Yet Another Bump on the Road to Foreclosure

I think everyone saw this bump coming though. Mr. Shady, our landlord, had yet another trick up his sleeve and managed to stall the foreclosure. When all else fails, declare bankruptcy. Evidently, that will work in most cases. For now, we are back in a holding pattern, waiting to see what will happen in a few weeks/months. From what we've been told, declaring bankruptcy will only delay the inevitable.

After confirming the foreclosure auction was cancelled and that the property remains in Mr. Shady's name, I did cancel our original November rent check and forward a replacement to the post office box designated in our lease. I also sent Mr. Shady and his associates a formal letter stating that all future communication will be written. Under no circumstances are Mr. Shady or his associates to call our house because we will not answer or respond to messages that he might leave.

Mr. Shady immediately tried to call after receiving my letter. I guess he thought I was kidding or something. Obviously, we didn't answer, and the next morning I discovered a nice "apology" letter in my in-box. Well, I'm glad you're sorry, Mr. Shady. You should be. It doesn't change the fact that you are a scam artist. Oh and in true scam artist fashion, at the end of his "apology" letter, he requested that I send December's rent early. Ummmm...Yeah...I'll get right on that!

Pants

I have to admit that Anh and I are currently battling an issue that we didn't expect with boys. We are in a standoff with Jax over pants. Yes, pants. Evidently, pants are the ultimate evil and should be avoided at all costs. It's not that Jax wants to run around in his undies. He just refuses to wear long pants or jeans, only shorts. Wardrobe battles are something I hear about often from my friends with girls, but I never expected my boys to have an opinion.

We never had a problem in the past. Otherwise, I would never have wasted my money buying him 4 new pairs of pants & jeans. Instead, I would have invested in one pair of pants to get us through the occasional cold snap. After all, I realize that we live in Florida and that shorts can pretty much be worn year-round. However, I was unaware of Jax's new aversion to pants. I bought new pants, and dang it, I'm going to get my money's worth out of those pants!

Jax has whined his way out of wearing pants twice now. We had a "cold" snap where the temperature dropped into the 60's about 2 weeks ago. I know! The 60's...break out the parkas! And, people did! I'm not kidding either. Not, Jax though. He threw the biggest fit when I tried to make him wear pants to school, and I caved. It was early, and I had not pumped myself full of caffeine. I was in no mood to do battle, and it was only 60, after all. Fine, wear a sweatshirt.

When I picked Jax up that afternoon, he was the only kid not wearing pants. What kind of terrible mother am I? I sent him to school in shorts on a frigid 60 degree day! At that very moment, I decided I was not going to cave next time.

So, fast-forward to this past weekend. Anh and I were getting both boys ready to go shopping, and call me crazy, but I just didn't want Jax to wear shorts while we were shopping for Christmas presents. I don't care that it's 70 degrees outside! I want to at least pretend it's cold...okay cool. Well, Jax wasn't happy about my ridiculous idea. He did not want to wear pants. My strategy...lie. Yep, I lied and told him that all of his shorts were dirty, and if he wanted to go with me to Toys R Us, he better get over it and put on his pants. Victory! Jax's hatred of pants was not strong enough to keep him from his absolute favorite store.

So, now the score is even, one victory for each of us. Both won because of shady tactics. Him - whining. Me - fibbing. It's a dirty war!

18 Month Check-up

Friday was rough. We love Dr. N, but I think Friday's appointment has convinced me that it's time to find a pediatrician closer to home. It's a decision I've been struggling with for a while because Dr. N is about the best pediatrician you could ask for, but the 2-hour round trip drive has just turned into such an ordeal. I don't think I can do it anymore. Regardless of how great our doctor may be.

Aside from the drive, the visit went relatively well. I was pleased to discover that the waiting room wasn't packed with sick children. Jax and I were probably the ones that made everyone nervous with our coughing since we are still dealing with chest colds. Luckily, we were called back pretty quickly, and all of the other mothers were able to breathe a sigh of relief, literally.

Baylor was cooperative while the nurse checked his measurements. His noggin falls into the 85th percentile, and he landed squarely in the 95th percentile for both height and weight. Dr. N seemed pleased that he was at least on the growth chart, since for a while there he was skyrocketing off!

Once we made our way into the exam room, it's like a switch was thrown. Baylor immediately decided that he was not interested in being there anymore. I strongly suspect that he's now old enough to remember what happens when he visits Dr. N...shots! As soon as Dr. N came into the room, Baylor became combative, refusing to let her examine him. He was running a temperature when they checked him which wasn't a surprise. I thought he felt warm when I picked him up out of the crib that morning. My first thought was, "Great! I hope this doesn't prevent him from getting his flu vaccines. If I drive 2 hours and don't end up with him vaccinated, I'm going to be pissed." Luckily, the fever wasn't an issue.

However, Dr. N did want to thoroughly check his ears, nose, and throat to rule out any infections. Like I said before, Baylor wasn't having any of it. I did my best to pin him to the exam table, but clearly, I need to lift some weights or something because he easily overpowered me. Out matched by an 18-month old. I should be ashamed! After a 15-minute struggle, Dr. N was able to rule out any obvious signs of infection.

Weary from the battle, I put Baylor down on the floor while Dr. N explained which 18-month vaccines Baylor would be receiving and also outlined what symptoms would be considered warning signs of complications from the flu vaccines. I did my best to listen, but I was distracted by Baylor who was trying to completely dismantle the exam room in record time. Dr. N asked me whether I had any concerns that I wanted to discuss, and I said no, but explained that Anh and I both suspected that Baylor may be going through the "Terrible Twos" early. Dr. N just looked at me with an expression that clearly said, "Gee! Ya' think?!?!"

With that, Dr. N was out the door and on her way to see the next patient. I can't say I blame her. I would have run screaming from the room too, what with 2 out of the 3 people coughing their lungs up and the 3rd behaving like a nightmare. So, while I may be sad that we won't be able to continue to see Dr. N, I have a sneaking suspicion that she's not going to miss us quite as much.

Contagious

This week has been a bit of a struggle. Jax and I have both fallen victim to an evil cough, but it has affected us in very different ways. While my cough is dry, it is constant and has lead to some horrible irritation in my chest and throat. Jax's cough is the exact opposite. His is only occasional, but it sounds terrible because he's horribly congested.

Today, we are all headed to see Dr. N, but Baylor is the only official patient. Jax and I are just along for the ride as Baylor receives his scheduled 18 month vaccinations, as well as the seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccines. The poor boy is going to feel like a pin cushion!

I suspect that during our visit, Jax and I will be asked to model the latest fashion accessory, a face mask, and honestly, I hope they're available because these coughs are anything but pleasant. I don't want to pass them along to anyone. Especially, with Turkey Day right around the corner. Hopefully, that doesn't scare anyone out of coming to our house! I've already made out the menu, and the food will be worth the risk. Trust me!

Success

Wow! That was fast! On day 2 of potty training, Baylor successfully peed in the potty. Turns out that he just needed a little privacy. I guess when you have a mommy hovering over you, the result is stage fright. Once I backed off just a bit, Baylor was able to take care of business without any issues.

As soon as Baylor finished, he glanced up at me to see my reaction. Was peeing on his brand new "chair" good or bad? I'm pretty sure my huge smile combined with my frantic clapping & cheering convinced him that he did a good thing. Baylor seemed quite proud of his accomplishment. Oh, and eager to repeat it. Within minutes, he was once again on the potty trying for a repeat performance. No such luck.

So, maybe Baylor will turn out to be an over-achiever. I'll keep you posted. I'm sure you'll be on the edge of your seat!

Jumping the Gun

I don't know what I was thinking, but today, I decided to drag the training potty out of storage and introduce it to Baylor. Boy, was he excited! It seemed like he knew exactly what it was. I set it up right next to the big potty, and Baylor immediately tore off his diaper and sat on it. See! I told you he was bright.

Baylor sat on his new potty with a grin that stretched from ear to ear. After a few minutes with no action, he leaned forward and reached for some toilet paper. Good idea, son. It's good to be prepared. Another few minutes passed, and then, I decided it was probably time to wrap up our first visit with the new potty. Well, Baylor does not like to be rushed. He was not ready to call it a day.

So, Baylor and I sat for another 5 minutes. Still no action. I did my absolute best to assure him that there would be many more opportunities to sit on the potty in the future. I guess Baylor didn't believe me because he was adamant that he was not parting ways with his potty. Finally, it occurred to me that he needed something just as new & exciting as the pint-sized potty to lure him out of the bathroom. The solution...pull-ups. I just happened to have a few on hand. Sure enough! Baylor proudly donned his new big boy pull-ups and strutted out of the bathroom.

Hopefully, today's little experiment won't blow-up in my face. We certainly are not ready to move on to pull-ups full time. At least, I don't think so.

Speaking His Language

Anh called the landlord and spoke with him after hearing my side of this afternoon's conversation and learning of the threat to issue us a 3-day notice. Now, we would never, ever stoop to our landlord's level, but Anh felt like it was time we started speaking his language.

First, the landlord said, "I think I upset your wife." Geee! Ya' think?! He then went on to explain that we were "forcing" him to serve us with papers by not reissuing a check for November. Anh calmly explained that he knew the landlord was well within his rights to serve us with a notice, but also expressed that he would personally hate to see that happen because it would "force" us to file a lawsuit seeking reimbursement for moving expenses (both in & out) and repayment for all the fees that we were required to pay to connect utilities.

Anh also shared with the landlord that our attorney considers our case a "slam dunk" given that we have extensive documentation of the fraud that was perpetrated against us. I saved every single email that was ever exchanged and every single document that was sent to us related to the rental and foreclosure, right down to the very first email that I sent inquiring about the house. That email is clearly dated and proves the landlord rented to us 2 months after he stopped paying the mortgage. That according to our attorney is all the proof the need. Everything else will just serve as evidence of the landlord's character or lack there of.

Needless to say, the landlord suddenly became a little less hostile in his attitude towards us. I wish I could say that my attitude towards him!

I'm No Fool

So here's the latest update on the drama with the house. The phone rings today and because I'm not used to the whole concept of hiding out from people, I answer it without checking the caller i.d. If I had bothered to check, I would have noticed it was my shady landlord or one of his would-be associates calling to feed me some more bull, and I probably wouldn't have answered.

As soon as I answered, the landlord identified himself. I took a deep breath because I just knew things were going to get ugly. The conversation started off okay. He asked me whether I sent a new rent check to his home address, and I informed him that I was able to verify with the bank that the first check had not cleared my account. I also told him I was still waiting to hear back from the real estate attorney we hired about how I should proceed now that we know he has declared bankruptcy.

Our attorney feels we should hold off on cancelling the first check until after Thursday's foreclosure auction. Then, we should issue a new rent check for the month of November to the appointed trustee if and when he/she contacts us for back rent. Our attorney is trying to find out if a trustee has already been appointed.

Well, let's just say the landlord was not happy about that plan. He threatened to send us a 3-day pay or quit notice which effectively gives us 3 days to pay the amount owed and late charges or vacate the premises and terminate our lease. I didn't take his threat lightly. The landlord knows our goal from the very beginning of this drama has been to remain in this house. We even offered to buy the damn thing at one point! Of course, we only offered the current value on the home, not the inflated price he owes the bank. I'm sure it comes as no surprise that were unable to agree on a purchase price. The landlord's threat was clearly an attempt to use my own dread of moving again against me.

Obviously this yahoo landlord has no idea who he's dealing with. You don't threaten me! I told the landlord that he should go ahead and issue the notice because the 3 day time period begins when I'm served with papers, and then, I wished him good luck on serving me from the other side of the country in time for the 3 day period to expire while the home is still in his possession. He didn't know what to say after that because he knew I was right.

At that point, he switched gears and asked why we were opening mail sent to the house that is addressed to him. EXCUSE ME?!?! WHAT?!? I know you didn't just accuse me of committing a federal offense. You, a scammer who hasn't paid mortgage notes on properties valued at over $4 million dollars in almost 2 years, better not be about to lecture me on what is considered right & wrong.

I told him, "I, sir, know the difference between right & wrong! Wrong would be opening mail that isn't addressed to me or my husband. HOWEVER, I am completely in the right when opening legal notices mailed separately to both my husband and me as legally required by the state of Florida. If you had bothered to open any of the numerous notices mailed to you, you would see that we are clearly listed on the bottom of each and everyone one. That indicates we received a copy of said notice. I'm sorry that you didn't bother to look, but under no circumstances will you call my house and accuse me of wrongdoing. I have been nothing except up front with you since day 1. You, however, have lied at every turn to insure that we continue to send you the monthly rent. Given that you've decided to call my house and insult me, you can now communicate with us through our attorney. I will forward you her contact information." Click.

Inappropriate Language

Today, I had to speak with the two directors at Jaxon's school about some inappropriate language that Jax has been using lately. I told Ms. P & Ms. J that Jax had first uttered the offensive phrase a couple of weeks ago, and at the time, both Anh & I chose to look the other way. We felt that it was best to ignore the comment, rather than make a big issue out of it. However, Jax has repeated the phrase on more than one occasion, even after we told him it was inappropriate and that we don't say things like that in our house.

Given the seriousness of the issue, Anh & I both felt a need to bring it to the school's attention. Of course, Ms. P & Ms. J looked bewildered and concerned. Ms. J mouthed, "What did he say?" because Jax was standing right next to me, and she knew I was probably hesitant to repeat the offensive language in front of him. I told her, "Honestly, I hate to repeat it. It's that bad." Then, Ms. P & Ms. J really looked scared.

I leaned forward and whispered, "Jaxon said 'Go Gators!' and that is just unacceptable. I know he's being brainwashed with that propaganda here at school." As soon as I uttered the words, they both let out a huge sigh of relief and simultaneously erupted into laughter. I had them so worried, and rightly so because I'm worried. As a proud UGA Bulldog & KU Jayhawk household, the last thing we need is talk like that coming from our kids.

Birthday Boy

A certain someone officially slid over the proverbial hill today. Well, maybe it was more of a mound leading up to the big hill. Regardless, Anh was sitting on top of the mound last year at 35, but this year he turned the big 3-6 which puts him clearly on the other side. In other words, he's OLD! Just kidding, dear!

We celebrated with a nice dinner at home followed by gourmet cupcakes that were hand-selected by Jax & Baylor. Okay! Okay! Baylor wasn't really involved in the selection process, but he did offer input by pointing frantically at the wide assortment of offerings. Jax took his time, checking out all 18 flavors, and then carefully pointed to the ones he wanted to bring home to dad. Although, Jax did the declare the red one was off limits. That's the one he picked for himself.As soon as the lady behind the counter handed us the packaged cupcakes, Jax began asking for his. He ran over to the cute bistro tables in the cupcakery and prepared himself for a feast. I laughed and told him that it wouldn't be very nice of us to enjoy the birthday boy's treats without the birthday boy. Jax looked at me like I had lost my mind and said, "He's not a birthday boy! He's a birthday daddy!" Oh, right. That makes sense. Sorry.The moment Anh walked through the door, Jax started singing "happy birthday." Now, I'm sure you're thinking, "Awww! He was excited for his dad." Not so much. I mean he was happy that it was Anh's birthday, but it had more to do with the fact that birthdays involve cake & icing, and Anh's arrival meant Jax could now enjoy said cake & icing.As you can see from the look on his face, Baylor was quite excited about the cupcakes as well.He did not appreciate all the picture taking!

Finally, for the main event. The moment the boys had been waiting for...

Sugar! Sugar! And, more sugar!

Grandma, you better watch out. Jax knows you're birthday is next, and he's looking forward to it.

The Best of Intentions

I had every intention of blogging tonight. About what? I had no idea. In the future, I must try to prevent letting my mind go blank because that's when fate seems to stir up trouble. As I was sitting at the computer struggling with writer's block, the phone rang. Whoever could it be? It's kind of late. Hmmmm...it's a strange number from a California area code. Cue the sirens & flashing lights! Our foreclosure is scheduled for next week. Our scam artist landlord lives in California. Who else could it possibly be?

We were close. It was a woman named Adrian who identified herself as our landlord's wife. Excuse me? Now, for the record, our landlord is not married. Anyhow, Adrian the "wife" is calling to find out whether we've mailed our November rent check. Yes, against our better judgement we did. What's that? Adrian said they didn't receive it and wants us to send another check, but instructs us not to send it to the regular P.O. Box. Instead, we should send it directly to their street address.

Given that the foreclosure is scheduled for next week and that we have no clue who the heck Adrian really is, we tell her that we'll need to speak directly with the landlord about the matter. Adrian tells us that he's sick, but she'll do her best to get him to contact us. We hang up. All of 30 seconds passes and the phone rings again, same California number. This time it's the landlord, and he really doesn't sound sick. He asks us about the rent check, and we tell him it was sent. Like Adrian, he asks us to send a 2nd check to the new street address.

Goodness! There go those pesky sirens & flashing lights again. We tell the landlord that we'll have to look into the matter tomorrow because it's late and the whole situation seems kind of sketchy. The landlord seems confused as to why we're hesitant to agree to issuing a new check. Gee...I don't know....could it be the fact that he's calling us late at night almost exactly 1 week before he loses the house to foreclosure and claiming to have not received our rather large rent check. Never mind the fact that he only called us after he had some strange woman posing as his wife call. No, that's not the slightest bit fishy.

After hearing our point of view, the landlord promptly handed the phone over to "Charleston." Who's Charleston? That's exactly what we asked. Actually, I think we first asked whether Charleston was the gentleman's first or last name. He told us it was his first. When we asked what his last name was, he hesitated and then said "Carl" in very slow and uncertain manner. Okay, Mr. Charleston Carl, who are you? A lawyer? No. An arbitrator? No. Evidently, he's just a person trying to help our landlord through his difficult situation. Okay. If you say so.

Charleston went on to explain that our landlord has filed for bankruptcy and therefore, all of the court notices we've been receiving were issued in error. Our landlord is absolutely not losing the house to foreclosure next week. Charleston then went on to deny that they ever received copies of the notices we were issued. Never mind that the legal notices say otherwise. You're right, Charleston, we should totally believe you even though we have no idea who you are.

Trying to keep things civil, we told Charleston we'd look into the matter tomorrow. He seemed happy so we hung up. Thirty seconds later, the phone rang for the 3rd time. Same number, but this time the landlord was back on the line. Again, he wanted to know if we were going to send a 2nd check. We explained to him that we were going to have to investigate the situation tomorrow.

Obviously, we need to track down the original check first. Plus, as your "associate" Charleston just explained to us, you've now filed for bankruptcy, and our attorney has explained to us that if you in fact file for bankruptcy, a trustee will be appointed, and all rent should be paid to the trustee. So even if I agree to resend the check, it sounds like it shouldn't be made payable to you, my oh so trustworthy landlord!

For the 3rd time we hung up, only to again hear the phone ring. Big surprise! It was the landlord from the same number asking us yet again if we were going to send another check. WE WILL LOOK INTO IT! Click.

Realizations

Sometimes, as a busy parent, the little things escape you. You're always in such a rush to tackle the ever-growing, mile-long to-do list or hurrying off to school or playdates or work, that you miss the finer details in life. Like the fact that...

• Jax can now get ready for school all on his own. That includes selecting a coordinating outfit, completely dressing himself, PLUS brushing his own teeth. He does still require a little help getting out of bed.
• Baylor can wash his own hair. He'll grab the shampoo bottle, but he requires your help opening it. Thank goodness because otherwise I fear I'd find him washing his hair at the most impractical times. If you squirt the shampoo into his little hand, he'll then proceed to lather up and rinse. Oh, and he must know how to read because he often wants to repeat. I guess he believes it's necessary to follow instructions exactly, "Lather. Rinse. Repeat."
• Jax no longer answers my almost daily question, "How was your day?" with the phrase, "I don't know." He has learned to express himself and share all the dirty details of the day like who made who cry at school and who had to sit in the time-out chair. That he didn't sleep during nap time, but since he did lay there quietly, he still got a nap treat. Oh, and my personal favorite, he fills me in every single kid who wasn't there that day. Sometimes, I think he's a little too observant.
• Baylor can put on his own shoes, and half the time they're on the right feet! He still needs help tying them. Good to know he's still a few months from complete independence.
• Jax can now open his car door by himself. He always needed help reaching the handle before because I drive a SUV that sits pretty high off the ground. Once he was able to reach the handle, he still needed help because of the door's weight. Well, not anymore! He can can load himself without any assistance.
• Baylor can now feed himself with utensils, and some of the food actually makes it into his mouth!
• And, finally, both Jax and Baylor have secret hiding places around the house where they stash their most treasured possessions in effort to keep them out of the other brother's hands.

Obviously, I didn't actually miss these events, but somehow I failed to really take note that they were happening. I'm sure there are so many more common, every day behaviors that I'm overlooking. The boys are growing up before our very eyes. Guess I should pay better attention!

In the Dark

Last week, Anh and I went on an unusual double date with our friends, Bob & Whitney, where we dined completely in the dark. Evidently, it's all rage in the culinary world. I've heard of chefs hosting such events, but only in huge metro areas like New York & L.A. I never imagined we could enjoy the experience right here in our little beach town. I guess it's not the size of the town that matters, but rather the creativity of the chef.

The basic idea behind Dinner in the Dark is by taking away one's sense of sight, the other senses will be intensified. Sure it's wacky, but the theory makes sense. (Pun intended.) I know for a fact my sense of hearing was more acute that evening. I was quite the eavesdropper, but not intentionally. While waiting for a cue from our waiter about the arrival of a new course and the paired wine, I would pick up on bits & pieces of the other diners' conversations. One couple actually got engaged at the start of the evening!

Ultimately, the evening was a smashing success, but some careful planning and strategy did help. Not sure what to expect out, I carefully selected a black dress with a pattern running through it as appropriate attire. I figured that should more food end up in my lap than in my mouth, at least the stains could be disguised as part of my dress pattern. I figured with 5 courses the odds weren't exactly in my favor. In the end, I did surprisingly well. Probably because the food was absolutely delicious, and I was extra careful not to lose a single bite.

It was also helpful that I knew proper place setting. That made finding the correct or most useful utensil a lot easier. While not entirely appropriate to enjoy seared venison with a spoon, it was a lot more practical in the dark. Besides, no one was looking! Also, we were advised to slide our hand along the tabletop to find our wine and water glasses, as opposed to just reaching out into the darkness. That bit of wisdom should be credited with saving millions of gallons of water, both the ones that weren't spilled and the ones that weren't used in repeated washings trying to remove the red wine stains that could have resulted from toppled glasses.

The evening was about as close as I will ever get to participating in an episode of Top Chef. At points, we were convinced they were probably secretly videotaping us for some candid camera show. I highly recommend the experience if you should discover the opportunity is offered in your area. I hope they'll schedule more dark dinners in the future so I can introduce other friends to the concept. It's not your typical night on the town. That's for sure!

Now, for no other reason than to make your mouth water, here was the evening's menu:

Hors D'Ouerves
Crab Salad Tartlet with Champagne Diamonds & Micro Greens
Bacon Wrapped Dates
Smoked Tomato Soup
Paired with Louis Pedrier, Brut, Champagne

1st Course
Five Spice, Butternut Squash Shooter with Essential Oil of Cinnamon & Mint Foam
Paired with Mercer Riesling

2nd Course
Sherry Glazed Duck Spring Roll with Candied Walnuts, Macerated Figs, and Truffles Frisee
Paired with Villa Mt. Eden Chardonnay

3rd Course
Seared Venison, Spaetzle, Wild Mushrooms, and Blackberry Tea Reduction
Paired with Picket Fence Pinot Noir, Russian River

4th Course
Roasted Kurobuta Pork Belly, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Ginger Bread Pudding with Blueberry Gastrique
Paired with The Turk Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Mourvedre, Grenache

5th Course
Deconstructed Smores, Flourless Chocolate Cake, Graham Cracker Crumbs, and Pine Nut Powder
Paired with Warre's Otima 10 Year Tawny Porto

FABULOUS!!!

Infected

Jax has come down with a horrible cold, and the rest of us are doing our absolute best to avoid becoming infected. I don't think it's the dreaded flu because he hasn't been running a fever and there are no stomach problems, just a nasty cough with chest congestion. Although, today, I did discover that one of his lymph nodes is pretty swollen.

Other than occasionally hacking up a lung, Jax is doing relatively well. Except for the fact that he isn't sleeping well at night, but that's not really anything new. It may be completely unrelated to his illness. Jax's barely there appetite has taken a hit, as well. We've been struggling to get him to eat anything. So I suspect that the 40-pound milestone we hit earlier in the week has probably been erased. Gosh, now that I think about it, Jax is pretty much a mess. Somehow though, my earlier statement is true. He's doing relatively well.

Keep your fingers crossed that the rest of us avoid the funk. I'm not sure we would handle the symptoms like Trooper Jax.

Change

I bet you think I'm going to write about "falling back." However, I'm actually referring to my hair. I know. I know. You're probably thinking, "Oh great! That's exactly what I want to read about, her hair." Oh well. Every blog post can't be a winner.

Anyway, it was time for a change. I've been wanting to cut my hair for a while now, but I just never made the time, probably because I wasn't sure what exactly I wanted my new style to be. However, Halloween pretty much forced me into action because I couldn't fit my long hair under the "Kate" wig I purchased for Friday's costume party.

The cut ended up being pretty drastic. I chopped off almost a foot of hair! It was a pretty shocking reveal when my stylist spun me around in the chair to see the new me in the mirror. After a moment of self doubt, I decided I loved it. I wanted change and that's what I got!

When I went to pick up Baylor after my appointment, he didn't recognize me at first. It wasn't until I spoke to him that he realized it was me and waddled over. He looked up at me and laughed. It wasn't the reaction I was anticipating and made me question my new style. Laughter? That's not good is it? Oh well, at least it wasn't as bad as the time my mom (aka Grandma) got a perm, and my little sister (aka Aunt Kelly) cried in terror because she didn't recognize her own mother. Kelly was 2 or 3 at the time. Baylor's reaction was pretty mild by comparison.

You can always count on Jax to be dramatic though. As soon as I walked into his classroom at the end of the day, he looked at me with disgust and said, "Why is your hair all crazy?" I did my best to smile while asking, "Don't you like my new hair cut, Jax?" He looked me dead in the face and said, "No. You NEED to put your hair back down." Again, not the response I was looking for.

I guess it's true...you can always count on kids for honesty. So, of course, now you all expect a picture. Well, let's just say I've been a little camera shy thanks to my sons. I'll try to share a picture in the near future, after a few therapy sessions.

Happy Haunting

Halloween 2009 was filled with food, fun, and most importantly friends. We spent Friday morning celebrating with Jax's classmates. All of Jax's superhero buddies were there: Spiderman, Batman, Bat Girl, The Hulk, Superman, Wonder Woman, Ninja Turtles. I could go on, but you get the picture. We were well protected with all the super powers present that day.

As the parents looked on, the children paraded through the classrooms trick-or-treating. It was beyond cute.Baylor was quite excited to be included in the fun. I think he's going to love school once he's potty-trained and able to attend.

Without a doubt, Baylor's favorite subject will be snack time. I guess that's not so shocking when you consider that his older brother's favorite subject is recess. The Ivy League is definitely in our future!

This year, the kids weren't the only ones in costume. Anh and I did our best impersonation of John & Kate minus the 8 for a costume party with our friends Friday night. We haven't dressed up in years, but I think we'll make more of an effort from now on. The kids shouldn't have all the fun.

On Saturday, the focus was back on the little ones. We invited friends over to celebrate and watch the Georgia-Florida game with us. Afterwards, we wandered the streets of our neighborhood trick-or-treating.

Hayden was stunning as a geisha girl. Watch out, Jay & Lisa! The boys are definitely going to pay waaaay more attention than you'd like to this future heartbreaker.

Baylor's buddy, Jack, really got into character as a police officer. Although, he wasn't feelin' the Village People afro wig! It was a good thing Jack was on hand though. We needed him there for crowd control because the parents were celebrating The World's Largest Cocktail Party.While the parents acted like party animals, Ethan dressed the part. He was certainly the cutest lion I've ever seen.

Four years later, Jax continues to implement the same strategy he had on his very first night of trick-or-treating...get all the lollipops you can!!!

Baylor was completely uninterested in trick-or-treating. He couldn't be bothered to get out of the stroller which is ironic because we're usually battling to keep him in. That shows just how unimpressed he is with this Halloween tradition. I guess we'll see what happens next year...