Today has been stressful.  It’s my job, once again, to take care of the kids when I would like to get some work done.  Garage/shop cleanup, Christmas decorating, misc. chores.  We’ll see if more will happen later.

Hit

Hit

So Far

With the budget of time and money that I have, I can't always make fast progress at setting up decorations. The entire month is usually spent setting up and creating new decor. I have managed to get some stuff up.

My bottles have gone up. It seems every year I get one or two new interesting bottles or jars to add to my apothecary. The labels are mostly free downloads from the net but a few are homemade, usually inspired off a few favorite sites. Contents vary widely from the Shrunken Man's skeleton to "radioactive" liquids that glow in UV light.

My foam pumpkins have come out. I like the idea of having some classic jack o' lantern designs year after year. Saves a little money although I would prefer to buy and carve new ones every year. Eventually I'll repaint these to look more realistic which is good because the original paint is wearing off.

We have an archway that divides our living room from the dining area. A year or two ago I put a nail at the top and hung a big furry spider from Michael's up there. Everyone seems to like it because it always seems to get a lot of comments. I'm still working on a better way to create a spider web to go with it.

My wife and I have mini Halloween toy collections going. I have multiple Halloween PEZ dispensers and she has several Halloween Barbies and a Groovy Girl that have come out.

The decor is also in the kitchen. We have a variety of coffee mugs that we have switched out for spookier ones. Nothing like spooky right from the start of the day.

There is still a great deal left to come out and go up. My Blucky skeleton is still (mostly) in storage. I want to resculpt the head and perhaps the body this year (more inspiration from Dave Lowe). My wife's pillows need to come out (more on these later). Most of the paper decorations still to be put up. I have plans (inspired from R) to make

Spent my budget of the month at Target. I bought another foam pumpkin, a skull (I don't know why I didn't have one already but this one does look half decent for the cost), a single black silk rose, another mug and a Coraline DVD that had gone on sale for almost half off. I have been wanting to buy some more colored lights to add to the mood but couldn't justify the extra cost. I got more with the money I had.

Cheap(er) Halloween - Print Edition

I've tried to keep from spending too much on decorating for a few years.  DIY is probably the best way to do so.  Last year I started to look for decorations that could also store as small as possible.

Printed decorations are great for storage (they store flat) and cost (until you factor ink costs).  You can create your own, if your artistically inclined, or do like I've done and search for free graphics or projects from the web.  Disney and Martha Stewart are great resources.  They have a variety of things to print and decorate with.

If you like model making but don't have a ton of money, consider paper models.  It seems to be a big trend in places like Japan and Europe.  Print out the model on paper, cut it out, and assemble it with a little glue.  This is great if you have time but not much money.  I like Haunted Dimensions for their Haunted Mansion and related models but you can find other Disney related models at The Disney Experience (currently named The Haunted Experience).  Search the 'net for other paper models if your interested.

I've also took inspiration from a variety of sources and found graphics for bottle labels, spell book covers and pages, and wall decorations such as posters and framed pictures.  Keep in mind that many images can't be used in any money making situations but you could use them to decorate your house.

What Halloween Means To Me

After many years of anguishing over whether to do Halloween or not, I came to the conclusion of why not?

Growing up, I dressed up in costumes and trick-or-treated.  My parents decorated with basic Halloween things usually bought from the grocery store.  I also took interest in illusionists like David Copperfield and puzzles.  I always liked to know how to do things that amazed others.  In high school, I decided that what I wanted to have a career in was special effects.  I wanted to be the person that made the behind the scenes magic so when you watched the movie you would see a zombie or alien, not a guy in a suit with makeup. I went to school and learned mechanical puppetry, makeup effects, set design, etc.

A year or two later, I had a crisis.  I was going to church (still do) and couldn't see how Halloween worked being a Christian and all.  I struggled with it for several years, wanting to decorate but not wanting to be anti-church.  I didn't want to take part in a pagan thing.

When we had kids I finally realized that modern Halloween has little to do with the old religions and has different meanings today.  It's evolved so far from what it was originally.  (Read some of the articles on History Channel for the modern traditions of Halloween.)  I found bloggers like Dave Lowe who decorate but with a more cartoony and less gory style.  I figure Halloween is about celebrating the little bit of scariness in our lives.  For adults it might be more gore and shock, but for kids it's about costumes, candy and a little bit spooky.  So we go with cartoony skeletons, vampires and monsters.  I try to go along the same line as maybe a Disney movie might.  Add just a little scary, mix in a lot of goofiness and you have a great holiday to have fun with.

For me, Halloween is about having a spooky fun time with my family, decorations, costumes, and candy.  Plus for me, it's a time to create props and decorations to try to add spookiness to our home, at least for a month out of the year.

Halloween Begins

My wife has declared the beginning of Halloween season!  The day after "Talk Like A Pirate Day", R made the offhand comment that she knows I was looking forward to working on Halloween decorations and now that "T.L.A.P.D." was over, I could begin.  I was overjoyed.

Two years ago, I got really excited about decorating.  I was being inspired by various home haunters and numerous site dedicated to making your own decorations.  So much so, that I got on her nerves with all my talk about it.  Until the season begins, I can't talk about it.  Work on projects, listen to music or research all year as long as she doesn't have to deal with it. She does get into the spirit, though.  She likes the costumes and decorations as Halloween gets closer.

The only downside is that I've got to work on a budget.  Most people have a limited budget.  I just take that as a challenge.  Many home haunters make papier-mache props.  There are tons of printables available.  You can do quite a bit with just access to the internet.

I've got numerous ideas of what I want to do this year.  I'll try to post photos of my projects as I do them.

Workshop Wanna Do's

I aspire to one day be able to have a shop (and the time) where I can go to make whatever I would like.  I've got most of the basic tools and my shop is my garage.  It's just finding the time to work out there.

Until then, I've got plenty of ideas of things to work on.  Anything from useful, like the air filter for the cat litter box, to just fun, such as the giant lens "Solar Death Ray".  Since my time is short, my hardest decision is which one to make.

I've been researching shop made tools.  Three I've looked into are a tablesaw, bandsaw, and lathe.  They seem awfully expensive considering you can find plans online for some of them.  I could probably save my money and go buy one but I like the thought of making my own.  That way I can understand the tool better and be able to refine it or make accessories for it.  Considering space versus what I would like to do, I've been contemplating making the bandsaw first then the lathe.

I figure a 12" bandsaw will be a good starter size in my small space.  I have found a number of plans for shop made bandsaws, most of which are at least thirty years old.  The only exception is several offered by Matthias Wandel at Woodgears.  He doesn't offer a 12" but I am adapting the old plans online to info he's posted on his blog.

A lathe is relatively easy to make in comparison as you can find lots of how-to's online.  I shouldn't have to much trouble with building one once the bandsaw is made.

One note:  Since hurricane Wilma came through and knocked out our power, I've been more interested with having tools that are less dependent on electricity.  Yes, that means more manual work but that could give me more time to work on perfection rather than just knocking something out.  I've found references to bandsaws and lathes that are treadle/pedal powered and am considering setting up my tools to work manual like that.  I'll have to work that out at another time.

Until I've got more time, I'll just have to work on the design.  That way, I won't have to figure out so many details as I go and in the end save some time.  I'll post more as I go.

Illness and Slow Cooking

I'm sick again.  My kids get sick, then I get sick.  Before kids, I got sick maybe once a year.  It's a lot more frequent lately (as in the last year or so).  Most likely summer preschool and Sunday school contributions.  Suspected I was getting it yesterday but last night did me in.  This morning it's sore throat and lack of energy.  Good times.

I'm glad that we planned a slow cooker meal for the week.  I woke up early today due to V and couldn't go back to sleep.  It gave me time to wake up and remember the meal.  By 7:30 am, I had completed tonight's dinner (a pork roast).  I didn't want to dig through our cookbooks for a recipe.  Online, most of the recipes required ingredients that we don't have (or even typically keep in stock).  I did find this recipe which uses veggies and spices with the meat.  (As a side note, I like how Dad Cooks Dinner has a goal of not using mixes like the typical onion soup mix in other slow cooker pot roast recipes.)  The downside to having supper prepped so early was that I was also slightly behind on getting R and little C out the door.  They didn't leave to much behind their normal.

I broke a bone in my hand (boxer fracture) at the end of May.  Yesterday the doctor finally said it was pretty much healed.  He still wants me to go back in another two months.  I know he just wants to make sure everything is ok but I can't really justify the money.  We don't know how the rest of the year will turn out.

Enough dreary ramblings for now.  I'm trying to post at least twice a week from here on out.  Some of these posts may be somewhat boring.

"It's no good, I can't maneuver!"

Before becoming a full time housedad, I had plans to do all these great things with my spare time.  Now I try to put these thoughts out of my mind a try to dedicate myself to running the house as smoothly and efficiently as possible.  I haven't been that successful, yet.

I am trying to keep the house picked up so that when R and C are getting ready in the morning or when we're doing our evening rituals, things will go easier.  I have managed to do some dad chores such as changing the air conditioner filter and unclogging drains.  Occasionally clothes get washed, dishes get cleaned, or other to-dos get done.  I can't say I've been the most successful but I hope to get better.

In the future of this blog, I may create a list of the personal projects that roll around in my mind.  Most may never get done but at least I'll be able to get my ideas out of my head.

At the moment, I'll try to "stay on target!"

Morning

Our mornings can be tough.  Getting ready for work and school can have us frazzled.  I know other people have more hectic mornings.  For us, it's just a new routine that we are trying to get used to.

The typical weekday begins with the parents desperately wishing for a snooze alarm that would let us sleep at least a little longer. Unfortunately, the kids don't come with one of those buttons installed.  V is starting to sleep through the night but will sometimes wake in the morning for her breakfast anywhere from 6:30 to 7:00am.  C is the only one that can open doors (so far) so she'll usually wander out of her room and into ours with S close behind somewhere around 7:00am.  (Please take note: they do this even on the weekend!)

If R hasn't fed V yet, she will then take over with her while I herd the others out of the room.  I proceed to try to distract them with cartoons and a drink.  This buys me time to take Dog out and get breakfast going.  R eventually comes out and passes V to me or tries to lay her down and then proceeds to get her shower.  Meanwhile, depending on the meal, I'm probably cooking or at the least setting the table with the breakfast items of the day.

At this point, let me mention some of the things that slow us (the parents) down.  When I take Dog out, one or both of the kids will sometimes come out also.  Not a bad thing, except that I've got to watch Dog in case he poops and I have to clean it up.  The kids, if not watched, could get into all sorts of trouble.  So I can get very distracted going out in the morning.  C is potty trained but is in the habit of asking to go potty during a meal.  Our strategy is to try to get her to go before we sit down.  In the morning, I just try to get her to go as soon as she gets up.  Doesn't always work.  S, if not distracted and/or given a drink right away, can get very irate.  I understand.  He's hungry and still not quite awake.  Very tough for a kid that is almost 2 years old.  I'm only going to say this about V, she doesn't always want to be put down, and that makes mealtime a little hard.

As soon as breakfast is over, it's washing anything like lunch containers or pump equipment, packing meals for R and C, packing work and school related supplies, and getting them out the door.  All of this ideally by no later than 8:30am.

Once the excitement dies down, S gets distracted (at least for an hour) with his shows.  I will take a moment to jump on the computer to plan my schedule for the day and if I've got time, I'll read some of my favorite websites.  I try to get cleaning done throughout the day.  I try to feed V and S when their times come up.  I try to get S to nap around 1:00pm.  In the afternoon, it's prepping for arrival of R and C, dinner, bath and bed.

Hectic days start with hectic mornings.

Pepper Cream

From the time before I could actually cook, I've been mixing and trying.  My experimental nature got worse when I moved to college.  I was exposed to more variety of food than what I grew up with.  I had to learn how to make a variety of foods.  My desire (or lack of money) prevented me from just buying box meals most of the time, so I looked in recipe books and called relatives for recipes and advice.  Once I got access to the internet, I learned new techniques.  Don't get me wrong, I am far from a great cook and it's not even a hobby/interest that I pursue.

I have created several recipes/how-to's that I'm going to share in time so family (or anyone else) can recreate my foods when I'm not around.

The first recipe is my recipe for Pepper Cream.  It's like an old fashioned egg cream soda but with Dr. Pepper instead of soda water (because Dr. Pepper is awesome).

Ingredients:
1/4 cup milk
1-2 Tbsp. chocolate syrup
1 12oz. can Dr. Pepper
Fancy glass and matching straw
(All measurements are usually just eyeballed.  Measured them out for this recipe.)

  Take a glass and put chocolate syrup in bottom. Pour in milk.

Fill with Dr. Pepper and stir.  Keep in mind, this concoction will foam up.  I like the foam.  If you don't, mix the syrup and milk first then pour into the Dr. Pepper.

Tips:  Tilt glass when pouring the milk or Dr. Pepper in to minimize mixing with prior ingredients.  You could also use a spoon to pour onto.  They used to make long bent spoons for this purpose.  I'm sure they still do, I just haven't taken enough interest in them to research where to get one.

Colder the milk the better.  Near freezing milk will have ice crystals in it (developing into ice cream) and it does something special to the foam.

Hope you enjoy!

Changes

Since my first child was born, I've been the primary at home parent.  I worked on the weekends and stay home with the kids during the week while my wife worked.  That's changed with the birth of my third child two months ago.  I am now officially the "stay-at-home dad".

I'm adjusting.  Being the homemaker is not natural to me.  I get a short break from full scale assault on home duties because of two things.  First, it takes a few weeks to get a routine worked out after a baby is born.  In my case, that few weeks is after mom goes back to the office to work.  Second, I broke my dominant hand.  That really makes it hard to get certain things done, like washing the dishes, when the cast has to stay dry.  When the other kids were born, I could usually do stuff with my free hand while holding them.  Not the case at the moment.

There are certain things I've never had much problem doing such as cleaning a bathroom (plus toilet) but now I've got to get in the habit of doing things that R has been asked to do.  I've always hated sorting and folding laundry.  Not that it is a bad job, just the tedium of it that gets me.  Meal planning and working on money matters has never worked out when I get involved, so I tend to stay clear.

As mentioned above, eventually I'll find my groove and things will get better.  The way it stands now, I'm juggling an awful lot with only one hand.

I don't know much about my dad's Navy life.  This year I attempted to reconnect with his side of the family and my aunt was gracious enough to send to me some of the photos my grandparents had of him from when he served.  Using the photos I was able to learn a little more.  Since my dad died when I was young, I didn't get to talk to him much about his life before.  The photos helped to fill in some gaps of what I know of my dad.  Thanks Aunt Anita!

Dad aboard the USS Fort Fisher

USS Fort Fisher

The internet is wonderful.  The only info I had on the ship was from this photo and my Aunt who could only remember the ship's number as LSD 40.  With that alone, you can find all sorts of info about the ship.  As a side note, if you are reading this and served onboard around 1973 - '74, I would love to find out more first hand info and if you remember my dad.

Photo Day Challenge

I intend to post a photo every day for a year as a personal challenge.  So here is the first taken as we celebrate New Years here in South Florida.

Pompano Beach Sunset, New Years Day