The Great Pumpkin Rides Again!

Unless you somehow missed it, Halloween was on Monday. This group of mine always has fun dressing up and doing fall things. The only disadvantage this year is that Kevin has been working a big work project that keeps him gone Mon-Thurs (and occasionally Friday) right now. That means most of our Halloween/Fall festivities ended up being pushed into a long weekend this year. Not the way we prefer to do it…but that’s just how the chips landed this year.

Thursday kicked it all off when I took the kids down to Tubbs Berry Farm after school. The kids enjoy the big slides, duck races, and the corn cannon (both hit targets this year). The Hay Bale maze is fun and there is always something new to see, do, or learn. For example: Did you know the average Honey Bee only lives six weeks and produces about 1/4tsp of honey during it’s lifespan?

I think the kid’s favorite element this year was the giant jump pad. This thing was huge, and we got there at a time when it was also devoid of other kids….My kangaroos went wild.

Saturday, after helping out at the Church’s fall cleanup and roaming the canal bed catching Crawdads we headed into town to the CSI Corn Maze. It wasn’t too many years back when we couldn’t make it through this thing without carrying people. Now we have to worry about them getting too far ahead and turning a corner on us. Not too many more years and they won’t have to stay with Mom and Dad the whole time….that has some potential

For now however I’ll enjoy the time as a family….besides these kids still come in handy when you get yourself truly turned around. “Okay sweetie, can you see the exit tent?”

Once we got done with the Corn Maze there was really only one thing left to do before Halloween itself…pumpkins!

This is another area where I’m always impressed by how far the kids have come. Jack doesn’t require any assistance anymore (except for some muscle to pull off the lid) and had some creative ideas up his sleeves (he turned his pumpkin on its side to use the nose as part of the face). Emilie still wanted help cleaning out her pumpkin. She also needed some carving help. She drew on the face (and hands, because all pumpkins have hands) and did a little carving (like one eye), but then, it seems, she suffered a career ending hand cramp and Mom had to step in and carve the rest under Emilie’s careful guidance and commentary. They turned out pretty good if you ask me.

Left to right: Kevin’s – Traditional Face (originally slated to be a trio of ghosts but the template allegedly ‘slipped’ so he went with option B), Mine – Butch the Cougar, Emilie – Hands! (I think it looks like ‘The Scream’ a bit). Jack – Stem-nose Pumpkin.

Then came Monday – Halloween Day – All Hallows Eve – Reformation Day and lots of parties. I attended three myself (Jack’s, Emilie’s, and Kevin’s Work)…how about you?

KINDERGARTEN PARTY

SECOND GRADE PARTY

Once the partying wrapped we had just enough time to go home and breath a bit for hitting the candy train to Tirck-or-Treat town. This year we did group costumes. Kevin/Jack went as Bandit (Burt Reynolds) and Snowman (Jerry Reid) from Smoky & The Bandit. Emilie and I went as Rapunzel and Mother Gothel from Disney’s Tangled. Both kid’s costumes turned out great! Jack got an extra handful of candy at one house because the homeowner was a trucker and said it was the best costume he’d seen all night…right down to the dog (Fred) strapped on back as his dog rides with him when he’s on the road. Jack was also stopped for a photo on the sidewalk by a parent who worked at a truck repair shop. Emilie wasn’t left out either, In fact her Rapunzel braid inspired a fellow mom to whip one up quick for her daughter who was also going as Rapunzel (Imitation is flattery people). In all we had a great time, are loaded down with Enough candy to easily make that Gain-10-lbs-by-New-Year goal, and have two kids already scheming up costumes for next year.

Oh….and those Crawdads I mentioned earlier…..

Gobble Till You Wobble

Thanksgiving this year was many years in the making. My older sister has lived on the east coast for close to a decade and always said that when they moved back to the west coast she wanted to host Thanksgiving dinner….a big family Thanksgiving dinner with both sides of her family. I wonder if, at the time, she realized this would include 10 kids under ten and three tweens/teenagers? Add that to 9 Adults and you’ve got a grand total of 22 people sitting around your table trying to figure out which way to pass the mashed potatoes (clockwise or counterclockwise?)

But let’s rewind….

Before we even got to the table it was quite the week. As I mention in my previous post about Jack’s Birthday, we left earlier than planned to get ahead of the weather that was supposed to hit. Since we were already halfway there on the day we had originally planned to leave we were able to take our time and see a couple of things on the “you know some day we should stop in there” list that has accumulated after years of driving back and forth along I-84/14. Of course this was after dealing with the hour time change by getting up at 6am to swim in the hotel pool (yep, we’re living the kid life)

The first stop included the SAGE Center in Boardman. The kids and I went here this summer but Kevin hadn’t been and this is definitely something everyone should visit. The scavenger hunt for the kids comes with cool prizes and most of the displays are hands-on. Jack even showed me how to plow a field. Yes that tractor we are in has a big computer monitor as a windshield and the steering wheel really guides you up and down the field and shows how accurate your passes are.

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Our next stop was at the Bonneville Dam and Hatchery. While I’ve been to the Visitor’s Center on the Washington side many many times, this was the first time in decades that I’ve been to the Oregon Side. So long that it might as well have been my first visit. The Dam and turbines were cool. Emilie and I played (and won) a computer game on the Salmon life cycle (Hey I grew up in the PNW and now I live in the Southern Idaho - - Both ends of the cycle folks, I’ve picked up a thing or two ). However, the coolest part was over at the Bonneville Hatchery. While they have a variety of salmon and trout they also have a pond full of ginormous White Sturgeon. There were several 6ft+ critters, but the biggest one of all was pushing 12’. He must have know we fish enthusiast were there to. He swam right out of the pond depths and past the viewing window, of which he stretched from one end to the other. Kevin was having fantasies and literally kissed the window at one point. It was fantastic.

After the hatchery it was a stop at Spooky’s in the Dalles (HUGE portions and great food) for lunch then on to the fun in Clark Co.

So back to Thanksgiving. My side of the family included: Our family of 4, My sister and brother-in-law and their 3 boys. My little sister and her 3 boys, and my parents. Then their was my brother-in-laws family consisting of his folks and 5 nieces and nephews. It was a whole delightful horde of controlled chaos.

Ben, at 8 months was the youngest and therefore attracted a legion of adoring fans in the oldest kids and grandparents.

Emilie took it upon herself to shower her cousins’ two guinea pigs and cat with love and adoration…much to their chagrin. They are probably thrilled that the little girl has gone back home.

The weather was so nice that the majority of the kids spent the morning/afternoon outside playing so I don’t have too many photos. However they did come in to decorate some placemats and eat their bodyweights in pickles and olives.

My Brother in-law spoiled us by making two turkeys, one smoked, one deep fried. They were equally delicious and he deserves a hug round of applause. In fact there were so many helping hands in the kitchen. It wouldn’t have been possible to pull it all off without everyone (and wine….lots of wine ).

Thanksgiving dinner was definitely one for the memory books and I’m sure I will look back upon this year fondly in years to come.

Happy Halloween

This year I couldn’t convince the kids to do any sort of group theme. They are big enough now that they have their own ideas on the matter. Jack wanted to be a ‘Construction Guy’ (NOT Bob the Builder….He corrected several people on this. He is Jack the Construction Guy!). Emilie was a princess riding Rainbow Sparkle Dash the flying unicorn (I have since learn that these are called Alicorns). In typical 4 year old fashion she couldn’t decided which dress and crown she wanted to wear so she ended up wearing one for our visit to the Fire Safety trunk or treat and another for Trick or Treating.

Yes, I said Fire Safety trunk or treat. Local fire departments do a trunk or treat and hand out candy and fires safety material. We’ve never been, but Jack brought home the flyer from school and (since he can now read what these things say ) asked several times if we could go see the trucks and Firefighter Bud (The Filer fire chief who Jack has met a few times and thinks is sooooooo awesome). Plus some of Dad’s coworkers were going to be there, including Smokey the Bear (Kudos to Stephen for bringing Smokey to life for the event )

 

Then it was on to Trick or Treating. We went over to our friends’ place in Kimberly, as usual. Ate waaay to much yummy food, as usual. A trick or treated until the kids’ feet wore (Emilie) or the bad got full (Jack).