Skull Tinsel.

Our place is decorated for Halloween. Pumpkins and bats and black cats and ghosts stuck to the windows. Random glittery skulls on the walls everywhere. Black tinsel with purple bats out in the kitchen (and some cute little funky gourds too). We also have black tinsel with silver skulls that was over the bedroom doorway but it fell down and somehow ended up at the top of Jake’s closet, so I only just rediscovered it. So it is sitting in front of me now.

We picked up a Natey on Tuesday! The drive to JFK airport was uneventful and therefore lovely. We ate sushi and starburst jellybeans, we talked back to the Homer voice of my GPS (not needed, I know the way, but I have it on just in case), and we learned the words to the songs on Darren Hayes’ "Secret Codes and Battleships" album that is 2 years old and we are only just learning the words to! Man that is a gorgeous album. 2.5 listens through on that one drive and I’ve got most of the songs in my memory now. Or at least I think I do. Next time we listen to it will be the drive home from JFK airport on the 29th after we drop Natey off.

Natey is awesome, because duh. I love having him here. We ramble and ridiculous things come out of my mouth, and it is just wonderful. He really is my twin-but-4-years-younger.

Tuesday night we grabbed a pizza on the way home, so I got to shovel deliciousness in my mouth before running off to put Ashley to bed. She had a great time with Gama Issy (grandma Lisa) while we were gone. They went to the nearby elementary school and watched all the buses (Ash is OBSESSED with buses) and then went on the school playground where apparently my not-even-2-year-old was happily playing with the school kids. I am so proud that she has social skills.

Wednesday morning, like every morning has and will be (most likely), we had eats at the restaurant downstairs. They all love Natey because when he came to visit last year we went to a social gathering with them all so they got to know him as more than just Sezzie’s brother, a customer.

Wednesday dinner was at Maggie McFly’s. Just looking at the menu, Natey asked if we could go more than once because there was too many choices. I ordered something that was spicy chicken and pasta, and split that with Jake who got a bbq pulled pork sandwich. I asked the waitress if my pasta came with a creamy sauce and she said "not really, maybe a little bit", and it came out and it was a fucking cream sauce! Spicy cream sauce, but still! So I ate my half of the chicken and gave all the pasta to Jake because I couldn’t stomach it. Still a good meal overall, thankfully.

Thursday before eats we went to Staples and got a USB cable for my printer (because the stupid thing didn’t come with one, but I can’t use it as a scanner without the cable. Rargh!), Kmart to see if we could find Natey some cookie monster pj pants (to match mine and Jake’s, because he is jealous.), and Stop & Shop for cookies. 2 packs of oreos, 2 packs of teddy grahams, and some water crackers. I mean yeah, only the oreos are for us, the rest are Ashley’s, but still. Cookie run!

Today after nap, we went for a walk down the street to the health food store. Got some produce, but more importantly, a cinnamon stick and a whole nutmeg. We are doing thanksgiving next weekend (8 days away!) so I need to get some things. I also got a little energy bar sample thing that I shared with Ashley, and it really worked, it made the hour-ish round trip feel like nothing. Woo!

Speaking of thanksgiving, I’m a little stressed out about being able to find a turkey, seeing as we are doing it SO EARLY. We are doing it early so Natey can experience it. Fingers crossed for me, please.

Tonight we went to Senor Panchos for dinner. Mexican yummies! We had queso dip, because Natey and I earned that with our walk today. I, for a change, had chicken fajitas. Couldn’t finish because of all the queso, but still. Ashley sat in her booster seat next to a mirror, ate her veggies and cornflakes and raisins that I brought for her, and had a nice time watching us all laugh over silly things, like Natey smelling the waiter. He smelled good, and Jake was a little weirded out that he thought a dude smelled good. So Natey had to try and get a smell while the guy walked by our table. It was pretty funny. Then I commented that I was glad no one was at the table next to us because I had to have my tortillas (and my old glass) on the table/bench next to me. As soon as I said that, 2 people were seated next to us.

Ashley is stirring, have to go take care of that. She has this thing lately where she takes FOREVER to go to sleep some nights, and will roll around and kick me and make noises and talk and… so I tell her I am leaving the room for a few minutes. She just CRIES, but once I go back in she goes to sleep within 5 minutes. Last night when I did this (I’ve only done it maybe 4 times) she came to the bedroom door and I told her to go to bed so she shut the door and stood on the other side and cried for 2 minutes, then opened the door again. I asked if she wanted to go to bed now and she said "yes" and walked over and got back into bed next to me. So cute.