Maybe the reason why I've taken so long to blog about Halloween is because of my general apathy towards the holiday. Now before you get all up in arms over my lack of holiday spirit and overall sense of fun, just simmer yourselves down. I love me enough Thanksgiving, Christmas, and my birthday to make up tenfold for my Halloween deficiencies.
Coming up with four costumes every year is enough to send anyone running and screaming.
The one good thing about this year? It was the last time I have to worry about four costumes. My costume responsibilities will decrease by half next year, as Emma and Leah have now gone the way of all good teenagers (emphasis on the word good) who no longer trick-or-treat. In fact, they really should have been relegated to handing out candy THIS year, but they made a good case for themselves...last year, their would-be final T-or-T, Halloween fell on a Sunday and no one went out. So this was the last hurrah.
Hurrah!
There is a significant lack of pictures, despite there being plenty of festivities. Church Trunk-or-Treat (out of town), major rager at the intermediate school (bookended by a sleep over), class parties (no longer a room mom), and of course the haul at the end of the night (I think I just wanted kids to get in bed). But for posterity's sake, here are a token few...
chicken taco soup and cornbread for dinner--better than any snack-size candy!
my crew--a couple I-Luminate girls, a bodyguard, and a Hogwarts student
the whole darn lot of cuteness
this is what the parents have to look forward to next year...the teens taking the littles around by themselves!
the very start of what would prove to be a lengthy night. and yes, jake was the ringleader of it all.
Ok, so Halloween isn't so bad, but it's got nothin' on a day like today. I got out of bed at 9:30, I watched the parade, I smell that turkey in the oven, I'm about to pore over the Black Friday ads, and in a couple hours the entire family will descend upon my house ready to eat and relax and be together. It is a bright, sunshine-y day and I love it. Now THAT'S what I call a holiday.
We are gathered here today to mourn the passing of one whole month since my return from a lovely get-away to Minneapolis with Glenn. As now I am in the depths of teacher conferences, doctors appointments, secretly getting the house and other affairs ready for my parents to come for Christmas, kids home for the entire Thanksgiving week, and making meals, let us reflect back on the beauty that was five whole days of TIME.
TIME to enjoy the freshest guacamole (like we watched her make it right there at our table) at a fancy Mexican restaurant that we were maybe a little under-dressed for.
TIME to walk a couple miles to see this sculpture. Which apparently is a big deal.
TIME to take a picture of myself as a crossed a (rickety-looking) bridge that spanned a very busy freeway.
TIME to sit at a wanna-be Parisian crepe shop and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate that I was convinced had a little java in there. But no caffeine buzz, no foul.
TIME to find a bahn mi food truck and decide to get one for lunch. (It wasn't Nom Nom, but it was probably pretty close.)
TIME to eat the bahn mi in the two-story Target. It was a little chilly outside.
TIME to get the yummiest turtle candies from Candy Land.
TIME to get a cupcake (or two) and bring them back to the hotel room and eat all by myself before taking a nap.
And now, as this idyllic moment in time goes the way of all the earth, we give our sincerest thanks. Yes, this trip will always be remembered most fondly for its gift of TIME. It did for me what few others, if any ever have. It gave me a chance to be independent, feel cosmopolitan, and exercise my agency in ways heretofore unknown. And then get to hang out with my husband when he was done working. We will never forget.
I had a roommate in college who would say that every time the clock showed 11:11, so in honor of today's very special date, I thought I'd make a few wishes...
I wish that every night was pizza and movie night.
I wish that the pizza would make itself.
I wish that we could have a fall like we've had this year every year. And that it would last for a good six months. Four even! Three? How about just six solid weeks of the gorgeous fall colors and 60-degree weather like we had on Tuesday?
I wish that I would never have to get out from under a warm, cozy blanket after a warm, cozy nap.
I wish that I could to get my act together and get those blog posts written about my fab trip to Minneapolis with Glenn and Halloween.
I wish that the road construction guys would take away the huge pylons from in front of my driveway so that I don't have to park my car across the street anymore.
I wish that my parents would get here for the holidays.
I wish that my house would always be as peaceful as it is right now...kids playing happily and quietly with cousins, more cousins on the way, a piano lesson in the background.
Dear Mr. Principal, Mrs. Assistant Principal, Mr. Home Room Teacher and Mrs. Home Room Teacher,
Good morning--
Because of our family's values system, we do not watch R-rated movies--adults included. Emma and Leah made the choice to not participate in the viewing of the unedited version of "Last of the Mohicans" or any other subsequent R-rated movie at school. It is my understanding that the alternative activity for them is to spend the morning in the school library. This doesn't sound too fun, and as a parent I would like to reinforce and reward my children's tough and courageous decision rather then have them feel as though they are being punished. I am going to allow them to stay home from school Friday morning to relax and have some fun while their friends and classmates are relaxing and having fun watching the movie.
I understand that there are lots of fun activities planned for later that day. I will have Emma and Leah back to school at 11:00am.
I do not wish to cause any trouble or make too big of an issue, nor do I wish for any undue attention to come to the girls over this situation. I appreciate your sensitivity and support.
Interestingly enough, that movie is being shown in its edited form on network TV this week. We are recording it and will be watching it this weekend with the girls, so they will be able to participate in any classroom discussion.
Yes, it was extremely muddy. Yes, it was extremely cold. Yes, it was extremely windy. But the rain held and the girls were better prepared with long sleeve running shirts. (I don't know why it took me so long to get them some!) The last race of the season was an exciting one!
Mud and ponytails flying right and left
15:07 - 49th place
15:36 - 63rd place
And when it was all over, we were the champions for the second year in a row!!! I am not sure that the girls were expecting it this year and it was so awesome to see their faces as the third and second place teams were called out...and it wasn't ours! A huge cheer arose when they named Westlake as the champs!
My two very own winners...who battled the elements all season long and came out victors!! They have put up with a lot and I am very proud of their determination.
Can't wait to see what next year's 5k races will bring...but for now, we are calling this season GOOD!
I don't know if you've heard, but there's a Mormon running for president of the United States. And he may be considered by some (or many) to be a front runner for the Republican Party. So it was just a matter of time before somebody said something about his religion.
The latest buzz is surrounding a comment made by a Southern Baptist reverend who supports another candidate that Mormons aren't Christians. Hmm. It's nothing new. I don't know if there is a Mormon out there who hasn't heard that.
My question is, however, whether this particular reverend or anyone else who holds this viewpoint of Mormons has ever asked one personally about what exactly they believe. And so, since I am a Mormon, I thought I would share exactly what I believe.
I looked up what the definition of "Christian" is, since I thought that maybe I was missing something. As a Mormon, I would define myself as a Christian. But just in case, I wanted to see how I measure up. Here is how dictionary.com defines "Christian:"
The actual name of my church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and I have never in all my 30-something years ever been to an LDS church service where we do not "talk of Christ,...rejoice in Christ...[or] preach of Christ." I believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost and that they are three separate and distinct personages. I believe that Jesus Christ is God's Only Begotten Son, that He was born of Mary, that He lived a perfect life here on earth. I believe that while on the earth He established a church, the organization of which the LDS church is patterned after. I believe in everything He taught in the Sermon on the Mount. I believe He raised the dead and healed the sick. I believe He atoned for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane. I believe He died on the cross. I believe He was resurrected on the third day. I believe that through Him, and only through Him we can be saved. I believe that if I keep the commandments and try to live my life as He lived His and put my faith in Him that I can someday return to God and live with them in Heaven.
Is the Mormon Church a part of "any of certain Protestant churches?" No. So if you would like to focus on that one last definition, then well, I guess I am indeed not a Christian. But if you would like to look at the other eight, I think our religion measures up pretty well.
In the eternal scheme of things, I am not going to get too worked up over what people think of me. Everyone is certainly entitled to believe what they would like, since this is ultimately what I myself want from everyone else. My only problem comes when 1) a person making those statements doesn't go right to the source to find out the truth (I mean, if you wanted to learn about American Greetings, would you ask an employee of Hallmark? The information you get might be slightly skewed.) and 2) a person making those statements is trying to be inflammatory.
Actually, I am kind of glad that this comment was made, because I think it is empowering a lot of Mormons to speak up and speak out, to clear the air, to teach and to inform. But in the end, what is most important to me is my unwavering testimony:
I love my Savior, Jesus Christ with all of my heart. I know that He lives, I know that He is the Son of God, and I know that without Him I would be nothing.
To me, it doesn't get any more Christian than that.
Finally. We had a week+ run of beautiful sunny fall weather.
We had a Fun Run at the rec center which was great because local family could easily attend.
The sun continued on through the weekend, and even though there was still mud on the course, the penultimate race was back on our home turf. And no one was shivering.
Emma crossed the finish line in 14:49.
Leah was not far behind at 15:09.
Yes, that would be an improvement of over a minute in their best times this year. I think the good weather caused a real pep in their step.
The last meet is conference champs on Saturday, and while I am not sure we will have 70 degree weather, or sun, I am hoping with all my fingers crossed that the weather holds at least until about 2:30pm.
Also having a great day on Saturday was Andrew in his fall baseball league. This league has been a struggle for him, from having lots of coaches and parents who smoke around him ("Mom, I didn't know that women were allowed to smoke!"), from being one of the youngest on a team with kids who were almost 12 years old, to hearing coaches use swear words during the post-game pep talks, to being benched for most of the games, to striking out most of his times at bat. He struggled, but he stayed strong, was a good example, showed good sportsmanship, and learned a lot.
And finally, after two weeks of cancelled games (all of which were made up on Sundays - boo.), he did this:
Out at home, but love how he tries to slam the catcher!
I agree with the dad in the background...smart baserunning!
Unfortunately, just as he's hitting his stride, this is his last game. Other commitments this Saturday, and the rest of the make up games are on Sundays. But he ended on a good note and came out still loving the game of baseball.
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