Where are the kids?

It's 6:45 PM and I'm getting low on individually-wrapped Twizzlers. Not because of a steady stream of trick-or-treaters, but because I'm bored and eating them myself. I think they are starting to fight back because the plastic cocoons which encase them are getting harder and harder to rip open. I've already resorted to using my teeth. A little bit of plastic never hurt anyone, right?

But really, I've only given away about 16 pieces of candy in the past 47 minutes! Where is everyone??? Are all of the kids keeping Linus company in the pumpkin patch? Someone really ought to tell them that there is no Great Pumpkin so they can come take all of these Smarties and Skittles off my hands.

My neighbor across the street is following her tradition and has margaritas and pony bottles of beer, so maybe I can take advantage of the low traffic rate and skip over there for a treat of my own. But I'm not too sure that's a good idea considering Chris has our strobe light set up. It's messing with my eyes and equilibrium enough as it is!

Oooh, doorbell! Gotta run!

Family Halloween

There you go, my first attempt at adding a photo to my blog. How'd I do? That picture is from Pumpkinfest this past weekend. Pumpkinfest is a yearly fall celebration organized by MAP (the Montessori Association of Parents). Francesca is at Country Montessori - our last year at the school. I can't imagine leaving there - it's such a wonderful school with amazing teachers! So sad that next year both kids will be at the *gasp* public school. As Vice President of MAP, as well as the bake sale queen, I'm usually caught up in the event logistics too much to enjoy the day. This year I decided to take a deep breath and try to step back a little bit. It worked - too an extent. :) Anyway, the photo above is our family picture from that day, taken by my good friend, one of the sweetest women in the world, Julie Cray.

Today was busy, busy - and it's not over yet! A quick summary of my day: bus stop, breakfast, Staples, Linens 'n Things, Kohls, Target, Francesca's school, post office, lunch at "The Wright Place" in Millbury, home to pop popcorn, then to Dominic's school for the Halloween parade & party. Plus there is still trick-or-treat tonight, and I have to leave home tomorrow morning at 7:30 AM for a vendor event. (I probably shouldn't point out that I don't have anything ready or packed up for that event yet. Or maybe I should point it out to myself so that I get off the computer and start packing!) Nah, I have plenty of time!

So tonight is trick-or-treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat. We made spur of the moment plans at the bus stop today to go to our neighbor's house for pizza before t-o-t starts. For most families, that would mean no cooking for the mom (aka: me), but since Dominic can't eat pizza and Francesca can't eat pizza with egg in the crust (the restaurant said they are "pretty sure" it does), that means I need to whip up some delicious, wheat-egg-milk-nut-free dinosaur chicken nuggets to take with us. (By "whip up," I mean "heat frozen nuggets in toaster oven.")

I suppose I really ought to go prepare for tomorrow's event, so I'll leave you with a picture of Dominic from his school Halloween parade today. In case you aren't a big Pirates of the Carribbean fan, he is Captain Jack Sparrow. (Make sure you say it with authority, it's not captainjacksparrow, it's CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow!)

We did forgo the eyeliner. At least for school. ;)

Trick or treat!

Only one day 'til trick or treat!

Update on those Rice Krispie treats for Francesca's class - it's important to note that if you plan on cutting pumpkin shapes out of something, you should first ensure that you own a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter. I did make extremely nice rectangles, though, and dipped them in melted chocolate as a consolation prize. Considering there are 22 in her class and I sent about 40 treats and zero came home, I guess they were a hit. I don't need no stinkin' Pumpkin cookie cutters!

It's October 30th and I just dipped into the Twix candy bars for trick-or-treat. And the Skittles. I'm craving anything Reese's but there's none in the house due to the super fun allergies. But perhaps I'll be able to eat peanut butter in...

ROME!!!

It's official as of this morning, I earned the Usborne trip incentive to go to Rome, Italy at the beginning of April. My mom is already planning to make the trek here to MA from Pittsburgh to stay with Dominic and Francesca while Chris and I go off on our romantic getaway. I can hardly believe it! Now if my GI doctor can fix me by then, hopefully I can actually enjoy the trip and not be a physical mess due to the travel, excitement, time change, and every other thing that messes me up. *fingers crossed*

The next trip incentive is going to be announced this afternoon. I wonder where it will be???

Snack Time

Do you ever commit to do something that sounds good at the time, but then when it comes time to actually do it you wonder where your mind was? I'm like this every year with snack sign-up at Francesca's school. Each parent is asked to sign up for five days each year to bring a snack for the class. Of course I have to be one of the first moms to get her hands on that sign up datebook. Of course I anxiously flip through looking for the "good days." You know, the special days - birthdays and holidays. Since Francesca's birthday is in July, that leaves me with holidays. Ooooh, she's at school on October 30th but not the 31st, so I'll make snack on the 30th and it will be some wonderful, amazing, oooh and ahh theme snack!

Yeah right.

Here it is. October 29th. I look at the calendar and there, staring at me in red ink, it says "SNACK." Crap. What to make? Not cupcakes - Francesca is allergic to eggs, plus they get cupcakes at least 37 times each week as it is. I could buy popcorn balls, but the Martha Stewart in me cringes at taking in a store-bought popcorn ball. Plus some of the kids are barely three years old and heaven forbid I be the one who supplies the choking hazard. So what to make???

I happened to go to WalMart today on a beans run (no pun intented). Somehow, we have depleted everything in our pantry with the word "beans" on it - kidney beans, garbanzo beans, black beans, white beans, and even the non-legume green beans. So it was off to the Super WalMart for cans. (Which suddenly brings to mind a scene from "The Jerk" with Steve Martin shouting "He hates these cans!!!") But I digress.

While pushing a can-filled cart around the evil-yet-awesome superstore, I was inspired. Rice Krispie treats! But not just any Rice Krispie treats - oh no, these are going to be Halloween Rice Krispie treats. And what does that mean, you ask? I haven't a clue. All I know is that Francesca is going for a nap in 3 minutes and then I will have approximately 1 hour 22 minutes to whip up an awe-inspiring Halloween version of a classic treat. I'm thinking there may need to be food coloring involved....

So I'm off to google "Halloween Rice Krispie" treats and hope for inspiration in the form of items I have readily available in my kitchen. Wish me luck!

Done for October!

I'm home. Home from my last of 11 Usborne home shows this month - my busiest month in my 3 1/2 year career as a consultant. In an effort to ensure that I would earn the trip incentive for Rome, I overbooked my October. Every day I'd check my sales, my trip points, my downline's sales.... Tonight marked the finale of that effort after a particularly busy week - 5 home shows in 6 days! And I'm happy to report that Chris and I will be going to Rome in April 2009. Hallelujah! The push was all worthwhile! And now I'm off to bed.

Entry #2!

Rain, rain, go away, I wanted to go shopping today! Both kids are at school and I had grandiose plans to stroll around the local shopping center and perhaps use these Ann Taylor Loft gift cards that are burning a hole in my pocket. Unfortunately, as we were putting on our shoes to head to the bus stop, I heard a pattering sound on the skylights. Break out the umbrellas!

Thankfully, our next-door neighbors graciously allow the adults to wait inside their garage until the bus comes, so we can stay at least dry even if we aren't warm. I asked Pete if, when they bought the house, they noticed the "port in a storm" garage clause. It makes me so happy to have neighbors who are friendly, down-to-earth, and nice people. Not everyone in our neighborhood would offer their garage as shelter. Now if I could just get Pete to sell coffee in there....

As for the kids, a little bit of water falling from the sky doesn't affect them, so they were their usual boisterous selves, complete with rain coats and kiddie umbrellas. The driveway was a sea of frogs, pink frills, Dora and Batman - umbrellas hiding little heads and hopefully keeping them dry. If only I could retain enough youth and innocence to make me not mind the rain, instead of scrunching up waiting for it to end. Or maybe that just means I'm smart enough to know to get in out of the rain. I must admit, I am not particularly looking forward to winter mornings at the bus stop. I'm such a fan of the cold. (I hope you read into the sarcasm in that comment.)

Thank goodness Francesca's school has a drive-through drop off and pick up. Everyone lines up in their cars, then you circle around so you're right in front of the door, and one of the teachers gets your child out of the car and takes them inside. Ingenious! I don't even have to unbuckle my seatbelt! Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy taking Francesca inside many days and sometimes staying for the morning songs, but give me rain, sleet or snow, and baby, I'm in that drive-through line.

So now here I sit. On the computer. Listening to the soothing sound of the rain on the roof, but far from shopping. I think I'll make myself a cup of International Coffee and curl up in front of the TV for half an hour until I have to pick up Francesca. That sounds like the perfect plan for a cold, rainy morning to myself. Just please don't let it turn to snow.

First post

Okay, I give in. I'll try out this whole blogging thing and see how it goes. It's not as though I have copious amounts of free time to write, but what the heck, right?

Halloween is looming. A candy-filled, costume-clad delight. The kids cannot wait for trick-or-treat, a night I both look forward to and dread. I love the costumes, going from door to door, exclaiming over the kids in the neighborhood, and that naughty feeling you get from being outside wandering around at night. What I don't enjoy is the constant worry of possible allergic reactions. Reese's peanut butter cups, Reese's Pieces, Snickers, Almond Joy, Peanut M&Ms... Nuts, nuts, everywhere, but so little candy my children can have. Don't get me wrong, one of the pros of food allergies is that they just straight out CAN'T eat much of the loot they'll gather. (That means more for me after they're in bed.) So while that takes childhood obesity and rotten teeth out of the picture, it also mandates an on-hand Epi-Pen Jr - just in case.

So much in society revolves around food - birthday parties, holidays, going out to eat, traveling.... All involve the presence of food and/or needing to eat. This means that at every turn in life, my children are reminded of what they can't have, of how they are different than most other kids. With allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, sesame, and others, they are denied the freedom of grabbing a cupcake at a birthday party or a quick snack at a friend's house or getting something from the ice cream truck. They stand aside, watching the other kids putting things in their mouth with abandon, without a worry, without the threat of a life-or-death situation. This separates them from their friends. It is a constant reminder that they are different. And it is already bringing the question - "why?" A question that I can't answer for them.

This past May, Chris and I went on an Alaskan cruise. A cruise that I earned as a Supervisor with Usborne Books. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - I should have been on cloud nine! Instead, every time someone asked me "Are you taking the kids?" it made me sad. Can you image taking two children with food allergies into the middle of the ocean and trying to feed them? Cruise ships don't exactly cater to special orders. Mental images of Dominic gasping for breath and turning blue-purple as the ship radios the coast for a helicopter that may arrive too late.... So no, we didn't take the kids.

Next April, we'll be going to Rome. My soon-to-be-earned trip is again a sense of pride and excitement for me, but also bittersweet. I imagine the incredible experience it would be for Dominic and Francesca- a different country, ancient ruins, another language, people who can pronounce my daughter's name, an airplane ride, new foods to try... and then reality hits. Oh yeah. Food. That's kind of important. So how do you say in Italian that my son could die if any butter sneaks into his food? Looks like Chris and I will be alone again. Don't get me wrong, a romantic week in Rome with my husband is definitely not a bad thing! It's just the lack of choice in the matter that makes my heart ache.

As the kids get older, I hope they will be able to experience more, to do more, and to take care of themselves along the way. Until then, I continue to hope and pray that perhaps they will someday outgrow these allergies, these limitation, these unfortunate circumstance that limit their experiences and put them on the outside of their circles of friends. In the case of trick-or-treat, well, I guess we'll go with the trick.