Octoberness

This may go down as the nicest fall we've ever had (weather-wise, not virus-wise or politically). Sure I'm getting concerned about the lack of water but it's hard not to feel refreshed and relaxed when there's a chill at the beginning and end of the day with beautiful blue skies and warm temperatures in between. I surely hope it means we'll have a nice Halloween and not freeze like last year.

Speaking of Halloween, I'm having a dickens of a time helping Henry come up with a costume idea. He does not like to go outside his comfort zone and his ideas are expensive (specific NFL player which requires actual jersey or a blow-up dino costume). I liked last year when he was Calvin and all I had to do was paint black lines on a red shirt. Maybe I can talk him into reusing it for a Linus costume....

Check out these Halloween doughnuts from Daylight Doughnuts.  Aren't they awesome? I couldn't bring myself to eat anything covered in bright frosting so the old fashioned ones are mine but I sure appreciate the ridiculousness and we'll probably go back before Halloween is over.

We took the kids to Gordo's Fun Farm west of Spanish Fork. Or maybe we were still in Spanish Fork. I can never tell out there. I was getting tired of Jakers and wanted to go somewhere else. I chose Gordo's because the kids got BOGO coupons at school and Henry and Erica know a couple of the Gordon grandkids so we thought we'd give it a whirl. 

All-in-all, I really liked it. It was definitely cuter, quieter, smaller-scale than Jakers. Plus you're at their actual working farm, not in a converted empty lot on a super busy street. I love farms.

I made my kids make fall tree art using broccoli as a stamp. I love how they turned out. They like to paint so it wasn't hard to get their participation but more than once I heard someone say as they dipped their broccoli floret into paint, "This is the weirdest thing I've done all day."

We've got a busy and fun couple of weeks coming up. Sarah has her friend birthday party on Friday, her 12th birthday on Tuesday, plus trunk-or-treat, SEPs, carving pumpkins, and maybe a couple more Halloween fun ideas up my sleeve and I'm really craving Halloween sugar cookies. I'm so glad summer is over; this is way better.

Let's Back Up a Bit

If I get too thematic with my posts, invariably I miss blogging about sporadic pictures. Here are those pictures.

I know where my kids are going to sit at dinner for the rest of the year. Because my kids fight over everything, I have assigned them their seat at the table during dinner. We change every Tuesday. Did you know there are 24 ways to arrange 4 children at 4 chairs?

They already have to sit in the same seat in the car for 6 months at a time. If they don't knock it off quick, they're going to get assigned cushions on the couch too.

Most of the time when my kids take off with my phone, they bring it back full of videos of fart noises, what they are watching on TV or ugly faces. Sometimes by accident they take cute selfies. I'm assuming he didn't know it or he would have deleted it.

Henry's football season wrapped up September 26. His team didn't win any games but they were so much better that last game than they were their first. I was so proud of him. He always tried his hardest and most always paid attention.

He's already looking forward to playing again next year. Hopefully basketball in December will hold him over.

Erica and my mom were drawing one day at her house. I think Erica is telling her to draw a picture of a house.

September 22. I bought these shoes for James at 12pm. He put them on 2:44 and went outside to play. He came back in at 4:35 and they looked like this. How?

Sometimes you go get your free birthday lunch at Burger Supreme 2 weeks late. Sometimes you have to share it all with your 3-year-old who is obsessed with, but rarely gets, Sprite. "Mom, you were right, these are the best French fries." Yes they are, son.

One night at dinner my kids came to the conclusion that grandma's houses are the best houses. "They have the best food, the best TV, the best toys, the best yards, the best stuff, and they're really nice." Case in point: James eating cereal in the Ninja Turtle bowl circa 1990 at my mom's house after he ate a fruit snack from cupboard.

We rang in fall on October 1 with a large batch of pumpkin cookies. Last year when I made these on a Sunday afternoon, all 50 of them were gone within a couple of hours. We were on pace that night as well.

Sarah, James, and Erica worked on some Halloween decorations..

And then we watched Sleepy Hollow or "Hiccabob" as James calls it.

I mean Wolverine. I also let the kids get the costume tote out and this went immediately on his body and stayed there.

This kid. It would be fine if he would leave the costume and mask on but he's always taking it off to go to the bathroom or a million other reasons and needs someone (usually me) to do up the velcro on the back. Monday afternoon he got blood on it from a bloody nose so it had to go in the laundry and I keep "forgetting" to put it in the washer. 

Friday night was Justin's grandpa's 95th birthday party. A few of Justin's cousins came and this is there son also named Henry. He's 8 and just as cooperative at photos as my Henry.

Typical James smile.

Between conference sessions last weekend I took the kids to the new park here in Spanish Fork. It's a big ol fancy park along the lines of Thunder Junction in St. George. It has a fort of slides....

Typical slides and merry-go-round...

Crazy hillside slides....

This old-school slide was a hit. I think we should come back with some burlap sacks or something.

And a splashpad. There's also a waterfall and river/ditch of water but it was roped off for maintenance.

This was pretty cool. These are each loose on one side so they can be moved to divert water.

Same with these white thingies. Little water engineers in training.

I wish they finished this earlier this summer. That would have been nice.

Then we went back home to our freshly baked and slightly cooled homemade cinnamon rolls. This moment lasted about as long as it took to take this photo.

Sunday between sessions we took the kids for a scooter ride up Hobble Creek Canyon. It was pretty. And crowded but I managed to take this picture of just James.

Sarah helped the littles make Halloween countdowns. For some reason James's has been located to the side of my cedar chest in my room.

He's explaining how it all works.

Tuesday Erica was showing me her handwriting book they just completed. She has great handwriting and I'm proud of her but I took these pictures because she just looked so cool.

She likes school once she gets there. She doesn't like waking up in the morning. Or getting ready for school. Or riding her bike. But I think once she gets there with all her friends she's happy about it. 

She comes in most days in a huff. "How was your day?" 

"Not good," she says. 

"Why?"

"Someone butted me in line"

or

"This kid wouldn't get out of my way on the monkey bars."

There's always some minor injustice that just ruins her whole day.

Justin is hunting this weekend which means I don't have to make real dinner and I can park in the  middle of the garage. But it also means I don't sleep well at night and I have to put everyone to bed by myself and can't watch any of our shows and I just miss him terribly. Get an elk and come home. Any elk will do; they all taste the same.