timing, timing, or lack thereof...

So I thought I'd try again this year to do the whole NaBoPloMo deal...which entails posting to your blog every day in the month of November. This kind of time commitment doesn't work for me. Why? First and foremost: time/space continuum issues. I'm not organized enough to itemize second, third and fourth issues, but reasons abound. I should not even try next year. The first of November came and went before I realized it. For that matter, so did daylight savings time or fall savings time or whatever the heck time it is now. Was it just me or was there not much news at all about it this year? This timing error worked in my favor for once this go-round. I thought I was arriving to the airport Sunday morning with 15 minutes to flee to my gate. Turns out I had a whole extra hour. Woohoo! I'm in Murfreesboro, TN for the week for work. Yeehaw. Haha! Actually for a closet country music lover, this place is extraordinarily entertaining. (C'mon -- you can't grow up in Texas and not be a closet country music fan...don't hold it against me, people.)

Halloween was a good time with the kids. I'm always amazed that they get tired after walking around the block, but secretly happy too because I don't need all that candy in my house. :) Gabriel was a scary punkrocker, complete with age-inappropriate, frightening Dead Elvis mask, and Sofia was Belle and Cinderella and SuperGirl AND finally a punk ballerina with wings. Yeah, that's my daughter. She can't make up her mind when it comes to clothing. :)

Sofia wore her ballet outfit to school on Friday, and when we walked in and she saw all the other kids dressed in costumes, she burst into tears, insisting that we turn around, go home and get her REAL costume. I was bewildered. I had explained to her that it was costume day. I tried to calmly tell her, "Honey, but this is a costume. It's your ballet costume that you chose to wear today." And the response: "This is a beautiful dress. This is NOT my Halloween costume!" Communication failure perhaps, but no way was I turning around and giving it to the diva's demands. I told her she had at least 3 other opportunities during the weekend to wear other costumes. She took me up on it too. :)

Gabe didn't have school today, so I signed him up for a local day camp. It was a Shakespeare theater camp and apparently he was not excited at all to find out that he would actually be at school. So Tim told him about Romeo and Juliet, and then Gabe couldn't wait to go to camp because he is obsessed with death and dying. Must get that from me. Poor kid. Gabe is much more relaxed about everything than I am though. He's forever saying, "Don't be such a worrywart, Mom." Between that and "Don't lay an egg," (a favorite line from the Stink books that Lisa gave him), he's always telling me to relax.

My friend Angela recently posted something on her Facebook page about how she was trying to relax and be a fun mom, and I cracked up. I can totally relate. It's something I have to concentrate hard on around the kids. I'm constantly saying to myself, "Enough nagging already." Halloween night, I was saying, "Guys -- did you say "thank you?" Guys -- please don't walk in the grass." "GABE! Do not walk near the street!" No, no, no. I need to learn how to say, "PARTY ON KIDS! Have a great time!" :)

Oh. My. G-d. I am a permanent goth chick now. I decided to go back to my roots because I'm tired of highlighting my hair. And to my knowledge (or perhaps blissful ignorance), I don't have gray hair yet, so I thought, "I'll go 'natural' until I go gray." I should post a picture that proves men don't listen when women talk. lol! I asked for chestnut brown hair the color of my roots -- even took in a photo of Kate Beckinsale with beautiful chestnut brown hair. I walked out - I am NOT kidding -- with jet black hair. Every time I pass a mirror, I jump out of my skin. My brain starts singing, "Elvira...my heart's on fire...Elvira." Good. Lord. Best part was my always impeccable timing. My appointment was on October 31st, so the few people who saw me that day said, "haha! Cool hair." And my reaction was, "Well, I hope so because it's permanent." Sofia asked me, "Mom, why is your hair blue?" Ahhhh -- it's only hair, I keep telling myself. It grows. :)

One more funny and then I have to get back to work. (I'm enjoying a late lunch right now.) We have two kittens in our house - Bonnie and Clyde, and Gabe this morning announced that Clyde works for Zoe, our dog. When questioned, he said, "Clyde jumped up to Sofia's plate, took a slice of turkey and gave it to Zoe." These kids! They are so awesome.

Hope you're having a great day!

Love,
Kristinn