Happy Halloween 🎃

Well, it was a little chilly, but Halloween 2017 was still a lot of fun!

Both kids had their Halloween Parties (complete with a parade and dance party) at school.  Pat stayed to give out candy to the kids and said everyone was so cute and all the kids were so polite.

We started the Halloween night with the annual Brookside Woods Hot Dog Roast.  All of the neighborhood kids looked awesome!  Evelyn was the perfect Dorothy.  She even had a Dorothy twin!  Mitch looked so cute as a train conductor.  It was the perfect costume for him.  Even if he did only go to three houses before calling it quits 😜.

I’d say the day was a complete success.  Both kids got plenty of candy and had a great time!

L

Happy Halloween!  🎃 

Seasonal Halloween Fun

I was determined to fit a few more fun things in this Halloween season.  

On Saturday, we made caramel apples.  The kids had fun adding marshmallows, mini chocolate chips, nuts and even a few M&M’s.  But they had even more fun eating them!

On Sunday, the kids and I went to Boo at the Zoo.  The kids dressed up in their costumes (minus the train 🚂 for Mitchell).  It was chilly, but the kids had a lot of fun seeing the animals and trick-or-treating at the different booths.  We went on a hayride and even saw some reindeer.  Evelyn is convinced that there were more reindeer the last time we were at the zoo and that a few must have already gone to the North Pole 😉.

Today, we had a Pumpkin 🎃 Decorating Pizza 🍕 Party.  We feasted on Sbarros (yum!) while the kids told us about their days.  Then we cranked up the ‘spooky’ music (think Monster Mash and Ghost Busters) and got decorating.  The kids painted their pumpkins while Pat carved his pumpkin.  I just added premade wooden pieces to mine.  I was a little too busy helping the kids and wiping paint off of multiple surfaces (the table, walls, carpet) to carve mine.  Evelyn loved getting all of the pumpkin guts out, but Mitch wouldn’t touch it.  We had fun and I think they turned out great!

Halloween Block Party and Kings Island

Over the weekend we went to the 2017 Latonia Halloween Block Party.  My dad has done an awesome job organizing it the past several years and this year was no exception.  We worked hard on finishing the kids costumes for Saturday and they turned out GREAT!  Evelyn was Dorothy for the Wizard of OZ and Mitch is a train conductor.  I brought out my inner-craftiness and actually made Mitch an engine to wear.  I think it turned out pretty cute!!  Both of the kids looked adorable!  Unfortunately, Mitch decided that he didn’t want to wear his costume anymore right before the costume contest started.  I was pretty bummed about that.  But Evelyn looked fantastic up on stage!  The big winner in the family though was Avi.  He was pirate and he won 3^rd place!!  He was pretty much the cutest pirate EVER!  We hung out and let the kids play.  MA, Wally, Collins, Molly, Mark and their girls came too and all of the kids ran around and got a sugar high.  After the block party, we all went to The Green Lantern for an early dinner.  It was virtually empty and we were able to sit outside.  It has been such a long time since we have been able to do something like that with my mom and it was wonderful!!

 Sunday brought another adventure for us – Kings Island!  We went with Shannon, Chip, Adam and Julie.  It was another gorgeous day and we had so much fun!  My siblings and Julie was so helpful with the kids – I honestly cannot thank them enough!!  Pat and I were able to ride a few roller coasters because of their help.  Evelyn – our little daredevil – got to ride a bigger kid coaster called Flying Ace Aerial Chase.  Last year she wasn’t tall enough so she was excited and she LOVED it!  Both kids still love the Log Flume (or as it’s called now Race for Your Life Charlie Brown).  Although to be honest, I’m not sure if it was the ride itself or the fact that I had to sit in front and I got DRENCHED.  The highlight of the day for Mitchell definitely the train ride.  We rode over to Soak City because they had a bunch of Halloween activities over there, but we didn’t end up staying long.  We got lunch at the Fest Haus and got to see a little bit of a show.  The only ride that we all went on at the same time was the Viking Fury.  Mitch was so excited because he was tall enough to go.  However, every time the ship came back down, he tensed all of his muscles and got the craziest look on his face.  I finally had to put my arm around him and he hid his face.  When we got off, he told us that he was never going on that boat again because it was too high!  We rode a few more rides and got Blue Ice Cream (YUM!).  By the time we were ready to go home, the kids were exhausted!  My dad brought Crosby to us, when saved us about 45 minutes on our drive home.  Thank you Dad!  The kids fell asleep in the car, slept all the way home and we were able to transfer them easily into their beds.  It was a great day!!

 

End of Fall Soccer

I can’t believe the Evelyn’s first season of soccer has come to an end.  She had an awesome season and make lots of new friends.  It was amazing to see how much she had learned from the first practice to the final game.  She gained confidence and skill and she really played her heart out.  She even scored two goals.

Scoring goals, however, wasn’t our primary focus.  We wanted her to be a team player, to listen to her coach, try her best and stay in the game until the coach took her out.  We had little issue in the beginning of the season where Evelyn would ask to be taken out so that she could goof off on the sideline. 

She accomplished all this and more!  In fact, we got a wonderful compliment from her coach at the last practice.  Coach Kathy told me that she really enjoyed coaching Evelyn and having her on the team.  She was impressed by her listening, her williness to try new things and her attitude.  We were thrilled to say the least!  Evelyn was excited to get a metal at the last game, but she was sad soccer was over for now.  We haven’t decided if we’ll sign her up for Spring Soccer or not, but if she remains this enthusiastic about it, I see many more seasons in our future!

An afternoon with Mitch

Last week, I ended up taking the entire day off on Thursday to take Mitch on his field trip.  Preschool is over at noon so we had a whole afternoon to do whatever we wanted.  It was absolutely gorgeous outside so I packed a picnic and we set off to the nearby park in Powell.  We took our time eating and playing on the playground and then decided to do a little exploring.  There are some walking / bike trails that run behind the park so we set off.  Mitch was excited because the railroad tracks run right by the trails at one point (they are slightly above).  We kept waiting to see a train go by, but no such luck.  But we did find a tunnel that went underneath the tracks.  Mitch was pretty psyched about that!  We walked through the woods a little and then came to lake.  Mitch and I say beside the lake for a long time giggling and throwing stones into it to see who could make the biggest splash.  It was probably one of the most peaceful, unhurried and unplanned afternoons that I have had in quite some time.

Field Trips to the Pumpkin Patch

Evelyn and Mitch both went on field trips with their classes this week to Jacquemin Farms.  They were both so excited and I ended up taking off work to chaperone both trips.  I love to be able to do this because a)  I like to see my kids having fun and b) I like to see them interacting with their classmates and teachers.

 

We were extremely lucky to be blessed with perfect weather both days.  Evelyn was bursting with her usual amount of uncontained enthusiasm.  It was actually kind of comical.  I took her to school at 9:00 and we didn’t leave for the pumpkin patch until 9:40 and it took about 20 minutes to get there.  You would have though it took 20 days because Evelyn acted like she hadn’t seen her classmates in that long…lots of squealing, hugging, jumping up and down.  The kids picked their pumpkins out, went to ‘pumpkin school’, ate a pumpkin donut and spent time running through a hay bale maze and digging in dried corn.  They were a mess by the time we took them back to school and I’m not sure how the teachers ever got them calmed down.

 

Thursday, Mitch and I went on his field trip. While it was a fun trip, Mitch enthusiasm was much less than Evie’s.  He can be very shy and he really showed his timid side that day.  He wouldn’t walk with his class  and it took some encouragement from me for him to actually pick out his pumpkin.  He would not sit for pumpkin school or eat his snack unless I sat right beside him.  He more or less clung to me the first half of the trip.  He refused to sit for a class picture so I basically shoved him at his teacher and she held him.  He finally seemed to snap out of it when we got to the hay bale maze.  He seemed to enjoy going down the slides and running around with the other kids.  Miss Teri, his teacher, told me that he is very good at school.  He listens, helps other and is well-behaved.  Thank goodness!

 

All in all, I think the field trips were a great success and a lot of fun!!

The butterfly

I got on here tonight to write something.  I wasn’t sure what. I got into my Drafts folder by mistake and came across this.  I wrote it in October,, on the anniversary of Aunt Linda’s death, but never posted it for some reason.  Aunt Linda has been on my mind so much lately.  Christmas reminds me of her.  I wanted to post this because I wanted to remember her.  And to remind myself to not ignore the butterflies.

“There are no goodbyes…only good memories.”

That thought has been running through my head since last night.  I heard it on a TV show I was watching and it struck me how true the statement is.

Today it’s been a year since we lost my amazing Aunt Linda and our hearts are heavy and hurting because we all miss her so much.   But, more often than not, when I think of her, it’s not with tears, but with laughter and happiness.  I feel incredibly blessed that she was my aunt and a constant presence in my life from the day I was born.  I wish we had more time with her, but I am so grateful for all of the years that we did have.  Today I tried hard to think about all of the all the things that I gained with having Aunt Linda in my life instead of all the things we’ve lost since her death.  

 Today, I went for a walk on my lunch break.  It was an overcast, damp day.  Moisture literally hung in the air and I decided not to walk too far just in case it started to pour.  As I walked along the sidewalk in a neighborhood near my office, a monarch butterfly flew in front of me.  I didn’t think too much of it at first, but as I continued to walk, it again flew in my path.  Did you know that butterflies hide when it rains?  Little wonder since they are so small and their wings are so fragile.  I’ve read that even on cloudy days, butterflies are rarely seen because even the threat of rain keeps them hiding.  These facts ran through my mind as I watched the orange and black butterfly flutter into a nearby flower bed.  As I started to continue down the street, another thought came to me - a butterfly is a symbol of resurrection.  “It’s said when you see a butterfly, it’s someone you love in heaven reminding you of them and giving you a reason to remember all of the beautiful memories you shared with them”.  Suddenly, it didn’t seem so strange to see that butterfly.  I spent the rest of my walk thinking of memories I have of Aunt Linda.  I thought about holidays and birthdays spent at the Klare house.  I thought about walking to her house from the bus stop a few times when I was in high school and always feeling welcome whenever I stopped by their home.  I thought about a time I was home alone at night once a teenager and got so freaked out because I thought I heard a noise upstairs.  I called her in a panic and she didn’t make me feel silly or stupid for being afraid.  I thought about how she was the first person that I called after my parents when Pat and I got engaged and about the beautiful bridal shower she threw for me.  I thought about the things I loved most about Aunt Linda – her kind and loving heart and her generous spirit. 

I love you Aunt Linda.  I miss you.

 

It needs to stop

Monday, we woke up and went to work & school.  In the evening, we grabbed a quick dinner from Wendy’s and went to Evie’s soccer practice.  The kids played on the playground afterward.  We went home for bathtime, storytime and bedtime.  It would have been typical Monday for us.  Except it wasn’t. 

 Typically I get to work, grab a cup of coffee and exchange some morning pleasantries with my co-workers.  Monday, the topic of conversation was the furthest thing from pleasant, but unfortunately it’s becoming far too typical – Gun Violence.   We actually had a meeting about not letting former employees into the office without getting clearance because we aren’t sure who might be angry and disgruntled, and who might just be popping in for a visit.

 Normally when I get home from work, I play with the kids and we catch each other up on our days.  Yesterday, Pat and I hugged our kids a little tighter and talked in whispered tones as we played with them because we wanted to try shield them from the horror that erupted in Las Vegas.

Usually when we go to Wendy’s, the kids sit at the little tables next to the fake fireplace.  There is a TV above that usually has cartoons or HGTV playing.  Sometimes we watch it, but we also like to look at window at the busy road and play ‘I Spy’.  Yesterday, there were no cartoons.  The news was on and images of the terrifying scene in Las Vegas filled the screen.  The kids were mostly oblivious.  We don’t watch TV news at home in front of them and they aren’t very interested in many non-animated shows.  We kept them taking about their days.  They both sang a Meal Blessing song they learned in school multiple times and giggled amongst themselves.  But then Evelyn – my perceptive, sometimes too-smart-for-her-own-good, tenderhearted little girl – suddenly asked “Mama – what happened to those people?”  She was so serious and her eyes were so solemn.  I told her that they got hurt very badly.  She looked stricken and sadly as ‘How did they get hurt Mama?” I glanced at Pat, because I wasn’t sure exactly what to say.  I ended up telling her that the police officers were still trying to figure out exactly what happened.  Such a non-answer, but she accepted it.  We finished up quickly then and headed to soccer practice, but the conversation stuck with me.

I struggle with how to explain stuff like this to my children.  I wish that I didn’t have to explain anything at all to them about guns and violence.  But ignoring the problem isn’t going to make it go away.  My kids don’t know much about guns.  Pat and I do not own any and we are not comfortable being around them.  We don’t buy the kids toy guns and we do not allow them to play any games that feature guns.  However, the reality is that it really doesn’t matter what we say – we cannot shield them from it completely.  We’ve tried to teach our kids to never, ever play with a gun.  Seems simple enough, but have you seen some of the ‘toy’ guns out there?!  They look completely real!  So we have to tell our kids that sometimes toy guns and real guns can look alike so if they are somewhere and see a gun, they should never, ever point it at someone because someone could get very badly hurt.

I think we’ve made it clear that guns are dangerous.  But then a few weeks ago, I found the kids playing and shooting at each other with ‘guns’ made from their index finger and thumb.  It may seem like such an innocuous thing, but to me…I don’t know.  It just wasn’t.  To me it proved that we live in a society were guns are prevalent and our kids are growing up in a gun culture regardless of if we own one or not.  To me, if proved that we are going to have to ask the parents of our children’s playmates if they have guns in the house.  It’s not that we wouldn’t let them play there.  But we would need to know that, if there is a gun in the house, it is lock up and inaccessible to children.  But it extends far beyond the home.  People keep guns in their cars and in their purses.  It wasn’t that long ago that I heard a story on the news about a two year old finding their mother’s gun in her purse and shooting her in a grocery store…The mother died.  I’ve heard stories about little kids bringing guns to school to show their friends.  A co-worker told me that she’s known people that have accidently shot themselves in the leg because they are carrying a gun and it went off because they didn’t’ have the safety locked.  That’s unacceptable. 

I don’t know what the answer is.  But I do know that doing nothing isn’t an option.  Life is unpredictable.  But we should not be afraid to go to a concert.  We should not be afraid to go to work.  We should not be afraid to send our children to school.  We should not be afraid to walk down the street.  I want my children to grow up safe and happy, but I’m scared of our world right now.  I don’t see anything changing as far as gun control anytime soon, especially with our current president and political environment.  I mean, after the complete tragedy that happened yesterday, gun sales spiked and gun stocks went up.  It makes me sick to my stomach and breaks my heart.

 I read something Dan Rather wrote on Monday that resonated with me…

 “As the grief shakes within me, as the numbing sensation of senseless loss engulfs my mind, I reel with the sickening knowledge that this has happened again…again…again…scores of lives cut short in a burst of gun violence – more children without parents and parents without children.

 As I contend with the sadness, another emotion wells within me, an unrelenting and abiding anger.  How can we consider ourselves the greatest country on earth and allow this to happen again…and again…and again…Are we really so powerless and impotent?  Those are not the qualities I have come to expect from this nation or its leaders.

I grew up in a gun culture and have owned guns.  But there is a difference between common sense and senselessness.  And right now many of our gun laws are senseless.  The scale of carnage in Las Vegas suggests a level of firepower that has no business being in the hands of civilians.

 Is it too soon to say that we have been here before?  Does it disrespect the memories of the most recent innocent victims?  I am sure many will think so.  But if not now, when?  In the wake of terrorist attacks, we pledge to do whatever is necessary to protect lives in the future.  Isn’t this a terrorist attack?  I am sure those in the audience last night felt the terror in their hearts.  After a plane crashes, we look at every possible source or weakness and fix the system.  Why should guns be different?

 And one final note on last night’s shooting.  Most of the initial news reports didn’t mention the shooter’s race or religion.  Could you imagine if the circumstances had been different?  It’s a reminder that sickness and violence is not bound to any one demographic.  And we should be very careful before we fall into simplistic narratives.

 There are no words or prayers we can offer to lessen the lifetimes of grief that lie ahead for those affected.  But we can pledge to all do our part to unite and do our best to find ways to diminish the chances of it happening again”.

We need to do more so that this never happens again.  Never again.

This Weekend

The weekend was low key, unscheduled and pretty much exactly what I needed.  The weather was gorgeous and I tried to get outside with the kids as much as possible.  Evie had a soccer game on Saturday morning and I have to say... I love being a soccer mom!  It's kinda fun to cheer for your kid's team!  The kids are adorable and so far I like the parents too.  

Grandma Rita graciously offered to watch the kids for a few hours so Pat and I took her up on it and went to lunch at Pat & Gracies.  Yum!! I feel totally spoiled that I've two date days in as many weeks.  Quality time with Pat really makes me happy! Evelyn and I made some banana bread in the afternoon while Pat and Mitch played trains.  

Late Saturday afternoon, I took the kids to Highbanks Metro Park.  I haven't been there in years and never with the kids.  We had so much fun!  We played at a playground, did a little hiking, swung has high as we could on the swings and had a ball at the AMAZING Nature Center.  We even saw a wedding.  Evelyn was excited to watch see a beautiful bride.  It truly as a perfect location to tie the knot.  We were home in time to watch the Buckeyes with Pat.

Sunday Evelyn had a birthday party at Supergames (that place is crazy!!). The rest of the day was spent chilling with the kids.  We played outside and I made a pot of chili.  I thought I might be able to entice Mitch to eat a little bit of it by adding black beans (his favorite) instead of kidney beans, but no such luck.  Evelyn tried it, but declared the tomatoes were too big and she thought I added onion (I didn't).  Our little foodie was not cooperating!  Oh well.. I enjoyed it!! Kids feel asleep early and I got some 'me time' - wine 🍷, popcorn 🍿 and a Hallmark Channel movie.  

I think we're ready to start to week on a positive note!!