On This Night, 11 Years Ago...

It was a crisp, clear Colorado December night, and like this year a Monday. It's funny how in thinking back there have been times that I would have changed any assortment of details about that day - from wardrobe decisions (manderine collars?!?) to where we spent our time. I would have remembered the video camera, or better yet have delegated that to someone. I would have checked again, just for good measure, that there was actually food waiting for us at some point in the evening. (Although that particular story has been very useful and given us a lot of mileage...) And then there are the days that I remember it as just perfect in it's imperfection because it was ours, and none of the "stuff" was what mattered anyways.

But no matter what my mood of the moment tends to be, I'd choose you all over again every single time.

Sweet Escape

This song is totally stuck in my brain right now. Just thought I'd share. I am yet again past a deadline (why does that induce blogging?) an in all honesty a little overwhelmed with everything I need to do. (More on that later, after I finish my article.) So if you too need a slight dalliance from real life, take a moment to enjoy a little glossy fun and really cute clothes. (You may need to turn off my side music.)

Costumes and Festivities

(Also known as my very first post title not ending in an exclamation point.) (!)

I LOVE costumes. I love any reason whatsoever to dress up, and my children really stood no chance in inheriting some of the obsession. Dressing up is in fact one of their very favorite things to play, and we have an extensive costume collection as a result. So when Halloween rolls around we have to decide just what theme to go with and we are on a roll.

There is only one catch - my husband really does not enjoy dressing up so much. And somehow, his costume almost always involves more paint (an entirely silver Tin Man for our Oz) wigs (Captain Hook to our Neverland) and uncomfortable clothing (well, he drew the line and was Alfred instead of Robin for our Batman montage) than anyone else. This year has been exceptionally crazy and Halloween snuck up on us, and Eric was quite happy to escape.

So, our pirates were on their own. Well, not all on their own, but without costumed escorts. It made me a little sad, and we will have to start thinking about our theme for next year!

By the end of the evening Thaley and Eric made out like, well, pirates. Our neighborhood is known for Trick or Treating and families drive in from all over to go house to house. At one point they were actually BEGGING to go home, their bags were so heavy. Do you ever remember doing that? I think my parents were usually ready to call it a night long before Amy and Paul and I were. But, believe it or not, they were done, and with more candy than we could ever eat. Gingerbread houses, here we come!

So-Cal Baby!

So...how do you know that a child has been raised almost entirely in the Southern California sunshine?

Eric: (Running in from our front yard) "This is so weird!!"
Me: (Mostly listening, but in all honesty a little preoccupied on the computer) "What's that?"
Eric: (Breathless and astounded, which makes me really listen) "I was outside and there were no neighbors anywhere by me, no sprinklers on anywhere around me, and I felt water Blip, Blip, Blip (dripping motion) on my arms!! Isn't that weird!!?"

Yep, rain.

I think the funniest part to me is that he was actually looking for a neighbor that might be spraying him!! I absolutely love it.

Umm...April Fools!!

I'm starting a blog - April Fool's!! October, is it really OCTOBER? We have had a madcap whirlwind of life these last few months, and my brand new baby blog has obviously been suffering from failure to thrive! It is on my "constantly delayed" to do list, which is regularly usurped by my "urgent" to do list. I keep telling myself "after (insert next up and coming event here) there will be time to breathe!" only to find that what really follows is preparation and buildup for the next event. I love all the activity, but have lately been yearning for real down time. So, hang on for a quick recap of the last, well, half year.

Welcome to Our Splendid Bedlam!

Here is our blog! I have thought and thought about doing one, more than anything to keep everyone from all of the vast paths we have so far walked up on what is happening in our present tumble of life. Hopefully, this will help me keep in touch more consistantly. I have obsessed entirely too much over what to name this blog, what it should look like and what the purpose of it is. So, what is here is the result, or rather I should say the beginning of a process that will be Splendid Bedlam. I settled on Splendid Bedlam as it pretty well sums up the constant state of events running through our house. And, I just liked the way it felt to say it. But also it recalls that we have been created for splendor although we frequently generate our own bedlam, and it is my desire to transparently share snippets our our life as we journey through the two. And so, it begins...