Is it Trick or Treat?

WildChild has already begun looking out for Trick or Treaters.
She's perched herself on the chair at the front window.

She doesn't realize that she's a day early

and that except for a wayward UPS man and the occasional schoolbus;

there won't be any Trick or Treaters today.



She knows there's candy for the kids next to the door

and she wants to be the one to give it out

all.by.herself!



Surveying the stray candy wrappers strewn around the floor of my living room,

the rapidly disappearing bowl of goodies

and the knowledge that the wait is going to be about 24 hours longer...

I guess I'd better head out for more candy!



Happy Halloween!

You Can Run

You can run.

You can hide.

But, you can't change the trajectory of a kiss that was meant only for you!

Nor can you change the sheer joy that being so loved just because you're YOU brings.

Thankful Thursday

Actually, Thankful times a million.

Autumn in Bloom

Sushi Anyone?

Sweetie Pie babbles all day long.

She loves to say sooooooooooooosheeeeeeeee.

When she says that...well, there's just no saying no.

Not like she has to twist our arms or anything!

WonderBoy loves sushi just as much as JR and I do.

Although I only let the kids eat the garden variety cooked sushi and california roll

that doesn't stop him from the rest of the menu...

His new favorite is the all encompassing Bento Box.

He gets a taste of all of his favorites along with soup, shrimp fried rice

and broccoli (yes, he loves broccoli!)

Talk about a Happy Meal!

Oh, and a Shirley Temple.

Dinner out is not complete without his signature drink, the Shirley Temple!

********

Sweetie insists on using chopsticks.

And I mean Insists!

By golly, she's a determined little one.

She does attain her goal more often than not.

The kids fight to the death over the dumplings

and the edamame.

After a few hot sakes, JR and I don't seem to notice, though.

Then our dinner arrives....

and JR and I fight over it

(just kidding...I always win!)

Sneaky Little Girl tries to poach from the adult dish when we're deep in conversation.

Much to her chagrin, she always gets caught.

Mama never fails to have one eye on her.

JR and I usually order much too much.

But it makes for a lovely lunch together the next day.

Alas, an after dinner mint

A great big brother hug

And all is right with the world.

A Perfect Evening!

Jammie Time

Wild Child loves her cudgey new jammies.

Those snowmen forewarn of the blustery days upon us.

I don't mind the cold.

It gives me even more excuses to extend snuggle time with Wild Child and WonderBoy.

Sweets for the Sweet

No morning is complete for Sweetie Pie without a spin in her new car;

thanks to the uber generous Syd and Izzy.

Unlike her other car, this one can actually be controlled by mom from behind

making Sweetie just think she's in the driver's seat!

Of course, before going ANYWHERE she has to have a mini Alt*oid or seven.

The girl has a new addiction.

She's testing the limits of her ability to contain multiple "mints" of the menthol variety in her mouth.

She has officially surpassed me.

I cry "uncle" at about 3.

The weather is quickly turning cold here (37 degrees this morning!)

I'm afraid Sweetie's outdoor spins in her car are numbered.

Minx

Lost and Found

Lost and Found on this day 5 years ago.

We had only seen a picture of one another and spoken on the phone a few times.

(He has the best accent!)

He lived a few miles from me.

Ironically, many years before we had gone to different high schools in the same town and even graduated the same year.

We never ran into one another back then.

After chatting on the phone a few times, he asked me to meet him for a drink at a local restaurant.

He knew all about WonderBoy and me and hadn't run for the hills.

This would be the moment of truth because, in my book, you can't fake chemistry.

I pulled into the parking lot like a maniac, running late, as usual.

I was wondering if the man I was about to meet would even come close to living up to the fantasy of the man I had imagined him to be staring at his picture.

I checked my look in my rearview mirror knowing that it was the last time I was going to see myself before I knew the answer to my own question.

I barreled out of the car in my characteristic whirlwind; grabbing my bag, fluffing my hair, while dropping my keys, shifting my clothes and otherwise primping to get my girl on.

Outta my way, PEOPLE, I had a DATE!

As I trotted through the parking lot, looking over my shoulder at the incredibly crooked parking job I had just perpetrated, I took a deep breath and quickly wiped that bead of sweat from my upper lip...

and, that's when I saw him...

He was sitting on the bench outside the restaurant staring right at me.

He had been, characteristically early, and had been watching me the entire time from the moment I flew into the parking lot as if it were a Nas*car pitstop.

He had a grin ear to ear.

His was even more handsome than I had imagined.

I took one look at him and melted into those sparkling, steely blue-green eyes and began to laugh.

We needed no introductions.

Before I took my first sip of my Margarita, I knew I was looking at my husband.

And the rest, as they say....is history!

Thank you for Finding Me!

I love you to pieces.

(Special thanks to WonderBoy for taking these pictures of us!)