Trick or Treat

Our city actually assigns you the day and time you'll trick or treat, based on your neighborhood. So we've been swamped with candy for two days already and everyone is all tucked up in bed tonight.

My girls were set to be something entirely different. Enter the teenage neighbor girl whom they adore, saying: "I'll do your make up and you can wear my clothes!" They disappeared for an hour and a half and came back virtually unrecognizable.

Such is the stuff of Halloween.

The Joy of Learning?

Me: "Ludus can mean school or game."

Bobo: Now that's a stretch.

Scenes.

math

making pizza dough

gnawing on the result of said pizza dough

dinner prep

Bobo walked by and said, "Is that for us or a new mom?"

Hmmm. Maybe I don't make casseroles enough.

The Latest Little Reader

Toddzilla completed his kindergarten Hooked on Phonics this weekend. He was quite disappointed that I forgot to bring his books on vacation. When we got home, he woke up the next morning and said, "I'm ready to finish my phonics!"

When Hubby was congratulating him on this latest accomplishment, he sweetly included Toddzilla's teacher (that'd be me) in his commendation. Toddzilla, in all earnestness, replied: "All she did was hold the books up."

Fall Break

We had such a great time on the shores of Lake Erie this week. The sun was out, the afternoons were perfect for playing in the park, bouldering near the water, biking, and taking long walks. The mornings were cool so we toured some of the local attractions before lunch each day.

Highlights include:

• A beautiful, peaceful lake-front home provided to us by a sweet family in our church.
• Arriving Sunday night and finding all sorts of fun gift certificates from other families in the church: manicures for me and my girls and lots of meals out for the family. We are so humbled and blessed by the generous people Hubby serves.
• Taking a ferry ride to Put-in-Bay and tooling around the island in an oversized golf cart. (The boys were in heaven!)
• Walking up to the outdoor chapel in the evenings for a time of family prayer and bible stories.
• Playing Battleship and Clue. We rarely play board games at home because it's always too chaotic with the little ones. After the small boys were in bed, the games came out.

God continues to show us he provides over and above what we could ever ask or imagine. He is so good!

Not To Be Left Out

Hubby's one of the Tae Kwon Do gang now. I'm not sure who's more excited about it - him or the children?

Stuffing the baby inside his shirt has always been a strange favorite of Hubby's. I think I have this picture of all the babies (in addition to the requisite "place the child in the duffel bag while packing picture"). This is the first time the shirt happens to be a martial arts uniform though. At least there's a hint of novelty.

Pumpkin Pickin'

We picked Hubby up from work today and headed out to a pumpkin farm for hay rides, cider and fresh donuts, and a run around a corn maze.

Still plugging away at the school work - we're taking a little fall break next week and we're all looking forward to a change of routine. Our schedule is working really well this year. (I hope I didn't just jinx it by saying that). Still, it's nice to be able to take a break whenever we choose. The leaves around here are gorgeous and we're headed out to explore a little more of our "new" state. (It's already been almost 2 years!)

Less Todd, Less Zilla

Toddzilla doesn't get enough good press on these pages. When I started this blog, he was two and was all toddler, all godzilla, all the time.

He's almost five now and turning out to be quite a little charmer. As we were working on one of his phonics books the other day, he looked at all the words on the page and sighed, "Holy Spirit, deliver me from this one!"

Yesterday we dropped the girls off with friends and were on our way to do the same for Toddzilla at another home. The Patriot was getting tired of being in the car, so Toddzilla was playing all sorts of silly games with him. I commended him on how helpful he's been with his littlest brother, and that the baby would be sad to see him go. "Oh, Mom," he said, "he can come with me if you want!"

Last week he made himself this delightful lunch of cheese whiz on bread and quipped, "Look, Mom, I call it 'Mom's Day Off.'"

So Much For Censorship

My oldest, looking up from her McGuffey this morning: "Why is it always a mangled corpse?"

Me: I don't think it always is - I'm not sure I've ever come across that combination before.

Her: Oh, it's in like every book I read.

American Girl Doll Birthday Party

I admit I titled this post for those who might be searching for ideas. I was in those shoes a few weeks back, when my daughter decided on her birthday theme. There was nothing out there! I phoned a friend who I knew hosted one several years back and she was just as surprised that AG doesn't carry party supplies anymore. Being the resourceful person that she is, though, she called the company and found a perfect fit for us: The Molly Mystery Party Game. (You can't even find that on the AG site anymore; I got it clearanced out for $4. But you can buy it at Amazon). It's a Halloween themed mystery so it worked perfectly for my October girl.

The girls arrived in costume, based on the character their invitation described (these are included in the game). This itself was loads of fun for Bobo's circle of friends - all sweet girls who know each other from both our church and our science group.

Lots of giggling went on during the actual reading of the script and the acting out of the various scenes. This was right up my dramatist's daughter's alley.

Happy Birthday, Bobo! We're can't wait to see what your ninth year will bring...

Changes

My oldest turns nine this weekend. We're hosting a Molly's Mystery Party tomorrow afternoon so there's lots of planning and scheming and fun stuff going on around here lately. (More on this later - who would have known I'd find NOTHING when she suggested an American Girl Doll birthday party.)

Other than the doll thing, our home seems to have taken on a considerably less girly atmosphere lately. My daughters are newly fascinated with toy soldiers and bow and arrows. (She asked for a robot-making kit or a pocket knife for her birthday. I'm sure you can imagine which of these we chose). Much of this reflects whatever historical period we happen to be studying, but still, it's strange to move from all thinks pink and Barbie-ish to tanks and guns.

The boys aren't complaining.