What Your Halloween Habits Say About You

You are an outgoing person who’s a bit of a showoff. It’s likely that you dress up for Halloween every year. No one quite understands you, but everyone also sort of worships you. And that’s exactly how you like it. I’m so excited about Halloween already! It is my favorite holiday. You can be someone/something else. It’s totally acceptable to eat lots and lots of candy. The weather starts to change. There are lots of scary movie marathons on T.V. Hello! What other holiday gives you all that?! Your inner child is stubborn and a bit bossy. You truly fear the dark side of humanity. You are a true misanthrope. You’re prone to be quite emotional and over dramatic. Deep down, you enjoy being scared out of your mind… even if you don’t admit it. You are a traditionalist with most aspects of your life. You like your Halloween costume to be basic, well made, and conventional enough to wear another year.

I am so excited about Halloween already. It is my favorite holiday by far. You can be something/someone else. It is totally acceptable to eat lots and lots of candy. The weather starts to change. There are lots of scary movie marathons on T.V…What other holiday gives you all that?!

I drove by my Alma Mater the other day. Actually, it’s quite unavoidable. I drive by it a lot.

And watching all the students waiting around for Muni, walking with coffee cups in their hands and backpacks slung over their shoulders, made me a little nostalgic.

I had REALLY good times in college. And I had REALLY bad times in college.

It’s strange how all those feelings - the good, the bad and the ugly - can be all balled up into one very clear, yet undefinable feeling and throw itself over you in an unexpected rush as you drive by the landmark that, despite how you may have moved on in your life, still feels so very current and relevant.

It makes me feel that there is something in my life that is missing. It’s not school. Been there, done that.

But it’s something. I think it’s the feeling of being with your peers, your friends, of making connections with people you know are after the same goals you are.

Motherhood has given me so much, and continues to do so. But I can’t help feel isolated, at times.

For all the contest lovers like myself, I have found you this (thanks Worker Mommy) and this.

I pretty much desperately need both of these things and most likely, so do you. So go now!

(This just in! Today I received a package at my front door. Turns out my relentless contest-entering paid off! I won, I won!…these Ryka shoes worth $89.99. Score! The contest is still going on here, so hurry!)

I didn’t feel sad yesterday when I broke down the playpen and put it in the shed. I didn’t even feel sad when I shuffled the rocking chair down the stairs and into the garage. But today is a different story.

Because Squid no longer has any need for these things, there’s no use having them around to clutter our already cramped house. But, seeing them gone from the living room this morning almost made me cry.

Yesterday, he learned how to get up on the couch all by himself. He also learned how to fall off the couch all by himself.

He knows how put coins in his piggy bank and when the toast pops up out of the toaster, he runs to the kitchen and puts his hands up to tell me he wants it.

I don’t ever wish he were younger or still a tiny baby. I just wish I had actually slowed down and appreciated his tininess a little bit more. I remember how I kept thinking how everyone was so wrong when they said that the days go by so fast. They didn’t go by fast for me then. Every day seemed to drag on forever and I was tired and frustrated and cranky.

But now those days seemed to have come and gone in an instant, and my little tiny baby is a boy who kicks and laughs and runs and dances. How did that happen?! It’s a strange mix of emotions.

I actually remembered to do my Friday Five today. Amazing.

Isn’t if funny and annoying how I just mentioned not writing so much about my cute baby, and now this?

One:

Two:

Three:

Four:

Five:

Have a great weekend everyone!

You’re Watership Down!
by Richard Adams
Though many think of you as a bit young, even childish, you’re
actually incredibly deep and complex. You show people the need to rethink their
assumptions, and confront them on everything from how they think to where they
build their houses. You might be one of the greatest people of all time. You’d
be recognized as such if you weren’t always talking about talking rabbits.

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

I was downtown yesterday because I had to drop off some documents at the Passport Office. I WISH I were going somewhere awesome, but alas, they were for my stepson who is going to Mexico next week with his mom, stepdad and 2 other little brothers. I’m so jealous. I thought about pleading, “TAKE ME!” when Christina (Jason’s ex) came over with the boys yesterday to hang out while the Passports were being prepared. And knowing them, they’d all tell me to go pack. But I couldn’t do that to my sweet, sweet husband, Jason. After all, he’s got a brand spankin’ new job and our next vacation is who knows when.

And speaking of new jobs, this brings me to my daily bitch ‘n’ moan. Downtown, San Francisco. Is there a better way to say SHIT?

It is impossible to drive through the financial district unscathed. It’s not so much the other drivers that are the problem because most drivers downtown are actually pretty capable. It’s the pedestrians. It’s everyone walking in all directions across the streets at any old time and at their own leisure. It’s everyone looking down and not up.

Whatever. Jason would say I’m PMS-ing and he’s right.

My favorite new place is this children’s consignment store in Bernal Heights. You know, it’s one of those trendy boutiques, but with recycled stuff cuz that’s way cooler than new stuff, in a neighborhood that used to be really sketch and actually still is, just travel three blocks to the right and two blocks down sort of thing, but everyone flocks there anyway because it’s totally in and accepted to like trashy neighborhoods now, as long as there’s a Peet’s Coffee and places like Chloe’s Closet.

So, yeah, it’s that kind of place. And I love it. Clothes are cheap, but books and toys are even cheaper. There’s plenty of space for kids to play and “testing” everything is encouraged. They have strollers, shoes, hats, used toys and art equipment, used books, videos, maternity clothes…you name it. They also have some new puzzles and feeding accessories - that sort of stuff. But mostly, it’s just recycled, gently used GOOD stuff. I knew it was gonna become a favorite of mine when I opened an old book and out dropped a silver dollar. Score!

I hurried home and packed up a bag of stuff I had planned on getting rid of anyway…stuff I didn’t think anyone would want. When I dropped by a few days ago to check out my balance, I imagined I would have about $8.00 of trade cash to spend.

When the girl at the counter said, “38.50,” I tried to suppress my excitement. Yes! And off we went, Squid traipsing through trucks and trains and me browsing reading material. We ended up spending a little over $20, and walked out with a giant bag of new (to us) stuff.

Here’s some of our booty: