Happy Fall, Y'all

My husband navigated the winding road in the twilight.  In October, the bone-like trees might look creepy stretching into the crisp air and silhouetted against the sky, but the car was warm with contentment.  

This, I thought, this is one of those days I longed for when doctors told us a family wasn't in our future.

Sometimes I time my kids to see how long they can go before whining or doing something obnoxious to the other like Alexandra kicking Max or Max telling her everything she does is wrong. (FYI: This morning the record was 8 minutes.)

But this weekend was filled with those moments of wonder a to-be parent longs for.

At Peek-a-Boo Petting Zoo we discovered baby chicks...

baby bottles....

bunnies...

a hay maze...

fishing for rubber duckies...

 and a princess with her pumpkin.

We topped off the day with dinner at Soda Steve's, a fun soda shop that would fit right into a show like Gilmore Girls or Hart of Dixie.

The next day we decided to take our little knight and princess to the Castle in Muskogee for Pumpkin Kingdom.

Lots of scary things lurked within the castle walls and in the village after dark,

but we opted for a hayride,

balloon sword and doggie, 

and a bouncy house (apparently, this was scary).  

We had a great weekend with our little pumpkins.

And I'm so glad. Making memories is important.  One never knows what's lurking around the bend.

(For me, I'm pretty sure it's a mountain of laundry populated with giant dust bunnies.)

Happy fall, ya'll.

Writer's Wednesday: Downton Abbey Rewrite

Now that fans have had time to recover from the season finale of Downton Abbey Season 3, I thought I'd bring it up again.

Yeah, I'm a salt in the wound kind of gal.

According to my Facebook feed, people are upset about the story.

Some loved it.  Many did not. A few even mentioned they might stop watching.

One woman declared the ending was simply bad writing.   

So here's your chance. 

If you disliked the finale--or some other part of this season--write a synopsis of YOUR version in the comment section.

If you liked it, defend it.

KEEP CALM

AND

WRITE ON

 

Tea Talk: Downton Abbey Season Premiere

I dreamed--seriously, I had a dream--about eating petit fours and drinking tea while watching the premier.

Instead, I drank a glass of water and ate a granola bar.

Tower of London tea, anyone?

So, please, let's have tea now and share all the gossip of Downton.

Matthew and Mary are in love! Edith is in love! Sybil is in love!

My husband is annoyed.

Lady Mary and Matthew. My husband thinks it's too obvious that Matthew is always the savior of Downton and that Lavinia's father's inheritance goes to Matthew.  I think there has to be a fourth person on the list.  If Lavinia's 's father was as sweet as his daughter, I can see him leaving it to...Mary!  *Gasp!* Why? Well, it's a soap opera. Plus, he'd think his daughter has all of the money from Downton and they cared for her so well even though the family was losing the estate, so...leave a little to Mary in thanks.  I agree with my husband that they can't leave the estate.  After all, the show is called Downton Abbey, not Downton Abbey-less.

Lady Edith and Sir Anthony. Why is Lord Grantham and the Dowager so suddenly concerned with Sir Anthony? Wasn't he going to propose in another season?  I'd think now more than ever they'd be thrilled Lady Edith might be married off.

Lady Sybil and Tom Branson. How will they fit into this season?  How will his politics be incorporated? So exciting! I adore her.

Martha Levinson. What did you think of the introduction of Lady Cora's mother? The Dowager Countess and I share the same opinion of her.  Then again, that shouldn't be a surprise. I took a test, and if I were on Downton, I'd be her. I know you're jealous.

Okay. Let's talk about downstairs.

Mrs. Hughes. Oh my. I kind of thought the housekeeper might have a thing for the butler Mr. Carson. They at least held mutual admiration and respect.  Suddenly, in this show... where did all this animosity come from? I've never seen their relationship so stressed. True, she's ill. I'm curious to watch the whole thing play out.

Mrs. Patmore.  I love her. If I ever have a cook, I want her.

Daisy. She seems to be coming more into her own. Why she continues to let Thomas influence her is beyond me, though.  What really has me curious is her interest in the new footman. Why does she care about his dalliance with the American maid? Is she simply concerned? Jealous? Or is she recognizing what she might have missed with sweet William?

Thomas, Thomas, Thomas. Your evil ways are a delight to watch since I'm safe outside of Downton Abbey and can not be a victim. He is one ambitious fellow.

O'Brian. I like the continued changes of her character.  She is still spiteful and manipulative...but taking sides with the right people. It's about time.

Mr. Bates. Free Bates! Get him out of the prison. I'm not a fan of what's going on with that story line. And on that note, who killed Vera? My theory is Sir Richard Carlisle --Lady Mary's ex-fiance--had her killed because she was shopping the story. Yep. That's why the family stayed out of the papers. To protect him. Not Lady Mary. Wouldn't that make a good story?!

So, what do you think?

Remember that test I mentioned to let you know what character you'd be? Take it here and tell me who it says you'd be.

Plus,  let me know your thoughts on what's going on at Downton. But, since Season 3 has already aired in England, if you're privy to real information, please don't spoil the fun for the rest of us.

Add Glamour to Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue

The kids and I watched Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue (Disney, 2010) the other night.  It's about a fairy (Tinkerbell) who gets captured by a little girl. The story is sweet.

There's a boy who leads her on a journey.

Tink's friends battle the rain to "rescue" an imprisoned pal.

So many aspects of the story seemed similar to a story I know very well. But there were differences.

For example, Tink teaches Lizzie how to fly.

Plus, the only real danger Tinkerbell encounters is Lizzie's father, a scientist who likes to pin things with wings to his wall. It's Disney, so everything turns out happy in the end.

If you know someone who liked this movie, but wants something a smidge darker, my novel Glamour (HAWK, 2008) is the perfect next step.

In my book, a teen captures fairies.  But she's not nice.

So the fairies aren't either.

Magic Mommy Monday: Olympic Celebrations

I love the Olympics.

As a kid, my mom called us inside from playing to watch Mary Lou Retton and Greg Luganis go for the gold.

The Olympics introduced a magical idea:  Maybe I could achieve greatness, too.

I wanted to recreate this excitement and inspiration for my kids.

What better way to fulfill this fantasy than have an Olympic playdate?
Filled with patriotism and determination, I searched the internet for ideas.

My friend Jennifer Laws is a superstar party planner. (With three kids all under four, I'd say she deserves a medal.) Here's a clip of her party plans as shown on the local news:

News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |


Here's her Pinterest page on the topic.


Yeah, well...there's the fantasy.

And then there's my reality.

Construction paper crafts helped fill days that were too hot to play outside.

We hung Olympic rings from the chandeliers.

Relay batons made from paper towel rolls and construction paper

found a way to incorporate water guns

We were ready to inspire those kids!

We kicked off our playgroup with a relay of passing the torch. I could show you the video, but it's just embarrassing. 

Apparently, my foil roll and tissue paper torch was unimpressive.

The day went pretty much downhill from there.

The children were too hot to run and jump the pool noodle hurtles painstakingly stuck in the drought-dry dirt with chopsticks. (Knocking them over was my son's favorite part. Seriously. He just told me.)

The signs stuck on the fence announcing the events blew off. A new Olympic event was created called Find the Push Pins with Your Hands Instead of Your Bare Feet.

One little boy decided it was too hot for this outside nonsense. Smart kid. He sat on the sofa and waited patiently for the rest of us to come to our senses.

Inside, the boys' eyes sparked with interest when I explained that the javelin toss was really like a warrior's spear. They threw pool noodles through hula hoops with great success.

The kids had a great day playing non-Olympic games and acted happy when they took home medals and toilet paper roll torches.

I couldn't find Olympic ring stickers, so we colored those circle tabs found in the office supply section.

 Later, I made a balance beam for my kids with painter's tape. 

Pretty good for not being able to walk

He's a contender!

Did we inspire the kids? Doubt it.  The Olympics really does that all by itself.

They find their own heroes.

Max is almost four.  He loves girls' gymnastics and girls' diving. As long as the temperatures don't plummet so that the girls wear more clothes than a bikini, he's a huge beach volleyball fan.

For now, the baby claps for everyone.

The swimmers impress the whole family. They're all incredible, but, I mean...Michael Phelps is...wow. My kids can tell their kids they watched an Olympian earn more medals than anyone ever.

All the Olympians, win or lose, are champions because they do their best.

Even a mom in Oklahoma can identify with that.

Friends or Seinfeld?

 You can tell a lot about a person of a certain generation based on one simple question:

Do you prefer Friends...

or Seinfeld?

The characters of Friends met in a coffee shop. They lounged on the arms of sofas, practically inviting the other customers to join them.  With the exception of Ross's place, the group came and went freely and comfortably in their apartments.They knew they were always welcome. They were inclusive. What's theirs is yours and what's yours is theirs. It's the whole bff/roomie/family/gonnaget marriedorhaveababytogether concept.

The characters of Seinfeld made fun of people. A LOT. They didn't allow people into their inner circle.  My friends who prefer Seinfeld have a little harder edge to them. They mock the love fest. They are a little zany. They covet their alone time. They respect space and expect you to do the same, but if you make a Kramer entrance into their day, that's cool. After all, you may be flawed, but you're friends.

I would love to watch a show where the two sets of characters interact. Anyone write fanfic out there?

No matter what show my friends prefer, they remind me most of...

...with their sassy hair cuts, great shoes, and ability to save the day.

So, dear reader, what show do you prefer?

 

Friday Favorite: Confessions of a Closeted Geek

 

I am a closet geek. At least I think I'm closeted.  Not anymore.

 

A knit hat with Yoda ears for a newborn makes me giggle.

The only outfit I've ever "liked" on Pinterest contains a Superman tee and yellow Converse. When I clicked through to see the source, I realized it was inspired by Leonard on The Big Bang Theory.

 I sincerely believe Firefly was brilliant...and should probably be taught in schools.

So, this morning's conversation with my three-year-old was bound to happen.

Max asked, "Mom, what's in a lightsaver?" (Note: just as he says "grabel" for "gravel," he means "lightsaber," not "lightsaver."

Contemplating the proper answer, I paused.

Do I tell him it's not real? Do I tell him about good and evil using The Force as a metaphor? Is he too young?

"Never mind." He looked at me knowingly and nodded. "Probably plastic."

Um, yeah.   

Construction Party 3rd Birthday

 

My son's allergies peak near his birthday. I feared he would get ill like he did last year and we'd have to postpone his party.

Thankfully, he stayed this side of healthy and we had a great time!

The weather cooperated as well. It kindly dropped just below 100 degrees so being outside didn't remind us of Old Testament fire and brimstone.

Although I had several other ideas for parties, Max's lullaby request most of the summer was the Bob the Builder theme song.  So... since it was his birthday, I rolled up my sleeves and "dug" in. The theme focused on the construction theme rather than the cartoon. However, Max spotted a balloon at the grocery store the day before. Eyes wide and smile big, he told me all about it. Garrett went the next day and bought it. We tied it to a saw horse and placed them in the garden to greet guests.

On Friday, I'll share links to inspiration parties for our construction theme. For now, here are a few shots of my little guy's party:

He spent the night at my parents' and was surprised when we greeted him and told him we were about to have his party. Since our daughter was born one week after his birthday, it was a huge help to prepare and decorate as just adults.  Plus, Max was  surprised and impressed with the transformation.

I can't say enough nice things about Home Depot's generosity.  The boys loved the aprons!

Come on in and grab a work apron and a hard hat.

Dig in! I loved using his toys as props and was amazed at how many uses caution tape has.

Is there anything yummier than "dirt" brownies and worms in a truck? Yum. Yeah, it would have been prettier if I'd removed the foil, but I felt I couldn't get that truck clean enough after suspecting some of the things it had hauled!

Gummy worms are big hits with little boys.

Hard hats are, too.

They worked and worked!

Max told us he couldn't eat anything because he had a house to build.

We enticed him with cupcakes.

So he enjoyed a meal of...blue icing.

 I had a couple of activities. Only one was successful. When the boys arrived, I had a table filled with foam door hangers with foam stickers of construction equipment to put on them.  None of the boys seemed especially interested. However, they loved the outside activity.

The sign says, "Dig in" and each work site was staked out.

 

Armed with sandbox tools, the boys dug and dug to find three (Dollar Store) finds each.

It was so fun to watch them!  This idea would also be great for a pirate party and treasure hunt.

I didn't work them the entire time!

They took a few union required breaks...

 ...lounged around...

 ...swung in the swings...

...saw the sites...

...continued the team work...

 ...played with some toys...

 ...ran with balloons...
 
...had a mini fight club meeting...

The party was a hit with my little worker. Five months later, he still talks about it.

 

  A happy birthday boy? That's success.