Highlights of trick-or-treating

The kids had a blast tonight. Their favorite parts:

1. Getting candy.
2. A neighbor in a ghost mask.
3. Passing out candy.
4. This barfing pumpkin.

Happy Halloween!

From Cheetah Girl and Batman

Liam's 3-year progress report

I took Liam to the doctor yesterday for a flu shot, his three-year appointment, and a follow-up for asthma symptoms. He was very cooperative and didn't cry at all when he got his shot. Such a sweet little big-boy.

And I do mean big. He's measuring in the 90th percentile for height and 75th percentile for weight. Grow, man, grow!

One week to go; LET'S NOT EFF THIS UP

First off, here's a video to get you in the voting mood. I can't get through it without wanting to wipe away my tears, run out of the room, and cast my vote immediately.



A lot of us are getting ready to cast our vote. If, next Tuesday, it's sleeting outside and some of the roads are closed and you're hungover and all nine of your kids are sick and you'd have to call your mother to watch the kids while you go to the polls and she'll never let you forget how you should have listened to her and married that guy with the minivan, SUCK IT UP AND DO IT ANYWAY. This is a close election, and nobody has won it yet. Remember Florida, Y2K? Your vote matters, yes it does.

Also, please remember to vote on the entire ballot, not just for a presidential candidate (gObama). Several states include unfair and discriminatory propositions.

CALIFORNIA: Vote No on 8

FLORIDA: Vote No on 2

ARIZONA: Vote No on 102

CONNECTICUT: Vote No on Question 1

ARKANSAS: Vote No on Act 1

If you're unsure about why marriage matters, why civil rights and equality are important, please take a few moments to find out more.

One thing on the ballot for Marylanders is a constitutional amendment that would give us a two-week voting period, instead of just one day. While I love the idea of taking the kids to vote on the one day that the rest of the country is voting, a day heavy with significance and responsibility, in practice it's kind of a pain in the ass. I'm torn between taking them to the polls with me after work to instill the habit of voting, and voting on my lunch break when the lines might be shorter.

UPDATE: 10/30/08
My friend Mike sent me this video, both hilarious and truly disturbing. *shudder*

One of Thea's Halloween costumes: Office worker

I took the kids to a Halloween party this weekend. For trick-or-treating, Thea is going to be a leopard. But for a party with her friends, she wanted a costume she could play in. I managed to talk her out of being a princess or ballerina like most of the other 4- and 5-year-old girls and into being an office worker with this dress, passed down from Nylonthread's little girl. Thea accessorized it herself, though.



It's startling how much she looks like me, don't you think?

Thea's medium is the magna doodle

At bedtime, after we've read her books and gotten her settled, Thea plays quietly until she's ready to go to sleep. Sometimes she sings to her stuffed animals. Sometimes she plays with her dollhouse, making sure her tiny princesses, horses, and dogs are all tucked in and ready for bed. Most nights, though, she draws.



The magnadoodle is a better choice than the pens she used to use, though the various hearts and flowers she drew on her furniture, pillows, and toys were quite cheery.

I am an artist, my medium is cupcakes

We had some friends over on Saturday to carve and paint pumpkins, and I made some monster cupcakes ("for the kids") that turned out great, if I do say so myself. The orange frosting covers red velvet cupcakes; the purple covers my favorite chocolate zucchini cupcakes. A tip for my vegan friends: Since two of the kids have egg allergies, I replaced the eggs with one banana and one-quarter cup of applesauce, and added about an eighth of a teaspoon extra of baking powder.

To cover the cupcakes, I used white frosting that I put in a plastic bag and colored with food coloring, which I handed off to the kids to squish around so the color was evenly distributed. Then I cut a tiny piece of one corner off and squeezed the frosting onto the cupcakes. The monsters are made with gummy lifesavers, M&Ms, small jelly beans, Twizzlers pull-and-peel cherry licorice, chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and frosting gel.

Liam's first pony ride

We took the kids to the Renaissance fair with some friends last weekend. This was our second time going, and I could almost just cut and paste last year's post instead of writing something new. One big difference this year, though: Liam rode a pony! As you can tell from the picture, he's not quite as taken with the experience as Thea usually is.

Random observation: what is it about Renaissance fairs and cleavage?

UPDATE
Okay, since I did bring up the cleavage, I suppose I should go ahead and upload the full version of the picture. Please realize that I'm not judging the gals at the fair. They have a right to their fashion choices, just like I have a right to my tattoos, something that others might disparage, too. And this girl in particular was very sweet to the kids.

I'm just sayin', WOW.

I LV U, too, Thea

Thea walks the dog

Economic crisis = haircuts at home

I wish I had taken a picture before he stripped his shirt off. His pocket was full of hair.



I also wish that I hadn't had 3/4 of a bottle of wine before deciding to cut his hair. Ah well, c'est la guerre (*hic*).

Celebrating our freedom to read about underpants

Every year for Banned Books Week, I try to read the kids a book that has been challenged or banned. Last year we got And Tango Makes Three, and the year before that, Heather Has Two Mommies, both sweet, gentle stories about families.

This year was a little different. I read them The Adventures of Captain Underpants, mostly because I forgot what week it was and already had a copy of this book. It seemed appropriate, anyway, since we are in the middle of potty training Liam and it may turn into a battle of wills before too long. We could use a way to make underpants desirable to a two-year-old.

Books from the Captain Underpants series have become Liam's favorite bedtime stories. While I'm fine with the anti-authoritarian message, I hope Thea and Liam don't identify with the kids in the books. They're kind of assholes.

Carousel ride at Watkins Park

The carousel at Watkins Park is truly gorgeous.

Big sisters are super heroes

I'm not at my best without a full night's sleep. Like yesterday, for example. After having an awesome time at the Stereolab show, I got not quite enough sleep and was a little off my game all day, not observant enough nor moving fast enough.

As I was getting the kids buckled into the car to go home from school, with Thea reciting a poem she learned that day, Liam noticed the toys he has thrown in the ashtray in the door right by his seat over the last two years. Only he lost the ashtray part long ago, so really it's just a small, deep, oddly shaped hole filled with toys and with a little door over it.

You know where this is going, I'm sure. He reached down to retrieve a toy and got his hand stuck. He panicked, unable to get his hand out and with metal digging into his skin, and started wailing. I kept saying, "Liam, open your hand! Open your hand, honey, and get your hand out!" while Thea continued to recite her poem about the five senses, a little louder to make herself heard over the din.

At this point, I have to admit, I started to lose my shit a little. I couldn't convince Liam to open his hand, I couldn't even calm him down, and I couldn't make the hole bigger. I looked over at Thea and said, "We need Liam to open his hand. Can you help?" She nodded, turned to him, and said in a clear voice, "Liam, look at my hand. Do this," and she opened her hand.

I had been saying this for two minutes, but somehow coming from his big sister, it made sense. He immediately released the toy, pulled his hand out, and accepted a hug from Thea, who said "Oh, your poor hand, that looks like that hurt," while looking at me and shaking her head.

I'm glad one of us was able to keep her head in a (very small, but rather traumatic) crisis.