A Bit Busty

I've been in the market for a bust. And a few vintage trophies and a faux mounted animal head. All seem perfect for fall decor but I think some may go on my Christmas list. Meanwhile, I suggest if you're also looking for a bust, by all means don't Google it. Or put that search into ebay. Definitely not preceded by any sort of size preference. ha.

In fact, I'll save you lots of trouble, online searching and antiquing. I'd found a few busts that were very close to what I wanted but not quite right or too pricey.  So here's my shortcut.

Rescue one from Ross on the cheap. Yes indeedy. Disregard the poor color and finish and material of heavy plastic. Are your guests going to pick her up and discover her lack of heft? No. But you are, so next carry her to your car like an infant - her head facing over your shoulder for passersby to coo at her. Resist patting her on the back at the same time.

Spray paint her on the deck with leftovers from Big Brother's last school project. Paint while the Mister is away to avoid discussion of not painting someone else's home. We had glossy white paint and it looks pretty. Extra credit that I don't think any got on the deck.

The most time consuming part of this step is reading the articles you didn't get to in this weekend's paper. Just like afternoons after high school making our class homecoming float. As we started shredding newspaper to stuff into chicken wire, we'd come across funny articles that we'd to stop to read to each other.

I digress, but you're done! Give her a jaunty pilgrim's hat or Indian headdress and let the festivities begin. 

The kids are worried that the pig is getting replaced. That I'll find funny ways to dress my new bust (Oh, the traffic I'm sure to bring to the site now!) for various holidays in the same ways I've done with the pig. Not to worry. There's plenty of whimsy to go around. But we may need a few more hats.

PS: I've since found a version of my $24.99 Ross Dress for Less steal for $2500 on the web and also discovered that she is Diana, Roman goddess of childbirth and women. That's all very nice and close to my heart (both bargains and babies!). My favorite tidbit, though is learning she was "associated with wild animals...and possessed the power to talk to and control animals." Teach me, my goddess!

Funny Girl

Here's Baby Sister in one of my mother's coolest tops circa 1964. It has hung in my closet and moved about 8 times without my finding the right occasion to wear it. Perhaps overdressed for an afternoon of coloring, but she wears it well.

She is a complete hoot these days. She's always been entertaining, but lately her bon mots have us in stitches. Hardly a day goes by without a really fantastic outburst or two. Mostly non sequiturs.  To include:

- "Can I have an apple? What am I wearing? (while sporting my kindergarten Valentine's ballet costume) Are we going to a bear party now?" [Said in rapid-fire bursts to her dumbstruck mother who eventually managed to tell her yes, she could have an apple.]

- "Momma, do I have whiskers?  Like a cat?"

- "Did you know a unicorn is made with a horse?"

- "I had a dream last night. About 2 eyeballs sitting on a bench."

What can I say to that all, really? That I hope we never get beyond this stage. There's something so wildly creative about being 4 that ought to be harnessed. It is also really funny.

And what really would a bear party entail?

Soldiering On

Doing double duty and then some.

This costume has already proved to be a winner. Biggest Brother wore it trick or treating two nights in a row and to our school's 5K yesterday where his class costume was supporting the troops. The jacket was a birthday gift for dressing up a few years ago and the pants are size 14 (!) so they ought to get wear for a long while, right?!

The leaves have finally turned which promises a beautiful day for a hike with Big Brother's class today. We've had another three day weekend and filled with all sorts of activities so we needed that extra hour today and may need a quiet week to rest up from all the festivities.

xo

Forecast: Fun! And extra candy.

These three trick or treaters braved stiff winds to visit a corner of our neighborhood that has a long Halloween tradition. The kind that blocks off a street and a party ensues. Costumed cheering children racing house to house in the dark. Made extra spooky with whirling leaves and howling winds. Almost summerlike temperatures kept our jackets at home. It was amazing. Simple, delightful, memorable.

Having not trick or treated in London, the concept is a bit foreign for the girls but they had a ball. Probably most of all Baby Sister who bounced and scurried and jogged most of the evening. I nearly thought those tiny wings worked. She flitted from house to house singing, "Happy Hallowweeeeeen!"

With a dire weather forecast, Biggest Brother spent the evening with friends and most neighborhoods postponed trick or treating so we'll all go out tomorrow! The rain finally began again, the winds have picked up even more and there are all kinds of warnings until early morning. But we had a fantastic night out in our new city. We're home together surrounded by bags of candy. That's pretty sweet.

And lest you think Big Brother was too cool to dress up, he's in fact wearing his very favorite (you noticed?) European football kit -- Spain's. To his great delight, one dad recognized the team tonight and even had him do a full spin on his porch to admire the entire get up! Big Brother briefly debated wearing a Titans uniform, but I'm really happy he stayed true to Spain. At least this year.

Orange You Glad?

The scariest thing about our day so far is the forecast, but we're working to make it a bit spooky around the house.

This was to be Big Sister's packed lunch until her brothers (wisely) prevailed upon her to enjoy the cafeteria's Halloween lunch. No worries. Baby Sister can picnic on it while we dash around for tonight's final preparations.

Speaking of Baby Sister, she made this little pumpkin project at school. What will people think of next? It is a roll of toilet paper wrapped in fabric, tied with a ribbon leaf and twig stem. We were sure they were going to wrap each other as mummies with the tp. This was much cuter!

Do you recognize the sticks? See. They were sure worth moving again.

I'll include photos of actual children in costumes soon. It is all very exciting around here! Especially our weather (rain! thunderstorms! potential tornadoes!) which has the potential to postpone the festivities until tomorrow. So it might be an evening in front of a spooky movie and fire with hot cider. Happiest Halloween.

Company's Coming!

There's a nip in the air and a spring in our step as we await beloved friends from across the Atlantic. We'll be bobbing for apples, picking pumpkins and hayriding in the days ahead.

It promises to be a wonderful long homecoming weekend of sorts. Now if only our leaves would hurry up and change. I've done my bit to make our entrance welcoming, and I'm hoping Mother Nature can turn her Southern leaves into autumn's splendor to complete the look.

But the most important thing is being together. We're so fortunate and thrilled to have our visitors heading to Music City. When we said our last goodbyes, who would have ever guessed we'd be together again so quickly. Hooray. And happy homecoming one and all!

Vacation Comes to a Screeching Halt

It is saying something about the week that this guy is my least needy.

He broke his clavicle in a backyard soccer match versus Biggest Brother. Bless. He is one sturdy guy and has been a significant sport through a tough week. Big Brother powered right into school the next morning, perhaps too eager to show off his sling. The school nurse called later, suggesting he'd had enough and should go home. But no he protested, it was chili dog day for lunch!  Would you know the nurse managed to get him a chili dog to go? We've landed in another sweet place. See also: another glowing reflection on my cooking. My child is encouraged to go home from school and he insists on staying. For the food.

We need hearty nourishment to endure this week. Working mighty hard to settle in. Nope. You've not stumbled upon an old post. We're still plugging away. Mostly in the mornings when I'm peeling a tiny girl in a Peter Pan collar off me while a morose drummer slumps his shoulders and plods into The Big School.

We're fighting a good fight and winning some battles. Having an ice cream (Sweet CeCe's) date with friends after school, planning and attending birthday parties and a Thanksgiving coffee, exploring new parks and used bookstores, playing our instruments and treating ourselves when we can.

We're grateful for the legions of support we've found. Tops being Big Sister's First Grade Teacher who should be nominated for sainthood for helping me as much as Big Sister. Also for teaching her. Maybe not entirely fair of me, but my favorite pediatricians and teachers have been in the trenches longer than I have and come to their profession with parental experience, too. I need compatriots with combat experience and am grateful for finding them. Also very grateful to be in a faithful school where people aren't just pulling for you, but praying, too. Would you know that at Mass the first hymn was the "when you move, I'll go with you" one again? Of course it was.

Big Brother stayed off school yesterday and went to Mass with me. All the children go to weekly Mass. Snuggled up with me in his sling and comfy clothes, waving to his school friends with his good arm. His collarbone's broken but not his spirit, cuddliness or sense of humor. Bon mots from him this week include: "If THIS hurts, I cannot imagine what a broken heart is like!" (By which I know he meant a heart attack, but somehow I'm going work that quote into a rehearsal dinner speech. Remind me.)

His siblings rallied to his side when he was laid flat in the backyard. Baby Sister packed an armload of books for her siblings to read at the doctor's. Biggest Brother packed a car picnic in lieu of dinner, tended to his buddy like a seasoned EMT and got a "CHiPs" episode started on the dvd. Big Sister cheered for her Freckle Teammate all the way.

And ever since, Baby Sister -- bless her -- has been extraordinarily cheerful. That's especially helpful in the mornings. She is so proud of her tiny uniform and shines like a new penny. But she does deserve a special something for her trick last night. Instead of tidying up her room, she decided it would be best to lock the door behind her and come down for dinner. None the wiser, we had a chatty evening, studied for tests, read stories and got ready for bed a bit late. Long before we discovered that her room was locked with a mess inside. Also her school uniform and saddle oxfords.

Well. That's one strategy. Just sort of forget the mess and move on. But that's not the one we're going for here. We're digging into the messy bits and working together. For all their effort, I'm planning to bill the kids to get my greys colored. Or visit a significant spa. Where they serve booze. But I cannot really complain. (That's not exactly true or the above paragraphs wouldn't exist.) If it is possible to suffer from Stockholm Syndrome within your own home, I think I've got it. I am devoted to my captors.

Also battling a toilet that leaked all over the floor and an infestation of wasps. The phone and internet were out for a week. (Still, come visit. Those will just be a funny story soon - it's actually funny already!) We're a little broken and a bit down, but definitely not out! And I'm not kidding, we really are laughing through the tears. You have to.

These are the days it is critical to keep a secret stash of Goo Goo Clusters in the cupboard. Probably next to the Miss Clairol.

Doesn't Feel Quite Like October

Surf's up, friends! The sun beams have followed us further south. We're enjoying the world's most worthy Fall Break in Florida.

We're taking runs in hot pink flip flops. 

Kayaking on the Gulf, soaking up sun, digging in white sand and reading lots of books. Forgetting uniforms and schedules. Needing it bad. 

Today Big Brother declared that the day was so young that when it was over it would "be a grandma!"

A sunny outlook brought on by even sunnier skies. We're pretending it won't be over soon. Savoring.

Savoring a complete lack of schedule for a few days and pretending that fall isn't on the horizon. Nope. Just sailboats and sea life.

We're now convinced that every October should include a beach trip. Maybe every month should include the beach. Maybe we should just live by the sea. We're pretty comfortable here. But I suspect we'll be back in Nashville before too long and you know our door is always open there. When you come we'll tell you all about the trip. x