11-11-11

I am not really sure why, but I have a very soft spot for soldiers and their families. I cry at USO commercials or when the news shows troops leaving or coming home. I just can't imagine the sacrifice they families and the soldier make being so far apart and in harms way. So even though we didn't have any big plans to celebrate Veteran's Day, 11-11-11, I was glad I got to be there for our Parkside choir to sing "God Bless the USA," oh the tears! Love these kids, love this school, love this country, love our troops!

Cool School and Happy Halloween!

EARLY Halloween morning Elisabeth and I headed to Parkside to be part of the Fox13 Cool School broadcast. The kids where challenged by anchor Big Budda to go without bulling reports for a month and earned Cool School of the week. The choir was first up bright and early at 5:45am! I was so surprised how many kids got there and how good they were. They featured our school in different segments all morning, including me having to talk about Roads to Success and Halloween traditions. Elisabeth also got to share her book from last years Author's Fair, Big Budda tested her Packer knowledge, but she had no problem showing him up!

(Elisabeth was a darling jester with a dolled up costume from Becky's costume closet)

Then it was on my last Halloween parade as an elementary mom, they go by so quick, the school years and the parade of kids. And then that afternoon I helped with the Halloween party in Mrs. Schutz class.

The kids rounded up friends for trick or treating, Elisabeth took off with Hayden, Alex, Nate and Rianna. And Sam called up Parker, Josh and Sammy, I have rule they can still go if they have costumes, so once again Sam pulled out the Super Chicken costume from 2nd grade, it getting considerably smaller. Another perk of having older kids is sending them out on their own to trick or treat, we stayed behind watching football and passing out candy with Joe and Randi. It was the best weather for trick or treating, and the kids had a great time, they trick or treat for a while and then hang out and someones house until they made it back home.

Overall, it was a long day, but everybody was in good spirits considering the EARLY start time.

Professional Pumpkin Carver...

I must say one of the perks of my kids getting older is not having to touch a single pumpkin gut! Besides cutting Elisabeth's top this year, they were on their own, and they did a great job. Sam so enjoyed the first TWO pumpkins he did at Grandma's that when we came home the little girls from next door came over to admire his handy work, there dad said you want to do ours? and Sam did! The first one the girls sat right down and told him what to carve, the other two he went with his own ideas. We thought he did a great job! And Elisabeth made a great JackSkeleton too!

Ashlyn gets an unwanted hug from her two uncles.

Lizzie B

Adrian used a marker on his pumpkin was a little freaked out about it being all over his hands.

These two little boys, Eli and Adrian, really like Samuel, it's kinda worrisome what he might be teaching them.

Master Pumpkin Carver

The neighbors pumpkins.

Sam's first two pumpkins.

This is the one the girls, Adi and Malory, told him what to do. All girl Adi wanted a heart eye.

Elisabeth's Jack turned out great!

This warty pumpkin was the hardest thing ever, Sam ended up using the drill to get it done at all.

Sam's 8bit pumpkin.

Getting creative!

Sometimes it's who you know...

This year with our beloved UTES entering the Pac12 there have been fewer tickets available from the dealership kicking around. But we were lucky enough to get a turn to go to the game versus Oregon State. And they were tickets in the press box, where Coach Kyle Whitingham's family sits. It was kinda weird sitting up there, everybody was pretty serious, you could hear the television announcer in the next booth! We enjoyed watching the teams first Pac12 win. Thanks Chad for the hook up! Afterwards, we headed to Chili's with Joe and Randi, we watched them from the booth like crazy stalkers, for dessert.

Elisabeth had spent here Saturday how she usually does, at the ballet studio. They had had a Halloween party that day so she was in a getup that was half Halloween half crazy Ute fan.