An Incredible Halloween

 Happy Halloween!

I got ambitious this year and made our family a group costume.

It was a learning experience for sure, but I'm glad we did it.

It was a blast to go to the church Trunk-or-Treat, and then

wander our neighborhood as a team of crime fighters.

Not very in-focus, but Our Trunk-or-treaters with Grapes' friend M, as Dorothy. 

One of us wanted to stop and eat each piece of candy as it was given.

 He also was depressingly good at asking for (and GETTING) a second piece at every stop. 

Sugar-aholics anonymous will be getting a new visitor soon, I'm sure. 

Post-neighborhood haul. And left-over pizza.  

AND- My very favorite part of the costumes. When a logo, and some outer-underwear were removed, monkeys were already in PJ's and ready for bed. I am a brilliant mom, if I do say so myself. Brilliant!

Halloween fun

Tonight we carved our pumpkin

 

Well, Dad carved it, mostly. With helpful feedback/approval from a few monkeys. 

Of course we roasted the seeds too. Usually I put Worcestershire sauce and seasoned salt on them, then roast in a hot oven (400-ish) for 15-20 mins, stirring in the middle.

 

This time, however, we were out of both Worcestershire sauce AND seasoned salt. So, I tried olive oil and garlic salt with a smidgen of pepper. It turned out alright, but not as good as usual.

 

Even sub-par pumpkin seeds couldn't kill our awesome night. Kids are so much fun!

 Here's hoping the actual Halloween night turns out to be just as much fun!

Everyday nonsense

We're still here. Just doing what we do.

I've been finding joy in the minutes and moments.

 

 

Sunday night Sorry! tourney and root-beer floats. (Dad still lost) 

Soccer Pictures.

 

Playground time while siblings have soccer practice.

Double pictures of the middle monkey because I'm trying to take more photographic evidence of his growing up. The speech therapist at school says he's on track for his age, so my mommy-worries are unfounded and my heart is relieved. He's cute and I'll keep him!

The highs and (Show) Lows

Last year during the kids' Fall Break we drove up to Show Low, AZ to visit The Doctor, who was working an away-rotation in their Emergency Room. Read here

 

I mentioned the twisting, turning mountain road of DEATH.

This year we again took a journey to this magic mountain mecca and I decided to document the road. (Which, for the record was far more enjoyable when a) I'm not driving b) kids are not dry-heaving into a cheese-it box in the back seat c) there is no Giant pick-up truck driving 4 inches from the rear bumper of my van.) I thought it was beautiful. (I was also thankful there was not any worry of snow!)

 

Here you can see 3 of the switchback turns (there are 5, I think) on the way down to the bridge. Then, the road climbs right back up the other side. The speed limit is 35 and the views are amazing.

 

I am so glad we took a minute to get away from the house and real life and just have some family time. I had so many moments that took my breath away on this trip. The sweet look on Pencil's face as he said 'thank you' for his car treats (without being prompted first!), or Sockie happily eating two taco's at our lunch stop (and not grouching about the lack of soda!) or Grapes helping the brothers at the playground and packing the backpacks full of toys to keep kids happy on the trip. (we could have probably done alright without quite so many toys, but her heart was in the right place) Or just sitting and laughing and being together with these delghtful people that I can call my own. It was a good few days of perspective taking for me. It was a brilliant reminder that no matter what happens, no matter which worry is pressing my mind for its fair share of time, this little family is mine, and will be forever.

Come, see what I mean!
Welcome to our little cabin!

The views from the front door:

From sitting on the downstairs bed:

From in the kitchen:

The awesome loft beds:

So good for jumping.

The teeny, tiny bathtub:

We spent so much time outside. Pencil had no fear of the slide, or swings, or road. Sock just ran and ran. Grapes wanted to play tether ball and swing and climb and play, all with a non-stop dialogue about her love of this vacation place.

 

 

 

Pencil and I read stories upstairs while the 'fwends' played a few rounds of Sorry. Socks' gloating laugh is loud and echo-y. Grapes is a good sport about getting sent back. Dad lost. Every time. 



 

We enjoyed eating at the little table (Pictured here are pumpkin pancakes and whipped cream)

There was more outside time. I loved that it was cool enough to wear sweaters and long pants!

 

He loved this hoodie, and the pockets. He wore it the whole drive home- with the hood up.
 I laughed every time I looked back into the van.

Note the eyes glued to the movie player.
 It is a brilliant device for making long trips not so painful, but it also makes kids unable to listen. at. all.

Real life demanded that we come home. Dad's work schedule, Soccer Saturday, and the return to SCHOOL on Monday.
Sock told me he has forgotten how to do school, so he probably better not go back.
Good try, Scooter. If only it was that easy.

Are we sick of the parts?

Fall break part 3....All of these parts! I mean really!?!?

Don't worry, Fall break isn't really over! I have so much left to report. (and I like thinking of it as a report, like I have homework and I'm still in school. Because I rock reports. 5th grade style)
yeah.

Grammy came to play.
We enjoyed lazy AZ afternoons in the gorgeous weather. The monkeys built a village for the older generations to admire. (And we did!)

The green house is Grapes', the blue is Sock's and the yellow is Pencil's. All close to the pway-gwound, of course.

 

We cleaned up after Pencil.

He found a brand new 110 load sized laundry detergent bottle, and kindly emptied it in the hallway for us.  I even learned how to use my neighbor's carpet shampoo-er in order to pass it 57-zillion times over the same patch of carpet in rinse mode.

Little soapy footprints led to the bed, and more goopy mess.



He found a marker too.

We decorated for Halloween. Grammy and kids made salt dough and used it to make gravestones and pumpkins. They also build some q-tip skeletons. Then we  saw a fun Halloween Movie (Hotel Transylvania) in the theater. Grammies are so fun!



I think this is a ghost next to the salt dough pumpkin. Maybe?

Rest in Peace, Grammy.

 

Of course, there was also some soccer.

 

Fall Break part 2

Where has Fall break gone?!

We spent some time in a 3D movie- it was a gourmet movie experience wasted on my generic-brand mac&cheese crowd. Pencil wouldn't even keep his cool gwasses on. He just held them and squinted at the screen for most of the movie. Oh well.

Pencil and Unk-Won became fast friends. Naptime sticker moments can do that to you.

 They also shared some serious Lego-Hero-factory building time. Some kids never grow up.

Grapes and Sock built rock pals. (a Bird for Sock and a frog for Grapes) and they found it to be SO easy. (maybe because Mom did all of the rock hot-glue-gunning and they just watched)

We also did some soccer-ing. I only have pictures of Sock's game because Grapes' game was at the exact same time in a different part of town. We had to divide and conquer on that Saturday.

A few funnies I'd like to remember:
In family prayers the first night Lon was here, The Doctor was helping Sock, and he suggested Sock say "We are thankful Uncle Lon is here." Sock paused, thoughfully, then said, "Please help us volunteer."  It's almost the same.

One day at lunchtime I was making sandwiches when suddenly a can of Fresca began exploding all over the floor. When I asked how it happened, Sock answered, "I have strong hands."  (He had also opened the can while holding it upside down, but that was not the important part)

We went to eat at El Charro (the favorite family Mexican restaurant) and Pencil smeared ketchup all over his beans and rice. We all moaned in sadness, but he wasn't sad. He ate it all gone. Yum! (?) Also, Uncle Lon Tried a Hamburger Taco (literally a hard shell with a ground beef patty inside) and it was strange, but almost good. Almost.

We took him to the airport, and my monkeys were sad to see him go. The surprise of the day was when, 30 mins after the airport trip, Grammy showed up at our door. And Fall break continues!