I really like being able to edit my photos using Photoshop elements. I thought I would share my latest creation. I took picts of the kids this year instead of paying for school pictures. I got one of them all together and voila! Since I just changed my blog banner, I decided just to post it so you all could see. I'm thinking maybe to put it in with our Chrismas letter this year.
Now that we have 4 kids' pumpkins to carve for Halloween, I must admit that I am very happy that -N- and -E- can do theirs all on their own. That means only two that I have to carve. -N- chose to carve Dracula. -E-chose to carve a cat. -L- chose to carve a witch, and -K-, chose a nice easy jack-o-lantern face. (Honestly, I just started carving hers and hoped that she would like it when it was finished.) The kids have learned that they get to clean out all the gooky stuff inside the pumpkins. Thus, they no longer choose the biggest pumpkin they find. They did choose some decent sized ones, though. We carved them outside so the mess wasn't all over the kitchen. They look really good all lit up!
-N's- pumpkin
Conversation between -N- and Mom on Saturday morning:
Mom: -N-, today there is an EFY, Dad and I think you should go. It will be really fun.
-N-: What is EFY?
mom: It is Especially for Youth. There will be fun speakers talking about different topics, like testimonies, For the Strength of Youth, and stuff like that.
-N-: Are any of my friends going?
mom: I don't know, let me call their moms and find out.
I get on the phone, call two other moms, make driving arrangements for boys to be dropped off and picked up.
mom: Okay, your friends are going too.
-N-:okay.
About two hours later, after -E's- basketball game
Mom: -N- you better go change for EFY. You need to wear a shirt and a tie.
-N-: Are you serious? Church clothes on Saturday. Ewwww.
On the way out the door
mom: -N-, don't forget your scriptures.
-N-: I have to take my scriptures! What is this!
A couple of hours later after the EFY experience.
mom: How was it?
-N-: It was fun.
mom: What did the speakers talk about?
-N-: one talked about Joseph Smith and the other about Self Esteem.
Mom: I'm glad you liked it.
There are EFY's here about twice a year. I hope that my kids will want to go to all of them. I loved going when I was young. -N- was reluctant to go, but he did seem happy about the fact that he went when he got back home.
-K- and -L- love to play with friends.
A friend of -L-'s comes to the door. -K- opens the door.
Friend of -L-: Can -L- play?
-K-: No, but I can!
-L- was home and could play, so I invited the friend to come in and play with both -K- and -L-.
Unfortunately, -L- prefers not to have her little sister hanging around with her and her friends. I have to tell -L- to let -K- play too. Must be hard to be the little sister.
Today the kids went back to school. They got 8 school days off for Potato Harvest. They are too young to work, but it allows kids 14+ to find a job for a couple of weeks and earn $1000+ harvesting potatoes. So we enjoyed the cooler fall weather and time out of routine. -N- finished football, and -E- started basketball. We went to UT for a night when Spalding had meetings. We found some yummy indian food for lunch, and scoured a couple DI's for Halloween costumes. So -E- and -L- are going to be witches, -N- and his friend are going to be Mario Brothers, and -K- is going to be Tinkerbell. BTW, -K- has worn her costume everyday since we got it. It snowed for the first time over the weekend. The kids were excited. I don't want snow just yet. They had their snow clothes and boots out and there was only a skiff of snow covering the grass. Oh well, it melted quickly and it hasn't snowed since then, but the nights have left hard frosts on the ground. Busy busy as usual, but nothing out of the ordinary. That about sums up our family life over the last couple weeks.
Normally I am a once a week laundress. Of course, I will wash if the kids are in dire need of clothing. Well, last night became an emergency as -K- was sleeping in my bed. Spalding is out of town for a few days. And what happens, you guessed it -K- vomited in her sleep. It ended up all over the sheets, pillows, blankets, and in her hair. I had to give her a bath, she was quite unwilling. This is definately one of the things I hate most about being a mother. The smell is horrible, the kids are whiny, and cleaning it up makes me want to puke. When one of my kids get sick like this, everything needs cleaning. I just want to clean the bug right out of the house. Bring on the bleach and disinfectant! Open up the windows and air out the house! It doesn't matter that the thermometer says 42 degrees (it will get warmer today). My hope is that it doesn't go through everyone in the family.
