Halloween and my ever-growing monkey

I hate scary things. I don't go to haunted houses or watch creepy movies.

 But for some reason, I love Halloween. Mostly the watered-down kid version of the holiday, but that's OK with me.

Halloween this year was a blast! I had so much fun, in fact, that I failed to take enough pictures. 

It didn't help that I had a tiny baby to tend to.

This is my costume crew:

Indiana Jones (with a shaved face!), Cosmo the BYU cougar, a Minion, and a Fox

And some of our house decorations:

It's Fall, and I'm Freezing!

I hope my blood thickens up soon! The weather is cold here, and I am not handling it well. Constant socks and hoodies, and I still find myself wrapped in a blanket and finding excuses not to move. The thermostat is set at 72, but I think it is a conspiracy.

Since last we met, our oldest monkey was recognized at school for being respectful. It is a monthly 'character' /citizenship award, voted by the students. Her teacher called me to invite us to attend, and he said he fully agrees with the classes choice. SO proud of her!
She is doing very well in this new place. She has great friends, and is enjoying school and the 'extended learning' class she get to go to. She is being her usual, enthusiastic, smarty self. I think we'll keep her.

Frosty

The other morning, I woke to the sounds of happy children's voices.

"Snow! Snow!"

The Doctor had mentioned that Flagstaff had recently seen snow, so I was not too surprised that it was now our turn. I was worried, however, because we don't really own snow clothes yet.

My tricky kids overcame that hurdle quite quickly.

Grapes' coat from last year (not really a thick one, but a coat nonetheless)

Making Progress

And we are claiming success in the fully-using-a-toilet-the-way-it-was-intended saga.

All three of my children are big kids. I have not purchased diapers in weeks. WEEKS. 

I may be suffering from a new identity crisis.

 He does still 'forget' to put his pants back on, and washing his hands makes more of a mess, not less......
But it is progress.

The last vestiges of summer

We woke up this morning, the delightful first day of Fall, to a crispness.

It seemed as though Mother Nature read our calendar, and in a fit of generosity, decided to grant us this boon. Frost tickled our window pane and coated the top of the (currently useless) hot tub. At alarm time, I burrowed blissfully down into the blankets rather than rolling out of the bed. My heart has been healed in a way I didn't know it was ill. I love Autumn, and I have missed it.

Desert living was good for us, and I do not regret one moment in that southern Arizona place, but being in the mountains- near the tinkling whispers of aspen trees and the sharp cool breeze that almost hurts your nose (in a good way)- it is a celebration for me.
Socks and hoodies for the lot of us this morning! Huzzah!

Our last Summer moments were good ones too. Dad's classic burgers on the grill paired with watermelon and Grandma Ida's baked beans recipe. Mowed grass and sprinkler fun. Summer isn't too shabby in this part of the world either. We'll look forward to seeing warm weather again, but we'll enjoy the cool for a while first!