Tuesday, October 20, 2009



We have an old smelly cat.


She has been relegated to my home office space and the back entryway because she is old. And smelly.


Needless to say, my office now often smells smelly. And old.


A few nights ago, my husband comes in with one of those stick (literally) brooms that smells like cinnamon. They put them out around this time every year through Christmas.


I always make fun of them.


So, he SAYS he bought it because it will make my office smell better -- you know, less like an old smelly cat. However, it is nearing Halloween. Somehow, I think this broom had a different message intended for me.


You be the judge:





(FYI-it now smells more like Big Red gum in my office and less like a smelly old cat. This may be more conducive to working. It remains to be seen...)

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Friday, October 16, 2009, 8:21 p.m.


This year is Ella's first REAL Halloween. I mean, she was around last year, but she SO.DIDN'T.GET.IT.

This year she might not get the whole Halloween thing, but she does know that she's excited to have a Bee-Bug (translation: Ladybug) costume. That's all that is important right now.

I was so excited to sign Ella up for her first REAL Halloween party at our Gymboree that we attend. It was tonight. We got Ella ready and then Todd and I painted our faces (me: a bee-bug, him: a bee), donned antennae and off we all flew.

Did I mention how excited I was? So was Ella. Here she was at home "flying like a bee-bug" before the party:

Sidebar: You know how your gut tells you something but you just ignore it sometimes hoping that it will go away? When Ella got home from school, my gut was telling me that this was going to be too much for a 20 month old. She was just coming off an ear infection, she still had some sinus drainage, and school then a party made for a long day for a baby.

Remember this gut feeling...

So we get to the party and it was packed.

FUN! YAY!

Ella runs around.

FUN! YAY!

Ella climbs some stuff.

FUN! YAY!

Ella pukes in the middle of the crowded floor. And then pukes again. And then pukes some more.

FUN! YAY!

I sit in the middle of the crowded party and scrub puke off the carpet while everyone watches.

FUN! YAY!

And then Ella feels much better.

Although by then we had been labeled the "H1N1 kid" and we parted the sea of people like Moses wherever we went.

We left early.

On the way out I felt SO DISAPPOINTED. I felt disappointed for her. I felt disappointed for us. I looked at Todd and said, "It's so sad that she felt this way on her first ever Halloween party." To which he replied?

"Yeah, well, sometimes you just have to party 'til you puke. Then it's time to go..."

Enjoy this post? Nominate it for BlogHer of the Week. (It'll make me feel warm & fuzzy...)

Thanks to Michelle for this little gem of a test.

You Are a Werewolf

You're unpredictable, moody, and downright freaky. You seem sweet and harmless, until you snap. Then you're a total monster. Very few people can predict if you're going to be Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde. But for you, all your transformations seem perfectly natural. Your greatest power: Your ability to tap into nature Your greatest weakness: Lack of self control You play well with: Vampires

What Kind of Monster Are You?

(In case you were wondering: This assessment? TOTALLY on.)

DANG! THIS was the blow-up costume I was going to wear for Halloween:

Or, was this one of those photo-op cardboard stand-ups that you walk behind and put your head on?!?!

Huh. I guess size DOESN'T always matter...

(And, dude, like, seriously, a sock would do wonders...)

A BIG CREEPY MAN (BCM) was just in the store. And, I emphasize BIG MAN (big enough and strange enough for me to actually consider that if he wanted to build a sacrificial alter in my back room with me as the offering that I would probably lose).

Strange Occurrence #1: Deep throaty pscyhotic laughter coming from back, non-fiction room. Creepy enough that I was afraid to go back there and see what it was all about. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me:

BCM: You know, looking at the self-help section, I just realized that it's all a crock. All of the people with the highest self esteem are the psychopaths and serial killers.
ME: HM. Never quite thought of it that way.
_____

Strange Occurence #2: BCM comes to the front of the store.
BCM: You know, I was just wondering if Barbara Bush ever considered aborting George and if she's sad that she didn't follow through with it.
ME: HM. I certainly hope not. I wouldn't want anyone to abort anyone else.

WTF

_____

Strange Occurence #3: BCM looking at our flyers for our Halloween Party.
BCM: So, are you celebrating the traditional Halloween here?
ME: HM. What do you mean?
BCM: You know, celebrate the season of darkness and cold with hollowed-out, lighted pumpkin heads guiding the way from house to house as you ask for fat for the feasts of the spirits.
ME: *blink*blink*blink*
ME: Er, was there a question in there somewhere?!?


The freaks come out this time of year, they surely do...