Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, but more importantly, OUR POWER IS BACK ON!

The Navy base shifted trick-or-treating hours earlier (to start at 4:30 p.m. and end at 6:30 p.m.) in light of the power outage, and the power came back on just after 4:00 p.m.!

(Trick-or-treating still started at 4:30 p.m. though, and I LOVED the earlier hours -- let's do this every year, people!)

My computer is not uploading the pictures I took of the kids, so I will have to share them tomorrow (November 1st, my FAVORITE day of the year).

I hope everyone had a lovely Saturday, full of electricity and candy.

Zeta Update #2

We’re still without power (it’s just after 7:30 p.m. Friday), and I just read on Mississippi Power’s website that they expect to restore power to Long Beach and Gulfport by midnight Monday, November 2nd. 

(The Seabee base is technically in Gulfport, but the western edge of the base is nearly in Long Beach.)

The kids took their first cold showers last night, and Ford was NOT mentally prepared. I told him he would take lots of cold showers at the Naval Academy, and that a cold shower is better than a scalding shower. He didn’t seem to appreciate my two cents.

(Speaking of cold showers, I’m currently mentally preparing for my own here in a little while.)

We’re still fine on food, but meals have started to get a little strange. I’m SO thankful we still have running water.

I’m also extremely thankful for the nice, cool weather that has allowed us to keep our windows open and not sweat to death with no power.

TGIF!

Zeta Update

We lost power about 7:30 p.m. last night. Thankfully, we had already finished dinner (we were in the midst of cleaning up), and the kids had already showered.

The worst of the storm lasted from about 8 p.m. until 9 p.m. The wind was strongly blowing and we could hear shingles popping off our roof (most of the houses in the neighborhood lost a few shingles). Chet told me today (after it was said and done) that he could see the window glass pulsing.

We put the kids to bed around 9:15 p.m., and Chet I went to bed not long after. The storm had mostly passed by 10 p.m.

It’s 5:30 p.m. now, and we’re still without power. Most of our neighborhood spent the day outside, enjoying the nice post-storm weather and cleaning up yards and putting outdoor Halloween decorations back out.

Now to figure out what to serve for dinner (besides Halloween candy)...

Zeta

We are currently in the middle of Zeta (which I refuse to acknowledge as a hurricane, because IT'S OCTOBER 26th AND HURRICANES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FINISHED BY NOW).

A local meteorologist posted this on their Facebook page, and it made me...laugh? I don't know.

Gulfport has dodged every hurricane this season, and thankfully this one is fast-moving. I honestly feel fine dealing with bad weather from 6-10 p.m., as opposed to the middle of the night. Lying in bed while a storm descends upon your house is a very desperate feeling.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

Life

Our normal routine and schedule have been a little out of the ordinary the last few weeks, and we're all kind of tired. Well, Chet and I are tired; the kids are just extra goofy. 

Chet was not as mad as he may appear; this is his "concentrating" face, and Sydney and Lorelei were taking turns putting their faces REALLY close to his head while he was trying to take care of something for work.

Sydney and Lorelei have also moved into a phase where they TRY to be funny. It is mostly a fun stage.

Happy Tuesday!

(P.S. It's taking every ounce of willpower for me not to get rid of all things Halloween. HURRY NOVEMBER.)

Jack-o'-lantern

Chet and Sydney carved a pumpkin Sunday:

It sat on the counter between our butter dish and overripe bananas for about 30 hours, because Chet requested I coat the inside with petroleum jelly in order to help protect it from the elements outside.

What on earth.

But I did, and now it's outside (NOT lit from within), and I'm wondering why we are hoping to preserve it for so long anyway since HALLOWEEN IS ALMOST OVER (that's me shouting with anticipatory glee).

Happy Monday, friends.

Scare-A-Van

Every year, about a week before Halloween, the base puts on a fun Halloween event.

This year they created a new event called "Scare-A-Van," where we drove in our cars to 16 various (and decorated) locations around the base to collect candy.

(These events are always so thoughtful and the kids really enjoy them, but why, why, WHY do we need to collect Halloween candy a week before Halloween?!)

Sydney opted not to go (she stayed in our neighborhood to play outside with her friend). When we got home I asked what they did, and she answered, "We pretended like a lemon was a ball and tossed it back and forth to each other."

Well.

Lorelei, Ford, and Ruthie all agreed that it was MUCH more fun than they were envisioning. I think us allowing them to eat candy in the car helped them come to that conclusion.

Happy Sunday! I do NOT feel prepared to start the school/work week tomorrow, but we shall press on.

Great Wolf Lodge

Chet and I treated Lorelei (and her siblings) with a trip to Great Wolf Lodge for her birthday.

It was actually not his or my idea. My friend Stephanie told me a couple of months ago that she was taking her daughter (Lorelei's best friend who lived next door to us in California), and I instantly asked if we could come too. I didn't even originally plan for it to be her birthday gift, but that's what it ended up being.

We (just the kids and me -- Chet had to work) left first thing Wednesday morning, drove to the Lodge in Le Grange, Georgia, and stayed until Friday. It was SO much fun, and really the perfect birthday present (and a bonus that her best friend was there too).

I PROMISE I will post a few more pictures this week, but here's one:

Happy Saturday!

Happy birthday, Lorelei!

 Our Lorelei turned nine today!

We spent the day at home, and there was no party (other than the 6 of us), but the weather was perfect and she spent most of the day outside playing with friends (her usual activity of choice).

She decorated her cake with Pokemon candles and four different colored sprinkles, and requested Papa John's Pizza for dinner.

She's such a joy.

Whirlwind

How (HOW) is it mid-October?!

I've been out of my usual routine for 2+ weeks now (more on that later), and tonight was no exception. I am attending a neighborhood party tomorrow (Friday) evening, and Lorelei's birthday is Saturday, and there are errands and things in general that I need to do to help make these events fun.

I REALLY didn't want to take a trip into town after dinner this evening, but I did (and our Friday will be less hectic because of it). Lorelei and I went to Party City and Dollar Tree, and now I feel a tiny bit more prepared to celebrate her.

She's a nearly-nine-year-old delight.