Halloween is just around the corner!

Halloween is still a month away, I know. But the more children I have, and the older they get, the more pressure I feel to find them the perfect Halloween costume. If I wait too long, all of the good ones will be gone! Who cares if they change their minds, right? I give them a mom disclaimer mid-September or so..."OK, kids! Mommy is going to work now! We're putting the costumes out today! Are you sure that is what you want to be? You're positive? Because once I buy it, we're done! No more changing your minds!" This year, I was lucky that we had their top picks in stock. Dash from The Incredibles for Mason, and a flamingo for Georgia. Naturally, I picked hers. With Georgia being 18 months old, I reserve the right to pick the cutest, most over the top costume while I still can. And so she is going to be a furry, bubble gum pink flamingo with a bushy tail and wings and a huge beak sticking out over her forehead. It really is cute... wait until you see the photos. Harper informed me that she wants to be a princess. Naturally! She is 4 years old, and for the last 3 years, she has been a princess. We are making our way through the whole Disney princess family. This year, it is Belle, from Beauty and the Beast. "How sweet" was my frame of mind--cute little Harper in her gold and pink dress, smiling innocently at all of the treat giver outers-- until she told me that she wanted to be Belle because then she could be "MASTER OF THE BEAST!" (I type that in all caps because that is how she said it-- kind of loudly, in this menacing voice, with a devilish look in her eyes.) Oh, my.

I can just picture Halloween this year... one hyper superhero living up to his superhero name, one giggly pink bird toddling down the sidewalk, and one sweet looking beast master taming an imaginary beast. Trick or treat!!

Mutton Bustin' Mason

Sunday was a beautiful day-- sunny, around 80 degrees-- what a better way to spend the day than at the Puyallup Fair? When Gareth told me he wanted Mason to participate in the Mutton Bustin' competition, I was a bit hestitant. My little boy was going to be clinging to a running sheep? A sheep madly dashing from one side of the pen to the other? Why does he have to wear a helmet if its safe? Are broken bones and trampled internal organs possible?? I reluctantly agreed to allow Mason to participate after the director of the event promised that in the 5 years she'd been with the group no one had been seriously hurt.

I sat in the crowd and waited for Mason to have his turn. There were about 40 kids participating, and Mason was set to ride towards the beginning-- 5th or 6th, I believe. Before he got in line he asked us what he should do, and we told him to dig his nails and feet into the side of the sheep and not to let go! As the first few kids went, I thought that it probably didn't matter how tightly they tried to hold on-- after a second or two, each young participant (between the ages of 3 and 6) would start teetering to the side and roll off. Finally, it was Mason's turn, and the mc of the event announced, "Up next is Mason Kenee, 5 years old, from Seattle, weighing in at 38 pounds." (Most kids his age were between 45 and 50!) Then the gate flung open and my boy was laying on his stomach on the top of this smelly, woolly animal dashing across the dirt! I felt proud that he was holding on so well, but then my pride turned to uneasiness... Mason didn't fall off, which was good initially, but when the sheep finished his run and decided to join his herd and Mason continued to hold on despite his sheep running in the midst of his herd, flashes of the running of the bulls in Spain ran through my mind! How long was he going to hold on? Were the little rodeo cowboys dressed as clowns going to be chasing Mason and his sheep around the pen endlessly? Finally, after the crowd roared at Mason's following of his parent's directions to "not let go," he released his grip and landed in the midst of the herd of sheep. He emerged unharmed-- a bit dazed, maybe-- but then he saw me jumping up and down, cheering for him, and he flashed his dimples at me and waved a proud wave.

After winning that day, Mason had 3 things to say:

1. "No one could beat me because I held on so long and I just wouldn't let go."
2. "I squeezed my eyes shut real tight because I was kind of scared, but when I did open them, I saw so many sheep feet all around me!"
3. "My mom is so proud of me."

I told Mason I would have been just as proud if he'd have fallen off after one second, because he was brave enough to ride a sheep running at full speed! The video below is part of Mason's ride... you can't see him joining the herd due to my screaming and jumping about...

Georgia Girl

Baby Georgia, as Mason and Harper call her, is not so much of a baby anymore! It doesn't seem fair that the baby always grows up the fastest. I suppose that having 2 older siblings encourages her to make strides a bit sooner in an attempt to keep up. She is only 17 months old, but you can definitely see the wheels turning in her little mind! I dare not leave her alone, even for a moment. If I do, this is what will happen (based on previous experience):

If I go to the bathroom, when I come out, she will have red lipstick all over her face, and her entire body as well.

If I read Harper a story, she will take off her diaper, and whatever contents were in her diaper will be all over the floor.

If she goes into the bathroom by herself, she will come out soaking wet, having given her dolly a bath in the toilet. She will reek, not from the toilet water, but from Mommy's perfume that she doused herself and her doll with.

If I stick her in our small, gated backyard so that I can rush the groceries into the house, she will climb into the baby pool filled with nasty water that Gareth forgot to dump out, with clothes and shoes on and all, and will be sitting there looking at me with a "What? What is your problem?" type of expression when I gasp in horror at the sight of her.

Well, as you can see, keeping up with Georgia is a challenge, but it is highly hilarious as well. I can't even count the number of times that I have had to bite my lip to keep from laughing as I try to appear stern while disciplining her. I try to imprint permanent images of her in my mind of how she looks right now-- her chubby knees, her little white baby teeth, her blond curls, the expressions of surprise and delight on her sweet face as she explores her world. No matter how big she gets, or how old, she will forever be our Baby Georgia.

A Sassy Sweetheart

How do I even begin to describe my little Harper? Is she 4, or is she 14? Is she sassy or is she sweet? Only a couple of the many questions that perplex me when it comes to our princess. A princess she definitely is-- she loves anything pink, shiny, sparkly, or girly. Many people say that she resembles me in looks, although it is hard for me to tell. I am honored though, since I think she is cute! Personality-wise, I suppose we share a couple of similarities-- we are both kind of shy around strangers, and we both have issues with not wanting to go to sleep at night! Other than that, she is quite her own person. She speaks her mind whether or not she is asked, and most of her statements are made with a hand on her hip, head cocked to the side and eyebrows raised. One minute she is issuing out hugs and kisses non-stop, and the next she needs to be left alone, and retreats to her room for some alone time. She definitely has a great imagination-- I love to pause outside of her room during those times and listen to her fantasies unfold. Harper isn't in school yet, and I can't say that I mind. For now, "ballet school" is enough for her, and enough for me too. I have a feeling that when she does enter school, she will go and go and not look back, and I feel sad when I think of that day approaching sooner rather than later.

Harper dances and sings her way around the house, around parks and beaches and shopping malls, and she dances and sings her way through her sweet little life. My prayer for her is that the dancing and singing never stops!

My Sweet Mason

I can hardly believe that my precious baby boy has just started Kindergarten. He is a few weeks away from turning 6, and in those years that we have been blessed to have him as our son, he has developed such an amazing personality... such a kind soul.

As his mother, I would tell people about his dimples. About how they appear when he is feeling mischevious, or when I tell him how cute he is. I would tell you how Mason doesn't have a filter in his mind yet. He loves everyone he meets and doesn't see their differences. He has so much concern and compassion and kindness in his tiny body. He loves to learn and he loves to talk. He loves to love and be loved.

Mason would tell you other things about himself, I'm sure! Here is what Mason would want you to know about himself...

--I like superheroes. My favorite superhero is Spiderman, but sometimes it is Batman.
--My favorite color is orange, because it is bright and happy.
--I like the beach and my family and cartoons and coloring and my new dog Chewie.
--I want to learn about the planets and germs and weather and God.
--My sisters bother me, but I love them too. I won't let anyone hurt them.
--I am going to marry my friend Samantha when I am 10 and we will live across the street from my Oma.

He would tell you a lot more about himself-- as much as I would be willing to type. I love my boy more than I can say. When he goes to bed at night, my favorite thing to whisper to him is this... "How is it that out of all of the little boys in the whole world, I was so blessed that God gave me the very best one?"