Happy Halloween

Today was miserable, but tonight was fun. We've had a leak in our fridge, so Dominic and I worked on it all day. We have no food in the fridge, and the kids ran around unchecked and wild. The frustrating thing is that I think it's still leaking. Arg!

But like I said, tonight was a lot of fun. Sammy borrowed his cousin's Batman Beyond costume, Benjamin wore Dominic's dragon outfit (the one he wore at 2-years-old), and Elisa was a pink butterfly. Elisa actually held her bag most of the time, only dropping it twice. And of course Dominic was the Highlander, wearing all black, including the trenchcoat and a claymore sword; he loves an excuse to show off his sword. I dressed as a Mom. What can I say? It's Halloween, so I went all out. We got a lot of comments (cute kids! cool sword!) I'm very proud to say that I didn't take any of the boys' candy, though I did eat all of Elisa's - she won't eat it :)

Yesterday we went to a Halloween party at my sister Emily's house. Dominic was stuck at home sick, but he's feeling much better today. I love watching all the cousins playing together. For one thing, I notice how normal my children are in their development and behavior; it's a good reassurance.

Ok, I should go to sleep now. Between the late hour and lots of candy, I'm laughing at stupid things I see on t.v. I'm just very grateful that the day ended well.

New Super Hero

Well, folks, it's official. There is a new super hero in town. When Benjamin was getting dressed this morning, he strutted around in just his diaper and announced, "I naked boy!" He was very proud of himself. I put clothes on him, only to have him strip a minute later to become Naked Boy again. I know children constantly practice new-found skills. I just didn't anticipate how often they practice undressing. For instance, a couple weeks ago in Sunday school, people behind me starting chuckling. Looking around I discovered a topless Benjamin. I'm glad I caught him before his pants came off, too. Years from now Benjamin will be horrified to hear this story, which will only make it funnier. There's nothing like a 2-year-old in a diaper, sticking out his belly, running around declaring, "I naked boy!" with a huge grin.

5:20 am

That's right. Benjamin woke up at 5:20 am. He had already woken up 3 times before, but this time he had a legitimate reason: messy diaper, and this time he did not go back to sleep. Elisa had also woken up twice in the night. So at 5:40 am, I turned on a bible story video, gave him a gogurt and cup of water, then went back to bed. All I could think about was sleep. On the plus side he was asleep by 8 pm (bedtime is at 7:30 pm, but he usually plays for an hour before falling asleep).

The other day Dominic surprised me with movie tickets. He used to do it a lot when we were dating and first married, but it became more difficult to come up with ways to fool me. So it's been a couple of years. This time I thought we were going to the Halloween store in the mall. He "forgot" something in the car, so I volunteered to go back and get it. By the time I caught up with him, we decided to get something to eat and happened to pass the movie theater. To my surprise he walked right in and handed the guy our tickets! We were still hungry, so we bought concessions, which is an even rarer occurrence. What a fun night.

Movie Review: Seeker: the Dark is Rising. A fun film, though it's a bit scary for just a PG rating. I'm definitely interested enough to read the books it is based on, by Susan Cooper. I do regret taking the kids, who said they were scared, but I had to see the end. So I held them in my lap and told them everything would be ok.

Cleaning

I hate cleaning. I love a clean house, but the energy required for cleaning is ridiculous. Ok, here's the deal: our landlord is selling this place. Someone almost bought it but backed out at the last minute. And I have to try to keep the apartment clean again. It is extremely frustrating when I get a room looking good, and the boys are there 5 minutes later undoing all I did. So I usually keep the place clean enough for mine and the boys' energy, which is not quite show quality. Luckily the realtor gives us plenty of notice. Yesterday I had all morning to get it done. I skipped my exercise workout, but the house looked good in time. We even ate a picnic lunch (so as not to get peanut butter and honey everywhere). The weather was fantastic, too. Hmm ... clean house, picnic, beautiful weather ... ok, it was worth it. By the way, the realtor's website is scottgwalters.com for anyone interested.

Cute Sammy story: Sammy said, " Come here, Mommy. I need to do something." When I arrived, he reached out his finger, tapped me on the nose and said, "beep!"

Cute Benjamin story: After getting hurt and crying, or after getting what he wants, Benjamin smiles and says, "I'm happy now."

Diaper cream - Don't touch - Dishwasher

Yesterday morning Benjamin said that he is diaper cream. I didn't understand what he said at first; Sammy had to translate. Diaper cream? That's unusual. Sammy piped up with: "I'm diaper powder!" Then I must be the wipes. They decided Elisa is a diaper, so Dominic is the diaper changer. Who knew our family was so... um... useful? The boys were quite amused with themselves.

Last Friday we visited the Dinosaur Park, which is decorated for Halloween. We saw a skeleton in a wheelchair. It had a sign saying "Don't touch me. I bite." Now the boys are going around saying, "Don't touch me. I bite." Whoever says it gets poked, so he bites his brother. They think this is very funny and take turns poking and biting. Unfortunately, the biter is sometimes too enthusiastic and the poker starts crying. And yet they keep playing this game.

Good news: we got a dishwasher! Bad news: my friend is moving. I've grown close to MaryAnn over the last few months, but she is moving to another state tomorrow. In her generosity she gave me her portable dishwasher. I've grown to hate hand-washing dishes. Honestly, I would rather spend time reading to or playing with the kids. Whenever I use the dishwasher, I will remember MaryAnn.

Babies are funny

Babies do such funny things! Elisa has started knocking the box of wipes off the couch. You see, we have a small apartment and never had an actual changing table. So I change diapers wherever I put down the changing pad: top of dresser, bed, couch or floor. If she is not on the floor, Elisa immediately reaches for the wipes and starts hitting the box. She enjoys hearing it crash on the floor. She even smiles when I talk to her about it; well, maybe she's smiling because I'm talking to her.

Today I gave Elisa a toy hammer to play with while I write this blog. She was very excited to see it and grabbed it out of my hands. All too soon she felt frustrated when it wouldn't fit in her mouth. So sad. Now she has to endure tummy time. As soon as she learns how to roll over, she won't have to endure it anymore, but how do you explain that to a 4-month-old?

Why Boo?

So why did I choose "Boo?" It is a strange name and has a long and simple explanation.

My childhood nickname was Boofy. I even remember saying, "Don't call me MaryRuth. Call me Boofy!" But once I started school, I opted for my more mature sounding given name. My mantra then changed to "Don't call me Boofy. I'm MaryRuth!" Some siblings had a hard time stopping the Boofy habit, so they shortened it to Boo. In a sense Boo is a more grown-up version of that childhood nickname.

When new aquaintances complain about the length of my name, I suggest they call me Boo, but no one has taken up the offer. One reason I enjoy Halloween is that I see my nickname in all the stores. I still think of myself as Boo. Thus this blog is about me and life from my perspective: simple pleasures of life, the things I do, and the amusing things my children do.

Happy Birthday

Today is my 30th birthday! Unlike the people who are forever 29, I am happy to be 30. I finally feel like an adult. For instance, I didn't have a big party, because I realize it's not my style. Instead I went to the park for lunch with my sister, sister-in-law, and our children. Tonight I went to Book Club. Thursday, his day off, Dominic and I are planning a date. This was a good birthday, with more fun on the way.

Book review: tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
It's a quick read, yet thought provoking. One of my favorite themes is love. Morrie's life is about the love he shows to those around him. In turn the people he affected reciprocate that love at the end of his life. I think that holds true with everyone. When you are honest and sincere in the love you share with others, they feel it and respond in kind.