Halloween 2009

Logan on parade at school - "celestial sourceress".
Riley on parade at school - "Bratz cheerleader".

Our sourceress was under the weather and had her hair straightened for the occasion!

The cheerleader and last year's spidey wait for the bus.

This year's spidey shows off his dance moves at the school party.

Anyone See Mike in This?

People say all the time how Finn looks like his Daddy. I don't think I've ever seen it as much as in this picture from Finn's Blackberry Farms field trip. It's unbelievable!

Time Flies....

Sadly, much has been missed during this last one-month blogging hiatus. I'm glad to report that, from a working standpoint, things are very busy. I actually have my first "on newsstand" article out this month - although it's still a local magazine, but you have to PAY for it. If you're interested and in Chicago, pick up the latest issue of West Suburban Living magazine. If you're more interested in the details of us Anderson's, read on...

Here are the October blog posts that will never be....

"Malfunction Junction" - in a matter of two months, everything is breaking around here. My watch, my sunglasses, our coffee maker, our DVD player (thank you Finn), our first batch of paper shades in our bedroom (they are the only ones left in the house, I swear!) Our iPod is even at max capacity. Just in time for Christmas - ugh!!

"Poison Control - Installment 3" - This is the story of Finn climbing up the shelves in our bathroom last week and chewing multiple ibuprofen. Four hours later, I found orange spit all over my bathroom - I had no idea that he had done this and he was fast asleep. After waking him and listening to his crying and doing much research, we finally determined that he had indeed spit all the meds on the bathroom floor. Yes, this is our 3rd call - for Finn.

"The autumn virus of 2009" - Sick kids, one week of fever, sore throats and coughing and no work time for mommy. Glad to announce everyone is almost healthy around here.

"Miley Cyrus" - Mike and I took the girls to see her - yes, Mike and I. It was a trip and they were more in awe than nutso. It was a good time.

Life is busy. Life is full. Life is good. More to come...

Routine

I had reason to write out our weekly schedule yesterday and it's so ridiculous that all I can do is laugh. I'm publishing it out here with hopes that someday I'll be laughing for an entirely different reason - possibly because I will then think it's taxing to write for few hours, garden a bit and then go visit my grandkids.

So this is Fall 2009

Mondays
Logan school 8:30 to 3:30
Molly gym 9:30 to 10:30
Riley school 12:30 to 3:30
Finn school 12:30 to 3:00
Molly work 1 to 3
Molly work late / Lauren babysit 4 to 7

Tuesdays
Logan book club 7:25 to 8:25
Logan school 8:30 to 3:30
Molly gym 9:30 to 10:30
Riley school 12:30 to 3:30
Finn gymnastics 1 to 2
2nd Tuesday - Logan Brownies/ Riley Daisies 3:30 to 5
Riley gym 4 to 6 (will change to 6 to 8 in November - I will go and work there)

Wednesdays
Logan school 8:30 to 3:30
Finn sports camp 11 to 11:30
Riley school 12:30 to 3:30
Finn school 12:30 to 3:00
Molly work 1 to 3
Logan choir 4:30 to 5:45
Molly work late

Thursdays
Logan school 8:30 to 3:30
Molly gym 9:30 to 10:30
Riley school 12:30 to 3:30
Finn playdate with Blair in afternoon
Molly work until late / Lauren babysit 4 to 7
Riley gym 4 to 6 (will change to 6 to 8 in November - I will go and work there)

Fridays
Logan school 8:30 to 3:30
Molly gym 9:30 to 10:30
Riley school 12:30 to 3:30
Finn school 12:30 3
Molly work 1 to 3

Don't even ask about the weekends....

Believing

Last night while waiting for Riley at gymnastics, Logan came up to me and asked me to pull her tooth out, said it was twisted all the way around and she couldn't get it. So I did - right then and there.

You see, for every single tooth that Logan has lost, other than the first, this has been the game plan. She doesn't like to pull the trigger on that final pluck, so I get in there and do it for her. It all started because they would get so loose and literally be blowing around her mouth with each breath. I was too scared to let her go to sleep for fear she'd choke.

I think the mom next to me at the gym was horrified, but it works for us.

I was glad to have her lose the tooth, it has been a long time coming. But I immediately felt the dread of what might be asked of me in the wee hours. You see, Logan is far too analytical and inquisitive to just put her tooth under her pillow or ask Santa for a toy. No, this child writes the tooth fairy a letter, with lists of very mature questions and requests frameable images from the big man. Her antics have resulted in much running around and massive amounts of time spent with photo software.

These aren't easy questions, either. They involve things like what happens to all the teeth the tooth fairy collects. Once she received that ridiculously contrived answer, she had many more. Last night, the tooth fairy was asked to produce a picture of the leather bag she collects all kids' teeth in. (In case you didn't know, she waits until it's full and then scatters them across the sky to twinkle with the stars.) Going with this was a late night decision made last year after an hour of research online - still makes me cringe!

Anyway, I have no idea how things got so complicated. There was no image readily available of the leather bag last night, so I bunted and hope it won't come up again. She was thrilled with the letter she received and the $1 bill. I was thrilled it was so windy that she slept with Riley in her room and left her tooth in her own.

I know our believing days are on the downturn - there are too many kids on this block and in school ready to ruin it all. So for now, I'll keep on running around like a nut to find Rudolph's actual sleigh bell or a photo of him - real photo - with the red nose to boot. If anyone has one, give me a call!

The tooth fairy gave Logan a bit of good advice to bring us through the next phase of things. It said, "Just believe in the magic of it all and the things you want to know will be right inside your mind." She didn't seem disappointed - maybe it will work!

Latest Finnism

I guess some things are just ingrained in us. Like the fact that little girls love to dress up or how little boys make car noises instinctively. I'm sure there are countless examples of this, even into our lives as adults. Things that we just do, or feel, or are, that just can't be explained.

Even knowing that this is true about the human race, I could never have predicted Finn's latest epiphany at his early age. All I can say is, it must be built in.

While we were making lasagna yesterday afternoon, Finn announced, without warning or hesitation, "I have a very big penis."

"You do?" I asked.

"Yes, I do. And my friend so-and-so's penis is a tiny penis. Mine is much bigger."

"What?" I almost screamed from shock. "You haven't ever seen anyone else's penis!"

"I know. But my penis is the biggest penis of all. It's bigger than everyone's."

This all came out so matter of fact - like it's just the way it is. I have NO idea where he would even get the idea that"size matters". I am still confused and shocked a day later.

Some things must just be in the genes. Or the jeans. Ugh.

By the way, "so-and-so" has a name. It has been omitted to protect the innocent. I'd hate to ruin his life at his also early age!

Outhouse

As of late, I feel this blog is becoming all about Finn. My life is not really that way, but maybe the alone time he and I are sharing is shining much needed light on his awesome-ness.

The other day, I looked outside to see Finn and a pal in our side yard looking very suspicious. I poked my head out the window to ask what they were doing.

Finn answered in his ultra-matter-of-fact tone, “We are going potty in the open lot!” (His tone implied a loud “You dummy” at the end.)

“No you’re not!” I yelled and then explained that their plans did not demonstrate what I believe to be appropriate behavior.

“Okay,” he said, and shrugged it off, his little mind onto something else.

The independent five year old he was with would have none of my interference. He snuck around the other side of his house with Finn watching, whipped “it” out and got caught by his babysitter. Not to mention the fact that in his determination to do what he wanted, he peed all over his own shirt.

It makes a mom’s job easy when your child gets to see blind determination go awry in terms of a friend’s peer pressure. Thanks neighbor-kid. I think our outdoor bathroom habit has expired.