PSF - I have SUPER kids (and the pics to prove it)!

 I vowed that this would be a "green" Halloween meaning we'd re-use costumes we already have (aka -  "cheap" Halloween). Then I saw this cool and inexpensive idea (only cost $8 for two capes) on the Family Fun website and knew that Noah would LOVE to be a superhero, or as we like to call him "SUPER NOAH!"

"Show us your muscles SuperNoah!"

 

Fueling up on cookies at the library Halloween party!

 

Abby decided to X the Barbie Musketeer idea, and become "SuperAbby" instead -

can't resist a pink cape!

 

SuperDAD joined us at the party too on his way home from work.

Of course, he was still wearing his Clark Kent style disguise.





Hosted by Cecily and Carissa

Fishful Thinking Thursday - It's all about the treats!

I have a major sweet tooth. Needless to say, my favorite part of Halloween is the candy. And FREE candy at that!  When I was a kid, I couldn't wait to get home and empty my bucket to see how many crunch bars and peanut butter cups I had scored. Every year, a lady down the street would make full size popcorn balls for every kid in the neighborhood. Gooey, crunchy, sweet -n-salty popcorn balls. Just thinking about munching on one is making my mouth water. :)

This year when we get back from taking the kids trick or treating, I think it would be fun to try this Savoring Party activity listed on the Fishful Thinking site with their goodies!  

Set up all the items ( in this case - candy) to be savored on the floor and provide a stack of paper and crayons or markers. Ask each parent and child to pick something from the floor to savor and to write down as many words as they can that describe what they are savoring. Set a timer for 5 minutes (maybe 1-2 min. with younger ones). When the timer rings, switch to a new item to savor (and to EAT!) At the end, hold up one of the objects (their favorite treat) and give each parent and child the opportunity to read their description for that item.

For more activities and articles that foster Emotional Awareness  - the ability to identify and express feeling and to have empathy for what others are feeling  - in our kids, click on over to the site!


Happy Trick-or-Treating!

WfulW - Halloween past: Little Twinkle Toes

Abby's very first Halloween (2004)

I couldn't resist this baby ballerina costume.

Abby was fascinated by the shoes...

Never mind that ballerina Minnie Mouse...

It was definitely all about the shoes...

 

delicious!

   Nowadays, she likes wearing the shoes,

but it's definitely all about the costume.

(recital '08)

She's still undecided about what to wear this year.

We are going "green" this Halloween and picking a costume

or princess dress she already has in her closet.

And still, hanging right next to them is

her very first ballerina costume,

along with her pink ballet shoes.

Size 6-12 months.

*To see Noah & Abby as Pooh Bear & Nemo ('06),

a firefighter & a fairy princess ('07), 

and Thomas & Barbie Princess Liana ('08),

click my smilebox!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook For more of Halloween past, click here!

The one where I vent...

Yesterday afternoon I texted my husband at work -  
I need to run a couple errands when you get home.
Meaning no kids. Just a half an hour to myself to go pick up a few things. A very rare occurrence around here.

Did it happen?

No.

Pat got home a little late, dinner, baths, Noah freaked at the thought of me leaving, enough said.

Today, I attempted to run the same errands, only I had Noah with me, and it was raining. We made one stop and then before I could make it to the second one, he fell asleep in the car. He gave up naps eons ago, but I guess the clouds and drizzle lulled him to sleep. So, I turned around and drove all the way back home.

This afternoon, we picked up Abby from school. Since we were already out, I thought I'd attempt to run my last errand again and drop by this dance studio in the area that I'd sent my resume to. The owner sent me an email inviting me to stop by so she could meet me in person.  Being that they teach children's dance classes, I didn't think it would be a big deal to bring the kids with me since we'd only be there a few minutes. We pull into the parking lot only to hear Abby say, "Mom, I know I said I didn't have to go, but I didn't have the feeling. Now I DO have the feeling, Mom. I really, really, really have to go to the bathroom."

WHAT???? I had just asked her this less than ten minutes ago. And now I'm about to walk into this place and introduce myself for the very first time and I'm going to have to ask, "I'm sorry. Can my daughter use your bathroom?" Never mind the fact that Noah has begun to yammer away at the top of his lungs repeating,
 "I want to go home! I want to go home!" 
So instead of going inside and potentially making a spectacle of myself and squashing any chance that I have of future employment, I pulled out of the parking lot and drove home...again. 

When Pat gets home tonight, I am greeting him at the door with my keys in hand so I can take that thirty minutes an hour to finish my errands. And I may just have to stop by Bruster's on the way. The pumpkin ice cream is calling my name.

A little behind the times...

So I just discovered the "Follower" gadget today. (I added it over yonder on my sidebar if anyone should feel so inclined to add me to your list. I will be sure to return the favor!) And a couple days before that, I figured out that I was using the "old" blogger editor instead of the "updated" editor with all the bells and whistles - centering,  colors, fonts, and  strikethrough! I've always wondered how to do that.  I've been doing this blogging thing for a year and a half, you'd think I would have figured all this stuff out already.  Slowly but surely...kinda like when I send someone a text message. (sigh) Have I ever mentioned that I am the slowest "texter" in the entire world?

Seriously.

So if you've wondered why you've never seen me pop up under your "followers", please know it isn't because you haven't won me over, but rather because I've been a little technologically impaired.

Now if only I could figure out how to add my own personalized signature...

Yet another blogging mystery to be solved.

*FYI - To change your editor, if you haven't already, go to your dashboard, click Settings, then Basic, scroll down a bit and you'll see the post editor options. Easy peasy.

A perfectly LOVELY award x 2 !!!

Two LOVELY awards for me? Wow!  I'd like to thank...

 

Heidi over at Cake Crumbs 

AND

Celeste of shallowOcity

   

 for thinking of little ol' me. :)

As with all blog awards, it's all about sharing the love! Both of these lovely awards ask that the recipient link 15 lovely blogs that you have newly discovered. Lucky for me, I have quite a few to list since I've been on the computer waaay too much lately finding new writing blogs, preschool blogs, Fishful Thinking mama blogs, saucy SITS blogs... Still to link 30 blogs is a bit of an undertaking, so if you are on this list or newly listed on my sidebar, please consider yourselves TWICE as lovely!

If Only I Had Super Powers

Powell Power

The Road Goes Ever On and On

A Thorn Among Roses

Mommy of Two

GoodnCrazy

Buried with Children

Mom of 3 Girls

Marble and Mud

Mommy Bytes

My Little Miracles

Live.Laugh.Pull Your Hair Out

Problem Solvin' Mom
Better in Bulk

Cake Crumbs (back at ya, Heidi!)

Phew! That's a lot of linkage! (if that's even a word.) A few of these are so "newly discovered", they probably don't even know that I exist yet. :) There are even more that I've visited over the last couple of weeks so if I missed you, please know that I think your blog is lovely too!

I hope this award brought a smile, and don't stress if you don't have a chance to pass it on. I've just come across so many new blogs lately that I had to share.

I really need to set up a Google Reader, don't I?
 

PSF - Fishful Thinking style

Hosted by Cecily and Kelli

To play PhotoStory Friday, check this. Copy this code into your post and sign Sir Linky:
<center><a href="http://whatworksforus.blogspot.com/2007/06/iphone.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/whatworksforus/pfw.jpg" border="0" alt="PhotoStory Friday" /></a><br/>Hosted by <a href="http://mychaosmybliss.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cecily</a> and <a href="http://writingthewavesmama.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Kelli</span></span></span></a><p/></center>



I'm so excited to be co-hosting PSF this week with Cecily. She's a total rockstar with the camera and the Fishful Thinking mama who introduced me to this awesome campaign that helps inspire OPTIMISM in our kids. Since I knew I'd be co-hosting this week, I thought it would be a perfect time for our family to do the Favorite Photo activity found on the Fishful Thinking site.

In a nutshell: Find a photograph that captures a happy experience and describe it.

Here are our picks!

Abby's favorite:

I like that it's my first day of school and Noah is in the picture too. I was super excited!

Mommy's favorite:
Summertime and going down the BIG slide with Abby = BIG SMILES!

Noah's favorite:
I leally, leally, leally, like it! I fishing wid Papa and holding a fish!

Daddy's favorite:
Me and my boy playing golf 'cause that's what we love to do.

So click the fish, check out the site, and dive on in!

*Join me for Fishful Thinking Thursdays and share your thoughts and ideas to help our kids dream BIG, overcome obstacles, and look on the bright side of life!