#happyhalloween – Birds of a Feather

Rain, a Baby Lamb, & Darth Vader

November 1, 2017November 1, 2017Baby Bears & Little Bears, Family, Happiness, Holiday spirit, Love, Milestones, UncategorizedLeave a Comment

Thankfully the rainy conditions didn’t dampen our Halloween. In lieu of trick or treating outdoors, we opted for a more creative evening of indoor trick or treating. Then we rummaged through the Halloween loot as we watched A Toy Story Terror Halloween movie pushing pause occasionally for the few soggy trick or treaters who rang our doorbell. Atticus sampled his first lollipop, and his sweet smile and sticky fingers proved it was love at first lick!

You might be wondering what in the world indoor trick or treating looks like. It took a little creative ingenuity, but Liam’s grandparents pitched in so Liam could trick or treated through the house to four different rooms. He preceded to bang on doors, shout trick or treat, and relish in the excitement of a pumpkin tote filled to the brim with Twix, Kit Kats, Pirates Booty, Dum Dums, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and a whole mess of other sweet treats.

The rain never dissipated, but Sean decided to brave the weather with Liam so he could trick or treat at a few houses in the neighborhood. The outdoor adventure was short lived, however, because the cooler temperatures and increasing rainfall made for rather unpleasant conditions.

After the sugar rush ended and Darth Vader and our little lamb were tucked in for the night, I decided to venture out myself for a rainy run. I felt like a little kid splashing through ankle deep puddles in the pouring rain. The neighborhood was quiet with few porch lights on and and even less trick or treaters out and about. The pervasive theme as I ran through the dark neighborhood past houses along the lake was the number of televisions I saw on with people gathered around watching the Astros.

This has truly proven to be a unique Halloween, which certainly seems to be the trend for us. It was only last year that I was trick or treating with Liam, Sean and the Rafla’s while I was in labor with Atticus. I can only imagine what next year will have in store for us! The only thing that will make this night even better is a World Series win for the Astros.

High School Halloween

October 28, 2017Uncategorized1 Comment

Yesterday at SJ23 all students and faculty were encouraged to wear costumes to get in the Halloween spirit for our holiday themed pep rally. Working in a high school has been eye opening for a number of reasons, but at it simplest level I love observing them in their natural environment. Because our students wear uniforms, it is rare to see a student outwardly display their style. Decked out in their costumes, many of them showcased their humor, creativity, and style front and center.

Three seniors dressed up as geriatric residents of a nursing home complete with walkers, spray painted white hair, and pajamas and slippers. In the hallways, I crossed paths with martians, Jason, a cross dresser, Rapunzel, and a Ghostbuster. What surprised me the most though were the number of students wearing onesies. On average, I’d say at least 60% of the student body donned some type of pajama onesie. Most onesies included a hood with animal ears and a tail. It was clear that comfort trumped creativity with our group of teenagers.

Always looking for opportunities to connect with my students, I decided to go all out with my costume this year and channel my inner Frida Kahlo. My eyebrows required extensive attention and the help of a brown eye pencil. The evolution of the brows allowed me to transform into the iconic artist. This proved to be a process as my first selfie reveals. I realized the eye brows were still too thin and far apart. With more penciling in and arching on the sides, I finally reached perfection. Even Atticus seemed confused by my transformation as he eyed me with some hesitation as he waited for me lift him out of the crib. Clearly my eyebrows were throwing him off.

Our Honors Spanish teacher created a beautiful ofrenda outside her classroom in preparation for dia de los muertos next week. I opted for an incredible photo opp in front of the altar to really bring life to Frida. The response from my students was positive and complimentary. Many were familiar with her work and it proved to be a great talking point for those who were unfamiliar. I set the bar high with my students this year, so I’ll definitely need to come back with an equally iconic costume next year.