i heart fall (a belated tribute to autumn)

Halloween was super. Freckles was Aphrodite and cookie was a cowgirl. We went to the Zoo for their electric safari. it was super fun, but a little chilly after dark.

When we visited the family in October we went to see "where the wild things are" with the cousins all dressed up in costumes... a werewolf, unicorn, Madeline, ballerina princess and Aphrodite.

I have no words for this.
Trick or Treat night. I wore a wig. The girls were freezing. Daddy took freckles to a haunte house, but one of them lost their nerve before they made it to the front of the line.

Thanksgiving centerpiece.

Duh... Its a candy corn out of felt. why not.

A character.

She loves pink. She loves hats and costumes. She answers exclusively to "cookie", She won't go to sleep at night. She insists on playing " hide and see" despite explanations of the word "seek". She can't help but yell out " im over here" when she is hiding. She loves books and babies.
She is learing to indentify her letters. She sings "santa claus is coming to town" at the top of her lungs daily. She asked for a "walker like grandma mary's" in her letter to Santa. She likes to help with dishes One of her favorites is to stick her nose into my coffee in the morning. She pretends to be a kitty that we have to pet. She likes to "nose"you when you aren't paying attention ( stealthily sticking her nose against you until you notice). She hates her carseat and refuses to wear a coat in the car despite the sub zero temperatures.

She gives Freckles fits when she sneaks into her room to take big sissy's treasures. She doesn't eat much. She is like a little heater at night. She likes to give you things she finds around the house to present to me ( candle, book, cup) and when I thank her she says, " I made that for you mommy".

She's a character. We love her.

homeschooling

Friday, we went to the Verhey's for a relaxed homeschool afternoon. We are taking a cultural tour of Africa. Earlier in the week we had studied Northern Africa. We had looked at Egypt and what life might be like there. Freckles found a recipe for an Egyptian desert with honey and breadcrumbs. We decided it tasted a little like pecan pie filling. We moved to Kenya next and took a virtual Safari. We worked with topographical maps and learned some swahili. We went west and just started Western Africa. Hoping Steph will tell us some about her stay in Cameroon over Christmas. We have loved drumming and carrying baskets on our head.

I have been really debating how much we want to look at Africa's sometimes tragic and volatile culture. I am unsure how I want to look at famine and genocide to my naive and tenderhearted 11-year old. Friday we are looking at Rwanda. Been praying that God will continue to develop a love and tenderness for people and that I will be able to give am honest but not overwhelming picture of our world.

the end of a good thing

Well, for 7 years I have watched Adrian, Sottlemeyer, Disher, Sharona and Natalie solve San Francisco's most unsolvable crimes. Friday was a sad day when my favorite show came to an end. I am happy that Monk was able to solve his wife's murder and that he seems emotionally better off than ever. I am also super excited that Disher and Sharona are together ( I always knew that was coming). I will miss seeing Monk obsess about his many phobias, watching my girls do the Monk Dance during the opening theme, and seeing cookie and scurvy say " here's what happened.". I have not missed an episode and have most seasons on DVD, but it will not be the same without "Monk" and pizza on Friday nights. Thank you Adrian for always being crazier than me and for never finding a case or problem that was unsolvable.- you are my hero.

If you love Monk, tell me your favorite episode...Long Live Adrian Monk.

to whom it may concern

dear sunshine,

I need you. I really have loved spending time with you these last few days. when you are gone, i feel empty inside. I know you disappear earlier and earlier this time of year, but please, sun, stay around as long as you can. My daughters and I need to play at the park.
wearing sunglasses,
Melodie the hopeful

Dear scary movies,
I need to take a break from you. have been having trouble sleeping. can't really get up in the night to go to the bathroom bc am afraid jason or michael or jack or freddie are waiting for me in the bathroom. last night i nearly wet myself. this is ridiculous.
hugging my pillow,
melodie the chicken

dear corydon,
I miss you. i really do. I wish there was a way to move the mountains and be there. I miss walking around the shops in my little small town, harrison county fair, the gazebo on the square, the changing of the leaves in autumn, FAMILY, the state forrest, pollys freeze, bonfires, and the green green grass.
homesick,
Melodie the lonesome

Dear sugar babies,
I love you. I dont know what I did before I found you. you taste so good and i want you all the time. I am sad that you are gone, and have been trying to figure out how to get more of you. I know you may not be the best thing for me right now as I am supposed to be watching what I am eating, but i can't keep myself away from you. Nothing ever tasted this good.
dreaming of you,
melodie the hungry

Horror movies

Here are a few things you should know about me.
I fixate on things. I get some new hobby or interest in my head and i don't lose it. I spend all my time thinking about it and working on it. these flights of fancy are usually short lived and I move to the next fixations. also, I don't like to be scared and am a huge chicken. and last, I was 35 before I saw my first real horror movie. horror movies are now my new thing.


1. D and I started with Friday the 13th. the original. It was incredibly campy ( get it.. the kids were at camp). We had to actually buy this movie because there were none available to rent. We watched in the living room on the couch, which meant it was open behind me. I spent the whole night looking to see if anyone was sneaking up on me. I did notice kevin Bacon and apart from him dying a horrible inpalement death, i enjoyed seeing him. I was scared to get up to go to the bathroom and made D go with me. I also made him sleep facing the door-- just in case.


2. One thing I noticed in Friday the 13th Part 2 was that if you sneak away from the group...you die. You even think about getting naked with someone....You die. If they haven't said your name on screen....you die. but if you think that the killer is dead...he isn't. he really really isn't. I guess when dealing with deranged killers, the best thing to do is whack off the head just to ensure they don't get up again. good job alice in part one.

I spent most of the time we were watching with my pillow over my face or reading IMDB for trivia and goofs. I liked to feel I had some control over what was going on in movie. so I'd say," See D.. that guy over there is actually the producer's nephew who wasn't supposed to be on teh set..." etc. it was incredibly annoying but helpful. this did not prevent me from screaming like a little girl everytime the killer jumped out from nowhere... even when I saw it coming. am such a girl.

3. Halloween was third. We watched rob Zombie's one from 2007. I sympathized with poor little michael Myers. I argued with D that since he didn't kill his baby sister and mother, there was still some good left in there. I felt sorry for him thinking he was ugly. I guess what I am saying is that I probably could have written myself in as the foster mother character who is axed in her newly remodeled bathroom by her new foster son, michael. D says Mike is pure evil and there is nothing to do but chain him up and or whack off his head. and while this is probably true, i hated to admit that this child was pure evil. yes its just a movie. I obsess. this is why horror is not my favorite genre. and that mask scares the crap out of me. am a chicken.

4. the shining. so I have been working my way through " the scariest movies of all time". the shining is sinister in a whole different way. it is unnerving to see a man slowly fall into.. well... crazy. I actually saw it in college, but had forgotten it. IMDB taught me all kinds of things, like the snow scene was actually really hot and fake snow and that somebody actually typed " all work and no play makes johny a dull boy" over and over. i learned also that the both the young woman in the tub and the old woman in the tub have never been in a movie before or since that one... and also that the little boy in the film had no idea it was a scary movie until he was 17..... and that those creeepy girls are not twins, or even supposed to be twins. this is what i have been doing with my spare time.

so, while we were watching the shining the power went out. I think my heart might have actually stopped beating. however, noone entered the house saying, " im not going to hurt you melodie..." so all is ok now. btw, not sure why we lost power, but is scared me to death sitting around with candles and flashlights waiting for... whatever to get me. this is why I like romantic comedies.

cookie and cinderella.

cookie has made a friend. After many tries at the park of asking little kids if they want to play with her and getting ambivalance and refusals, cookie has made a true blue bff. These girls are only two months apart and like almost exactly the same things.

She and cinderella play together on thurdays when freckles is at school. they play house, tents, hide and seek, and read books, but their favorite is "dress up princesses".

We had a blast carving pumpkins with cinderella and her fantastic family...( I truly heart cinderellas mom and hope she sends me some of the pics we took at our jackolantern party).

cookie is learning to be a friend. She is learning to share, and use her kind words, and take turns. its rough learning the ropes of being a true friend. thanks, cinderella, for being a good friend to Cookie. We are sorry for any bite marks, broken toys, or hurt feelings. thanks again for the panties the other day.. we forgot our spare pair. you're the best. See you Thursday...