Dag nabbit

That was a 4 day weekend that went down the crapper in a big dang hurry.  Blink. It’s gone. I mean, it was fun.  I talked to, or saw all the kids.  We had Halloween activities, and good food, and a little down time, and I managed to get both the pantry and the baking cabinet cleaned out and purged and organized.  I got a haircut, but didn’t get my walnuts sold because it was just wet and cold and you have to stand out there while they beat the hulls off and then tell you what they weigh so they can pay you.  I really didn’t want to stand out there in the rain.  

Since it was raining and chilly, I couldn't get the things done outside that I wanted to.  We resorted to cleaning and craft time.  The girls and I did a little bit of painting.  Saige made this rainbow skeleton.  Harper did the cool pumpkin below.

I made turkeys for Cameron's front door and just because.  Never enough Thanksgiving decor in the stores, since they skip from Halloween straight to Christmas.  I decided to make my own.  :)  I am a little worried that Cameron's neighbors will be extremely jealous.

We skipped Sunday dinner since the girls were going to trunk or treat in Carbondale, and we had a 4-H fall party.  Mallory did decide to come out and make us chicken and waffles.  We put in an appearance at the fall party, and then went home to eat her food instead.  We needed to drop off our portion of the community service project anyway.  Not to mention it was just wet and cold out.  I think the girls got a pretty good haul at trunk or treat!  

And Evelyn is all set for pajama day!  I think school personnel has lost their minds.  First of all, we have not had a 5 day week this month except for this upcoming week, where we will be having a bus evacuation drill and Halloween.  Then the school threw in some theme days - like the kids need anything else to be off the rails about.  It is madness!

We had a small incident with Zoey and Carlos.  I think they were both chasing Father Jo.  I think that Carlos got into Zoey's space.  Zoey knocked him around a little bit.  He was sore and cried when we touched him for a couple of days, but seems much better now.  I got him some treats to help him feel better.  It makes him look like he is smoking a cigar and it makes me laugh.  I am glad he is ok.  

Maude has discovered she can stand on her back feet and look at me through the kitchen window.  She was not amused at having to go out to potty in the rain.  Little does she know, I am immune to sad looking faces.  It did crack me up though.  Jim cam into the kitchen thinking I was talking to him.  In reality, I was talking to the dog, telling her begging to get in did not mean she was done going out to potty!  He didn't see her at first, and thought I was losing it.  Luckily, she doesn't give up easily!  

I am sad to have to return to the land of the working, but I am happy at having some things accomplished.  The upcoming week will be fun I hope.  

And I am starting on a new project - one that won't cost Jim any money - operation re-do GG's kitchen.  I am excited.  I love a good renovation job!  We got the cabinets degreased yesterday so that we can start painting.  Jim got a list of parts for fixing a few things.  This is going to be fun!  Need to remind myself to take "before photos" so we can see how much improvement there is!  When the older kids were small, we used to have a weekend show we all loved to watch - called "Trading Spaces" and even though it was a home makeover show, all of our kids loved watching it.  They did some crazy stuff on there, and it was always fun to see the reaction of the people.  I think it made me appreciate how much a coat of paint can change a space.  I am excited about this, and looking forward to it.  Who doesn't love a project amiright?  :) 

 

My fav - party day

What happens when your Grammy loves Halloween?  Like love love loves Halloween?

You have to have a party.  With crafts.  And pumpkin carving. And Halloween themed foods.  

And snacks. 

And desserts.  

And costumes. 

 

It was a fun night. I’m glad we did it.  I wish the weather would have cooperated. I had a new can of propane to make s’mores on my fire pit table. Unfortunately, nobody wanted to stand in the rain to make them.  Maybe next weekend.  

If you ever wanted to have a holiday that’s the most fun, Halloween is where it’s at! 

4 day weekend

Why do we have a 4 day weekend off of school?  I’m not entirely sure.  But we like it.  Even bus paras need days off now and then.  

Why am I the recipient of video evidence of Cameron and Preston’s karaoke night?  Again, I am not entirely sure, but if you send it, I feel the need to preserve it.  I love that they get together and do things.  My mom heart is happy.  But my ears.   Oh Lordy my ears! 

Jim, Harper, Saige and I all went Halloween prep shopping, grocery hauling and more outdoor project shopping today, when I got home from work.  It was a long, long day but we got it done and we’re back home in time to get a few things done.  

Things like water this watermelon.  Why am I watering watermelon who will probably never live long enough to actually be eaten?   It’s called hope.  I’ve been growing them all dang summer and I still would like to eat at least one of them!   They are about the size of my hand right now.  My common sense brain says it will freeze before they get ripe.  My heart really wants to successfully grow them to eating size.  Summer forever.  I don’t know what I did wrong.  All of my neighbors ate watermelon all summer. I was told it was a great year for it.  I had huge vines.  I had zero melons until now, and it is sad.  Still, a miracle could happen and we could go another couple weeks without a freeze right?   Right?   Jim, who actually hates watermelon has even been helping me keep it watered….be sure he feels sorry for my sad tale of watermelon woe. At this point, we are about 40,000 gallons of water in.  No sense is quitting now. 

When I am outside, I constantly hear yipping, hyperactive rustling of leaves, and see clouds of dust.  It is good to see Zoey playing and fitting in so well.  Maude and Zoey seem to be great friends. Crazy, hyper, insane, maniac friends.  

I am still picking up black walnuts.  I have my reasons.  Not all of them are nice but 

1- as much as I love wildlife, the squirrels who keep eating my flowers and garden produce really tick me off.   If I can get rid of some of their food, it feels like revenge. 

2- I hate black walnuts.  They taste terrible.  I remember grandma ruining good cookies and brownies by adding walnuts.  Nobody is adding them to anything here.  If I was starving, yes I could eat them, but I would rather not.

3- I do love sweet potatoes.  I am making 2 stops this weekend - to sell my nuts and then to use the money I made to buy sweet potatoes from walnut guy’s neighbor.  I’d rather store the taters than the walnuts in case of food shortages or zombie apocalypses.  

4- last year, I broke my shoulder walking across flat ground.  I do not need little rolling balls of death helping me out.  Seriously, they are a tripping hazard. 

5- I want to mow one last time before putting the mower up for the winter.  Walnuts make missiles that break windows. 

I’m not done, but the girls have agreed to picking up one of the last places left tomorrow.  I mean who doesn’t want to pick up walnuts when you have a day off?  

At least it is beautiful out there.  Weather and scenery.