The Monster Mash ...

If it's completely ridiculous and delivered with deadpan seriousness, chances are I'm crying with laughter. The lines delivered by Alec Baldwin on 30 Rock (not to mention by Eric Stonestreet on Modern Family) really make me laugh out loud. As such, I love it when we can all let our guard down and get a little silly. Prior to having those pesky children to take care of Back in our newlywed days, manbug and I started a Halloween costume party that grew to become quite a shindig. As our guest list grew, we added themes that were wildly successful ... Nick at Nite was one of our all-time favorite themes. Friends all dressed as their favorite 70's tv shows - we had several Bradys, some Partridges, Sonny & Cher, Mork & Mindy, the Scooby Doo gang ... you get the idea. Manbug and I dressed as the Incredible Hulk and Wonder Woman ...

We threw our Monster Mash costume party every other year from 1997-2005, when we finally retired the whole thing. We decided that we were just too old for kegs and costumes in our garage and that it had really run its course - it was time to move on. With one small disclaimer clause. The theme. If there were ever a theme that was so incredible, so hilarious, so versatile, that we just couldn't resist ... then, and only then, would we bring back our gig ... for a once-and-final blowout. Behold ...

Can you even stand it?! How great is that theme?! 35 seasons of Saturday Night Live sure provides some hysterically funny characters to choose from throughout all those years ... from the coneheads and landsharks of the 70's all the way to current characters like the Target lady, MacGruber, and Gilly ... and of course everything in between. I'm hoping our friends bring their A-game to this one, I can't wait to see this party in action! Manbug and I are planning to dress as this dynamic duo ...

Yes, we're hosting as Arianna and Craig - the unofficial Spartan cheerleaders ... now we just need to learn a few cheers! We're expecting around 80 people or so to come hang out in our garage lair on Saturday night ... I'd love it if all of you could come, too - which leaves the big question ... what would you dress as?!

Autumn Autumn Everywhere ...

Well, it seems as though Autumn here on the New England coast has just about reached its peak ... it's gotten to the point where I even love running mindless errands, just so I can see the different colors everywhere. Days like these remind me how blessed I am to be a part of this amazing world ... lucky as a ladybug in fact. Today I had a long list of errands all over town and actually remembered (high five for me!) to bring my camera along in the front seat so that I could share some of what I see every day around town ... it started off cloudy, then got very bright and sunny for about an hour or two, then returned to cloudy again - so my light is all over the place ... but I think it gives you the idea! First some close shots ...

Now some perspective ...

The harbor has become quite a ghost town compared to just 6 weeks ago ... quiet and empty as winter looms ...

Sometimes it amazes me how enormous the trees are around here ... just imagine how old they must be ...

October gave a party;

The leaves by hundreds came -

The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,

And leaves of every name.

The Sunshine spread a carpet,

And everything was grand,

Miss Weather led the dancing,

Professor Wind the band.

George Cooper

October's Party

ps on the martha thing ...

So I forgot one other classic "reality" story in my previous Martha post ... this one's been in the vault for quite some time, but it so perfectly illustrates what can happen when young kids are left to themselves that I just had to share this now legendary story - heck, we've all been there (right? please say yes ...). There was one very lazy Sunday morning several years back when our then 2 and 5 year old ladybugs were quietly playing downstairs ... I should have realized that it was the bad kind of quiet much earlier than I did. By the time I arrived on the scene, this is what I discovered ...

I have no photos of the horror, just this 16 second video clip ... that white floor in front of the washer/dryer isn't usually white - it's beige. That white stuff is laundry soap. Note the toy box pushed up to the washer - it was used as a step stool. Scoop by scoop, the two of them emptied out a very full BJ's-sized carton (110 loads to be exact) of Tide powder detergent aaaaaaall over their playroom (which obviously has a laundry wall on one side) ... easily 80-90 scoops of soap were all over everything. It was in the carpeting, all over the toys, in their hair, in their pockets ... if it was in that room, it had soap on it. The cleanup proved to be very difficult - especially for the girls themselves ... can you imagine having to rinse that much laundry soap out of a toddler's hair?! As I recall, we hung their heads over the kitchen sink and used the sprayer. Washing cats would have been easier. And then there was the playroom cleanup too ... we used a vacuum but the soap left an oily residue behind that turned into a soapy slick when we took damp towels to it. It took ages for things to feel normal again!

Ah, the blessings of curious children! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow ...

martha i'm not ...

So I grabbed a quick sandwich with my virtual-turned-IRL pal swooper today ... we caught up on how the last few weeks have been going for each of us and we both agreed, we're in a bit of slump. Writer's slump, reading slump, school routine slump ... you name it, we're in it. As the conversation continued, she mentioned that her sweet youngest is having a birthday - and today was his big day to share homemade cupcakes with his nursery school class. I was impressed ... seems awfully high-energy for someone in a slump. In return, swooper was surprised that I would be impressed by her efforts ... she fancies me as some sort of Martha Stewart apparently. To her shock, I admitted that I've never once made home baked goods for a school celebration. Store bought birthday popsicles for the classroom? Yes. But dozens of home baked cupcakes, each lovingly hand frosted? Dear God, no.

Since lunchtime, I've been wondering how swooper could have possibly had such a high standard set for me ... and I was reminded of Jen's' challenge ... the one where she asked her readers to post about a "real" day. She issued the challenge just this last Monday with Wednesday set as the "go date" ... thanks to the slump I mentioned, I didn't even read about it until yesterday's go-day was nearly over and thus missed the boat on participating (typical - I'm always a day late and a dollar short - always!). But I think I might be able to find a way to participate after all ... first of all, it doesn't take much searching through the volumes of family photos to see what's really truly "real" around here ...

As a toddler, my little bug was typically left by herself for stretches of time and once grabbed a cup of hot chocolate - so she got both dirty and burned ... nice job, mom!

At least give me a point for the ladybug exersaucer, ok? She also kept busy with other fun projects when left alone ...

She was pretty busy, huh? Surely she was left unattended so often because I was toiling away making organic home cooked meals for dinner, right? Just ask me about my superpowers in the kitchen - go ahead.

Food you can serve right from a microwaveable can is surely a very healthy choice for your growing pre-schooler, right? I'm sure there are no harmful chemical additives there. Classy, too ... she eats at the table with no shirt and a cowgirl hat - nice! So just in case you're saying to yourself "but your kids are older now and I'm sure this was only a brief phase" ... think again. Chaos seems to follow my children through whatever stage of growth they're in ... my kids may not draw on the kitchen floor anymore, but the messes they make have grown even bigger - is that because they are bigger?! Hey, at least their diet might have improved over the years, right?

Wrong. Those photos were just taken just moments ago ... harmful chemical additives in that bright orange mac and cheese? You betcha! PB & J for dinner? Right on! And the piles and messes I alluded to? Well, I'm afraid that I'm the guiltiest one on that subject ...

Taken hours after mealtime, this photo shows how quickly I'm able to get to those pesky dishes - note the dishwasher sitting right there next to the sink. Note the dead plants still sitting in their pots by the sink ... why can't I get these into the trash barrel each Wednesday? Further note the gift bag for that's been waiting (and waiting) to be delivered ... I must be waiting for some tragic kitchen spill to come and ruin it! And my pile problem goes way beyond the dishes ...

These particular paper piles consist of my calendar, incoming mail that hasn't been attended to, receipts, and to-do lists. They're sitting on a decorative table (note that you can't see the "decorative" tabletop) that's near my desk - which is so covered with older piles that I needed this second area for newer piles. Did I mention I was in a slump? The paper stacks seem to triple in times of slump. Ironically, my back is to that overflow table o' piles as I type away on the computer right now - do you think if I sit really still and keep typing they'll go away?! Right next to me on the desk are piles for pending bills, school forms, volunteer projects, extracurricular paperwork, catalogs, pending internet order returns, the list goes on ... my stacks and piles truly are my great shame because I work really hard to keep these piles tame (seriously, I do). But to no avail. Like the laundry, it's a chore that never never ends. It overwhelms. And slumps don't help matters. My tiny guest room is covered in more piles - these are for long-term projects like organizing the clothes my girls have outgrown, framing projects (photos and schoolwork), family photo albums, etc. God forbid a guest would like to come and stay with us! And this photo right here ...

It's the ultimate irony ... this is a stack of Martha Stewart Living catalogs that date back to April - eight untouched magazines in all - the foolish gift of a friend who must have also incorrectly identified me as someone who might make homemade cupcakes for my child's entire school classroom. So to you, dear swooper (who did in fact bake birthday cupcakes for the entire class - I tip my hat to you) ... and to you, Jen, for issuing this fun "reality" challenge ... and to anyone else out there who might mistakenly think I have a perfect Martha life inside the walls of my house ... think again. Or better yet, call the A&E network and nominate me for Hoarders. If I don't snap out of this slump, I might be buried alive ...

ninety one

Today is a very special day on my side of the family tree ... our matriarch turns 91 ...

This treasured photo was taken at a family reunion we had at Christmastime 3 years ago at my mother's home in West Virginia. Our beloved GiGi (short for Great Grandmother) is the sparkly one in the center - each of her 2 daughters by her side. My mother is the daughter on the right and I'm the one directly above my grandmother. My mother had a daughter and a son (my brother is the man furthest to the left with his arm around his wife - they have since had that sweet baby girl, my goddaughter, who was baptized in Florida this past August). And I, of course, have 2 daughters - you can spot them in black dresses in the front with the other great grandchildren. My mother's sister (to the left of GiGi with the white hair) had one son (standing right next to my brother - his pregnant wife is in red) and 3 daughters, who are all right around my age ...

That's me with the headband. Together with the 2 grandsons, that makes 6 grandchildren for GiGi - and we all grew up together in South Florida, right around the corner from one another. Really precious years, I'm lucky as a ladybug to have had it that good. All grown up now, the grandchildren have all married and all had children of our own - at this point, GiGi has an impressive fourteen great-grandchildren (4 more since the reunion photo!) - 6 boys and 8 girls. Can you even imagine?

She was born in 1919 - that alone takes my breath away. Her father was in Italy, fighting in World War ONE when she was born. The Titanic went down only 7 years before her birth. The youngest of nine children, she grew up in a completely different world than anything we could ever imagine these days ... and she's long outlived all of her siblings, none of whom made it past 80 ...

The above photos were just taken in August while we were in West Virginia, and they are truly 2 of my favorites - full of joy, GiGi was really present on the afternoon I snapped these pictures. Over the last few years, her age has really caught up with her - her tiny body has become increasingly frail and, worse, her mind has been sliding down the slippery slope of dementia ... it's been heartbreaking to see her so confused by things we all take for granted. She'll wake at 2 am and get dressed for the day, she'll ask me how I'm liking college, and she has a tough time with simple tasks, so she's had a full-time caretaker living with her for the last year. It's a little like Groundhog Day every day for her ... every day is a new beginning since she has no more understanding of time - not the time of day, the day of the week, or even the date. She won't even realize it's her birthday when she wakes up today.

Thank goodness, though, she always remembers us - our faces, our names, and, most important, our love. And in spite of the fact that lights might be growing dim, she is still a very grand lady - and such a special treasure to all of us. She's our matriarch, the tippity top of our family tree, the one we all came from, the glue that holds us together. My grandmother - my namesake. Happy Birthday, Dear GiGi!!

the backwards video ...

Have any of you seen this music video that went viral a few weeks ago? We call it the "backwards video" and my little ladybugs are still asking to see it, they're spellbound by the "how" of it all ... these guys filmed all of the scenes while singing backwards so that when they edited the scenes into a video, they could play the action backwards, which caused their mouths to then be singing to be forwards with the song ... does that make sense?! Just see for yourself ... it's kinda cool ...

And if you want to see what some of the scenes look like running forwards (the way they were filmed) just click here. Hours of entertainment for my bugs ... especially that little one of mine, she's always got to know how things work! Remember that video production camp she did in August? Her camp video also relied on editing tricks and thus had a similar "wow" factor - after seeing this, her wheels are turning ... no doubt she's gonna blow the roof off that place next summer!

and now it's Fall ...

I think I'll make Columbus Day weekend the official start of Fall for me, the timing seems to be just right. September is just too early for me - not only am I buried by the back-to-school craziness, but September is often still too warm to really feel like Fall. But now it's October 11th ... and this last weekend has been one of those picture-perfect early Fall weekends with a chilly breeze, a brilliant blue sky, early sunsets, and a few trees starting to turn colors - so not only is it starting to feel like Fall, it even looks like Fall. Between the perfect Fall weather, the relaxed weekend schedule, and today's Monday holiday thrown in as a bonus, I finally feel ready for Fall. Unbelievable, but true ... I made the switch from this at our front door:

To this:

On Saturday, my big ladybug and I went down to the local Farmer's Market that runs in our town every Saturday from May through October ... and all around us was a sensory overload of Fall ... the colors of the autumn veggies and flowers, the smell of warm cider, the feel of that cool breeze ... it was all there. And, although I know it doesn't exactly follow the rules of a 10 on 10 (all of these photos were taken in the same hour on the 9th rather than over 10 hours on the 10th), at least it's a close cousin of a 10 on 10. So here are my 10 photos to show that we really have turned the corner into Fall around here ...

Oops, I actually see that I've put 11 photos up - but since I can't decide which one to take down, I'll just leave it as my "11 on 9" ... I'll get the math right one of these days! Happy Autumn, everyone!!

something from nothing ...

I've written a couple of times before about my littlest ladybug and her clever mind ... her Plan B to capture a butterfly comes to mind, but there are a million other instances as well - her mind just doesn't ever sit still. She seizes any opportunity she can to create something from nothing, to solve a puzzle, and to essentially never leave 'well enough' alone. It's just who she is - her gears are always moving.

So yesterday after school, I was really excited to make Kim's mini chocolate chip muffins - that's one recipe we could really use around here, so I was ready to rock the kitchen. And since baking is essentially creating something from nothing, my little bug is always an enthusiastic helper in the kitchen - so she's always ready to rock the kitchen. So we're moving right along, adding dry ingredients together to set aside ... then we started creaming the butter and sugar, all was well ... then it was time to add the eggs, one at a time. This is where things took a turn. Eggs fascinate this little girl - maybe it's the texture, maybe it's the versatility, I'm not sure ... but she just loves to work with eggs - cracking, mixing, separating the yolk, you name it, she loves it. But yesterday, just when you think you've seen it all from this girl, this is what she did after adding the eggs to the batter ...

She made a miniature baby carriage out of the empty egg shell. You can see the 4 wheels taped onto the bottom as well as 3 decorative pieces (egg shells turned upside down to show white) to adorn the canopy that protects the sleeping "baby" (seen inside the egg/carriage in that bottom photo). This is all that was left at her work station after she finished ...

She used literally every piece possible to create her eggshell sculpture ... talk about something from nothing! Love that her mind works like this ... love that little ladybug so much ...

btw ... the muffins were terrific, thank you so much, Kim! Over a dozen were gobbled within minutes - this easy and healthy recipe is going straight into regular rotation, we love it!! And one last note, thanks for all of the compliments on our little flowered plates in yesterday's post. They were from Target during their Liberty of London collaboration last Spring ... tiny black and white flowers on top, bright sunny yellow on the bottom, adorable, practical plastic everyday plates - we love 'em too, so thanks!

eat your crusts ...

I never used to eat my sandwich crusts when I was a little girl, and my little ladybugs don't eat theirs either - and that's fine, I get it - no problem. But will someone please tell me why the little ladybugs won't even eat the "crusts" on an eggo waffle?!

The plate on the left belongs to my little ladybug, she eats the regular homestyle eggo minis - the plate on the right belongs to my big ladybug, who eats the cinnamon toast minis. Their rationale about crusts reminds me of those dogs we see on AFV who still paddle their legs whenever they're held over or near water ... it's like some kind of deeply wired remote control thing. I mean, are their really crusts on an eggo?? What's next? Pancakes? Muffins? Will all edges fall into the crust category?! **sigh ... it's like having mice at the kitchen table ...