Getting Spooky

I am getting so excited for Halloween+Maren's birthday party this weekend.






The kids have been helping me get the house spookified and loving it. I think the consensus on the funnest project this year was the glittered bones featured above. You wouldn't believe the amount of glitter it takes to cover a small skeleton!



We are almost ready to boo!

Roasted Creamy Tomato Soup

At a friend's house last week, I was greeted by the most amazing smell. She was roasting tomatos, onions, garlic and basil in olive oil for dinner. Swoon. I had to be a follower and try it myself the very next night. Roast. Blend. Add heavy cream. Enjoy.

ma-reese

Happy birthday. Sorry about your birthday shout out being a couple of days late, please see below (Being the Primary Pres really gets in the way of your social life).

From the day I met you, I thought you were such a coolchick. (Now, as for you being 17 when our first semester started...sneaking you into the Edge for the next 2 months was really a pain). Jeez, I have known you almost half your life!



We had so much fun in the dorms. What did we do with our time?



Seriously, how did those skinny legs of yours hold you up?

Without you, I never could have learned to "shoot the duck". Man, if only we had started a business with all the time we spent at Classic Skate, the three of us would all be rich (or be able to buy a late model used car.)



And don't forget that time we tried to turn you into a Rude Girl. Never stuck, did it?



Utah Lake, oh the things that water could tell us...



Even after almost 3 kids for us both, I still think you are such a coolchick.

Happy Birthday, Holmes.

Truth Tee Shirt

Really. It does.

The Program today was fantastic. The kids were amazing. The spirit they brought was so cool. I hope they felt it too. I am lucky to work with such great children. They truly hold the spirit of our Savior in them. If only we could all be little children...Primary makes them happy.

Crying

Bawling, really. Still. Can't. Get. Over. The. Tragic-ness of it all.

Halloween Howls

Halloween time is when we all get to be young again. Masquerading as someone or something else brings such excitement to our otherwise mundane grown up lives. I love the creativity in the air, or is that just the smell of the 4th batch of pumpkin bread of the season? I really have no self control.



Kiera, predictable as ever, wanted to be a fancy mermaid. Never could have guessed that one, although on our way to the big party last night she announced that next year she wanted to be a baby vampire (I am pretty sure she means that in the sense of one who is not grown and not the Meyers-esque broodthirsty murderous type.)



Neve decided about a month ago that she wanted to be a robot. I thought, sweet, that is an easy one. A box for the body, a box for the head, a can of silver spraypaint. Done. The next day I got an email from school giving the rules for costumes at school. Only two caused me some pause.

1. Must be able to do PE in their costume.
2. No props, masks, etc.

Hmmmm. She drew me a picture of what she wanted her Nevebot to look like and we both got busy. We had a lot of fun figuring it all out. 



She is able to do something (I am not sure what) with:
1. a hose
2. fire
3. leaves
4. lightening


Anyone have any use for an adorable Nevebot with that specific skill set?

I tried to talk Maren into all sorts of awesome costumes. My personal favorite was a tulle covered ghost. I was politely declined. Ah, well, there is always next year. She makes a fabulously spooky, creepy she-vamp.



And since we were all either fancied up, microchip inserted, or creepified we headed up to the annual Trunk-or-treat at church. We were so lucky to be joined by our friends from school for the party. Aren't they darling.



Did you know the Primary Program was today and is now done? Last night's candy booty is almost gone already. I said they could have it for lunch.

Field Trip

So according to the title you are thinking...we have been on some amazing, exotic trip. Alas, it is not true. I did, however go on a very informa-cational 3rd grade field trip to the San Ramon City Hall. I know, I know...you wish you could have accompanied me. The travelogue will have to suffice. We'll just start out with the most exciting part...touring the facility. The kids loved this part.



It really did get better after that. The Mock Council meeting was the real highlight of the trip. Maren got to be the Mayor proxy and the rest of her classmates stood in for the council, the city attorney, even faux community members, etc. It was fun to watch them sitting in those big chairs with the microphones, looking so official. Maren rocked her character.



Maren's favorite part was banging the gavel. She said at first she thought she was going to go gentle with it, but once she got it in her hand she said she liked the feeling, and really whacked that thing.



After the mockmeeting they got thrown into the clink (more like a small office with handcuffs minus those all important scene setting bars).



They did get to touch the Officer Tom's handcuffs. After all those thrills would you believe that the highlight of the trip was the wild turkey who shuffled by in the parking lot while we were waiting for all the groups to be clinkified. Whonu?

Bring on Fall

I am not kidding when I say that I wait all year for the day we get to go to the pumpkin patch. It is they day that says...fall is here.



This year we decided to try out Half Moon Bay.





The scenery can't be beat and there is nothing like a river of pumpkins to make a girl's heart go flutter flutter.





I think I have a crush on my kids. Could they be more darling or fabulous.





Bring on the falling leaves, pumpkin bread, all things baked and cool chilly nights.

Disneyland Dreams Come True (tm)

Our poor children were so deprived. Before last week, they had never been to that Magical Place of all Children's Dreams Coming True. Someone really should have reported us.



So with a happy tear in his eye, Clay took us to Disneyland.





Q: How many in your group?
A: um, 26
Q: No really, how many in your group?
A: Yeah, I know. 26.







Naturally the kids were opposed to having to share a seat with an adult, so Annie and I had to ride together. The teenage boy who checked the seatbelts lingered while checking ours.



Kiera loved the Matterhorn. She calls it the "Scary Monster Fast Ride with the Bats." As soon as it ended she asked to go again. Instead we sneaked her onto Space Mountain. When that ride ended she had tears, no not really tears but the water that is forced out of your eyes when you are propelled at 60 mph through near total darkness, streaming out the corners of her eyes with some pretty sweet Farrah Fawcett windswept hair. "I like it, mommy". Wish we had a photo of that look.




Neve always ended up having the most awesome hair in those Disneycam shots. Later in the day I finally wised up and started taking a shot of the disney photo with my camera. So funny. I would have taken the shot of Kiera on Space Mountain, but she was invisible, as she was too short for the camera to find her. hmmm. maybe there is a reason why she should have been 40 inches...

Good times were had by all. And then we have to do it all again the next day...

We rode a few of the favorites in Disneyland (Space Mountain, the Matterhorn, Dumbo) while waiting for the California Adventure park to open.







Woman, where is my super suit?!



Many thanks to Rachel. I recommend to anyone considering a Disney trip to be sure to take along a dear friend who is pregnant; not being able to ride, Rachel got stuck with all the three kids who were under 40 inches.




My personal favorite was the Tower of Terror. I asked that no one tell me what the rides were like before hand, so as to savor the surprise. In case you didn't know, Maren has a deathly fear of elevators. She will always ask me to point her to the stairs if possible. We got in the line for Tower of Terror, and it was too late for Maren to back out when we realized the premise was that something goes terribly wrong in an elevator. It was an awesome ride. Maren chose not to go again later when I took just Neve.





We made it back into Disneyland in time to see the parade again. Kiera liked it a lot.



Final Ride score:
Disneyland 20
California Adventure 13

The next day was a surf attempt day. Clay worked really hard to get Rick's spare wetsuit on so he could give it another try. I kept thinking that it was taking a really long time, but kept my mouth shut. Finally, Clay asked for assistance with the back zip. The thing was so tight it brought visions of Elizabethan corsets to mind. There was just no way it was going to zip. Skin was taking every chance to escape. I was about to give up and tell Clay he must have gotten terribly fat since the last time he wore it when I saw the flowers. Sure enough, it was the 105 pound Marie's wetsuit. It is so figure flattering on Clay. Made my day.