Halloween is over!! I had fun; I always have fun coming up with costumes and carving pumpkins (Scott's least favorite part I think). Here are pictures of all my little creatures this year!! Erin was a witch. Zach was Two-Face (from Batman). Wally was a dragon. Richie was a spider. And Russell was a bunch of grapes (which Scott commented was maybe a little feminine). I am also posting a picture of our pumpkins that we worked so hard on this year. I am not very artistically talented, but I love it. It is so much fun creating something and looking at it afterwards all finished. So maybe my little Zach does get some of his love of art from me. (Every day, he comes to me and asks, "Mom, can I be crafty?" Which means he wants to make crafts, but I'm never quite sure how to answer that one.) Anyway, that's why I love carving pumpkins! Can you guess which child designed which pumpkin?

But I feel especially glad this year that Halloween is over. Maybe it's because I have such a new little baby. Maybe it's because I'm not quite feeling good enough yet to be tromping all over town with my husband and five kids for hours on end, everyone eating candy to the point that these same kids are bouncing off the walls and I feel like throwing up, and then coming home to try to find some way to entice them to go to sleep. I also think I came down with some bug that night. All day yesterday I still felt achy and tired.

Today is better though! The kids are dressed, I am even SHOWERED and ready before noon, my Thanksgiving wreath is on my door and my Halloween decorations put away, and I may even get to that mountain of laundry on my bed. I just feel excited for Thanksgiving. I was thinking this morning that I think Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love the cool weather outside but no kind of obligation to go out and stay in it until I'm sick. Thanksgiving season to me is perfect... crisp cold biting the air, beautiful fall colors, drinking hot cider or hot chocolate bundled up in a blanket. And then the actual holiday! Lots of family, lots of food, lots of love and fun, but without the stress and financial strain of Christmas. Don't get me wrong -- I love Christmas! Scott has laid down the law that I can't play my Christmas music while he's at home until after Thanksgiving... but I play it plenty when he's not here!! :) I love LOVE Christmas music and the wonderful feeling in the air. Thanksgiving gives me that same wonderful feeling, but without all the commercialism. I just really feel relief that Halloween is over and I can rest a little, and excited for the wonderful Thanksgiving season!! In conclusion, I am going to sing you all one of my favorite songs that I think will put us all in the right mood....

"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,

Jack Frost nipping at your nose,

Yuletide carols being sung..."

Ok, ok, honey. I'll give it a few more weeks. :)

Baby Russell came into the world on Monday, October 10th! He was beautiful and healthy, and BIG! He was 9 lbs. 5 oz. and 20.5 inches long. A little chunk. Did I mention he was beautiful? I know I shouldn't say that about my little boy, but he is just such a pretty baby. Pretty, pretty, pretty!!! He is a good sleeper during the day. :) My mom has been here for a week and has been such an amazing help. She leaves tomorrow morning. My kids have fallen in love with her all over again, like they do every time. I think the whole family is going to cry for a week when she leaves. I wish she lived closer, but it is really wonderful that she came to stay. I sure appreciate and love my mom!!

The other kids adore Russell. No jealousy so far, even from Richie. They gather around him and coo and talk to him in baby voices. Wally and Erin are always asking to hold him. Zach and Richie just like to sit and pet his head softly. They are so sweet to him. He is such a good baby, very even-tempered. Without the baby monitor, I can't even hear him crying. I'm sure he'll build up his lungs in this loud household though.

Today is my due date. I am excited for State Tennis this weekend, but sitting here this morning with my huge belly... I can't bend over. I can hardly sit down. Or stand up. My back hurts and so does my stomach. My feet are disgusting and swollen. Mostly I am just tired of feeling so HUGE. Ugh. I am not excited to go through labor and recovery. I finally packed my hospital bag today and remembering what is going to happen... does not make me happy. BUT I am still ready to be done being pregnant. I want to exercise and be skinny again! Part of me definitely wishes this baby would come today. It is my due date after all. We will see if I make it til Monday. FIVE MORE DAYS LITTLE RUSSELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's almost time....

I went to pick up Wally from pre-school today at my friend Trish's house. He left the house before me and ran outside to get in the car. When I followed him out, I heard him yell to me in a panic, "Mom, Richie is DEAD!!!" I have to admit my heart skipped a beat when I heard this. I checked and Richie was still just sound asleep, apparently oblivious to all the yelling and pushing and who knows what else Wally was doing to try to wake him up. I showed this to Wally, and he was greatly relieved. Laughing, he told me, "Oh, that was funny."

I totally forgot I haven't blogged anything about Erin's baptism!! My sweet little baby girl, Erin, was BAPTIZED this last Saturday, Sept. 24. I still can't believe she is old enough for this. Scott and I took turns crying through the whole thing. (Don't tell him I tattled on him) We could feel the Spirit so strong. Erin has such a sweet, tender heart and a clear testimony. I am so grateful to be her mother. She teaches me I think way more than I teach her. She was so beautiful in her white dress. My mom made her this dress. She did such an amazing job with it!! Everyone commented on it. It was a very happy, special day.

Wally has been begging me to let him wear underwear to bed, but I have put it off and dreaded it because I have no desire being this pregnant to be changing and washing sheets on a daily basis. So we made a deal. I told him he could wear underwear to bed as soon as he woke up with a dry diaper, which he hasn't done in a long time. Then several days ago, he woke up and took off his diaper right away to show me he was dry. That night I tried to put a diaper on him, and he promptly reminded me of our deal. He had met his part of the bargain and I guess expected me to fulfill mine. I couldn't see a way out of it and sent him to bed with his underwear on and my fingers crossed. It has been three nights in a row now, and not ONE accident!!!! I have not had to change and wash sheets even once! He is so proud and talks about it all the time. I guess when they're ready, they're ready, huh? I never expected it to be this easy though.

This is what happens when you have a little girl as the oldest child in a family of boys. My three little boys decided they wanted a "tea party" yesterday. I dunno how many little boys want to play tea party, but I know mine do. I buttered the bread for them and opened the pudding but they got out everything and arranged everything else on their own. Quite a selection, I thought. Grapes, fruit snacks, pudding, licorice, popsicles, water for their "tea," and bread with butter. It's amazing what these kids come up with.