The Great Pumpkin!

I have this little fantasy family dream in my head....

All four of us are sitting on the couch, with mugs of hot cocoa and bowls of popcorn.  We're snuggled together under blankets in our pajamas...little teddy bears are tucked in too...and we're watching the holiday t.v. specials from when Joe and I were kids!!!

I've tried them all.  Frosty, Peter Cottontail, Rudolph...you name it.

Nope.  The short people don't like them.

Nothing blows up, no myths are busted, all of a sudden a character shows up that is terrifying and there are tears.

Let's not talk about when Frosty melts....Jack will never forgive me for that.

I had just about reconciled the idea that I would forever watch these shows alone...me and an 'extra-special' mug of cocoa...

Until last Halloween.

Our fabulous friends had a Halloween party and started a new holiday tradition...

They invite everybody to come over after dinner, just when its truly dark, and we watch

'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!' 

OUTSIDE!!!!

IN THE BACKYARD!!!!

WITH COCOA AND POPCORN!!!!

Picture this....beach chairs for the grown-ups and bigger kids.  Little kids sprawled out on big blankets on the lawn, little best friend heads together sharing pillows.  Hands wrapped around steaming cups of cocoa (some with a little Bailey's and schnapps), kettle corn popping on the BBQ, and every now then, a little princess or super hero popping up for another treat.  The movie plays on an enormous screen, like their own little drive-in.

Its absolutely magical.

...and the movie is just like I remember...

Linus is still waiting in the pumpkin patch....

Charlie Brown is still in the downy-dumps, can't quite get anything right...

Pigpen still can't stay clean....

...and EVERYTHING is still better with friends.

Thanks Mark, Stefanie and Gavin!!!

Can't wait 'til next year!

Thanks for stopping by,

Lizy B and the boys.

Gone Batty....

So...its still not Halloween yet.
That means, we're still covered in black and orange icing here at our house.

...in fact, we've gone a little BATTY!

(could you just pretend you hear 'Haunted Mansion' 

noises while you look at these...thanks)

One night, a few months ago, we had a bat hang out on our window screen for an hour or so.

I realize this has nothing to do with cookies.

But it was a very cool moment for my 11 year old.

It's not often you see a bat up close....upside down....at eye-level.

They're furrier than I would have thought.

However, they are 100% as creepy as I expected.

Way worse than spiders.

Seriously.

 I like the sugar cookie version better.

I made sure they didn't have any teeth.

Thanks for stopping by,

Lizy B

The FOUR Mummies

Once upon a time, there were 4 mummies...

The first mummy was cheerful because he came through a very important birthday unscathed.

His wife didn't write about him on her blog (even though she loves him very much and this was extremely hard to do), he didn't have to eat cake or open presents.

It was probably one of his best birthdays ever.

The second mummy was cheerful because he got to go to the super cool car show with the other cheerful mummy and look at guy stuff like engines and wheels....and bring home RC cars...

He also has a really great new 5th grade teacher who gives a normal amount of homework.

This means the mummy has a social life again and no longer hates school!

Whew....

....and then there was the third mummy.

The third mummy was mad as heck because he had his tonsils and adenoids ripped out of his head.

This mummy decided life was miserable, and refused to eat or drink anything...

except diet coke.

No ice cream.

No popsicles.

Just diet coke.

He's really mad at his mom for letting this happen.

His eyes are crossed because 5 year old mummies get a little loopy when they have

 to take vicodin 4 times a day.

There should be a fourth mummy.

She's not here.

She might be hiding in the closet with the remainder of the vicodin 

until the whole thing blows over....

(someone let me know when its safe to come out...)

Thanks for stopping by,

Lizy B