3rd Annual

Earlier this week we had our 3rd Annual MacGillivray Night of Frights and Spooky Delights. Every year I create a spooky dinner for our family and it is really becoming one of our most anticipated traditions of the year. I can't truly express what traditions mean to me. I love them. Love. Them. I love family ones that have been around for years and decades, passed from one generation to the next, and I love the ones that are special to just my little family, like our Halloween dinner. No matter how silly or ridiculous it is (and this year it was), I think family traditions are what life is truly about. It doesn't matter that you are eating a completely hideous dinner (just you wait), it's having those moments when you are with your loved ones, having fun, and making memories that will last a lifetime. To me, nothing is better.

So this year, I think things were a tad bit spookier. I had so much fun looking for ideas and found a great combo of things the boys love to eat that I was certain they would get a kick out of. That totally backfired. Dax wouldn't even touch his dinner. Would not touch it. He just stared at it. We couldn't stop laughing when at 8:00 Wyatt was fast asleep with a full belly and we were microwaving Dax a quesadilla. Maybe I need to tone it down a little next year....NAH! It's too much fun!

Centerpiece: This one was so easy and the spookiness was priceless. It's nothing more than a head of cauliflower in a jar with some colored water. Can you tell what it is? Yup, "brains". So creepy.

Spooktacular Graveyard Dip: While I made a seven-layer dip, Austin helped the boys color these hilarious tombstones that he was so clever to name. Just stuck them in the dip and made ourselves a little graveyard. Wyatt loves to dip so this was right up his alley. Monster Toes: I LOVED the way these little guys turned out and they were seriously delicious despite really looking like toes! First cut a wedge in cocktail wieners. Then cut tortillas into strips and wrap around each wiener and secure with a toothpick. Throw them in the oven for 6-7 minutes and then fill the toenail with ketchup. YUM! Slimy Worm-burger: Dax seriously thought these were too gross to eat...he wouldn't even touch them. Slice hot dogs and drop them into boiling water for a few minutes and they start to curl. Dunk them in some BBQ sauce and you've got slimy worms. :) The plan was to finish the night with orange chocolate covered popcorn but we never made it to Michael's for the chocolate. We settled for pumpkin pie. Pretty much Dax had no problem eating that. Go figure!

shaggy

What do you think? Is it about time to cut this shaggy mop?

Let's Ride

Yesterday was one of those days. The kind of days where there is not one thing on the calendar. The kind of days that seem to be very few and far between lately. I sometimes find them nestled in between days full of pre-school, work, play groups, soccer practice, church meetings, appointments, and errands, but not very often.

The boys so needed one of those days.

So, after lunch I told the boys, "Let's ride". (I try to sound like a cowboy when I say it but let's be honest, it does not come out "cowboy" at all.) The boys jumped for joy, grabbed their shoes, and headed straight for the garage because they knew exactly what it meant. Besides being so busy, we have had too many unbelievable hot months to even think about going for one of our rides. Today was the day and they were pumped.

Lately, my adorable Wyatt has been a wrecking ball. One who tries my patience in every way. Who has a voice, an opinion, a scream, a tantrum, a melt down, and a need at all times. Neither boy was very terrible at two, but with Wyatt turning three right around the corner, I can see those "terrible's" and they don't look pretty. He's a little naughty. A little mean. A little antagonistic. A little boy. I keep reminding myself that it is just a phase. Some days I handle it better than others, but this day, we definitely needed a ride.

The boys lead the way. I follow behind. We played games, picked flowers, starred at clouds, stopped and explored more times that I can count, had scooter races, inspected bugs, played at the park, ate snacks, and met new friends. And the boys petaled their little hearts outs.

After 4 hours of being out and about enjoying the beautiful day, forgetting all about what was left at home, and enjoying each other (minus the sand throwing in the before mentioned new friends face) I vowed to say to them "Let's ride" more often. Because guess what? My little Wyatt wasn't quite the wrecking ball I was thinking he was. He just needed some of my attention. I was the one that needed the ride. Not them. They are as quirky and funny and loving as they have always been. I was the one who needed to stop and slow down and enjoy my sweet boys. My little buddies. My ridin' partners.

one year later.

This day has been haunting me this entire week. I knew it was coming. I knew it happened in mid-October. I knew it was close. It wasn't until I went back to my original blog post that I realized it was exactly one year ago. It is quite possibly the worst day of my life. I look at this picture and I shutter. I can remember the screams, the blood, the panic, the horror. All of it. Tears still fill my eyes when I think about it. It was dreadful. The doctor said it would be a year before we knew how things would heal. Did you know that scarring goes though phases? I didn't. Until I witnessed it first hand every day. There were times when it was raised and bright red that I would think it would never look better. I went through more sunscreen on his head this year than one could ever imagine. I know Wyatt hasn't forgotten about that day. We drive by the hospital and he always tells me that is where he went when he hurt his eye. I look the other way. It literally haunts me.

And even though I love his long-hair-look like Johnny from the Karate Kid, I have to say, I don't think it's a necessary as it once was. Although it isn't as good as having no scar at all, I think all in all it ended up okay. Like I said in my original post one year ago...."My sweet Wyatt, he's going to be just fine".

kids in a candy store.

Once upon a time their lived two little boys. Their momma asked if they would like to go to the biggest, bestest, funnest candy store in all of Arizona.

They immediately began jumping up and down and said, "Yes!" So off they went with aunts and cousins in tow for what was sure to be the best candy store trip ever.

When the two little boys arrived at their destination they were overwhelmed! They had never seen such a place in their entire life. There was so much to look at! Suckers! Jelly Beans! Gummy Bears! Chocolate! The store was filled with every candy imaginable from ceiling to floor and was without a doubt these two little boys dream come true.

After numerous trips around and around the busy store, the two little boys carefully made their selection. A mere three dollars and ninety six cents and an hour later, all were happy and content.

On the drive home one little boy ate his red sucker and 8 gummy worms. He was so happy. The other little boy clenched his Spider-man Pez container in his hand and patiently waited for the perfect moment to enjoy his much awaited candy. When they arrived home the little boy waited while his momma filled his Pez container with one package of pink Pez candy. Shortly after she filled it with one package of purple Pez candy.

When all of a sudden the last package of yellow Pez candy and the other little boy were suspiciously missing and oh so quiet. After searching and searching, the little boy who had already eaten his candy was found hiding in a corner between the dresser and the wall in his momma's room surrounded by little ity bity pieces of trash.

His momma hunched down next to the little boy and asked, "What's all this?"

The wide-eyed little boy replied shocked, "There ess some trash en yo room!" Like it was a mystery waiting to be solved.

His momma, trying suppress her laugh asked, "How did this trash get in my room?"

The little boy, again with wide innocent eyes, replied, "Maybe some body ate 'em candy alllllll gone". By golly! Who would have done that?

The little boy continued, trying to prove his innocence says, "Yook in my mouth" and opens wide. As his momma peers in he says, "See? Es no candy in me mouth".

This fairy tale suddenly turns into a mini CSI episode. His momma says, "Yes! I see yellow candy in your teeth" while still trying to suppress her laugh.

The little boy stands there shaking his head with wide innocent eyes. His momma says, "Did you eat the candy?" The little boy runs away. climbs the stool to look in the bathroom mirror. He comes running back and says "Yook at my tongue". He sticks it out and his momma say, "Oh! It's yellow!"

The little boys shakes his head with a look of accomplishment and innocence and says, "No, es orange".

The moral of this story: Never trust a fibbing child with an orange tongue. And buy more Pez.

bff's

Winnie the Pooh once said, "We will be friends until forever, just you wait and see."

My question is, how do you amicably split such cute best friends before forever comes?? It's getting a little ridiculous.

Note: In case you were wondering what kind of freak animal is pictured, it's a lion that has been washed so many times his head is a matte of hair rather than a furry mane. I tell myself it adds character, but really I am appalled by its appearance. I'm still trying to figure out how the lion made it out of the house on this day. Please help me break these two up.