Still a bit busy with work and taking care of Ben…maybe I’ll have more time tomorrow night as I’m waiting for trick or treaters…
This isn’t his costume for this Halloween, it’s still pretty big on him. He’ll probably wear it next year or just ‘whenever’ during the year. Because there’s lots of occasions where you can dress up as a shark!
Had a long and incredibly busy weekend. I’m currently running on about 3 hours of sleep, but it’s my own fault for pushing some things to the last minute.
Anyway, I have a TON of awesome pictures that I think I took this weekend (not sure if they turned out nice since I haven’t uploaded them to my computer yet) but I’ll post those later.
So for now, another “just so I have something to post on my blog” post…another photoshopped Ben halloween picture:
I’m training all week and I have several other deadlines, so you don’t get a quality post from me today…
But to make up for it, here’s some more photoshop fun:
Cute, funny, and a little creepy!
Though I know I said that I have no time to do anything, I wasted my trainride home on a little fun. Since Halloween is coming up soon (and I needed a graphic for my family Halloween bash) I decided to virtually dress up Benboo in some costumes. So I’ll post a couple of them between now and Halloween. Here’s the first:
I’d love requests, if you have any ideas!
It’s very chilly here in Chicago this week, it almost seems like we went from summer directly to winter. I only remember one day when I went outside, felt a briskness in the air and thought, “I love fall!” Of course, I’ve been traveling a lot, so Fall could have happened without me, but I love that “brisk weather” feeling. I hope we get more of them soon, rather than the “Damn, it’s cold out today!” feeling. Well, at least I get to wear my Canadian hat that I got earlier this year.
I have yet to put up my Halloween decorations. Usually I have them up in the beginning of October, but I’ve been so busy lately traveling and taking care of Benkenstein that I haven’t had the time to take all my things out of storage. The only things I have up right now are a “Everybatty’s welcome” sign and pumpkin stake for my lawn that I purchased at Hobby Lobby. I need to get my stuff up soon, because Halloween is next week! I also need to stuff my goodie bags. Every year I buy goodie bags and fill them with candy, toys and stickers for the trick or treaters. Now that we live in the ‘burbs where all the kids go to the mall to do their trick or treating I can really load up the bags since we don’t get as many door-to-door kids.
There seems to be so much to do, yet so little time. I need to make a checklist or something to keep me in line. I’ve been wanting to create a photo album for my father and in-laws of Ben’s pictures - nothing fancy like a scrapbook or anything, just a regular photo album that you slip pictures into. But I’ve had several projects that have been keeping me busy at work and at home that I’ve been pushing that project aside. As well as Ben’s baptism “Thank You” cards. (”What Christine? You haven’t sent those out yet? It was three months ago!” Yeah, shut up.)
I’m trying to get all those things done as well as spend time with Benjamin, because I feel so sad when I’m traveling and he’s at home. I try to spend every extra moment with him and sometimes I just forget to do anything else. He’s also been pretty needy lately with his cold and snot bubbles and all.
I can tell he’s pretty excited about Halloween, I want to share my love for the holiday with him. OK, he’s not excited. He’s less than thrilled to be confined in the costumes I bought him. (Costumes? More than one? Yeah, you read it right. I’m a crazy Halloween mommy that way). But he looks ADORABLE in both of them, I can’t wait to post some pictures.
Speaking of pictures, I haven’t even had time to play with my new toy! *wah*
Hey mi familia out there - what do you think of having a zoo fieldtrip/pumpkin carving party on Sunday? Or maybe pumpkin carving on Friday? Any of you up for it? I’m talking to YOU, Marilyn, Mel, Shannon and Fata…well, and Claudine if she’s reading this, or Dan you can relay the message. I’ll make up an evite and see if anyone is interested…
My poor blog, it’s been so neglected lately. I still love you YWIM!
OK, it’s back to work for me…hopefully I’ll get some stuff done tonight, I may have to strap Benny to the baby bjorn to do it!
Ben-Sneezy has his very first cold. I feel so bad for the little guy - his nose is all stuffed up and makes these weird noises. He’s got a little cough which at times sounds very fake (we often joke about him having the black lung) and he sneezes all the time. He doesn’t have too much of a fever, but it’s hard for him to sleep. His cry is definitely a different one then the usual “I don’t want to sleep” cry. He’s a little grumpier than usual, a little harder to entertain. But he’s still smiley most of the time and he’s not acting like this cold is the end of the world, like his father would - “Christine, I think the end is near!”
Poor little guy, I’ve been trying to suction the mucous out of his nose, but those aspirator things are scary! You could rip out a nostril with them! I had a really nice aspirator that didn’t have a long tip, but I have no idea where it went. We had 5 of them and I was only able to find one. He’s too young to blow it out when I hold a tissue by his nose and say, “BLOW!” He just looks at me weird.
There was one time when Dave and I were playing with Ben in bed and his nose got runny. I got a tissue and wiped it off. He was looking at us with a serious look on his face and exhaled through his nose. The mucous made this HUGE bubble at his nostril - the thing was bigger than his nose! It was hilarious, Dave and I were totally cracking up. Ben was looking at us like, “How dare you laugh at my expense! Don’t you know I’m suffering and I can’t complain about it because I have no vocabulary!?!?”
I read up on it and they said there’s not much you can do except give the baby some tylenol for the fever, suck out the mucous, turn on the humidifier and wait…you’ve gotta tough it out!
So do you all have any home remedies for a cold?
When I was in Maryland, I decided to hook up with a couple friends. Tiasha was already in the city, but I needed to get some directions to Monica’s so I could pick her up. I got them from Yahoo, but since I didn’t have a printer, I just wrote them down.
I got of the exit to Monica’s, and I looked for the street to turn on. I had failed to write down how long I would be on the main street before turning and didn’t remember what the map had looked like. I drove for about a mile or two and started to wonder if I had missed the street. I called Monica and asked if I was going the right way, I mentioned the street I was at and she said I had gone too far and to turn around. I found a street to turn on and came back toward the highway. She called me again to ask me what street I was at and there was some static on the phone (damn Sprint!) and it sounded like she said I was going the wrong way and that I needed to turn around again. So I turned around again and headed out. I was driving and driving and once again I got the nagging feeling that I wasn’t going the right way. I called again and this time spoke to her brother, and he asked me where I was and I told him and he said I was in the city so I should keep on heading north. Thing is, I didn’t realize I was heading south. I was all turned around.
Eventually, I ended up in this neighborhood that started to look a bit scary to me. The cars parked on the street were all order models, some of the buildings were boarded up. I called again to ask if I was going the right place, and this time they realized I was deeper in the city and going the wrong way. They told me to turn around. I found a sidestreet to turn around and realized that a whole row of buildings were boarded up. I crossed my fingers, turned around, and then headed out to what I finally realized was the right way.
In time I found Monica, who was waiting for me in her brother’s car at the street corner so I didn’t miss them. I had totally missed the street to turn on - it was only a couple blocks away from the highway.
My total driving time from when I got off the highway and had my adventure in Baltimore? Forty minutes!
I picked up Monica, we had a good laugh, and we headed out Downtown to meet up with Tiasha.
We were supposed to take an exit to another highway from the highway we were on. I made the exit and Monica asked me if I took the North or South exit. I told her I took the South exit, and she looked at me skeptically. We were driving along and I saw a sign that said, “Next rest area 11 miles”. You know you never get those signs when you’re driving in the city! The were no lights on the highway and there was no exit in sight. I realized that I took the wrong highway exit. I was going north!
We got off at the first exit. I had no idea where we were and no idea how to get back to the highway (the road curved a bit after we got off the exit). Luckily I had Monica there and a map and she navigated us around. Let me tell you, if I was by myself I would have been crying and calling everyone I knew that I was going to die in the backwoods of Baltimore because there were no lights and all I could see was a winding dark road in the middle of the forest. The road wen up and down hills so I couldn’t see what was in front of me as I was going up the hill.
We eventually got back to the highway after almost ending up in Pennsylvania (literally) and we navigated back south. The ride was pretty uneventful getting into downtown.
Poor Tiasha had been waiting for us now for more than two hours. She had found a restaurant that was still open so late, and though she had already eaten (and I don’t blame her!) she hung out with us and ate dessert.
I had a wonderful crabcake burger. Crabcakes taste so good when they’re made with nice chunks of crab! The conversation was lively and touched on a lot of topics. After the frustration of getting lost earlier that night, it was all forgotten in my good company. And although I didn’t end up getting home til after 1 in the morning, I didn’t mind it as much, now that I knew were I was going!
So thanks to Monica and Tiasha for a great, memorable night. I’m so lucky to have met people from all around the country and have people to hang out with when I travel!
…will be reported later, because I’m pooped! Let’s just say I got lost and ended up in a scary place where the buildings were empty and boarded up…
So for now, here’s a picture for you!
A little out of focus, but so cute!
Did anyone watch Monday Night Football? The undefeated Bears played against the Arizona Cardinals.
My heart is still beating a thousand beats a minute - it was a crazy game!
We were getting our asses handing back to us on a plate. For a while it was 0-14 in favor of the Cardinals, and I wanted to smash the TV in the hotel (i’m in Baltimore right now) because the announcers were totally trash talking the Bears.
Then at a point we were down 3-23.
After that, channeling the 2005 team, our defense made things happen. A pick here, a recovered fumble there, and a great punt return with a little help from a 40 yard miss from the Cardinal field goal kicker, and the Bears came back.
We shouldn’t have won. The Cards were spanking us. They dominated every stat of the game. Leinart was on fire. He was hyped. The Arizona crowd was super loud. The Chicago defense was weak. The offense was non-existent.
Yet we got lucky. We found a couple weaknesses and we had an incredible game.
Truthfully, I think Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton accidentally switched bodies, because that’s the only way I can explain the 4 interceptions, fumbles and throws to the middle of nowhere.
However, I feel a little bad that Leinart didn’t win because this little kid on the sidelines came to watch his idol Matt play in Monday Night Football. But just a little. Very little.
*whew*
6 and 0, baby!!!
We were at a birthday party a couple weeks ago, and one of the things that they gave out in the party bag was a bunch of stickers. I wanted to be cute and put a sticker on Ben’s face, but Dave was like, “Won’t that give him a rash or something?” I told Dave it wouldn’t, since it was a kid’s sticker, they shouldn’t cause rashes. So Ben did his thing, chewing on his fingers, babbling, enjoying the party…and at the end of the party I decided to peel off the sticker. Lo and behold, there was a little rash there, in the shape of a duck! My poor baby! It didn’t last long, it was just probably irritated from the adhesive on the sickers. However, I did have to endure the “I told you!” stare that Dave gave me for the rest of the day!
