Homemaker of Halloween!

A couple of weeks ago I was feeling less than homemaker-y when I surfed around some blogs and viewed everyone's cute shelves with fall decor and crafty jars filled with candy corns. I joked with some friends that I was going to take pictures of my entry way that is usually full of a stroller, an over-stuffed bookcase, and whatever shoes we just took off our feet and the top of my entertainment center covered with remotes, Matt's ongoing DVD project, things I want to remember to return to people and call that my Halloween decor. I could then post them to my blog so everyone could see and be impressed. But now I realized, I may not have crafty toll-painted scarecrows, but we live up the holidays right. Here are some pictures of what we've done leading up to the spookiest day of the year. The first group of pics is from Boo at the Bronx zoo where they had costumes, magic shows and trick or treating. Then we had sugar cookie making extravaganza that lasted three days, somehow. And then the ward party. Matt won a movie pass for his scarecrow costume and Cole loved that I was green. So, thanks to Kendra I figured out how to put the slideshow on this page, but it's too big . . . aargh! Blog people, how to fix? I left the link if you want to see the slideshow, not cut off at the other site. Or just watch it here, with a chunk of each picture missing. ;-)


Herrick Halloween

Non-Virtual Marathon

Now it's my turn to tell you all how amazing my husband is. He's had a goal on his life list to run a marathon since high school and last weekend, he did it! Go Marathon Matt! He completed the Hartford, Connecticut Marathon about 20 minutes faster than he planned, but who's keeping track of the time, he finished with everything in tact with a blister and a medal to prove it.

I was waiting to share the news until we got a few more photos, because in my pregnancy induced absent-mindedness I forgot to bring our camera (totally lame right? If I had been running the marathon and Matt forgot the camera, well it might end up on a list of very stupid things to do to a spouse and would probably never get erased. But because my husband is so kind and understanding he only commented about it once, or twice). So we had to rely on our friends, the Astles, to take the pictures. They are having technical difficulties of their own, so we're still waiting for the finish-line, post race photos. Ah well.

However, I snapped this one with Matt's camera phone, just a couple hundred yards from the finish line. He'll tell you that smile was a fake for me. I'd imagine. 26.2 miles is a long way. But he trained, he stuck with it, and he did it! Now he says he's done forever. Check.

Virtual Marathon

I wrote about this fun blog world challenge at Segullah a couple of weeks ago, but wanted to post a few pictures of my beautiful fall running route so I can contest Sharlee's (another runner from my team) claim that she had the prettiest running route.

I started out dropping my kids off at Iris' apartment on Friday (so I wouldn't have to go before Matt left for work that morning, I was a tired pregnant girl . . .see above photo for proof.)

Next I ran down the street past where we have our weekly farmer's market. Delicious locally grown food, year round (who could be so lucky?)


Then It was through Inwood Hill Park and back home.



The next day was my longer leg of the marathon, 4. 5 miles to be exact. Here's a few pictures of the Hudson River and the George Washington Bridge that are part of that beautiful and somewhat hilly path.





So Sharlee, I don't know whose is prettier, but I sure do love my neighborhood. Now you all want to come and visit me, don't you? The good weather seems to be holding out, so . . .