happy halloween.

Months ago I asked Henry if he wanted to be Angus Young for Halloween.  He said yes.  Oddly enough, apparently his dad asked him the same thing.  That creeps me out so much, you have no idea.  Anyway, I started gathering the items he would need for the perfect Angus Young costume.  Then, when I was at Costco one day, I saw an Optimus Prime costume.  I decided to buy it because I know kids sometimes change their minds and I didn't want him to not have options.  Also, Angus Young wears shorts and it might be too cold to be out in shorts.  As I was bringing in my Costco crap that day, Henry got a glimpse of his Optimus Prime costume and sure enough, he decided he wanted to be Optimus Prime.  I was okay with that but still worked on getting the Angus Young stuff together.  A couple weeks ago he told me he was going to be Angus Young AND Optimus Prime.  At the same time.  I wasn't sure how that would work but wasn't upset because it solved the uncovered legs in cold weather issue.

Last night Henry told me he wanted to be Curious George.  He found his costume from last year in his closet and he just had to be Curious George.  So.  I spent not a ton of money, but not a little either, on Angus Young costume.  I think the Optimus Prime costume was $15.  And he didn't want either of them.  I told him Curious George didn't fit anymore but he insisted on trying it on and goddamn that costume fits him like a glove. 

Defeated, I asked him to at least try on the Angus Young costume and he excitedly agreed, only if he could put Curious George right back on.  Fine.

It's a good thing this kid is cute...

genius.

I love to vote.  I have rarely missed voting in an election.  Even when I was a million months pregnant I voted early at the Clerk's Office.  I remember because everyone was freaking out and acting like my baby's head was already dangling out of my vag.  No, no it wasn't.  Not even close.

Voting with a kid is a little um, let's say, less fun.  Or maybe it's just voting with my kid that is less fun.  Goddamn that boy is nosy.  "Whatcha doing?" "Voting? What's that?" "Who's the lady you're voting for?" "What's that guy doing over there?" "Can I see his ballot?" and on and on and on.  Most of these questions I answer numerous times, usually beginning in the car on the way to the polling place.  The little old lady/man precinct workers are all enamored with Henry and isn't he cute and oh he asks such good questions.  In my head I'm all why the fuck won't he stop talking and I'm trying to vote here and why does he hate civic duties so much and my god boy please be quiet.  Mostly the please be quiet part is because when he rambles on and on like that he eventually starts talking about his wenis, butt crack, poop, pee, and Jesus Christ, which are pretty much the things that make me blush and try to make him stop talking and he just yells them more loudly.

Tuesday is going to be a great day.  Today I am working on Henry's own ballot.  Before I vote I will present him with his ballot and a marker with which to indicate his choices and we will both vote in peace and quiet.  When we are done those precinct workers will present us both with I Voted stickers and it will be a great day in God bless America. 

Actually, they won't present us with stickers.  Our poll workers are usually pretty lazy and just leave a bunch of them laying on a table and we have to pick them up ourselves.  I just realized the sticker won't really be an incentive for him to vote because he always gets a sticker anyway.  My very cool picture ballot is going to be incentive enough.  At least that's what I'm telling myself...

Right now I have to go find a sample ballot so I know exactly how I will vote before I go so it only takes 30 seconds once I'm there.  Just in case.

nutshell.

Henry has been obsessed with watching the Curious George Halloween special. 

It's driving me coconuts.

There is no no-noggin, it's just Jumpy the squirrel keeping his nuts clean.  Seriously. If you want to know what I write of, you have to watch Halloween Curious George.  Except I totally just ruined it for you.  Oh nuts.

September in a nutshell.  Henry had a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.  He came down with the hand, foot and mouth disease during recovery from his surgery.  It sucked.  Somehow it still sucks as some of his sores from that got infected with the MRSA.  The MRSA.  Such a pain in the ass.

It is almost November and I am almost full-on in seasonal depression mode.  I have to remind myself at least once an hour that I am exhausted and crabby and it is not appropriate to take it out on the world.  But when I have to chase Henry down to do anything, and I mean anything, it certainly feels like everyone and everything is conspiring to make me feel really fucking miserable.  All I want is a little cooperation and most days, that appears to be too much to ask.  The problem is that Henry has always been a really good kid.  Even as an infant he didn't cry much and it wasn't because he was constantly being held.  Now that he's almost 4 years old he has found his inner terrible two's and three's all at once.  It would have been much easier if he could have done this in the summer months when I had energy and wanted to actually smile.  Maybe he has a case of the winter blah's as well.  Anyway, when he's defiant and mean, it just feels terrible because he has always been such an easy and easy-going kid. 

When I go through these rough patches, I have a hard time remembering that it isn't the first time and we, I, got through it before.  I keep telling myself that we'll be okay but I have trust issues and don't trust anyone, including myself.

Nuts.