Happy Halloween week!

We've had a stay-close-to-home weekend, and it's just what the Partak family needed. Dave got Friday and today off as one of several passes he couldn't take when they were originally issued So let's catch up.

While we were traveling we learned so much more about the world according to Mason. Those of you who know Mason know he has used his own unique vocabulary to communicate. As a baby he called candy "neo" and to this day I don't know where that word originated. Before we took off for our cross country flights, our doctor advised us to make sure we had gum for Mason to chew when the plane began to descend. I brought gum and Dave not being a gum kind of guy, brought taffy. While we were at the hotel I ate the last three pieces of taffy and left the evidence on the bed beside me for Mason to see. He picked up the empty bag, looked at the wrappers and started this obviously fake cry. He through his head back, clenched his fists, and did his best to eek out a few tears. I immediately started to laugh. He looked at me and cried, "You ate all the landing candy!" "Yeah, and?" I replied, still snickering.
"That was landing candy, not candy just for eat'n."
I looked right at him and said "You've got to be kidding!"
He stopped crying and started to laugh and said, "Yeah mom, I was just kidd'n you. I wanted to see if you had some more candy to give me but now I can't keep my face strait." He got off the bed and went to play with his Legos.

The other funny one came after we'd already been home for a few weeks. Mason and I picked Dave up at work to go out for dinner for Mason's birthday. Mason asked Dave when he had another contreatment. I asked Mason what a contreatment was. He said, "You know, you do papers, talk on the phone, look at your computer. You know, a contreatment." I told him it sounded like he was talking about work. He said he was but not the kind you do here, you do it at a hotel. "Oh! You mean a conference." "Yeah, that's what I said, a contreatment." Is it just me or do conference and contreatment sound completely different? Like I said, this is just a glimpse inside the world according to Mason.

So we went to Apple Hill on Friday and bought apples and vegetables. Saturday, Dave and Mason decorated the yard for Halloween while I baked gingerbread skeletons. Sunday, I made my moms apple butter (which I'm sure she loved because even though she gave me the recipe, I called her every step of the way verifying that I was doing it right. Mom's love when we, in our 40's, still need them!), and Dave and Mason finished the decorations. We went for a walk around our neighborhood to see the changing colors and enjoy the evening. It was a really nice weekend.

Finally, my (our) friend Rod is part of Team in Training to help raise money to fight Leukemia. I know times are really tight right now and we all have our charities where we put our time and money, but if each of us could just donate as little as $5.00, collectively it would make a big difference. Go to http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/rome09/rscott to read Rod's story and make a donation.

This week, enjoy the last of your light evenings because next Sunday we "fall-back" and set our clocks back one hour. Today's motivator is a reminder about how you feel. I'm not attributing it to any one person because so many have said it in their own way. I know I feel it's true, do you?

"Nobody can make you feel anything. You're responsible for how you choose to feel about any given situation. Any feelings you have with regard to another's words or actions are your feelings. They emanate from your life and experiences. Look at them and see how you can feel or not feel. Again, you get to pick, so pick and do the appropriate work."

Have a great week!