Vodka

 TGIF!

Yesterday morning, as a special treat, I allowed Timmy to take my new water bottle to school. Clutching the oversized iridescent bottle, he was over-the-moon skipping into his classroom. When I picked him up that afternoon, his teacher met me at the door with a smirk.

Timmy, very proud of the new bottle, excitedly shared it with his classmates and teachers. After showing his teacher, he confided in her about the contents. "Don't worry. I didn't put vodka in it. It is filled with plain water today."

Just to clarify, we are not vodka drinkers. I don't have anything against vodka, it is just not something we enjoy. We have never had vodka in the house, nor have we ever consumed it in front of Hamlet. Of course, trying to explain our innocence was only going to contribute to my looking guilty.

Today is a virtual school day, so hopefully I won't have to explain something else to the teacher. I'm looking forward to the next few days. Another beautiful autumn weekend is on the horizon and I plan on making the most of it. 

We have made family plans to spend a significant amount of time outside this weekend, cleaning up the yard and preparing for winter. With crisp temperatures and bright skies in the forecast, I think I chose the perfect weekend for our Fall Clean-Up. (Of course, I'm sure that my plan will be met with complaints and groans.)

Update

Things are starting to settle down after an exciting Halloween. Timmy is extremely proud of his obscenely large bowl of candy on the kitchen counter, often taking it down to sort and organize his treasures. Over the next few days the spooky decorations will be removed and replaced by turkeys and Santa. After all, we only have 51 days until Christmas!

A lot of you have reached out to ask for an update, so I thought I would take this opportunity to fill you all in on my brother. He is in a long term nursing facility because he is battling a wound infection. He has had the wound vacuum attached on and off for nearly a month but the infection is stubborn. His pain continues but I'm sure the infection is contributing. At this point, he is in a waiting and healing pattern. Until the limb heals, there isn't a lot we can do to help him.

Thank you for your caring and your prayers. Both are much appreciated.

 

Van Gogh

 My little Hamlet was so excited for his Historical Figures presentation at school. He worked throughout the month on his report. His costume was on point and he was ready to represent Vincent Van Gogh. After a month of preparation and planning, yesterday morning was go time for the presentation.

My little Van Gogh stood up, cleared his throat and stood like a deer staring into car headlights. After what felt like an eternity, he began to hum the theme to Ghostbusters. He shuffled his feet to his tune and finally began to speak. Unfortunately he was mumbling so much it was nearly nonsensical. His eyes began to swell with tears as he battled nearly paralyzing stage fright.

He could have run out of the room, but he stayed planted. I could tell that he was melting, but he never gave up. His teacher was able to get a conversation started and, eventually, Timmy was sharing his information about Vincent Van Gogh. He finished his presentation with his trademark flourish.

"Van Gogh tried to do a lot of things to be happy. None of them worked. So he shot himself in the stomach and died. Because of my presentation I kinda understand how he was feeling. I really suck at this. Anyways, he didn't die right away though. It would have been better if he had shot himself in the head because it would have been right away. Instead, he had to lay around for a few days while his organs rotted away. That's all. Thank you and Happy Halloween."

After school was over our family switched from Van Gogh to trick-or-treating. The boys carved pumpkins and readied themselves for the evening. Timmy and Scott headed out trick-or-treating on the scooter while Robby and I headed out for hibachi. Thankfully the raindrops, although present, were not heavy or disastrous.  They had a fantastic time and brought home quite a haul of candy!

Happy Halloween!

 Happy Halloween!

According to Timmy, this is the best day in the whole year. He loves everything about Halloween. From spooky decorations to wearing costumes and venturing out after dark, he is truly in his element. Unfortunately we are supposed to have rain this evening, which will certainly put a damper on his trick-or-treating aspirations. Fingers crossed it holds off until after 8 so he can enjoy the night.

In addition to his costume for tonight, this year Timmy is allowed to wear costume to school. All month long he has been working on a project about Van Gogh. (He loves Starry Night.) He has worked hard on his presentation and today he will give it to his class dressed as Van Gogh during the "Historical Figures Party." 

While Timmy will go trick-or-treating rain or shine, Robby and I have other plans. He and I plan to go out for Japanese Hibachi. We had such a good time going last Halloween that we decided to make it a tradition. 

Photos tonight!