First jack-o-lantern(s)

While we were at Chad's parents' house last weekend, four of the five of us (me and all 3 kids) had a First. It was our first time making jack-o-lanterns! Chad's dad was nice enough to take a picture of me working on mine to document this momentous occasion.

They were also nice enough to take pictures of the finished products to e-mail to me.

Kendra's (which is identical to a jack-o-lantern she drew in school a few days earlier): 

Chad's (it's bats over a belltower; from a pattern) 

Mine is in the back. It's a jack-o-lantern made into a jack-o-lantern!

Laura's (it's hair above the eyes, not eyebrows): 

 And Evan's (from the top down, it's eyebrows, eyes and nose, mustache, and mouth):

Thank you, Lyle and Linda, for buying the pumpkins and letting us make your kitchen smell all pumpkiny!

Three more reasons to love Evan

1. He still writes some of his letters backwards. Tonight I told him how to remember which side the curve of the P goes on. My super secret hint was "which side do you pee out of? The front or the back?" Considering the word "pee" is a "not very polite so let's not use it" word in our house, this clue simultaneously made me the worst mom and the best mom ever in his eyes.

2. This little boy who really, very strongly, didn't like school last year said to me tonight, "Mommy, since this week at school felt so short, is it ok if we do math problems during breakfast Saturday?"

3. When I was looking through the papers he brought home from school today, one of them was a sheet where they had to write words that started with "S-blends". One of his s-m words was smootch (but spelled with only one O). I said, "Does that say smootch?"
  "Yeah. When we shared our words, the other kids said Eww when I said that I put that word down. So then I said, 'what? I like to smootch my mommy on the lips.'"
  "Really? You said that?"
  "Yeah. And then they said Ewwwww even more. So then I said, 'What?!? I think it's fun.'"
  This story brings about three thoughts for me. (1) He's the most wonderful, lovey little boy ever! (2) I hope kids don't get beat up in 1st grade for saying they like to kiss their mommy on the lips. And (3) how funny is this since he just had about a month where he absolutely refused to give me a kiss no matter what.

I'm so glad I get to be his mommy!

A big ol' cup of confession

To Chad, Shawna, and Suzanne (the 3 coffee addicts who are staples in my life),

It worries and bothers me that I now prefer a cup of coffee over a cup of hot chocolate.

What have you all done to me?!?

Sincerely,
Lynnette (who's sitting here drinking her hot chocolate and wishing it was coffee)

Trick-or-Treaters

Nearly-4-year-old in a size 12 month kitty costume - Check.

5-1/2-year-old in a size 12 month ladybug costume - Check.

7-year-old wearing Mario jammies under a Spider-Man costume - Check.

Happy trick-or-treating!