Blogging?

Question: Will I ever blog again?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Will it be tonight?

Answer: No.

Unless you count this.  Which I don't.

Life has been a bit hectic lately, and I've had to put some of the everyday things of life (mothering, cleaning, editing, more cleaning) in front of blogging.  I know, reality sometimes really gets in the way of the good stuff.  Like blogging.  Hopefully tomorrow I'll be back.

Grandparent Eye Candy

As I mentioned a few posts ago, we ventured out Monday night to get pictures of all four kiddos.  Despite the fact that they were tired, hungry, and the studio was running late, we got some pretty good shots!

I think it's pretty safe to say that I have the cutest kiddos in the world.  Just not when all four are together, because the shot of all four of them?  Yeah, that was the best of the bunch.  Yikes.  Oh well, maybe in four or twenty-seven years I'll get a good picture of all of them together.  They won't be as darling then, but what are ya gonna do?

In case you're wondering, we didn't buy all of these poses.  I just, um, borrowed them from the website link they sent me.  Yeah, that's it.

 

This one? Yeah, he was a real stinker.  It is HARD to get two year olds to cooperate for pictures.

 

  

Josh, however, was fully cooperative because we bribed him with hot chocolate with marshmallows.  Totally worth it.

 

 

 

  

I love how chunky Tess looks compared to everyone else!

  

And then there's Mr. Spencer, most cooperative and photogenic child ever.  He would have been good even without the promise of hot chocolate with marshmallows.

 

 

 

Why only two pictures of Tess?  These were the only ones in all 397 taken of her where she was smiling.  She does have a 'deer-in-the-headlights' look down pat, though.

Happily Better After!

Do you read the blog Better After?  You totally should.  The writing is witty and the furniture/home transformations she shows are awesome.  It totally makes me want to redo all the furniture in my house. 

Especially my kitchen table.  Oh, the things I'd do to that table if I had the money and time...

Anywho, last week Better After had a giveaway for a $75 gift certificate to Attiser, and I won!!  Woo-hoo!!

Now I just have to decide what Santa will be giving me from Attiser this year... what a great problem to have!

Ward Conference Irony

Today was our ward conference, which meant that Sacrament meeting was extra long.  This also meant that the boys - especially COLE - were extra hard to deal with.

I'm not sure how, but even kids who can't tell time know when a meeting has gone on longer than usual.

Not only did I have to wrestle with Cole for basically the entire meeting, but I also got to experience the wonderful irony of dragging him out, kicking and screaming, as the Stake President spoke about how when he had young children he sometimes wondered why they went to church.

*Clarification: Cole was the one kicking and screaming, not me.  Although I sure felt like it.  Rotten toddler!*

Anwyho, Amen, President Ellis.  Sometimes I really do wonder why I'm going to church because I am certainly not getting anything out of it.  I know President Ellis went on with some really good analogy about why we still go to church with little kids, but I didn't really get to hear any of it because of the little caged animal I was dealing with.

In other news, Josh has apparently become a minor celebrity within the ward for his antics during the Primary Program last week.  The bishop even singled him out during his talk today. 

This is most awesome.  Mainly because Josh hates notoriety.  Maybe this will teach him to behave better during next year's program.

Probably not.

Awards from Stalkers

Every once in a while I'll have some random person either email me, comment on my blog, or even find me face-to-face and tell me that even though we don't know each other they stalk my blog and love it. 

I love these stalkers.

Every once in a while I'll have some random person will either email me, comment on my blog, or find me face-to-face and try to get me to give them my social security number, my mother's maiden name, or a lock of my hair.

I hate those stalkers.

Okay, just so we're clear - that last little bit was a total lie.  I've never had a scary stalker.  But I really do have a few bloggie stalkers, and they are nothing but fun.  Especially when they flatter me.  I wish I really could get to know them all in real life.  You know, so they could flatter me in real life.  (Just kidding!)  (Kind of!)  Could we have a big Blogging Stalker Conference, where little bloggers like us could meet everyone we've met online in person?  Move over, BlogHer, the BSC is movin' in!  (Between this and the mom-hospital I mentioned the other day, I'm really on a roll!)  (How is it that I'm not a millionaire yet?)

Anywho,  I met one of these friends just the other day.  (Okay, maybe a week ago, but I'm only now getting around to this post because I really wanted to have time to give it justice.)  Her name is Anna, of the blog annadotes.com. (Don't you dig the name?!)  I'm not sure how Anna found my blog, but I'm glad she did.  Any girl who admits to eating 5 Double Stuffed Oreos for breakfast is a girl I want to know.  Anna awarded me with a coveted Tell Me About Yourself Chain Letter Award, which I am only to happy to accept right now.

Only instead of telling you seven normal things about myself, I think I'll tell you seven unusual things.  This might be a bit difficult because let's face it - there's not much I haven't talked about on this blog.  Let's go.

1. I love grape-flavored candy.  But not just any grape candy - Japanese grape-flavored candy.  It tastes nothing at all like a real grape. (Just like American grape-flavored candy, but whatever.) The first time I had it when I was a kid I wondered if anyone in Japan had ever seen a real grape, let alone tasted one, because that is not how grapes taste.  But the more I had the more I liked it.  Man, it's been a long time since I've had Japanese candy.  I need to make a little trip over to the Asian Market this week... Wait, why did I seemingly have so much Japanese candy when I was a kid?
2. I took Japanese in Kindergarten through 2nd grade.  I went to an international magnet school in Raleigh, NC for those grades.  We got to choose electives to take, and I chose Japanese.  Why?  I think because my uncle had just gotten back from a mission in Japan, so it seemed like a good idea. Plus, the teacher gave us candy.
3. I hate fake birds.  No wait - I think I've mentioned this before on my blog.  Well, it bears repeating.  I hate fake birds, with their beady little eyes and pointy little beaks.  My mom used to put fake birds on the tree and on this big vine in our house and I hated it.  It felt like they were all staring at me.  One year she turned them all to face me while we ate Christmas dinner, and everyone teased me while those wee bitty eyes stared. My mom was obviously the world's best teacher - now you know where I get all of my "worst mom in the world" tactics. (Haha!)
4. I still get really sad when Dr. Green dies on ER.  I mean, sad.  Like actual tears and stuff.  Not that I watch that part all the time, but every once in a while I'll break out my DVD collection and go to town.  And there's Dr. Green (a.k.a. Goose, a.k.a. Anthony Edwards) dying in Hawaii with his rotten teenage daughter being all whiny, and then "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole starts playing and I just can't handle it.  *sniff*sniff* Oh Dr. Green!  You left us too early!
5. I wish I could write like Charles Dickens.  I mean, really, I wish I could write like Charles Dickens.  Because he was a true master.  The more I read him, the more I am amazed at what a wonderful wordsmith he was.  Forget Shakespeare.  Well, no, don't forget him - he was pretty hot stuff too, as far as pretty phrases and awesome plots go.  But Mr. Dickens!  How I am beginning to love you!  My kindle clippings folder was full of awesome quotes from his books, but somehow most of them got erased.  But here are two of my favorite that I remembered: "for it is good to be children sometimes, never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself." A Christmas Carol  "Those extraordinary voices with which silence teems." Great Expectations  You, Mr. Dickens, sir, ROCK. 
6. I've had "It's Not About the Money" by Jessie J and "All the Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" by Beyonce in my head for the past three days.  Oh, and "Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5.  Where did they come from?  Who knows.  Wait - I just now put it together.  (No, really.)  Aerobics.  All of these songs are prominent at aerobics.  Ah, now I feel better.  Perhaps #7 should be about how I'm not always so quick on the uptake lately...
7. Actually, that is what number seven is about.  See, I used to be smart.  And I remembered things.  Everything.  I mean, yeah, I'd have my moments like everyone else, but really - growing up I was the smart one with the day planner.  That was my thing.  I was on the ball, could always be depended on.  And now, four kids later?  I can barely remember my kids' birth dates when they ask for them at the pediatrician's office.  (No really, I have to stand there and really think about it for a second.)  In the last month or so I have forgotten several important events.  Like the Primary Program practice.  I know, seriously, right?!  ME?  Forgetting THAT?  The irony.  And I totally blew off a birthday party that Josh was supposed to go to.  Big oops.  And there was something else that I forgot, but now I honestly cannot remember what that was.  My only explanation is that my kids are zombies, because they have each taken a rather large chunk of my brain and eaten it. 

Okay, so now I'm supposed to pass this award on to 15 other blogs.  Yeah, that's not gonna happen.  But I will pass it on to a few.  Not that I'm gonna email them about it, because it's late and we've spent all day painting a bathroom and fixing a wobbly toilet.  (Don't ask.)  If they read it on here, great.  If not, well, that's not the end of the world.

First, Karlea Carruth.  Perhaps this will get you in the blogging mood again, Karlea?  Fun fact: Karlea and I had a professor in college who used to mess up our names all the time and actually called us "Marlea" more than once.  Awesome.

Second, my dad, of the famous EMR's Ruminations.   Because he's been spending the week in Florida, living it up in places like Harry Potter World.  Nevermind that I'm stuck here in Indiana and that I'm the bigger Harry fan.  He should just have to do something, is all I'm sayin'... (Love you, Dad!)

Third, Janene, as in the wife of The Great David.  (That's what his name says in the ward directory - really.)  (Wait - I just checked it and it doesn't anymore.  That's too bad, David.  When did you get demoted?)  Anywho, Janene and her husband are now Josh's primary teachers.  That in itself deserves a medal, not a chain letter blog thingy.  But hey, life's not fair.  And I want to know more about Janene!

Pre-K Pictures and Sibling Pictures

I know I've posted in the past about how I don't believe in buying school pictures.  I'd link to these posts but I'm too tired and lazy to go find them right now.  So, long story short: they're always outrageously overpriced and my kids tend to look goofy in them.

Case in point:

Sorry for the poor image quality, but we only got the tiny proof of the picture.  Plus, I was too lazy/tired to scan it and just took a photo instead.

Oh mercy.

I have already had three different moms tell me that it was worth buying the class photo just to see Josh's expression.  I guess I should have believed him when, on picture morning, I asked him how he was going to smile and he said, "I'm NOT going to smile.  I'm going to go like this."  And he made that exact face.

My children are nothing if not entertaining.

In other, slightly related news, I've been putting off having portraits taken of the kids.  But Tess is an ADORABLE six months old now, and I always get portraits taken around then.  So I went crazy and set up an appointment for this coming Monday night for all four of them.  I've found Tess the cutest dress ever and all of the boys just happen to have outfits that will match it.  It was meant to be!

Except, as always happens when I schedule pictures, everyone decides it is time to do something to their face.  For example, Mr. Josh developed a very weird rash/scab on his chin last night:

It's like a cross between a rug burn and a bunch of cold sores.  Very weird.  And of course he refuses to let me put anything on it because he claims all the medicine hurts him.  Punk kid.

Then there's Mr. Cole, who has had a slight rash on his face since Saturday.  It's nothing dramatic like Josh's; it's just a run-of-the-mill toddler rash that doesn't even warrant putting anything on it.  Except that he's so fair it makes him kinda look like he has shaving burn.

Okay, you can't really see it in this photo, but trust me - it's there.

And finally, Miss Tess, who decided to wake up with a gummy eye this morning.  I figured it was from a cold she was working on, because that's happened to my other kids in the past.  No biggie.  Except the eye was kinda swollen by this evening.

Gosh dang it.  I have a pirate baby.  AARRRGGHH, matey!

I've put some antibiotic ointment on it that the pediatrician gave us when she had blocked tear ducts; hopefully that will help clear things up.  But I wouldn't be too surprised if we had a fun and rather unexpected pediatrician appointment tomorrow.

What about Spencer?  Well, so far he's the only one who doesn't have anything unusual on his face.  Yet. 

I'm not holding my breath - there's a lot that can happen between now and Monday.

Pre-K Thanksgiving Feast

Today was Josh's Pre-K Thanksgiving Feast.  We all got to go down to his preschool and listen to the kids sing several Thanksgiving songs (way cute).  Then we enjoyed eating Friendship Fruit Salad (everyone brings a couple of pieces of fruit to pitch in) and some cookies.

My camera, as I have mentioned, is not doing so great, so I didn't get any good "action" shots of Josh in the program.  But trust me, he was awesome.  (Maybe not Darth Vader awesome, but that's okay.)

But I did get this shot of Cole, who was quite upset once his fruit salad was all gone.

And one of Daddy and Tess.  Daddy needs to have his phone surgically removed from his ear.

Here come the turkeys!

This was the best shot I could get of Josh.  He wasn't putting that cookie down for anyone.  Turkey.

Let us take a moment to reflect upon how Josh was doing in preschool around this same time last year.  He's certainly no angel (his teacher told me the other day that he's having a hard time lately following the rules), but he has vastly improved in most areas.  He'll even wear a smock now!

Typical Friday

I took this picture last Friday but forgot to post it.

This is a pretty typical afternoon in my house.  Tess in on the counter in her bumbo seat, trying to pull her socks off for 37th time.  Cole is on the floor, unsuccessfully using the dustbuster to clean up all the flour he threw down there while we made cookies.  And Josh is pretending to be a dog because he thinks dogs get to eat more cookies than little boys.  (Not quite sure where that logic came from...)

Actually, this is not typical.  The kitchen is generally much messier, but I had just finished cleaning it up a little.

The flour eventually got swept up, the doggie ran away (cookieless and sad), and Tess got to be put on the floor, sans pants, which is her favorite mode of dress lately.

Good night, those thighs are chubalicious. No wonder she doesn't want to hide them under pants!
 

Vicious Cycle

I am caught in a vicious cycle, my friends.  A germ cycle.

Child A brings home a nasty little germ and passes it on to child B, C, or D, or some combination thereof.  Then I take care of them, wiping their noses, cleaning up their *ahem* messes, and nursing them back to health.  This wears me out, making me extra-susceptible to whatever germ is parading around our home.

I get sick.  But no one's around to take care of me.  No one wipes my nose or cleans up my messes or nurses me back to health.  (Okay, someone else wiping my nose would be weird.)  In fact, it seems to me that children tend to be extra naughty/messy/demanding when I am sick.  So instead of resting and recovering, I wear myself ragged and just try to make it through the day, which drags the cold out, making it far worse than it needs to be.

Then child B brings home another germ.  It might make child B sick or it might not.  It also may or may not make the other kiddos sick.  But since my immune system is already compromised, this little germ wreaks havoc on me. 

And once again, I wear myself out trying to keep up with the demands of regular life.  And just when I start to feel a little bit better I go somewhere public, like church.  Or my kiddos go to school.  Or I have to go grocery shopping. All of these places, from October through April, are pretty much germ soup, and my body can't handle it.

My immune system is toast.

And thus the cycle continues.

No one told me that having kids could literally make you sick.  All the time.  I guess it's one of those nasty little secrets no one talks about for fear of scaring you out of having more kids.  Well, I'm breaking the silence.  Beware!!  Beware!!

All I want to do is hide in bed all day and sleep and try to breath and watch my Hulu queue.  But I can't, because everyone needs to go here or do this and the house is a mess and the laundry needs to get done and dinner has to be made.

What we need, people, is a hospital/hotel where moms can go to recuperate.  Private rooms, big fluffy beds, room service, maid service, and free WiFi.  A couple of days in there and I'd break through this cycle and get back into the swing of things, full force.  Anyone want to go into business with me and create one of these?  We'd make millions, I'm sure.  We could call it a "mompital".  Wait, that's stupid.  "Mom's Time Out"?  Or "Mom's Hiding From You So She Can Get Better, So Quit Trying To Call Her So She'll Come Home And Make You A Snack/Find The TV Remote/Drive You To Preschool".  There we go.

Primary Program With Special Guest Star: Darth Vader

Today was the ward's Primary Program.  It was awesome mainly because I didn't have to do anything for it.  (No, it was awesome all on it's own.  But also because I had nothing to do with it.)

It was also awesome because Lance was sick today.  Wait, it wasn't awesome that Lance was sick.  But it was awesome that he chose today to be sick because it meant Spencer and Josh were in front of the congregation for most of the time.

But the most awesome part?  Darth Joshie made an appearance.  Yes, Joshie, the child who still hides behind me in terror during new (or sometimes even routine) social situations, decided to make his presence known during the program.  No, he didn't quote Darth Vader (which, I'm afraid to admit, would have been EVEN MORE awesome) (!!!).  Instead, he decided to breath into the microphone like Darth Vader.  Repeatedly.

Then he said his part about the Word of Wisdom.  He was said something along the lines of (emphasis added where he added it) "The Word of Wisdom says you shouldn't drink coffee or BEER.  You should eat APPLES.  Your body is a temple and you should keep it CLEAN."

You can imagine the humor in a five year old speaking about beer and apples in Sacrament meeting.

It was also humorous for anyone who knows Josh, because that child is a junk food/candy/non-healthy food addict.  The irony of him preaching to us about eating healthily was not lost.

All I could do was smile, shake my head, and think something along the lines of (in a Hank Hill voice) "That boy ain't right."

I'm just glad the congregation found it as amusing as I did.

Monster Pants & Non-sequiter

A while ago I found an idea on Pinterest for how to mend holes in the knees of little boy jeans.  Tonight I decided to try it out:

 

 

Pretty awesome, right?  I mean, what little boy wouldn't want a monster on his knee?  I used an old red maternity shirt for the mouth and some white wool felt for the teeth and eyes.  We'll see how well it holds up in the wash; but even if it's only for a few washes I'd say that it was worth it.  (It wasn't hard to do at all.)

Okay, and now it's time for a total non-sequiter.

Josh brought home an awesome three-eyed gingerbread man from preschool.  I took a picture of it, uploaded it to my computer, and opened up Picasa.  Lately Picasa has been doing some quirky things to my photos, as if it thinks it knows what I want to do with my photos.  It'll automatically change photos to black and white or give it a glow or even put in very wrong captions that I've used in other photos.

Anywho, it had turned my three-eyed gingerbread man into a black and white photo.  So I pressed undo to turn it back to color.  Then I noticed that it had (ironically) used the red eye function on my three-eyed gingerbread man, which I found highly amusing.  I pressed undo for that as well, and then Picasa turned my three-eyed gingerbread man into this:

What the what?!?!  I've searched all over my computer and can't find my picture anywhere.  It's like Picasa was offended that I didn't like its suggestions, so it ate my photo and gave me one of Tess.  Upside down.  (Which it refused to turn right-side-up.)  So... that's my story.  Maybe you'll get the gingerbread man tomorrow, assuming Picasa is cooperating.

Diaper Truths

In my years as a parent I have learned a few truths concerning babies and their diapers.

Truth #1:
Sometimes there are messes that no diaper made by mortal men can contain.

Tess had one of those this afternoon.  She seemed to be quite pleased with herself, as she kicked around and got poop all over her foot.  Good one, Tess.

Truth #2:
Babies defy the laws of nature in how much poop they make.  I mean, seriously, there is waaaay more poop comin' out of that little baby than food going in.  I'm just sayin'.

Truth #3:
Babies always poop at the most inconvenient times.  Always.

In completely unrelated news, I am just 19 posts away from having a grand total of 1500 posts.  It's like watching the odometer roll over to some rather large number: exciting for no reason whatsoever. :)

Have You Ever Been So Tired...

... that you fell asleep in the cart while waiting in line at the grocery store...

... with your baby sister?

Cole has.

Eat Feet!

We have recently discovered that Tess likes nothing more than to lay around with nothing on her feet and legs. (Who can blame her?  Wouldn't everyone prefer to go without pants?) She rocks back and forth while holding her feet and slams her legs up and down and coos and sighs and just has a good time.  And those thighs.  I can't get enough of them!  She is so squishy and soft and I could just eat her all up!

Tonight she discovered a new trick - eating her feet.

*nom*nom*nom*

I know, not earth-shattering news, but she sure is cute.  And look!  Video footage!

Parts is Parts

I gave Cole a lollipop today.

This is not from today - it's from just before the trunk-or-treat on Friday.

About 15 minutes later he came back to me, covered in stickiness and carrying the stick.  Correction: he was carry about a quarter of the stick. 

He had eaten the rest.

*Erlack*

Cole: third born child, first child to actually eat the lollipop stick.

Halloween 2011

Halloween was, as per usual, a grand and glorious affair in the Madsen household.  Not only did we have three grandparents, but we also had the South family over for dinner because they are our Hoosier family and we always spend holidays with them.  Not that you'll see any evidence of that in the pictures below.  There was far too much mayhem going on for me to expect any more pictures other than those I could trick my kids into posing for.  So you'll just have to trust me that they were there.  (Or ask Paul for some evidence.  He just got an AWESOME new camera that I am coveting and took around 34,297 pictures of the evening.  Hey Paul, send some of those my way, will ya?)

This was the best I could do in getting all four kiddos to pose together.  Some year I would love to have a theme and make matching costumes for everyone in the family.  Some year I would also like to win the lottery (which I don't play) and learn how to fly.

Mr. Spencer was a Jedi.  He kept telling people that he was Anakin Skywalker, but that I bought him the wrong colored light saber.  Hey!  He told me to get him green.  That's all I'm sayin'.  Anywho, he certainly has the Anakin scowl down, doesn't he?  Also, Spencer got that brown robe from Logan's birthday party this summer, which means Gigi helped supply half of my kid's costumes this year.  Gigi - my hat is off to you.

Can you tell who this glasses-wearin' cutie is?  Master Yoda!  And, in case you're wondering, his lightsaber is the correct color. I'm proud to say that I made his (and Spencer's) robes all by myself and without a pattern.  Not quite on par with Gigi's skills, but not so bad, either!

The ears?  Well, I also made them without a pattern, but I'm not bragging so much about that.  I think they looked more like goblin ears, but whatever.  Josh liked them.  Plus, I made them out of an old Yoda-colored maternity shirt, which means they were absolutely free.  Scored big on that, I did!

Oh, Mr. Cole.  Our very own cowardly lion.  He wasn't too keen about putting his costume on the other night for our church's trunk-or-treat (I had to bribe him with a lollipop), but on Halloween he was in a much better mood.

Well, mostly.  Oh my goodness.  I don't know why, but little upset kids in costume are just too cute!

 

 

Sad story: I had to wash the lion costume, and wasn't thinking and put it in the dryer.  Now, instead of a big, fluffy mane, there's a short, stumpy mane.  SO SAD.  Guess Tess won't be a lion for Halloween in a few years.

Here's farmer Lance with some extra sweet corn.  But we've seen this ear before.  (And with more smiles.)

Let me just say that trick-or-treating in our neighborhood is way fun.  There are lots of houses to go to and everyone is very friendly and nice.  One of our neighbors went all out and totally decked out their house with witches and zombies and ghosts, and even had a projector playing Halloween images across the upstairs windows.  It was pretty great.

Cole caught on to the whole candy thing fairly quick.  He wanted to stop and eat the candy, but I eventually convinced him that it was better to keep going door to door to get more.  His lionly roars charmed the pants off of everyone.

Okay, now for a few soap box subjects:

1. How old were you when you stopped trick-or-treating?  I was 11 (almost 12) my last year.  There were packs of teenagers all over the place!  And I'm not talking 13 or 14 year olds - I'm talking 16 and 17!  Some even without costumes!  What's up with that?  I don't know that I'm willing to give candy to those kids.  But I didn't get to make that call since my dad and Grandma were at home passing out the candy.  But next year there might be a few disappointed teens leaving my doorstep.
2. How lazy are some parents?  I saw a TON of parents who would slowly drive alongside their trick-or-treating children.  Seriously?  SERIOUSLY?!  I mean, okay, there could be some medical or personal reasons for doing so.  But I KNOW that not all of those parents had those reasons.  I'm just sayin', how lazy do you have to be to drive instead of walk?  Also, I think it's more dangerous for everyone when parents do that.  Kids are running everywhere and the drivers are probably a bit distracted by their own kids.  Seriously, people.  Get out of the car, put on some tennis shoes, and WALK with your children.  This is what's wrong with America today...
3. I am 99% sure that there were a BUNCH of kids trick-or-treating in our neighborhood who did not live there.  Granted, the Souths came with us, but they were our guests.  And they're family.  And they're here often enough that some people probably think they do live here.  (And that's a good thing!  Move here, Souths!)  That's not the point.  The point is, who brings their kids to a different neighborhood to trick-or-treat?  I think I would feel uncomfortable doing so.  I mean, I don't mind my kids going around and begging for candy because I'm giving away a ton of candy at my house so it all kind of evens out.  (BTW, the South's brought candy to pass out.)  But to just bring your kids and not have candy to give in return?  Lame.

Okay, I'm off my Halloween soap box.

Instead, I will distract you with Grandma and a rather large ear of corn!

And look!  Another grandma with a rather large (and happy!) ear of corn!

A picture of me with my Grandma.  This is not a great picture - I really should have knelt down or something.  Oh well.  We'll have to get a better one next summer at the reunion.

At the end of the evening Cole helped grandpa pass out the candy.  I think Cole liked this even better than trick-or-treating!   (How much candy did you feed him, Grandpa?  It took forever for the kid to go to sleep!)