En garde... UNAGI!

Sometimes, I get to be The Fun Mom. (For the sake of clarity, let's call her Rosie.)

Rosie is the one who thinks up great ideas like taking a Costco sized bag of toilet paper to the preschool and letting the kids toilet paper everything they can get their hands on. Rosie is the brainchild behind Sparkle Magic.

Now, don't confuse her with Fiona, because Fiona likes to have fun, but tidy, organized, Pinterest-worthy fun. 

Where Fiona is a photogenic poster child, Rosie is an eyes-crossed-tongue-out kind of gal. Rosie is the unbridled, belly laugh kind of fun. 

So when we went to the drugstore for the necessary stuff, and came across foam swords, it was no real surprise that Rosie piped up. 

"FOAM SWORDS!" Rosie was ecstatic, "Can you believe it?! These are awesome!"

"These are a terrible idea. Someone is going to get hurt. Things are going to get broken," I countered. 

"They're FOAM. Come on, live a little," she encouraged. "It'll be FUN."

I gave in, and two swords became ours.

Genevieve couldn't WAIT to play with them, so we each took turns.  We had just watched the first half (roughly) of The Princess Bride (turning it off after - SPOILER ALERT - Wesley gets killed in the dungeon, because that part scared Genevieve.) so naturally, Genevieve was Buttercup.

I played the Man in Black, using all of my swordfighting skills- all obtained from watching the aforementioned Princess Bride. I don't quite know which character Andrew was, but my mother - in her purest form - observed classic swordfighting etiquette.

"UNAGI!"

From the hallway (the best place in our house for a duel, really), I heard my mother declare, "En garde!"

Then a pause.

"UNAGI!" Genevieve yelled, running towards Mom, wielding her sword like an axe.

Now, there was no question as to what she yelled, because it was as clear as a bell. Once I picked myself up off of the floor (and stopped laughing like a demented hyena), Andrew turned to me and simply asked, "Unagi?"

Well.

You know the bit with the shrieking eels? Genevieve likes to do big body play after naptime with me, and the day after watching The Princess Bride, she wanted to play "shrieking eels".

She, predictably, was the shrieking eel, leaving me to play the role of Buttercup.

I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not exactly the "damsel in distress" type. So, I turned the game on it's head - a bit - and said, "Eel? I love eating eel... as UNAGI!" and then wrestled, and nibbled on the eel- who then shrieked with good reason.

(Now we take turns being Buttercup, shrieking "UNAGI!" and nibbling on each other, for the record.)

Since only two of us can play at a time, I have been researching getting more foam weaponry (specifically these, though they're shorter than the swords) because you know the saying.

"The family that mêlées together, stays together."

Oh, Pumpkin

In my imagination, I'm a Pinterest Mom. I have these ideas about how a project or outing is going to go...

... And then I start the project or go on the outing with my kids. And like I've said many a'time, there's nothing that ruins ideal parenting like having actual children.

Over the last year or so, I've embraced the chaos of actual parenting (more or less), and I'm doing my best to find the joy in all of it. 

...But then I hear the Pinterest Mom's voice in my head. We'll call her Fiona, and she's as real as Verne (the grumpy old man who lives in my head). Fiona also blogs more regularly than, well, Yours Truly.

"You know what would be beautiful," she says into my ear, sipping a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc out of a Villeroy & Bach crystal wineglass, "Family photos in the school pumpkin patch. You can get everyone to dress in a color theme. You have a remote shutter for your camera, so you can be in the pictures, too!"

"Ooooh," I say, drinking some (perfectly respectable) boxed Chardonnay out of a Ball jar with ice cubes in it, "Fiona, you are a genius."

So the night before, here's how Fiona's night went:

Fiona: Genevieve, here's your Halloween tutu, matching tights, and a Halloween shirt. 

Genevieve: Okay, Mommy! You're the best!

Here's how it actually went:

Me: Please pick a Halloween shirt and tights. And here's your Halloween tutu. 

Genevieve: I'm going to wear this skirt and these pants. 

Me: But we're going to take pictures. 

Genevieve: It's my choice. 

[Lesson learned: If I want to get a certain look, I will pick the clothes and inform her that it's a day where her clothes aren't her choice.]

And, not to wax too philosophical, but do I want our pictures to look perfect, or reflect what our lives actually look like? (The answer is both.)

I did put on makeup, and Genevieve and I added glitter on our eyes and cheeks (because it's fun), and eventually, the family went to the pumpkin patch at Genevieve's school. 

Her school is super fun, and it's a safe place to get messy. And the pumpkin patch has a couple of tables of crafts, play dough, and a DIY face paint station.

(There's a table to have it done as well, but if you're Genevieve, either way is just as fun.)

So within mere minutes of our arrived, Genevieve  went from this:

... To this:

(I positively adore the mustache.)

Rex, at a kingly ten weeks old (I told you that Fiona blogs more frequently than I do), was extremely cooperative and wore the ADORABLE pumpkin hat cheerfully while he slept. (The hat was actually a baby shower gift from Genevieve's baby shower. Not knit by me, sadly.)

The lighting was excellent, the pumpkins plentiful, and Genevieve was cheerfully playing with a classmate, so I took some pictures. 

(I also relinquished control of the camera to Andrew so that there were a few pictures of me as well. I may be a control freak, but I'm learning.)

Genevieve played, I chatted, and Andrew compared our little pumpkin to other little pumpkins.

I did *try* to get the family all in one place at the same time, but alas, it was my family that came along to the pumpkin patch, and not Fiona's, so you'll just have to imagine my beautiful family in the pictures with me.

Notice that we have a COLOR THEME!

My handsome guys

Maybe one day, Fiona's ideas will work for me again. But, until then, I'll be here with a stylish splotch of spitup on my shoulder.

And Genevieve will be in her "mooo-stache."