October Haps

Seriously, my blogging has gotten so pathetic. That could be the first line of all my posts lately. Because it's true. I resorted to Jeff's old laptop today because the family computer is a dinosaur (a young, two year old dinosaur, but still...) and I really don't want my blog to become extinct. Ha! Did you like that?

In October, Allie got braces on again. Thank heavens she knows a good orthodontist--her mouth is constantly needing work!

Three days after Carter got his stitches, McKay showed up looking like this:

. 

Trying to keep up, always. I just appreciate that it didn't require a medical professional.

We are also in the process of decorating our house. Imagine that! But the time had come to trade in the old leather couches that came with the house in Florida, and forced all those sitting on it to share the middle cushion, and get something that isn't a total embarrassment. 

It's a work in progress, so no pics yet, but here is a cute one of the kids on the new couch in the piano room. 

One fun thing Allie and I did in October was attend a Shannon Hale signing. Her new book Ever After High was coming out, and I ended up with two tickets. My main motivation in going was I wanted to get a copy of Austenland signed for the Trapnell Christmas party. We loved the movie on our girls' trip, and it became something of an inside joke, so I thought it would be a fun gift for the party.

We went to the library and sat through the promotion for the new book (which I bought for Allie, so she could have it signed) and then we waited for over an hour for our turn in line. Finally we made it and had the books signed. I think it was a fun experience for Allie (I hope so anyway!), because it was fun for me. 

Here are the kids school pictures for the year. Kyla cracks me up!

Carter wanted me to take a picture of this picture I have hanging on my wall next to the school pictures. 

I was commenting on how he and McKay had their hair all cut off (after Kyla "trimmed" McKay's hair down to the scalp, it was necessary). Carter, ever picky about things, got upset. He said to McKay, "Look at that picture. We don't have any hair! We look bald! And ugly! And dumb!"

Haha, I thought it was hilarious. 

Hallowing

Jeff went to Mexico for 8 days, right during all the Halloween festivities (or HallowING, as Carter likes to say). So it was up to me to pull it together. 

Carving pumpkins is never very fun, especially when there is only one adult to five children. But we did it anyway, the Monday before Halloween. It was as you would expect. Kids complaining, crying, fighting, making a huge mess. And then enjoying the fruits of our labor, the pumpkins. As you can see, we kept it simple this year. 

 

Tuesday was the ward Trunk or Treat. 

It was a good opportunity to practice trick or treating and practice eating suckers three at a time. 

Thursday, the kids got to wear their costumes to school. Damon couldn't wear his helmet, so we decided to have a little fun. I cut his hair into a mohawk on Wednesday night and we spiked it up good and white on Thursday!

Kyla posed with her "Ghost Chase" trophy that she won the day before. Each grade has three winners, and Kyla got third place.

We went to the kids' Halloween parade, and Carter and McKay dressed up too.

The kids also talked me into dressing up with them. Lovely, aren't I?

We went to Library Kids and then got ready for the night. 

This picture cracks me up--Carter and McKay standing right next to each other, Kyla giving us a cat pose, and Allie and Damon puking in the candy bucket. 

We had a successful night trick or treating in three neighborhoods. Here in our ward, with the Konold's, and then we ended up in Colleen's neighborhood. It was a success! And we made it without our daddy. I just hope we don't have to do it again

Finally, here are my three cute Pooh Bears at age two:

Damon, 2004 (it's not letting me rotate the pic, uggh)

Carter, 2012

 McKay, 2013