For those of you that don't already read my friend Beck's blog, I have a treat for you. Beck is an amazing writer and mom (I've asked her repeatedly to adopt me). For Halloween, she has been putting a dark spin on some classic children's stories. They just keep getting better and better and freakier and freakier. Here are links to her first six:
Halloween Story #1
Halloween Story #2
Halloween Story #3
Halloween Story #4
Halloween Story #5
Halloween Story #6
[Edited to add subsequent stories. I'll keep adding them here as she writes them.]
Halloween Story #7
Halloween Story #8
Halloween Story #9
Enjoy!
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Weekly Randomosity
The Layoff:
I'm doing much better about the layoff now. I went from calm acceptance to anxiety/panic to church. At church, I cried all over my friend PregnantKeyboardGirl. She prayed over me and told me she loves me. Then the AwesomeCoffeeBringer couple prayed over me, too. I also happen to know that pretty much all of my praying family and friends are blanketing heaven with prayers on my behalf. I'm sure God is up there going, "Yah, 'Take care of Lynette.' I'm ON it, people!" Thankfully God is way more patient than I would be. But it's a funny image in my head.
So I went from lot of hands-on prayer back to work. And this week, I have felt totally peaceful about things. I figure, I've asked God to guide me. I've asked him to show me which direction to go. I've asked him to get me an awesome job that will allow me family time and the money to support my little family. So all I can do now is just work and get through the layoff process. The rest will unfold when God wants it to.
So I'm chill. God's got me.
Our New Church Building!!!
Our church has been working on finding a permanent building for a while. When I joined in late 2005, we were slated to move into a new building that winter. Due to a legal battle between the landlord and the developer, that never happened. And we stood by anxiously awaiting the results for a long time.
Well, this past Tuesday, we started moving in the bulk of our stuff (to a totally different space!). Our children's ministry leader had already gotten a lot of toys moved in. But on Tuesday, a small group of us got 128 comfy chairs unloaded, vacuumed, washed down and set up! And pastor Kenny loaded them from the storage space into the trailer alone. (Look at the superhero muscles on that guy!)
It was the kind of hard work I love to do because it is actually DOING something. And doing something for God. Plus, I got to hang out with some really awesome church family while doing it.
Today was our last day in the elementary school. We gave one of the school workers a gift certificate and card because she has been there with us for so long and has been like a family member.
Next Sunday is our first service in the new building. WOOOO-HOOOOO!!!!
The first chair in...
Most of the chairs in...
Panoramic view of the sanctuary from the front...
Pokemon Boy:
Mr. Dude is having some issues with anger. Well, all out melt downs is more like it. He had two this past week. Both times, he couldn't do something he wanted to do. I think it's a few things: A) he's overtired, B) he's a little worried about this layoff thing, C) he's 8 and D) he's human and hates when he doesn't get what he wants. But the all out temper tantrum - we haven't seen that in years.
We had a nice long talk about it. I told him that he's old enough to start controlling when he's upset like that. I told him to recognize that feeling and work hard to keep the anger in check. And when he can't? That's when you ask God to step in. He said, "I never pray when I'm at school." I said, "Well, don't think of it as praying. Just keep the conversation going. No matter where you are. You can just talk to him any time. Tell him anything. Ask for help with anything, anywhere." He kind of raised his eyebrows in that "Hmm. Interesting," way. Today at church, we almost headed toward meltdown. But I just got down on his level and said, "Dude, put a LID on that attitude right NOW." Not mean. Just nipped it in the bud and made it VERY clear that it would NOT be tolerated.
I don't think any of it is related to his Tourette's. I think it's all the stuff I mentioned before. But he asked if he could see his play therapist. So I've made an appointment. You want to talk to someone who can help you? Heck yah I'll find the money somewhere!
Hallerween:
Lil' Bro had a fever off and on this week. Friday, it was pretty high and he stayed home. But there was no way Optimus Prime was going to miss out on the trick-or-treating. So little Mr Fever Guy went trick-or-treating. He pooped out about 3/4 of the way through so we kept it short. Which fortunately was fine with his older brother. We had so much fun and they were just so freaking adorable. They have hardly eaten any of their candy. I've probably eaten more of it than they have.
Lil' Bro was Optimus Prime. Pokemon Boy was Ben 10.
God Rockin' More Free Food:
Today at church, one of my friends had a word for me that was incredibly encouraging. God told me that he loves me and he will take care of it all. I can't think of a better word to get right now.
Tonight, I took the boys to our favorite pizza joint. We had called our order in so it would be ready when we got there. As we sat down to eat, one of the workers walked over with a large pizza box and said, "My manager wanted me to ask if you guys would like some extra pepperoni rolls." There were 12 extra pepperoni rolls in the box! That's like a large pepperoni pizza - in rolled up form. They had accidentally made a double order for someone and we got the extras! We LUUUUUUUUUV their pepperoni rolls. So I know what I'm having for lunch tomorrow!
I'm doing much better about the layoff now. I went from calm acceptance to anxiety/panic to church. At church, I cried all over my friend PregnantKeyboardGirl. She prayed over me and told me she loves me. Then the AwesomeCoffeeBringer couple prayed over me, too. I also happen to know that pretty much all of my praying family and friends are blanketing heaven with prayers on my behalf. I'm sure God is up there going, "Yah, 'Take care of Lynette.' I'm ON it, people!" Thankfully God is way more patient than I would be. But it's a funny image in my head.
So I went from lot of hands-on prayer back to work. And this week, I have felt totally peaceful about things. I figure, I've asked God to guide me. I've asked him to show me which direction to go. I've asked him to get me an awesome job that will allow me family time and the money to support my little family. So all I can do now is just work and get through the layoff process. The rest will unfold when God wants it to.
So I'm chill. God's got me.
Our New Church Building!!!
Our church has been working on finding a permanent building for a while. When I joined in late 2005, we were slated to move into a new building that winter. Due to a legal battle between the landlord and the developer, that never happened. And we stood by anxiously awaiting the results for a long time.
Well, this past Tuesday, we started moving in the bulk of our stuff (to a totally different space!). Our children's ministry leader had already gotten a lot of toys moved in. But on Tuesday, a small group of us got 128 comfy chairs unloaded, vacuumed, washed down and set up! And pastor Kenny loaded them from the storage space into the trailer alone. (Look at the superhero muscles on that guy!)It was the kind of hard work I love to do because it is actually DOING something. And doing something for God. Plus, I got to hang out with some really awesome church family while doing it.
Today was our last day in the elementary school. We gave one of the school workers a gift certificate and card because she has been there with us for so long and has been like a family member.
Next Sunday is our first service in the new building. WOOOO-HOOOOO!!!!
The first chair in...
Most of the chairs in...
Panoramic view of the sanctuary from the front...
Pokemon Boy:
Mr. Dude is having some issues with anger. Well, all out melt downs is more like it. He had two this past week. Both times, he couldn't do something he wanted to do. I think it's a few things: A) he's overtired, B) he's a little worried about this layoff thing, C) he's 8 and D) he's human and hates when he doesn't get what he wants. But the all out temper tantrum - we haven't seen that in years.
We had a nice long talk about it. I told him that he's old enough to start controlling when he's upset like that. I told him to recognize that feeling and work hard to keep the anger in check. And when he can't? That's when you ask God to step in. He said, "I never pray when I'm at school." I said, "Well, don't think of it as praying. Just keep the conversation going. No matter where you are. You can just talk to him any time. Tell him anything. Ask for help with anything, anywhere." He kind of raised his eyebrows in that "Hmm. Interesting," way. Today at church, we almost headed toward meltdown. But I just got down on his level and said, "Dude, put a LID on that attitude right NOW." Not mean. Just nipped it in the bud and made it VERY clear that it would NOT be tolerated.
I don't think any of it is related to his Tourette's. I think it's all the stuff I mentioned before. But he asked if he could see his play therapist. So I've made an appointment. You want to talk to someone who can help you? Heck yah I'll find the money somewhere!
Hallerween:
Lil' Bro had a fever off and on this week. Friday, it was pretty high and he stayed home. But there was no way Optimus Prime was going to miss out on the trick-or-treating. So little Mr Fever Guy went trick-or-treating. He pooped out about 3/4 of the way through so we kept it short. Which fortunately was fine with his older brother. We had so much fun and they were just so freaking adorable. They have hardly eaten any of their candy. I've probably eaten more of it than they have.
Lil' Bro was Optimus Prime. Pokemon Boy was Ben 10.
God Rockin' More Free Food:
Today at church, one of my friends had a word for me that was incredibly encouraging. God told me that he loves me and he will take care of it all. I can't think of a better word to get right now.
Tonight, I took the boys to our favorite pizza joint. We had called our order in so it would be ready when we got there. As we sat down to eat, one of the workers walked over with a large pizza box and said, "My manager wanted me to ask if you guys would like some extra pepperoni rolls." There were 12 extra pepperoni rolls in the box! That's like a large pepperoni pizza - in rolled up form. They had accidentally made a double order for someone and we got the extras! We LUUUUUUUUUV their pepperoni rolls. So I know what I'm having for lunch tomorrow!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
A Few Pix For You
I finally downloaded all the pictures from my camera. I haven't been taking much with it because I knew I couldn't download them (home PC is behaving badly). Most of the pix you've seen lately are from my cell phone.
Let's see what I can find here.
Oct. 26th - a belated birthday cake from my neighborhood Chick Nite girls. A varying group of us gather at my house on those Fridays where future ex has the boys. They surprised me on this particular night. I have to just say here how much my neighbors rock. If you recall, I had prayed long and hard for good neighbors. All I wanted were quiet people who weren't flicking cigarettes into my yard or peeing on my lawn. What I have gotten is a huge support group and some really awesome friends. God rocks.
Oct 31st - the Pokemon pumpkin I attempted for Pokemon Boy. It's a Piplup. Look it up because I don't get it, either. I had to make my own pattern as there were no carving patterns for any Pokemon that I was able to find.
...and here is the puppy pumpkin I attempted for Lil' Bro. He wanted me to make "Buddy" - his Old Navy plush dog rattle. Again, this was a pattern I made myself. It didn't really photograph well. I did the best I could. I wasn't thrilled with it but he loved it. I guess that's all that matters.
Nov 3rd - Lil' Bro came down with a weird fever thing. The first hint was how he fell asleep on the ottoman in the middle of a TV show. He slept like this for probably 30 minutes or more. Note the lack of concern on Pokemon Boy's face in the background.
Nov 17th - I kept Lil' Bro up too late, apparently. Pokemon Boy informed me that I might need to put Lil' Bro to bed. I asked why he thought that. He directed me to the back of the couch. This is what I found - the back view. Note that he's sleeping on top of a large metal model Nascar.
...and here is the front view. Fast asleep on his "Buddy" dog. I cannot tell you how much this face slays me. I wish you could see the whole view of him sprawled out amongst all of the toys. It really was quite a testament to my Mother of the Year skills.
Dec 22nd - Lil' Bro had his 4th birthday fun at one of those inflatable places in town. Pokemon Boy, Neighbor Boy and Neighbor Girl all joined him for the jumping fun. Here they are posing for me. Bunch of goobers!
...here is Pokemon Boy doing his best to look not jealous of all the presents and attention Lil' Bro was getting that day. I just think this is a cute shot of the both of them.
Dec 24th - Christmas Eve - Here is a shot of the fireplace after my Ridiculously Tall Bro-In-Law finished assembling the wheelie car thingies. Big Sis helped me stuff the boys' stockings. Mine had 2 things of chocolate in it. The 4th stocking had toys for the dogs. Wanda, do you see your print up there on the mantle? Don't worry - it's slated to be properly framed and hung. I promise!
...and here is how the front room looked with all of the presents placed under and around the tree. I just love my tree. And Big Sis helped me drag all the presents from my room down to the tree. She rocks, if I haven't mentioned that already.
Dec 25th - Christmas Day - There are tons of shots of the boys opening their glut. But this one just defines them. We had to take a lengthy break in the opening of presents at one point. Both boys had opened books. So we had to stop while they read their books. I love that they didn't chuck them across the room in disgust. Like I probably would have. HA!
Let's see what I can find here.
Oct. 26th - a belated birthday cake from my neighborhood Chick Nite girls. A varying group of us gather at my house on those Fridays where future ex has the boys. They surprised me on this particular night. I have to just say here how much my neighbors rock. If you recall, I had prayed long and hard for good neighbors. All I wanted were quiet people who weren't flicking cigarettes into my yard or peeing on my lawn. What I have gotten is a huge support group and some really awesome friends. God rocks.
Oct 31st - the Pokemon pumpkin I attempted for Pokemon Boy. It's a Piplup. Look it up because I don't get it, either. I had to make my own pattern as there were no carving patterns for any Pokemon that I was able to find.
...and here is the puppy pumpkin I attempted for Lil' Bro. He wanted me to make "Buddy" - his Old Navy plush dog rattle. Again, this was a pattern I made myself. It didn't really photograph well. I did the best I could. I wasn't thrilled with it but he loved it. I guess that's all that matters.
Nov 3rd - Lil' Bro came down with a weird fever thing. The first hint was how he fell asleep on the ottoman in the middle of a TV show. He slept like this for probably 30 minutes or more. Note the lack of concern on Pokemon Boy's face in the background.
Nov 17th - I kept Lil' Bro up too late, apparently. Pokemon Boy informed me that I might need to put Lil' Bro to bed. I asked why he thought that. He directed me to the back of the couch. This is what I found - the back view. Note that he's sleeping on top of a large metal model Nascar.
...and here is the front view. Fast asleep on his "Buddy" dog. I cannot tell you how much this face slays me. I wish you could see the whole view of him sprawled out amongst all of the toys. It really was quite a testament to my Mother of the Year skills.
Dec 22nd - Lil' Bro had his 4th birthday fun at one of those inflatable places in town. Pokemon Boy, Neighbor Boy and Neighbor Girl all joined him for the jumping fun. Here they are posing for me. Bunch of goobers!
...here is Pokemon Boy doing his best to look not jealous of all the presents and attention Lil' Bro was getting that day. I just think this is a cute shot of the both of them.
Dec 24th - Christmas Eve - Here is a shot of the fireplace after my Ridiculously Tall Bro-In-Law finished assembling the wheelie car thingies. Big Sis helped me stuff the boys' stockings. Mine had 2 things of chocolate in it. The 4th stocking had toys for the dogs. Wanda, do you see your print up there on the mantle? Don't worry - it's slated to be properly framed and hung. I promise!
...and here is how the front room looked with all of the presents placed under and around the tree. I just love my tree. And Big Sis helped me drag all the presents from my room down to the tree. She rocks, if I haven't mentioned that already.
Dec 25th - Christmas Day - There are tons of shots of the boys opening their glut. But this one just defines them. We had to take a lengthy break in the opening of presents at one point. Both boys had opened books. So we had to stop while they read their books. I love that they didn't chuck them across the room in disgust. Like I probably would have. HA!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Halloween - 1968 & 2006
I was inspired by Angela's Halloween pictures from years past. I will dig out a few to share later. But I just came across this picture from 1968 and had to share it with you.
This is a shot of me and my brothers & sister on Halloween, 1968. I was three. I'm the sad clown. Big Sis is almost 5 and is the happy clown. Oldest Bro is almost 11 and is the ghost with glasses. Big Bro is 7 and is the...slapstick skeleton? I'm not sure. But there we are in all our finery.
I have to tell you about that clown outfit I'm wearing. My mom made it for my brother Steve when he was about 2. So that would mean she made it around 1959. Each of us kids wore it when we were 2 or 3. Well, it was handed down to me last year when I inherited my mom's cedar chest - complete with lots of keepsakes.
So last year, the clown outfit just barely fit Lil' Bro. He was almost 3. He was very excited about the costume and couldn't wait to wear it. When we got it on and snapped in the back, he was still with me and having fun. But when I put that fluffy collar around his neck, that was it. He hated that. I had to snap this picture fast before he had a total meltdown. I didn't have time to torture him with the full hat (that has survived all these years, still stiff enough to stand up pointy!). But here is the 2006 version of that clown costume. And keep in mind this thing is almost 50 years old!!!
So there you have it. From 1968 to 2006.
I'll post pictures from this year later when I have the energy to wrestle with the dying home computer.
This is a shot of me and my brothers & sister on Halloween, 1968. I was three. I'm the sad clown. Big Sis is almost 5 and is the happy clown. Oldest Bro is almost 11 and is the ghost with glasses. Big Bro is 7 and is the...slapstick skeleton? I'm not sure. But there we are in all our finery.
I have to tell you about that clown outfit I'm wearing. My mom made it for my brother Steve when he was about 2. So that would mean she made it around 1959. Each of us kids wore it when we were 2 or 3. Well, it was handed down to me last year when I inherited my mom's cedar chest - complete with lots of keepsakes.
So last year, the clown outfit just barely fit Lil' Bro. He was almost 3. He was very excited about the costume and couldn't wait to wear it. When we got it on and snapped in the back, he was still with me and having fun. But when I put that fluffy collar around his neck, that was it. He hated that. I had to snap this picture fast before he had a total meltdown. I didn't have time to torture him with the full hat (that has survived all these years, still stiff enough to stand up pointy!). But here is the 2006 version of that clown costume. And keep in mind this thing is almost 50 years old!!!
So there you have it. From 1968 to 2006.
I'll post pictures from this year later when I have the energy to wrestle with the dying home computer.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Interrupted Sleep - Again
I want to post this so I don't forget it. The Boy has had some interrupted sleep here and there. Once due to cold medicine. But recently, we've had 2 episodes that are very similar and just not anything I've ever dealt with.
Tonight, we had just finished watching our DVR'd episode of NBC's 'Heroes' when we heard him come down the stairs (on a tangent here - LOVE this show!!). The Boy came down extremely agitated. When we got him to stand still at the couch, he was not making a lot of sense. I wasn't sure he was fully awake at first and still am not sure about that point. He was first crying saying he needed a snack because his tummy didn't feel good - at 10pm, that didn't make any sense to us. He said maybe it was the candy (Halloween) but I have to tell you, he had ONE lollipop tonight. One.
But I wish I had a video of how he was crying. He wasn't so much crying with tears and boo-hoo and all that. But he was agitated to the point of hysteria. His hands were in balled fists, every muscle in him was tense. I tried to sit him on my lap - a normal comforting tool I use with him with great success. But he was so stiff and tense, he pushed away from me and stood up. But then he seemed poised to just...I don't know...run or something. I told Hubby, it almost seemed like he was in that fight or flight adrenaline rush. His heart was pounding out of his chest. We kept asking him what happened, did he have a bad dream, did he feel sick, etc? But he couldn't tell us. Finally he said, "I don't like today!" and we said why and he said, "Because of THIS!" We asked what "this" is and he said "I just can't explain it!" with shaking fists of frustration. We asked him if he was awake and he said yes. Hubby asked him if something had woken him up and scared him or if he had woken up, not been able to get back to sleep and then gotten upset because of that. He said it was closer to the last thing. He was a bit calmer and Hubby, at this point, was able to remind him that most people wake up at night and it's ok. If it upsets him, he can always talk to God about it or take some deep breaths. He also reaffirmed that it's perfectly ok for him to come find us if he can't settle down.
He finally settled down enough for me to sit him in my lap. I talked calmly to him and asked if I could hug him. Once I did that, he seemed to relax and melt into me. His heart rate had finally settled down, too. We got him to try a bit of milk but he really only had a couple of sips. Then he laid down on the couch and started falling asleep. I laid down with him and rubbed his head, kissed him, told him we loved him. He was asleep very quickly.
I really have no idea what this is about. This absolute panic and racing heart thing happened a few nights ago or last week - can't recall. I don't recall what happened - oh yah. I was sick and in my room so I got there much quicker than normal. I met him in the hall and he had that same absolutely freaked out look, tensed muscles, real panicky stance and that incredibly racing heart. We got him calmed down in my room pretty quick but the intensity of his agitation was just scary.
I have no idea if this is Tourette's or related to his anxiety. Is this just The Boy's version of night terrors? Tonight, because of Halloween, he went to bed late. He was very concerned with whether he'd make the bus in the morning, could I drive him in so he could sleep later, but if I let him sleep in he didn't want me to bring him to school between this time and that because no one would be in his classroom at that time as they'd all be at their specials (music, art, gym, etc). This is the type of scheduling that The Boy keeps in his head all the time and he's very upset when his routine is thrown off.
So...I'm writing this down while it's fresh because I can never remember it clearly 4 weeks later when we meet with the psychiatrist. I might even send her an email to see if this concerns her. I really really hope The Boy isn't going to develop any sleep disorders. I know they're common with TS. But, like most things, I don't want to start any self-fulfilling prophecies here.
Other than that, Halloween was awesome. The Boy's first year going door-to-door. He never wanted to before this. He and Lil Bro had a blast. We have way too much candy left over. Why isn't there a food bank where you can donate candy?
Tonight, we had just finished watching our DVR'd episode of NBC's 'Heroes' when we heard him come down the stairs (on a tangent here - LOVE this show!!). The Boy came down extremely agitated. When we got him to stand still at the couch, he was not making a lot of sense. I wasn't sure he was fully awake at first and still am not sure about that point. He was first crying saying he needed a snack because his tummy didn't feel good - at 10pm, that didn't make any sense to us. He said maybe it was the candy (Halloween) but I have to tell you, he had ONE lollipop tonight. One.
But I wish I had a video of how he was crying. He wasn't so much crying with tears and boo-hoo and all that. But he was agitated to the point of hysteria. His hands were in balled fists, every muscle in him was tense. I tried to sit him on my lap - a normal comforting tool I use with him with great success. But he was so stiff and tense, he pushed away from me and stood up. But then he seemed poised to just...I don't know...run or something. I told Hubby, it almost seemed like he was in that fight or flight adrenaline rush. His heart was pounding out of his chest. We kept asking him what happened, did he have a bad dream, did he feel sick, etc? But he couldn't tell us. Finally he said, "I don't like today!" and we said why and he said, "Because of THIS!" We asked what "this" is and he said "I just can't explain it!" with shaking fists of frustration. We asked him if he was awake and he said yes. Hubby asked him if something had woken him up and scared him or if he had woken up, not been able to get back to sleep and then gotten upset because of that. He said it was closer to the last thing. He was a bit calmer and Hubby, at this point, was able to remind him that most people wake up at night and it's ok. If it upsets him, he can always talk to God about it or take some deep breaths. He also reaffirmed that it's perfectly ok for him to come find us if he can't settle down.
He finally settled down enough for me to sit him in my lap. I talked calmly to him and asked if I could hug him. Once I did that, he seemed to relax and melt into me. His heart rate had finally settled down, too. We got him to try a bit of milk but he really only had a couple of sips. Then he laid down on the couch and started falling asleep. I laid down with him and rubbed his head, kissed him, told him we loved him. He was asleep very quickly.
I really have no idea what this is about. This absolute panic and racing heart thing happened a few nights ago or last week - can't recall. I don't recall what happened - oh yah. I was sick and in my room so I got there much quicker than normal. I met him in the hall and he had that same absolutely freaked out look, tensed muscles, real panicky stance and that incredibly racing heart. We got him calmed down in my room pretty quick but the intensity of his agitation was just scary.
I have no idea if this is Tourette's or related to his anxiety. Is this just The Boy's version of night terrors? Tonight, because of Halloween, he went to bed late. He was very concerned with whether he'd make the bus in the morning, could I drive him in so he could sleep later, but if I let him sleep in he didn't want me to bring him to school between this time and that because no one would be in his classroom at that time as they'd all be at their specials (music, art, gym, etc). This is the type of scheduling that The Boy keeps in his head all the time and he's very upset when his routine is thrown off.
So...I'm writing this down while it's fresh because I can never remember it clearly 4 weeks later when we meet with the psychiatrist. I might even send her an email to see if this concerns her. I really really hope The Boy isn't going to develop any sleep disorders. I know they're common with TS. But, like most things, I don't want to start any self-fulfilling prophecies here.
Other than that, Halloween was awesome. The Boy's first year going door-to-door. He never wanted to before this. He and Lil Bro had a blast. We have way too much candy left over. Why isn't there a food bank where you can donate candy?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)