Random Thoughts of Halloween

1. Maybe October isn't the best time of year for Halloween. Blizzards, Hurricanes, just plain cold weather. What's the point of dressing up in a great costume if you have to wear a snowsuit over it?

2. My favorite place to celebrate Halloween? Florida. See #1. Hurricanes could be a problem, but snowsuits? Never. Great place for a little princess costume.

3. Jack-o-lanterns. Best place for them? In the North. You can watch them shrink and shrivel into toothless old people after Halloween is over. Not so in Florida where after one night of fun they grow stinky, fast!

4. Remember when you created a costume from old sweaters, bad wigs, or cardboard boxes? Or you bought the cheesy plastic ones at K-Mart? Not anymore. Thanks to Party City or the Internet there is nothing you can't buy! My grandson dressed as a tractor this year. Yep... That's what I said. A tractor. John Deere of course. My daughter found it online. She had planned to make it out of a box, but Costume Express to the rescue!

5. Trunk or Treat--I'm about to upset your candy basket. Just a thought here... trunk or treat is meant as a safe alternative to going door to door in the neighborhood. It is usually done by a community or a church but does anyone get the irony here?
We teach our kids not to take candy from a stranger and not to go up to a stranger's car, and then we take them trick or treating at a stranger's car to get candy. It just seems funny to me.

6. When you get right down to it, Halloween is probably the least safe thing we let kids do (besides play tackle football, but I'm not going there so relax!). First we dress them in costumes that impede their vision and often their movement. At dusk, the hardest time of the day to see pedestrians, we walk up and down the street collecting candy from strangers. We are so concerned by this that we go home and sort through the candy looking for booby-traps and throw out anything suspicious. But...

7. Parents are Involved and that's the key to a happy halloween. Trick or Treat, Trunk or Treat, Candy night at the mall, or a Fall Festival in costume... Having fun with your kids is what Halloween is all about.

8. The Great Pumpkin Trade-off -- A Great Tradition
Last year I witnessed my daughter's family tradition for the first time. After Nicholas went trick or treating he came home with a bag full of candy. Mom and Dad checked it for 'bad stuff' and then Nicholas went through it and sorted out all the candy he didn't like. This candy was left in a bowl for the Great Pumpkin. While Nicholas slept the Great Pumpkin came and took all of his extra unwanted candy to give to boys and girls who needed candy. In return he left Nicholas a small gift. For Nicholas it was a Hot Wheels car, (what else?). What a great way to clear out the junk!

I hope you
A. Had a great halloween
B. Survived Hurricane Sandy/Snowicane Sandy/Tropical Storm Sandy or whatever weather you had to put up with or,
C. Live in Florida where a Halloween costume is always more important than the weather

An Articulated Quad-Track

I am now in phase 2 of a marathon fall pilgrimage. Usually I visit my two daughters and their families at different times, but this year the visits are literally back to back. Maggie and I made the long trek from Florida to Iowa, with a short visit in Atlanta seeing my sister and her husband.

The drive up was lovely and I had 2 days of fall with leaves in their prime and the sun beaming from a blue sky. The temperatures were very mild and the whole trip was delightful. By the time I reached Iowa the trees were bare, so 'pretty fall' is past and late fall is here.

Now I'm getting to catch up with my other 5 year-old grandson and 2 year-old granddaughter. 2 year-olds change so quickly that it is like finding a new child every time I see her. Samantha's chatter is almost undecipherable, but after awhile it is like learning a new language. Even without realizing it you recognize that 'babry duppi' is 'Granberry, thank you', and 'bobe ow' is 'puppy down' ( on the floor) and most importantly that 'I'm full' means 'I'm done' even if it means she is tired of doing puzzles or reading stories.

Warren doesn't change as drastically anymore. He and Nicholas are very different in temperment and interests, but one thing is the same. Nicholas is obsessed with Nascar, but he is learning that housekeeping in Pre-K is fun. Warren is just as obsessed with tractors but puzzles, and drawing pictures are finding their way into his life.

A big change for Warren is the addition of other brands. My John Deere only grandson has added Case/International Harvester (called CaseIH), and New Holland brands to the list of tractors he identifies with equal enthusiasm.

His knowledge and understanding of life on the farm astounds me. He listens with rapt attention to the conversation of the adults and asks them intelligent questions about all sorts of things. The other night we were out and heading home after dark. Spying a pair of large headlights in a field Warren suddenly piped up. "Is that the articulated quad track, Dad?" HUH? I've been around long enough to have learned what a quad-track was, but articulated? New one for me. I kept silent, but the next morning I had to ask Mike what articulated meant. (It bends in the middle. AH!)

CaseIH Articulated Quad-Track Tractor

"Yes", Dad responded.
"Oh, the CaseIH." Warren said, knowingly. (He spits out the words so rapidly it sounds like KCH.)

"What's over there?" Mike asked pointing to another set of headlights.
"Is it Tom?" (Warren's uncle)
"Yup"
"Oh"

Notice we are looking at headlights and it is dark! ( I will admit, the field Mike was pointing to, was by Tom's house, so that wasn't as ridiculous as it seemed.)

Now I've learned to recognize Sprayers and Planters, Diskers and Combines, Quad-Tracks, Skid-Loaders, Tractors, and Wagons. I can keep up with the CaseIH, John Deere and the New Hollands, but if I have to pick out a CaseIH Articulated Quad-Track by it's headlights, I might as well confess right now.

The Jig is up. I'll never know as much as my 5 year-old grandson.

Baby Watching

I'm having fun. I am baby watching. On the weekends, I get to play with Nicholas, but during the week he is in school all afternoon. We didn't really want to disrupt his schedule that much, so he stays at his other grandma's house in the morning and she gets him to school. I stay home with Zachary.

What I've learned in the week I've been here.
1. Zach is strong. He's been crawling for 2 months. Now, at 7 1/2 months he is standing and letting go. He loves to do this. He will go from sitting or squatting to standing and repeat it several times.
2. Zach is fearless. Big dogs and vacuum cleaners are things to follow after and grab ahold of.

3. Maggie loves babies. I didn't really realize that before. I knew she was good with them, but she seems very happy to be here and she rarely moves away from the baby.
4. Zachary is a chatter-box but he speaks mostly cave-man: "uh, uh, uh, HUH, AHH, uh, uh"
5. Zachary ADORES his big brother.
 There's a story that goes along with that.

When Nicholas comes home in the afternoon, Zachary lights up. Nicholas plays pretty well with him most of the time. When they play together, Zach's normally happy face becomes a huge grin, and the laughs and shrieks follow.

Sometimes Nicholas likes to play with his race cars and at those times, he doesn't want Zachary around. The other night I was feeding Zachary while Nicholas was racing. Nicholas is full of sound affects. His car sounds can be quite real. EEEYYOWW echoed into the kitchen as the cars went around the track.

Zachary couldn't see him from his chair. I kept trying to spoon cereal into his little mouth, but I was having trouble. There was 'The Moving Target' to deal with as Zach kept rocking back and forth in his chair. He was also busy making his caveman sounds.  mmMMMmmm, mmMMMmm, mmMMMmm... As I watched, I caught on. He was imitating Nicholas with his race car sounds.

I moved the high chair to the doorway where he could see his brother. The rocking slowed. As I moved a spoon into view, the mouth popped open. It worked for a few minutes at least. Then a big grin covered his face and he gave a happy shriek....splattering cereal all over. Which brings me to...

6. The other thing I've learned...feeding babies is still a messy business.

Heroes

A good pediatrician, an excellant nurse, and a fireman. What could they have in common? They are the ones that can make a 'bad' day an awesome one. They are the stuff of little boys' heroes!

It was time for Nicholas 5 year-old checkup. Checkups are easy. It's those darn vaccinations, boosters and flu shots that make kids want to grab hold of their mother's skirts and beg for protection. Zach was also getting a flu shot, so I went with Jen and Nicholas to the doctor's office.

I remember getting shots as a kid. They hurt! A pinch, a sting, an ache and it's all over. But who wants a pinch and a sting?? No kid I know! I think times have changed. The last flu shots I've had have been incredibly---painless! Truly painless! Smaller needles? Good nurses? Who knows and who cares? As long as it doesn't hurt I'm good!

Well, when it came time for the flu shot, Nicholas sat bravely on the table and stared at his mom while the nurse gave him the shot. Not a flinch. Not a blink. I think his felt like mine. Painless. Smaller needle? Good nurse? I don't know. Maybe both. Who cares? As long as it ends without screams it's all good.

Then it was Zach's turn. He's just a baby. No way you'll give him a shot without a cry, even a brief one. Andrea, the nurse got the injection ready. Jen shielded Zach from seeing what was happening. Nicholas made funny faces and googly eyes to distract him. Andrea gave him the shot. Not a flinch! Not a blink! Zach never knew what happened. Andrea proudly told them, "I told you. I'm good!" I don't know what the secret is, but I'm all for it. They are heroes to me. And if my grandkids knew how it used to be, they'd be heroes to them, too.

Jen had a few questions for the doctor so we left the room so she could talk privately. She was his last appointment which was great. He took the time with her and gave her the attention she needed. Advice, assurance, validation about her concerns. Any mentor or advisor who listens to your concerns is a hero, be they teacher, counselor, doctor, or nurse. They serve not only the person they are helping but everyone that person interacts with.

As we left the doctor's office a chance treat was waiting for us. Just outside the door was a fire engine. Several firemen (not in full dress-out garb which is a good thing because it means no fire is actually present) were clustered together talking. Jen smiled as we passed them and said, "Hey guys! So nice of you to stop by. My son just loves fire engines!" (For those of you who haven't tried this, take heed! Firemen love the hero worship of kids!) They looked at Nicholas and asked him if he'd like to see the truck. "Sure!" he said.

We walked him over to the truck and the guys lifted him up so he could climb in. (I'm not sure I could have made that first step into the truck. It was a big one!) Nicholas climbed up, checked out the seat and put the seat harness on. Two men exchanged glances, nodded to each other and then looked at Jen. "Where is your car? We'll drive him over."

"Really?"

"Sure. It's ok. You can trust us."

(I'm sorry. How can you say that with a straight face. They are firemen for pete's sake! In a fire engine! Like they are potential kidnappers? )

So, after bravely getting his flu shot without flinching, Nicholas got a ride in a fire engine. And when he got out, he had a badge on his shirt. And a big grin on his face. And I didn't have a camera.

As the truck drove away I asked him, "Did you see the number on the truck?"

"No," he answered. Then he looked up.

"FOURTEEN!" he said as it pulled away.

"Yup,"

You have to be a NASCAR fan to understand that one. Nicholas is a fan that comes from a family of fans. Nicholas can tell you most of the drivers, car numbers and sponsors from both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup teams. And he's only 5.  ( If you aren't a nascar fan, Nationwide is like the Arena Football league and Sprint Cup would be the NFL)

14? Means Tony Stewart, (Office Depot) in the Sprint Cup. And Tony was his dad's favorite driver. What other number would you expect on the Fire Engine that gave him a ride? None other.

A great way to end a heroic afternoon.

Summer's End

I can't believe how fast September flew by. This year, summer seemed to take its time and I enjoyed its leisurely pace. (To those of you with children, the concept of a leisurely summer is foreign, I know. But to Empty Nesters, it can happen, although it is still rare.) Suddenly October is here and I'm remembering the beginning of June with a sense of nostalgia.

We welcomed summer with a trip to Niagara Falls, a visit to my sister and brother-in-law in Canada and a visit with friends in upstate New York. I realize now, I never shared it because there was so much else going on then. As I was looking back at pictures, I decided the way to greet the end of summer was to remember the beginning of it and reminisce about a wonderful week.

Our trip began with an overnight stay in Niagara Falls. We had a beautiful room overlooking the Falls which we really appreciated that night. After settling into our room, we drove down and parked where we could walk along the river.



Our view from the safety of the bus shelter

No sooner did we pay to park the car, and walk down towards the road, than a heavy rain set in. For the next 45 minutes we huddled in a bus stop with the rain pouring down, while our car was less than a block away.


The rain finally stopped, but it was too late to do any of the tours, so we returned to our room. (I'm glad to say this was not our first trip to Niagara Falls, so the rain dampened our trip, but it didn't ruin it.) The night view of the falls from our room, with the light show and fireworks over the falls, was beautiful.

View of the Falls from our room

Visiting my sister and brother-in-law was a treat. We don't get up there very often, and it was wonderful to spend a couple of days on their rustic farm in Tweed, Ontario. My daughters consider Tweed one of their favorite places to go, even though we have been there so few times.

 

They live in an old farmhouse surrounded by fields, and woods.  In good weather meals are always held on the porch overlooking the fields.

 

 

It is as peaceful as you can get (hence the 'favorite destination' label). The deer provide a constant source of pleasure and consternation as they are very comfortable coming close to the house, and enjoy the fruits of Mary's labor in the vegetable garden...which provides most of their food in the winter!

 

View from the porch

Early in their marriage, Mary and Joseph spent 2 years in Guatemala as members of AFSC (American Friends Service Committee). They lived in a tiny mountain village working with the villagers and showing them ways to improve hygiene, farming, etc. They went back recently, for the first time, and met many people who remembered them from those days. The quilt on the bed in this picture was from that trip.


Country bedroom,
 Quilt handmade in Guatemala
 

I love this stain glass hanging in the kitchen window.

 

While we were there we took a boat tour on the St. Lawrence River. Joseph hadn't been feeling well, so he stayed behind, but Mary, Larry and I went. It was a gorgeous day as you can see.





Being early June the sun was warm but the air was cool. We were bundled up pretty well for much of the trip, but we opted for the top deck in the fresh air instead of the enclosed lower deck.














The St. Lawrence is an amazing river and we traveled into the beginning of the 1,000 Islands region. The houses along the river are always fun to see. Some people own entire islands. It makes me wonder what life would be like living on an island, and needing a boat just to buy milk. I think they would be better organized than I am!

After seeing Mary and Joseph, we headed down to New York, just across the 1,000 Island bridge to visit friends of ours that spend their summers on Black Lake. It is a perfect get-away. No phone, no Internet, little cell service. Instead all they have to spend their summers doing is boating, fishing, kayaking, enjoying the view of the water, wine in hand, reading on the dock, hanging by the campfire ...

 A day trip to Ottawa, hot dogs over a campfire, kayaking in the lake, (note the crackers and bottle of wine in the cup holder---we do know how to relax!)... we had a wonderful time.









October is here. Looking back it doesn't seem very long ago that summer was just beginning. (I hope winter moves that fast...hee hee!)