Halloween 2014, Unknown to Protect the Innocent

We have arrived.
Halloween 2014.
Yes.
Like the meme says "At 12 midnight, Bam! Christmas carols everywhere!"
Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

I was fortunate enough to meet up with one of my oldest & dearest, favorite friends ever...Karen.  Her son is a grade ahead of Cheeks, so we watched the parade & then TOT together.

You would think a blogger would have taken photos.
Not so much.

I got like, one.

Here is the child,  I mean the Unknown Phantom.

Lost a glove, wearing shorts, & of course, rocking his ever menacing, neon blue sneaks.

We are keeping his face protected because I have nicknamed the boy, the informer.
He likes to tell a lot of stuff.

Example:  Wednesday, Bobster & I were having a slight disagreement as all married couples do.  Cheeks decides to tell my "new" neighbor that his father said "Marriage is a mistake".  Mortified doesn't cover it.  I was like get in the car! Get! In! The! Car!

Seriously, tho.  it was a great Halloween spent with a wonderful friend and her boy.  Two years in a row we did it, let's go for three!!!

How was your Halloween?

Sunday Confession

I was beaten by an 8 yo.

Yep.

Apparently, we were having a contest but I was unaware.

Well, really, it was a challenge.  The Iron Chef Haunted House Decorating Challenge, as my son called it.

Being the good mom that I am, I picked up a decorate haunted house brownie kit.  We decided today was the day to make them.  You know, with Halloween being less than a week away.

So I baked the suckers, let them cool & we started to decorate.

Exhibit 1: He starts out innocently enough.

Exhibit 2:  He is going to town!

Exhibit 3:  Look at me, I am so cute.  I am just decorating my house, minding my business, not planning my diabolical plan at all.

Exhibit 4: Mommy's house.  I finished before Cheeks & he said "Oh I'll call you when I'm done."

Exhibit 5:  His finished house!

This is where he threw in the challenge.

Ok, I'm game.

We walked our plates into the living room and the judges were his father & older brother.  You know, the men that I painstakingly make meals for, wash clothes and run around to every activity know for man.

Judging was based on the amount of clapping one got.

Well they went crazy for Cheek's house.

Mine...crickets!

I think the child fixed the contest.

Sunday Confession

Ok, we all have that one somebody in the celebrity world that we really "don't get", like why they are a celebrity or how they even go to that status.

Here is mine:

Lena Dunham.

I just do not get it.
I do not see her appeal.

Yes, yes, she's self depreciating, but so am I.
Yes, she's chubby & not afraid to show her curves.
I get that.

I just don't get how she is revered by so many people.

Lena is probably a really nice person, sweet in fact.  It just boggles my mind that she is so popular.
Awkward is in, I know.

I have never seen "Girsl" but from what I hear, she's naked a lot.  If I want to see a naked chubby girl, I'll look in the mirror.  Ok, it might be like Orca the killer whale but either way...

Tell me do you have a celebrity that you just don't get?

Giving Back

This past Saturday I had the very fortunate opportunity to volunteer my time with the Ronald McDonald House of South Jersey.

I took my 8yo with me.  I believe it is hyde time he learns about giving back and service.

A coworker of mine made arrangements with RMH for a few of us to come in and prepare dinner for the families staying there.  Cheeks and I brought brownies.  

What is great about the RMH is that it provides a comfortable place for families with members in the hospital.  I wanted my son to see that other people need our help and kindness, that we are blessed to be in the position to help.

Cheeks got to meet a young boy from Puerto Rico who was staying there.  They played Legos and video games.  He then met a young girl who was from South Korea and they played on the computer.

He also got to see a puppet show.

Do you know what was wonderful about the Puppet show?

It was done by a religious group, who showed the puppets praying to God.

Guess what?  No one was offended in the audience.  They appreciated the time this group spent with them.

No matter what your problems are in this world, someone, somewhere always has bigger problems or issues.  Health is our number priority and so many families have loved ones that have poor, poor health. Making dinner for these families is a great way to show your support for them.  Nothing says comfort like a good warm meal and that is what we did for them.  All the members of the families said thank you and many came back for seconds.

It felt good to help out and make others happy...if only for a few hours.

I want to teach my children to always give to others.  Whether through your generosity, time or abilities, people will always appreciate what you have done for them.

Sunday Confession

What do I have to confess this week?
I know you are all waiting with bated breath.
I can tell.  I'm good like that.

This weeks confession involves my children.  Mostly the youngest, the 8yo, the one I affectionately call "Cheeks".

My confession is...I give in!
I give in to nagging.

I would say it's 80% giving in, 20% me saying No! & sticking to it.

The reason: he just doesn't give up.  It is constant, even if I punish him by sending him to his room.  All you hear is whine, cry, whine, MOM!, cry, whine, cry.  Usually what he is asking for isn't outrageous.  Extra time on video games, stay up a bit longer, burn the house down.  That kind of stuff.

Tell me moms, I can not be the only one who can not take the constant plea of a young child.

Of course, he is not the only one.  Bobster nags as well.  The only one who doesn't nag is the 15yo.  He is even trying to teach his younger brother that if you just leave Mommy alone, life will be easier.  If only my husband understood that.

Sigh.

Am I the only one peeps?

You know....

You know you have been to the WaWa one too many times when the cashier waiting on you says:

"Where's your Sizzli? You usually get a French Toast Sizzli"

You know that you pick the hairs on your chin in the mini van a little too much, when your 8yo son picks up said tweezers, flips the visor down & says "I have to pick the hair off of my beard!"

So, what do you do a little too much?

Sunday Confessions

Here again.
Sunday Funday.
Of course it's time for confessions.

This one, for some of you, may not come as a surprise...others who don't know me so well will be like "Whaaaaat?"

I, Meghan, author of this blog, loathes & despises:

Can you believe it?
I can not stand watermelon.
Even to touch it.

I think it goes back to my days of cashiering.  People would being them up and I would have to bag them.  Whether whole or cut up.  The watermelon was always so cold and it would give me a chill right up the palm of hands to my spine.

Weird.
I know.

I have a lot of quirks.

It's so bad that I refuse to buy it.  If anyone in my household wants it, they get it somewhere else or the Nana takes pity on them, buys it, chops it & brings it over.  

I can't even stand the smell.

So, No Watermelon for you!

Tell me, do you skeeve anything?