Poor, Unfortunate Souls

Alice, me and Rachel at parade.  Not pictured:  my chair with footrest and my chauffeur.

So everyone is on Instagram except for me.  They get to see all of the pictures and I have to beg for them.  The reason I am not on Instagram is because I don't like being last and when it first started, I was on a technology break.  I scolded Claire for not making me do it earlier.  I told her it was her duty to keep me up to date on things.  She was on Instagram first because she wanted to hide from me and I don't blame her.  She has been assigned to notify me of the next big thing so I can be an early adopter instead of late.  I hope she does her job.

 

Ellie the Flamingo, Pam the Gecko, and Lenore the Voodoo Doll

They don't kid around for Halloween in my family. 

Here is my Halloween costume.  Invalid at Target on a scooter wearing unflattering horizontal stripes and no makeup.  I bought myself more slippers.  I might have had a tiny crisis today because I hate waking up from my fabulous pregnancy dreams and into my real life that doesn't contain a lot of variety or fun.

 

Here's what I am missing since I have to rest all of the time:

• Riding my bike.
• The promise of a good ski season.
• Going to the beach.
• Taking my kids on outings.
• Buying myself cute clothes instead of bed rest maternity wear.
• Going places besides Walnut Creek to the perinatologist.
• Seeing Aubrey's show Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
• Wearing embarrassing costumes to the kids schools for Halloween.

I love that trick-or-treating is the Dad's job.  Ha ha.  When I was fun, I would organize a big trick or treating party and the kids would have a blast, but I'm not fun anymore.

I realize this is all but a small moment, and I could have it a lot worse, etc. My husband managed to pep talk me right up after he let me cry for a while.  Somewhere he read that crying releases endorphins so now he gets excited when I cry.   It's annoying.  I know what is going through his head while he listens.

Mimi and Silas. Princess and ?

Now please forget about my whining and enjoy these pictures of my extended family.  Maybe it will put you to sleep.  I don't need any help with that.  I'm Rip Van Winkle.

Solomon as Jabba the Hut.  Awesome.

 

Want to know something good about my pregnancy?  I don't really like chocolate.  I would be struggling with eating all of the candy lying around, but it isn't even difficult.  Throw me a couple of stale cinnamon bears and I'm happy all night. 



Beatrice the Strawberry

Want to know something else good?  I get to put my twins in super cute costumes next year.  I wish I knew their gender so I could start shopping now.  We're going to be spectacular.

Fiona the Candy Fairy.  When I remarked that Paige's costumes were great this year, she said that you can tell when her ex's payments are current because then they get good costumes. 

Jim the Frog.  I'm not sure where he wore this but I think it's adorable.

Alice and Carl wearing Alice's braids at the ward party.  Apparently he was quite the hit.

Alice and her pumpkin.  When I started having complications, I begged Claire and Carl to put up Halloween decor because Alice was so into it.  They did.  The pity got me that, at least.

Henry and Alice.  Henry was Mr Peanut this year.  It was all about the monocle and the cane.  He and Carl made the costume with clamps and glue and cardboard.  Henry was afraid to wear his costume to school because he was thought it would be damaged.  I was afraid he would wear it because then he'd take it off and walk around in his tights with the crotch around his knees.  Then he'd be Tights Boy in sixth grade.  Can't afford that stigma.

Claire in her natural state after the drama haunted house.

Alina and Val.  Bandits. 

Otto and Mark. Original, Mark.

Griffin the banana.  Henry wants to be the Jolly Green Giant next year so he can hand out produce.



Sylvie the kitty cat.  Almost as boring as "Princess" for Alice.
 

Niece Zoraya as a girl monster.  She's not really one.  She's charming.

Zoraya's brother Kaveh.  I'm going to love having babies with their mom.

Hawes dog.  I love pet costumes.  They're so humiliating.

Bill and Alison.  Ali was born at the wrong time.  She was meant to be a hippie, apparently.