PUMPKIN CARVING!

We promised our kids we would carve their pumpkins last week, Friday night, Saturday morning, or sometime before Halloween. With the kids sick last week, no one was up to it until this Saturday night.
Riley chose a ghost pumpkin that he thought was really cool:

Fiona went for the all American experience:

Sean, Riley, and Reagan worked together to make me this beautiful pumpkin as a surprise:

Once it was finally dark this evening, we all stood outside and had an official lighting ceremony. The kids were very excited to see/play with fire:

I've often referred to the au pair program as the program that keeps on giving. Thanks to my many experiences (read: botched experiences) in Germany, I can now successfully cook pumpkin and other awesome gourds and turn them into breads, muffins, soups, and other tasty concoctions. No more stringy, uncooked pies! Thanks to my German host family I have embraced the phrase: "Waste not, Want not!" Thanks German Host Family!

Now we give back by teaching our German Exchange student how to save as much pumpkin as possible to be used for breakfast, lunch, and dinner next week. I think she was ecstatic about pulling out the pumpkin seeds. Good job, Fiona!

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Thirty One

Tomorrow, in ten minutes, or by the time I post this I'll be 31. I have no in depth reflections at this point on what that means to me. I haven't had time to think about it.
Reagan has become quite the conversationalist lately. Last night she decided to take a bath with her favorite lovie - Lambie. She got out of the bath and into her super froggie towel. She walked into the kitchen with her eyes brimming with tears and kept saying, "Wammie is bwoken?!" It was the sweetest and saddest thing. I love that she is so expressive. I've had a hard time finding the right time and the right way to set boundaries for her. Last week she took something away from Riley and immediately told him, "I don't want you to have that right now!" She also is addicted to chocolate milk (bunny milk) and eating potato chips on the couch, in her pajamas, after Riley leaves for school. I'm not sure how she got into that! She thinks she can always drink my morning coffee and the only time she likes to hear "no" is when she is saying it to us!
I gave Reagan a pumpkin chocolate chip muffin this afternoon and found her promptly pulling out every chocolate chip.
I love her to pieces and enjoy being home with her. I like spending most of my free time with her until she's clingy or screaming at me, but otherwise we've enjoyed most of our quiet days with Riley at school.
It was a busy month with Fiona arriving, getting the kids settled into school, and Sean getting settled into his job. Maybe this weekend I'll have a chance to post pictures. Well, maybe by Monday.

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Waiting, Waiting, Waiting

I don't know who reads this blog. I'd like to know. Writing to an audience that I know nothing about doesn't appeal to me. I wonder if lurkers are people in my neighborhood who have found me and will now read my innermost thoughts. It really just discourages me from writing. Anonymity is important to me.

We applied to host an exchange student. The area coordinator called the school to see if they could still accept someone. The school has not called back. The decision maker has been in meetings all week. At this point, we'll be lucky to hear anything by Friday. We are waiting. It seems like such a big decision. I'm glad to go through this process because making a commitment to someone for the next year is a bit nerve wracking. I'm decisive, but non-commital. Once something is settled I will stick to it unless it's absolutely unbearable. I'm not really sure what I just said.

We went to register Riley for school and there is no place for him. They will find out later this week if he will be bus'd to a different school and where that will be. Even driving him to another local elementary school would be better than putting him back in private school. School start in less than three weeks and we have no idea where he will be. We are waiting. I hate having things unsettled. Riley is frustrated too. I was excited for him to be in classes with the neighborhood kids. Alas, it's not to be.

In other news, I have until next week to sign up for the LSAT. Sean thinks I shouldn't do it. The moms I've known who gone to law school don't seem happy with their decision. I haven't spoken to one yet who has said it was brilliant, exciting, and life changing. That's a bit discouraging. My other idea is to complete an HR/MBA and become a Director over Human Resources for a fortunate 1000 company. I don't know. I'm decisive, but non-commital. Once something is settled I will stick to it. I'm not really sure what I want.

I LOVE my current job. I adore my husband. Most of the time I think my kids are cute and I enjoy keeping my garage organized.

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