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Happy Halloween (man, this is one exhausting holiday for parents!)
We had a great Halloween here but there sure was a lot to do.
We got a late start this year with everything that is going on around here so we only carved our pumpkins last night. But at least it was in time for Halloween. Grandpa Jack and Grandma Inez came by to help out as tradition dictates. I’m happy to report that I made another cannibal pumpkin this year but it actually made it all the way to the porch for display (last year Jack decided he was going to carry it and dropped it between the table and the doorway. It was a total goner.) So now the "we eat our own" pumpkin is glowing bright on the front porch.
Surprising to see John smiling, I know. Its only because he was torturing the heck outta the boys pretending to vomit pumpkin goop. I think this is the first year since they were old enough to sit at the table for carving that they didn’t gag over the goop. Progress after 9 years.
Then this morning I had Patrick’s class Halloween Party where (of course) I took a ton of pictures. Timmy came along in his costume and all the kids made a huge fuss over him. He didn’t like the fuss part but he had a great time sitting with his big brother and helping him with his cookie project and for story time. The kids had a great time with the Halloween cookie/cupcake project and it looked sorta yum. (all the pictures from the party are in an album on the left so check em out if you’d like. too many to post here).
Jack as a mad scientist. (the wig and google glasses didn’t last long. they were itchy and he couldn’t see anything)
Patrick as a convict. (originally, he was going to be Stanley Yelnatz from the book Holes, but decided not enough people knew who he was so he was just going with convict Beyrer).
Timmy as batman. (he has worn this costume almost every single day for a month since we got it. But then decided this week that he didn’t want to be batman anymore. Too late. but he liked it anyway in the end.)
After the party, John and I took the boys out to lunch for some pizza and then back to school for the Halloween Parade. (again, too many pictures to post, so check out the rest of the parade in the album on the left). You can see my "costume" in one picture’s shadow. I wore my mickey dream ears from disney. We even saw one of Timmy’s teachers- Miss Donna. Timmy adores her!
Then out for some trick or treating with Olivia and family. Ran into lots of friends on the route. Couldn’t believe how totally CROWDED it was. Tons of kids trick or treating.
Met the boys friend Zach on the way as well and took him along with us too. All the big boys had fun playing some version of football with Patrick’s ball and chain.
So after celebrating from about 10am until about 7pm, I think I am done with Halloween til next year. Now we just gotta get rid of the rest of the candy…
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new friends
We have some new friends living here at our house.
Patrick and Jack’s classes did a big unit on crayfish last month. Now that it’s over they are offering the crayfish for adoption. Being that Patrick is completely and utterly obsessed with the crayfish, how could I say no? While the boys were at school Timmy and I went to the pet store to pick up some crayfish supplies so our new friend would be happy living here. I got out cheap at $26 for the whole set up…however Timmy decided he wanted some fish for him so I had to promise that we would go back the next day for him.
Since coming home the crayfish has been "boring" according to Patrick. He spends all his time in his cave. I guess he must come out to play at night (they like the dark) cause things in the tank look rearranged the next morning. These things have a life span of 3-5 years. That’s a long time for a boring pet.
Back to the "fish store" the next day as promised and Timmy picked out two fish which he named ahead of time. They are Lewis (goldfish) and Goo (spotted fish). We aren’t entirely sure where he got the names from (he did mention something about the movie Meet the Robinsons but I’m not exactly sure) but they sure are cute!! He’s digging them a lot. I keep waiting to walk in and see Timmy IN the tank.
The PhotoPlus show at Javits was so fun today and it was great getting out for the day. Spent a lot of time just walking around and checking out all the goodies in person that I usually only see online. Have some great ideas for bsquared 2009. Gonna be offering all kinds of albums and other fun stuff!! I even got a great present from Mr. Mark at Rockville Camera- a new funky lens. It’s not in yet so when it is, I’ll be sure to post some new cool shots with it. Thanks Mr. Mark! And a big thanks to my mom for ALL the babysitting she’s been doing for me- and believe me, theres been a LOT.
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a homecoming & out trip out east
John’s home! They kicked him out today. It was a crazy morning- phone calls to the doctor from me cause I didn’t think he was ready to be released. Why? Because he had a fever yesterday (which is now gone) and because they never tried him out on the steps. You can’t get into our house from outside without going up some steps. Well, after a loooong morning, they finally did and he did fine. So now he’s home. He seems so, so much better and he even said that he feels in even less pain than before the surgery. So that’s pretty huge. He’s starting to get feeling back in his leg/foot that had been gone because of the nerve impingement by the disc. He took a fat nap all afternoon. The boys have all been great about being careful around Daddy as not to bump or bug him.
A big, huge, giant thanks to Mr. Incredible himself, our friend George who went into the city to pick John up. Timmy had an orthopedist appt that I couldn’t reschedule and I was nervous about who could physically help John should the need arise. George, you are truly Mr. Incredible. And other important thank you’s for today…to Kevin (John’s "work wife") for making sure that John was advocating for himself and that he was really actually okay to come home. To my friend Sue and her husband John for the delicious dinners for the upcoming days- any time I don’t have to cook is a good thing. Really good. To my mother in law for the venting ear, offers of and actual help, and the dinner that we will have tommorrow night. And to all my friends who called to make sure I’m okay. I’m okay. Pretty much. This is all just exhausting.
Ok, and now stay tuned for some scenes from our trip out east over Columbus Day weekend. There are SO MANY awesome pictures so I put them all in an album on the left if you want to see them. The lighting was so beautiful all weekend and I got some amazing shots. Some of my favorites below.
First we went to the park across the street from the ‘easthouse’. Working on my panning skills while the boys were whirling around on the merry-go-round. Delish light shining thru the tree (and the boys actually made it up into the tree!!). And just some goofiness at the park.
Next day was the trip to Greenport- on the agenda: the duck store, the Coronet for lunch and the best chocolate milk shakes. Ever., the carousel, and the Horton lighthouse on the way back including the zillion stairs down to the beach. We even climbed all the way to the top of the lighthouse. John was not particularly happy about that.
Then later that day, a new ‘event’ that I think will be on the schedule every year as it was John and mine favorite part! We went to Duck Walk Vineyard and just sat around the ‘yard’, drinking wine, eating cheese and crakers, and watching the boys play. Of course, the lighting was fantabulous and I took a zillion pictures there. Timmy does "cheers" with Daddy even. We didn’t want to leave but it was getting cold once the sun went down.
Last day, the pumpkin patch (tried a new one this year. it was good.) and the pie farm to pick up some yummy fruit and pies. Tried the corn maze-John got tired of walking around so he stopped in one place and sent one boy one way and the other boy the other way to find the exit. Jack made it out and went back to collect Daddy and his brother. Timmy loved the bouncy pumpkin. And this was the first year that I couldn’t take my customary boys in the wheelbarrow sitting on pumpkins picture. The big boys are too big. 🙁 So we did the best we could to fake it. And couldn’t leave out mr. happy with his wheelbarrow o pumpkins (for $80).
It was a great weekend. A nice way to spend our last pre-surgery time together.
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the basi family, the mcgu family & a john update
Ok, trying hard to get back into the swing of things today. It’s only half working out. I am so tired and spent that after getting the boys all off to school today, I went back to bed for a 2hr nap. It was nice but I still feel like a wrung out washcloth (and looking in the mirror, I look pretty much the same).
First, a John update. I was at the hospital til after 10pm last night (the staff is very nice and even though visiting hours are over at 8pm, they let me stay) until they got John out of recovery and into the step down unit. He was in a TON of pain last night and was pushing on his morphine drip button like…well, like he just had holes drilled in his spine and titanium screws and rods put in. His breathing wasn’t great but that is due to his throat being dry and swollen from being under and intubated for almost 5 hrs for the surgery, plus the fact that the morphine’s side effect is a depression of respiration. But he made it thru the night. I spoke to him this morning and he sounded way drugged up and still in a lot of pain. As of this afternoon (after another phone call) he was still in stepdown but they planned on moving him to his own room today at some point- you know how quickly things work in hospitals! They took away his morphine pump (perhaps from overuse?) and he sounds just as drugged on whatever kinds of pills they are popping into him. The boys asked me if I would stay home today (so I did), so John’s parents were heading into Manhattan to sit with him today. A big thank you again to Kevin for driving all the way in just to visit at the hospital, and to Nelson for visiting and driving home with me and being a good friend. And thanks to everyone who called, texted, and emailed to check on John and on me. You guys are great! I’ll post tommorrow with another update on Mr. Happy. I can’t wait to go to sleep again- I feel like I’m never going to catch up on sleep.
Next, two families who’s kids go to school with the big boys and are repeat clients, not to mention friends. It was nice that it worked out that one was right after the next over at Tanglewood. We got some great and fun shots of each family.
The Basi family- I love the towhead kids. They are like a magazine ad, no?
The mcgu family- their boys are so different from eachother, but so alike in not wanting to smile for me. Toward the end I managed to get them to smile a bit against their wishes! The older the boys get, the harder it is to coax out those smiles!
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live from new york…
and the hospital for joint diseases. john is doing fine. the surgeon said everythig went really well. (although they scared the crap outta me cause they said 3 hrs for the whole thing. but it was more like 4.5). he is in recovery right now waiting to be brought up to a room. hes in a lot of pain but lucid (not to mention his usual cheerful self). hes got a nice morphine pump so its not all bad. i would like one too after the14 hr day so far and not even close to driving home yet. more tommorrow. thanks to everyone for your prayers and good wishes.