Late to School

My chronic lateness is either genetic or contagious. The girls have taken on a very relaxed attitude about getting ready for school. Nine o clock usually arrives to me on the stairs screaming at the girls to get some clothes on we are leaving. If even I can beat them ready, with the boys, that is pretty bad. I admit that sometimes it is my fault we don't leave on time but there is an awful lot of people in their underwear wondering what to wear at 8:55. The school has this very lax policy of "talking things out" (even fights on the playground) with no real consequences or phone calls home. So when I saw the principal at the Halloween party, I made sure he knew who I was and who my kids were and that I would like phone calls home to be made and I'm ok with consequences for tardiness. I get the feeling there is a lot of "now Jimmy don't punch Sam in the face, run along now" at the school. That being said, I now have to make extra sure I am not the reason for their tardiness just in case there ever is a consequence.

So now our mornings look like this. Celeste and I throw the strollers over the gate (ok its mostly Celeste) and as soon as the girls turn up we tell them to run! and we'll keep up. Bad weather or extreme lateness means I drive. Our school has this policy that we all wait in a tidy little line and wait for the lady to open the door and let your kid out. While I appreciate the reasons for this idea, when kids are making it by the very skin of their teeth, they need to get out now, not in 5 minutes when its our turn. So I fly into the parking lot, slam the brakes at the beginning so as not to disrupt the line or run over a kid. The girls are ready for "catapult" as we call it, then I yell GO! GO! GO! like a Navy Seals mission leader as they throw open the door. They chuck their backpacks on the grass then jump after them like their parachuting. Between my yells of GOGOGO, I hear the sound of slews of empty Diet Pepsi's hitting the ground, as the girls jump for it. I'd love to know what the door opening lady thinks of me as I fly around the line leaving the door openers in my path. One more day of promptness under our belts.

Halloweeen

We had a really fun Halloween. The girls had their class parties on Friday and I got to go and make a craft with McKenzie's class. We went to our ward party Friday night for a chili cook off and trick or treating. (Go Celeste, ward chili champ!) Our ward uses the stake cener for trick or treating instead of trunk or treating outside. You can sign your family up for a room and decorate it all up or donate candy to a room. Its kind of fun to go around the building from room to room. Some people went all out with haunted rooms, one couple made Peter Pan's Never Never land in theirs. And its a whole lot warmer than trunk or treating. Here's some more of our fun holiday. Sorry the pictures are completely not in order.

This was the first year Connor got to enjoy trick or treating. Once he figured out that all he had to do was cruise up to each door, smile cute, and hold out his bag he was way into it. He climb up the stairs and shove the other kids out of the way to get in front. People would open the door and awe at him, then give him extra candy. At one house the guy put a mask on and crawled to the door. He just stuck his masked face out at the kids to scare them. Poor Con burst into tears and backed away as fast as he could. It took him a few houses to get over it. The guy felt so bad.

Just like Charlie Brown, after each house Greg would dig whatever he got out of his bag, hold it up and annouce what he got. The girls joined in because they thought it was funny, like the special. Kenzie said she kind of hoped she got a rock because that would be funny, then she was like, no not really.

We bought one of those pumkin carving kits with the stencils and tools this year. We made a raven, monster, scary pumkin and a haunted house.

Connor was scared of the inside of the pumpkin. He'd walk over, look in, then back away freaked out.

Dave and I dressed up in our awesome 80s rock star outfits. I teased my hair to the sky and put on tons of glittery eye makeup and false eyelashes. I hit the Value Village up for a short torn skirt, a tee shirt to cut up, and the ugliest belt I could find. Leggings, knee high boots and my giant hair and I was looking awesome. I bought Dave a mullet wig and some fake tatoo sleeves.

The kids all dressed up and ready for the ward party. Hailey dressed up as a witch complete with hideous striped tights. She had glow in the dark, sparkly face make up and nail polish. Kenzie went as a nurse. She was very original. Greg had his beloved Buzz Lightyear costume. There was another boy there with a Buzz costume with no wings, greg kept saying, I'm the real Buzz Lightyear because I have wings. Connor got to recycle the beaver costume for the 3rd kid.

Dave carving pumpkins. He got really into making cool designs. As is tradition in our family, we carve all of the kids pumpkins and always end up with one or two uncarved because we ran out of time.