Dia De Los Muertos

In San Antonio, with the Hispanic culture so prevalent, a lot of people celebrate Day of the Dead. I love Halloween, which is the night before the Day of the Dead. Halloween is essentially the same thing-- a pagan celebration of the borderline between the land of the living & the dead being very thin. The feast of Samhain. Every year, for the past eight years, I've had a big Halloween party. They started out somewhat small-- just a dinner party for about 8 people, who I asked to dress up. That first year I envisioned us all trooping down to the Riverwalk and hanging out in bars. Other years, we did go to bars. One year, because a group of us accidentally all wore "medieval" costumes, we even were entered into a "group costume" contest. The winners of that group were a bunch of Wizard of Oz folks, complete with a great Glinda. Who could beat that? The parties grew to huge events-- I think we had maybe 40 people last year. It was great fun. There have been years (the Xena costume) when I have gotten really really shnockered. That year, I was a human Pez dispenser-- I put pez down my faux leather Xena bodice and pulled it down (exposing the girls of course) to give people a candy treat. Curse those Appletinis. I think that was the year I had to cancel class the next day and lie painfully on the couch all day. Really painfully.

Last year was more tame, with me being all knocked up and all. But it was still fun. I decorate the house something fierce, usually. You all have undoubtedly seen the photos. This year will be back to the earlier year's theme-- a dinner party in costume. About 11 people, mostly just the closest friends. I make a "Thanksgiving" meal-- turkey, stuffing, etc. In earlier years, I did the whole dinner (including oysters rockefeller--freshly shucked by me!!) one year. The years that it's a fifty-something group we just do appetizers & desserts. But this year, I'm doing a turkey & stuffing and asked the gang to bring the side dishes. It's going to be nice. The costumes for the Wells family reflect our new status as a foursome. The babies will be Thing 1 and Thing 2 (photos will follow, you can be sure). Andrew? Cat in the Hat of course. And me, I will be the disapproving Fish. (Easy costume-- it's just a silly hat!) But I'm looking forward to it. I just did up the decor a bit ago-- the babies are sleeping hard since they had a big day at the lake for their Grandpa's birthday. (I have a video function on my new birthday present camera-- so maybe you might get some video of the precious darlings one of these days soon).

Back to the day of the dead. I do an altar for the day... complete with Flores, Flores por los muertos (thanks Blanche DuBois)..... a cool Oscar-like statuette of a skeleton that Nissa bought me a couple years ago. Candles. A really pretty crucifix that an ignorant boyfriend bought me once (he thought it was a necklace I could wear....it is sterling silver & crystal though and very pretty!) And photos of celebrities who died in the last year. I always have a few easily recognizable ones. And then some that are somewhat obscure but cool to me. This year's list of dead folk on my altar: Pope John Paul II; William Rehnquist; Rosa Parks; Luther Vandross; Andrea Dworkin; Hunter S Thompson; Arthur Miller; Johnny Carson; James Doohan and my friend from high school, Julie M. I don't have a picture of Julie, so I just have her name. I'm always rather proud of my altar. I mean it in every way to be a tribute and a respectful use of the day's tradition.

Anyhoo. Going through the list of folks who died this last year always makes me go-- Hey, he/she died? Awwww man, I didn't remember that! And I don't do all the celebs-- only about 8 people (the picture frames I have set aside for the deal, which are only used for that nowadays....they used to have other pix in them but who knows where they went?)

So that's my day tomorrow. Have a good Halloween, and think of someone you knew who has "passed on" into the great question mark.

Delinquent

So I've not been posting much at all lately. If there were brain to blog function, I would have posted a number of entries. I've thought of things to say, but not been able to get to the computer... and then I forget what I meant to say. I do like posting big events to the blog. The other day Sean caught up with Maia on the "rolling over" front... I thought about posting it, and just didn't make it here.

I did get a lovely letter from my graduate program. I had been thinking that I had another two years till my "hard" deadline for getting my dissertation done. This letter told me that, no, in fact, I need to be done by this coming September. Yay! So the world's biggest procrastinator has a firm deadline now. What every procrastinator really needs to get their work done is a last chance scenario. Do it now, or else. Well, that's this! The deadline doesn't mean all my work would be lost, but I would have to re-take my preliminary exam, which I seriously do NOT want to do. So to get it on. :)

Time to go. Maia's nap appears to be ending. :)

Wait'll you see the babies' Halloween costumes. They're going to be Thing 1 & Thing 2. I just did the outfits, and their blue hair hats are ready thanks to a friend who can crochet. They tried them on this morning and I'm very content.

Rollin' With The HomeGirls

Maia rolled over from her back to her tummy today--six times! She was very pleased with herself, too. She lay there on her tummy cooing and gurgling at the quilt, drooling on it a bit, but very emphatically smiling and happy. At one point, she raised her head up and stared pointedly at Sean, still lying happily on his back watching Will & Grace, oblivious to the sea change that had occurred. Maia has had "a first" big developmental thing that he hasn't. Poor little dude. Are they going to compete forever, or is it not going to matter to either of them? I know I have to be reading this into the look on her face but it really did look defiantly "ha! See what I did Mr.-Can't-Roll-Over-Yet?"

I had been betting it would be her first. She's been trying to figure it out for a while. Sean tries too, and has managed to get himself onto one side pretty effectively, and almost rolled over the other day but sort of lost the initiative.

She almost has the knack of rolling from tummy to back, too. She just has to figure out how to get the knee out of the way. I almost thought for a minute or two that she was going to get it tonight-- which would have been way cool and very unprecedented.

We also had another banner event today. We all went on our first trip to (drum roll please) the MALL!!!! The big fancy mall, with a Baby Gap (from which we made it out unscathed) and Gymboree (from which we did not escape without purchases.) Maia enjoyed shopping. When we got home, she cried & fussed until I put the cute pink knitted cap on her. Then she sat happily staring at the world, wearing her little cap that made her look OH so cute. Can anyone say "princess?" Sean enjoyed the shopping too, but you could tell that what he was into was all the lights and people-watching. As usual, we were big time celebrities "Wow! Are those twins?" "Boy You Sure Have Your Hands Full!" "How cool to get a boy & a girl at the same time".

And finally, in mall news, and a major disappointment, there is no longer a Hot Topic in that mall. I'm sure eyeliner-hoarding teens over the city are gnashing their little perfectly straightened by orthodontia teeth in angst that they are no longer able to get their commercially replicated faux punk outfits and their favorite corporate coffee beverage at the SAME MALL. Like, they'll have to get their parents to drive them to another mall! Poor things. I was sad because I really wanted of the Ramones baby onesies I had seen there (at least I wanted to think about it.) I guess I'll have to go to the website.

The best friend is in town. It's been really, really great. I'm so glad when people can come visit, not just for their company, but because I really like to show off my perfect little angels. They have both been supremely sweet, and J is madly in love with them (as she should be.) But I also love seeing a friend who I have considered the best since high school, hanging out in 3rd period (or was it 2nd? I can't remember anymore) American History, she in her big loose flannel shirt and me sitting next to the guy who looked like Simon LeBon upon whom I had a terrible crush (and who rumor had it knocked up a girl in his first year of college & I last saw working at the frozen yogurt place in the mall, several years later.) Has it really been almost 20 years since then? Don't remind me.

pix

My darlings in their baptismal finery. Note Maia's smug little smile.

Just a bit ago Daddy was watching Ultimate Fighting Championship and Maia was loving it. Laughing and cooing at the TV during the fights and looking away and frowning during commercials. Oh, she's gonna be a handful. Sean is just asleep after his last meal. He likes to take several long naps starting about 8 pm with breaks every three hours till midnight for food. Then at midnight they both go "down for the night" till about four or five. It's not bad. :)

Mommy has a headache & runny nose. It's "Cedar fever" time here in Texas and it sucks major major butt.

We just drove another minivan cause the one we thought we had bought earlier turned out, on being inspected, to have frame damage. No deal dude! The one we just drove is Gold. And super sweet. I really really am ready. No more waiting darn it. I want my minivan!!!

Minivan Ho!!!

We have been looking for a minivan cause the cars we have right now are just too damn small for us. We thought we could make do, but it turns out the double strollers one needs with twins just don't fit in either of the cars that we own already.

What we wanted was a Honda Odyssey. We test drove the brand new ones (oooh does that make it hard to settle for a used one!!) and we have been searching for a used one, too. We have a neighbor who works for a car dealership and he took Andrew to the car auction for the last three weeks. Well, this week we found our "baby" and our bid was accepted and we apparently will soon be the proud owners of a Silver Honda Odyssey minivan with leather seats & stuff. No DVD player, but that's allright. When they're a little bit older, and they need to watch DVDs on car trips, we'll buy them their own personal DVD players. Obviously, the link here is to a new version, but the 2003 we bought is similar to this one.

Anyway. We're going to have our new van tomorrow sometime! Yay! I've basically been "trapped" in going only places where I could fit the car seats on a shopping cart, and now I can actually use the strollers I bought and go wherever I want to go!

My best friend was a little appalled that I was succumbing to minivan-ness. I told her I would do something to make it a little cooler, a little more in line with our teen, Scorpio, hot chick dreams long ago. I figure there's SOMETHING I can do. Some bumper sticker, or one of those hula dancers on the dash board, or something. What do you think? Is the minivan hopelessly "soccer mom" or can you add a dash of bohemian-ness to it? And how?

So I Have All This Time Right Now

And nothing to write about. Figures. The babies both fell asleep on the floor about an hour ago, Andrew isn't here yet (he's on his way home from a weekend in Shreveport-- he'll be here soon). I'm watching Dave Attell's comedy tour, eating ice cream (again!) and I thought-- "Hmmm. I could blog." But nada. Zip. Nothin.

But maybe, just maybe, this thing where the babies are asleep before midnight (both babies!!) will be the start of a new trend. And I'll actually be able to read, or write, or do things other than being a mommy. Not that I don't love being a mommy, but I've been doing that 24/7 for the last three months. Sometimes, it's fun to just be me. :)

What I love about Dave Attell, and the guys on his comedy thing, is that they all have about three days' worth of five o'clock shadow, and all look like the guy that you wouldn't want your little sister to date. That's funny to watch (the guys, not the one who dates your little sister, though). I say little sister, cause honestly, if my daughter brought one of them home, I'd have to test the "I've got a gun, a silencer, a big back yard, and no one will ever miss you" theory. They might be really nice guys, and they might have some money, but no. No. I'd have to kill him. Luckily I don't have a little sister. And my daughter will hopefully have better taste in men. Taste in comics? Fine. Taste in guys you want to sleep with? Nope.

Poor Dave.