Weekend Recap

Friday night we had a sitter and a gift certificate.

Every parent alive knows what that meant. The Mr. and I went out for dinner. We went to a very fancy adult only place. We were celebrating or perhaps reminiscing.

You see, Wednesday is our anniversary. We'll be married 15 years. That's a pretty long time by today's standards. More amazing still was that as we sat and talked, we realized just how young we are and how many years we could end up being married in the end.

Dinner was truly extravagant. Espresso martini, amazing steak topped with crab, appetizers, dessert, decadent wine, and not one, but two wait persons to dote on us.

Of course, The Mr. knew someone there. He knows someone everywhere. Funny thing, they were celebrating their anniversary too. 16 years for them. We chatted in the bar, then went to our table. As our appetizers came, so did they, to the table right next to us. Funny how things go.

Saturday was our typical busy day full of errands, projects and topped off with an early dinner, church and a movie. We watched Chariot's of Fire. It was my first time seeing the movie. Just for the record, the book is better. But, I almost always think that.

Sunday we continued with projects around the house and then took a wonderful trip to the pumpkin patch. Halloween is coming, you know. Now, I'm not a huge Halloween fan, in fact I'm starting to loathe the whole thing. It's not the holiday or even the kids in their frenzy for candy thing that I hate. It's the same thing about every holiday. Do we have to decorate out doors? And do we have to buy and display every single decoration sold?

There is a home in my neighborhood that has taken Halloween to a whole new level this season. I understand wanting your yard to be a little spooky and all. It is the season of the slasher, I guess. But these neighbors have taken a life size mannequin, made it nice and gory, and impaled it on a large spike in their front lawn.

The first time we drove past it--in the day light, I might add--The Littlest Mr. cries out from the backseat, "Stop the van, mommy, we have to help that guy, he's stuck on that big pole and his bleeding!!!" He's 5 and it took a lot of convincing to make him believe it was a pretend man, he wasn't hurt, he didn't need our help, and that was some one's idea of a great decoration for Halloween.

Yeah. Just great.

So, anyway, back to the pumpkin patch. It was extremely family friendly--read wonderful for little kids. There were plenty of great pumpkins to pick from and minimal mud. We picked our bunch and headed home. The next few hours were spent out in the back yard, scooping and carving. After dinner we lit them up out on the front porch. It was great fun. Plus, we had pumpkin seeds for a bed time snack.

Now, the only weird part. We were in our short sleeves. One of my sons even had on shorts. It was warm. Not the typical bundle up in your winter coat to pick a pumpkin Wisconsin fall that I'm used too. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying. Global warming anyone?