The Carve

We know they'll rot if we carve early, but we had to be ready for the trunk-or-treat! So last Saturday (my blog is on time-delay) we got out the kits and had a little carvin' party. The boys love this and sit patiently by us as we carve, cheering us on - for about 5 minutes. Then they run off and play, returning intermittently to ask "Are you done yet?" Ah, but it's worth it in the end. Gotta love a good jack-o-lantern. And wouldn't you know it - I don't even have pictures of the finished product loaded. At the time I actually put down the carving knife and said, "That's as good as it's gonna get" I went straight to the sink to wash - I didn't want to look at my butcher job for a while, even through a camera lens!

Our duplex neighbor is the graphic editor of the LA Times and he came out and saw us making a mess all over the paper. He laughed and took a picture of a big glob of punkin innards and said something about how they stress over content and it's really just tomorrow's fish wrapper.

Big goopy messes!!! Why do they always want to taste the pumkin guts?

Dane wanted a happy pumpkin, so he chose this cute face.

Dalton wanted a creepy skeleton - labeled "difficult" to carve. I can't wait until they can do it themselves! Actually, I can.

Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch

A couple of weeks ago we visited Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch in Hollywood. Of all that we did there, I think the kids most enjoyed playing in the haystack maze. A good time was had by all!

This is the pumpkin we picked to take home. He was too cute to resist!

The pony ride was fun - and surprisingly not stinky.

I thought Dalton might be bored - seeing as the ponies are attached to a pole and just go in a circle - but whaddya know? He loved it, too.

Yeah for Mr. Bones!

Halloween 2006

As we countdown to the big day, I couldn't help but look back a little to last year's festivities. It was a monumental year for a couple reasons:

1. Dalton didn't want to be a pirate (he had been a pirate in some form for three consecutive years out of his 6 year life)

2. It was the year that Dane figured out what Halloween was all about. (He was 2) It was fun to watch him take it all in and come to understand the fun of Halloween.

Now that Darren is Dr. Candy Nazi, we are on our 3rd year of "Great Pumpkin" visits. Essentially, they trade their candy for toys and the giant gourd gives their candy to less fortunate children. I wonder when they'll catch on and we'll have to let them learn to self-ration their candy. I know that as a child I would hoard my candy and still have some left by the time Easter rolled around and we got a new batch. So maybe we underestimate their restraint.

So here's a look at last year's costumes . . .

This is little Daners as a pirate. He wanted to be Thomas, but when it came down to the wire he refused to wear the cumbersome get-up. We resorted to the good old pirate standby. He wouldn't even wear the hat for pictures, but he was cute anyway.

Here is Zorro at the school carnival. He sure felt cool - you could tell from his strut. What is it about the costume alter ego that makes you so silly?

I actually dressed up last year - which I love to do but haven't done so much since I had the kiddos. This is my friend Maegan, prego with her little Kieran and glowing. It was hard to recognize her in the wig.

Here is Karalenn Hippen - Halloween Queen! I wish I had a picture of her full costume. I'm sure her blog will show it somewhere. It was phenomenal and entirely handmade. She based it on the "Twilight" books - not necessarily a character, they just got her excited about all things vampire. She spent months on it. I have nowhere near that patience or creativity. Notice my cliche witch costume.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

The Clinic

For all you out there who watch The Office, this spoof is worth your time. It was made by Loma Linda Dental School students and it's hilarious. The dubbing is off at times, but it doesn't deter from the cleverness. It's called The Clinic and so it's actually two spoofs in one - a parody of dental school life and the tv show. Here's the link:

The Clinic


Enjoy!

Burn Baby Burn

We're here in the "disco inferno", aka Southern California -presently the fire capital of the nation. She burns every year, with not enough time to recover in between. Certainly I could come up with some religious metaphor about destructive flames that would condemn Los Angeles, but isn't Las Vegas 'Sin City' - therefore, more burn worthy? Yeah, it's a toss up.

Anyhoo, to respond to well-being queries:

1. Yes, we are okay.
2. No, we are not directly threatened.

HOWEVER, we are suffering!!!!! The sky is all gray and smoky. The air is full of ashy stuff. The smell is a rancid combo of campfire and burnt rubber. It's hard to breathe and we're all staying inside, thank you very much. Even the kiddos at Dalton's school have lost recess privileges, the poor dears - I mean the teachers, of course.

Okay, okay - that's not really suffering. That's inconvenience and a cough.
We still have our lives and our possessions. (cue John Lennon's Imagine)

My sister Christy told me about a cousin who got evacuated at 11pm and found out her house had burned by 5 am. Single mom, 4 kids. THAT's suffering.

Blog Stalker

A curious new pastime has cropped up among internet users, particularly bloggers. Thus, the following . . .


To The Blog Stalker:

You read my blog, you check my site
To compare your own with my mundane life.

Behind you leave no comment-
No trace that you came, then went.
But on to the next link ,
Lest someone might think
Your time is no better spent.

No worries blog stalker, your secret is safe
From those who may judge or scorn.
Blog hop with no fear of scrutiny from me ,
But just be aware as I warn:

You know your blog's linked to quite a few ,
So don't be naive - you get blog stalked, too!



We all do it. And clearly I am no poet.

Davis's New Best Buddy

My wonderful sister Jenni had her third baby very recently. We haven't seen him in person yet, but he looks gorgeous in pictures. He will of course be Davis's best friend; cousins are special.


Introducing . . .

Samuel James Stewart

born October 6, 2007

9lbs 0 oz

21.2 "

Spooky Spider

K - we've got this CRAZY HUGE spider trying to squat on our property. He moved in last week and set up this ginormous web, starting making a killing in the bug catchin' biz, and totally didn't even ask if we were into subletting! Now he's got a couple more webs set up - they're about as thick as yarn- and even invited his lady friend to move in. They're spread all over like they own the place and frankly, we're done putting up with it.

Yesterday Darren went out and was like "Hey spidey, we gotta talk. No offense, i know it's your schtick - but all the wrapped up dead bugs and your freaky size body are scaring the kids." (not to mention the fact that Dane's trike is stuck in that monster web and he really wants to ride it. rude!)

Mr. Spiderman was completely nonresponsive, like he didn't even care that we pay out the ying for rent on this place and he's way overstayed his welcome - uninvited in the first place!!! So we had to evict him. We didn't squish, but we did relocate him and his lady - and then vigorously remove his halloween decorations with a gusto spray from the water hose. So long dude.




Darren's thumb for size reference. He's saying "thumbs up, my friend. we like you and all, but we have our own problems, so move on."

His arrival was seasonally appropriate - I love halloween. And he gave a good scary showing, but I'm just not into arachnid-neighbors.

I never thougtht I'd say . . .

"You do NOT wipe your boogers on Davis!"

The Onion

I've found it. Finally a news source I can rely on and trust to deliver what is relevant, honest, and spankin' hilarious. Here's today's headline:

That Full House Episode Where They Meet The Beach Boys Is On Tomorrow At 3 P.M.

WASHINGTON, DC —Officials have advised all Americans to remain indoors, huddle close with their loved ones, and stay completely silent unless it's a commercial.

Sk8er Boy

Dalton is really into skating lately. He's campaigning for a new board for his birthday in November. Check his moves in the driveway. So sad for a boarder to be confined like this, but would you set a 6 year old free in a Los Angeles skate park? uh . . . no.

Lars and the Real Girl

Okay, so last night I had a personal first, and probably last: Thanks to my lovely, well connected friend Maegan, I got to attend a real Hollywood movie premier. I don't want to bore my family with more stupid stories about encounters with the rich and famous, but this was too fun. We pulled up to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences building on Wilshire and yep - the red carpet, the bright lights and paparazzi. Luckily you don't have to actually walk on the red carpet to enter the theater. BIG FAT NO THANK YOU! But as we were walking in, who should be right there, with his date, chatting up ET? (do I sound starstruck or what?) Ryan Gosling! Check out the pic below. The date is not Rachel McAdams, but we loved her big bootie. (a rump like that was a rare sight last night amid the SCARY facelifts and lip jobs. eek! like halloween on parade.)


Then we entered the theater, where cameras were expressly forbidden. So I snuck a flash-free shot of Oscar flanking the screen. The producer and director spoke, then everyone cheered all through the opening credits, cuz they were there and apparently couldn't help themselves.

After the show there was a reception full of delish food, an open bar (sprite, anyone?), and networking and hob-snobbing. Are you done hearing about this yet?

So, it was a fun night - but the best part really was the movie itself. Lars and the Real Girl - comes out October 12th. I laughed, I cried. I thought about it falling asleep. It's a great story. I highly recommend it! So here's a link to the trailer. And everyone go see it - it's good for Maegan's husband's production company. I should get paid for the plug, eh?

Click here: Lars and the Real Girl

The Potty Trainer

You've got to check out the blog of a friend of ours - Seth Hippen. He's a super duper talented animator and his latest post gives a little shout out to our Daners (and his arduous potty training). Just click on Seth's highlighted name to get to his blog, and be sure to check out all the cool artwork he's got on there.

A Fly on the Wall

This is life with little ones. They're so darn cute while they figure out this big ol' world. All of the following are true accounts.

(in the car on the way to school, following a rousing rendition of "Oh Suzanna")
Dane: I wish I had a banjo on my knee.
Dalton: No you don't Dane. Banjos are HUGE! It would kill your knee.

(during a morning prayer - literally smack dab in the middle of it)
Dane: Jesus and Heavenly Father are pretend. They live at the church I think. I don't see them anywhere around here.

(at the dinner table, out of the blue)
Dalton: I wish we could go swimming at that fun cat pool again.
Dad: What cat pool?
Dalton: That one at that dental school party.
Mom: (picturing a nasty pool of stagnant water, full of mangy cats) What are you talking about?
Dalton: The cat pool! Where I played with that little girl.
Mom: (realization dawning) OOOoohh! The "Kiddie" pool?
Dalton: Yeah, the kitty pool. I miss it.

(getting ready for bed. this has been a common topic of discussion lately.a response to the new addition to the family?)
Dane: Mom, when I grow up to be a dad I want to marry you.
Dalton: No way Dane. If you were my dad I would freak out!
(that would be the least of his problems if Dane and I got married. eek!)

(on the way to preschool - feeling really grown up)
Dane: Mom! My legs are huge. They go all the way down to my feet!

(again, over dinner - when Dalton gets really chatty to avoid food he doesn't want)
Dalton: (after a quiet moment of contemplation) There's a kid in my class, my size, who has a mustache. A real mustache. His name is Christopher.
Dad: What does he look like?
Dalton: Um, he's kinda lightey/darkey (he's Latino). He has dark hair. Stop laughing mom. He's just different, that's all. He's really nice and he's my friend. He just has a mustache.


Aaahhh. kids.