Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

Once you cross over to the Pumpkin Side, you can't go back. At least until Eggnog Season starts – and then sometimes you can combine them. Yum.

Here are signs you may be a Pumpkin Freak...

You consider buying Pumpkin Spice protein shake powder. A BIG canister of it! You are sad they are sold out but relieved to know you don't have exclusive ownership rights to Pumpkin Freakdom.

You use all your willpower to refrain from spanking a 17-year-old when he arrives home with an empty DQ cup and dramatically shares the delicious details of the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard. (What a stinker!)

You almost take two lunch breaks when you learn that Arby's has a Pumpkin Cheesecake Shake! Based on their masterful mint shake (I'll never have a Shamrock Shake again), this can only be AWESOME. Tomorrow, there is going to be a seriously caloric lunch break or perhaps an early "happy hour." Believe me, that will make me happy!

You cannot comprehend how someone could NOT like Pumpkin Everything, yet you are glad because it leaves more for you.

Still you welcome new members of the Pumpkin Spice Sisterhood...

Sylvester likes her Pumpkin Spice coffee! Welcome aboard, Spice Girl!

Special Exceptions

Looking back at my "blog roll," I see that I am about 10 blog posts per year shy of being a daily blogger. There are special exceptions.

Usually, about 90% of those involve being somewhere out in the sticks beyond the reaches of CyberSpace. I never use the excuse that I have nothing to blog about. As a reader, you know that is typically the case. (And thanks for hanging in there anyway!)

Occasionally, though, I am just too stinkin' tired. And my hubby reminds me, "The sun will still rise if you don't blog." And I go to bed.

After work yesterday, I had another 8-hour shift working on a deadline for a freelance project. I love doing them but not when I find myself trying to be creative at 2 a.m. Needless to say, I was lucky to be making sense for the client. I wasn't going to push it and try to inspire my non-paying readers. Ha.

Jim asked me this morning, "Don't you just have a back-up blog on file that you can use for occasions like this?" No. I don't. But it's a good plan.

And it reminded me of my day as a "special exception" last week. Lost in all the homecoming news and television appearances, I didn't get a chance to share that I was held hostage at Lambeau Field for a whole day last Wednesday. The horror!

Besides selling Green and Gag paraphernalia and tasty cheese curds, Lambeau is an event facility with conference rooms of varying sizes. My co-worker (a Cowboys fan) and I sat in a room that offered a glimpse of the field. We know people would be jealous of us just being there, but the meaning was lost on us. Just another day at the office.

In fact, as non-Packer fans we had to enter a special gate...

Oh yes, I am a special Exception with a capital E! OK. They really did let us in the regular doors, but something drew me to that sign!

And no, I am NOT going to be the special exception who is a lifelong Vikings fan and converts to Nice Facility Fandom. Don't get your hopes up. If you are nice, though, I have a Lambeau pen and pad of paper to raffle off. Can't have that in my house.

No exceptions.

Senior Moments :: Note Worthy

Didn't even realize our school did this, but they have a Parents' Night for the senior band members, too! 

So tonight as part of the Volleyball Senior Night, they included the 8 or 9 senior band members in their ceremony. I'm glad they did that. The band, especially those so dedicated to performing in Pep Band for all indoor sports from volleyball to both boys and girls basketball, deserve some recognition for supporting the teams, one note at a time. 

AND... Our band rocks! (in my unbiased opinion)

Jim had an important engagement tonight so I was a single mom. But it was nice to accompany our boy one more time across the gymnasium floor, arm in arm, as the proud parent. Afterward, he hugged me and said, "Thanks for being my mom."

Awwwww. I'm gonna miss that kid!!

Cue the Pep Band, please. Anything but a sad song!

Pinterest-ing Homecoming

These days, if a person runs short of creative ideas, they only have to turn to Pinterest. Three hours later, they may wonder what they were looking for in the first place, but the social media idea center will keep giving them "ideas" as long as they're there.

Our senior class had a Carnival Theme in mind for the homecoming dance. Sure they got some ideas from Pinterest, but I think we could give some of our own. Although Jim, Carter and I all had a hand in decorating, we can take none of the credit for the creative brains behind the plan. We were just impressed.

And I think you will be, too...

Who knew that rolls of raffle tickets would offer the perfect backdrop for casual photos in the lobby area?

Very cool, very festive effect!

The more formal backdrop for the professional photographer on duty had some tickets, too, along with REAL cotton candy and fake popcorn.

Baby's Breath or popcorn? You decide. (Clever, huh?)

 Some large-scale popcorn stage right.

 Some large-scale cotton candy stage left.

Love the use of popcorn boxes as balloon holders, too!

Stage and runway are set for the Grand March.

View of the circus tent / dance floor area from stage.

Yes, popcorn, cotton candy and ice cream (sundae bar) for real.

Kisses... not for real, though. As far as parents know! It was a guessing game for how many Hershey Kisses were in a container (according to Carter, that is).

More photo fun!

More large-scale treats. 

 Lights out. Time to dance!

Pretty cool, huh? And to think we were content with crepe paper streamers. That definitely wouldn't cut it ala Pinterest standards.

Well done, seniors!

Senior Moments :: Last Homecoming

Pardon me if I am not making sense here. It has been an extra-long day. Got up for early exercise class, came home to bake a dessert for a neighborhood party this afternono, then went to school to help decorate for tonight's homecoming dance.

The decorations were amazing. Those I will have wait a day to share (if I plan on getting any decent sleep tonight). While I was decorating, Jim took Carter shopping since we were "informed" this morning he needed a new pair of black pants and a tie for the dance. Wow. Good thing we thrive on deadline!

After decorating, I came home and made a quick apple-snicker salad for the party and then it was picture time. We met a few other couples from Carter's class for photographs at the Wisconsin State Firefighters Memorial park in town.

Here is Carter and his date Hannah. Just friends.

Some unique items in the park, including this old phone booth, which happened to match their outfits.

The bridge is a standard pose but so hard to get everyone smiling when there are at least a half-dozen cameras pointed at them.

Carter and his best buddies, Nick (left) and Kassidy.

Carter and his other favorite people. Hahaha. After pictures, the group headed to a restaurant in Plover and we headed back home for fun of our own.

This is what a neighborhood fish boil looks like.

And looks like this, too, when it calms down. We all brought goodies to go with the fish. Great food and fun all around. Had to get back to school a few hours later for the Grand March.

Jim's sister and mom were both there to watch. Afterward, I made sure to get a picture of the cross country team. Then it was off to Ida's Bar & Grill with a few other senior parents.

Even though we got home by midnight, I am feeling my age. How did we manage the younger years when our boy was too young to drive and needed a ride home at midnight? I don't think I can stay awake another minute no matter how good the DJ music is.

Hope Carter is at least having a ball!

Senior Moments :: Special Escort

Tonight was our homecoming game against Chippewa Falls McDonnell. Before the game I joked that we had more kids running the torch run from their school than they had fans. I should have kept my mouth shut. There was nothing to laugh about later. We lost 28-12, dropping us to 5-2. Bummer.

Some positive highlights of evening, though, included the torch runners, marching band at halftime and Senior Parents Night for fall sports.

What? We are now part of SENIOR Parents Night? All these "senior moments" are making the school year fly by already!

While tonight only featured the senior football players, cross country runners and tennis players, all the seniors in fall sports – including volleyball and band – were listed in a program with a brief bio (above).

And the important moment, the escort in front of the fans in the stands... walking arm and arm with our senior – while carrying a cute cut-out of him! So proud of all he's accomplished in his high school years.

It's been fun to be a part of the Assumption family, watching him grow and the kids of so many friends grow right along with him. Dang, these senior moments are gonna make me cry!

Or maybe my eyes were just watering in the wind and 30-some degree temps.

Itch and Famous

The video above shows the news coverage of yesterday's Torch Run and Carter's interview. Some friends even saw it on another CBS network in Toledo, Ohio! Our son is so famous he couldn't even go to school today for fear of the paparazzi.

Or perhaps it was fear of spreading germs.

We interrupt this Homecoming Week to bring you an infectious disease. Eww. Yes. It is as bad as it sounds. After on and off coughing and congestion over the past week, he woke up with pink eye!

So I took him to the walk-in clinic the minute it opened at 7 a.m. The doctor put him on medication for his eye (antibiotic and drops) and for his cough. So, no, he didn't go to school today. And no, he was unable to run in the cross country meet at Athens, where the team took first place!

Of all the weeks!

I suppose the important thing is getting healthy enough he can return to school tomorrow, perform with the marching band at the game tomorrow night and not be contagious when he escorts his date to the dance on Saturday.

And on a positive note, I have more pictures... thanks to some other mothers.

Senior class boys take off in one of the class vs class competitions this week.

Carter and buddy Macyn hangin' out. Yes, she's as sweet as she is cute!

Dance Squad strikes a pose. Still amazed with all their moves! Gotta love creativity paired with self-confidence! I believe this senior class will be missed.

Even the ones with the infectious... smiles.