Almost Halloween

We went to a Halloween party at my SIL's house last night. I didn't know what to expect because Scott told me that it was just a family party. The next thing I know there are 10 families invited and the only thing we are asked to do is bring Margaritas. All but 1 family showed up. It was pretty fun. The food was good. And it wore out the kids.

Ok, that was pretty boring.

Let's see, what has happened in our lives lately. Ethan is still having problems bringing his homework home. He just doesn't want to do it. He's withdrawing more and more into movies. I've had so many people tell me to just take away all movies from him. Guess what, that doesn't do any good. He remembers lines and scenes from movies that he saw 5 years ago. He's happy to live in those movies and recite lines from previews he might catch on tv. The child psychologist we see in Durango is helping a little but he's only seen Ethan 3 times so far.

Another thing Ethan has started is pulling his hair out with tweezers. We have to hide the tweezers in the house or else he'll sit on his bed and pull out his hair, a couple of strands at a time. He won't use his fingers, just tweezers. It is so strange. I have no idea what started it either. Hopefully as long as there are no tweezers to be found than he'll leave his hair alone.

Emma is doing great in school and is glad soccer is almost over. There is one week left of practice and only one more game. Next up, basketball. It starts in January at the boys and girls club. Her grades are great and she still loves school this year. I still believe it's because she loves her teacher this year. She's already acting like a teenager and I really don't like it. If she was a teen I'd deal with it but she's not so I'm not going to deal with it. Every time I say something about her attitude and tone towards us she becomes sullen and brings up going to live with her dad. I tell her if she wants to live with her dad all she has to do is ask him. She hasn't asked him yet. I'm sure it's just something she is using against me to get back at me for punishing her when she is bad.

Harley is our little man and absolutely adorable. He's always telling me to watch him and then he'll say Kow Chow, from Cars the movie, or say something else equally as cute and adorable. He can count to 15 and knows so many different colors and will say the alphabet only if you copy him. Such a ham. He loves his Halloween costume, which is a pirate, and will walk around telling us all to call him pirate. During bathtime he loves to hold onto the edge of the tub and then put his feet on the wall opposite the edge and see how far up the wall he can get his feet. Sheesh, no wonder I have so many gray hairs right now. Oh, he also loves to stand at the end of the tub and "dive" into the water. The diving is always happening with him diving towards the faucets. I'm betting we'll have at least one ER visit with a broken bone before he is 5 years old.

We still help Harley get dressed but he puts his own shoes on. If we try to help him he gets so angry and the scowl on his little face warns you to back off or else! Or else what you ask? Or else he'll growl at you. I know, scary. He's still not potty trained but now he tells us when he has to go potty, or at least that he has just pottied. I've gotten him to the toilet a couple of times when he had to poo. It won't be long before he is potty trained. He wants to do everything for himself though so I think I need to get a potty chair so we won't have to help him get up on the toilet.

Mom is thrilled because Scott and I thoroughly cleaned her room and then we painted it blue. We got a new light switch plate cover that I still need to install but other than that it's done. She loves it and I think is just now starting to feel better about changing the house since Granny died. She's finally realizing it's ok to change the house and update things as we need to.

We had another death in the household a few days ago. It was Seigfreid, our blond long-haired hamster. I knew the poor thing wasn't doing good lately. It quit eating a couple of weeks ago and didn't run around the cage or explore the house when we put them on the floor to clean their cage. The othe hamster, Roy, seems to be doing ok so far. He' s still eating and playing. The night Seigfreid died Scott woke me up to tell me he heard a noise, and then he saw a hamster ghost float across the room. I smacked him and went back to sleep. He found it quite amusing and thought since he couldn't sleep I should be awake too.

When I realized the hamster was dead I had mom come in the room with me because the cage is in Ethan's room. I didn't want him to know the hamster was dead because he would break down in tears and not be able to go to sleep and he had school Friday morning. I figured it would be ok to wait to tell him Saturday. Mom blocked his view while I gently took the little body out of the cage and wrapped it in a washcloth. I wanted to keep it to bury it but mom and Scott said no, just put it in the trashcan. I felt horrible about it and started crying when I took it outside. Scott just hugged me when I came back inside.

Ethan had a major meltdown when we told him the hamster was gone. I'm so glad I waited until the weekend to tell him. Telling him on a school night would not have done him any good.

And I just realized it's 11:42 and I have to work tomorrow. Emma keeps bringing up 2 day work weeks and 5 day weekends. You know, if I could get paid for a 40 hour week and only work 2 days, that would be wonderful. Five whole days home with my family every week? GREAT!

Everyone have a great week and a safe Halloween.

My plan for Halloween, lots and lots of chocolate after the kids have collapsed in bed!