Halloween 2010

Today is the school Halloween parade.  As you know Chase and Kai are going as clone troopers, Madison is going as a pirate, and Davis is going as Chewbacca.

I tried to make clone trooper helmets for the boys but they ended up looking like something out of Nacho Libre so had to come up with a new plan.  As it turns out Kai has a friend who has a really nice Clone Trooper Rex helmet he is going to let the boy borrow.  But that still left me high and dry when it came to Chase.  Then Michael said, "um, why don't you just knit one."  Freaking brilliant.  WHY didn't I think of that.

I am excited to say that in the wee hours of Wednesday morning I finished the last of the Halloween costumes.  Unfortunately I am sorry to say (though not surprised) that Chase doesn't actually like his costume. He does, however, like the clone trooper hat.  So this is what the kids looked like as they walked out the door this morning.  Kai isn't wearing the helmet because masks that cover the face aren't allowed at school, but he'll wear it trick-or-treating and I can get a good picture then. So between the two boys you have one complete clone trooper costume.

Of course, I made the boy try on Chase's hat so I could see the costume all together. 


I took notes as I made the hat so as soon as the Halloween craziness dies down I think I'll write up the pattern.

The last few days the boy has been in the hospital having an NG tube put in (the tube you see coming out his nose) and I have to say it goes with his costume quite well.  In fact I think some people might be surprised when he still has it on when he goes back to school on Monday.  However if we'd know he was going to get the NG tube before Halloween we could have sent him as Darth Vader in the scene where he takes his helmet off--because that would have been AWESOME.

And just because he's cute here is Davis in his Chewbacca costume.

Brotherly Love

Me:  "Hey guys, I'm sorry but we're running short on time so we're going to have to get lunch after Davis' appointment."
Kai:  "That's fine.  I care more about my family than I do about not having lunch and dying from starvation."
Me:  "While I appreciate your sentiment, I don't think waiting an hour for lunch will kill you."
Kai: "BONUS!"

Say Cheese

Just more evidence that it is impossible to get a good picture of all four of them at once.

I Swore This Wouldn't Happen Again

Every year I swear I will not make the kid's Halloween costumes the following year and every year I end up making them anyway.  

Chase and Kai have decided thy want to be clone troopers.  Davis is going to be Chewbacca and, because heaven forbid she go with the theme, Madison is going to be a pirate.  I even showed her an AWESOME pattern for knitted Princess Leia buns and she still wanted to be a pirate!  Okay so, I don't really mind that she is going as a pirate.  Pirates are easy.  Chewbacca shouldn't be too hard either. But no way was I going to make one clone trooper and much less two!  That is, until I found out how much it would cost to to buy one.  As it turns out I'm cheap. 

Anyway I started my first clone trooper this weekend and all I can say is hand stitching through duck tape is not my idea of a good time.  That being said, so far it looks awesome. 

Huh. I Wonder Who Did That.

Davis emerging from the bathroom, "Mom!  Mom!  Someone peed in my underwear!"

I ♥ Scotch Tape

Chase is super excited about Halloween this year-- which is pretty cool because in the past he hasn't really been too thrilled with the idea of dressing up.  He and Kai are both going as clone troopers.  NOT storm troopers, CLONE troopers.  They have made this distinction very clear . . . several times.  I think they are worried about my lack of Star Wars knowledge.  Seriously though, last year I made the boy a ghost of Obi Wan Kenobi costume so I think they should cut me some slack.

Chase comes home from school every day and says, "Mom.  Its almost Halloween."  He is a little frustrated that I haven't started to decorate yet.  In fact yesterday he took matters into his own hands.  A little imagination and a roll of Scotch tape later he presented me with "Mummy Windows."

 

He also discovered he could use same technique all over his face, hands, and feet to turn himself into a mummy.  But he wouldn't stick around long enough to let me take his picture.

Guests

Yesterday one of Kai's best friends, Noah, came to visit.  They managed to get the hospital's toy robot to close the privacy curtain, they watched a little TV, and even broke out the laptop for some serious computer game time.

In fact it was right after I took this picture that his mother and I noticed something on Noah's shirt.  A large six legged something. 

Noah's mom:  "NOAH!  Why do you have a praying mantis on your shirt?!"
Noah (not at all suprised):  "Well, I  did put him in my pocket before we came in."

Its Like a Mini Vacation

The boy hasn't made a lot of progess in terms of weight and height gain so as a last ditch resort before starting growth hormones they have decided to do a super major strict (yes I'm pretty sure that's the medical term) calorie count.  The only way to do that is to check him into the hospital, serve him food all day, and write down what he eats.  Not just any food either-- we're talking bacon, eggs, ice cream, butter, chocolate, you get the idea.  As the boy pointed out yesterday, its like a mini vacation with servants but of course there's no pool.  Though he did ask if they have a track he could run on.  FYI, they don't.