Post-Halloween NaNoWriMo Crankfest

Yesterday was a blast. I haven't enjoyed Halloween this much in years. Mid-day I was stressing like I said I wouldn't, chasing perfection, trying to do my kids right, gearing up to totally freak out, and then it happened. I saw the look on my son's face: pure joy.

It was one of those a-ha moments. A solid reminder that it's not about the costume. Two year olds don't care what they're wearing on Halloween. They don't care if you have enough candy on hand or that you've not yet taken the time to hide unsightly lawn tools. They just love the show of it. Little eyes delight over bright, shiny miracles, a cookie shoved in a tiny fist with permission to indulge, the sensation of pumpkin guts squishing over the places where little fingers meet little hands.

We had a ton of fun carving pumpkins, baking cookies, trick-or-treating, and exploring candylicious delights. Then, after a good ten minutes spent coaxing Joe to relinquish his pumpkin full of Halloween booty, we managed to get the kids to sleep well before nine.

At this point, Dennis and I were pleased as punch for the opportunity to lounge around with Brian, who gracefully turned 24 on Halloween, and watch a silly Sandra Bullock movie. Brian ate a piece his birthday cake and drank some milk, scratching his fork on a plastic McDonalds Hercules plate as the movie churned on. We pretended to agree that he wasn't doing it on purpose.

I made a point not to drink beer and have adult fun last night because today, after all, is November One; the first of November is the start of National Novel Writing Month, and I knew it would be a long day. We went to bed at a decent hour.

Best laid plans.

I stayed awake in bed until well after midnight simultaneously batting about two possible plots like cat toys with hidden catnip, and beating myself up over not being able to decide on a plot. I had very much wanted to have my plot mapped out by this point, complete with three acts, at least two disasters and full dossiers on my major and minor characters.

I don't have any of this.

I've started and stopped creating what I need nearly a hundred times. I don't know if it's due to lack of experience, or plots and characters that reek, but I keep changing my mind. What I'm left with are incomplete ideas, plot points left unjustified, one stereotypical character that I can't bring myself to fire, and, since I woke up at five a.m. and couldn't fall back to sleep, less than five hours' sleep under my belt.

Why do I do this to myself? I must subconsciously prefer a difficult existence. I get angry at myself when I don't sleep. Baggy, dark eyes gloat their evidence that I wasn't strong enough to battle down the yapper in my head, the worrier who intentionally tries to ruin everything by coaxing my body away from sleep, hobbling my brain, and betraying those who need me.

Stay awake. There is no time for you to rest—not yet.

I know I've mentioned before that I don't do well on fewer than eight solid hours per night. The walls breathe, voices sound lower and slower, my head folds over on itself.  Everything's too bright, too loud, and to quote Jim Morrison, "women seem wicked". I should be bright and happy this morning. My family deserves that.

But no. I'm as cranky as I've ever been. My kids are as perky and happy as they've ever been. My husband has never been more trepidatious of the wild look in my eyes. But somehow I'm closing in on 700 words, nonetheless. Only 900 more to go. Today. Not counting this blog post.

Rock on!

Here are some Halloween pics to share with you. I hope you had a wonderful Halloween. I'm already looking forward to next year. :)

[caption id="attachment_1250" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Dennis, Dennie, Joe and Brian Friday night at Red Robin for Brian's birthday dinner."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1251" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Brian laughing at the fart card Joe picked out for him, and Joe feeling happy that Brian liked his card."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1248" align="alignnone" width="200" caption="Joe's first Halloween pumkin. He drew the face on himself, and I cut it out for him."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1249" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Joe and Brian and I making short work of our pumpkins."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1252" align="alignnone" width="199" caption="Lily in her witch hat."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1254" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Dennis and Joe setting up the front yard."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1255" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Our Halloween display"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1256" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Brian's Sleepy Hollow masterpiece of a jack-o-lantern"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1257" align="alignnone" width="200" caption="Joe Joe and Dennis trick or treating"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1258" align="alignnone" width="199" caption="Joe Joe and Mommy trick or treating"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1259" align="alignnone" width="200" caption="Joe shows off his Halloween candy haul"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1261" align="alignnone" width="199" caption="Dennis and Joe relaxing before bed"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1262" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Lily and Brian were so cute laughing together Halloween night"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1260" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Brian helps Lily to enjoy one piece of her Halloween candy"][/caption]

Creative inspiration takes flight at the Kephart compound

The other day the kids and I were playing with those funky little comb toys that stick together (I know, I know, my son will grow up thinking everything is called "that thing" "the stuff" or "that whatchamacallit over there by the deal") and I thought, "Why not make this an educational moment?" Yes, Gina, I realize that pretty much all moments are educational moments, but I mean like a REALLY educational moment that involves like, LETTERS and stuff like that for the improvement of the stuff in that thing. (The brain.)
So I thought, "Why not start out with a 'J' and teach Joe how to spell his name?" I poked my tongue out and, with the intense focus of a surgeon, after a mere fifteen minutes I had managed to craft a semblance of a "J" impressive enough to be called "a-h-rt". Damn, I'm good.

[caption id="attachment_1093" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Backwards J"][/caption]

But hmm, something seems wrong here. Joe said, "Ohh, a J...", so I could tell his toddler brain was soaking up the lesson. A-ha! I've got it! I think "J" 's are supposed to face the other way! More like this...

[caption id="attachment_1096" align="alignnone" width="199" caption="The Letter J"][/caption]

There, that's better. :-D (As you can see, Miss Lily is oh-so-impressed by her Mommy's teaching abilities.) And while we're at it why not strategically place one more little plastic comb thingy dealmabob on the long part of the stuff and really hit this "J" thing out of the ballpark?!?

[caption id="attachment_1098" align="alignnone" width="199" caption="Capital J Alphabet Toys"][/caption]

Perfect! Joe and Lily were really impressed as well.

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Emboldened by my giant leap forward in the field of educational play, yesterday I decided to further enrich my childrens' lives with some holiday crafting fun in the form of rice art.

What you will need:
Construction Paper
Elmer's Glue
Rice (the cheaper the better!)

Here's the idea. Whip out a sheet of construction paper. Feel proud that you remembered to purchase construction paper the other day to have on hand for these brilliant bursts of creative recollection*. (*I can't say inspiration as I saw this technique demonstrated while web surfing the other day.) Whip out your glue and draw something.

In spirit of the upcoming Halloween holiday I chose to draw a spiderweb, although I find spiders to be vile, venemous little freaks of nature.

[caption id="attachment_1100" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Halloween Kid Crafts Spiderweb"][/caption]

Yes, I realize spiderwebs are not square. Err... I realize that now. Work with me here. Then gently place rice on your drawing, covering all of the glue. I mean just blanket that sucker. Overdo it. This is where a lot of the fun is!

[caption id="attachment_1101" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Halloween Craft Rice Art"][/caption]

At this point, take a moment to sprinkle rice upon your child's noggin in the manner of gentle rain. Wonder if you should feel guilty about this, then shake it off and move on.

[caption id="attachment_1102" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Fun With Babies"][/caption]

Gently pick up the construction paper and dump the excess rice back into your rice container, and viola! Rice art!

[caption id="attachment_1104" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Halloween Kids Craft Spiderweb"][/caption]

Joe & Lily had fun with their own creations. :)

[caption id="attachment_1105" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Joe the craft kid"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1106" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Joe rice art"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1107" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Lily baby crafting"][/caption]

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Later in the day Joe had a little burst of creative inspiration of his own. We left him in the bathroom to bask in the afterglow of pooping on the big boy toilet (YAY!!!), but I soon realized that it had grown quiet, too quiet, in there. I opened the door and...

[caption id="attachment_1108" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Joe's panty liner art"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1109" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Joe's panty liner exhibit"][/caption]

There are but a few moments in my life that have driven me to stunned silence. This was one of them.

Happy Friday! Wishing you a great weekend! Huggles, Heather xo

Our day at the pumpkin patch/apple farm

I don't know if any group of people looks forward to Fall the way desert folks do. We're perfectly willing to drive an hour or more for the privilege of resting our eyes upon a tree, a real tree. And if a leaf should happen to fall off that tree and gracefully float in our general direction it's enough to set our season-starved souls aglow. That's one of the reasons the pumpkin patch/apple farms of Oak Glen, California are such a draw. All the pumpkins and apples are just a bonus.

My husband and I (The Bitter Half) packed up Joe Joe and Lily and headed up there with the best of intentions. We had a ball. But next time we'll know that there is in fact a parking area on top of the mountain and this will make all the difference. Sigh. That and we need to get there first thing in the morning if we want to net ourselves some Arkansas Blacks.

Oh, and I have to tell you that I picked up a prairie hat for Lily. I saw a little girl wearing one and just had to have it for her. I had Joe Joe model it for a photo, much to The Bitter Half's chagrin.

Here are a few photos to share. Wishing you a beautiful and peaceful Sunday.












All photos in this post © Pickles and Poo 2008. All Rights Reserved.