Tess-capades

Let's say that getting dressed for school is NOT one of Tessa's favorite thing to do.

Let's say that playing offense on her soccer team IS one of Tessa's favorite things to do!

Singing is also a favorite for Tessa.  Her 4th Grade put on a great Veteran's Day program.

Her class did this light dance to "I'm Proud to be an American."  (She's the center red--bottom row)

They shifted to make a flag, and she made sure I got a picture of the change!  She's now the last on the right of the bottom row.

She also sang a duet and then in an ensemble.

Students were invited to give pictures of veterans in their families (or invite them to be honored during the program, if they were local).  Great Grandpa Stay was part of the slideshow!  So handsome in his uniform.

Love that Tessa girl.

Oh, Hello!

We had a back yard visitor.  He was very well received.

Despite reports to the contrary, this turtle was fast.  We left him alone for a few minutes, and he found whatever hole he had come in through and scurried back out.  Thanks for the memories, little one.

Noteworthy

BYU's Noteworthy (female acapella group) came to town for a concert, and we got some great prices on tickets!

The four of us enjoyed this Thursday night treat.

The concert was really good!  We got a couple CDs to remember their music--and they signed them for us.

With some of the group.  (Of note--when did Scott get so tall?)

❤

You Got a Friend in Me...

This is Halloween! This is Halloween!

When life gets busy, you spread the joy of Halloween all week!  On Monday for FHE (after soccer practice for Tessa and piano lessons for Caytie and Gracie), we cleaned out the pumpkins, and then put them in my bathtub until we had time to carve them.  (We missed Scott, who was at band.)

We had to save time to make and decorate the Dia de los Muertos cookies!

These were made from a kit, but they actually worked really well, and were so tasty!

I knew my kids would really have fun with these, and they did!

There was black gel and little "watercolor" palates they used to paint colors onto the cookies.

(Oh--Caytie decorated Emma's flour baby head to look like a giant eyeball, and then tucked it into bed. So sweet.)

The next morning, Gracie made more cookies for lunch!

I had my preschool Halloween party that day.  This was our silly picture, but it's still pretty representative of our class life (except for my co-teacher Sharon, who is far from a witch in real life).

The kids were back to decorating cookies after school.

That night was our ward's Trunk or Treat, except it was combined with the three other wards, which was going to be a huge crowd.  Tessa had a soccer game at the same time, so I took her there and Ben took the other kids (minus Scott) to the church.  Good news on both fronts--Tessa scored a goal!!!  (In all our years of soccer, this is the first goal scored by one of my children in a game.)  Also, the Trunk or Treat was not as crowded as anticipated, so those there had a good time and were willing to share their spoils with Tessa (and me) (and Scott).

Wednesday was finally Halloween night, and there was just enough time to carve pumpkins after school.

Here we have Scott's Snoopy, Emma's happy pumpkin, Benson's dementor (see the mouth ready to suck souls?), Gracie's Nemo, Tessa's mini happy face and her stem nose face.  (Scott's pumpkin had actually rotted, and Caytie didn't want to carve that night, so she gave Scott hers.)

It had been rainy, and it was predicted to rain more, so after dinner when there was a break in the rain, we took advantage of it, even though it was still a bit light outside.

Scott went to a party with some friends.

They didn't stay out long, but they got plenty of loot, and with that--October was done!

BUSY BUSY BUSY Saturday.

Ben was at an air show in Dallas (for real airplanes, but he displayed his RC ones) on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  On Saturday he took Benson along for company.

(They towed his plane from the hangar ☺)

That morning I took Tessa and her friend/teammate Emma very early to Plano for a soccer game.  The field was just about an hour away, and we found out a couple minutes after arriving that the city had closed the field because it was too muddy.  Grrrr.  We came home and had Emma stay to play for a couple hours to make up for it.

Scott had an academic decathlon competition in Rockwall (the other direction from Plano).  He rode the bus there with his team, but because we had a piano recital to go to, I had to go pick him up early.

The recital went really well.  Caytie played two Disney princess songs.

(Some of the audience members were a bit restless.)

Gracie played "Dancing on the Berlin Wall" by David Lanz and a duet of "My Favorite Things" with her teacher.

Scott played "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran (arranged by Jon Schmidt).

Saturday marked the end of Emma's flour baby assignment.  For her Human Growth and Development class, she had to take care of her little one and make sure it survived for a week.  Apparently no one keeps it as just a sack of flour, though.  Emma stuck on a Styrofoam head and used nylons and stuffing with a onesie to complete her baby.

(There is a 5 pound sack of flour in there somewhere.)

Thanks to multitudes of doll accessories, it even had a cozy place to sleep, with plenty of blankets and lovies.

She passed the assignment with flying colors.  The baby is now cookies.

Scott and Baylee went with a great group of friends to the Homecoming dance.  (I had to take these pictures from her mom's Facebook page.)

I hear they had a pretty good time, though they didn't actually stay at the dance long.  They went to dinner somewhere with a live musician, then the dance, then to Sarah's house for a movie and dessert.

Ben had come home early from the air show in time to leave again with me to a fireside hosted by the DFW BYU Alumni chapter.  A religion professor (Keith Wilson) came to give a lecture, and we were asked to do a musical number at the beginning.  I was glad, because it was a great lecture, and it gave me and Ben a chance to see each other that day!  But you can be sure I was ready for bed that night.  (After Scott came home.  Of course.)

Homecoming Game

When you are a Homecoming Court nominee, you get special privileges--like sitting with your family in reserved seating during the football game!  It's handy for when you want to fold origami with your little brother.

You also get to show your sisters how to do the W-E thing with your fingers during the school song--which you don't have to play with the band, just this once.

Then, before you walk out on the field for half time, you get to pose with your friend and fellow nominee Melanye at your Senior Band Banners.

Then the moment arrives!  You walk with your parents under the sabers of the ROTC members, while listening to all your accomplishments, activities, and future plans which are being read to the audience. (Yay for mentioning the two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!)  You get an especially loud cheer from the percussion section of the band, other friends, and your proud siblings.

When they announce who has won Senior Prince (that's the runner-up), they call your name!

You get to take a picture with the rest of the Court--the Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Princes and Princesses, and the King and the Queen--who happens to be your friend Melanye!

Moms are super proud. ❤  Dads are too, but they're busy taking pictures.

Who needs the king? ☺

Sisters are proud, too, though some have found other friends to hang out with...  (PS--that is someone's mum behind Tessa.  It was HUGE.)

And then, because you are still a member of the band, you change your clothes and go perform your show after the football game.

(He's the one to the right of that blue flag laying on the field.)

(This is the part of the show where the Romans have conquered the Egyptians and they're all dying.)

Then, at some point during the night, you might stop smiling.  Maybe.  It was a good night.