A long rambling story of Hallo-ween

These pumpkin triathletes were at the Tri-expo and I thought they were adorable! Being out of town with kids on Halloween is difficult. I wanted to give my kiddos a fun holiday, while dealing with my own crazy race-prep stuff and not knowing anyone other than Derick's grandmother who is about a half and hour away.

The afternoon was a frustrating circus of missing several Halloween opportunities that would have been easy and over early. by 6:45, we were lost and driving for over and hour, with hungry kids who kept asking where they were going to be able to Trick-or-Treat.

We were discouraged, and I needed to relax for the race in the morning and we kinda just were ready to give up. In the back of the car, was little Brooke, on a CONTINUOUS loop of "Jesus loves me"- singing it OVER and OVER, and it was making us somewhat maniacal, when I turn onto a weird back street in an industrial park and "boom" there is a little strip mall with a church that is setting up for a trunk or treat. We squeal into the parking lot, blather through an explanation, and they joyfully welcome us to join them.

We still have 15 minutes until they are set up, so we decide to go to Wendy's to get the blood sugar deprived kiddos something to eat. While there we put everyone in their costume and they get the first treats of the night from Wendy's. (They were so cute the customers started giving them coins too!)
I was so anxious by that point because it was getting late, and with the luck we had been having, I was envisioning the trunk or treat closing before we even got there, us not getting home until after ten and me not getting to bed until after midnight. We rush to put the kids in the car and I put Delaney's wings on the roof- and of course forget them. I remember when we are 3 miles away, flip the car around and we search every side road, and parking lot, and even run to a Dollar Store to find a set of fairy wings (none left in stock, of course).

I am furious with myself, I feel helpless and stupid and my kids want to go trick or treating, and Delaney has figured out the wings are gone and demanding them and I am trying to make up something to tell her while trying not to Start Swearing (loud enough to be heard anyway). Brooke is still singing "yes, Jesus loves me" in repetition, and then Gibson, followed by Delaney, start sweetly singing "I am a Child of God", we pull up to the light where we turned around to backtrack, and there on the road were her sweet wings, open and unblemished. I screech to a halt, Ali runs out to get them, and when she gets to the car, both of us are SOBBING and kind of doing this wet babbling prayer half thanking the Lord and apologizing to Him for our lack of faith, anger and frustration while our sweet children truly understood where comfort and answers come from. Ali looked at me and I at her and we cracked up because we felt so humbled, silly and relieved.

We headed to the trunk or treat, where the people we had spoken to before RUSHED to greet us again. the girls just latched on to these sweet young ladies, Amanda and Carla and Gibson was treated like a prince. We were introduced to the pastor and his wife, got TWO cakes in the cake walk, got our faces painted, and as we left, they dumped their leftover candy and prizes into the kiddos bags to the point where Brooke was walking backwards and was literally DRAGGING her bag back to the car. The only "mistake", if you can even call it that, was taking Gib through the haunted house where he was OK, until the chainsaw started and then he kinda lost it. He didn't truly cry, but he sure did talk about it for the next three days, and occasionally brings it up weeks later! No nightmares though.
Ali and I couldn't believe the Christmas-type miracles we actually had on Halloween!

(and if you are a grandparent and are still reading me yammer on...) In other Halloween news, the church Trunk or treat was the week before and our "boys" were Appa and Momo from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Delaney was still Tinkerbell, but while we were there, we met AZULA from Avatar! Our Friend Krista and her mom, totally ROCKED a costume and she looked DEAD on for her role- so of course I had to take TONS of pictures!!

I also Collaged some of my other favs of the night! (oh, and upon recommendation from my friend, I took detailed pictures on how to make the Momo costume- I'm not gonna blog it, but you can ask for it if you want it!)

Being in the South

I considered many things when choosing this race. I wanted one on Saturday because I choose not to compete or train on Sundays: they are difficult to find, but out there, just not the usual big and heavily sponsored ones. I also wanted one late in the season, the end preferably, because I wanted to have as much time to train as possible, so I wouldn't chicken out or completely BONK due to being out of shape. Lastly, Wilmington is kinda special to us, Derick's family is from there, his grandfather was even chief of police, and his 94 year old grandmother still lives close to Wilmington. We also scheduled it so that Derick's mother was there taking care of her mom at the time so all of us were together. We had them over, took walks on the beach, and took lots of pictures.You also can't beat gems like this from the south: at the pre-race meeting, they announced that hunting season started the same day as our race! you should have heard the collective groan from all the participants! We were specifically told to watch out for packs of dogs on the roads and for men with rifles! I texted my mom about it, and she replied that she wanted me to wear an orange vest a sign that says "I am not a deer!!!" LOL!

Another beautiful thing about being in the South is that Ali and Brooke were close enough to come up and stay with us. These girls were absolutely adorable together and Ali and I cannot resist dressing them alike as much a possible. We got asked several times if they were sisters or twins, and we loved it! There are also a fair number of rocking chairs on porches in the south too!

North Carolina

This is the beach behind our house in North Car0lina. We rented a Condo on Wrightsville Beach on North Carolina. We loved leaving the the door open in the Master's suite so we could fall asleep to the sound of the ocean, watching the sun rise over the ocean, and taking walks on the beach at all times.

Gib and I went out one morning by ourselves and had fun finding treasures on the beach.

His favorite of course, was the dead fish we unearthed thinking it was a shell...

He wanted to take it up to the house to show a still-sleeping daddy, but we comprimised on just taking a picture to show everyone!

The house was literally two blocks from the Half Iron distance swim start and it was fabulous to go set up transition, then go home and relax for a while, and then leisurely walk to the start when I wanted (before the race started, that is...)

Oh the things they say!

So many of the hilarious things my kids have said have been lost in this void between my ears, so I love it when I actually DO write the things down that we say "Hey, we should write that down". As I was doing yet another futile effort at cleaning up my house, I came across a scrap of paper with a few cryptic words on it- but it was enough to dislodge this little gem----

During a LONG drive in the car, I was trying to entertain as well as prepare my kiddos for the Sabbath. I decided we could sing Primary songs. They kinda petered away after a while after I tried to rouse them with a rendition of "I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ" which ends with the lines "I believe in the Savior Jesus Christ, I'll honor His Name. I'll do what is right, I'll follow His light! (held out here as in LIIIIIIghT) His truth I will proclaim!" Gibson claims to hate to sing, so we were kinda listenenig when he busts out with his own rendition of the last lines and statement-- "....I'll follow his DAAARRRK. - Hey mom, that's Satan's Primary!"

After nearly driving off the road and wetting our pants with raucous laughter, we called the then Primary President to find out just WHAT he was learning in Primary!! We all cracked up recounting the story! Later some friends came over and we told them too. Angela is a teacher in Primary with me, and the next day when the kids were getting rowdy, she turns to me and mouths "Satan's primary!" and we burst into giggles all over again! Oh that boy!

Today I had a cute conversation with Delaney, who is not even 2 and half, but talks like a four year old- yeah, she's a genius, but I am a competely unbiased observer - uh-huh!

Delaney: Stestuday i had meeneecanee een i cwied. eesup dere puddawayn icwied.
me: Yes, delaney yesterday you did have minty candy and you cried. yes it is up there put away (pointing at cabinet) and you cried.
Delaney: yes, meeneecanee een icwied, but i nocwie cause i hvneough meeneecanee een you puddetway fuhmee.
Me: Yes Delaney, minty candy and you cried , but you don't have to because you had enough minty candy and I put it away for you.
Delaney: Yes, youpuddeetway fuhmee!!! *KISS*

Sometimes I really love my bosses!!

Dancin'!

Today was Laney's first dance class and she loved it! I sneaked these pics during the end. She had a BALL!!! (as in Dance, Get it?? Really??)

This evening when we asked her about it, she skipped around the living room going 1-2-3, 1-2-3 over and over. ADORABLE!

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!

She is the CUTEST! and this uniform is MUCH better than the skanky Vera Wang's!

Laney and Eh-llis

So cute, but someday, they might actually spend time together WITHOUT trying to kill each other!

color your world!

I mobile blogged some of the pictures, but for the day off of school (Rosh Hoshana) we packed up the kids and hit the Crayola factory in Easton, PA. It was perfect really- not TOO far of a drive, decent admission, and lots of arts and crafts and freebies along with really cool factoids about the world's favorite crayon! I DO recommend getting ticket ahead of time- it was awesome, we went straight to the front of the line. The kids seemed to love the melted wax art and chalk drawing the best, but I liked the little demonstration where we got to watch the crayons and markers being made.

Oh, and who knew that there was a national canal museum?? Anyone??

so we went up there and played in the water and trains for a while because it was part of our paid ticket...We wanted to go to a decent lunch (dodged that MickieD's bullet) and so we bribed the kids with the Factory gift store (home of the world's largest crayon) if they were good. They were fine, but in the factory store they were nuts- Delaney loved renacting a clothing rack and scared me to death when we couldn't find her! We bought lots of stuff- Gibson's only request was SILLY PUTTY (made by Crayola- who knew??) but of course it was the cheapest thing in the store and I talked him into buy much more overpriced colored pencils (good one mom!!) and had a pleasant drive home- begging the children to sleep all the way (not a chance!!!).

Sticks to your..

So I made ribs for the first time last Monday. I made them in the Crock Pot and they were fantastic. Of course Gibsonwas doin his song and dance (read as WHINE) that he didn't like that, and yes he had tried it before (LIAR!!) and I don't want to eat it, but just as I figured (after threatening him with no Sprite) that if he tasted it, he would love it, and I was right! Delaney however, never has problems digging right in! The yummy salad, potato salad and Corn on the cob made it a night to remember! We also had the best home teacher ever (going on like 4 years now, seriously) over and hanging out with him is always fun! Good way to start the week!