Zufelt Costume Emporium

The Zufelt Costume Emporium opened up again for another successful Halloween season. We loaned out the Flintstones and various witches and animals. Our family dressed as the Mickey and Minnie Mouse Crew. Recycled costumes for Brian and I back from before Ben was born but the kids were all new. We had fun, fun, fun dressing up as always. I was pleasantly pleased to be able to do a family theme again. I figured last year would be the last time I could impose my costume will upon my children. Fortunately, we went to Disneyland this year which got the kids all excited about Mickey and Minnie. Good luck for me.

This is what we wore to the lip sync. I got to be a judge of the competition. They had me be the mean one, like Simon on American Idol. If I had it to do over I would definitely opt out of a mean judge. Really, what's the point? Why should we have someone designated to be cruel and demeaning? It just isn't really needed. No value added. If you're fool enough to volunteer to be in a lip sync you shouldn't have to be beaten up afterwards. Our room at the carnival was a beanbag and ring toss game. Lots of kids came through. I think overall they enjoyed the fun. It was followed the next week by the traditional Trunk-or-Treat and a big wild carnival put on by the church youth for the little kids. Brian went as a wizard and manned the balloon animal station for the entire night. Even when the Trunk-or-Treat started in the parking lot the line remained. Kids were skipping the candy mother load in the parking lot for a little balloon. I had to take my kids around the parking lot on threat of death from them. By the time Brian finished the last balloon for the last patient kid, the Trunk-or-Treat was pretty much over and people were loading kids in their cars. Oh well. I suppose our donation to the cause was the balloons this year instead of candy. Dang. Guess I'll just have to eat it all. Ben brought his new little friend Connor from down the street. Turns out his family shares a private driveway with our friends the Roberts. The two boys are becoming great friends. They ride the bus together every day and play at recess and at free play time in school. The carnival was honestly a bit overwhelming. The gym was packed and noisier than I've ever hear it. Ben wasn't a very great host. He was so excited he kept running off alone. Poor Connor ended up asking to go home early. We were heading out the door when they announced that they'd start the Trunk-or-Treat in ten minutes. Not wanting him to miss the best part I hung out with him in the hall where things were a bit more relaxed until it was time to go out to the parking lot. Seemed to calm his anxiety and once we got outside again Ben was better at staying with his buddy. They had so much fun going from car to car. I was grateful the night ended on a high for him. Sugar high, yes, maybe, but a high just the same. The last of our celebrations was on Halloween night. We did a bit of trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. Since we live in townhouses, you get a lot of bang for your buck for lack of a better way of putting it. We didn't walk far at all and only half the houses had porch lights on, but they collected plenty of candy. Then it started raining so we headed home. Even though the rain was light and let up completely, once we got home we only had ONE group knock on our door. ONE. So like with the night before, we failed to hand out much candy at all. Over the lips and past the gums. Look out hips, here it comes. I love chocolate.

My Life

This is why I feel so ugh. Life has been busy since Ben started kindergarten. He has half day so I have no freedom. Morning shower while Ben gets ready for the bus stop with dad - 1 hr to feed Jacob and Maddie and get her to preschool and do ALL my errands - Jacob naps - pickup Maddie - arrive just in time to get Ben from the bus - make lunch for everyone - clean it up - negotiate with Maddie to use the potty and take her afternoon naps - boom...the day is over. I'm feeling a little stuck and am losing my patience after two months of stuck-ness. Maybe in Jan or Feb Jacob will shift to one a day naps. Can't believe I actually WANT that. I must have a screw loose. Never thought that would happen that I want a child to give up a nap. Isn't naptime supposed to be a mother's sanctuary? Not so right now. Naptime is just a series of three time intervals that never align with each other that are swapped between Jacob, Maddie then Jacob again that make me unable to leave the house or do anything fun and glorious that I need to do. You know, like grocery shopping.

Baby Names

If we ever have another kid, (not likely unless and until Jacob stops screaming all day long) I've decided that I have a new requirement for picking the name. It must be the top option on my blog category listing for it's respective letter. It is just really convenient when I "file" them by tags that "Ben" "Maddie" and "Jacob" come up first. For instance if I push "M" Maddie is the first option. If I want to file under "Brian" I must type all the way to the I in his name to find him. Otherwise I might end up with it filed under Ben, Birthday, Blessings, Blogging or Bragging. See how rough life can be sometimes. I am thinking this is a pretty important rule to stick to as we choose names if that ever becomes and issue again. That is a problem because we really like "Courtney" which falls below cake decorating, camp, canning, cherry blossoms, christmas, church, cleaning, clothes, computer, consignment, cooking, couponing and finally...courtney. Our boy choice isn't quite as bad, Joshua. Jacob is the only other "J" right now. I suppose I could consider typing two letters without too much whining. Gonna have to talk to Brian and either choose a new name or get my tubes tied. UPDATE: No, this is not an announcement! More than one person has asked now. What, do you think I'm nuts? I already can't get over that I have three kids five and under. Suppose it could be "worse," right Cath? Five kids under four (almost)?? Wink, wink. We're not all as amazing as the Arveseths.

Maddie Mae Tonight

Running into kitchen crying after wrestling wtih Ben. "Mom!" wimper, wimper, wimper. "I hurt my forehead." Slight pause and a smile breaks out. "I mean I hurt my three head cause I'm three." She was totally serious. Ben calls from the other room, "Maddie, I have a five head?" Maddie, "No. You have a forehead." Mom finishes clearing the food from the kitchen table and goes to give the kids a five minute warning that we will be having baths tonight. Maddie Mae says, "Okay Mom, but not the Kristie way." I smile and ask why not. "Cause she dumps the water all over my head and it goes in my eyes and my mouth and then I cry, cry, cry."

Maddie Mae Today

Maddie Mae has had some trouble having any affections for anyone of the opposite gender. She even says she doesn't like Daddy, Ben or Jacob. All boys are mean and she doesn't like anyone of them. Today she told me, "I like you. And I like Dad. And I like boys a little bit now." Progress. When we went to the Hyatts today I knocked at the front door and waited patiently for them to answer. Maddie waited all of ten seconds and then grabbed the handle and said, "I can do it Mom." It was as if she thought I didn't know how to open the door. Kind of cute. I guess we know she's comfortable at the Hyatt's home. Finally, Maddie Mae asked this morning, "Is it a trick-or-treat day today?" I told her not today, we had to wait five more days. With some concern, she then probed, "Is it a lunch or a dinner day then?" Guess she was worried about starving to death. We got that all squared away. I promised that she could eat today.

"I'm About Super-ed Out"

Though there were many a quote offered by Mitch Miles, that one is my favorite. Marti was doing the Super Saturday craft extravaganza in 2006 and had stuff all over the entire main floor of the house for weeks on end. Mitch remained silent. Until he was asked about it one day when we were over for dinner. With a very tight lip, he simply responded, "I'm about Super-ed Out."

That's how I feel right now. I'm completely super-ed out tonight. I did it solo in 2007 and it about killed me. Hundreds of dollars of widgets and junk were purchased so that everyone could have a great evening of fun together. I worked endless hours until the middle of the night often. My back and my body hurt. I made countless trips to Wal-Mart, AC Moore and Michaels buying and returning, using coupons and the like to save everyone money. The night turned out great. I made a mental "lessons learned" list and filed the experience away in the far corners of my mind. The only thing I remembered for sure was DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN! Way too much for one person to do.

Last year the gal in charge of the women's group delivered a baby about four weeks before I had put it on the calendar. She was wiser than I and cancelled it for the year. This September I was put back in the womens group and started to wonder if maybe I should consider doing it again, the old memories started to come back. When I was released from my job with the youth, I felt very much directed to stop all the extra stuff in my life and focus on my family. I made a firm decision to NOT get involved and to never suggest it to anyone.

We finally got a new leader for the enrichment committee (or whatever we are calling it these days). First item of business was a request from our president that we...have Super Saturday. And get this. Have it in four and a half weeks. Eeeekkkkk!!! Super Saturdays take two months minimum to get ready. But like a good little girl..."I will go...I will do...a super saturday" Isn't that the way the children's song goes? Anyway, here I am again. And I'm all super-ed out.

But since the work is already mostly put together and done, here is what we're doing.

Handmade cards $4 for 10

Personalized Hand Soap Dispensers (or Antibacterial Stuff) $3

Beaded Bookmarks $6

Nativity Story Cube $10

www.sayitonthewall.com

(roll the 4" cube, teach kids about part of the story that comes up)

Don't forget to sign up and come. Hopefully in three weeks I'll be recovered enough to enjoy crafting again.

Coming Soon - Maddie's New Look

Yep. Maddie Mae needs glasses. At least I didn't cry this time like I did when Ben needed them. When the doctor told me he would need glasses, I cried a deep, bottom of your soul, broken heart sort of cry for a couple nights in a row. Sadness consumed my thoughts. It was mostly because I feared for him. I was teased about my glasses and they were a large ingredient in my self esteem issues and they fed the ever present depression I struggled with as a child and adolescent. I just didn't want any of that for him. My heart broke because I want him to be happy. To feel good inside and out. To never be teased or put down for something he can't change. I want him to have a picture perfect life I guess. I didn't cry over Maddie Mae. It wasn't because I love her less. It still hurt. I still don't like it. I still want her perfect little baby face to be unblemished by signs of imperfection. I just was more prepared to accept it with a stiff upper lip I guess. I still gaze at her gorgeous profile and mourn the loss of it that is soon to come.

We went to the eye doctor last week for a Maddie check. I hadn't had any real signs she might need glasses, but I didn't really feel like there were signs with Ben until about a month or two before he got them. Then, I didn't want to see the signs I kind of knew I was noticing. He just seemed to get more clumsy. Since the visit only cost us $5 after insurance, I figured we ought to get Maddie checked in time to budget glasses if we needed to buy them next year with our flex spending and it's almost time to pick that magic number for 2010. If we did have trouble, I didn't want to wait another year until her pediatrician told me I had to go see an eye doctor.

Since Ben already has glasses and she always wants to have some too, I figured it would be an easy appointment. I worked for days to get her all excited about it. The morning of the appointment we played the spoon game, covering one eye and telling what we can see with the other. We guessed what color the doctors spoon would be. Turns out it was white. Once we got there, I had to do the paperwork. In the 60 seconds it took me to write her name and birthday on the paper she clammed up completely. Not good. She crawled under my chair. I had zero success at coercing her out happily.

When we went in the exam room, there was NO WAY she was sitting in the chair with or without me. For almost fifteen minutes she laid on the floor. Neither of us could get her to look in the magic glasses to see the floating butterfly or anything else. It was so frustrating. Then the office phone rang. The doc is a one man show. No secretary or anything, so I told him he might as well answer. He said he'd give us a minute to see if I could make any progress. The instant the exam room door clicked shut she perked up. Like we flipped on the happy switch.

Maddie started asking what is this and what is that and how many phones does the doctor have and what does that button do. After a few calm minutes I probed what was wrong with the big chair if she sat on my lap. I told her how she always makes good choices and this one could be a good choice too if she let the doctor see her pretty eyes. She got sad and looked at the floor as she explained that she makes bad choices and it makes mommy sad. I reasurred that she was a good girl and made good choices. She corrected me, "No I don't! I poop in my diaper." After some heart to heart talking I realized that she was feeling bad about herself because she poops in her diaper and it makes mommy sad. I asked if she wanted to poop in her diaper right now. She looked up and told me with a huge smile, "Yes!" I granted permission. She didn't actually do it, but knowing she could totally changed her mood. No problems the rest of the visit. I also promised her lollipops if she cooperated. As far as the doctor knows, that did the trick. I didn't know exactly how to explain the real root cause of her trouble. That was just a little bit too weird for me.

After a few minutes of looking in her eyes I was dying to know what he was finding. Is it okay? Are her eyes perfect? No glasses, right? I had a zillion questions running through my head. It took every ounce of self restraint to not ask what he was finding as he was examining her. I was only able to hold my tongue in fear of freaking Maddie out or distracting her from looking where he needed her to look and having the whole thing blow up in my face. Eventually, it was obvious to me, even through the iron curtain of denial I was facing in my heart. If her eyes were fine, he would have finished his inspections a long time ago. We had a problem. Finally, after eons of time, he confirmed, "Well, she has the Zufelt eyes." My reply was simple. "No. She has Robinson eyes. Zufelt eyes are better than perfect."

He did his best guess at a prescription based on her reasonable cooperativity. Then we picked frames. Of course she wanted the pink ones. Her little head is so small they don't have them in both pink AND bendy, indestructable, fold them in half then drive over them with a diesel truck style of frames more appropriate for the barely three year old that she is. Oh well. We got her a nice little pair all written up. I'll order them first of January. She is pretty excited. For now, she can wear the super stylish ones I made her of pipe cleaners in the picture. They make her pretty happy too. I'm sure there is a pink pair of glasses in our future not too many years down the road.