Happy Halloween!

Lissy was still in town last Monday and she had told the older kids that she would take them to La Fuente for lunch and she kept her promise.  She gave Miles and Bennett Smarties to distract them while the rest of them headed out.  Then we they got back they all went out to play with their friends.  I spent some time working on prepping some documents to give to our accountants to see where we are as far as taxes this year-yuck.  I really dislike doing all the tax stuff but it has been part of my job description for years now and I don’t think it is going away.  I also got some of our patio furniture put away, took down the curtains outside, cleaned up the back porch and started working on Christmas lights.  Jackson knew I was hoping he would help me.  He was out playing with his friends and noticed I was working on them and told his friends he had to go help his mom J.  Lincoln also wanted to help me.  He checked all the lights before I put them up to see if we needed to replace any bulbs.  We just put up the main ones on the front of the house.  There really aren’t that many and I already have cup hooks in place to hold them, so it usually isn’t too bad putting them up.  The hardest part was probably getting the ladder in the right place.  Miles and Bennett loved them.  Miles was especially upset when I turned them off and kept trying to crawl back behind the bushes and plug them back in.  The kids also played some kick ball and Miles and Bennett showed me their push ups.

We had leftovers for dinner that night which was really easy.  The kids played outside past dark because the weather was so nice.  Then I took the three older ones to Wal-Mart to get stuff for our Operation Christmas Child boxes followed by some frozen yogurt at Tru Yo to celebrate the awesome report cards.  Then when we got home the kids packed up the boxes and got them ready to drop off at church.  Then it was back to school the next day.  I worked some more on taxes and Christmas presents.  And since it was Tuesday, Ellie had her dance and gymnastics.  Her school is celebrating Drug Awareness Red Ribbon Week so they have dress-up days.  Wednesday was Wacky Wednesday and she picked everything out herself and did her hair…

After cleaning the house, the twins and I got our grocery run in.  Then I worked on getting things ready for small group and a few other random projects.  The twins and Lincoln have rediscovered the Duplo blocks and have been building lots of things with them.  Of course there is some fighting involved but it is fun to watch them build.  The next morning Lincoln and the twins were up early.  I had not been feeling that well the night before so I was planning on skipping my run and sleeping in.  That didn’t turn out so well.  So we all laid around in bed for a bit then started getting ready for the day.  I was in a fog and it wasn’t until I was brushing the twins’ hair and teeth that I realized I had not brushed Lincoln’s hair or teeth before he left for school that morning-oops.  I was totally ready to just head back to bed but had so much to do for the day.  I took the twins to Lincoln’s Halloween party at school that morning, then we did lunch and an early nap. 

 

Andrew had depositions in the afternoon so I had to pick up the kids from school.  He did manage to get by Hy-Vee and pick up a few things I had forgot at the store the day before.  I was going to go again Wednesday after small group but with the way I was feeling I just went to bed.  So I was thankful he got the stuff for me because I definitely didn’t feel like taking the kids again and I was preparing a meal for our church secretary who had recently had a baby.  After I put the twins down for their nap, Lincoln helped me make some cookies.  We made a pretty large batch because I wanted some to use for the dinner and then a bunch to take to my parents for Halloween weekend since a lot of people were going to be back.  So we got one batch cooked and started on some things for dinner before we had to pick up the kids from school.  Then I was able to get the last of the cookies baked before it was time to take Jackson and Ellie to swim team.  I decided I would try to take the meal to the family after I picked them up and was in a mad rush when I got home to get it all finished but then Andrew called to let me know he was done and could pick Jackson and Ellie up.  So that gave me a little extra time which was nice.  I was able to make enough of the pasta dish that I had one to give, one for us that night and one to freeze to use while Andrew is recovering from surgery.  I have made some extra for a few meals the last couple of weeks so now we have several freezer meals we can use during that busy time between Andrew’s surgery and Christmas.  But after Andrew got home with the kids then I headed out with the meal.  The family lives in our old neighborhood so I had to drive by our old house J.  Then I ran by Wal-Mart to grab a few things and then by the office to pick up the Garfield holiday DVD that Andrew had requested.  Andrew and the kids ate while I was gone so I cleaned things up when I got home and then ate myself. 

I have to include this next little story so that Jackson and I can look back on it.  Later in the evening I ended up going out back and just sitting in one of the chairs, bundled up, just getting away from everything for a bit.  It had been a hectic day, the kids were challenging, Andrew and I had an argument, etc.  A little later the back light turns on and someone comes outside.  I thought it was Andrew, but it was actually Jackson.  He had just taken a shower and was just in some shorts that he wears for pjs.  He kept saying he wasn’t cold.  He said he and Andrew had been looking for me.  But he just took the seat next to me and looked at me with such empathy.  This isn’t a side I see that much of these days from Jackson.  He asked how I was doing.  He tried to have a little conversation.  And then he just asked me if I was having a rough day.  I told him I was and he said that it was okay and he sometimes had rough days at school.  He said that sometimes he runs out of time and isn’t able to get his work completed and it frustrates him.  I told him that I was surprised by that because he seems to do a good job at school and is a great student.  And then he said, “And you are a great mom.”  I just had to thank God for giving me Jackson and using him in that moment.  I love that kid!

Friday was Halloween.  I had a lot of baking to do along with a couple class parties so I tried to get started on the baking earlier in the day.  But we also had Jackson and Ellie’s class parties throughout the day.  Jackson’s was at 11:30 and they were supposed to have a picnic at their garden pavilion followed by a game of capture the flag.  But since it ended up being so cold, they had the “picnic” in their classroom so we joined Jackson for that.  I brought little bags of cheesits for Lincoln and the twins so they would have something to eat too.  Jackson liked having them there and his classmates did too.  The twins were a little less shy than I thought they would be and they thought it was fun to hide under the teacher’s desk.  Thankfully we weren’t there too long or else who knows what else they would have done. 

I picked up some McDonalds for them on the way home and got make to work while they ate.  I also had to make sure I had all the costumes and under layers ready to go and before I knew it, it was time to head to Ellie’s party.  Molly came over after her classes to watch Lincoln and the twins while I went.  I was in charge of the craft so I knew I probably didn’t want to bring them with me.  Lincoln helped Molly ice the sugar cookies for me while I was gone which I was so grateful for.  Ellie’s party was a lot of fun.  They had a few different games set up and the craft that they got to rotate through.  The craft I had was making spiders out of pom pom balls and pipe cleaners.  It came in a kit and said to just use glue to put them together.  I even bought some googly eyes to attach to them.  But it was soon evident the regular glue was not going to work.  They just kept falling apart.  The kids were good sports though and we ended up getting out a glue gun.  So they kids got to pick out their pom poms, put their legs together and then give it to an adult to glue together. 

 

After Ellie’s party was over it was time for school to be over, so we picked up Jackson and headed home.  Lincoln and Ellie ended up going with Molly to my parents.  Then Jackson helped me make some of the pretzel rolo treats before we loaded everything up and headed over to my parents.  All of my siblings except Amanda and Caroline were able to come back so it was a lot of crazy, chaotic fun.  My mom had dinner ready for all of us so we filled up before we dressed up the kids, attempted some group pictures and headed out for some trick-or-treating.  I never got a picture of all of my kids together throughout the day because it was always so crazy.  Jackson was a Jedi, Ellie was Elsa, Lincoln was Superman and the twins were Maverick and Goose.

 

We went out trick-or-treating kind of early so it seemed like there weren’t many houses that had their lights on.  It worked out okay for our group though.  Once the twins got their first piece of candy, they were so excited and started running to the other houses.  They loved it!  It was cold though so we just went around the block and then a few other houses on York Street before we headed home.  Then the kids dug into their candy.  There was even someone’s bucket under the table by the end of the night with candy wrappers all around.  We aren’t sure who snuck under there to eat all the candy but I don’t think it was the owner of the bucket. 

Andrew and Jackson headed home earlier since they had youth deer hunting the next morning.  Lincoln and Ellie spent the night with their cousins and the twins and I eventually made it home.  They argued over the moon the whole way home-who the moon belonged to.  Then I said it was God’s moon so they argued over that too.  I imagine we will have many more senseless arguments throughout the years.  Andrew and Jackson were up early the next morning and got all bundled up to head out for their hunt.  They didn’t have any success though and came back in around lunch time.  I took the kids over to my parents and then had to take Lincoln out to the corn maze for Ty’s birthday party.  Andrew picked him up from the party came by my parents to pick up the twins to take them home for naps while I stayed at to help get things ready for their Halloween party.  My mom has been wanting to do a hayride at the party for several years now and Leah’s Dad, Darrell, offered to do it for her.  Well he ended up with the flu and wasn’t able to do it.  We had decided to just let it go, but I could tell my mom was disappointed that she was so close to getting it.  So my dad said he would get the tractor over to the house, Darrell picked up the trailer for us and then Andrew committed to driving for the hayride.  So I dropped my dad off at the Hettingers and he drove the tractor back to the church parking lot near our house.  I think he enjoyed being on a tractor again. 

Then he was back to getting things ready for the party.  My mom did so much work for the party-lots of good food, super cute decorations and games for the kids.  And it was fun having so many people back to celebrate with.  We successfully got all the kids back in the costumes and everyone headed out to the pool house for the party.  It was a fun crowd and there was so much food.  Plus the fire was going for s’mores, the kids got to open a piñata, Lissy bought some super cute pumpkin lanterns to let go and of course the hayride.  I think everyone had a great time but then it was time to clean up.  Andrew took Jackson and the twins home while I helped clean.  Ellie and Lincoln were in my parent’s house and I guess things got kind of wild in there with all the sugar-hyped kids.  Then as we were cleaning up from the party, my dad started draining the hot tub and pool to get ready to winterize it and get the cover on while he had help in town. 

Sunday we went to early service and then Andrew headed out to the ranch to try to stack some hay again.  I did a few things around the house and then headed to my parents.  I was hoping to see people before they left but I guess everyone was anxious to get home.  Andy and Autumn were the only ones there and they left just a few minutes after we got there.  But my mom ordered some pizza and we just hung out for a little bit.  But then we had to head home and get to work on stuff.  I worked on catching up on laundry, taking down Halloween decorations and putting it away, trying to figure out the menu/shopping list for the week and going through pictures from the weekend.  Jackson helped me out by taking down the Halloween lights in our tree out front and putting away a few other Halloween things.  Then he went outside to play along with Ellie and Lincoln while the twins napped.  Andrew ended up getting home around 4 so he picked up the trailer and took it back to the owner before he came home.  Then it was my turn to go grocery shopping.  It was sad that it was already dark around 5 this evening though.  You feel like the kids should come home because it is dark but it really isn’t that late.  But hopefully waking up in the morning will be a little easier since it will be lighter earlier.  So now we are on to another week which thankfully won’t be quite as busy.