trick or treat!

We started out with a nice homemade veggie soup made by Megs.

And some bread and salad provided by moi.

We tricked.

We treated.

We ran out of candy an hour into the evening.

And we bought 15 big bags and only gave out one at a time.

Our neighborhood is insane at Halloween.

We get hundreds of people.

We all confessed to the "phantom drop" at some point in the evening.

"What is the phantom drop?" you ask.

The phantom drop is when you put a piece of candy in the bag, tap the side of the bag, and then pull the candy back out.  You don't really drop it in.

Sneaky I know.

But I am not sorry. 

If you are full grown and not in costume, I am not giving you candy. 

Go buy your own damn candy.

Seriously.

We sipped beers while handing out candy

and lit a fire in the fire pit.

It was chilly out.

We were nice and toasty.

We sorted candy.

We liked what we saw.

Lots of chocolate and not a lot of the wussy candy.

Like tootsie rolls and smarties.

Nope, hardly any of those.

We had a fantastic night!

morning light

One of my very favorite things about my house is the way it looks in the morning light.

It is beautiful.

And this time of year it is breathtaking.

At least to me.

As Anne Shirley would say:

"I want to take the colors and drink them in."

Every morning when I come down the stairs, I am just..

happy.

So, this morning, I thought I would try and capture some of my happiness and share it here with you.

Can you see it?

My pretty morning light?

I love it so.

mama got her party on!

When the guys are away...

the wives go out.

And go CRAZY!

(ok, not really, but we had a good time!)

First off, we went to a restaurant I have been wanting to go to forever.

(For the local yokels, that would be Greenhouse Tavern)

Where I feasted on crunchy hominy, curried spagehetti squash, artichoke rositto, etc.

Yum-o!

Then we went to a really cool basement bar for more spirits.

Then we went to a comedy show.

Where Jersey Shore wannabe's sat behind us.

Then we went into the Wonder Bar for a cuppa coffee before heading home.

Coffee-Schomffee.

Instead, we had some kind of alcoholic espresso shot thingy

and got our groove on!

Now, I hate to dance.  I totally suck at it.  Think Elaine from Seinfeld.

Really.

But apparently, the older you get, the less you care how stupid you look.

And just have fun.

So we danced!

And did a little flirting.

Which I suck at as well.

I am terribly out of practice.

Dudes look at me and know I am so married.

Which is a good thing.

Then we realized it was near 2 am.

Whoopsie.

Time to go home.

What a night!  Thanks to Megs and Jen for such an adventure!

just stuff

Ellie has been tired lately.  Like, really tired.  Asks to go to bed at 6:30 tired. 

You want to know the important lesson I have learned from this?

Under no circumstances, and I mean NO CIRCIMSTANCES

google "tired 4 year old."

It's not a good idea.

I am convinced she has some hideous disease manifesting itself as tired.

Yeah. 

We have a doctors appt. this afternoon

where I know I am going to hear:

"she's just growing."

or

"she's just adjusting to the new routine."

But until then I am freaking out a little.

In other news:

I am currently addicted to gummy grapefruits and kettle corn.

They are doing a real number on my derriere.

I tried to run this week and my body just guffawed.

Chris is gone, again, and I am enjoying the center of the bed.

Greys was slightly dissappointing last night.

I have a girls night out tonight and need to find out if we are going

"sleek and sophisticated"

or

"beer and bowling"

A girl needs to plan her outfit.

Just read books 1 and 2 of The Hunger Games.

OHMYGOSH!

Teen fiction has come a long way since I was a kid.

Read it!  Good stuff!

Anxiously awaiting the third to become available at the good ol' library.

In the meantime, reading a book about a girl who finds out she is a faerie.

And a book about a man who is looking for his wife that everyone thinks he murdered.

I like variety.

I am very excited for the upcoming holidays and have already bought a present or 12.

Chris and I toured a charter school for Ellie last week and were very impressed. 

Young teachers.  Grading on student character.  Small classes. 

Now, if we can get her in, I can relax on the whole school thing.

I am sicktodeath of worrying about it.

Then when all that school stuff is settled, we can decide what we are going to do to fix up this house.

Cause, if you can't sell it,

love it!

I am currently on my 4th cup of coffee.

4th!

While I love the center of the bed, I don't sleep well when Topher is gone.

Topher is a nickname for Chris.

Given to him from the Palladinos.

I had a dream that I totally wrecked a smart car in NYC last night.

What the hell is that all about?

Are you still reading?

Just curious.

I just realized today is Ellie's half birthday.

4 and a half!

Must have a cupcake later to celebrate.

Chris is on a guys weekend.

In the past, things have gotten a titch crazy on this guys weekend.

I think I heard whispers of "rigging a zip line" before they left.

Great.

He also left with a full bottle of Petron Silver and 6 cigars.

Hm.

I love the word "titch."

I am very curious to how this teeny tiny family of mine can gererate so much laundry.

We are out of cat food.

You have seen my cat.  She is enormous.

You don't want her mad at you.

Being out of cat food is a "cat"astrophe.

Pun intended.

I cracked myself up last week at the grocery.

I was buying Ellie's school snack for the class

and I decided on crackers and cheese and tiny pepperoni's.

I got muenster cheese for Halloween.

I seriously stood in the cheese section laughing.

I think people thought I was weird.

Are you still here?

Cause even I am getting a little bored now.

I was home all alone last night and they kept showing previews of

Paranormal Activity 2.

I didn't like that.

That stuff  is scary!

I suggested a game to play with Ellie last week and she told me that it was "lame."

Ah.  The joys of preschool peers.

I have totally given up on the wardobe war of 2010.

The monstrous fights we had were just not worth it.

I would rather put that effort into the food she eats.

Or how she treats people.

I mean really.  What does it matter what Ellie wears?

Even if it looks totally stupid.

Or how many times she changes clothes?

The only rule now is that she has to fold up what she takes off and put it away.

Yesterday she changed clothes 12 times.

That is not an exaggeration.

12 times.

She ended up in blue polkadotted pants, a black long sleeved tshirt, her colts jersey, brown shoes, a dora bow in her hair, and a blueberry hat worn haphazardly.

It looked....great. 

Ok.  I think that is enough randomness. 

I have 47 loads of laundry to fold.

And dishes to do.

And beds to make.

And one more cup of coffee to drink.

And teeth to brush.

And cheeks to kiss.

And cupcakes and catfood to buy.

And a doctors appointment to get to.

Jeminy Christmas!

Happy Weekend!

ballet

Oh the excitement this girl has had waiting for her first class.

Oh the excitement this mama had waiting to watch.

We get there.

You could cut the excitement with a knife.

The teacher

(some principle from some company)

kicks the moms out!

What?

I don't get to watch?

Are you freaking kidding me?

There isn't even a window.

Nothing.

Now only one of us is excited.

And it isn't me.

I hadn't even brought my book.

So the above picture was as good as it got.

She loved it though and that is all that matters.

I suppose.



pumpkin patch day

If you have been here long, you know of my love for pumpkin patch day.

It's like, my 4th favorite day of the year.

So today, I won't mention, again, all I love about it.

Nope.

Won't talk about the donuts.

Or the pumpkins.

Or the ponies.

Or the colors.

Or the cute hats.

Or any of that stuff.

Really.  I won't.

I will just post an obscene amount of pictures.

Favorite pic of the day!!

saturday hike

We have been doing a ton of hiking lately.  My friend Jen has been trying to get me to this particular spot for ages and we finally made it on Sat.

(For those of you paying attention, that is the day before I ran my half.  About 15% of me was hoping I would twist an ankle or something, and gosh darn it, I wouldn't be able to run.  Alas, that did not happen.  And I ran.)

Anyhoodle, this place was totally worth the wait.  The kids climbed and ran and fought over sticks and laughed.  We will definitely be going back.

Very soon!

Good lord.  She looks gorgeous here.  IfIdosaysomyself.

tales of a half marathon

My friend Megan sent me a card that said

"Life Begins at the End of your Comfort Zone."

Well, let me tell you, I was living on Sunday because I was so far out of my comfort zone

it was ridiculous.

You see, I completed my first half marathon!

I don't even like to run.

It is not easy for me, like, ever, and I just don't like it.

However, it is very good for me.

And I LOVE a challenge.

Plus I love how I feel after I run.

Healthy and productive and proud.

So, I decided to see if I could finish a half marathon.

And I can.

Let me give you a run down of the day.

Chris was out of town, so Ellie and I spent the night with Jen and her family so we could get up early and go and her husband could bring Ellie with their kids and I didn't have to wake E up at the butt crack of dawn.

That helped a lot.

Only problem?  I had to sleep with Ellie, which means, I got about 1.5 hours of sleep due to feet in my face and making sure she didn't roll out if bed.

Fun.

We wake up, get ready, and head to the start of the race.

I had been a nervous wreck for about 3 weeks prior to the race and this was the part I was dreading most.

That wait at the race, before it started.

I knew that was when I would be most nervous.

And I was right.

I knew once I started running I would be fine, but that wait was torture.

Finally, the race gets underway and within the first 3 miles, my friends are far ahead of me.

As I knew they would be.

They are a lot faster and more experienced than me.

And I am ok with that.

I have to tell you, miles 4-10 were the best time I have ever had running.

It was a beautiful day.

We were running on the towpath, through the woods.

And everything was glorious.

I could hear birds and water and the pounding of feet all around me.

It was really nice.

Megs was at the turnaround, cheering us on and that was a great boost.

But then, about mile 11, someone put a brick wall right in the middle of the path.

And I ran smack dab into the middle of it.

(ok, there wasn't really a wall there, but there might as well of been cause that's how I felt.)

And this wall was solid! 

You see, I had never run more than 10 miles, so after I had passed that distance, I was in

unchartered territory.

I was hydrated.  I was fed.  My body was feeling good and then

BAM!

My body was done.

Toast.

Kaput.

Finished.

It totally betrayed me.

I could hear it saying

"Um, we have gone 10 miles.  This is far enough.  You need to stop now."

So the last 2.1 miles was, um, challenging.

I just kept thinking

"don't pass out!"

"You will totally ruin someone else's race if they have to stop and help you!"

I didn't pass out but I was hurting.

I stopped and walked a little

drank some more water

had a little gu

said a little prayer

talked to my mom

and survived.

But let me tell you what...

I was scared.

But then, the finish line was ahead.

I knew I was behind the time I wanted. 

Running slow.

But by that point, I was so relieved I was almost done

I couldn't have cared less.

 As I am running up, there are Megan and Jen and Xander and Ellie and Enzo and Sascha.

"GO TIA!"

"You can do it Tia!"

I high fived my daughter and crossed the finish line.

A great finish to a good race.

Check it off the bucket list.

Here are a few pictures from the day.

This was where they were standing at the finish.

There I am!  WAAAAAY back there.  But I am coming.  I am ALMOST DONE!

The runners.  2 of us look great.  1 of us looks like we're gonna pass out.

I was a little shaky at the finish.  Felt light headed and just, weird.  After some sitting and water, I perked right up.

Am I glad I did it?

YES!

Am I proud of myself?

YES!

Will I ever do it again?

NO! I don't think so.

I think I will be sticking to 10ks from now on.

6.2 miles is plenty for this girl.

Oh, and as a last note...

I am really trying to get over the fact that the winner of the marathon beat me.

Meaning he ran 26.2 miles 2 minutes faster than I ran 13.1.

Damn.

That is fast.

I will say, that as he passed me at mile 12.9 he was moaning.

As bad as I was feeling, I wasn't moaning!

So there!  Mr. Fast Marathon Man!

book club

My book club rocks!

Let me tell you why...

First, there is always lots and lots and lots of this...

and this.

Also, there is always scintillating conversation.

Like the conversation we had about Sophie's Choice and which child we would choose if we had to.

Or the discussion about the end of the world.

Or the discussion about the latest bachelor episode.

Whatever we are discussing, it is with vim and vigor!

But mostly it's just these awesome girls that make it so great. 

Each unique.

Each beautiful.

Each wonderful.

Some of us work.  Some of us don't.  Some of us have kids.  Some of us don't. 

We are diverse.

And that's what makes us great.

Let me introduce you (from left to right)

These are words that pop into my head when I think of these girls.

Jen M.

Fantastic mother.  Driven.  Intelligent.  Marathon runner. 

Erika

Accomplished.  Kind.  Snazzy dresser.  beautiful home. 

Riki

Fantastic mother.  Caring.  Funny.  Survivor.

Megan

Compassionate.  Idealist.  Half Iron Man competitor.  Advocate.

Jen W.

Smart.  Fantastic hugger.  Dog lover. Great laugh.

Lisa

Classy.  Fantastic mother.  Funny.  Together.

There are 2 others not pictured (besides me), Rebecca and Steph.  Both of which are every bit as wonderful as the girls mentioned.  Rebecca is beautiful and smart and has the most corporate job of all of us, and Steph is a wonderful mother, a health nut, and funny!

I love these girls.

They make me a better person.

I love the conversations we have.

I love the wine we drink.

  I love our book club nights.

Period.

4 year old reality

Who knew that 4 was the new 14? 

I sure didn't. 

I expected to have a little girl for a bit longer. 

She changes clothes so often it makes my head spin.

"But Mom!  I have to wear all my clothes.  They are SO PRETTY!"

There are a boyfriend and girlfriend in her preschool class.

"Yeah.  They like each other.  They hold hands."

"I like Jimmy.  But just as a friend.  I don't want to hold his hand."

Thank goodness for that!

Shoes.  I could go on and on with this girl and shoes.

"They sparkle!  They are just like yours!  They have a little heel!"

And FYI, the ones with heels are dress up only!

Her hair.  Her crowning glory.  My nightmare.  She is the tenderheadist kid I ever did meet.

"Ouch!  You are HURTING ME.  You are so mean!"

Her attitude.  OHDEARGODINHEAVEN.  Her attitude.

"I will not do that.  Cause I don't want to.  So there!"

"I am the boss!"

I have learned the calmer I remain, the shorter the episode.  Remaining calm, however, is very very hard. 

I have found that "time-out"s do not work. 

Throwing away a toy works. 

Not hiding it in the closet for a week. 

Throwing it away. 

Forever.

She doesn't like that.

There are some days where I am walking out as Chris walks in.

To regain some sense of calm. 

She can push my buttons, this one.

The teenage years scare the heck out of me.

I am going to have to send her somewhere else to live.

Of course, we have our good moments too.  Those are what I live for.

The cuddles under the blankets. 

The "mama, I love you more than unicorns!"

The days she actually wears matching clothes.

The "mama, this is the best day ever!"

The baking days, both of us in our aprons.

These are the moments I hope to remember.

Luckily, there is much more good than bad. 

The bad just seems to last longer.

weekend

We have had a nice weekend.

It started out having dinner with family.

Always a good start.

Uncle Wayne and Aunt Linda were there. 

2 of my faves.

Love these guys.

Paige and Ken were there too.

They are so in love it is sickening.

Really.

Sickening.

They have a good story.  I will have to ask Paige if I can share here with you.

And Izzy.

We love Izzy.

She is 13 and fabulous.

And us of course.

Then on Saturday we had to go get a pumpkin.

Cause we promised we would.

We were supposed to make a whole day of it.

But it was all rainy and yucky.

So we improvised with the little hardward store down the street.

Then we went home.

Put our jammies back on

ate donuts

drank coffee

and milk

played computer games

and watched the Ryder cup.

It was cozy!

Then on Sunday, we watched more golf, watched football, ate tomato soup, played with Ellie, did laundry, and relaxed.

A nice weekend.  Relaxing.  Peaceful.

**********************************************************************************

Due to rain delays, the singles matches for the Ryder Cup are tomorrow.

Someone I know is getting lots of work done in the morning, so when Ellie is in school, she can park her butt on the couch and watch!

GO USA!!!

did a little craftin'

Out there in the wonderful world of blogland, there are hundreds and hundreds of beautiful homemade banners.

Banners where the women lovingly select the patterns they are going to use, sit down at their sewing machines, and sew wonderful creations.

All the whilst, homemade bread is baking in their ovens, organic fresh vegetables are being canned in their kitchens, their knitting sits patiently by the fire, and outside, chickens are laying their farm fresh eggs.

A girl can get a little jealous of all the homemade goodness.

At least, this girl can.

Especially when she can't sew, or knit, or can, or house chickens.

So!  Instead of trying to join in, Ellie and I went in a totally different direction.

Construction paper baby!

All the way!

And while it may not be as cute or trendy, we sure had fun making it.