Happy Halloween!

 Bartlett Costume Parade

Bella opted to wear her monkey costume 

from 2 years ago.

{Notice how the "feet" are mid-calf.}

I don't know this girl but 2 snaps for creative costume!!  

 Mr. Lee as a pirate...ARGH!

 It's actually pieces from George's costume.  More on that later.

Our car all dressed up for the Trunk or Treat.

Was especially proud of the eyes...

{George, Saniah, Bella}

George refused to wear his pirate costume and instead opted for his Halloween PJs which fittingly said 

"Official Candy Inspector" so kind-of a costume. 

My fabulous Spider Head.  I feel like the car was enough dress up for me.

How yoooooou dooooin?

 

{so hard to get a normal pic from this boy}

Actual Halloween, George still refusing to be a pirate, and Bella recognizing that the monkey was just too small.  

Logical back up plan: angel.

I'm Back Bi***es! {my trip to SC}

Went to Charleston, SC all by myself.  You might be saying, "Big deal!  I go places by myself all the time!"

Well I do not.

I get about 3.5 hours a week to myself.

Hence, BIG DEAL!

I now present to you a pictorial tour of my trip:

 Viv's Cute House

{Left side}
Actually that is a lie.  These are the cute houses across from Viv's cute house.  But really hers looks just like it.

 Everyone has screened in porches...glad I didn't experience the things these screens keep out...

 Historical outdoor market thingy...

 Me and Viv @ the historical market thingy.

 Fried Green Tomato Sandwich! 

{how southern is that??}

 Viv had Shrimp & Grits.  After tasting the grits I proceeded to have them at the next 5 meals.

Charleston has so much gorgeous architecture  

 See?

 This is at the Battery where the Civil War started.

 Love the water...

 Statue that proves the start of the Civil War.
{Not sure of the symbolic nature of the naked guy.}

 The house of the Dude that owns the Piggly Wiggly.

 He has stone pigs instead of bad-arse lions.

{sorry it's sideways}

 Super cool bridge.

 Best grits I seriously ever had in my LIFE!  At the
Home Team BBQ on Sullivan's Island.  

This is a super cool plantation that has no electricity or bathrooms.  It's called Dayton Hall I think.  And the tour guide was kind of possessive of it...

Honestly I fell in love with Charleston.  Can totally see why it is a hot-spot for destination weddings...

Blue Man Group Audition.

My son wants to be a Blue Man...

Last night my mom, Bret, and I were watching Survivor and 

the children were (allegedly) asleep.

George poked his head out the bedroom door and we saw his face.

When Bret dragged him out I could not stop myself from laughing!! 

The BEST thing is he took OFF his clothes and really got his bum good!

He's quite talented, don't ya think?  To get all those parts?  

I have an even more graphic one of his blue wiener but I will spare you...

Luckily the marker was a Washable Crayola and literally washed right off 

when Bret hosed him down in the shower...no scrubbing needed!  

And not a mark on any clothes or bedding or walls.  

And more entertaining than ANY reality show...

The Big Balls!

Last summer we started watching the oh-so-entertaining

summer TV series "Wipeout"

And did you know that in front of EVERY Target store

in Las Vegas there are

BIG RED BALLS

not unlike the big balls of Wipeout...

So my children cannot enter a Target without jumping on

said balls and demanding their picture be taken...

Believe it or not there were many, many, more.

These were the only ones I saved in my phone...

(I have deleted many a red ball pic.)

Now I try to go to Target alone.

**Side note: this morning George decided to pour his own Cocoa Krispies. Yes, that is the ENTIRE BOX! ARGH!

Life is good...

First Day of First Grade!!

My Bella girl is a first grader today!

And the ladies know it's all about the outfit...

Let's start with the FABULOUS shoes: Twinkle Toes

TV does such a great job of advertising...

she has been asking for these shoes for MONTHS!

Then we have the hand stitched yellow tee with ruffled collar...

And her skinny jean bermuda shorts...

(can't see in this picture)

When choosing a backpack Bella looked right over the princesses

and hello kitties...and chose:

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS*

(*side note: did I ever tell you about the time she said she wanted to marry spongebob and have little sponge babies? ew. maybe it's time for the talk about the birds and the bees. haha)

Today was her BFF's first day of school too.

Except that she is moving in a couple weeks so she won't

be attending Bartlett Elementary.

So sad.

George wants to go to school too. All day he has been asking, "Where's Bella?"

She is riding the bus and I was watching her to make

sure she got on okay and forgot to snap a pic.

Oh well.

I am loving the nice quiet day but gotta admit I'm having some anxiety about her eating lunch at school. And getting back home on the bus. And is her teacher kind? And will she make friends? And...And...And...

Time to go do some yoga.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Zhu Zhu Pets, But Were Afraid to Ask.

You know the zhu zhu pet craze of late 2009? (pronounced, of course, zoo zoo)

We didn't go crazy but each of our children received a zhu zhu pet from Santa.

Of course after 3 weeks the zhu zhu pets were stashed in a dark bedroom corner.

Until now!

We have revived interest in zhu zhus! {yay?}

And why exactly am I blogging about these darn things?

Aside from the fact that they are sort of funny...

Kung Zhu!

These are the fighting zhu zhu pets.

And Bella wanted to spend her allowance on one.

A "good guy" of course.

Here were some questions for her:

Me: So how are these different from your other zhu zhu pets?

Bella: They have a hurt eye.

Me: You need a new one because of the eye? I could take a marker and mark up one of the ones you have...

Bella: {exasperated tone} Mom, they got it from FIGHTING!

Me: How do you know if you got a good guy?

Bella: {losing interest in my questions} they are red and the bad guys are blue.

BUT {renewed interest in conversation} Shayla's zhu zhu pet was a good guy but it turned bad.

Me: ??

Bella: My Kan Zhu's name is

Cotton Candy Bruise Monster.

'nuff said.