Happy Halloween!

I wanted to come by and wish everyone a safe and Happy Halloween! I'll be dressing up Minnie Mouse again - this time with a nose and everything. 

In the morning I'll be going to the kids' school for their Halloween parade. This will be Nikki's last as she'll be going to middle school next year. Jonathan is in 1st grade so we have a few years to go with him (And also start all over with mine in a few years!). 

I'm keeping the costume on for work (even if I'm the only one who dresses up - it's Friday after all!), although I'm taking a change of clothes just in case I need to do a switch. When I went to Disneyland with this dress I ended up getting very uncomfortable. 

My brother will take the kids trick-or-treating at the mall in the afternoon, and when it gets dark we will hit up the streets. 

SoCal has been extra warm this summer and there is rain in the forecast for tonight (depending whom you ask) so let's keep our fingers crossed that the rain holds back a while. 

I also wanted to mention that starting tomorrow, NOVEMBER 1st Knock on Wood is hosting a November List Link-Up. You can pick any of the topics she has typed up and post on any day you want, or if you want, you can post in order like I plan to. Who doesn't love getting to make lists! 

You can see the list over there and use the button below to link up with her! 

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Conversations: Jonathan Speaks!

Here we are again for Knock on Wood's Conversations link up! I love reading about other people's funny conversations and so I've been trying hard to remember the funny ones I have with my family and friends (or maybe the ones I eavesdrop on!). 

All my posts have been about Jonathan (my nephew for anyone who doesn't know) because he just cracks me up.

A few days ago Jonathan (who, by the way, is 6 years old) saw a magazine on a chair at my parents’ house. It’s a magazine from Uruguay published in Los Angeles that my dad picks up when he does some shopping at an Argentine store.

This is the back cover:

Jonathan looked at it and exclaimed: “OMG! That’s horrible!!”

Me: What’s horrible??

Jonathan: Are you kidding me?? I’m not ready for S-E-X!!

I don't know if I should be worried, concerned, surprised, or proud! We've always known that he is bright and he catches on really quickly so it's not really a surprise that he would make the connection from the sexual references he might hear/see on TV. BUT it might not be the best that he knows all this at such a young age. 

Weekend Summed Up

I have to say that I love Halloween. I love the traditions in brings. I love the pumpkin carvings. What I'm not loving this year is the heat. We are in a never ending summer in SoCal. It's cooled down quite a bit, but we were still sweltering over the weekend. 

Friday night was the night we had agreed on to carve our pumpkins. We bought a couple a few weeks ago when we went to the fright fair/pumpkin patch. It was a fun adventure. I hadn't carved a pumpkin in many years and only remembered how messy it was. I don't particularly love the feeling of the goo on my hands. Luckily the pumpkin I was working with had little moosh and a lot of drier strings. 

Thomas concentrating on the pumpkin. You can see my design.

We didn't have proper carving tools. We had to take a late night trip to Wal*Mart to pick up a kit. 

I was able to get the top off! Yay! 

Unfortunately we didn't have batteries for the lights, but I will fix that today! 

On Saturday morning I got a call from the LA County Registrar/Recorder's office. I've worked many elections in the last 12 years that I've been old enough to vote (wow, that made me feel old! I've vote in every election and probably worked all except 3 or 4). I had been assigned as a clerk to my local precinct this year but I had told them to place me on the list to be the "inspector" (the boss of the precinct) so on Saturday when someone cancelled they called me to see if I would do it. It's a different precinct, but it's not too far away. Besides, I like being the boss! I had to pick up the supplies that morning. 

An hour or so later I had to go to help my friend to set up her sons' 6th birthday party. It was a nice event that lasted from about noon until past 4pm (when I left). I brought my nephew Jonathan with me (Nikki had a different birthday party to go to). 

My friend and I put together a "pin the bat on the man" game during the week. It was fun. 

After that party we headed to Thomas' cousins' daughters' 1st birthday party. We stayed there for a short while because we had to head over to Red Robin's for my brothers' celebratory birthday dinner (my dad, Nikki, and I were also celebrated. Free meals for all of us and dessert!). 

The kids asked to spend the night after dinner so we brought them home and then watched a movie and stayed up way too late. 

On Sunday morning we played video games and then I headed over to the Pierce Farm Center Halloween Harvest Festival to do the corn maze with my brother and the kids. 

I finished Sunday by doing some grocery shopping and then grilling up some steaks and doing some housework. 

We got some more pumpkins so I'll help the kids carve them this week.

Have a great Monday everyone! 

Seven Quirks

I was nominated by Melissa (mostly because I forced her to) and then by Amanda to talk about 7 quirky things about me. I tend to think that I am quirky through and through, but let’s get to the specifics. 

So I confess....

1. I don’t know if this is a quirk – but I cannot stand loose hair to be on my clothing. If I spot a wayward hair it gets pulled off me immediately. I hate that I can’t see behind me to pull those hairs off because I’m sure there are a ton! I like to pull them off other people, too but that sometimes becomes weird.
2. YET! I can’t stop touching my hair. I am constantly playing with it. More so now that I have my perm than I did beforehand. I’m just so enthralled that my hair is not just limp against my head that I need constant proof that it’s still curly (and it doesn’t matter that I sit next to a huge mirror and can look at it all the time).
3. Melissa and Amanda have determined that I am quirky in that I can twist my tongue in weird ways and that I can also roll my R’s. Along with that I can move my ears and flare my nostrils – I can even do it at the same time! However I cannot roll my R’s, flare my nostrils, and move my ears all at the same time.
4. I have issues with textures in my mouth. There are things that I just cannot eat. For example: cream cheese, greek yogurt, guacamole/avocado, and beans (to name a few).
5. I also have issues with food scents. When I’m done eating my Yoplait Yogurt (Light of course) I need to throw it in the trash upside down or far away from me, because the smell just grosses me out. I love the yogurt and the smell is fine while I eat it, but once I’m done I don’t want it near me.
6. I like to sleep with the window open even when it gets really cold. I like to be under a bunch of blankets and comforters with my head sticking out into the hold air. My husband doesn’t. Especially since we live near a train station and the trains (especially Amtrak!) are VERY loud.
7. I cannot think of a seventh one. I just can't.       

Camping Time!

I spent this past weekend camping with Thomas and many members of his family (I think that there were 40 different people there over the course of the 4 days!). When Thomas and his siblings and cousins were little his parents would take them all camping. One of this cousins, who now has a 2 year old, wants to restart this tradition so she put together a nice family trip at El Capitan State Beach.

I took Thursday and Friday off work (Thomas took the whole week). We headed up on Thursday and started to set up. Like normal I was really bad at taking pictures, but we did get some nice ones.

The only camping I ever did as a child was with girl scouts and not nearly as often as Thomas seems to have gone. I think I was more excited about the camping trip than most of the people there.

El Capitan State Beach is slightly north of Santa Barbara, so on Thursday afternoon we were looking to get some Jamba Juice and the only one around was on the University of California, SB campus. I have never seen so many bicycles in my life. The campus has bicycle paths for them to ride on and the bike riders have the right away on those. It was pretty cool to see.

On Friday we headed to the beach for a while, where Thomas tried very hard to throw me into the water. He succeeded in just taking me in waist deep. That water is cold though! I much prefer the Atlantic for going in.

After dark on Friday Thomas took me back down to the beach, in the dark, so that we could have a romantic moment under the stars. I know some of you live in small towns where you see lots of stars nightly, but when you live in a big city with lots of lights it is amazing to be on a beach and see all the stars. It was gorgeous.

On Saturday Thomas and I spent most of the day with one of his cousins’ and his faincee (they are getting married on Friday! We went back down to the beach and then the kids, I mean Thomas and his cousin, played rock wars.

We then spent most of the afternoon playing different board games. It was a great evening. 

We took a family picture on Friday and Saturday nights since some people left and others arrived. 

I am having technical issues. Facebook pictures do not want to show up for me. I think this means I need a new computer. Or at least I'm trying to convince Thomas of that.

Mickey's Halloween Party!

Last year a co-worker took her daughter to Disneyland for their Mickey's Halloween Party. For you non-Disneyland goers - it is special night time event at Disneyland in which kids (and adults!) can dress up and go trick-or-treating around the park! 

I put the idea in my mom's head that we should take the kids this year as a birthday present for my niece (who turned 10 on the 7th). She agreed! So on Tuesday, my mom, the kids, and I headed out to Anaheim (about an hour or so away) after school to partake in this exciting trip! 

Jonathan got to participate in some dancing with the guys from M.U. He was jumping all around and entertaining one of the guys that was working there for the show, so he got invited to participate in the Scare Contest. 

Along with everyone else he got  a Scare Champion pin - it was very cute and he had a lot of fun. He could've danced all night but it was time to go soon after.

Jonathan rode with my mom on the Haunted Mansion ride. He enjoyed it.

#MyConversations - Link Up!

I'm once ahead participating in Knock On Wood's bi-monthly Link-up about conversations. Check out her blog and the others who are participating! 

Monday’s thru Wednesday’s I take the kids to school along with my mom. One day as we were getting out of the car my mom asked Jonathan about taking his folder and backpack to school.

Mom: Do you want to take your backpack? Or just your folder? The only thing in your backpack is your folder.

Jonathan: You never know when you’ll need your backpack!

Earlier this year Jonathan decided on his career plans. My brother upgraded his phone so my nephew got one to play with. It was still associated with an open line so he got to make a call or two to me and his dad. One day he told his dad something along the lines of…

Jonathan: Now that I have a phone I can get a job.

David: What kind of Job?

Jonathan: I can open a hot dog stand. I’d be good at that.

After hearing this story I asked Jonathan how to make a hot dog, which he explained to me in detail. My brother and I tried to dissuade him from this career choice, but he is sure that he will be a great hot dog salesman.

Oh, and by the way… he doesn’t eat hot dogs.

Finally, one afternoon my niece complained to her dad that some girls teased her at school about the way she plays volleyball. Jonathan overheard, went to his sister and said:

Jonathan: Nikki, let me tell you something. Bullies will be bullies! 

Not something you usually hear from a 6 year old! 

Fall Dates

I love Fall, except that we don’t really have one here. I mean, we’re just about in mid-October and the forecast calls for 90 degrees for the next 10 days.

Also, Thomas and I don’t really go on “dates”. We usually just stay in or go to his parents’ house for events. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like some dates!

Assuming the weather cools down and we get some fall-like temperatures, I would love to go to a pumpkin patch to pick some pumpkins. Who am I kidding, I’ll go even if it’s 90 out.  I’ve never actually done this before, but it seems like so much fun. Now that we have our own home we can decorate and I love fall decorations. I already bought some mini pumpkins to put in the living room.

We headed to the festival at the local college/farm. I had never noticed that they had a pumpkin patch. They had freshly growing pumpkins but mostly they had pumpkins that had been placed there. Either way we had fun and found a nice sized pumpkin for $4!

Haunted Festivals! I love to be scared. I love to feel protected by my husband even more. Although it has been my experience that more than protect me he delivers me to the people doing the scaring. Either way, I enjoy going to the haunted houses. This year we had free tickets!

On Saturday night we went to The Rise of the Jack O Lanternshttp://therise.org/ - an event that is hosted in Los Angeles and New York every year. It's about 5,000 pumpkins (or funkins) that are carved out. They have a ton of amazing ones:

Movies. I guess this doesn’t really pertain to being an autumn date, but we never really go out to the movies. We usually watch them at home, which is nice, but it can get boring, too. I think there are a couple I’d like to check out in the next couple of months.

We didn't go on a date to the movies, but we did go see the Alexander movie with my brother and the kids on Sunday afternoon. Very cute movie! 

I’m pretty lame. These are as fun as it gets in my head. I’m looking forward to reading other dating ideas to beef my calendar up a bit!