Hocus Pocus 2014

This weekend we spent some time in Blackfoot with family. We visited, played in the leaves, and played football. Amelia and Cooper made an entire leaf house, complete with rooms, doors, and "secret escape routes". It was so much fun to see family and spend some time with them--even when it included a little (or a lot) of vomit. Luckily, none of my kids were the contributors!

Saturday afternoon we came back home to attend Hocus Pocus. It was fun, but next year we are going to be sure to be there as it starts---the lines are a lot shorter! We had fun on the hayride, all the games and treats, and seeing friends with all their fun costumes.

There was a nice breeze, which Amelia loved because it made her cape flow out behind her.

Cooper practicing his ninja skills in the graveyard.

Hanging out with the Headless Horseman. Soooooo creepy.

Another fun Halloween activity down!

This week we have a few more things to go to, then we can officially calm down a bit until Christmas----which is 7 weeks. That's right, just 7 weeks!!

Pumpkin Patch and Straw Maze!!

We picked our pumpkins last weekend in our pumpkin patch we usually go to. I don't know if it was the nice weather, or that it was a Saturday, but the place was PACKED! Nevertheless, we found our pumpkins quickly, played with some kittens, ran through the small straw maze, and discussed jack-o-latern options at length.

Ah, sibling love.

Cooper was pulling the wagon and it jerked forward, hitting him the the stomach. Although this picture makes it look like he was injured, he was fine. Just a lot of moaning and groaning.

Cooper photo-bombing

Cooper-less pic.

After we dropped off the pumpkins at home, we headed out to the straw maze! It was really nice, cool weather and I was looking forward to Amelia and Cooper running some energy off. This year they added a couple slides and an area to climb on straw bales and jump into lose straw. I think Amelia and Cooper liked those more than the maze!

This twine is meant to brush against people in the dark and scare them when they come to the haunted maze. The kids thought they made great swings!

This picture was at the "tunnels". The nice helper guy walking on top of the bales offered to stand where the tunnels exited and if Amelia or Cooper came out, he'd send them back through to find me. He threw me a bottle of water, so I sat down and had a nice rest!  Gotta love Rexburg!

In a little less than two hours, we made it!

It was a fun, exciting day! Next up: more Halloween celebrations and the ward harvest party. By the time Halloween comes around, I think we'll end up staying in, snuggled up with blankets, a movie, and popcorn!
                                                         I. LOVE. AUTUMN!!!!!

Apple Picking and School Carnival 2014

Ah, autumn! So much to do,see, and eat! I love being outside during this season. It's nice and cool, and the leaves are all so pretty. Last weekend we went apple picking. We didn't get very many because despite Amelia and Cooper's enthusiasm for picking, they don't eat ANYTHING other than a raw apple. No apple pie, crisp, applesauce, nothing. It's still fun, even though it takes up three weeks to eat the apples we do pick.

We also had Cooper's school Halloween carnival. I only put Cooper's name on it because Amelia is a big middle schooler now, and they don't have carnivals. Just fund raisers. Anyone want to buy a dozen donuts for $10?

This weekend we're hitting the pumpkin patch and straw maze. We still have a ward harvest party, Boo at the Zoo, and Halloween.  More pictures to come!

                     Cleopatra and the ninja. Cooper was, obviously, having issues with his hood.

Jackson 2014

Last weekend we made our yearly pilgrimage to Jackson Hole, WY. As always, we  enjoyed the fun parks there:

The weather was unseasonably warm, much to my chagrin. But Amelia and Cooper loved it!

After a quick stop at the candy store, we walked through the very posh shops along the famous boardwalk downtown. We even saw some fun sights:

A farmer's market was going on, so we sat and listened to a truly excellent band playing 40s and 50s music. Cooper vowed to keep his promise to become a drummer after watching the very talented one from the band. Amelia decided they need a fiddle player, and vowed to be that player in a few years.

Finally, no trip to Jackson would be complete without a picture by the antler arches in the town square!

Here's a video of Cooper dancing to the band. Amelia was content to sit on the bench and work on her massive lollipop.

We spent the night and went swimming, but the next morning we moseyed on home via the Teton Dam.

Cooper and I got out to look at it, but Amelia opted to stay in the car. She'd "already seen it with her class a few months ago. I doubt it's changed."

I explained to Cooper how the dam burst and the events afterward, fully enjoying the time I could say "dam" in front of my child repeatedly. After a five minute, beautiful explanation I asked Cooper if he had any questions.

He said, "Where's the dam? All I see is that mountain in the middle of the river." Sigh. Not to worry, another ten minutes later he got it. 

Now that autumn is officially here, the REAL fun begins! Straw mazes, pumpkin patches, COOL weather, Halloween, and beautiful autumn colors! Hooray!

MY First Day of School!

Yes, it is that time again! The nights are cooler, the flowers are fading, and the streets of Rexburg are packed yet again with 18-22 year old looking for a brighter future (aka: spouse) at Brigham Young University-Idaho!

School is back in session for me. Now, over the last few semesters I have resigned myself that the first two weeks are always stressful, tiring, confusing, and truly test the alcohol part of the Word of Wisdom and the "do not kill" part of the Ten Commandments.

However, despite a taxing first day that included a nervous verbal vomiting in Old Testament of my marital status (not a big deal---unless you're in a room of single 20-somethings that have never seen a divorced person upclose), an ADHD professor that left me more confused when I left than when I entered, and general anxiety concerning my math class, I feel it went okay. Of course, this is could due to massive amounts of diet Pepsi, chocolate and the musical brilliance/gorgeousness of this guy:

The artificial endorphins will wear off soon, however--just in time for another round of new classes tomorrrow. Ah, the joys of higher education!! See you in December, if I make it that far.

EISF 2014!!

It's that time of year again! FAIR TIME!!  I love the EISF for many reasons: the food, the booths from all the branches of the armed forces, the contests, and the best one---it ushers in the autumn season! Last weekend we hit opening day and here's what we did:

As always, the petting zoo is a must.

The National Guard had a tank there that had been used in Iraq.

We were the first ones to get to the National Guard booth, and Cooper started asking so many questions the very, very nice (personality AND looking-wise) soldier took us up into the tank and showed us how everything works. Amelia was a little nervous, especially when the soldier showed Cooper how to load the gun and fire it (who can blame her--that information is a little dangerous for Coop to have!)  but it was really interesting for all of us to see how a "ka-pow" works! The soldier was incredibly patient with Cooper and answered all his questions--even when he was interrupted for one to be asked.

Amelia sitting in the chair with the empty shell holders behind her.

This is Cooper next to the ammo-loading end of the gun. The little black switch is the trigger, and he was giddy as can be to be able to pull it.

 Next stop was to check Amelia's cookies she'd entered in the baking contest. Her first year she received an honorable mention. The second year she received second place in the chocolate chip cookies class and THIS year:

She took 1st place in the "other" category (white chocolate chip macadamia nut).

AND:

2nd place in "sugar cookies--frosted" class.

Altogether,  she won $9, two ribbons, and lots and lots of happy smiles!!

Cooper is looking forward to entering next year, and Amelia decided she'd move onto quick breads so she'd give him "fighting chance" in the cookie category. Such a sweet sister.

After we'd seen all we wanted to, we hit the food stands and loaded up on tiger ears, potatoes, sno cones, and other yummy treats!

Sunday we listened to Andy's report of his mission and then hung out until Monday just playing with family and relaxing on the LAST official weekend of summer. 

                                                         AUTUMN IS NEXT!!!!!!!

Back to School!

Amelia and Cooper started school yesterday! Tuesday Rexburg had the Party in the Park again. Cooper and I went off on our own because Amelia had a "date" with a few of her friends to hang out together at the party. Here a few pictures of my darlins:

Amelia with two of her friends. I continuously forget how small she is until I see her next to other girls her age!

This isn't a great picture, but this is a game Amelia was playing. If you fell off the platform, you were out. They had a huge ball you could thrown at others to try and knock them off while jumping from platform to platform. Amelia was in there for five minutes, through a rotation of fifteen children. She may be small, but she's a scrapper!

Mady and Amelia.

Cooper digging for treasure. 

One of the games, as always, is the bull-riding. Cooper was so incredibly focused it was funny:

Wednesday morning the kids were up early and ready in record time. They both looked so cute and grown-up!

Amelia's school starts 30 minutes later than Cooper's, so we dropped him off first. He ran half a block ahead of me, shouted hello to the new principal who looked a little shell-shocked, and sprinted into the school. He called hello to his 1st grade teacher and continued staright to his new room. By the time I got here, he'd given his teacher the Kleenex and Clorox wipes, introduced himself, reminded her she'd called Amelia Curly-Q (Amelia had her for 2nd grade trades), hung up his backpack and was running out to recess. I managed to stop him, take a hurried, blurry picture and he was off. No confidence problems with THAT kid!

I walked back to the car and started toward the middle school. Amelia was awfully quiet so I asked her if she wanted me to go in with her. She said yes. We parked at the school and I walked her in. The good news is that five other mothers were doing the same thing. We got to her classroom, I told her I'd see her at the bus stop tonight and to have a good day. She just stared at me for a bit and then said in a very tiny voice, "I think I'm a little nervous."  Just about broke my heart. By then her teacher had come to the door and I introduced Amelia and explained she was a little apprehensive about a new school and students she didn't know. Her teacher was fabulous, threw her arm around Amelia and brought her into the classroom and started settling her in. I quickly left before I went back in to tell Amelia she didn't have to stay in a strange new school with strange people.

Don't worry, I consoled myself with a sausage biscuit and cinna-melts from McDonald's.

When I picked her up that afternoon, I asked how middle school was, and she said (eyes shining) "It's AWESOME!!" Crisis averted. I asked is she stopped being nervous and she said yes. Whew. We quickly did a little homework and went to get Amelia fitted for her violin:

What a busy, crazy, fun, exhausting day! Good luck to my 2nd and 5th grader! I love you two!!