Witches' Brew

Every year around Halloween time we make Witches' Brew and eat it in pumpkin bread bowls. The kids love the pumpkin bowls (especially Hannah this year!) and we have a great time making everything. This year we had the Elders over for dinner the night we did the Brew.

"That Not Pumpkin!" --Hannah

The kids were so excited about pumpkins this year. We got a book at the library "This Is Not A Pumpkin" and Hannah spent all of October shouting "Pumpkin! That not pumpkin!" every time we saw a pumpkin. The boys planned their faces out on paper before we carved and spent several days choosing different features for various pumpkins they drew. Hannah dropped hers (several times) so it got taped back together.

James' Kindergarten

A couple weeks ago James started a Kindergarten for Matthias. They were in the bedroom for at least two hours with James giving Matthias assignments and Matthias working on different projects. As soon as James got home from school the next day they raced up to have class again. He even gave Matthias a homework assignment to write the numbers 1-10 which I dutifully helped him with while James was at school.

The morning after the first class as James was eating breakfast and getting ready to go he said, "We need to get a sign and hang it by our door so other kids will see it and come to my kindergarten."

Me: Um, I think probably most parents want their kids to go to school with an adult teacher.
James: Why?

Driving to Texas

Because I like these pictures. And yes, this was 2 months ago.

Reading W/Dad

Halloween

Despite my dislike for Halloween we had a great year...because it was on Sunday and we could forgo trick or treating. Which I can never understand as I don't want my kids to have a bucket full of junk (let's be honest, Halloween candy isn't even good quality sugar) and I certainly don't want to purchase candy to give to other people's children. It's a lose-lose situation. If we're going to eat chocolate and sugar let's have Dove or Lindt at the very least.

So this year we had a great activity at the church w/ a small amount of candy and dancing!! So fun. The kids had a blast despite the freezing temp of 60 degrees. Hannah loved dancing, alone or with Taylor. The boys ran around the dance area in circles for about 90 minutes.

James was a Sand Trooper (?) and was disappointed he couldn't wear his mask since it was a church function, but was really happy when I said I would paint his face instead.

Matthias changed his costume every day and settled on bat about 15 minutes before we left for the church. His other ideas that stuck the longest were army, rhino, missionary, and muscle man...which he was still insisting on as everyone else was dressed and ready to go. Not sure what he was envisioning, but we talked him into bat. That bat costume has gotten a lot of use.

Hannah was a witch because she put that hat on about 3 weeks before Halloween and I feel in love! So I made her costume so it would have hot pink. She looked excellent!

My costume was a last minute idea so my YW didn't think I was lame...all made possible by Matthias army hat. They liked it, I fooled some people, and started some rumors. =]

Matthias Chatter

Matthias: Who was the baby when you were a kid?
Me: Do you mean like my brothers and sisters?
Matthias: What was the name of the baby when you were a kid?
Me: Their names were Catherine, Teresa, and Mary.
Matthias: No. They are big.
Me: But they were babies when I was a kid. When I was six Catherine came out of my mommy's tummy and she was a baby.
Matthias: Then who was the baby when she was a kid.
Me: Then Teresa was. And then when Teresa was one Mary was born.
Matthias: Then who was the baby?
Me: No one. Mary was the last baby.
Matthias: Then who was the baby?
Me: After Mary my mom didn't have any more babies.
Matthias: Then they were a gramma and grampa? *pause* Who was the baby when they were a kid?


It was such a fun conversation. As he was trying to have a grasp on the fact that I was once a kid and grew up, he couldn't picture the fact that my sisters were once little too.



Also, he has turned into my little truth avoider (aka liar). I've read in so many parenting books/articles that kids go through a blatant stage of lying, but I did not really experience that with James. However Matthias is great at stating the complete opposite of the truth. For example I found his shoes laying in the living room and while we were all standing there looking at the shoes...

Me: Whose shoes are these?
Matthias: Not mine.

He then picked them up and put them away. But why the denial first?? I try to be pretty good at not introducing opportunities for lying like the one above. Usually I just get to the point w/out baiting him so that he will lie. But it's an interesting stage...