Cannonballs, Mushrooms, and Sand

This afternoon we visited a pirate playground in the area.  The kids found a lot to see and do there.

Joy struck a dramatic pose . . . 

. . . and helped weigh down the ship's anchor, . . .

. . . Daniel ranged all over . . .

. . . and seemed especially fond of stepping on the mushrooms (channeling Mario and Luigi, perhaps), . . . 

. . . while Anna carefully inspected the sand, leaves, . . .

. . . and the musical chimes.  I thought "A Pirate's Life for Me" or even "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" would be appropriate tunes to play, but Anna preferred to perform her own compositions.

Thanksgiving the Second

My family gathered at Aunt Breta's to celebrate Thanksgiving this afternoon.

Daniel quickly discovered that the house's floor plan allowed him to run laps through the kitchen, family rooms, and dining room.  He thought that was pretty awesome.

Generations 1 and 2 (plus the Mulroneys) dined inside . . .

. . . while Generations 3 and 4 dined al fresco (the kids were at a card table nearby, but showed little interest in the feast; their loss).  It's funny--I'm always experimenting in the kitchen at home because I love to try new recipes, but there was something immensely comforting about eating the same beloved Thanksgiving recipes my family has been making since I was a child.

I'm so very grateful for my family, the abundance we enjoy, and the Gospel to guide us.

Early Turkey Day

Since Pink Grandma will be out of town on Thanksgiving we celebrated it a little early with her today.

Daniel wore his "Eat Pizza" shirt for the occasion.  I really love that shirt.

Grandma had a fun holiday project planned.  She had the kids trace their hands to make turkey feet . . .

. . . then we cut out colorful turkey feathers and glued them to bamboo skewers . . .

. . . and after writing something the kids were thankful for on each feather, we inserted them into the turkey.

In case you're wondering, Joy wrote (in her own handwriting) that she's thankful for the prophet, birthday, holidays, home, toys, earning money, food, macaroni, grandparents, kind parents, school, family.

Daniel dictated his gratitude list as follows: macaroni and cheese, marbles, grandma, the park, Daddy, Primary, iPads, Joy kept her card green, Joy gets surprises, Joy can go to school, my lizards.

A Couple of Gardening Experiments

I added a few more herbs to my container garden today . . .

. . . and initiated a little experiment.  I poked holes in a small plastic bottle . . .

. . . then buried all but the top of it.  The theory is that you fill it each time you water, and it will deliver water right to the plants' roots.  I'm hoping it will keep my lettuce plants nice and happy when the weather warms up (after the seeds sprout, of course).

I also planted a few garlic cloves (courtesy of my local grocer).  It's my first time attempting garlic in a container.  We'll see how they do.

Ups and Downs at the Park

The little kids and I spent a pleasant morning at the park today.

Daniel demonstrated his proficiency at climbing . . .

 . . . while Anna kind of sort of contemplated climbing, someday.

What goes up must come down.

The Spirit of Giving (in October)

I can't believe how many Halloween activities we've participated in over the past week.

There was the community Halloween festival at a local park, . . .

. . . our ward's Trunk-or-Treat . . .

. . . where I oversaw the hands-free doughnut eating game, . . .

. . . dinner at my parents' home (Mom made her traditional Skull Island-shaped meatloaf, and my sister made a Lock Ness Monster dessert), . . .

. . . we carved a family jack-o-lantern last night, . . .

. . . and Joy strutted her stuff in the school Halloween parade (all the kindergarteners wore spider hats which they made as part of their science unit on arachnids).

After all that, I was kind of surprised that the big kids still wanted to dress up and go trick-or-treating tonight.  I gamely put their costumes on for the third time, donned some Minnie Mouse ears, and sallied forth into the darkness.  As my kids politely thanked one neighbor after another for the candy they handed out, I was struck by the fact that across America, millions of people were giving away free treats tonight for the sole purpose of making others happy, including countless children they had never even met before.  What a sweet, generous tradition.

Boo!!!  Happy Halloween!