Duncan couldn't get in & out of his Remy the Rat from Ratatouille costume, so we had to find another one for preschool. That's my boy: the Wise Man!

I think Duncan's bothered by the feelings around halloween too. He doesn't like scarry or spooky. He wanted to be a Wise Man because "They were nice guys and gave Jesus gifts." Good boy!


These are the only things left of the kids halloween pumpkins. Last night, someone took both and SMASHED them in the street. In driving around the neighborhood, these were the ONLY smashed pumpkins...the ONLY evidence of 'devil's night' in our area. How sad. The kids were thrilled with their pumpkins when we carved them a couple days ago. I hope whoever smashed them knows how sad the kids were...The kids were sad that someone was THAT MAD that they would smash someone else's pumpkins. They weren't really sad over the loss of the pumpkins tho.

Daddy's taking the kids out tonight with Connor's family for their first ever trick or treating. I hope they have fun. I really HATE halloween and EVERYTHING that goes with it...but I like the kids to have fun with dressing up.

Been knitting up a storm...finished Mrs. M's fingerless gloves, I'm almost finished with Mrs. D's market bag & fingerless gloves. Have to make a bag each for the 2 preschool assistant teachers and Gabby's speech therapist. Also working on socks for Steve, a mitten/scarf for me (scarf with a mitten on each end!) and need to START coffee cozies for the in-laws. The cozies are small and should go quickly. :o)

Managed to claim another cashmere sweater to frog for projects. (Frog=rip back to resue the yarn...from 'rip-it, rip-it') I'm big into frogging sweaters these days! Go to the Salvation Army, buy a cashmere sweater for $3 and get 100's of yards of lace weight yarn!! Oh yeah...that's good! I also like getting old cotton sweaters--got a 1980's neon pink one that's now become a market bag for one of the teachers! (With yarn left over for about 4 more projects!) I think that sweater was $4. The only problem with cotton is that it 'unplies'...so you end up with 8 or 10 very thin 'strings' making up the yarn. So far I have not had trouble with that in knitting it...maybe I just know how to knit that way instinctively?!!

Well, looking forward to Thanksgiving...a much HAPPIER time of year! I can't WAIT to put halloween behind us for another year...what a sad, sick 'holiday'...espeically since the word "holiday" actually means "HOLY DAY". Halloween is the polar opposite of holy.

May Jesus bless and PROTECT you during this icky time. :o)

We've had some fun lately...Had friends over and the kids insisted we make the chocolate garbanzo bean cake...Picture one is Gabby "helping" clean the melted chocolate chips!



Then, we got to go to an apple orchard/pumpkin patch with Duncan's class; Gabby came along and had LOTS of fun chasing the 'little' boys. (Duncan outweighs her by about 4 pounds and Connor by about 30 pounds!! But, she's older....!)


Duncan enjoyed the animals but was a bit scared by them too. He loved feeding one of the little kids some hay. I think this Mama Sheep intimidated him!

Connor and Duncan on the playground...on a tractor! They also had "Straw Mountain" and a dirt pile to climb up & down! (Must be NASTY when it rains!!)

We are getting ready to celebrate 4 years of being a family!! AMAZING!!! FOUR YEARS! Yep, Saturday October 25 will be 4 years. Duncan was an only child for 1 night...Gabby wouldn't look at me because I was holding Duncan when we went to pick her up! I'm amazed at how GOOD the kids are and how sweet they can be. Today Gabby decided to take the project box she got as a birthday gift & make all 4 projects for other people: Grandma, Aunt Diane, Alex & Shelby! We are STILL working on things like toilet training, but her heart is in the right place. Duncan is suddenly into BIG hugs and telling me he loves me over & over. Oh, and my favorite, "Mommy, you are the RIGHT mommy for me!" Not sure where it came from, but it's sweet....

Here are 2 hats going out to the Larkin Street Project...homeless teens in San Fransisco. I like the Monmouth hat (blue) better than the Twisted Rib Watchcap (orange)...not the colors but the pattern in general. Duncan loves his Twisted Rib Watchcap tho! (a copy of it is going to SF!)

The birthday girl with her Diamond Castle Barbie!

And, inside the LARGE, ride-inside ball!

Good news--NO MENINGITIS! YIPPEE!! They still drew blood and did a spinal tap but it seems to be a cold mixed with sleeping weird.

Going to the lab for ANOTHER blood draw from Gabby this afternoon. For some reason, she has excess iron in her blood...and it keeps going up! Weird since most kids on growth hormones have or develop low iron/low ferritin levels. The ped won't tell us what might happen if Gabby's levels keep going up. I looked up Hemachromatosis...I think we'll be going for numerous blood draws if this is what Gabby has. Oh joy.....

My back is MUCH better...tho now Duncan, Steve & I all have sinus troubles. :o( Little Miss Gabby is fine, of course!

Need to go knit some more....I'm 2 clues behind on the Mystery Adirondack Knit Along. Oh well!

Blessings,

Laurel

Well, it's been an "interesting" few days...Last Wednesday Connor's little sister, Hannah, turned 3. On Thursday, Gabby turned 6 and "Baby" Dylan turned 2 on Saturday! Sunday both Gabby and Dylan had their parties. Living on a small, dead-end street means limited parking! I'm so glad we were able to 'stagger' the birthday party times!

Gabby had grandma, grandpa, Aunt Sally and all 5 Cadmans over for her party. Aunt Diane sent a BIG gift, which was the HIT of the party...Alex & Shelby's Princess Legos from Disney World!! Man, the girls LOVED it! Gabby's still playing with it 3 days later!!! Amazing!

She also got a Barbie from Barbie & the Diamond Castle and a Sleeping Beauty Barbie...they sleep with her at night. We gave her a Disney Princess book, a new tiny kitty in a carrier, a necklace with nail polish and a new Sleeping Beauty DVD. She made out pretty well.

Monday, I pulled something in my back...OUCH!! Ice for the first 48 hours and now I'm doing heat. I AM loosening up...but it still hurts!

Picked up Duncan & Connor from preschool...they were happy I parked on the grass again! That place has about 70 parking spots...when all 3 preschool classes let out, there is NO parking available because they are also running 3 nursery programs, a few ESL classes and other adult ed stuff!!! So, I use the grass. I SLOWLY made my way to Gabby's classroom door--expecting the teacher to be waiting to talk to me. Um, no...she didn't get my e-mail from yesterday...so she has no idea what's been going on! Oh well...I tell her I'll resend it when I get home.

Drop Connor off & am met by Connor's mom...child number 3 (of 4) has SUDDENLY developed a 102+ fever, has a headache and can't move her head!! Possible meningitis...so Connor & 2 other sisters are being 'farmed out' to relatives for possible overnight stays...if said child ends up hospitalized!!

So, I add THAT information to the other stuff from yesterday's note to send to Mrs. M. Inform Steve...he calls ped & is told to keep the kids (ours) inside & monitor them for symptoms because they had been around the sick child for quite awhile on Monday & Tuesday!!! Oh great! Still have not heard from Mrs. M...don't know what the school policy is regarding possible exposure to meningitis! I'm just glad today is drippy & rainy...the kids don't want to go out. Tho that DOES mean we have some pinging off the walls & stuff...oh well!

Wonder what the incubation time is for meningitis...have to go look that up. Should I send a note to church, telling them we may not be there on Sunday? Should the kids go to school tomorrow? Hope I hear from Jenn soon and I SURE hope it's NOT meningitis!!!

Well, best go knit to take my mind off things...making a REALLY PRETTY scarf out of Katia Magic. I'll post a picture when I'm finished. I'll also add birthday party pictures & video soon....

Enjoy the day.
Blessings,
Laurel