Happy Halloween!!!

My Ariel pumpkin rocked the front porch. It took me three hours to carve, and it has to be one of the craftiest things I've ever created. Hubby decorated the house. (Don't we all love to be "those neighbors"?) Boo obviously dressed up as Princess Ariel. She was "Ariel with legs" at school today and "Ariel with a flipper" for trick or treating tonight. We tagged along with the next door neighbors and made our rounds. Hubby stayed behind to hand out candy. Neighbor Dad and I must have asked the kids a hundred times, "Did you say thank you?" You'd think the kids would remember to say thank you without being reminded. Or maybe they just enjoy hearing us repeat ourselves? When we got home, Hubby took Boo in the opposite direction while I took my turn handing out candy to the kids - most of whom DID NOT SAY THANK YOU.

I'm such a freaking mom...

Boo & Daddy Day

Today I went to work. When I left the house, Boo and Hubby were snuggled up in bed watching cartoons. Poor me. Did I mention it was still dark outside when I left the house? It was cold, too.

Anyway, Boo stayed home from pre-K today so she & Hubby could spend some quality time together. They had a big breakfast, went grocery shopping, and headed to the pumpkin patch. As you can see, Boo had a great time with her daddy.

Me and Boo are lucky girls.

About politics

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. That is the beauty of this country. But be forewarned that I am hereby DRAWING THE LINE with the political talk. I've already made up my mind, you are not going to change it, and it really is none of your business why I feel the way I do. I just do. Got it? And do not - I repeat - do not talk down to me. I'm a smart girl. Always have been - that's probably why we became friends in the first place.

I feel better now.

It's Fall!

We broke out the rakes today. Well, not me - remember, I wield the camera in this family. Boo had a blast jumping into the huge pile of leaves, rolling around and striking a pose for me. All those leaves and would you believe that the trees are still pretty full? I see a lot of raking in Hubby's future...

Godparents

Boo's godparents are wonderful people. Godmama was taking care of Boo before she was born. We met at work, and she helped me get through each day of vomiting, headaches, swollen feet, and a terrible boss. I couldn't think of anyone more appropriate to be Boo's godmother (er... Fairy Godmother as she likes to be called). Godpapa is equally caring. He calls Boo "sugar" and thinks everything she says & does is nothing short of adorable. He lost his infant daughter to illness long ago, and I often think that his relationship with Boo gives him bittersweet feelings of what he missed out on and what he still has.

I read somewhere that the most desirable qualities for godparents include a sincere interest in the child, good listening skills, nonjudgmental acceptance, stability, high moral character, and a capacity for being a role model. I'm glad that Boo will have these loving people to support her and look out for her. I'm glad they are our friends.

What a morning...

Any idea what happens when you forget to renew the tags on your car? Hey, I know, I know...

The state trooper pulls you over and chastises you for not paying your taxes to have the right to drive on the streets. (I guess the 32% of my income that already goes to taxes counts for nothing...) Then despite your tears and promise to take the vehicle directly to the dreaded BMV to rectify the situation immediately, he writes you an expensive ticket, has your beloved car impounded & taken to a seedy lot on the wrong side of the tracks. Upon arrival at the impound lot you have to speak with smelly people who say things like, "I ain't got no" and "I done not seen that". As in, "I ain't got no teeth and I done not seen a toothbrush in years." You give them $125 of your hard earned money and leave with your beloved car that may never smell the same again.

And I wasn't even speeding. Damn it.

Happy Anniversary, Hubby!

This is where Hubby & I met in July of 2001. We took Boo to the scene of the crime and told the old, tan people in the pool our story. (Not the WHOLE story, of course!)

Hubby and I got married six years ago today at The Flamingo in Las Vegas. (What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas!)

I love you, Hubby!

Indian Summer & doing the simple things...

The term "Indian Summer" dates back to the 18th century in the United States. It can be defined as "any spell of warm, quiet, hazy weather that may occur in October or even early November."

It's been in the upper 70s/low 80s for the past week. This weekend is absolutely beautiful. The foliage is starting to change and all these intense colors pop on the backdrop of the gorgeous blue sky. The nights are chilly - perfect for a campfire.

Yesterday Hubby and Boo went fishing at the neighborhood pond.

Boo didn't catch anything and grew increasingly sullen.

So she fed the ducks instead.

After a tough afternoon of fishing (more like 30 minutes) we went to the neighbor's house to enjoy hot dogs cooked over an open fire, homemade chili, and several glasses of wine. After dinner, we convened to the fire pit where we sat around and told silly stories to the kids, ate s'mores, and enjoyed the company. It was another simple evening of wholesome living in the Midwest which I've grown to love.

What keeps me up at night.

"The state of the economy has delivered a tough blow to 'Main Street'." Thank you, politicians, because I haven't been keeping up on the falling Dow, lost jobs, lost homes, lost dreams. It's not like I haven't noticed that Hubby and I both LOST OUR JOBS right around the time I'd finally convinced him after years of pleading to have #2. Shut up already, politicians & talking heads. Does anyone honestly think either one of these guys can fix this???

The WHAT IF scenarios chill me to the bone. We're cutting spending, battening down, and hoping we can weather this crisis on my contract gig until more jobs are available. It's like everything we worked so hard to achieve over the last several years in our careers has been taken away. Not because we did anything wrong, not because we deserved it... it just happened. It very much reinforces that old saying of "no one ever said life was fair".

So now what? Hubby could watch the news and this train wreck in the making 24/7 were it not for his need to sleep. Me, I can hardly stand to watch the local news, much less the national news, and these shows on CNN and FOX that almost seem to delight in the fact that the economy is so crappy they have something to talk about - incessantly. It hits way too close to my home. It makes me sick with worry. I wonder WHY this happened to both of us, WHEN things will turn around, WHAT is the next step in our careers and how far will it set us back, and WHAT IF we can't even find crummy jobs. WHAT IF this doesn't get better?

And then I look around my house at all the things, stuff, creature comforts we've accumulated over our six year marriage. There is so much we could have done without that would be money in the bank right now. (Excluding my counter tops, of course!) If nothing else, I hope this teaches us a lesson not to indulge just because we can because it's scary how quickly things can change and how high the stakes are with Boo in our lives. I can't even think about the cost of a second child. Sorry, Boo, it might just be the three of us forever. You'll may never have a sibling to fight with, defend to the death, or use to gang up on Mom & Dad.

Laid off does not equal bliss anymore. Laid off equals uncertainty, fear, sorrow, guilt and lost dreams.

Weenie roasts & mosquitoes

On Saturday night the family went to a weenie roast at the in-laws. They live on several acres out in the middle of nowhere with this huge pole barn (excellent for storing our off-season items), and tons of space to host a good old fashion shindig. Excluding the kids, Hubby and I were among the youngest in the crowd. We roasted weenies on the bonfire, gorged ourselves on s'mores, and sang along with the folk music jam session. You'd think all that smoke would have kept away the mosquitoes, but NO... every buggar in the state showed up and I have the bites to prove it. Legs, arms, back, neck, even my face. Before Boo came along, I was pretty much immune to the annoying insects. Now every little bite swells into a huge, painful, itchy welt which, if I scratch too hard, leaves a scar. Lovely. After the weenie roast, we stopped at the neighbor's house down the road a spell to buy a few dozen free-range eggs. Wholesome and delicious!

Well, hell... Seriously?

This week Cosigner told me that we're at the stage in life where we have to do things we don't like because we are adults with responsibility. That sucks. (Sorry, Mom. I know you hate it when I say "sucks".) I'm there. Responsibility overwhelms me right now. I loathe having to do something I don't like because I HAVE to and not because I WANT to.

Which brings me to the crushing blow for the week. To add insult to injury, Hubby's company decided to cease operations in the Midwest and he, too, got a pink slip. Seriously??? Both of us got laid off within months of each other??? What did we do to tick off the Universe???

A lesser man might curl into the fetal position and wallow in self pity for a while. But not Hubby. He assured me that everything would be just fine, and he hit the phones contacting everyone in his network. He even had an interview today. He hasn't wallowed once. I find his optimism a little annoying at times. (Maybe that's because I manage our finances, and I rarely pass up the chance to milk a tragedy for all it's worth.)

In any event, we will survive, Boo won't go hungry, we won't lose our house, and we've prepaid our health insurance for the next few months. Which brings me back to doing the things we HAVE to and not the things we WANT to in life. I guess I should be grateful that I have responsibilities and an amazing Hubby with an incredible attitude. Plus, he's handsome, too!