a happy halloween

Prepping for the big day--tombstone making.

O was particularly into it.

And I actually finished a project. I have to say that I am pretty excited about my Happy Halloween banner!

But Halloween is all about the costumes. This photo was taken after the crazy pre-candy begging party festivities ended, so the makeup was a little worn. But he was spooky just the same.

favorite moment | disneyland

click on the image to enlarge

Okay, so some moments are as simple and everyday as a remark made in the car or an expression on someone's face and others are the moments that make memories that will last forever. We took our boys to Disneyland for the first time last week and it was truly magical. I am not the schmaltzy type. I usually don't like things that most people like. I admit it. I am a snob. But there truly is something otherworldly about Disneyland. It is like a right of passage for little kids--and parents too, apparently. I think the pictures speak for themselves.

pumpkin time

In anticipation of the Halloween bash, we worked this weekend getting the house decorated. Although we got about 8 great pumpkins from our garden this year, we decided to take a trip up to Apple Hill for some more pumpkins, indian corn and, of course, apples. It was a great day, although Matt and I were pooped from our late night at the reunion (more on that, later).


Apparently, searching for the perfect pumpkin for their room was altogether too taxing for the boys!


But a little pony ridin' perked them back up. It was Owen's first time!

food for thought | can the government get it right?

This has to fall under the "WTF?" category.

You know, it's hard enough to teach your kids right from wrong and it's even harder when the government can't seem to figure out how to follow the rules--I guess those laws were only "suggestions". Well, I have a suggestion, let's get risky and try following the rules and see where that gets us, shall we? Maybe not into $700 billion pickles? And I don't know about you, but I kind of like it when the agency that decides if the food I eat and the medicine my kids take is safe exhibits a little integrity.

favorite moment | clouds

"What do you think clouds feel like?" a little voice said from the back seat. Jackson and I were on our way to soccer pictures Saturday afternoon when he asked this. We were just sitting at a stop light listening to the soothing sounds of "KidStuff" on the radio. He can be really loud and crazy in the car but more and more I find that he is quiet and contemplative--especially when it is just the two of us. His question really brought back into focus for me that, although he is a very sharp boy and can sometimes say and do things that are well beyond his six years, he is just a little kid still experiencing the world through a filter of wonder and innocence.

three weeks is just too long | mosaic of me

Busy, busy, busy. My life is getting in the way of my blogging, but I guess it is supposed to be that way. I have lots of fun ideas for posts, but between work, teaching, volunteering, and mothering I haven't been able to manage it. I did, however, run across this fun game on the SCOOP that I just had to try. It's called Mosaic of Me. It's like a visual answer to questions about yourself. Check it out:

1. What is your first name? (Marcy)
2. What is your favorite food? (bread)
3. What high school did you attend? (Sacramento High School)
4. What is your favorite color? (green)
5. Who is your celebrity crush? (Colin Firth)
6. Favorite drink? (champagne)
7. Dream vacation? (Greece)
8. Favorite dessert? (peanut butter cookies)
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? (a graphic designer!)
10. What do you love most in life? (being alive)
11. One word to describe you? (enthusiastic)
12. Your Flickr name? (m_wacker[at]sbcglobal[dot]net--boring)

Wanna play? Here's whatcha do: Type your answer to each of the above questions into Flickr's search. Using only the images that appear on the first page, choose your favorite and copy and paste each of the URL’s into the Mosaic Maker (3 columns, 4 rows)... Enjoy!

Thanks! to the ladies at OrangeBeautiful and the SCOOP.

do you have a type?

clockwise from left: Colin Firth, Chris Noth, my husband Matt, George Clooney

Apparently, I do. And it looks as though I was lucky enough to marry mine.

I saw Mamma Mia! this weekend (and loved it by the way, despite my initial misgivings). One of my absolute favorite dreamy guys, I mean actors, Colin Firth, was in it. As I admired his gorgeousness from the front row, I started to think: "he has certain qualities that are definitely in line with the other men I find devastatingly handsome." So I decided to to do a side-by-side visual comparison, which included Chris Noth (a.k.a. Mike Logan, here) and the universal heartthrob George Clooney. Yep, I was right. They all have a little somethin', somthin' in common: dark hair, not too skinny (hate that), beautiful eyes and GREAT eyebrows (who knew?), and suprisingly, large noses.

Aha, I had a type! And then who should walk in as I was completing this exercise? My husband. He teased me of course, and then I saw it. He had all of these same qualities. I said, "Hey, wait a minute. You belong here, too!" So I grabbed that anniversary photo I posted a couple of weeks ago, tried my best to cut my mug out it (not very well, but we are cheek-to-cheek, afterall!), and added him to my trifecta of manliness. He matched: dark hair, nice manly build, great eyebrows (always admired those), and, yes, well, kind of a big schnoz. What a lucky girl.

So, do you have a type?