Before I start, excuse the picture quality. It was my phone this morning in the dark or nothing.

We decorated outside for Halloween this year and it was awesome. Spiders and spider webs, pumpkins and scarecrows. The kids loved it. We loved it. The house was so much fun to come home to at night.

Halloween came and went and there was no mistaking it. Our decorations were not fall or Thanksgiving, they were 100% Halloween. We live in a Nazi patrolled HOA, so we knew there was an expiration date on those decorations, and now, well into November, they were starting to smell sour.

Looking longingly at our front doorstep, I realize that I have shortchanged this beautiful home so many times, calling it small, apologizing for it even. We did a great job with Halloween and I was so sad to see it taken away and replaced with nothing. It gave me a whole new appreciation for our home.

This weekend was quieter for us, if you can call 2 birthday parties and 1 hockey practice quieter, so I decided it was time to take down the Halloween decorations and…decorate for Christmas! We had to go up in the attic anyway for the winter clothes. Might as well do both!

So up in the attic I went and down came everything. It looked like Hurricane Fani hit the house.

Two days later we had (most) of the clothes put away and all of the not fragile Christmas decorations up. To fully take advantage of the huge ceiling we have, we got a new prelit tree. It was so much easier to put up. Well, for Jay anyway. I exerted about the same amount of energy watching him.

And a new 9 foot tree needs new decorations. Our trees are always rather barren anyway. Working on it. Thane and Mara had fun putting on the Star Wars and Toy Story decorations that they picked out this year.

All the wreaths are on each window outside, 4 total.

Last night, after everything was up, the elves, Thanos and Madeleine, made a return visit.

Mommy: ~Slamming a box down on the ground, not heard by anyone in the living room.~
Mommy: ~Rushes into the living room~ “What was that noise?!?!?”
Thane: “I don’t know.” ~Seeing my big grin~ “Let’s look!”
~Several minutes of looking ensue while I direct them to the dining room
~And then the dining room table
~Kids, will you just look up?? I cannot stand the suspense!
Mommy: “I think it came from above the table!”
Thane: ~Finally looking at the light~ “Thanos and Madeleine found us! They’re back!”
Mara: “And they brought spiders!”
Mommy: ~Maybe I should have picked a cobweb-free zone for their first arrival spot~

On a very positive note, I had two angels for children last night. Thanos and Madeleine’s arrival (with a new skirt for Madeleine) prompted very good behavior. Thane was especially excited to see them and brought Star Wars gear (decoration, shoes, etc) down for them to see and then told them about his hockey bed. He was very happy they came back to visit.

Around Christmastime each year, the Greek Church reads off the names of the dead to eternalize their memory.

I received my list last Thursday and went through the 25 names to be recited. I am pleased to report that it was a struggle to get to 25. On the list, was Giagia, Mom Hansen, David, Amber, Dad, Paco, Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Chris, and so on.

The next day, Friday night arrived and so did the start of Halloween festivities. Jay and I walked in the door with our usual stride.

**CRASH** **SHATTER**

Jay and I look at each other. Is someone in the house?

I walk towards the stairs and notice a frame has fallen and shattered from the windowsill. It is one of my dad. The picture is fine but glass is everywhere.

I look at Jay and then at the wall and say, “Hi, Dad. Guess we were not talking to you enough.”

Shortly later, we head to the car, the kids dressed as Jessie from Toy Story and a Zombie, in honor of his Plants vs. Zombies addiction. Off to zoo for Ghouls at Grassmere.

(Click the photos for bigger images)

At the zoo, Thane was a hit in his light up Zombie skin and Mara was Belle of the Ball , Western style.

Towards the end of the night, we came across a preview for the new DinoTrek exhibit. It’s an upcoming Dinosaur Exhibit at the Zoo (no, not real dinosaurs). There is a sign with a date announcing its start.

It does not say:

**COMING SPRING 2012**

or even

**COMING MARCH 2012**

No, instead it gives its date to the day…

**COMING MARCH 16, 2012**

aka…Dad’s Birthday.

Wow, guess he really wanted to be a part of our Halloween.

Mr. Incredible and his escaped con took their kids, Jessie (only costume she would permit) and a knight and then a Yellow Clone (ie. Storm Troopers before they were bad) to 4 different parties in 2 days.

Do you know what the problem is with Mr. Incredible? He does not have any pockets! Where oh where does he keep his wallet?

So, wallet is now misplaced. All through the weekend and into Tuesday. When Jay gets pulled over for expired tags (Sept ’11) and does not even have a driver’s license to show, we decide we should probably look.

When we get home, I agree to empty the dishwasher (the bain of my existence) while Jay looks upstairs. As he is heading up the stairs, he yells down to me:

“Tell your dad to help me find my wallet.”

**Pause**

**Pause**

**Pause**

**CRASH**

**Pause**

**Pause**

Jay: “I did not do that. I was nowhere near it.”

Jay’s hockey stick, which had been standing in our bedroom for weeks without movement fell to the ground.

5 minutes later he found his wallet.

Happy Halloween Dad!

This weekend was a birthday party extravaganza.

First, we had a busy sports day on Saturday followed by a party for Blake, Thane’s BFF at school. Before we were even out the door, Thane was asking to come back to Blake’s house.

On Sunday, we had a Build A Bear birthday for his school friend Sarah, whose mom and I have been friends for over seven years. Mara got to go, too and it was her first Build A Bear experience. She named the Puppy she made Iron Man there but then changed his name later to “Puppy Dog.” I think it suited him more too.

Sarah is quite girly girl and rocked the pink clothes and feather boa. Thane loved the cupcakes so much he had TWO! Mara loved on her new puppy. I loved the monogrammed confetti.

So clearly, a great time was had by all. Thane and Mara have even taken their matching Build-A-Puppies to school each day.

Today is Thursday, and the party is a fun but distant memory….

…until I go to Rachel’s blog this morning…

….and find this….

Click on the picture to get the full view. In all its glory.

Happy Birthday, Sarah!!!