Happy Thanksgiving (and Halloween too)

NOVEMBER:
Pilgrim flirting with scarecrow:
Peek-a-boo:
Hiking:
OCTOBER:
Kids with knives. All kinds of fun.
The troops trick-or-treating:
No children dressed as lions were harmed in the making of this photo:
Cinderella and the fairy godmother:
The zombie (he's utterly obsessed with zombies---he wrote a parody of "Birdhouse in Your Soul" called "Zombie Eats Your Brain" or something):
It's been a wonderful fall. I'm thankful.

On the review blog: Free Dance Lessons

Dan,
It's not your birthday, and it's not Valentine's day, but I want to say something to you. Maybe this is something I should just write in a letter to you, but I guess I want to shout to the world how I feel about you, and this is the closest I can get. I'm thinking of that line I told you about from War and Peace, "My dear fellow, one can't everywhere and at all times say all one thinks." This is the crux of it. I believe we all long to do just that. We want someone to know us, to listen to all we have to say. Usually Andrei is right though; we can't say all we think. But I have you. And with you, I can. And I do. If ever a profound thought manages to fight its way into my head, you hear about it. And all those trivial, banal things that I think about, you hear about those too. I have no filter with you. With you, I can explore all of myself, body and soul, and you help me do so. I hope I do the same for you. Thank you for knowing who I am.

Poe Party 2009, I think, was a success. I had a good time anyway. Thanks to all who attended. I didn't think to take pictures during the party, but aren't these the coolest stamps ever? I gleefully stuck them on the invites. I found them last year right after Poe Party 2008 and had been chomping at the bit to use them. It was fulfilling, despite the fact that the price of stamps rose, and I had to add 2 cent stamps.
And this was the door prize. I'm ridiculously proud of it, because I'm nerdy that way.
The kids also got to have a Halloween party this year.


We finally went to Disneyland a few weeks ago, despite Dan's moral opposition to the "Mecca to Consumerism." I think he even managed to enjoy himself. Thank goodness Therese came along though. I think without Grandma being there, it would have been a lot more stressful and a lot less fun. Since we were embracing the consumerism, we went ahead and paid for dinner at Goofy's Kitchen. Jasper didn't love Minnie . . . or Goofy . . . or Pluto, and he really, really didn't care for Stitch.
Laraine loved them all, but she was most fond of Snow White.
And here we are, in front of the temple to materialism.
Really? He's not rightwise born king of all England. And I was sure Moore was just the current spelling of Pendragon.
I'm glad they take after me where teacups are concerned. No nausea. Just happiness.
All in all, a good time was had by all, despite a meltdown over a Buzz Lightyear gun and some negative feelings toward the "invisible snowman." Maybe taking Laraine on the Matterhorn wasn't the best choice. Maybe we should have just purchased the gun in the first place.
The next day we hit the beach with Brian, Karene, Cole and Weston. It was grand. The kids loved it. Dan loved it. Therese loved it. Though I learned I'm totally incompetent with a boogie board, even I loved it. And it was free, which is good because we'd spent all our money at Disneyland.
The day after the beach, we went to an aquarium. It was free too.
And I'm just throwing this picture, taken by Bennett, on the end here because I think he really captured a certain Dan-ness.
On the review blog: Jasper's Mullet and Julie and Julia

Hodgepodge

Okay, I admit it, the truck has been useful. I bought the clearanced floor model of a large, plastic play house at Kmart, and Dan brought it home in the truck. Of course, the truck hasn't been working for a couple of weeks now, but at least Bennett has a new climbing toy.
Kids and hoses. Bennett and Laraine kinda run away and run back hesitantly. Jasper just wants to hang out in the steady stream.

Forlorn Jasper at the Bracken cabin. This is the only picture I actually took. I saw Beka had a camera and figured I'd get copies from the master. Yes, we invited ourselves. Yes, we got vomit all over their cabin. But we had a grand time. Thanks again, Beka and Jake.

Bennett has now discovered books and flashlights in bed after the lights go out. It makes bedtime easier for him and for Dan and me. Sometimes Laraine joins him. The flash kinda messed this up, but you get the idea.

Laraine and her three Fuzzlies. Now and then she wakes up in the night screaming that she doesn't have one of them. Then we have to search the house trying to find where she dropped it. What a look on her face.

The fair. A good time was had by all. Mostly.


Dan and I recently hiked the Subway with the Hainses. Can you believe the cruel things we do to Therese? She was stuck with the monsters all day. She's a saint. We love her. So I learned I have a bad knee. It was kind of a depressing shock. See, until this Subway hike, I haven't actually done anything that might test my knee since before I was married when I went on that backpacking trip with Dan, when I was still letting him think I'm into that sort of thing (I actually had to purchase a backpack and a sleeping bag for that excursion). Anyway, if I hadn't hiked the Subway a few weeks ago, I'd still be in happy oblivion about my knee (three cheers for inactivity!), but actually, it was a lot of fun.

Doing homework with Bennett. It can be time consuming. Understand, Nine is the greatest of those numbers, so it has to have a crown and a throne. Four and Five are lowly servants. They're holding trays of food for Nine. It's good to be Nine.
On the review blog: (500) Days of Summer