Watching: Freaks and Geeks, which I taped last weekend while we were at the beach. I love this show, but I fear it won't last long as it has such a miserable timeslot: 8 p.m. on Saturday nights.

Reading: Bag of Bones, still. I'm a little surprised that this book has received such glowing reviews. I think King is much better in his tighter, more focused, novellas and short stories than in his gargantuan novels.

Out of Ideas

With October passing as rapidly as September did, I've realized I better get the twins' Halloween costumes squared away. Daniel is all set; he is going to be Darth Maul this year. (He was Darth Vader for the past two years, but Vader is passé now.) We've already bought him the double-edged light saber and the hooded cloak. His costume came with a mask, but it's made of cheap, brittle plastic. I think I'm going to buy some non-toxic face paints and try to replicate the Sith Lord's red and black-patterned face instead.

As for the twins: I am out of ideas. For the past three years I've made their costumes. I don't sew, but I've learned that you can do a lot with sweatshirts, sweatpants, and felt. The trouble is I don't feel as creative this year as I have in years past.

Three years ago, when they were fourteen months old, I dressed them as Dalmatians. I bought white sweats and glued on black felt spots. They wore white hats with floppy black and white spotted felt ears I'd sewn on. We dressed Daniel as a fireman that year, so the three of them together made a cute ensemble.

Two years ago, I had the best idea for their costumes. I've always said Matthew and Stephen are night and day, so that's how I dressed them for Halloween. I bought a navy blue sweatshirt and pants for Matthew and a pale blue set for Stephen. I glued a moon made out of felt on Matthew's sweatshirt. On Stephen's shirt I glued a felt sun and cotton ball clouds, and on one pants leg I added a brown and green felt tree.

An artist friend of mine helped me complete the costumes by painting stars, planets, comets, and a UFO on Matthew's shirt and grass, flowers, and an airplane on Stephen's. We had so many compliments on their costumes that year.

Last year I dressed them as M&Ms, again, easily accomplished with sweats and felt. Matthew was a blue M&M, and Stephen was a red one.

I'm feeling bad that I can't come up with any clever ideas this year. And even if I did have an idea, I doubt I'd have the motivation to see it through.

My mother-in-law took Stephen and Matthew out to lunch so I had the afternoon free. I decided to ask my husband to lunch. I picked him up at his office and we drove to Sunny Gardens, our favorite Chinese restaurant. We both ordered the buffet; I was glad I'd eaten a light breakfast because it is hard not to gorge oneself there.

There was one memorable occasion when I wasn't able to eat much of the buffet at Sunny Garden, however. Tab and I went to lunch there right after we found out I was pregnant with twins. I remember the two of us sitting stunned and wordless, clasping hands across the table. From time to time we'd collapse into hopeless giggles.

Today, of course, we reminisced about that fateful day. "By the way, I'm pregnant," I said jokingly to Tab, pushing aside my bowl of hot and sour soup.

"Let me guess: triplets?"

"Yup, and they're all boys."

Stephanie and the twins were still out when I returned. She had said something about taking them to Terhune's, a local farm with animals that kids can pet and feed. I enjoyed the quiet house for the hour or so I had before I had to leave to pick up Daniel.

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