the day was just packed

my seven year-old

chose the theme this year

he is quite fond of "Calvin and Hobbes" at the moment

I was very happy to be Calvin's mom in my bathrobe

(I highly recommend any costume

that incorporates your favorite lounge wear!)

the Coach was the infamous snowman from the cartoon
of course, our girl refused to play a part

here are a few of my favorites

the whole family

scary tiger and sleeping "booty"

hayride!

CalviN and Hobbes...

(aren't they some of the cutest brothers ever?)

popcorn balls

my favorite halloween snack!

INSTRUCTIONS

1 pop popcorn

2 melt caramel

3 combine

4 make into balls

5 eat!

a good lunch

the boys are out
we're having lunch
"Bread and Jam for Frances" style...
a thermos of tomato soup
cream cheese with cucumber on rye
celery and carrot sticks
and black olives
a bunch of grapes
a hard -bolied egg and salt shaker
we are taking a bite of sandwhich, a bite of egg and a sip of soup
then we go around again
I hope it all will come out even!

being your mother

you are my butterfly

wings shining in the sun

flitting to and fro

even the moment in my arms

is gone in an instant

like the wind

I must be ready, waiting

wether you dive or soar

to hold you, lift you

I am here

yearning, learing, to be still

to be your mother

pumpkin carving beach style

the finished product

as we miss out on the changing leaves and first "sweater weather" at home
there are a few pleasures we can still enjoy in 80 degree weather
pumpkin carving!
there are no clothes to get dirty and when we were done?
I just hosed everything off, including the kids!

also, how often do you get to eat dinner around your jack-o-lantern?

the baby said it was scarey...

those knife skills look really natural!

The many faces of new teeth...

"Open Sesame!"

upon arriving at the beach we enter our community through an automatic gate

for years we've been telling the kids that they have to say, "Open Sesame!"

while we quickly type in the code

I was shoked to find this year that

one, my seven year old had told the little ones about the key pad

and two, that I had never told them the story of ali baba and the forty theives!

a little arabian nights for our first night at the beach?

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=what+is+the+story+of+ali+baba+and+the+fourty+theives&page=1&qsrc=0&ab=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.2020site.org%2Frobbinhood%2Falibaba.html

it's a great bedtime story
if you leave out the two wives, 42 deathes, burning oil, sewing up bodies, etc.!

Holiday on the Cape

in two days we leave for an stint on the cape

and I have yet to share pictures from our last stay

fortunately our little spot never changes

and the kids are still just as delightful

we have been so many times now

I keep taking the same photos over and over

so this time no camera!

you'll just have to look at these again