Everyday Stuff - October 2015 Edition

The kids were so excited when October rolled around and they
got to pick out a pumpkin!  Lucky for us, this was also the day Jack's
class received vampire teeth as a prize.  Watch out!

Luke didn't want to be in the picture.
I'm so sneaky.

Jack's class went on a field trip to the Mayor's office, the Fire Department,
and the behind-the-scenes parts of Target.  I'll let you guess what Jack's
favorite part of the field trip was.

When Jack earned a Mommy Date (based on points for good behavior) he chose to see
the Shawn the Sheep Movie at the discount theater, then get an ice cream cone.
The movie was great, and Jack let me help him eat his enormous his ice cream cone.

Hypothetical Adult: Hi Kids!  What did you do during Fall Break?

My Kids:  Mom taught us how to spray paint!

Me:  Well, yeah, but it was just an innocent craft project, I promise...

We tried to make something along these lines.  Notice I don't have an "after" picture.
That's because the spray painting was the best part, according to my kids.  Next time
we get the itch to do something crafty, maybe we'll just start grabbing things out of the
recyclable stash and spray paint them, then put them right back in.

Another fun thing we did during Fall Break was enjoy a nice long

play date with cousins at this cool space-themed park complete with

interactive, technological playground equipment.  So fun.

I had the kids top their own pizzas for dinner one night.
Jack decided to make his half cheese/half pepperoni.  Literally.

On a recent trip to the grocery store, Jack and Eliza somehow

ended up sharing the grocery cart car while I carried the toddler.

Draculuke

Cat and I attended a fabulous concert where the Utah Valley Symphony
featured child & teenage soloists.  We were both inspired to work a little
harder so that Cat can reach a higher level of performance.

I usually try to do a good job putting Eliza's hair up on Wednesdays when she goes to
dance class in the morning.  On the day before this picture was taken, she told me she
wanted three braids.  So, trying to be a good mom, I gave her three parallel French braids.
It took a while, but I did a pretty good job of it, though I felt a little weird putting
cornrows in my daughter's hair.  When I was finished, she said that wasn't what she meant
at all.  So neither of us loved the look.  But she wore her hair that way anyway.
But the NEXT day she had this fabulous wavy style that we both liked.
So, win, right?

"You're becoming your Mom" is something that can be seen at a pretty young age,
I'm learning.  Cat made pancakes for breakfast the Saturday before Halloween and dyed the
batter orange.  I'm so glad that at this time in my life when I'm too tired and spread
too thin to carry on with such festivations, someone else in the house makes things special.

Cat and I headed off for our Mother Daughter Book Club discussion of
Roald Dahl's The Witches dressed as the witches from the book.
We even ate purple Starbursts on our way to the meeting to try to
dye our saliva, but it didn't really work...

Dad has arrived at the soccer game!!

This was our first Sunday Sundaes ice cream party.
Good Sabbath-appropriate behavior in and out of church = points
Points = ice cream/toppings.
Not my most brilliant idea, but it seems to be helping...

Luke wanted in on the Headbanz action.

Cat taught an FHE lesson on service and put together a pay-it-forward anonymous treat
drop-off.  She made the treats (her amazing sugar cookie), printed out directions, and
watched as little ghosts (which designated your house as having been BOO'ed already)
appeared on front doors in the neighborhood.  Here, the kids are about to deliver the first
treat.  They are dressed in their stealthy treat-drop-off outfits.

While Cat was with a friend, I took the younger kids to a live animal show
at BYU's Bean Museum.  They loved learning about animals in Utah, getting to
see a few of them, and touching a turtle.  Sorry about the blurry picture.
The kids only got about .3 seconds to stroke the turtle with two gentle fingers.

The kids enjoyed getting to play in the dirt in our garden boxes as plants were
pulled out in the course of the fall.  Luke especially loves playing with trucks
there now.  Makes me a little worried for Spring...