ancient halloween!

We love dressing up for Halloween in our family. For Abe, it started his Freshman year of college when he and his roommate constructed a 2-man full-body rhinoceros out of cardboard that could wiggle its ears and open its mouth to receive candy. (Sometime, ask Abe about his grades that year.)

Abe and I have continued to enjoy costumes since, though we have scaled it back some. I usually try to maximize for originality, comfort, and recognizability. Homemade is a must. This year, we came up with Genghis's costume idea first, and themed ours around him. We were particularly proud of coming up with a good theme that didn't have us all looking the same.

Here we are!

(Sorry Abe, for picking one where you look exhausted - it was one of the few without Genghis sucking his thumb.)

And a full body shot.


If the "recognizability" part didn't come through, Genghis is a mummy, I am Egyptian royalty, and Abe is the archaeologist who discovered our tomb circa 1912. Genghis won the award for scariest costume at the party for the singles congregation at our church. He also won cutest costume at the party for the family congregation (or something similar - we unfortunately had to skip out to make the singles' party just before the awards). This is his second year of award-winning costumes, which I'm pretty proud of (check out last year's caterpillar here).

Me in ... character ... I suppose.


For a time, I considered going as one of the Egyptian goddesses, like Isis or Hathor. But I didn't think I could pull off something that specific, and cow horns coming from my head may have thrown people off. In the end, it would have just been an excuse to live in the fantasy world of Amelia Peabody, which I continue to enjoy as light reading.

Genghis's costume was more time-consuming than I planned for. I wrapped an inside-out sleeper in a torn up pillow case, and secured the wrappings by loosely hand sewing them on. Hand sewing takes forever! Luckily, my mom got stuck en route at the Detroit airport over the weekend so she spent a night with us, where I promptly put her to work on the costume. She came up with a better technique for securing the bandages (I suppose you don't have 20 years' and 5 kids' worth of costuming experience for nothing) which saved the day.

If you're wondering about the white head, it's baby powder. Genghis vehemently opposed us wrapping his noggin in gauze.

friday photos

Swinging in the park, a favorite activity.

friday photos

From about 2 weeks ago, when we had some gorgeous fall days. I returned last Sunday from a 9-day trip overseas so more about that later.

friday photos

giraffe series.

friday photos

I love this series of "people trying to do fun things with Genghis while he pointedly ignores them". Followed by a photo of him contentedly playing on his own.

One-year-old Genghis is introverted. While he loves to smile at and babble to and pull hair of other kids when they're around, he gets his energy from solitary, introspective activities. One morning after a nap, he sat and read in the corner for 45 minutes. I was reading too, and got bored first.

Cousin with Genghis on a tractor at Grandma's farm. You can't see his expression unless you click to zoom in, but it's wonderful. (Genghis: "I am way too small to be anywhere near this thing.")


Riding ponies at Bay Beach in Green Bay. (Genghis: "What is that smell?")


Grandpa playing with Genghis at the park. (Genghis: "Seahorses are undignified.")


Reading at home in the afternoon. (Genghis: "Mother, can't you see I'm reading?")

how to eat a potluck

A few years ago I got completely sick after eating at a potluck. Since then, just looking at a table filled with mismatched dishes of mismatched foods makes my stomach churn. But because of some church service I'm involved in, I end up at about 1 potluck a month. I've cultivated some careful potluck habits, and thought I'd share my strategies.

A disclaimer before I begin: If I have ever eaten your dish at a potluck, I'm sure it was wonderful and gave me no digestive troubles.

Potluck Rules.

1. Bring cut fruit or vegetables.
The potluck table can almost always use more produce. It's easy to prepare, and it always comes out tasting good (as long as your produce is fresh-ish). If you wash well, you aren't likely to make people sick. Picky potluck eaters like me will appreciate it.

2. Err on bringing the vegetables if going to a BBQ.
These potlucks are notoriously overloaded with watermelon and grapes. Some peppers, tomatoes, and cauliflower are a good alternative. But if you are thinking about bringing that shark watermelon (from a friend's blog), then by all means bring the fruit.

3. Since we can't all bring produce, another option is a food you make often.
If you make it often, that probably means it's simple, easy and reliable. Although it's fun to show off your culinary skills, I learned this lesson from my sister. She made beautiful and time-consuming stuffin muffins (not the same recipe, but you get the idea) for a potluck that were immediately devoured by 7- and 8-year-olds before the adults even got a look at the spread. And in true kid fashion their deliciousness sat only half-eaten on plates loaded with brownies and snickerdoodles.

4. When eating, see the table as a menu, not a platter.
Often, I think potluck pains are caused, not by poor food quality, but by the unprecedented mixing of all kinds of foods at once. I used to choose my food starting at the head of the table, selecting small pieces of each thing that looked good. Now I glace through the entire spread and select a main dish, 1-3 sides, and dessert that look like they could have come from one kitchen.

5. Find the best chefs, find their dishes.

Okay, this is a little below the belt. There's sort of an unwritten potluck rule that the identity of the chefs isn't widely broadcast. But if you know a few people in attendance that are reliable cooks, find out which dishes are theirs and go for the safe options. In the monthly potluck I attend, I always select the main dish of one particular contributor who makes excellent food.

6. No matter how much you think you want 2 desserts, you only want one.
I have always regretted picking up a second dessert. First, because my original dessert choice is usually superior and I feel obligated to waste precious no-nutrient calories on finishing the second choice so no one is offended. Second, because even if both desserts are good, it's just too much for me in one sitting. If I must have a second dessert, I choose one that I can wrap up and save for later in the evening.

friday photos

I'm glad I caught this on video a few weeks ago, because now Genghis refuses to repeat words on cue.



In case it's not clear from either of us, his words are:
- Arrrrrr
- Bath
- Hot