The walls are thin this night...

We donned costumes in order to confound the fey..

A ghost pirate will keep us all safe...

And gain plenty of booty for his troubles...

A wee princess will enchant them out of their payment.

We're safe for another year.   

Turn out the lights...the party's over...

One Sleeping Beauty cake...

One bleeding Eyeball cake, surrounded by brain cupcakes...

One very excited ghost pirate and his X-wing pilot pal!

Long day spent getting everything ready, cooked and decorated was worth it 

when both kiddos declared it the Best Day Ever.  This parent gig is pretty cool sometimes!

It's Birthday Party Day!

And for my next trick...pulling off a combined 4-year-old princess party and a halloween party!

Princess cake...in the works
Bleeding eyeball halloween cake...in the works
Princess treats...check
Halloween treats...check
Pink princess napkins and plates...check
Black halloween tablecloth and napkins...check
Enough food to feed an army of costumed kiddos (and their parents)...check

List created of all things party that have to be transported to the church's fellowship hall because our ancient sewage drain picked yesterday to start spewing sewage back into the house...done and being checked off.  Yeah...yesterday sorta sucked.  But I can say that our bathroom has never, ever been cleaner!  So we've got that going for us.

The sun also rises...

Yes, I know Mr. Hemingway wrote it first.  But after the past four days--long nights and early mornings--with the boy being really sick...his fever finally broke during the night.

The sunrise this morning was beautiful.

Fluidity...

Party postponed until next weekend...

big brother sick in bed...

Daddy out on a work call...

but we still celebrated with a "girls only" tea party with Aunt Donia and Maia!

It's hard turning four and being told that the party you've been looking forward to for so long isn't happening today after all.  Big brother is down with a nasty virus and keeping the party on schedule just wasn't worth the risk of contaminating other kiddos.  Besides, it'd be nice for him to enjoy himself as well.  Birthday parties suck when you're sick.  We had a halloween party planned already.  So for my next trick...pulling off a princess/halloween party!  I believe I'm up for the challenge!

She was concerned about the lack of cake.  Cupcakes just aren't the same when one is expecting the requested Sleeping Beauty cake.  But she perked up when she saw me setting the table for a tea party.  Her aunt and cousin were on their way in (they weren't scared of germ boy).  She'd have someone other than just her parents sing Happy Birthday to her.  Then her dad's bat phone rang.

She enjoyed her little tea party.  And more presents.  And very enthusiastically showed everything off to her dad when he came back home.  I think she's going to warm up to this "week long" birthday celebration pretty quick!

A very special anniversary...

Who could have imagined...

that this wee bundle of a newborn baby girl...

would grow into this wee bundle of personality, energy 

and imagination in four short years?

Happy Birthday, Kyleigh!  

I love you, baby girl.  All the way to the moon...and back.

Lukewarm coffee...

The Boy had his highly anticipated 1st grade field trip to the pumpkin patch this morning.  His dad went along.  He came home with a tiny little pumpkin and a raging fever.  His dad had to turn around, change and immediately head out to work where he'll remain until late tonight.

Thinking everyone was settled for the moment I made a cup of coffee.  But before I sat down I poured out a dose of Advil for the kiddo, along with a water bottle of cold water.  He proceeded to throw up the medicine.  His popcorn snack.  His lunch.  And I think I saw breakfast in there as well.  On me.  On himself and on the couch.  His little sister had been really concerned about him--pulled the blanket up over him, kissed his cheek.  Very, very sweet.  Until he blew chunks on her blanket.  Then she was all...oh, no he didnt!

Wee girlie screaming.  Boy crying but still managed a shower.  Couch cushions stripped and in the wash. Girl still screaming.  Boy still crying.  Girl then hides the fact she pooped in her panties.  Again.  Dog just wants to go out.

Now? Boy is clean, re-medicated (chewables this time around) and sleeping it off in our bed. (Note to self: Change sheets in an attempt to keep germies away from compromised immune system husband.)  But the kitties remained napping on the bed as well, so he's got that going for him.  Girlie is clean and contently playing with play dough (my sister's homemade variety...which they refused to play with before because they declared it Stinky. Miraculously the stink has disappeared.  Whatever.  Kiddos.  Not about to understand them.)

And I'm savoring my lukewarm coffee.  And the quiet.  I take the moments where I find them.

And the Best Husband award goes to...

This amazing man I married almost 13 years ago!

I walked in the door after a late and long committee meeting to find kiddos bathed and tucked in bed for the night, laundry already running, himself in the process of washing dishes and a glass of wine poured and waiting for me.  That was after his full day of work and taking the kiddos swimming at the Y and out to dinner all by himself.

I believe the term you're looking for is Spoiled Rotten.

Still breathing...

Still here.  Still kicking.  Still alive.

New pictures and posts coming soon.  Promise!  Life's just being...well...life.  Something has to give sometimes and, unfortunately yet unsurprisingly, this little ol' blog drew the short straw this time around.

"Here's to the crazy ones..."

I learned basic programing on an Apple II. And it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. No matter what you feel about the Apple brand, Steve Jobs changed the way we think about computers, entertainment, animated movies, music sharing and dropped the veil on media editing. 


Rest in peace, Mr. Jobs. You did well. Thanks.

A still life...

A girl, her cat and an ipod...

...a rare still moment.