The Jedi Witch Seamstress

Daniel wanted to be Luigi for Halloween this year . . .

. . . so Joy went online and found some simple instructions

for making overalls out of felt . . .

. . . and spent the afternoon sewing them in preparation

for tonight's trunk-or-treat party.

Anna decided to be Princess Peach this year 

(she bought the wig and crown with her own hard-earned money) . . .

. . . and Joy is a cool Jedi witch.

She's also an awesome sister.

The Annual CWaCA

It's time once again for the annual

combined-ward-youth pumpkin-carving contest!

Wow--that's a really unwieldy title for an activity.

Maybe we should call it CWaCA

(Contest Without a Cool Acronym).

Anyhow, the participants brought pumpkins to carve,

then they all voted on which ones were their favorites.

Some of the kids' carving skills are very impressive.

I couldn't produce something that artistic looking,

especially if I only had an hour to carve it.

Joy and Daniel hoped that a dapper accessory

would give their homage to Lord Vader an edge in the competition . . .

. . . but he was ultimately defeated by Yoda.

If carved onto the side of pumpkin you ever are,

look as good you will not.

You Might Be a Geek

You might be a geek if . . .

. . . you play "Chemistry Hangman" at family home evening . . .

. . . and when you visit a 4-H rabbit club meeting around Halloween,

you ask to take picture of the vice president

in her cool Mandalorian costume.

(She made most of it herself,

but bought the helmet through Etsy.)

Crazy Parakeet Dance Party

Our piano teacher hosted her virtual fall concert this evening.

While Anna performed a beautiful song she's been polishing . . .

. . . Daniel and Todd listened on the couch nearby . . .

. . . and Joy doodled, because she's willing to be present and support her sibs,

but she doesn't find piano concerts particularly enthralling.

After the concert, Daniel played "O Polichinelo"

(which we've nicknamed "The Cici Song")

while the other kids danced a crazy parakeet dance.

Concertos are all well and good,

but sometimes it's nice to let your hair (er, feathers?) down

and have some fun.

Communing on a Chilly Day

Anna, Joy, and I wanted a quiet place to ponder this afternoon . . .

. . . so we headed to the temple to soak up the Spirit there

and commune with God about things that are on our minds lately.

The weather was pretty chilly today

(I decided to do my communing in the slightly warmer van) . . .

. . . but we were still grateful that we could come to the temple

for a little beauty, solitude, and inspiration.

Deluxe Cocoa

This evening . . .

. . . Daniel played a virtual concert for some of our relatives . . .

. . . then the girls and I went to a nearby café

for some white hot chocolate.

Joy thinks ordering deluxe cocoa is even more fun

if you dress up for the occasion.

Atypical Scarecrows

When I drove through the city of Andover this afternoon,

I noticed some unusual scarecrows lining one of its main streets.

They included . . .

. . . a familiar Italian plumber and his buddy Toad . . .

. . . a scarecrow in scrubs encouraging us to visit

a certain dentist for regular checkups . . .

. . . and a bold redhead who aspires to be our "first female president."

She gets full points for her stylish and patriotic outfit,

but since scarecrows are notoriously brainless

I'm kinda reluctant to vote for her.