Halloween Highlights

Yes, my non costume is extremely lame. Mizz opted for being a train engineer instead of Spiderman or Mater from the cars movie (two costumes I had picked up super cheap). He was actually in his glory. While last year, Mizz still was working on the mechanics of treat or treating, this year he had it down pat. Well, mostly down pat. My favorite interactions included: 1) When asked if he was a train driver, Mizz looking a little taken aback, responded "No, I just pretending!" 2) Mizz bouncing up a path right to the scariest mask I've ever seen. He stood there looking for a LONG time, SILENT, and then carefully took one of the treats that the masked man was offering. When we asked him about it, he said that he knew it was pretend because he saw the real man's hands. Nothing gets past Mizz. 3) Mizz grilling some guy about his light set up. How does it turn on? What type of batteries does it take? Etc. He is going to be a serious tech geek. In fact, it is really tough to say whether it was the candy or the light displays that were more enthralling to Mizz.

Mizz in a penguin suit

What four year old boy doesn't need his own tux?

Interview with four year old Mizz

How old are you?
M: I'm four years old.

Where were you born?
M: I was born, um, at Kaiser.

What's your favorite thing to do?
M: My favorite thing to do is play cars.

What's your least favorite thing to do?
M: I think, my least favorite thing to do is to not listen to you, because that's not nice. I don't think I am going to do anything bad for the rest of my life.

What does Mommy do for work?
M: Take care of the Wobbly Wobblers.

What does Daddy do for work?
M: Um, earn money AND fix scales.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
M: An airplane pilot

What was your favorite trip?
M: Visiting Jackson's house

Where would you like to travel to next?
M: Maryland

What's your favorite toy?
M: The caterpillar that takes air out of stuff.

What's your favorite food?
M: My favorite food is pizza.

What's your least favorite food?
M: Salad and spinach.

What will you be doing when you're 10?
M: I might be using grown up scissors.

What about when you're 16?
M: I think you have to be a grown up to use printers and sixteen is not a grown up. So I think, when I am sixteen I might be using these computers. And I will like to type three letter words.

And when you're 25?
M: I might be using printers by then! Because all the 20s and 30s and 40s and 50s and 60s and 70s and 80s... I think you can only get to the sixties. What did you say?...When I get to 25 I'm going to be using the printers.

Do you remember being a baby?
M: Um, yes. Oh wait no I don't. Actually no!

What makes Mommy happy?
M: Doing good stuff.

What makes Mommy sad?
M: Doing bad stuff. Now say what makes Mommy angry!

What makes Mommy angry?
M: Doing bad stuff.

How old am I?
M: 33!

What is my favorite thing to do?
M: Um, I don't know! Well, you do like to sleep and rest a lot. And eat.

What do you want to say to the people who read this interview on my blog?
M: I think I want to say I love you!

My little cowboys

This cowboy wear has now graced three generations of our family. As you can see the photo shoot started off a little rocky, but D quickly got with the program. Thanks Grandpa and Tutu for such a fun and productive weekend!

Oh yeah

Happy Anniversary to us! We got married ten years ago. Can you believe it? We just celebrated last weekend with a trip to The Resort at the Mountain (theresort.com), which apparently has as much regard for itself as UVA does (UVA being "The University"). In any case, it was spectacularly wonderful to retreat to a fairly luxurious hotel room without any kids. Dave and I quickly regressed to our relaxed state that we were so excellent at ten years ago before the little people starting issuing constant demands. As we walked though the misty grounds, we reminisced about the hurricane that visited us for our wedding. The sogginess, then and now, did not dampen our spirits. That's the cheesy cliche and here's the obligatory cheesy pic I was compelled to take:

Summer Recap

I set out to compose a post about this summer since I have been largely absent from the blogging world. And, for the most part, I want to remember everything. Of course what I really want to remember, is not the birthday parties or the big outings, but all the little stuff. The stuff that is so fleeting I have trouble getting it down on the page let alone remembering it at all after a few weeks. Like the sounds and first words D utters constantly now. Mizz's increasingly complex science experiments. Both of their reactions when they experience something for the first time. So I take hundreds of pictures and lots of video footage and every once in awhile dash out a post so I can capture some of it. Yet this summer, I have simply enjoyed the hours outside soaking up the sun and watching the boys play. Perhaps once the rain returns, my postings will increase and I may actually do something with the zillions of pics and video. It's possible, I suppose.

I guess I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to summer yet though, because instead of summarizing, I decided to get nostalgic and looked back at pics of Mizz when he was 20 months old instead, eating his first cookie. They're pretty sweet, eh?

What every Jewish mom never wants to hear

In a recent discussion about school, Mizz made a bold statement.

"I'm not going to go to college".

After a mild heart attack, I asked why not. Mizz quickly put my mind to rest, when he replied that he was going to skip college and go straight to grad school. He is not set on his career path yet though. Most of the time, if asked, he says he wants to be a bus driver. Other times though, he says he wants to be a doctor or a dentist.

Weekend bits

This weekend's sunny and mild temperatures meant lots of outside time. Yesterday the highlight was an engagement party at a beautiful park for D's teacher. Mizz amused himself with a golf club set, the swings, and doing calculus from the park benches. D, on the other hand, occupied himself with meeting and greeting every dog in the park. The engaged couple had brought Boomer, a bassett hound, with them. Boomer was leashed to the table and could not escape from D's "DOGGIE!" and follow up grunts (which I think is his current version of barking). He couldn't get enough petting and seemed to finally really get the concept of gentle. The big score was an Australian Shephard who was extremely friendly/docile and pretty much let D do whatever to her. It was really cute to watch D chase her. The whole episode kinda made me want a dog. Until I remembered the fact that it rains here 600 days a year. And that we don't have a yard. And I never have enough time as it is. So no dog for now, but we will have to make lots of visits to our friends that do have them.

Today we mainly laid low around the neighborhood. I continue to be amazed at how our tiny front yard can be a source of endless amusement to our kiddos. Even Little D's short attention span is captivated. This means I get to prop my legs up and read in the sun, perhaps, one of my greatest pleasures. The only catch is that I have to occasionally fish a rock out of D's mouth or reassure Mizz that the bees are more scared of him than he is of them. Although my credibility on this issue is somewhat mitigated by the fact that I managed to bee sting myself for the second time in two months today. Last month, I stepped on a bee and felt a stinger (it has barbs, all the better to damage your skin!) for the first time in many, many years. Today, I took D down a spiral slide and managed to mangle a bee and myself in the process. Mizz was understandably upset, not mind you, about the noxious venom coursing through my veins, but because we had to leave the park to get some ice. He recovered though when he realized that he could try to take pictures of my boo boo.

I swore I would go to bed early tonight

Instead here I am.