all hallow's eve

The Geico gecko's night out finally arrived! With much anticipation, Jason put on his costume and posed patiently for my pictures. He could not wait to get to the Harvest Festival at church. Cameron, on the other hand, fought like a wild animal while Darren and I wrestled her costume onto her thrashing body. We won! We arrived early to church and got into the bounce house before it was too crazy. Darren and I split up, he took Jason and I chased Cameron around all night. Cameron only cared about one piece of candy, Jason was after lots of candy. After two hours of fun, the gecko's tail suffered an unfortunate incident in the bounce house. But if a gecko is anything like a lizard, it ought to grow back soon.

pumpkin gut poem

a poem by Jason


Pumpkin guts are gooey.
Some people think they're chewy,
But they are really, really gooey.

a poem by Jason

911 Let's have some fun
922 Tie your shoe
933 I like that tree
944 Knock on the door
955 Take a look at the hive
966 Look at those sticks
977 Look up to heaven
988 Check out that gate
999 Check your spine
91010 Let's do that again!

This piece of literature was composed upon the throne (ahem, I think you know what I mean). 911 is the fire number that I learned at school.
a poem by jason

evolution of a gecko

... it fits! Now that I've let out a sigh of relief the detail work can begin. Stay tuned...
Yes, I do know that the picture is on its side and no, I don't know how to fix it. iPhoto has it adjusted but opening the file in blogger has it on the side. Sorry.

Happy Birthday Da/d!

Yes, I will get the post done before the day is over! Happy Birthday Da/d. We love you very much and hope you have a nice relaxing day laying hardwood floor. You sure know how to party!

halloween costume update #1

So, several months ago Jason had a brilliant idea: he wanted to be the Geico gecko for Halloween. We all laughed and thought that was great, cute, just a kid thing, probably would pass... and here we are months later, making a gecko costume. In this pic you can see the tail and the beginnings of the body suit. I'm modifying a dragon costume pattern. I got a laugh yesterday when I was working on the zipper and muttered to myself something like, "oh no, I think I messed up!" Jason was over on the couch. He sighed and said, "alright, I guess I'll just be Charlie Brown again this year." I reassured him that I was very good with a seam-ripper and all would be well again soon. Stay tuned for more costume updates, and get my "Most Awesome Mom" award ready....

1st school picture

It's finally here... Jason's first school picture! My apologies to Lifetouch, because I'm pretty sure I broke one of their rules by posting this! Wow, so much anxiety went into picture day.... what should he wear?..... will he eat snack before or after pictures? ... will recess be before of after pictures? ... will his hair be sticking up?... will he have a goofy look on his face? No need to worry... I LOVE IT!

look who's 2... it's CAMEROOOOO!

Happy birthday Cameron! We love you!

hey, what about Darren's b-day blog?

Calm down, blogheads. I know, I know, you were anxiously checking this site all day Friday for a witty post on Darren's birthday... and it NEVER came! We spent Darren's 33rd birthday in the glorious wilderness of the Mariposa/ Yosemite KOA. Darren was in desparate need of a few mental health days so he planned a little trip to get us out of our normal world and into the WILDERNESS! We checked in Thursday only to discover that the advertised "free Wi-Fi" was only for the first time you used it in the campground. The second time you booted up your computer to contact the outside world you were politely informed of the "first-time free" policy and the convenience of using VISA or MC for access to the internet. Alas we were truly roughing it as we had to settle for full hook-ups and cable TV... and oh yeah, the nature and stuff. SO that is the big explanation for the missing birthday blog... send your complaints to the geniuses at the Mariposa/ Yosemite KOA (with FREE wi-fi!).
On Darren's birthday we took our rolling home on down the road for a little jaunt into the park. Ever been through the stone arch gateway in a 24 foot motorhome? THRILLING! We stopped in the valley for the spectacular views of El Capitan, Half Dome and the amazing waterfalls (which aren't all that spectaculr in the fall, perhaps if there was a little water to fall down the falls I'd feel differently). We walked around for quite some time, checked out the Visitor's Center and the Indian village display and rode the environmently friendly, free shuttle buses. After thoroughly exhausting Cameron (the trick was to NOT bring a stroller... the little fireball had to walk/run to keep up!) we headed back to the Tioga to find another parking place preferably next to the Merced River (trickling stream... see above note about fall not being optimal for water). While the guys went fishing I coerced Cameron into dreamland for a well-deserved nap. During the nap I had a little excitment. A rather loud family pulled up right next to us (empty parking lot, but apparently we were in a prime spot so they snuggled up). After loudly spilling out of their car, they settled in for a picnic lunch (this was about 2 o'clock, so the low blood sugar increased their volume). Just when I thought they couldn't get any louder, they did. I looked out the window and saw what all the fuss was about: 2 BEARS! Well, they were only Jason-sized brown bears and they were only trying to get into the bear-proof trash cans, but the knuckle-heads thought it was an extreme emergency. And you know what we all do in emergencies.... get pictures! (Was it wrong to secretly wish for loud family to get mauled by little brown bears?) Finally the bears went away and the loud family packed up and left and we were the only ones left in the picnic area. The guys had a great time fishing in the stream, crossing over logs and scouting out the best spots. I am so glad that they didn't catch anything because who knows how we would have handled that?!
The birthday was topped off by a dinner of spaghetti and homemade meatballs and brownie with strawberry cheesecake ice cream back at the campsite. Delicious! We spent the next day hanging out, trying to keep Cameron from tripping and falling and crying every 15 minutes. We were those people. You know, the ones that you secretly spy on while you're camping because they are so much more fascinating than the book you brought along. By about 11 o'clock that morning we had decided to cut the trip short and drive home that night instead of the next morning. That way, the kids could sleep the whole way home. It was the most delightful, quiet 4 hours of the entire trip! Not that we don't appreciate our kids, but you know....

birthday party #1

Yeah, we're anticipating 3 birthday parties this month, so the title isn't ambitious. So this was Rusco night and we gathered together to celebrate. Cameron was given an adorable kitchen for her birthday and from the pictures you can tell that the big kids loved it too. I made the cakes for this event and learned a few valuable lessons: #1 I should probably get a mini muffin pan. My bug eyes looked horribly disproportionate and #2 Black food coloring (used for the frosting) turns lips black... some people don't appreciate the "goth" look. A wild and crazy night was had by all. Darren was the recipient of a few joke gifts. He got a fishing vest from his parents and a tackle box full of insults from his brother. Unfortunately he had let it slip that he was taking Jason fishing this week and hilarity ensued. Even more hilarious than the joke gifts will be the moment he or Jason actually catch a fish and the city kids attempt to butcher and cook. More blogs to follow.....

grammy's birthday

Yikes! I better hurry up and get this posted before the day is over. Happy Birthday to Grammy! We got you a really cool present, but you can't open it until tomorrow!

let the birthdays begin!

Happy Birthday to Noah and Tim! (Sorry there's no pics of Tim... the 4 year old wins because of the cuteness factor...) Have a great day guys. We love you.

the crafty bug strikes again

So about a year and a half ago I was helping set up a ladies event at church where we decorated all the tables with vintage kitchen things. I was admiring one of the tablecloths when the owner just suggested I take it. I could not believe my ears.... people pay silly amounts of money in antique stores for vintage tablecloths and she was just going to give it to me. Her excuse was that it was ripped in a few places and she really didn't like it anyway. Well, being the drooling crafty retro fabric hound that I am, I snatched it up! I brought it home, found a cute pattern for a bag and cut out the pieces. And for some reason I stopped right there. I didn't have fusible interfacing or a lining fabric so I shoved it in my fabric container after a few weeks of letting it collect dust out in the open. And just the other day as I was going through my fabric to scavenge for material for Jason's Geico gecko Halloween costume (more on that later) I found the half-finished project. What was I waiting for? After spending about an hour (and a quick trip out to get my $1.47 interfacing!) I had made my most favorite bag EVER! Silly crafters, we have so many unfinished projects lurking under our beds and in our closets!

potty seat pics

Yeah, I wasn't kidding about the potty seat making a great hat. Here's the proof!

odds and ends

Alright, this one goes out to Nanny, who apparently needs new pictures. I wanted to save my posting for the 4th when I could combine it with a birthday shout-out to Noah and Tim, but those are a couple of good guys so we'll dedicate a post just to them. Ah yes, October is here and the birthday scramble has begun. On the 4th we've got the guys, the 5th is my mother-in-law, the 12th is Darren, the 14th is Cameron, dad's on the 18th, and the grandpa, Aunt Kathy and Uncle Jim finish off the month. Honestly, family, what kind of monster have we created? Nine birthdays?!!!!
Let's talk TV. Am I happy that the new fall season has begun? You betcha! That's right, I am loving Thursday nights because PB&J are back with the whole gang from The Office. This week 30Rock starts up (with Jerry Seinfeld.... how could you NOT watch Jerry?). Monday nights are suddenly interesting again with Chuck. He's great, just great, I will not have a TV crush on him..... And yes, eventually I do want to be a Heroes fan, I'll probably have to Netflix season 1. I won't commit to buying it because sci-fi is not my forte, but I'm willing to jump on board. I'd watch reality shows like The Biggest Loser and Dancing with the Stars if the results/ weigh-ins weren't so drawn out. And this Friday my guilty pleasure show Friday Night Lights returns. Yes, I watch a drama about a high school football team, I'm really into angst and drama and football (?). Ever since Kyle Chandler got blown into pink mist on Grey's Anatomy I've been a fan of his and I think this show's the best depiction of a married couple on TV right now.
Update on Jason and kindergarten: still lovin' it. This kid never has a bad day. Apparently, everybody's his friend (especially the little red-headed girl that was hugging him all night at Back-to-School night.... hello? Can we get some PDA rule enforcement please?) I get all my information from the other moms because apparently Jason gets amnesia the minute he steps into the car at pick-up. "How was your day?" "Fine" "What did you do?" "I don't remember." And so it begins....
Cameron continues to thrive at the gym. "Jump at gym?!" "JUMP AT GYM!" She also has taken an interest in bathroom business so I jumped on it and bought her a potty seat. So far it has made an excellent hat.
One of the great things about being a parent is surprising your kids. Last Friday we picked Jason up from school in the motorhome and took the family to the beach for the evening. The plan was to play all afternoon, cook our dinner (hot-dogs) over the bonfire and spend the night. Unfortunately the rain started up at about 4 o'clock which was fine by us because the beach was howling with wind and the coloring books in the motorhome were not satisfying our children's insatiable need for activity. We did quickly light a fire, toast hot dogs and marshmellows and eat inside. We made it home by about 7 and were able to bathe and sleep in our own beds. Just a tip, use chocolate frosting on your s'mores instead of chocolate bars, it eliminates the wait time for melted chocolate (which never seems to happen anyway).