HalloWEEK

What a week! This week is still a blur of parties, festivals, costumes and races, but somehow, we made it through. We started the week off with a visit from mom's oldest sister, Aunt Mandy, who fares all the way from Roswell, NM. Aunt Mandy usually comes to visit for Thanksgiving, but this year she is ditching us to go visit the other Seester in Las Vegas. We all know the food will not taste nearly as great there, but whatever...no love lost. Anyhow...she decided to come and visit us in October in lue of her November visit. Lance Armstrong's LiveStrong race was going on downtown, so we made our way there for a quick (very quick for Mandy!) 5K.

Cold and early, but we had a good time. Look how Mandy glistens....

Later that weekend, we all went to the Boo Run in Georgetown. There was another 5K and Family Run going on, and then a kiddie festival following. Kaelan rocked the Kid K. She came in first in her heat (4 and 5 year olds). We ran with her, and at times had trouble keeping up! She did such an awesome job, and even though she was racing, she took the time to point our the changing trees and pretty pond around us!

The week was full of other parties and fall festivals at school, church, the rec center, the park, the post office....you name it....wherever we went, there seemed to be a jumper and free candy abundantly available. Kaelan refused to wear THE COSTUME until is was actually Halloween, so each event, she donned something different from the dress-up box. I didn't get photos of all the get-ups, but this week she was a cat, Captain Hook (for story character day at school), Fire Girl, Super Girl, Cowgirl, and finally the big one.....well, you will just have to wait until the end of the post for THE HALLOWEEN COSTUME reveal.
Mid-week, our good buddies the Boyds came over for our annual Pumpkin Day. We carved our pumpkins, ate some pumpkin yums, and watched our Charlie Brown movie. The kids were less than thrilled about the pumpkin guts, and dad did not help the situation much by drilling holes and reenacting a Gallagher concert. Let's just say Kaelan had pumpkin in her belly button and ears!

Trunk or Treat at a friend's church proved to be a lot of fun for these two. Darian ran into a few walls with his Transformer costume, but he was also very valiant in defending Kaelan's honor and correcting anyone who called her a cowboy. He actually threatened to "transform" all over one boy who kept teasing Kaelan. So sweet.

And now....without further ado, I present THE HALLOWEEN COSTUME.......drum roll, please:

Snow White. I know, I am shocked, too! My little non princessy princess has totally changed her mind regarding the whole anti Disney Princess attitude. You too can intervene on your child's distaste for Cinderella by simply taking her to Disneyland to meet the princess in person. Apparently, this was the turning point, because since our return from California, she once again adores all things princess. FYI: there is still a rubber snake or plastic bug under all those ruffles, so no worries the old Kaelan is fading.

Kaelan interrupted dad's basketball game to request a dance with the king before trick or treating.

Some of the 'hood kid crew

Mom as Balloon Boy's Balloon (see it?)

Love this photo...Kaelan lost her wig mid trick or treating and Darian attempted to help her out. This wig was backwards, and oddly enough made Kaelan looks just like my high school history teacher.

We ended our fabulous week with our annual Halloween in the 'Hood potluck at our house. It was a great evening.....looking forward to next year.

"Punkins"

Pumpkins
When you see me in the fields,

My orange glowing in the sun,

It's time to say goodbye to summer

And hello to autumn fun!!

Our annual trek to the Pumpkin Patch with our friends from the 'Hood was the usual success. The kids were plum worn out after a day of hayrides, petting zoos, tractor fun, games, pumpkin treats, pony rides and numerous other attractions. Fall....my favorite time of year for so many reasons, and the pumpkin patch visit tops the list.

Look at how our little pumpkin has grown here.

Why Tylenol PM is bad.

So, I'm backstage at the Texas State Fair about to perform, and I know it is the Texas State Fair, because somewhere in the distance I see that really tall cowboy guy and a Ferris wheel. Anyhow, there I am with a couple of other gals and Beyonce...YES, that Beyonce! And we are all getting ready to go on stage and Beyonce is trying to shove my head into this GINORMOUS wig and I keep telling her how hot my head is and how uncomfortable the wig is making me, but she just keeps on shoving it on my head but in a nice way, with a warm Beyonce smile.

Then, I am on the stage, with Beyonce and the other gals and we are doing our thing and singing, "All the Single Ladies, All the Single Ladies...." And I am doing my best to sing and dance, but that wig....that WIG! It is so hot! Suddenly, I hear this rrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrr sound and I look up and see this big helicopter moving closer and closer to the stage! I begin to scream in a panic and grab for the large mass of hair my head. "My wig! My wig! The helicopter is going to get tangled in my wig!", I cry out the Beyonce. She just keeps on dancing and singing and the helicopter gets louder and closer....RRRRRRRRR......RRRRRRRRRRRR.

"Girl!", I hear Beyonce say. "Everything is fine." She just keeps on grooving and I slump further and further down on the stage in a furor. RRRRRRRRRRR.....RRRRRRRR. I grab my head and scream..............

Suddenly, I jolt awake and reach up to grab my scalp in a fit of terror, only to find a very happy, slobbering, PURRRRRRRING, cat asleep on top of my head. My tresses were drenched in sweat and cat saliva....hence the whole wig/copter drama.

Man, my one chance to perform with Beyonce, and my cat blew it for me.

Italy in Installments

Days 3, 4 and 5: Orvieto (Vineyard/Wine Country) and The Vatican

Before heading to The Vatican, Doug and I went out exploring parts of Rome we hadn't seen yet. Let's just say Americans exploring a foreign city like Rome may be challenged. In my case, I was an American woman, exploring a strange city with a dude who refuses to a)follow maps and b) ask for directions. If I look unhappy in this photo it is because this little venture had gone 2 hours longer than I had intended (due to getting lost), and mama was hungry for something other than bad pizza.

To his credit, stopping to ask directions did not prove an easy experience. The one time I stopped at a hotel and asked the concierge for help, Doug unknowingly left his Diet Coke (or Coke Light as it is called in Italy) bottle on the desk. When the concierge chased us down to return the bottle, he shoved it at Doug and muttered, "Typical American!". Yep, that's us!

Wish I had better photos of this church. It was located in a little town called Orvieto and it was so impressive. Sadly, I did not get hardly any good pictures of this little town because my battery died just before we got there. It was one of my favorite stops. Adorable little place on a high cliff right smack in the middle of vineyards. We had dinner/entertainment at the neatest place and shopped a bit.

During our stay in Italy, there was a public Papal Address at The Vatican. The big man himself, the main dude, The Pope actually addressed "His dear friends from US Foodservice". Pretty cool....

Here is Doug inside Vatican City. Don't be alarmed, the Eagle has not landed. He did not join the Secret Service, that is just a tour listening device.

Ahh...the art in the halls entering the Sistine Chapel (sorry, again NOOOOO photos!). My head hurt from looking up at all the amazing stuff to see.

Of all the beautiful art I took in that day, this statue inside St. Peter's Basilica was the one that grabbed me. I found myself getting weepy as I stood and stared in awe. Perhaps, it was just the mother hormones kicking in and making me miss my own baby back in the states, but I my heart truly wept for Mary and our God. What an amazing sacrifice! I am so grateful.

Some random shots of Doug and I at The Pantheon at night. HUGE! Just the lettering on the outside was 7 feet tall.

Day 6 and 7: Tivoli and Ancient Roman Bath House and tour of Cardinal's Mansion

Just a few shots from our tour of a Bath House from around 200 A.D. and a Cardinal's Mansion near Tivoli.

The only thing Kaelan requested we bring her back from Italy was some rocks and seashells. This seemed an easy task until she stressed the importance of the rocks/seashells being something really special. So, I tell you now that I probably broke many international laws
and could end up in an Italian jail, but I made sure I brought my daughter back some special rocks. She not owns pieces of hand carved marble from this historical bath house. I would like to see any of you top that souvenir with a T-shirt or snow globe.

Though I could probably duct tape you to a chair and show you hours of photo footage from our fab trip, I will stop here. I had a great time with my wonderful prince and though international travel is adventurous...there really is no place like the great U.S. of A!

Rome....if you want to.

Well the posts will be quite out of order, but here goes the play by play on our recent trip to Italy. It was a most enjoyable trip, and all the fears of dying mid-flight did not keep me from having a fabulous time. My thanks go out to a wonderfully patient husband who calmed all my nerves by taking every necessary precaution (just in case my plane went down over the Atlantic or I was kidnapped by angry Italians demanding the recipe to my mother's yummy spaghetti) AND thanks to a certain President of US Foodservice wife who gave me that magic little pill to aid in my pleasant carpet ride home (wink, wink).

Day 1: ROME TOUR

The first full day in Italy was spent seeing all the amazing places around the city. There were so many places we saw that day, but a few of the highlights were The Colosseum, Trevi Fountain (where I witnessed my first pick-pocketing), The Spanish Steps.....and that was only the tip of the iceberg on stops. Stunning!

Day 2: FLORENCE

See this tall building? See the little viewing deck at the very tippy top? Would you believe there are 536 steps to get to that tippy top? How do I know that interesting fact, you ask? Well, BECAUSE I CLIMBED EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE COTTON PICKING STEPS. That is how!

I guess we should taken the clue when the tour guide told us she had lived in the city for over 30 years and had once tried to climb those stairs only to get 100 steps in and have a panic attack. You see, not only are there 536 steps, there are 536 steps that wind around and around and the space becomes smaller and tighter with each flight. By the end of the climb, you are literally on hunched over with walls all around you closing in, much like being birthed all over again. But, oh, oh......here is the best part that NO one told us about. Not only are you dying, claustrophobic and desperate to get out by the time you near the top, you now have to figure out how to get by the people coming back down the stairs!!! That's right, the last 150 stairs have two way traffic and enough room for a only one small toddler to pass. Good times!

Here, in the first few hundred steps, Doug looks hopeful as he counts stairs.

One of the more "breathable" portions of the tunnel of doom.

Okay...the views were worth it.

When alas, we touched ground once again, Doug was overcome with joy...he dropped to his knees and kissed the ground....and frightened many tourists in the area.

Other highlights of Florence include:

Visiting the Statue of David (sorry, NOOOO PHOTOS! as the Italian guards told us over and over). We also went to the replica of David in his original location.

Shopping

Lunch in an awesome square with statues all around

Churches...Italy has a LOT of these, and they are beautiful!

The Birthday Day O' Party

Here are a few of the party highlights. Some of these make my skin crawl.....but our little bug had the bestest time!

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