I came across these pictures and I just had to share them. A little back story is necessary though. Carl's mother likes roosters, they are evident all through her kitchen, there are a lot of them everywhere. There is one rooster in particular that sits on the middle of the island in the kitchen and Carl swears that they were told that if they broke it they had better head to Mexico to hide. Well, of course this encourages him to make a joke of it, good thing his mom has a really great sense of humor. I think his vandalising the rooster started before I even met him but in the course of our marriage I have seen cheese whiz hanging from, dolls sitting on, hats added to this rooster. When we would go to his parents house he would always be planning something and then he would wait and see how long it took for mom to notice, I think that was the most fun for him. One time he even tried to plan to move the rooster off of the island into another room and put a really tacky ugly one up and then "accidentally" smash it. I put the kibosh on that one, I didn't want to risk something really happening to it if it was moved, I don't know how much I would like hiding in Mexico. On our last visit Carl arrived before us and when I came in the rooster was already trussed up, here are the results.
Madison spent the day outside helping Grandpa with the leaves. He would make the piles to take to the goats and she would disperse them. She had the best time. She tried to share the fun with the cat but he just would not appreciate it.
The next Holiday outing was the kids Fall Festival at school. It was in the gym which was really crowded. After doing Ha-Na's hair Madison begged me to make hers curly. I worked with a curling iron and got it all done which lasted all of an hour before it fell straight again. She always cries about her straight hair while I always hated my curls. I guess we always want what we don't have. We first went to the cake walk and were informed that the kids cake was one of the first that was taken. They won 2nd place in the 3rd grade entry for the cake. They had so much fun playing the games and especially liked the hayride around Kamiah. At the end we took them through the haunted house (which was actually the stage). Madison said it was her favorite part of the festival (I think it was actually the fact that Grandpa was holding her as she went through). They all had a great time and especially liked showing off their costumes.
The kids school had a cake decorating contest. They were both really excited about it so I said I would make one cake and they could decorate it together. My mom and I Macgyvered (sp?) together a pan out of a colander parchment paper and nonstick spray since they don't bake and had nothing to do it in. It worked and I gave the kids supplies and let them go crazy.
I did have to tie my hands up so I would not take over, I did give verbal suggestions but in reply received eye rolling. OK, they did take some of them. The buckle at the front was Carl's idea, he said it was a must.
We will find out tomorrow if it won anything, it will be added to the cake walk they are having at the fall festival for the school tomorrow. The kids get to wear their finished (yeah) costumes to the festival. I am going to try to keep them away from the cake walk though, we leave next week and there is no way I want the pressure of finishing a cake before Wednesday.
OK, I could probably eat it in one sitting but I really shouldn't. We already have two half gallons of ice cream that have to be eaten, the kids are so excited, dessert every night until we go.
I finally figured out how to do the whole video thing, here is the kids dancing at the Halloween square dance.
This is probably my most favorite holiday. I think because it is the start of the holiday season and I have so many childhood memories of decorating our house and getting our costumes ready. The season really starts to feel like fall which is my favorite time of the year. Then when we would get home from trick or treating my mom would make homemade doughnuts and read us scary stories while we sip apple cider in front of the fireplace.
Being in Bahrain I was not able to do much for Halloween, there are no pumpkins for an affordable price and very few decorations and of course no trick or treating or parties for the kids, until I decided to throw one last year. I love the holidays and especially decorating but with moving around like we have we have had not really been able to do that because we are not in a place long enough, we live in a hotel or are out of the country. So, this year I was determined my kids were going to experience the holiday season in full force. I started first by deciding to make their costumes, the girls are princesses and Carl was going to be a knight but changed his mind at the last minute when he saw a cape that grandma has and wants to be Dracula. That is less work for me so I said sure.
For Halloween itself we will actually be in Seattle where we will try to go to a farm and do a corn maze and a hay ride at the pumpkin patch, trunk or treat at my friends ward party, stop by my brothers party at his house and then take the kids trick or treating. We are sooo looking forward to all this fun but we even got to start it early. My parents have been square dancing for years (they are really disappointed none of their kids took it up but there seems to be a chance for the grand kids) and they were having one for Halloween. My mom decorates for all the dances and she did a great job for this one. As aforementioned I have been making the girls costumes, I wasn't quite finished but they were done enough and mom and dad wanted to show of their grand kids to their friends. They danced and had the best time showing off their costumes.
Tonight for Family Home Evening we decided to carve pumpkins that a friend of my parents gave us, decorate the house and decorate Halloween cupcakes. I was so sad that Carl was missing everything. My mom read fun Halloween stories and we sang songs. When it was winding down Carl called on Skype from Kuwait and the kids sang him Halloween songs and we walked around with the computer so he could see all the decorations and the pumpkins they carved, it really made the night great. Hooray for Skype!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We have decided it is time to go home to South Carolina and wait for Carl to join us there. We will be heading back at the beginning of November. We have had such a great time with my mom and dad and we will really miss them. I am excited to be at my own house and see my new car that Carl bought for me while he was there.
We went to Seattle a couple of weeks ago and had a great time. I was able to see my family and hang out with Julie. Brad and Kim were so nice to let us stay with them and feed us all week. We enjoyed it so much that we are going again at the end of the month to spend Halloween with them before we fly out. I am really excited to see them and see their spooky decorations, they really go all out.
While there I hurt my back somehow and it keeps getting worse. We had my dads sister come with her husband, sons, and grand kids this weekend and I cooked for them which increasingly stressed my back. I had so much fun seeing my cousins, it had been years , and especially visiting with my aunt and uncle. Right now I am working on relaxing and letting my back heal. Laying down is the only way that it does not cause intense pain but I am not capable of just laying down all the time. I find myself getting fidgety and try to get up which is the most painful of movements. Once I finally get up it gets worse and worse til I have to lay down and take medication again. I have had consistent back pain for years but usually that was in my neck, shoulders, upper back area. This is in my lower back although I think the stress and tension in my upper back may be contributing to the lower back pain.
Other than the above pain I am doing well. I love that the weather has cooled and I get to wear fall clothes, those are my favorites, I love layers. I have been working on the kids Halloween costumes, I am almost finished with Ha-Na's and will do Madison's this week. I am looking forward to going home and I am already thinking about what I will do in the house. I am especially anxious to have a date of when Carl will join us, he is working really hard at getting finished in Bahrain and getting his orders back to Charleston finished.
