A Nice Steaming Pile of........Spaghetti?

I wanted to make a super simple dinner tonight so that I could get out of the house with Mia to trick or treat and let Shelby put Lennon to bed and get some work done.  I bought some store pasta sauce and made spaghetti.  As we were sitting down to eat - Lennon had already started - Mia said "something smells like animal poo."  "Well Angel's been inside all day it's probably just his litter box."  I said.  Then I sat down and took a bite of my salad and noticed that I too smelled this animal smell.  It smelled exactly like zoo poo.  Then Shelby, having already taken a bite of his food smelled his plate and agreed with us.  After a few minutes of looking awkwardly at each other and inspecting the jar of sauce we decided it must just be the basil in the sauce that was making it smell like that.  "It's weird, it smells just like poop, but it still tastes good."  Said Mia.  I took a few bites and it really didn't taste bad, but I couldn't move beyond the thought.  It seriously smelled like I was eating a petting zoo.  So gross.  Now I have a giant pot of zoo poo pasta sitting in the fridge that will most likely go to waste.  So, word to the wise - Do not buy Muir Glen Organic Tomato Basil pasta sauce.  It smells like petting zoo poo.

Update

Lennon just LOVES his Auntie Jess.  When she is around it is as if I am not here.  It's such an awesome change from the usual 'clinging to the knee' routine.  He is doing SO much better these days.  He's even been letting me go to the gym and voluntarily left my arms to go to three different friends this week.  He is playing so much more independently and really enjoys dinosaur books and anything about dogs.  He was quacking up a storm tonight in the bath and moos every time he sees a cow.

"What could this creature be?" you ask

It's a wittle baby Lennon in a puppy dog towel and Mia's bath robe that he insisted on wearing after his bath.

The kids newest game to play together is hide n go seek and it is the cutest thing ever to watch them playing together.  Lennon always squats down really low to check if Mia is under his bed and laughs hysterically whenever he finds her and then runs the other direction.  She adores him.  

We were using the rest of our apples we picked with Papa and Nana to make some delicious cinnamon apples and Mia got to use a knife for the first time to help me chop them.  She was so proud and did an awesome job.  The apples were delicious and we dubbed them 'Momma Mia apples.'

A few nights ago I went to turn down Mia's bed and found this big spider under her covers right where her legs would have been.  Shelby and I captured it and in the process accidentally cut off two of her legs.  We put her in a cleaned out baby food jar and stuck her on the counter because I was going to try to figure out what kind of spider it was so that if there were more and Mia ended up with a spider bite we would know if we should worry or not.  I know, I'm crazy.  Anyway, for about three days the spider did not move at all and we assumed it was dead.  And then suddenly yesterday the spider started scampering about inside the jar.  After a while it was clear that this was a female spider.  She had laid an obvious egg sack and spun some kind of protective stuff all around it and anytime I would pick up the jar to inspect it she would rush to the sack and cover it up like she was protecting them.  It was so sad.  This morning I sent Shelby out with the jar to open it up outside so that when they hatched they could go free and maybe that poor momma spider could survive with only six legs.  Who knows.  I didn't really find out what kind of spider it was, but we did find out that poisonous spiders are highly uncommon in Massachusetts.  That made me feel better.  For a couple nights after I found it I was terrified to put my legs down into the bed without a thorough inspection!

Just Some Crazy Lennon Hair

Mia's Halloween Party

Last Friday we had a Halloween party for a few of Mia's friends.  Making the invite list was a bit of a problem because her social circle is so broad now that I knew I didn't want to handle all those kids in one night.  I decided that she could either have only school friends or only non school friends.  She chose school friends, but then I ended up inviting Nicole from Plymouth and Chloe from gymnastics too.  The party was super fun.  The craft that Mia chose out of this fun Halloween book Granmommy got us a few years ago ended up being a little too involved for the kids, so we skipped past it after a while and moved on to other fun.  It was a shame though because Shelby had spent literally hours working on the prep work for it the night before.  I was lazy and just ordered pizza for everyone which was awesome to the kids.  Then we decorated cupcakes, played pin the tail on the cat, charades and bobbing for apples.  The next disappointment was when we went to put the kids temporary pumpkin tattoos on and realized they were just regular body stickers.  Kids like stickers, but they LOVE temporary tattoos.  Then as they girls were jumping around like crazy people dancing with their glow in the dark bracelets, Angelina's busted open and spurted green glowing goo all over her costume and her face.  Some of it got into her eyes and she was pretty upset.  We put her over the sink and flushed her eyes really well with water and Shelby read on the packaging that the stuff would  most likely stain and may cause discomfort, but would not cause damage to the eyes.  After this though, the girls were all a little shaken up and decided to sit down and watch a Barbie movie for the last half hour or so of the party.  I think they all had fun though.  Overall the party was a big success!  

Mia got her apple pretty fast.

Bella going in for a bite.  One of the kids said these apples looked like poisonous apples and Shelby said "They are...Well, one of them is poisonous.  You kids just have to figure out which one."  He is such a goof!  

Mia didn't quite win this game, but she was close and had a lot of fun!

Bella, Mia, Angelina and Lila around the table decorating cupcakes.

Nicole and Mia.  The cupcakes were out of Jessica Seinfeld's book Deceptively Delicious and they were a big hit.  

Shelby working diligently on preparation for the craft.

The Finished Product

Mommy's Birthday Weekend

Shelby started things off early.  He went out wednesday night to "buy a usb drive."  Thursday morning he woke me up to a fresh cup of coffee in my brand new coffee maker.  The old one was about 6 years old and didn't grind coffee any longer and also just generally sucked off and on.  Needless to say I was pretty stoked!  My next surprise came friday night.  Shelby told me he had arranged for Jessica to come over and babysit so we could go see a movie.  I spent all day friday trying to choose a movie time that worked and was so excited that he had planned a night out and found a babysitter all on his own.  Then friday night Jess called to say she was going to be a little late.  Then about 30 minutes later when we had missed the second movie time I had chosen I got frustrated and tired and called her to say "don't bother coming, I'm just going to go to bed."  Then as I was heading off to bed at 10 30 Shelby opened up the front door and walking up the steps were my Dad and Laura!  I couldn't believe it!  I was completely surprised and it was so awesome.  So I got to stop feeling frustrated with Jess and just enjoy the weekend with my family!

We went to Smolak Farms to pick apples, drink fresh apple cider and eat some yummy apple cider donuts.  Sorry, Lennon, you're still too young for that kind of treat.  :)

Just one of the gorgeous views of the farm.

Lennon likes to make himself beautiful just like Sissy.  Any chance he gets to use her brush or try on her headbands he takes.  Here he is using Nana's blush brush to "brush" his hair.  

Nana bought Mia two beautiful new dresses and this one had a matching dress for her Samanthat doll.

Lennon taking his breathing treatment.

We had such an awesome time.  My birthday weekend was so special.  I love surprises and this was a good one.  Also, my Uncle Lew came through town and stayed with all of us sunday night.  It was great to see him and have some extra company.  Saturday morning Lennon woke up with a "wicked" as they would say up here - cough.  It sounded bad, just like last winter when he had to go to the emergency room in Texas and got a bronchialitis diagnosis.  We gave him a treatment of some albuterol and silver and by the next morning he was almost fully recovered.  It was crazy.  Sunday we went to Boo at the Zoo and met up with Claire and the kids who were wearing the most incredible home made costumes!  Afterwards we went to the mall for lunch and shopping for my new coat.  Thanks Papa and Nana!  It's awesome by the way.  Monday we did the farm thing when we got home Papa and Nana got ready and headed out for the airport.  It was so much fun and just about everyone I know called me on my actual birthday which was cool.  Thanks to everyone who made it a special day/weekend!  

Check the photos on the sidebar for even more fun pics.

Better Late Than Never

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMOMMY MARY BETH!!!

Okay, so the video of Mia is sideways because I am slightly retarded, but nevertheless, she is cute and sweet as always.  Sorry for the extreme belatedness of this message.  We recorded it long ago and I just haven't gotten around to posting it until now.  I hope you had a great birthday!  We love you!

Daddy's Little Girl

Shelby was leaving to go up to the office tonight and Mia asked why he was going.  He said he had to get his portfolio done because if it was good he could win $1500.  To which Mia replied "Daddy, you are soo amazing!"  And she buried her face in him and gave him a giant bear hug.