End of October

I don't have many memories of Halloween growing up.   I slightly remember collecting my candy in a pillow case.  I do remember the year my mother made my costume, though.  I was a bat.

I suspect this was a safe choice for my mother, who has never resembled a Betty homemaker of any sort. Bats are perhaps one of the ugliest creatures to spawn on the planet, so this gave her a lot of leeway.  Even a horribly hideous costume would be successful, as long as it was brown.

What I didn't realize back then, as I was standing in brown tights, deformed wings, and tears streaming down my cheeks, is how much work goes into everything when you are the parent.   This last week in October has been filled with fall festivities - all of which has left me somewhat deflated.

I want to give my kids warm family experiences to remember, however I had many of those experiences and yet all I remember is that butchered bat costume.

One thing I may consider giving up next year is the pumpkin patch.  The problem with pumpkin patch is its opened during October.  Even though this year we waited until the last weekend to go, it was still 91 degrees.  After a long car ride and smothering the kids in sunscreen, we waited in the sun to ride the ponies.

And then we took a hayride to the pumpkin field so that the kids could pick out overpriced pumpkins. 

They each selected a small pumpkin that they  I had to lug around for the remainder of the day.  

Shortly after our trip, all the pumpkins at Sprouts (even the large ones) went on sale for $1.  So, not only did we pay $20 to get into the farm, we overpaid 400%  for our pumpkins.  

Hayden's pumpkin got carved and sent to school,

Brenna's pumpkin still sits outside our decorated house, which now needs to be un-decorated.

Albeit work, I admit, I did have fun decorating.

In addition to the deformed panda bear and Mr. Wonderful  from last year, I created three new characters using butter knives and fake blood.

On Halloween, my creativity continued as I made Hayden's favorite food:  Hot dogs.

I made them look like bloody fingers!!

At first, I was quite proud.

But then he refused to eat them since they did, indeed, look like bloody fingers.  

Hayden did like his costume though (Thomas the Train).  Brenna was a mermaid and a little more demanding and dramatic.

After celebrating at each of their respective preschools, it was time for them to pay me back by collecting as much candy as possible.  Previous years proved their trick-or-treating skills to be sub par.  I mean, last year, we practically had to drag them around the block.   This year, they walked on their own, with very little whining, and we even made it off the street.  And, Hayden only tripped and spilled his candy twice!

They really enjoyed knocking on the doors, perhaps too much, and did a good job holding out their buckets for the droplets of candy.  Unfortunately, we came home without any Twizzlers or Butterfingers and too many tootsie rolls.

One thing I have learned raising twins is to take as many shortcuts as possible.  Next year, we will just buy a pumpkin in the comfort of a clean and air conditioned Trader Joes.  And the hot dogs will remain plain, boring hot dogs.

In hindsight, I do appreciate the effort my mother put forth when attempting to create my bat ensemble.  It's a lot of work to get a kid into a costume, nonetheless make the costume.

And for this reason I will spare myself the stress and stick to the consignment stores.

Duathlons and Trick-or-Treating

These things having nothing in common except for they sound like they should be assuredly awesome but yet somehow fall appallingly short.

The duathlon sounds like a dream to me - no swimming? running twice?  On paper, it's a race specifically designed for my strengths!  But in reality, they suck (as evidenced here and here and here).

I decided to try one more time.  This race was a short race:  1.5 mile run / 10.5 mile bike / 3 mile run.  I didn't train for it since those are such comfortable distances.  The race did not go badly - I finished under an hour and won.  And when I say "won", I mean that quite literally as I finished before all the men, too.  But, before you start a slow clap, let me just add that there were only 24 other people in the race.  The 211 other people did the triathlon - which involved a 400-meter swim in a lap pool.
However, it took me 9 minutes to run 1.5 miles, and it took most of them between 6-9 minutes to do the swim, and I still was the second overall-person finisher.

Being the "best" at a particular event, however, is not the same as doing your best.  And, I had difficulty deciphering if I was pleased with my performance.  Both runs were slower than I expected, however they were unexpectedly on trails.  My bike was also slower, however there was wind.  Trails and winds inevitably slow you down and it always begs the question, Am I making an excuse?  Could I have gone faster?

But all that aside - I found the race challenging.  Maybe the trails and the wind played a role in that, but I think in the end, it is the simple fact that duathlons are hard.

Look, I don't like swimming per say, but the progression of the triathlon makes sense.  The swim is a good warm up for the bike and the bike is a good warm up for the run.  As much as I love to run, I don't love the way my legs feel after I already ran once.  I want to love it so I am sure I will eventually try to love it again.

Jumping to the completely unrelated subject of trick-or-treating, this sounds like a dream for my kids - up past bedtime?  dressed in a cool costume?  FREE CANDY?  Theoretically, it should be one of the best days in their life.  Realistically, it was filled with tantrums and tears.

First, Brenna refused to wear her costume.  She had numerous costumes to choose from that she enjoyed wearing during the pre-Halloween festivities...like her dinosaur costume, fairy costume and princess costume:

After begging her to get to dressed,

threatening her to get dressed,

not allowing her outside until she got dressed,

we finally gave in and allowed her trick-or-treat sans costume.  Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do to make the screaming stop.

Hayden wanted to put on his costume but did not want to trick-or-treat.  After only two houses, he requested to go home.  I convinced him to go around the block, which he did....very very slowly.  Not only did he walk at a snails pace, he kept tripping and spilling his candy.

After 30 minutes, Dad carried him home.

  

 I am not sure the kids totally understood the concept of trick-or-treating.  Even though we only covered a single block, every house was generous and we accumulated a decent stash of chocolates, fruity candies and Twizzlers.  Yet, my kids have not ASKED FOR A SINGLE PIECE.

Part of me gives them the side-eye as I question, Are these really my spawn?

And part of me wants to hug them and kiss them because now this big bag of candy is undoubtedly mine and I don't even have to steal it. 

Xterra Estrella Race Report and Then Some

There have been blog postings that I've wanted to posted but it is getting exceedingly hard finding the time to write.  The most reasonable time is after the kids go to bed - but I think I have been honest about my questionable taste of television and my continued devotion to certain shows - so that hour before bed that most would perceive as "free time" is actually very busy.

I have not been doing any training but managed to pull out a win at the first Xterra trail race of the season yesterday.  Unlike road running, trail running isn't so much about speed as it is about skill.  It's perhaps more like cycling in that cardiovascular ability only accounts for half the sport - the other half is experience and technique.  There were quite a few falls yesterday, including the men's winner who fell twice.  It's part of the sport, since there are lots of loose rocks to slip on.  Perhaps the biggest mistake though is not lifting the feet enough because there is always one rock, and usually its a small rock, that is sticking up a little higher than the rest.

I knew within the first minute of the race that I was going to win  because it was such a slow start.  But I didn't know that I was going to win by 4 minutes!  Only 3 men beat me out of around 140 participants.  I won a cup.  This is my 4th Xterra beer mug.

After a trail race, I always think, "Trail running is so much fun!  Why do I bother road running?"  But, if given the opportunity, I always opt to trail run.  Sometimes though there is just not enough to drive to the trails.  Which brings me back to my original complaint - there is not enough time in a day.

At least the weather is cooling - my life changes drastically in the fall when I can go outside past 9am.  Not only can I start trail running again, I can start running with my kids again.

Although the definition of "running" is changing as they get older - 5 mile runs are now 2 mile runs.  Our 8 min/mile pace is now almost a 9 min/mile pace.  Also, I no longer get to pick the route.  

For example, on Saturday.  I chose to run to a garage sale.

Admittedly, it was a sub-par sale, but it could have been the grandest garage sale and Hayden would have still demanded to go see the cow.  And we did go see the cow.

But then he wanted to go see a goat.

And a pig.

And a sheep.

He was equally unsatisfied the weekend prior when I ran us to Walgreens.  I don't think he realized that the bags that surrounded us were filled with candy.

We didn't buy any candy though.

We bought a bloody foot that was on clearance!  And I swear Brenna has on shorts.

Halloween, 2 Ways

Way #1: The Toddler Way
This way involves getting dressed up in really cute outfits and hitting the streets as soon as the sun shows the slightest start of descent. For us, that meant rolling at 5:30. We were the first trick-or-treaters - but someone has to get the party started, right?


Our first house involved a lot of confusion.
But it was justified confusion. I am sure my kids were thinking:
Why are we at this house?
Why are you making me hold this bag?
Why is this thing on my head?
I am dressed as...a what??
What is thing you want me to put in this bag?
Now what? NOW WHAT???????

But with a little coaching, they started to get the hang of it:


Brenna wanted to go inside everyone's house.
She also did not understand the concept of "Just One". Or "Just 10". Most of her candy came from one very nice neighbor's bowl:


Hayden lost interest early on.


So we invented the concept of Drive-Tru Trick Or Treating!


Once we got home, both kids abandoned their candy.
But they had fun. And we certainly have come a long way since their first Halloween:


In celebration of surviving from Halloween #1 to #3, David and I also partook in:
Way #2: The Adult Way
This way involves getting dressed up in really awesome outfits and hitting
up downtown Scottsdale at the same hour you would usually be going to bed.

Our awesome outfits involved a $5 bottle of blood, and a very over-priced nurse and Dr outfit.



Ultimately I learned that:
- I cannot stay awake past midnight
- 1 martini is enough
- Hangovers last an extra day once you become a parent

Saur-Saurs

When my aunt and cousins came to visit earlier this year, they brought the babies a book about dinosaurs, and two dinosaur beenie-babies. The kids really loved it, especially Hayden.


Hayden is a late talker, but one of his first, consistent words was "saur-saur", for dinosaur. Sometimes he will say the word correctly, but for the most part, a "saur-saur" is a dinosaur. And it is always said with excitement, and a huge smile.

We've encouraged his obsession, buying him more books about dinosoaurs, and toy dinosaurs. He could play independently all day, if left alone with collection of dinosaur toys.

Last year after Halloween, I bought leftover pirate costumes for this year. But I felt badly that Hayden wasnt going to dress up as a dinosaur.

But who says that costumes can only be worn for Halloween? I found him a $10 costume on Craigslist and transformed him into his favorite animal.


He loved it. Who wouldnt love such a cool costume?

It only made sense that Brenna wanted to be a dinosaur, too.


And then it only made sense to get a second costume. And yes, I realize that this is more of a monster costume than a dinosaur costume, but Hayden didnt seem to notice:


Yesterday we are playing outside and Brenna starts banging on the car door, screaming. This is her (very loud) way of telling me that she wants to go somewhere.

"I dont have anywhere to take you," I tell her.
But she doesn't care. She keeps banging and screaming.

Then I remember that I do have a prescription ready to be picked up at Walgreens. So I pile the dinosaurs in the car.

The screaming stops.
This is my mission in life these days - to make screaming stop.


Inside Walgreens, neither of my little dinosaurs want to walk. They both want to ride in the large basket of the cart. I allow it, in an effort to avoid a tantrum. We pick up the medication.

And then the dinosaur brawl begins.
Brenna starts hitting Hayden's Hayden.
Hayden starts screaming. He pushes her.
Brenna screams and hits him harder.
I struggle to hold the cart still and make sure that no one falls out.

"Brenna, stop it," I say.
"Hayden, relax."
"Brenna...do not hit him!"
"Hayden...stop screaming!"

But my words fall on deaf dinosaur ears.
So I push my cart of fighting / screaming dinosaurs straight into the liquor section.
And I buy a 1.75L of whipped cream flavor vodka.

But the vodka was on sale for $15 (it's normally $22)so this story has a happy ending!

I think we will stick to the pirate costumes for Halloween, though.