Halloween

Halloween 2009, a.k.a. the first year we flipped Disney the bird.

It wasn't until Boo at the Zoo that I realized we had no Disney anything for Halloween. No princess, no fairy, no Winnie the Pooh, nada. And it feels GOOD! Take that Disney, we'll show you! Disney, you are everywhere in this house. We have your movies, DVDs, character toys, books, video games, toothbrushes, clothing, undergarments, socks, shoes, hats, backpacks, bedding, wall paint, wall decals, bikes, helmets, dinnerware and everything else Disney under the sun.

The thing is, when you're surrounded by Disney products, kids ask almost daily when they get to go to Disneyworld. So we made that first trip to Disneyworld, and it was truly the most magical vacation ever. Nothing can ever compare to Disneyworld, and two years later the kids are still asking when we can go back. But a trip to Disneyworld is expensive! Who can afford that kind of trip on a regular basis? So I say pfffffffffffffft to you Disney, we didn't even need you this year.

But psst. Disney, I love you, I really do, we'll be back soon. Tell Mickey to send me some coupons or something, would ya?

The scary face picture. Note the spooky backdrop...

A closer look at our Halloween central by the front door. The idea just came to me when I realized hundreds of trick-or-treaters would get a glimpse of the "playroom" which at this moment has been deemed unfit for actual human play. So instead of cleaning it, I blocked it off and labeled it a crime scene.

People were really freaked out by these mice. Mostly it was the parents who jumped back a bit when they saw the mice.

Zombie Sully will eat your eyeballs. Not really, but he kept stealing this decoration and hiding it from us. It's a slimy ball with about 20 eyeballs dangling from long red stretchy optic nerves.

This is what Zombie Sully looks like when he is trying to say "please don't take my eyeballs away again, I love these eyeballs, please I keep?"

Hedwig

Introducing... Hedwig the Pony!

My stepmother bought her a couple of weeks ago. She is half Welsh pony and half Arabian, and she apparently doesn't like to be clean. She is all white but rolled in the mud as soon as she came home to her new digs. But I think it just makes her look more authentically Hedwig, no? Her roommate is named Dudley, and they seem to be getting along so far...

We have Hedwig as our computer wallpaper and everyday Jack says "dat horse roll in da mud?" and when I say yes he says "awwwwww, silly horse!"

Unfortunately for us, Hedwig lives in Vermont! But a road trip may in order soon so we can all meet this silly horse.

Boo at the Zoo

Tonight we went to Boo at the Zoo. This is the first year with the new policy of buying tickets in advance for a specific night. No tickets were sold the night of the event. It was supposed to ease flow and provide a better family experience. But honestly, I think it was MORE crowded than past years.

But no crowd could stop our Doctor, Superman and Batgirl from having an absolute blast. Jay had bronchitis and has been in bed (taking antibiotics) for the past couple of days trying to get it out of his system. He rallied like a champ and was up and ready for Boo at the Zoo tonight.

Superman Jack (with kryptonite), Dr. "I Call the Shots" Amanda, and Batgirl Elizabeth

Jack and Amanda scoping out the dance floor. It was too early for the fog machines and strobe lights to have much effect, so we decided to come back when it got darker.

Most of the animals were already in their private zoo beds by the time we got there. This bear was fast asleep out in the open, even with the Halloween dance music blasting right next to him.

The bat cave was perfect because all of the flashing bats were hot pink...

And it made our Batgirl come alive!

The kids also went trick or treating at all of the mini houses around the zoo, Elizabeth was able to see one elephant before it went to bed, we rode the haunted train, roasted marshmallows, went through the haunted pirate maze, and danced the night away until around 8:15 when it all started to fall apart.

Elizabeth could have danced all night, she was in heaven bouncing around to every batgirl, batwoman, batman, batboy, or batbaby just to make a connection and then get them to jump up and down with her on the dance floor. But Jack was OVER IT and was starting to talk gibberish. Amanda was stabbed in the hair by a marshmallow stick so she was ready to take her clumpy marshmallow head home.

We are getting better at timing our exit, always before a tantrum sneaks up on us. Jay even bought a bag of popcorn on our way out, which worked like magic to get them to the car without a fuss or complaint. Once in the car, they made one request: can we come do it all again tomorrow???? I said maybe, which Amanda always tells me really means "no" in Spanish. She's usually right.

Bubbles

I don't know what it is about bubbles that makes kids so happy! I give them bubbles and they scream like I just told them we are going to Disneyworld. Then they are in a trance watching each other make bubbles. Elizabeth summed it up well by saying "There is nothing more beautiful than watching bubbles." Seriously. My secret to calming that inevitable late afternoon/evening storm of tantrums: bubbles, man, bubbles.

Harvest Party

Amanda and Jack had fun at their preschool Harvest Party yesterday. They were both sick until yesterday, Jack had it the worst with croup. But they were magically fine and dandy for the party.

Amanda and Jack cuddling

Jack and his friend Lisabeth. Jay and Lisabeth's Dad work together so this year has been fun to have both of these cuties in the same class. The chubby cheeks in the two year old classes are too much!

Jack trying to figure out his craft. In the background it looks like Amanda is about to get punched in the nose.

Amanda doing the bean bag toss.

Last night we went right back to waking up during the night, crying, sniffling, coughing, etc. The finale is always my favorite: they climb into our KING size bed and develop tentacles that attach only to me. Amanda doesn't like to be the only one awake suffering, so she taps me constantly to make sure I'm "with her." Jack has to have a hold of my arm and scratch his tiny little toenails up and down my leg all night long. Jay has been hit with something nasty too, and he took NyQuil last night. NyQuil does weird things! I swear he was having dreams that he was a monster, I didn't know whether to laugh or save the children.

Hopefully one more good night sleep will get it out of everyone's system and we can enjoy some Boo at the Zoo this weekend!

Let the Wild Rumpus Begin!

I love this interview with Maurice Sendak about the Where the Wild Things Are movie.

I'm not sure Elizabeth is ready to see the movie, she is still more Little Bear than Where the Wild Things Are. But for some reason it all takes me back to elementary school when we would all gather in the "pod" to watch Really Rosie.

Happy Birthday Mike!

This was your very first birthday and I'm guessing the cake was chocolate??
And this was your first Halloween, back when Moms actually made costumes for their kids instead of buying them at Target.

I hope your day was wonderful. Happy Birthday little brother!