Pass the Alka-Seltzer!

What a day! What a week!


Here's Lindsay's first costume of the day!
Would you like fries with that?


Dave gearing up for some exercise trick-or-treating
with Hayden & Lindsay.


Can't believe Hayden is ACTUALLY eating his own creation...
he said he wouldn't...publicly...but he did? Good? Bad?
Hmmm...


I'm sorry -- can't get enough of this cute costume.
It suits him so perfectly. He hums the Indiana Jones
theme music all day long and makes "whipping" sounds.


Lindsay's evening costume: Shawn Johnson, USA.
Mal is a 50's gal handing out candy at the door, no
shoes required.

Mom, recovering from 3 hours with 18 five-year-olds!
I need a long winter's nap -- thank goodness for that
extra hour of sleep when we fall back.
BUT UGH -- now Becca and I are different time zones again!

Plop plop, fizz fizz, oh what a relief it is that all soccer games
were cancelled this weekend!!!

Hello, November. Hello to turkey & stuffing!

Big Enough for Two

I know, I know...it's kinda corny. But look at our fat cat taking over Annie's new bed. I guess it's big enough to share. Yea...Annie is back to normal.

Twas the Night Before Halloween...

...and oh what a day!
Mom said "Let's Go Bowling...it looks kinda gray."

The girls were excited: "Yea! That sounds like fun!"
Why not? It's a surprise, what else to do with no sun?

Homework can wait, we've got things to do.
It's Halloween Eve, we need pumpkin's that BOO!

French fries and soda -- a precursor to dinner?
Still, tri-tip and pugliese still turned out a winner.

Mallory's contemplating...it has to be great.

She wants to create something special for this ghoulish date.


And so they started carving, a halloween delight.

Mallory went crazy, she created a Pumpkin's spooky night.

Lindsay's was more the friendlier type,

While Hayden's mouth is a squigglier sight.

Then we broke out some treats with only 24 hours to go --

If there's not enough candy -- well -- who knows?

Fun night, now we're ready, for all the goblins and ghouls.

That is, if mom, can survive the kindergarten class without looking the fool.

Trick or treat!

Martha...Meet Betty

...Crocker that is!

Baking ala Deborah-style.

Liquid refreshment is essential:


Similar result, less time, fewer dishes!


Healthy breakfast:


And if you burn the baked goods, have a back-up smell:

Pumpkin Pie.

Welcome to my house. Where my motto stands:

K.I.S.S.!!!

(Keep it simple, stupid!) Works for me.

What's for Lunch?

Dave called me to check in this morning. I told him I was mad at him for not leaving me more money. He laughed and told me it was 50%! I said..."Hello...I pay for 4 people, you pay for 1! Where are you eating at lunch, anyway?"

That sparked a thought:

Dave: Are you coming out to work after your drop Hayden off at school?

Deb: Yes. Maybe.

Dave: Are you bringing luuunnnnnncccccchhhhhhh?

Deb: Yup...sprouts on a wheat bun.

Dave: (laughing) Oh, never mind. Don't bother coming, unless you bring Panera. That would be nice.

Deb: Don't expect seeing me unless you have another $100 to put in my wallet.

Who do you think won this one?

Hunger does wonderful things to a marriage.

If you are feeling sentimental...

Please grab your kleenex and take some time to read this beautiful story of incredible love, from so many angles, if you are in the mood to be moved. It is amazingly true, heartbreaking and heartfelt, and will move you to appreciate your life and loved ones in a whole new way.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/10/26/20081026sisters1026a1.html

If you've read it, then you'll get this. I'm the funny sister. (They may not always agree...but still, I'm good at taking a joke, not just making them! i.e. see photo from 40th bday gift from well-intentioned sister. Oops...did I just label?)

Cuz who doesn't want TUCKS for their 40th (even if I need 'em)!


Test driving my new grown up diapers...I can always DEPEND on my sisters!


I relate to Courtney on so many levels. Always trying to lighten the load and wanting to make things right overnight. Maybe that comes from being the oldest sister, but despite what people may think about me, I'm not really so much a fighter as a wrong-righter. (Side note: this very rarely works, but I can't seem to quit, hence I yell at people on the street corner for littering and throwing cigarette butts out the window)! I'm always rooting for the underdog. I'm an action gal, and I have to be doing something, or I'm not doing something...to help. I'm the one who's always trying to say "I love you" but not very good with words, better with actions. These are my good qualities. (This post isn't long enough for the bad ones.)

I'm lucky enough to have two sisters that I don't so much want to label, even though they could probably do that themselves. Since I'm a mother, I can now see and appreciate the intricate beauty of sibling relationships, particularly amongst sisters. As sisters -- we alone are not enough. We together make a whole. We are part of a pie (and who wouldn't want to be!) If something is wrong, a piece is missing. We can all feel it.

I feel lucky to have sisters that I love enough to feel pain when they do; to share in joy and times of celebration; as well as admiring and appreciating one another's differences. As time wears on, I know that we seem to appreciate these differences more and don't allow them to drive us apart, but somehow those differences bring us together. While I may not be good at one thing, I know another will pick up the slack and get the job done. I'm always anxiously awaiting to be touched and inspired by my sisters who know me like no other. That I don't have to explain all of life's dysfunction (not to mention my own) because they already know.

In this there is peace for me. Not having to explain. Or sometimes apologize. Or clarify. Or verbalize. Cuz they already know.

Having sisters, my sisters, is one of my greatest gifts. And today, happily, we are the whole pie.

(P.S. I'm oldest, and I choose custard. No peach, no berry. Forget it...all three...the diet starts tomorrow!)

Ho Ho Ho

Too early for that?

Well, what can I say. I made my once monthly trip to Target and it was just too much to resist. I am not one for crowds, so I'd rather get some of it done now. Is it going to kill me later when I see these toys on sale? You'd think I'd return them for the discount, but that is way to dangerous. I've saved tremendous amounts of money steering cleer of this place in the past year. Too many impulse buys there. Hence, the name Target.

In reality, the countdown in on . It's exactly 2 months from Christmas eve..so y'all better hurry up. Jingle bells are a jinglin'!