It was a green Halloween in our house.

Growing up we never bought costumes.  We always found what we needed to make them and we were never allowed to be scary.  Them’s were the rules.  Pretty much the same rules apply in my house.  I have mixed feelings about Halloween.  Do I want to encourage celebrating a holiday that is associated with evil and gore?  Not really but do I want to ostracize my kids my not allowing them to have fun with their peers?  Nope.  There will be many times during their lives when they will have to stand for their beliefs.  I’d rather let them have fun and be kids while they can.

So Hannah went as a Recycled Halloween Costume.  She had bits and pieces from different costumes and a recycling sign around her neck.   People though it was clever.

Parker went as Indiana Jones.  I started working on his costume in June as he was into Indiana Jones with the movie coming out.  He had wanted to buy a whip at Walmart for $25 so I made him one for $1.   He had the coat, boots and pants and in the summer we found the scout shirt and water bag at Value Village.  The hat was my grandfathers hat.

Lydia wore the same costume Hannah wore when she was three.  Little Red Riding Hood.  It’s a nice warm fleece cape that Aunt Sarah brought back from Turkey.  When Hannah wore it, Parker was a baby and he went as the Big (little) Bad Wolf. 

I went as the Big Bad Wolf.  I used my butt ugly fur coat that I usually wear with my butt ugly owl hat.  (purchased 5 years ago on Halloween day when I was working at Frenchies)  I wore the same wolf ears that Parker wore.  That fur coat has kept me warm on halloween for five years now.  I’ll have to re-purpose it again next year.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

It’s going to be a productive day.   Went to playgroup today and I wore my orange Great Pumpkin sweater.  Lydia is now watching the classic Charlie Brown movie.  It’s always on late and the kids never get to see it so I downloaded it this morning.  Someone is coming to pick up the sofabed that is taking up space in our basement.  Woohoo.  Then I can rearrange and make a better play area. Cara is coming over to do some card crafting, I am sewing and our girls are going to a middle school Halloween dance. 

I can’t believe I have a child old enough to go to a dance.  I’d love to go and spy.  I’ll post pics later of their costumes.  They are pretty awesome.

I was struck with the stomach flu yesterday.  While we were at playgroup.  Hopefully I didn’t pass it to anyone else.  I started to feel very nauseous so we left early and stopped on the way home for Natural Source Gravol and gingerale.  Not fun to do with three kids in tow and one of them asleep.  The gravol did the trick for a few hours but by 3pm, I was sick.   The extra kids left by 4pm.  I’ll skip the rest of the gory details.  Jeff had to take the older kids to their activities and Lydia stayed home with me.  She climbed in bed to watch Family Channel but said I was yucky so she kept her distance.  Every once in a while she’d say “How you feeling?”

This morning as I packed the kids lunches, she packed hers.  I really didn’t have it in me to argue with her so whatever she wanted, went in her lunch bag.  She did a great job.

We’ve had a great lazy day.  She’s played dollhouse and on the computer.  We watched Alvin and the Chipmunks and had great naps.

Now if only the laundry was done….

So how do busy moms get their crafts done in time for Christmas?  Book the time.  Cara is working on Christmas cards this year and I am making hair clips, doll diapers, a cloth book and pillowcases for gifts.  Last week me made the commitment to craft on Thursday nights.  Jeff takes Parker to judo, drops him off and then goes to watch Survivor with his aunt.  The girls are in bed by 7:30 and Cara gets to escape bedtime at her house.

We have peace and quiet, can chat if we like or watch Thursday night tv while we work.  I think Joanne might be joining us.

 

It’s great knowing we have this time set aside to get these projects done.  We’re both procrastinators.  There are times when I think about getting my stuff out but remember our craft date.  It’s easier to do when you aren’t multitasking.

Ok, I had to come back and post this story.  I used to work as a nanny for Mary Jean.  She is also friends with my mom and they both had breast cancer in 2005.    http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2008/10/21/pe-mammography-irving.html

Mammography unit donated to Charlottetown hospital

Last Updated: Tuesday, October 21, 2008 | 5:00 PM AT Comments7Recommend6

CBC News

Mary Jean Irving presented the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation with a donation of $750,000 on Tuesday for the purchase of a new digital mammography unit.

While the contribution was made on behalf of her company, Master Packaging, Irving said the donation was personal. In 2005 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and told she only had months to live.

She received extensive treatment in Boston, and now that she’s healthy again, she said she wants her hometown to be able to offer the same level of care.

Irving’s donation, paired with the Charlottetown hospital’s fundraising efforts over the last year, means the QEH now has enough money to replace both of its existing mammography units. The two current units use film; one is nine years old and the other is eight.

Machines breaking down

Head of radiology Dr. Kim Hender said both units are in desperate need of replacement. The older machine has been breaking down regularly and is reaching the point where it can no longer be repaired.

The mammography procedure for patients will not change with the new units, but the pictures won’t have to be developed and so will be available more quickly, and it will be easier to move them around for specialists to read.

The new machines are due to arrive in four to six months

Looks like I won’t be blogging much for a while.  My computer is dead and I really despise using a laptop.  Hit the wrong spot on the mouse pad when you are typing and the cursor jumps to another spot.  PITA.  And I don’t have any of my bookmarks or access to photos.  Grrrr

It’s amazing to see a child develop isn’t it?  Usually we see the biggest differences between infanthood and toddler hood.  I can’t tell you how many ways my son has changed in the past year.  I wrote this blog post on the weekend  http://blog.canadianparents.com/sarahnb/2008/10/18/what-has-happened-to-my-kid-alien-abduction/
Today he played in a soccer jamboree.  It was simply for fun and his school had three teams playing so each team played three times.  Parker chose to go in nets.  Yup, the unathletic kid up against a team of wild kids, trying to kick a ball at him.  He caught the ball!! 

I was also speaking with the OT who assessed him this summer.  I told her he was in Judo three times a week and how attentive the instructors are in helping him.  She was very impressed and said if he is doing that then there really isn’t a need for him to have physical therapy to work on body awareness and gross motor.  We’re doing it all through Judo.

At church it’s been mentioned recently how Parker seems to have absorbed so much and anytime they quiz the kids on what they’ve been learning, he has the answers…..now that his sister has moved up in age groups.  He’s also been coming up with obscure questions lately.  It’s interesting to see the things he’s thinking about.

What has happened to my boy? Jeff bought him a book last night, Knights of the Lunch Table: The Dodgeball Chronicles.  Parker has not stopped reading it. It’s a graphic novel and 150 pages. He’s to pg 92.  Seriously I caught him doing Hannah- type stuff today. Like standing in front of the laundry basket that he was supposed to be emptying, and reading. Right now he’s laying in front of the fire place reading while the tv is on 3 ft away.

 

Parker does not have a love of reading like his sister.  It’s near impossible to find books that he will willingly look at let alone read.   Avatar and now Knights of the Lunch Table are really the only books he wants to read.

Here’s a good review and when he’s done, Parker will be giving his own review of the book. http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/09/25….all-chronicles

One of the most dreaded fall chores is sorting through the mittens.  I despise it.  This year I thought why not make a game out of it?  It’s getting colder out and I always have to go digging for mittens for the first time for Halloween night.  So this afternoon I gathered the kiddos and gave them each a basket.  Lydia was to gather the hats, I did scarves, Hannah and Parker were to pair mittens.  All the odds got tossed and all the too small hats and mitts will be donated.

Before- I think we have way too many

Yes we do!

We lost a kid in there.

This is the face of a cheater.  Quite deliberately, while I was explaining the game, Lydia cathered an armload of hats.  She stood by her tote and said “ready, set, go” as she dropped her load into the tote.  Quite proud that she’s young enough to get away with it.

All together now.

It’s more fun with cowboy boots.

End result- 1 basket of mitts, 1 basket of hats and scarves, 1 bag to toss and 1 bag to donate.

Tomorrow’s project- coats and snowpants .  I honestly don’t know how larger families keep it all organized and everyone outfitted.

Lydia is quite enthralled with the changing of the seasons.  At first she was worried about the trees and wanted to fix them by putting their leaves back.  Now she’s excited that when the leaves are gone, we’ll get snow.

And we’ll be ready.

I am so glad to see an end to this story.  http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2008/10/14/pe-fraser-charges.html#socialcomments

 Master Cpl. Robbie Fraser was charged with manslaughter after an incident in Afghanistan.  I’m pretty sure Robbie Fraser went to my high school and therefore would have been in the reserves with my brother and friends.

An accident is an accident and does not equate to manslaughter.  Even Walsh’s wife wanted the charges dropped.

And more PEI news- http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2008/10/06/pe-intercity-bus.html?ref=rss&loomia_si=t0:a16:g12:r4:c0.123139#socialcomments

I also went to school with Caroline Bertram.  She likes to stir things up and she is a get’er done type of person.