Happy Halloween & The History of the Jack-O-Lantern

Happy Halloween!

Well, today is the day of trick or treaters and the kids dressing up in costumes. Alexis is a ladybug and Logan is a dragon. They should be WAY cute! Katya dressed up as a punk rocker for her friend's party last Friday night. I'll post pics tomorrow.

Tonight is our traditional time to carve our pumpkins. Not sure why we usually wait until Halloween day, but we do. Unfortunately I won't be carving a pumpkin this year. Mine has decided to start rotting already. Yulk. I think I will be either drawing or painting a face on it. I have a great witch hat so that can cover the ooky part by the stem. I was planning on doing the same thing for Alexis and Logan's pumpkins too. They should turn out cute.

Yesterday Bob decorated our front porch with black lights, a giant 5 foot green spider web complete with huge gross spiders, a glow in the dark happy skeleton and a few little hanging signs. We still have webbing to put up everywhere, but that will be when Katya gets home. It should be fun! Bob is planning on taking Alexis out trick or treating to our neighbors to show off just how cute she is. Talk about a proud papa.

Well, I figured that I would leave you all with a bit of Halloween history.

History of the Jack O'Lantern

The Irish brought the tradition of the Jack O'Lantern to America. But, the original Jack O'Lantern was not a pumpkin.The Jack O'Lantern legend goes back hundreds of years in Irish History. As the story goes, Stingy Jack was a miserable, old drunk who liked to play tricks on everyone: family, friends, his mother and even the Devil himself. One day, he tricked the Devil into climbing up an apple tree. Once the Devil climbed up the apple tree, Stingy Jack hurriedly placed crosses around the trunk of the tree. The Devil was then unable to get down the tree. Stingy Jack made the Devil promise him not to take his soul when he died. Once the devil promised not to take his soul, Stingy Jack removed the crosses and let the Devil down.

Many years later, when Jack finally died, he went to the pearly gates of Heaven and was told by Saint Peter that he was too mean and too cruel and had led a miserable and worthless life on earth. He was not allowed to enter heaven. He then went down to Hell and the Devil. The Devil kept his promise and would not allow him to enter Hell. Now Jack was scared and had nowhere to go but to wander about forever in the darkness between heaven and hell. He asked the Devil how he could leave as there was no light. The Devil tossed him an ember from the flames of Hell to help him light his way. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed out Turnip, one of his favorite foods which he always carried around with him whenever he could steal one. For that day onward, Stingy Jack roamed the earth without a resting place, lighting his way as he went with his "Jack O'Lantern".

On all Hallow's eve, the Irish hollowed out Turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes and beets. They placed a light in them to ward off evil spirits and keep Stingy Jack away. These were the original Jack O'Lanterns. In the 1800's a couple of waves of Irish immigrants came to America. The Irish immigrants quickly discovered that Pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve out. So they used pumpkins for Jack O'Lanterns.

Catching Up

Isn't it funny how easy it is to fall behind in something? I'm still getting over my plague (Katya is now in bed with it) and since I am feeling better (although my voice sounds really sultry still) I am attempting to catch up on all my chores.

I have a lot of chores.

Yesterday I began the arduous journey of trying to get a hold on the laundry situation. There was so much I just dumped it over the railing from the second floor to the first and created a nice mountain that Alexis had a good time trying to climb. It is more like rolling hills now that I have done umpteen many loads of laundry. The machines are still going. I am surprised there isn't smoke coming off them.

Last night my darling of a husband cleaned the kitchen and I started the dishwasher this morning. The floor still crunches when I walk so I think I should concentrate on that soon. Thank goodness we don't have ants here or I would have a colony living in my dining room! Then there are the toys and puzzle pieces strewn all over the house. My paperwork mountain sitting on my desk is in dire need of attention too. It is almost the end of the month and I need to send stuff out for the business. Oh yeah, I have a nice pile of ironing to do too. I am too cheap to send all of it out to the drycleaners when I can do some myself and save money. Then there is all the prep work for Halloween and Christmas that I am starting to think about. (The holidays are fun work though.)

Busy...busy...busy

Well, I'm heating some hot water for tea so I can attempt to catch up on my life.

I hope you all are more caught up than me!!

The Plague

It started coming on yesterday and today it is the full blown, please take me outside and shoot me, my head might explode at any minute, my nose might fall off if I blow it one more time - plague.

This is pretty awful since I don't get sick days being a domestic goddess. Where is that fairy godmother when you need her to whip up a trustworthy nanny for the day?

So here I sit rather zombie-like staring at the computer screen while the kids are napping. The house is a mess and I just don't have the energy to pick up one more toy. I think I might make myself one more cup of tea and lay my head on the couch and hope that Logan lets me sleep for a bit. He has an uncanny ability to know when I am almost asleep and then he wakes up. It is because of his rare talent that I tend to avoid napping since it is an exercise in futility.

I hope that everyone else is healthy. Although poor Mandee, I read that she has the flu too. Just know that I am wallowing in misery with you!

Last Fire Update

Well, my parents are back in their house. No damage done, just a lot of soot and ash in the air.

My brother and his family are back home and all is well with them.

My Aunt Linda's house is not on the list of destroyed homes, but she is not allowed back to Rancho Bernardo yet. She is still hanging out at my Uncle Doug's house in Vista.

Carlsbad was taken off the evacuation list so my aunt and uncle there are fine.

I'm still waiting to hear from a few friends that were evacuated from the Escondido area. But, I am fairly positive that their homes were left untouched.

I am so thankful that my family is safe and sound! My mother told me that the evacuations were done in a really orderly fashion, her friends that were at shelters were being given free food and water and everyone seemed to be bending over backwards to extend a helpful hand to their neighbors. Way to work together San Diego!

Fire Update

The fires in San Diego are still raging. The Santa Ana winds blew with gusts all day yesterday and all night. It caused a LOT of damage. For those of you that would like an update on the fires here is what I know as of 7:40am:

- The Harris Fire is still going strong and it threatening my brother's house. They evacuated last night to my aunt & uncle's house in Vista. I am hopeful that it will avoid their house.

- The Witch Creek fire seems to have headed West avoiding Scripps Ranch altogether. My parents had to evacuate last night to another aunt & uncle's house in Carlsbad and hopefully can return home today. My aunt and uncle are in a voluntary evacuation zone so they are still not out of the woods yet.

- The San Marcos fire forced the evacuation of Bob's nephew, but he was able to return home last night.

- The Rice fire is still going strong, although the winds have died down to the 15mph range. It is heading North now, heading away from Vista where the bulk of my family is hunkered down. This fire is zero percent contained.

- Unfortunately a new fire has started overnight in Pauma Valley (being called the Poomacha fire) that is heading towards the 76 corridor and starting evacuations in Valley Center, Deer Springs, Hidden Meadows and Vista. According to the maps it looks like it is the Eastern most part of Vista so my family should still be safe.

We had to battle the Cedar fire and the waiting, watching the news, the horrid ash in the air, the frayed nerves was awful. I wish that I could teleport my family up here to safety so Ginger and I could take care of them.

San Diego is Burning

My hometown is on fire! I thought that the Cedar fires of several years ago were as bad as it could get for fires in San Diego, but I was wrong. This is a picture from the fires, it is awful!

I've been sitting here glued to the computer watching 10 News (a local news station) as they cover the vastness of this fire. There is a fire somewhat close to my brother's house, a fire somewhat close to my parent's house, a few friends have had to evacuate and the rest of my family is hunkered down in Vista waiting for things to die down. I fear that one of my aunt's house is gone. At this point 250,000 people have been evacuated.

I can't do anything from Bend other than send them good wishes that everyone's house is still standing, that the air quality gets better quicker (I know from the Cedar fires how awful all that flying ash is and how long it sticks around) and that this ends soon.

I love you all! Stay safe!!

First Snow of the Season

Saturday I got up with Logan and was letting Thor outside to do his business when I opened the door to find SNOW!

Beautiful, glorious, pure and cold snow. I love snow. Love, love, love it!! Who would have guessed I was born and raised in San Diego for my first 35 years?

Anyway, I wanted to share a pic of what I hope is a glimpse of a very snowy winter. I hope, I hope, I hope.

I'm gonna make some of the wonderful cookie recipes that people posted so we can all share them over some hot cocoa. Yum.

Virtual Cookie Exchange

The weather is finally getting colder, the leaves are turning beautiful shades of gold and red, you can't leave the house without a jacket and the clouds are big beautiful puffs up there in the sky.

I love Fall.

It makes me want to bake!

As much as I don't enjoy cooking - I love baking. I love trying out new recipes and coming up with 'tried and true' ones to add to my personal cookbook. I am getting geared up now because I need to try out some new recipes before December gets here.

Every year I go on a baking binge and make cookies, breads, fudge and brittle to give to neighbors, friends and co-workers. Since I don't have any co-workers anymore, I make trays for Bob to give to his clients. My mother (oh great and wise one) taught me this is a great way to make clients and co-workers feel the love when you don't have the fundage to give much else. It is also fun to have cookie parties to get yummy home made baked goods from others and new recipes to add to your holiday bounty.

So, since I live so far from all of you let's have a virtual cookie exchange!

This is how it works: I'll give you my tried and true, really yummy Snickerdoodle recipe (they are quite fabulous). Then you all can leave me your favorite cookie or quickbread recipe.

I hope that you play along. I would love to try some of your holiday favorites.

Snickerdoodles

1/4 cup sugar

1 tblsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 400.

Mix 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon; reserve. Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, the shortening, margarine or butter and eggs in large bowl. Mix in a separate bowl the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add to sugar mixture.

Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Roll in sugar mixture to coat. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 10 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from cookie sheet. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Pumpkin Patch Time

Fall is my most favorite time of year and the annual trip to the pumpkin patch is my favorite outing of the season.

Picking your pumpkin, feeding the animals in the petting zoo, walking around the pumpkin patch to find "your" pumpkin. So cool.

We have been a bit pressed for time lately with Bob working every single day for the past two weeks and Katya's schedule - so we hit the last two hours of the pumpkin patch yesterday. I may go with the kids this week just for fun, but it would only be the three of us. The annual trip is a family affair.

Alexis was WAY more fun this year. She loved the animals. She wouldn't really touch them, but she liked talking to them. She had a great time just running off in different directions squealing in delight. Katya was being a teenager and it took a while for her to warm up. Those of you with teens understand.

We went and explored the pumpkin patch and after much searching and deliberating we each found the pumpkin of our dreams. Well, not our dreams but the one that called to us. 100 pounds of pumpkin baby!! Luckily, only $24. Alexis wasn't sure what to do with hers and she tried eating it like an apple.

After some kettle corn and fresh air we all trapsed home. Our pumpkins are patiently waiting on our front porch for carving day. Now I just need to decide what face I want to put on mine. Hmmmmmmmmm.

Pumpkins $24

Kettle Corn $5

Bottled Water $1

Spending time together as a family - PRICELESS

What is up with movies?

It has happened more times now than I can remember. We rent a movie from Netflix that we hear is highly recommended or funny. We sit down as a family on a Friday or Saturday night and pop in the DVD. About thirty minutes into the movie we take it out and watch something recorded on our DVR.

The profanity, the crude humor, the constant stream of sexual implications - how is this getting into a PG-13 movie? How can people say this is funny? I think we have seen parts of three movies now that we think could have been great, funny and "must buy" movies if they had just done without all the profane words, crude humor and sex references.

It is a shame that Hollywood thinks that all of that is required for people to want to go see a movie. I would assume that the continued decline in movie theater ticket sales might be a clue. But, I guess they are a bit slow in getting the message. And obviously they don't have children because people in their right mind would never take their kids to see those movies.

The latest movie in our series of disappointments? "Knocked Up". What a total shame. It could have been cute. It could have been funny. All of us (including Katya) were just so put off after the first fifteen minutes.

I now have a lot of openings on my Netflix queue. Does anyone care to share some of their favorite movies? Considering I haven't been to a movie in a theater in two years, it is safe to say I haven't seen it. The last movie I saw was "The Chronicles of Narnia". FABULOUS movie by the way.

Teenager Parties

Katya's birthday is coming up in December. Last year she turned 13 and we had a huge ice skating party to celebrate (among her many other celebrations).

This year we are doing things low key and having a party at home for her with some of her friends. We will still do a family & neighbor party, but it is the friend party that we are stuck on.

It was Katya's idea that I post a blog asking for advice on activities that we could do at the party that wouldn't be considered lame. I had suggested everyone making their own pizza, but that was shot down. She wants to DO stuff, not just watch a movie and she wants it co-ed since she has some really good guy friends.

Soooooooooooooo, have any of you got some good ideas? Did anyone go somewhere and thought "that was a lot of fun"? Did someone's teenager have a party and do stuff that was at least not boring?

Help!

Go Boo Someone

It's Halloween time! Time for little kids to dress up as their favorite princess, ninja turtle or bug and wear those costumes EVERYWHERE! Time for candy, bobbing for apples, spooky movies and fake cobwebs hanging from your front porch.

It is also the time to go and stir up some Halloween fever in your neighborhood by "Booing" your neighbors and friends.

Our house was "Booed" last year and it was so cool! It was such a treat to open the door and see a cute little bag decorated with a poem and filled with candy inside just for us. It kinda makes you feel special and puts you in the mood for the slew of holidays to come. And then you get to be sneaky by prepping a bag for two of your other neighbors. The kids get to do recon to see who has and has not been "Booed" yet and then they are the ones to sneak to their front door, hit the doorbell and then hide (yet still be able to spy on who actually retrieved the package).

I was at Target and saw a little "Boo" bag and I decided to start it up this year for our street. Katya plans on hitting all of her friends houses after she gets her bags ready. I don't have the money to buy these pre-done bags for everyone so I bought one for the poem and made our own with lunchbags. I also found a cool picture of a ghost and popped into Word and put "I've Been Booed" and printed a few copies.

So, assemble your own bags and start up some Halloween spirit on your street.
- Print out a document that says "You've Been Booed" along with the poem below on it and staple it to a brown lunch bag or a plastic pumpkin (whatever you've got)
- Print out a document with a large friendly looking ghost that says "I've Been Booed" for them to put on their door so they don't get hit again.
- Put some yummy candy and treats in the bag and you are good to go!

YOU'VE BEEN BOOED!

This Treat is for you.
We hope you enjoy.
The idea is simple,
one we hope you employ.
You pass “BOO” along to 2 other neighbors.
Along with any kind of Halloween Favors.
If we all do our part,
and spread the good cheer,
by Halloween night it will be very clear.
We’re a friendly bunch,
we like to share fun,
so please do your part
and keep “BOO” on the run!

To Cook or Not to Cook

....that is the question here today.

I went to the grocery store yesterday and got some basics. I'm talking milk, eggs, yogurt, bread, veggies, cereal, cream cheese...nothing exciting. The only splurge item that I got was a magazine. And WITH our coupons and club card savings totaling $43.79 it still cost $140.00 for a weeks worth of groceries.

What is the deal?

If I cook at home all week, make lunches for everyone, make snacks and cookies (and other wonderful baked goods) we spend more on food than if we just did frozen junk from COSTCO most nights. Now I KNOW that it is healthier for all of us for me to cook. I make things that are much lower in fat and sodium than we could get frozen. And I would most certainly hope to say that my cooking tastes better.

But it most certainly makes me pause when I am planning what meals I will be making for the week when I think of the grocery bill. Now, keep in mind here that I married a meat and potatoes kind of guy. No meat for dinner? Well, then what is for dinner? And he thinks he has an allergy to all green veggies too. So, you can scratch those lovely veggie stir fry entrees I used to make.

Am I the only one that has sticker shock when they buy food?

Are there places to get coupons that I am unaware of? (Our local paper doesn't have the insert coupons that were in the Sunday paper that I used to get in S.D.)

Does anyone have great money saving tips that they would be willing to share?

Lots of New Words

Alexis has finally decided that it might be kind of cool to learn to speak.

I mean, she gets her point across without words quite well. The combination of her sign language skills and her little grunts, squeaks and screams work very effectively.

But, she is now using tons of new words! Out of the blue! And she sounds just so darn cute!!!

So far in the past two days I have heard these new words:

- Please (one of my favorite words)
- Mom (another one of my favorite words)
- Shoes
- Socks
- Nose
- Mouth
- Eyes
- Sit
- Bailey (the dog)
- Debbie
- Cheese
- Up

I'm loving this sudden explosion of speech. Her voice is darling and I can't wait to hear more of it.

Mohawks

When you are in your twentys, you are able to get away with things you just can't at any other point in your life. Case in point - my cousin, Becky.

Becky is a beautiful, creative twenty-something who is on the artistic side. She actually has a degree in art from CSU Fullerton - I can attest to that since Katya and I went to her graduation. Her artwork is beautiful, edgy, fantasy provoking, disturbing, gorgeous and everything an artist would like their art to be. She is still working on becoming the next big thing, but in the meantime has decided to show the world a bit more of her creative side by getting a red mohawk. Why not? She is young. She has a wig she wears at work. It is temporary. She will have the pictures to prove some day that she was a crazy chick who one day got her head shaved on staged and dyed it red. Who knows where she will be in ten years? She might be the owner of an art gallery and have to look all prim and proper. For now, she is enjoying life and having some fun.

But I wanted to show her that she is not the only rebel in the family. Both Alexis and Logan had their own mohawks - only au naturale. Alexis' has grown out, but Logan is still going strong with his. Laura should post Dylan with one of his many, many mohawks too. I wonder if this means they will all be edgy creative types too?

Alexis at almost five months.

Logan at 8 months