October was a slightly dreaded month. David was on Liver rotation. These are sick kiddos, so the hours and know how are intense. In the middle of that, he had his Pediatric boards to take. Not a small task. There were several, well most, nights we set a plate for David. Then we ended plastic wrapping it and putting it in the fridge until he got home. At the beginning of the month, our microwave broke (the one that came with the house over the stove). Fortunately for David's dinners that had to be heated up almost every night, we kept our quirky one that works beautifully.
We survived by a few methods: 1. I quit checking my phone for messages around dinner time that said David was on his way home. That way, if he made it...we would be pleasantly surprised. If not, we were sitting around watching the clock and causing grief. 2. I played a lot more music while getting dinner ready. Sounds funny, but it helped my sanity. 3. Lots of prayers. 4. Very understanding kids and husband. 4. Lots of activities going on!! 5. The beautiful weather changes we have experienced.
Was it the most peaceful home? I would be lying if I said it was. We did our best and loved even the worst sides of each other. David won't find out about his test for a month or two. He is glad it is behind him. I was delighted when he told me he still had the GI exam to study for but it didn't cost as much (even half the cost of the Pedi exam is painful). He told me this at our celebratory dinner (pizza dining in). What great timing! Knowing it is over for now and the tests get narrower to the field he will be practicing makes it better. He didn't have as much anxiety as I had thought. The day before made me nervous for him. He had already worked 17 hours on Monday, 15 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday (the day before his exam) he worked a somewhat normal day and slid into dinner just after we started to eat. Wednesday he had one of those days where he felt inadequate and didn't feel like he was in the right career. Poor guy! It was a trying day. Right before the test is not one of those days you want to feel that way. He got a good nights rest and did his best. I am confident he did well!
There were several activities to keep us busy and our mind off of the chaos.
Taylin made pie crusts for her Activity Days (bi-monthly activities with girls her age at church). She made two. The first one we used for a pumpkin pie. My first and her first. It was good enough we didn't stop for a picture. It could use some improvement for sure. The second one we made into an apple pie with a crumble top. This too was yummy! I mixed and matched a few topping recipes I found online and came up with this yummy result.
Many of the kids had the same idea with the hoodie. It was simple, but met the needs. Those who didn't have speaking parts could dress as any under the sea creature. It was fun to see all the ideas and talent that went into each costume. Another Tiger Shark was dressed as Tiger Woods with a fin. So creative!
He got a front row spot and did all the motions and words. When it was his turn he would go with all the other Tiger Sharks to the microphone. They split the parts between them. I was impressed with the production from these 2nd graders. What a great experience and story learned as well.
This little guy got tagged from his very special visit at Daddy's work. Unfortunately it wasn't one we wanted to have. It is a pricey date! See a few posts below.
I don't know if you can see this super hero's single staple. It healed nicely. I was the only one on edge...about every edge and corner. He really was not bothered by this event.
We have been enjoying the colorful fall. This is only a small beauty we have been enjoying. The tree itself is not small. This is out our small bedroom window. Just driving down the street we get to see several colors. We are realizing how much fun or work these leaves can turn into. So worth it!
We picked up this pumpkin and the above small ones a little early, since Taylin needed one for an activity. Kennedy had been dying all week to carve out the pumpkin seeds and eat them. We bought it a few days before David's test, so it had to wait until the end of the week. This was torture for Kennedy. We dug out the seeds and I baked them. I was already tired of being in the kitchen, so I wasn't focused and I let them over cook. So sad! The kids, mostly Kennedy, still ate the well done ones. Ick! Luckily, our neighbors don't like to eat them, so we were able to try again and bake up theirs. Happy snackers. With all the events of the month. This is as far as the pumpkin made it. Hollowed out, but no face. It never lived up to Jack status. We put it off that it's insides were beginning to suffer and I did not want to carve it. I thought about paining it or something else. Well as I put it out to air out, the chipmunks and squirrels found a few delightful pieces of their own. Oh well! No one complained!
Is this still October post you say? Why yes it is. Thanks to Sandy, we received snow on Hallow's Eve. The kids were excited. We couldn't do much with it but admire it. It was wet and thin...and they had school. It snowed until about 9:30 in the morning (started before 5:30...that is when David went to his car that is usually black, but was white). It then became cold drizzling rain.
Our back yard. Our dog, Tinkerbell, was less than thrilled about potty time. I don't blame her.
My favorite tradition for any holiday that I have the appropriate cookie cutters for. I was only able to do it with the two littles before Kennedy had to be at afternoon Kindergarten.
We had lots of fun and we jammed to Halloween music on Pandora. I wish I could remember which song Kennedy had stuck in her head from it. Some of the songs were party music from past eras (i.e. Hey Mickey). Oh...she kept singing "You got the beat, you got the beat, yaaah!" I even taught Teague's some dance moves as we jammed to "Walk Like an Egyptian." Good times!
Costumes were done 11 days early. Well 11 days early for Halloween. Our ward Harvest Fest and Trunk or Treat was on the 20th. The weekend after David's board exam and one of his weekend calls. I had most everything done by Saturday except hemming Sonic and the hedgehog hats. Well, my machine really didn't like all the fleece I had been putting through the machine, so I ended up having to hand stitch some of it...slowed me down. I was in pj's until 15 minutes before. David says every year that it is my last year to make costumes. I also have a friend that said, "Never start a tradition you don't intend to follow through on forever." I will be making costumes until the kids roll their eyes. Since David was doing the eye rolling before it was time to go, I sent him for the trunk or treating and I came half an hour late for the chili. I dressed as Pepto Bismol. This was a last minute inspiration. I had a pink bottle of Pepto Bismol printed out and taped to my leg. I had a graphic on the back of my hoodie about how great this is. I wish I had the Pepto Bismol Dance down, so I could do it as I showed up in all pink (even pink blush and a bow) to stand by my GI guy. A little funny! No other pics...this is it!
Here are the stars of Halloween: Sonic the Hedgehog, Smurfette, Snow White, and Knuckles from Sonic the Hedgehog. I give the kids a deadline two months that is two months before Halloween to tell me what they want to be. For the longest time Taylin wanted to be a Snow Princess and Cohen wanted to be a Ninja. Teague wanted to be Buzz and maybe Super Why. Kennedy never wavered.
Sonic and Knuckles ready to go. Knuckles was simple and I was hoping for similar simplicity with Cohen's Sonic. I couldn't find royal blue hoodie or sweats. I had to do his from scratch. It worked out nicely because he could slip it right over his clothes. He also had the perfect blue long sleeved shirt, so I didn't have to sew arms on. I used a one piece pajama pattern and made changes as needed. The head wear started from a hood pattern and then improve. I learned a lot along the way. I have a new comfort with fleece fabric. I need a can of air on hand while sewing with it though...maybe a walking foot would be helpful.
Smurfette had a few layers and a warm fleece dress. Her head wear was a challenge. I could have just gone with a blonde wig somewhere, but this was more on the animated look. I refused to paint her blue. The rest of her costume would have been a mess. I find it humorous that she always picks a character that has blonde hair. In the past it has been Cinderella and Tinkerbell. They were just brunette. I found those white berks so randomly and out of luck and for cheap! Will she ever wear them again. I won't blame her if she doesn't :) Probably straight to the dress up box.
Kennedy made it fairly easy on me. Normally I would have gone out and bought some fabric to make more sparkle, shine and poof, but I went a little more resourceful this year. I had all these materials on hand. I also got lazy and didn't do a zipper. She just pull it over her head with some finesse. I pulled the waist in a little, so it wasn't so full. That is tricky over the shoulders. It works for now. She was excited! Her costume was the first one done and she loved trying it on a few times a week until we made it to Halloween. The length was a little long, so Trick or Treating got "tricky."
Our neighbors invited us over for a little pre-sweets dinner with mummy dogs and severed fingers. Teague wanted nothing to do with the severed finger. He was nervous about it. We also enjoyed some yummy potato soup. Her house was very Halloween festive. Fun start to an adventure we have never taken. The fun was about to begin.
This is the kiddos and their friends bundled and ready to fill those empty bags. Each of them had at least 3 layers on, head wear and gloves. Taylin really didn't want to wear her coat. By the middle, she was glad she did. She was a trooper. Her school had her do trick or treat for Unicef. Some kiddos didn't do it. Taylin took the plunge and tried it. She was a little intimidated at times, but felt good about the cause. She was a little disappointed too that she didn't collect more. The school made us think the neighborhood was accustomed to it. I am not sure that was the case. Only a few were prepared or ran inside to grab change.
We learned again that we live in an amazing neighborhood. Unfortunately we didn't pass out candy this year. I could have just set the bowl out. I was already running around with my head barely on, much less straight. David got stuck in yucky traffic and met us half way through. Poor guy was hungry and cold. He didn't have anything for his head.
The neighborhood was full of participants. People were on their driveways with fire pits ready for all the kiddos. Several had gone all out on their decorations. Some had scary decorations, but a happy experience. One particular home was a little scary. I obviously dropped the ball. My kids are not fans of scariness. I was just making sure we were all together after crossing the street. This house had its candy bowl about six feet in the garage. Taylin saw the prize and was headed for it. The other three were slowly approached and then backed away with much trepidation. I looked up and saw the horror scene before me. It was dark. There was a casket on the right. Two men dressed as a murderous clown and another dark character in a tux...vampire, I guess. They were about 2 feet from each other and just sort of stood and swayed back and forth. Taylin went in grabbed her candy. She turned around pleased with her pick only to be startled by the honk of the clowns horn. She squealed and uncomfortably laughed. Taylin then picked up the pace to the next house. The other kids decided they would opt out on the candy experience this time. They were looking around to make sure they weren't followed and they didn't know what to do. Teague was on the verge of tears. I was doing my best to reassure him they were just dressed up like everyone else. He kept saying that those were scary and mean guys. The house had a back up bowl of candy with friendlier looking disguises to hand out to those who weren't going to approach the scare. We went next door...even though the kids wanted to go two or three houses down. They were very normal people. Teague told them how scary their neighbors were. The night when on. David joined us and we were more aware of what we were approaching.
Teague was done after about 10 houses. He said he was done with trick or treating, yet he kept going. After each house he would shout, "Trick or Treat, Cef." He had heard Taylin trick or treating and asking for Unicef donations. There was one stop that he was looking in the bowl and very frankly let the guy know he wanted a blue one. He didn't care what the candy was, he just wanted the blue packaged candy. We all kept going. We were getting wet and cold and tired. We had only made it out and still had to make it back home. We could have tracked 100 homes at least, but we just stopped at the easy ones on the way back. The ones that were all the way out on the curb. Teague had picked up the pace quite a bit once I started carrying his bag. He was able to get two pieces after that, one for each hand. This kid cracks me up. There was one house that had a lot of decorations going on. He stopped right in front of the driveway at a "parked" red wagon thinking it was the treat stop. Well much to our surprise, the wagon owner's surprise and his own it wasn't. He was fetching a can of beer out of the wagon. Ooops! We redirected him and filled up on plenty of sugar.
It was good to get home still buy 7:15pm. We striped off their wet clothes and let them dive into a few pieces then got ready for bed. It was quite a night. A Halloween the kids, David and I, will never forget. David looks forward to getting his own fire pit and sitting in the driveway to pass out candy next year.
Now...I am looking for a dentist to donate the candy to. We have heard there is one that ships it to soldiers. Four kids is too much candy! I am interested in the poundage. We haven't weighed it. After taking out the carmel apple kits and capri suns...I am guessing 10 pounds. Too much. I gathered all the M&M's to make cookies with. We will let them pick a few of their favorites and off with the rest.
I talked to them about a mom's pick for costumes next year. Taylin already knows what she wants to be, so we will see if I get as much say as I want. I miss the family themed costume. Stay tuned until next year to see what we agree upon or what I am willing to put together. David and I were sad to not participate this year, but you haven't seen the end of it!
We hope you had enough fun and sugar for the month and look forward to a great month of Thanksgiving!
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