when adults carve pumpkins

I'm not quite sure that my family ever really stopped carving pumpkins. And I have been recording it since digital photo documentation became a thing. And last night... well last night was 2013's night.

But before I get started on all that... we walked into my parent's house last night and walked straight into 1993. That's right. My dad was cooking not one, but like four of his famous stir-fry dishes. The stuff of our childhood. It is a large feat and probably worthy of it's own post. But I just needed to mention it. He cooked. For us all. It was yummy. Some of us had thirds. Side eye Colton.

Back to the reason for the post. Not all of us are as creative as my brother. I, like most talentless people, require a template. I found a cute owl one this year here. I like owls. In theory.

And so tonight, when all those kids come wandering past our house, they will have the opportunity to check out our pumpkins just like in year's past. They are that good. They have a following. Okay just Rob's. BUT Rob and Ashley decided that they were going to abstain this year. I know. The level of amazing pumpkin-ness just dropped a whole lot of levels. But bonus? They were able to help us. By playing with the kids. And taking some photos. Because pumpkin carving is a dirty job.

//bicep shot\\

//this girl is actually sawing\\

My sister went all Martha on us and brought out a drill. That sentence actually doesn't sound very much like Ms. Stewart but I believe it's where Beth got the idea. Colton had to give her a quick drill tutorial and away she went.

//mickey had a bit of an encounter with a three year old.\\

The finished works of art! Not too bad, considering. Colton's is up for interpretation, but isn't all art?

//the kid's pumpkins. which of course david did not carve.\\

Anyways. Happy Halloween!

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someday i will.

Have you ever checked out The Daily Tay? She's pretty funny. That was very succinct wasn't it. She write good too. Ha. I think this may be one of my favorite posts of hers. Or this. Well. Taylor decided to host her very first link-up. I can't let a first-timer pass me by! I must support.

Someday I will. That's the start. 

Someday I will see cancer be cured. I've just got to believe that. Someday. 

Someday I will find just one great bottle of red wine that is so good I will be unable to stand any other. Check that. That will never happen. But I'm searching just the same.

Someday I will see the things on my travels to come list. All the things. 

Someday I will sleep through the night without checking on my kids twice. Or peeing six times.

Someday I will just bite the bullet and fly my kids to Italy. What doesn't sound fun about two toddlers inside a metal tube cramped into their seats for hours and hours? Maybe someday it will be acceptable to give your kids an Ambien. 

Someday I will go back to wearing underwire bras. They are just so damn uncomfortable. And I sweat. Details. Someday they will be back. I promise Matt. 

Someday I will be sad to see those kids leave me. I'll be left all by me onesie with Matt. We will be bored. 

Someday I will floss more than twice a year (gross I know!). Someday I'll make my dentist happy. 

Someday I will run a marathon. 

Someday I will move. 

Someday I will miss hearing Letty say 'mommy' 637,865,732 times a day. 

Someday I will shop for groceries and only get items on said list. 

Someday I will have more than thirteen followers on this here blog. And maybe someday I won't watch Google Analytics so closely. 

Someday I will learn Italian. Other than a few choice curse words I learned from older Italian relatives I really have got nothing. 

Someday I will not care that my kid's books aren't organized by spine color. Because I kinda care a lot about it now. 

Someday Letty won't require my assistance to use the bathroom. A dozen times a day. 

Someday Matt and I will be old and healthy. With lots of grand kids. And maybe a vineyard. 

That was kinda fun. Thanks Tay!

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happy hauntings. or an excuse for cute kids on rides photos.

Sunday, after an emergency room near miss, we relented to Letty's constant "can we go dutch wee?" daily question and took her and Matt's slightly shorter finger to Dutch Wonderland (that's her dutch wee). And Matt was fresh out of candy. The poor man needs candy. 

It wasn't just any old DW trip. Oh no. Letty decided that yes she did want to go on those tilt-a-whirl turtle things that she has been running from all summer. I'm just green with happiness over that one. Then she shocked us further when she announced mid-Sky Ride flight that she wanted to go on the roller coaster. With Daddy please. Say wha? So that is just what she did. Five times. The pictures don't do it justice. But let's just say there was lots of squealing and arms in the air and legs just kicking all over the place with excitement. She is now a coaster addict. An addict that has difficulty understanding that everyone has limits. The big "adult" sized coaster is just too big for her little body this year. So I did the only natural thing and told her that if she eats all her vegetables she may be tall enough next summer.

I'd like to tell you that these DW posts are done for the year. But I would be lying.

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corn cob acres by day. torture by night.

Apparently people from neighboring states sometimes travel all the way to our corner of Lancaster County to visit Field of Screams. Sounds like a barrel of laughs right? I used to go to these things in middle school and high school... I would wait in line for more than an hour and pay more than I made in a month (or more likely my parents paid) to get the living crap scared out of me. And I hated every second. Somehow (stupidly) I would go again the next year. Or visit one of the other few such establishments that pop up around here in October. I'm a masochist what can I say. 

Now Corn Cob Acres? That's much more my scene. Fall. Family. Activities. You had me at fall. So you can imagine my surprise when I see the location is the exact same location as the above den of torture. I was a little unsure.... Do they remove the corpses and zombies during the day so the kid's won't have nightmares? Do they cover it all with a tarp or something? Will there be chainsaws? But. I printed a coupon and off we went on Saturday with our adventuring buddies, our neighbors, to check it out. We were only missing Daddy Fitz as he had a certain cute nephew's christening to attend up north. Our loss, their gain. 

It was a beautiful day. Sunny and I believe the term would be crisp with a side of wind. And those zombies? Safely hidden behind a privacy fence. Other than the one on the side of a truck parked in the lot. That one had Letty emphatically stating 'I do not like him!' on repeat. With our coupon we saved a whopping dollar per human. Only David was free. 

This place? Even I was a bit cracked out by it all. Where to go first? There was so much to do. A bounce house. Slides. Playground. Train ride. Hayride. Buggy rides large and small. Face painting. Corn maize. Bouncing horses. Sling shots. Duck races. I mean. Can you imagine? It was blow your hair back fun. 

//we need to mention the pea coat. adorable, albeit large.\\

//what does the fox say?\\

Now these bouncing horse things. I've never seen anything quite like them before. But I think us adults had even more fun on them than the kids. And we got a mini quad workout in too. 

//note the shoe precariously hanging from her foot.\\

And this. It wasn't really a maize because I think it would be impossible to actually get lost in there. But it was adorable. There was a spider web section, a candy corn room and a bat cave complete with tunnel. 

The hayride topped off the day. Avery was quite perceptive and noticed a certain half bone/half man body hanging from a tree. Then we entered a cemetery followed by a radioactive God knows what with arms hanging from barrels. So. Thanks for that Field of Screams. There were children and two slightly neurotic mothers on that hayride. And we now know where all you spooks be hiding. We're on to you. 

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