Now don't get me wrong, Halloween isn't a favorite holiday of mine. I hate dressing up, I hate taking the kids trick or treating, and I just hate the whole aspect of it. So you're probably thinking why should I feel let down, right? Well, when you have kids, everything suddenly becomes about the kids and you see things through a whole new set of eyes.
My daughter is old enough this year to really be excited about dressing up, and she's finally old enough to say Trick or Treat and Happy Halloween and Thank You. It's all very cute. So we set off tonight with my 2 sisters, 1 husband, my husband, and 8 kids. We made it approximately 1 house before everyone else decided to run ahead, leaving us slow pokes (my husband, myself, and the 2 toddlers) behind. So we grudgingly made our way up one side of the street, and down the other side of the street, maybe hitting 10 houses total.
Which is fine, because they're toddlers and don't need a lot of candy. I get that. The part that annoyed me is that EVERY year my whole family makes a big deal about how we're going to do the Trick or Treating together, and we never end up doing it together.
Then the next part of the evening was my sister's fabulous Halloween party, which consisted of about 10 more kids (not including nieces and nephews already there), hopped up on sugar running around screaming. I don't drink, so while the adults all hung out in the kitchen drinking and talking, I was delegated to the kiddy room watching "Hocus Pocus" with aforementioned sugar high kids.
I came home and was just done with Halloween. I had a migraine that had been forcing to come out all day and it finally exploded -- I think it was the strobe light that made it appear. My husband was sound asleep when I came home ( he had left the party earlier with the toddlers), the 3 of them were sleeping soundly, and I was all alone with my oldest 2 boys. I just feel very blah.
Next year will be the same thing.. I should just skip it, stay home, give out candy, and avoid all the drama!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Feeling a bit let down on Halloween
Why do men *never* listen?
So this morning, I rush around like usual but I had the added bonus of making sure the kids costumes are in bags to take to the in laws house(where the kids go every other week). My daughter was really looking forward to having Halloween over Nana's house today and showing off her pretty princess dress. So I put both their costumes in seperate bags, gave the bags to the kids and put them in hubby's car.
And then I said to my husband, AND I QUOTE: "PEYTON HAS HIS COSTUME IN HIS BAG. MAKE SURE HE TAKES IT INTO YOUR MOTHERS".
Fast forward an hour later. I'm talking to him after he gets to work. We're talking about his ride to work, the kids getting to his parents, etc. And inevitably, the question comes up:
ME: "Was Sophie excited to show your mom her costume?"
HIM: "Did she even have her costume with her?"
ME: "What do you MEAN? I gave you both their costumes this morning. Sophie's costume was strapped into the seat belt with her. Peyton's was in his hands and I told you he had it".
HIM: "OH. Was I looking at you when you told me about Peyton's costume?"
ME" "Yes".
HIM" "OH. I don't remember that conversation".
O.M.F.G.
So my 3 1/2 year old, who has been looking forward to Halloween for literally a MONTH, has no costume to show off to her grandmother and her Aunt today. Her little Halloween party they were going to have will still happen, but will happen sans costumes.
I know it's a little issue, but damnit, it freaking bothers me that he NEVER listens to me!! this was important to me!! This was important to the kids!! I wanted my in laws to see them in their costume, since they live 1/2 hr away.
Oh well.. There's always pictures.
Mischief Night
Do I live in the only town that kids still cause trouble on Mischief night? Or does this still happen pretty much everywhere? Our town had a dance for the 7th & 8th graders (I guess they figure these are the prime suspects for the mischief??) but Christopher didn't go last night.
I have this really irrational fear that our house is always going to be the only one egged and/or TP'd, but thankfully we escaped unscathed. The boys have an on again/off again feud with the "Hester" kids -- a group of kids who live on Hesters Ave, which is the 'bad' street in our Development. They were sure the kids were going to come and do something nasty to our house, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I went out to the car this morning and there was nothing done to our house.
But coming out of our neighborhood, however, was a different story. There was a row of about 5 houses with toilet paper ALL over the trees. I can't even imagine how many rolls of TP that must have been! Another house had eggs thrown all over the cars, and newspapers thrown all over the front lawn. I felt so bad for the owners once they woke up and surveyed the damage!
I really think there's a line it crosses between 'playful' and 'vandalism'. I think TP in trees is one thing, but I think eggs on cars is a whole other thing -- that's just mean and spiteful! Not to mention super messy and hard to clean up!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
To the ignorant driver on the highway this morning
Was it REALLY necessary to call me a cunt (excuse my language, as I hate that word, but I needed to use it for purposes of this post) *just* because I had my phone in my hand? I SWEAR I wasn't texting. Due to the current gridlock of traffic we were in, I chose a split second to check the time on my phone, and you chose that minute to begin hurling profanities (including several "F" bombs) out the window. HIGHLY uncalled for. Were you really in that bad of a mood this morning that you couldn't let something like that go?
I could see if I were blatantly texting, looking up and down at my phone and the road, or even if I was gabbing away on my phone. But c'mon -- I glanced at my phone for TWO freaking seconds. Cut a girl a break??? You're lucky I restrained myself enough before I decided not to veer into your lane and rear end your profanity hurling ass.
Soliciting parenting advice..
Because honestly, I'm at my wits end with my oldest two boys. I could see if it's the two youngest kids we're talking about, but we're talking about a 12 and an 11 year old!! But they're BAD. VERY BAD. They fight all the time. They argue all the time. They 'curse' (their idea of cursing") all the time, and it's just horrible. I can't get a handle on them. I punish them; it doesn't phase them. I take things away from them (TV, video games, things important to them); doesn't phase them. I talk to their dads -- has no impact.
So what the hell am I doing wrong? It's turning into an EVERY night thing. It's at the point where they run after each other and smack each other. They call each other crack addicts. Where do they learn these things?? school?? It's affecting my marriage. My marriage is actually crumbling because the boys can't behave.
I'm hoping SOMEONE out there can give me some advice. Please? tell me how to be a better parent. Tell me they'll outgrow this? Give me any advice? I'm seriously, seriously at my wit's end and desperate......
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
We did it! Phillies won the World Series!!!
WAY TO FREAKING GO, PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES!!
We won our FIRST World Series in 25 years, and won it in the 5th game.
We had to deal with game 5 being delayed due to inclement weather and being postponed until today, but you pulled it out and you kicked ASS!!!!!!!
The whole city of Philadelphia, and all of Southern NJ, is completely psyched for you! We cant wait for your parade. Thanks for bringing some joy back to the city of Brotherly love!!
