Family Pictures 2016

We did it!  We hired a photographer, got dressed up, and went into the woods to take family pictures.  And no one was bit by a snake, which I was actually worried about (but don't tell the kids).  I am pretty happy with the results.  Here's a sampling:

Field Trip!

For our November activity in preschool, we went to the brand new Tom Thumb grocery store.  They were so good to us!  They gave the kids bags that they collected items around the store as we toured.  We ended with hot chocolate from the Starbucks inside.  It was pretty fun!

There was a small hiccup that day, though--I got pink eye.  It didn't hurt, but it looked terrible.  I was really good at sanitizing and I didn't hear about anyone else getting it, so I think we did all right.

Before the field trip, I asked those there how to cook a turkey:

Time for Thanksgiving break!

November Buffet

What to do with extra dry ice?  Make dry ice bubbles, of course.

The future is safe with Tessa.

 (Transcription: I will billd a telluPotr [teleporter] and go back in time whar [where] gog woshingtin [George Washington] lived and bring tothbrushis and tothPast with me and giv it to thum.  and make tacko day evy day!)

Oh, it was Election Day, as well.  I did vote, though reluctantly.  I was sick to think about voting for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, so I voted for someone who didn't make me sick (write in candidate Evan McMullin).  Trump won, as we know now, and we all hope for the best.......

Caytie sang in a Veteran's Day program at school.  They did a great job--made me tear up, though it's not too hard if one of my kids is involved.

Benson and I went to a park by Emma's school one morning and were surprised when Emma and a whole lot of other kids came running over.  Apparently, on nice Fridays, they go to the park for PE.  Good timing for us!

I got a little coloring book for Benson one day.  I think these pages are just about done...

(PS--who knows how to make a reluctant 4 year old wear pants?  I think I surrender.)

Nitro FC

Emma was assigned to a new team this season, since they changed from school year age to pure age teams by birth year, and her old team had older girls. She was the youngest on her previous teams, and this gave Emma a chance to play with people closer to her size and age.  I am sure I didn't explain it well, but just know--I'm getting tired of new teams, but I'll do it as long as my girls enjoy playing. 

This year her team was called Nitro FC.  I liked it, because when these southerners would cheer for the team, they'd soften the "i"  and "r" and it sounded like they were saying, "Go Nacho!"  Made me smile.  The weather for the season was beautiful, too--the heat didn't last too long and the cold didn't come too soon.  They only won a few games though, so at the end of the season, they opted out of further tournaments, and that was fine with everyone.

Yay for soccer!  Yay for Emma!

Um, what's going on here?

Benson claims this is set up for a pet show, but I can't help but think that that guinea pig has something else in mind.  Mutiny, anyone?  I'm keeping my eye on him.

Here Comes Halloween

We started our festivities on Thursday with a preschool Halloween party!  Here are Hadley, Quinn, Wyatt, Jaxson, Haddie, and Emily on the couch, and Ember, Jane, Caroline, Benson, and Kat on the floor.

Friday night we had Trunk Or Treat at the church.

(Sorry, Benson--couldn't resist.)

Tessa was a zombie, complete with bloody knife in her head, and was so happy about it.  Caytie was the Queen of Hearts, Emma was a zombie prom queen, Gracie was Alice in Wonderland, Ben was a mountain man, and Benson was, of course, the Red Ranger.

I think Scott was at a football game with the band.  I was there, but less dressed up. :)

What a sweet girl.

The next night we hosted a kid Halloween dinner.  Everyone (except Scott, who was our server) invited one or two friends, and had to choose what to eat by the crazy names we gave the food.  It was a super busy activity, and I didn't take any pictures, except a few of the foods before we served them!

Here were the Spider Eggs:

These were Cheesy Bones:

This was Bloody Intestines (phyllo dough filled with cream cheese and homemade raspberry sauce, with more sauce on top):

Dried Eyeballs (apple chips, dried apricots, and raisins, held with peanut butter):

And the most popular food--Zombie Boogers (colored caramel popcorn):

It was fun, but we have some ideas for making it better, if we choose to do it again!

Halloween was on Monday this year.  I chose to wait until that day to purchase pumpkins.  I think I learned this a few years ago, but I was reminded that ALL PUMPKINS ARE GONE on the day of Halloween.  I looked for any squash that would be an acceptable substitute and settled on spaghetti squash.  (No, they're not cheaper, FYI.)  Those babies are too hard to carve, but they were happy to paint them.

I had them eat something healthy before sending them out with Ben for Trick or Treating.  (Emma had already left to go with some friends.)

Scott wore this at a youth dance on Saturday, and wore it again to pass out candy.  But soon some friends came by and invited him to go along with them, and the pull for candy was too strong, so he left his post to me.

They all got too much candy and had a great time.  And no one threw up.  That's a successful holiday in my book.

Functional Castle

Benson built this castle the other day.  His Power Rangers are pretty comfortable in there.  The Pink Ranger gets a bed.  The Red Rangers get a chair and a closet.  There is parking for the motorcycle and the airplanes.  There's even room for the baby jaguar.

 I asked about the Green and Black Rangers.  The green one is...on the toilet.  The black one is washing his hands.  Glad he remembered those details!

Hole-y Mole-y

If you don't care for pictures of stitches, feel free to skip this one...

I had some moles checked out, which I do every ten years or so.  (I got lucky and really like this dermatologist, so I will take her advice and start getting them checked by her more regularly.)

She thought I should have two of them biopsied, and the results were that they were "moderately concerning."  Yep.  It means that they were fine, but could at any time (or never) cross over into cancer land.  She left it up to me to have them removed.

I've had moles removed before.  I'm in the camp of "Let's just get rid of them before they attack me," so when given the option, I always say yes.  But my other moles were removed by family doctors, not a dermatologist.  They were just numbed, snipped off, and given a stitch or two to close them up.

The first one done was on the back of my leg, and I couldn't see anything she was doing as it was being removed.  (The nurse helping asked the doctor where she had learn the stitch she was doing.  She said she learned it in neurosurgery. ?!?)  I had to keep it covered for 48 hours, and then change the dressing.  I was unprepared when I took off the bandage and saw this big stitched incision for one mole.

I actually almost passed out before I covered it up again.  (Being a doctor was never a possibility for me!)  I went back three weeks later to have the stitch removed. It was one long stitch which pulled right out.  I then had the other mole removed from my upper arm.  I could have watched this one, but I chose not to. :)

48 hours later, I was more prepared to see the results:

The scars are healing really nicely.  Maybe I'll favor you with some pictures of those...if you're lucky!

Awards

 Gracie's had a good year.  She received an award for the All A Honor Roll...

 ...as well as the award for the standard the school district is focusing on. This nine weeks it was Responsibility.  Each teacher gave one to a student, and then there was one chosen for the whole school, and that was Gracie!

I think they chose well. :)

She got to attend a city council meeting with one kid from each school in the district to receive a medal from our mayor for the award.

Great job, G!

Scott's high school had an awards assembly, aslo.  If they get all A's (or B's in honors courses) all year, they get a color cord to wear when they graduate.  He qualified for his freshman year, so he was invited!  The jazz band played the "prelude" before the assembly.  Scott is the lone drummer this year, so he's on the drum set in the picture below.

And there's a tiny Scott (in all black) receiving his cord from tiny school administrators:

Way to go, S!