. He'll return it to Pete at work tomorrow and we can keep Pete an honest man. Other exciting weekend news: We bought this pretty little desk this weekend.
We found it at the same store where we bought our dining room furniture 3 years ago. We both love roll-tops, but most of them are so big. This one only has the drawers on one side, so it's a nice smaller size.

The guy thought it was from about 1910, but he also thought it was American before we found this label on the side:
The label really does seem to imply that the desk is perhaps not American. He also told us that the finish is original. They "had a lady come look at it" and when she told them it was original they decided not to refinish it. Good move. One of my favorite parts is the keys:
So...you know what this means...we'll probably be painting over Prince Kyle's room pretty soon! If anyone wants input on guest-room color now is your time to speak up. I'm not saying I'll take your suggestion, but it might be fun to hear.