Happy Halloween

I wasn't a big fan of Halloween when I was little.  I never really liked dressing in costumes or walking up to strangers houses and asking them for candy, or roaming around in the dark and the cold, or seeing witches and skeletons and gravestones in peoples' yards.  But, now that I am all grown up and have children of my own, Halloween has become my favorite holiday.  It's a day that's just all about the fun - no big meals to cook, no presents to buy, no overblown expectations of my children that will end in tears (thinking of every single BIG birthday party I've thrown for them).   Joel and I have been celebrating Halloween as parents for a decade now and I've loved each and every one.

Halloween 2001
Dawn & Pumpkin Katie, Heather & Pea in a Pod Zoe,
Amy & Bumblebee Tyler, Julie and Hershey's Kiss Owen.
Looking back on it now, it's funny that Owen was a "Kiss"
considering he hates chocolate.

2002
Dr. Owen didn't get to go
trick-or-treating because he had an ear infection.

2003
Thomas the Tank Engine

2004
Halloween Party with
Will, Anna, Tyler, Katie and Owen

Also in 2004
 Sarah celebrated her very first  Halloween.
She was the tiniest cutest little ballerina ever!

2005
Power Ranger Owen and Dr. Sarah

2006
Cinderella Sarah and Ninja Owen
This Halloween has become the stuff of legend
at our house because of Sarah's enthusiastic
"HAPPY HALLOWEEN, LOLA" video.

2007
Owen "The Flash" Vallejo & Supergirl Sarah Grace
The only year I could ever get the two of them
on board with a Halloween theme. 
It was superheroes (in case that's not obvious).

2008
I honestly don't remember this Halloween.
This was days after Joel's mom passed away.
The Bart's took wonderful care of us and
made sure my kiddos had a fun night.

2009
Good Witch Katie, Owen as Anakin Skywalker, &
Anna and Sarah Grace as the cutest cats ever.

Also in 2009
Stacey and Brayden and Cooper and Victor had moved to Nashville.
And Joel had transformed himself.

2010
Owen was Ben 10 and was so proud of the costume he and Joel made.
Sarah was a Flower Child.

2011
"Bat to the Bone" Sarah G. has gone Girly Goth .
Pink Skulls are her thing right now.
Owen is dressed as "Superboy Conner Kent" from
the "Superboy" Comic Book Series.
He is NOT Superman.
He IS dressed in a costume.
He's the coolest 10 year old I know. Truly.

It's an oft repeated saying, but it's true - that the days are long, but the years are short.  Happy Halloween everybody.  I hope you made some wonderful memories.

Chocolate

    I'm sitting in the Nashville airport waiting for a plane to take me to Atlanta and then on to Harrisburg, PA. Lordy, but I hate to fly and I really hate to fly solo. Everything about this trip is a bonus though, so I'm going to accentuate the positive as I head off into the (I hope) friendly skies. I'm going to have a drink here at the bar and then another one on the plane and when I land in Harrisburg I'll be meeting up with three of my favorite people in the whole world. We're spending the weekend at the Spa at the Hershey Hotel to celebrate Kelli's 40th birthday. The best part was that the trip (a birthday gift from her husband) was a total surprise to her until about two hours ago. I love helping surprise people I love - even more than I hate flying (and I hate flying a lot).

Hershey Update: In Photos

Me on a plane!!!

Chocolate Bars at Check-in

At the Iberian Lounge
where we drank & watched the World Series

Chocolate Martini!! Crazy Good.

We woke up to snow!!

Inside the Spa.
They said no cameras were allowed.
No way I was going in without a camera.

In big fluffy robes, ready to relax.

Waiting for my appointment. . . 

in the chocolate bath. Heavenly.

Lunch Cocktails then on to more relaxing.

Dinner.

Me and the Birthday Girl!

Last is a Place

Owen is the child in the red shirt.

Kindergarten Cross Country Meet

Fall 2006



      Our lives this fall have revolved around Cross Country.  Joel is coaching and Owen is running and Sarah and I are attending the meets and cheering on the team and helping tote and schlep and do whatever else we need to do to try to keep the Sunday afternoon races running smoothly.  My main job has been to stand under the tent and yell at kids to "cut it out." It's a multi-purpose phrase that works well in a variety of situations. This is Joel's first year as the head coach of the cross country team and Owen's fifth year running.  Owen is doing great this season and finished his last one mile race with a PR of 7:21.  Joel has done a fabulous job coaching and attributes all of his success to "setting low expectations."  (Those are his words, not mine).

     Owen first participated in cross country when he was in Kindergarten.  He was five years old and looking back on it now it was kind of ridiculous that we "encouraged" him to run.  He wasn't ready.  He hadn't found his competative spirit - heck, he couldn't even tie his own shoes.  But, encourage we did and Owen finished his first CC meet in something like 36th place - right in the middle of the pack.  By the time his third CC meet rolled around, Joel and I were kind of hopeful that Owen was getting the hang of running and competing.  He started the race with the rest of the pack and as he disappeared over the hill, we (Joel and I) were left to wait anxiously until he came back into view again to run towards the finish line.  The minutes dragged by and while hoards of other children reappeared and crossed the finish line, there was no Owen. Eventually, we saw him pop up over the top of the hill.  He was run/walking in sort of a zig-zag pattern across the course and he certainly didn't seem to be in any hurry to finish.  Joel and I started cheering for him but he was still so far away we knew he couldn't hear us.  As he meandered toward the finish line, kids continued to pass him.  Joel and I screamed for him to pick up the pace . . . he slowed down.  As he got almost to the finish line a wave of relief washed over me because there were still three kids behind him and I took some comfort in the fact that at least he wouldn't finish last.  And then Owen stopped running.  He just stopped.  While he stood there - only feet from the finish line -  those three kids that were behind him ran right past him. Only then did Owen start jogging his way across the finish line.  He finished in last place.



Sarah. The day her brother finished last.
She didn't care.

As we rode home with a fairly content Owen in the back seat (and oymygosh how could be content because he just finished last!!!), Joel and I were wondering what the heck just happened out there on the cross country course?  How had Owen managed to finish in last place?  What the two of us didn't know was that Owen had finished in last place on purpose - because "last is a place" he explained to us, just like first is a place.  He knew from the moment the race started that he wanted to finish in last place and he worked really hard to make sure that happened. Of course, we all look back on this now and laugh - even Owen, who no longer thinks that last is the place he wants to be.


Scenes from a Sip-N-See

     My niece, Delaney, was the honored guest at her very own sip-n-see this afternoon.  It was a lovely party.  If you're unfamiliar with this tradition, a sip-n-see is a baby shower that's held with the baby in attendance.  The "sip" part refers to the fact that punch (sometimes spiked) and light refreshements are served while everyone takes turns "seeing" the baby.  There are also presents.  It's a lot of fun.

 



The After Party
(with lots of fun bows and hats)

     When Sarah Grace and I got home this afternoon, she asked if we could look at the pictures from her sip-n-see.  The Tullahoma Ladies hosted one for her when she was a teeny tiny girl.

Sarah's Sip-n-See
May 2004

I'm pretty sure this is the day that
Owen decided his Uncle Victor needed
to marry Aunt Stacey.
She spent most of the afternoon entertaining him.