Until then...

So it's the week before Halloween.  I still don't know what my costume will be, and I'm pretty clueless.  Jeff shot down my ideas--I really REALLY wanted to go as Valley Girl.  And have Jeff be Nicolas Cage's character with the eagle-shaped chest hair.  But Jeff remembered that he only had a mustache.  He was all:  "I'm not going to shave.  We need to work around the beard".  Bleh...whatevs.
Tonight Jeff and I made a pumpkin for Cole's book report.  He read the book, Dragonbreath. I thought it turned out kind of cute:  

I hope he gets a good grade--I mean, he DID wait till the very last minute to do anything, and he DIDN'T want to put any effort into his one typed paragraph that was required.  BUT  Jeff and I made his pumpkin so cute.  He drew the face, and I painted it and put the felt spikes on.  Teamwork, you know?  That always deserves an A+.

Anyway, Syd has a Halloween party at her school on Thursday, and I'm excited for her.  She'll be a "puckape". Or for those of you not in the know, a cupcake.  And she's going to be adorable.  For reals.  I'll take pictures.I decided that having this holiday on a Monday really puts me out.  I mean, I'm already stressed about how we're going to be super busy with kids at school, and then at home, and then Tuesday morning will be a nightmare because the kids will be coming down from a massive sugar-high, and staying up really late.  Even for our family.  I guess just realizing that the kids are old enough to go out with their friends and actually enjoy trick-or-treating without Jeff and I having to freeze with them, makes it all so much better.  Plus, Riley is excited to take Syd to a few houses, too.  And I'm pretty excited to see how she does.  She's way into wearing skeleton and monster apparel--she loves it.  And she doesn't get scared.  Despite it being busy, it will be a fun night.  I think. 

And Riley is growing.  Getting so much more mature and kind of making me feel unneeded.  It's weird feeling old.  And seeing your kids get taller and smarter, and wondering where the little people they used to be, went.  And then it kind of makes me angry, too.  There's nothing I can do to stop it.  And I can't slow it down, either.  Kinda rough some days. 
So, that's that for now.  I guess we'll see what happens and maybe we will all survive. I hope.  Until then?  I've no clue.

October is officially here

Hellooooo.  
We are officially getting into the sick season here.  My house smells like vomit.  This is the part I DON'T like about the weather changing.  I have to say, we've made it into the latter part of October, which is nice, but I'm not looking forward to the keeping the windows closed and having to keep tissues all over the place--all the extra washing of bed sheets, and so on, and so forth--Nope.  Not even a little bit.  On the other hand, Halloween is near!  And so is Thanksgiving, and my birthday, and Christmas...this makes getting over the upcoming sicknesses, a little easier.  I'm not sure what I'm going to be for Halloween, just yet.  The kids are all over their costumes.  Anyway, I'm assuming they are--I've certainly made enough trips to the store for whatever they "need".  
I told you all about the "Night of the Running Dead" race.  And it was fun.  Muff and I went up early, I didn't want to have to pick up our race packages on a different day, and I was dressing up, so I thought we'd go up early to just enjoy the vendors and entertainment before the actual race part. Jeff was planning on bringing the kids up to watch me run.  I had visions of Riley and Cole chanting my name, telling me how impressed they were with my physical abilities.  Both of them being super proud of the hard work that I've been doing, trying to train for this.  

However, a day or two before the race Cole went to Jeff and me, at different times, and told us that he didn't want to go, and just couldn't go up with us.  Also, that he was feeling sick, and maybe could he just stay home?  I was taken back to when he was three.  And his biggest fear and the thing that grossed him out most were "greasy zombies".  In fact, things with slobber or slime STILL gross him out more than anything...so I decided that Jeff should just enjoy Saturday with the kids.  He was really upset about it, for sure. 
Muff and I had fun, and I'm really glad she could go with me.  Sometimes I forget what it's like to be a sister...rather than a mom and wife, first.  It was a much-needed change of pace.  I woke up early, and picked Muff up...and we were on our way.

Chris said I was beyond ugly with my missing tooth--that he couldn't even look at me without feeling like puking.  It cut me deep.  However, between my black tooth and double chin?  I was a scary force, indeed.  (And Leah, I had to try really, REALLY hard not to be sexy...but I think I succeeded).
I wish I would have taken pictures of it, but when we were there, we saw zombie pole dancers.  Muff and I started making fun of the "pretty" zombies in black spandex leotards, only to see one of them jump up and start doing a pole dance for all the onlookers.  This is my thing about pole dancing:  Unless you are an anorexic stick, it's not a pretty thing.  Sure, strip clubs and such SAY it's all the rage, but I was seeing a lot of cellulite, and these girls were in no way fat.  It's just the act of wrapping your semi-naked self around something and sliding over it.  Ew.  Just that description kinda grosses me out.  Anyway, I was just thinking that I am SO glad I'm not a guy...because I just wasn't appreciating their talent.  I was only seeing their flaws.  Perhaps that's the woman in me?  I don't know.  Needless to say I won't be using their half-off coupon they were passing to the onlookers.  And for those of you that are saying to themselves, "phew"....you're welcome.  

I had to take this picture, because this guy would have made Cole have nightmares for a month.  The puppet-type thing that he had in front of him blinked and would watch people and follow them. It was one of the creepiest things I've seen in a long time.  

This lady was confusing to me.  Her football jersey/severed head/aristocrat wig was a lot of stuff jumbled together.  But, it was impressive, nonetheless.  Just a bunch to take in, all at once.  

And then this blue hearse was one of my favorite things.  The zombies inside are kind of hard to see, but they were massively creepy.  Right before this picture Muff and I took pictures of a family, and they had to drag their little girl over to sit in front of it.  She was way scared of the things inside.  It was a little more sad than it was funny.  
Kelli showed up with a few of the Coplens right before the race.  I was a little nervous, but ready to get it over with, because I'd had way too much time to worry about how I'd probably freeze up right in the middle of the race.  Or die, maybe.  (Even though I'd been running at least twice that, but the nervousness gets me every time). 
And this is where I tell the dirty truth.  Now, every race I've ever been to, and it's not like I've been to that many, but all the others have people that kind of guide you along the way.  Because most people aren't familiar with the route that needs to be run.  Either that, or they have the way clearly marked...like arrows, a yellow line, whatever.  
We had all agreed to run the mile, even though technically, it was listed as a walk.  We got as close to the front of the line as we could, and then when we were okay'd to start, we jogged past the walkers in front of us, and joined up with the others jogging...which were mainly eight year old boys, and probably 12 year old girls.  I just followed the people (children) in front of me.  And I'm assuming that Muff and Kelli and Jessica and Jeremy were on the same wavelength because they did the same.  We went up a corner, and around a building, and I was happy with myself for not dying yet...and then?  Then we were at the finish line.  
I was completely confused.  We'd probably ran for about three to five minutes, and it was over.  The kids, then us...and a few people behind us.
Later on we found out there was an entire other stretch that we completely cut out.  So we probably ran less than half of the distance we were supposed to.  If I hadn't have been super sweaty, and my eyes stinging from running makeup, I would have been really embarrassed.  If anyone were to have been recording the event it would have been a bunch of kids followed by three adults that won.  Because we freaking CHEATED.  And the worst part?  When we went through the finish line, they handed us hot waters.  Had I have actually run the entire way?  I would have been pissed.  But you know, I didn't.  So I was just mildly annoyed.  
All in all, it was fun.  I'm already thinking that I might just do it next year, as well.  (Muffy?  Kelli?) Only the 5k.  Because we totally kicked butt in the mile. ;)  
That's all for now, Dudes.  Until next time.

A real update.

So I've been on different meds for about a week.  This is always a slippery slope.  No complete freak-outs or anything, so that's good.   Usually I experience being even MORE tired and a little nauseous.  Which is where I'm at right now.  But, I'm looking forward to being super happy in a month or so.  YAY! 
Seriously, I think it will be okay.  I just hope the being tired stuff kinda goes away soon, cause um, that's a big reason I changed in the first place. Things are looking up.  I'm determined to make things better.  And they have been, so...blah, blah, blah.  Enough about that.  It's boring. 
IT'S FALL!!!
I'm happy about this.  Tonight I went for a jog, and the moon was full, and the temperature was cold at first and then became perfect, and I didn't feel like I was going to die.  It felt good.  I've been baking--this technically cancels out my jogging, but it sure makes the kids happy.  So I've been happy to do it for them.  It also makes my house smell really good, and you know how I feel about that. 

See? The other kids like it, too, but they weren't shirtless, so I didn't take their pictures.  Come to think of it, had they also been shirtless I STILL wouldn't have photographed them.  Because that just would have been creepy and wrong.
Anyhoo, this coming Saturday I'm going to be a jogging zombie.  With Muff and Kelli, and I'm excited.  I even bought black stuff for my teeth--reminding me of me in the 3rd-5th grade, and Kelli of 2006? 2007? (It's a look only the homeless, hillbillies, 5 to 7 year olds, and the truly most awesome can pull off).  The run is only a mile, so it won't be bad at all, but I'm still kind of nervous.  Are we even going to run it?  And if we do, what if I freeze up?  I remember running the mile in high school and it was TORTURE.  By like, step three I was winded.  What if that happens?  I'll be mortified.  But, I'll also be wearing tons of white face make-up, so hopefully no one will notice.  I'll tell you right now--this will NOT be an occasion wherein I try to be a "sexy zombie".  And I'm going to mock those that dress up with that intention. (Take heed Muffy and Kelli).  I will also be taking tons of pictures.  So look forward to it! Hope your week is fantastic.  And those of you that want to stay warm, do.  While I shall be reveling in my hoodies, jeans, and the occasional pair of boots.  Boo and Ya!