Halloween 2020

Gotta start Halloween week off right with a super cute dance routine. Sarah and Erica did MMHS dance team's clinic. Erica did it last year but Sarah couldn't because it conflicted with piano. This year it didn't conflict with piano so they both got to dance all week long. Well for an hour for 4 days. Thursday night was their performance. 

Erica got pretty nervous while we were getting ready to leave. She says she wanted to do it as much as she didn't want to do it.

I don't think Sarah gets nervous to do stuff in front of people.

Cute face Jamers.

A week later, last Thursday, was our ward trunk or treat. For the first time ever Justin and I both stayed back with the car (with a broken handle so we didn't even get to use our trunk) while James went off with the kids. This way I got to see all the cute primary kids that I miss so much. I was just beginning to learn all their names when we closed up in March so there was a lot of greeting "cutie" and "bud" on my part. 

Sarah with her ward friends Izzy and Addie.

This is my Alaska moose hat that I got from my mom when they were living in Alaska and Justin and I were just dating.

These are the Rohatinsky boys that moved in 4 years ago and are moving this week. Henry and Sarah are good friends with both of them and will be sad to say goodbye. They may be the only boys in the neighborhood more obsessed with sports than Henry.

Wednesday we carved pumpkins. I don't feel like moving all the pictures so out of order they'll remain. This is the face James drew for his pumpkin. I put the paper on his pumpkin, pressed hard as I traced it and wa-la! How'd I do?

I asked him to make the face his pumpkin has. These might be my favorite pictures of him in a long time.

Here's the face Erica wanted. I didn't trace it but did my best to recreate it.

Here's the backside of Henry's. My favorite part is the shadow it cast on the wall.

Sarah wanted a polka dot pumpkin so she got to use the drill to make hers. She chose a small pumpkin because she does not enjoy scooping guts.

And Justin's spooky pumpkin rounded out the bunch. Henry announced awards before bed. James-cutest, Erica-most human like (because it had teeth?) Henry's-the biggest mouth, Sarah- most creative, Dad's-most scary.

Saturday, real Halloween, Justin was hunting. After we cleaned the house we made sugar cookies. James was last to frost his because he was last to finish his jobs (he spent most of the cleaning time whining on the floor). 

I'll be glad when he outgrows this weird smile phase.

Much better.

The only candy corn I could find was Trolli sour candy corn which made my stomach churn just looking at the bag and eating one made me gag. My kids thought they were awesome so whatever. Although it's been 2 days and no one has eaten the ones with the candy corn.

James is a decorator after my own heart. Double frosting, double sprinkles.

He's so cute.

Then we loaded up a few that I frosted and took them to my parents. Erica carried them in her basket just like the real Little Red Riding Hood.

Sarah also wore this costume when she was 6. It's my favorite out of all the costumes I've made.

You may think this is James's Halloween costume but this is actually his October costume. Once I learned how to make a ninja mask from a long-sleeved shirt, he has had a shirt on his head since. Works great for a pandemic.

Here he's showing off his sweet ninja moves.

Sarah was Nancy Drew. We had to buy a magnifying glass and borrow some shoes but everything else she had in her closet.

And Henry was a skeleton. I painted his bones with glow in the dark paint but it wasn't until much later that it was dark enough to notice. He wears them for pajamas too so he uses his book lamp to make them glow under his covers.

And then my nephew, also a ninja, joined us for trick or treating which was awesome because I got to chat with my sister and brother in law who I haven't seen much lately because of social distancing.

I'd say there were less trick or treaters than usual in our neighborhood but the same amount of people handing out candy. Those that were handing out candy had their lights on so it made it really efficient. 

Plus those that did want trick or treaters were extra excited it seemed. I'd say overall it was one of my favorite trick-or-treating years. 

These townhomes aren't in our ward anymore so it was fun to see people I hadn't seen much of in a while, pandemic or no pandemic.

James was done by the time we circled back around near our house but Erica and Henry took two more stints down a couple more streets before they were ready to come in. Sarah chose to go with a couple of her friends in Legacy Farms so that was sad. This very well may be her last year trick or treating so part of me wanted her to spend it with us but it seemed more fair to let her go with friends. 

Sunday afternoon I took down all the decorations. I'm looking forward to November--to just being grateful and making lists for December. That's all there is to it. (Knock on wood, something crazy is going to happen, just watch.)

Flashback Friday: Halloween

 I have very few pictures of Halloween. I'm not sure why. I've included the few pictures that I do have plus some others of me dressing up on random days.

I was a ballerina for Halloween a few years in a row. I borrowed a tutu from the neighbors, wore some random leotard we happened to have, my mom put my hair in a bun and I was good to go. When I was in first grade my mom bought a generic cheerleader costume and I wore that for the next couple of years until I outgrew it. I was also a witch one year, and a clown I think. 

We had this big box of Halloween costumes and I can still remember the smell of it--cheap plastic, nylon, polyester. We would pull everything out, try stuff on and laugh and then leave it a big mess in the family room. Now I can't remember if I actually was a clown or just played in the costume.

River Heights Elementary had a big Halloween carnival in the evening. I don't remember much besides the haunted house in the basement library scaring me so bad. Mapleton Elementary also had a fall carnival but I don't think it was for Halloween. I remember eating nachos and Crystal Pepsi. We never got to wear our costumes to school at Mapleton Elementary. They always scheduled school picture day on Halloween. 

We had a great neighborhood for trick-or-treating in River Heights, lots of kids, lots of houses close together. Once we moved to Mapleton, not so much. It was spread out and houses were far from the road. We only went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood that first year. After that we went to my grandma's neighborhood in Springville every year. In fact, it was super weird when I went to middle school and found out that kids in my school lived near my grandma. Worlds colliding! I went trick or treating until 7th grade then it was all about dressing up and hanging out at friends' houses.

Here are some photos. Some are from Halloween, some are just me dressing up on a Tuesday.

I don't think I've dressed up for Halloween since I've been married. Sad or normal?

Sarah Turns 12

Sarah turned 12 on Tuesday. What the? She seems 12 but I still don't know how we got here. Anyways, she had a friend party Friday night. She invited a few friends over for a movie night. We got them each a caddy that they decorated with stickers.

Cute Nora. Her family lived in our ward for a year when Sarah was 8. They live in Salem now but we still manage to get them together a couple of times a month.

This is Sam Clarke. She and Sarah have been friends for a couple of years and who Sarah asks to play with the most. They live in Legacy Farms and Sarah found a shortcut to her house so she can get to her house on her bike, which is nice for me. Sam is probably the funniest gal out of the bunch. She reminds me so much of a few friends I had at this age.

This is Rylee. Sarah has known her since kindergarten. She lives in Legacy Farms too and is how Sarah became friends with Sam. All three of them are in the same class this year so they are having a lot of fun. Fun fact: I went to high school with Rylee's mom (Tyralee Bird, if any of my HS peeps are reading this.)

And my cutie niece Allison. I love that they are such good friends, even if they weren't related. Allison's birthday is coming up too. I'm happy they'll have each other all their lives.

Presents time! Her friends got her mostly crafty stuff. They know her well.

Then they filled their caddies with treats and headed to the basement to watch The Ghost and Mr Chicken (spoiler alert, there is no ghost and no chicken.)

They made it about an hour into the movie then they got too giggly and went outside to jump on the tramp in the cold dark night while listening to Hamilton. They were loud. The littles and I watched Mickey's Three Musketeers and ate magic cookie bars (Henry was hunting with Justin). 

Tuesday was her actual birthday. We started things off right with presents!

Rand McNally road atlas. I know, kind of weird, but it's not if you know Sarah. She loves maps. (Who doesn't love maps?)

Lava lamp, in case you couldn't tell.

Cookies and cream candy bars 

Apple Jacks because I never buy "good cereal" anymore, according to my kids.

Gum. (I'm including all of these because I think her faces are priceless.)

Caramel

A replica of the Eiffel Tower

Cheetos

And a pack of canvasses. 

Oh and don't forget the Sprite. Then we had cinnamon rolls and chocolate milk for breakfast.

After school she helped me finish her cake. She chose white cake, white frosting with Oreos and Caramellos.

After dinner of macaroni and cheese, creamed corn and raspberry salad, all her grandparents came over for cake and ice cream.

These candles are so cool.

Here are 12 things about Sarah that you may not know.

1. She does not like chocolate cake but loves Oreos, brownies, and chocolate candy bars (Makes no sense).

2. Her friends tease her for not knowing who Adam Sandler is and because she's never been to Olive Garden.

3. She has outgrown her bike and now rides my bike to school.

4. She has to be to school extra early every other week for student council and she gets up and goes all on her own.

5. She still doesn't like vegetables but she's pretty good about eating them. We talk a lot about that it's okay to like what you like but good manners trump likes.

6. She makes waffles, pancakes, chocolate chip cookies, and a bunch more stuff all by herself.

7. She loves piano and still takes lessons from Sis Quigg. She hopes to play the violin in middle school.

8. She babysits each week for our neighbor and is getting rich.

9. Her favorite shows are those teenage shows on Disney+ that I can't stand.

10. Her favorite color is blue and no longer likes pink but I have no plans to repaint her room.

11. She's very responsible and is my best helper. She gets grumpy about cleaning her room though.

12. She is a night-owl and would prefer to take her mornings sloooooow.

And I captured this shot which apparently is for a hairbrush ad.