Halloween Costumes

This year we happened on some very cheap costumes at our local second hand store. Pictures are from yesterdays Trunk-or-treat at the church.

This is Elmo ($2) ..uh...cowboy. Check out his shoes and did you notice his costume is on backwards?
Superman--$3

Katie is an Indian ($4) with Indiana Jordan behind her. Can you see his jump rope whip? Yes, we paid nothing for that costume.

Cooper is some kind of dinosaur--the only costume I made this year (well and Katie's headband)

This Yoda is too young to be ours but isn't little Vinny cute?

Cheese on Plate

Some of us are gourmet cooks and others of us continually forget that cooking is on our daily to do list. Perhaps the latter inspired this question:

Grant:"mom, can I have cheese on pwate?"

Me: "you just want cheese on a plate?"

Grant: "yeah"

Me: "do you want me to put cheese on bread and cook it?" (a lunch staple around here)

Grant: "no, just cheese on plate" in an exasperated voice. (How hard can it be Mom, I didn't say cheese on bread--cheese on plate, duh)

So I cut cheese and put it on a plate

Grant: "I want it cook, Mom."

Me: "you want me to put this in the microwave and cook it?"

Grant: "yeah, cheese on plate, cook." (He never puts -ed on words)

So here it is--cheese on plate! (its a coincidence that its in the shape of a pumpkin)

At first I thought maybe cheese on plate isn't a bad way to go. I mean you can actually just eat the cheese and leave the oil on the plate. That is, until I caught Grant doing this:

We were all eating dinner when I noticed Grant was laying on the carpet in the hall.

Me: "What are you doing Grant?"

Grant: "I'm just laying down for a wittle bit."

Me: "Okay, just don't fall asleep."

Grant: "Okay I won't."

A couple of minutes later

a couple of new jobs

Job 1: Part Time Cleavers: I've started babysitting K and B (siblings). K is here 4 days a week for around 9 hours a day while B is in school with the other kids most of the day. Its probably the easiest babysitting job I've ever had. Grant and K get along really well together. She comes up with the ideas and he is happy to execute them. Though they make several messes a day, they have keep themselves happily busy.

Job 2: Piano teacher-to homeschoolers. I love this job! I can fit 3 kids in one hour (while the older kids are at school). Students rotate through 3 stations: 20 minutes regular 1 on 1 lesson, 20 minutes computer theory (love this program) and 20 minutes of learning about a composer, listening to music by him and taking a quiz (crossword/word search type). Its a well rounded approach to piano and the kids learn so much more and love coming to lessons (so their mothers tell me). A 20 minute lesson is so much more bearable for kids and teachers anyway. Plus I've got my own kids practicing (Katie's up to 3 hours in 4 days) in order to get the Oriental Trading Co. incentives. All I have to do now is find more students!

Gwant and Gwasshoppihs

Grant: "Mom, look I found a gwasshoppih."

Me: "Wow, is it alive?"

Grant: "Yeah wook (look)." he sets it down. "Oh no, its hopping 'way."

a few minutes later

cute little grubby hands

Grant: "Mom, his weg fehw off." (leg fell off)

Me: "Poor grasshopper."

Grant: "I want to take the weg to Chawies (Charlie's) house"

he held it for the 30 minutes car ride there and 30 minutes back.

eleven

Jordan, Jack A., Taylor, Isaac, Jack H., Ricky, Blake, Jake

Holding his candle to his rootbeer float for the "Happy Birthday" song

Our raising boys book says "eleven is heaven" and we've found it true for this guy who recently turned 11.

He planned his birthday party and I didn't have to do a thing but clean the house. Here's the party plan:

• play 4 square while everyone arrives


• play Snorta (pictured)


• lego game (everyone gets 15 seconds to add something to structure before passing it to the next person)


• have rootbeer floats (nobody really likes cake in our family)


• open presents

Over the last month it has occurred to me that Jordan's "at home" life is already more than half way over. It makes me want to be a better listener and spend more time with him while I have the chance. He's been really fun to have around lately. He tells the funniest stories and always has us laughing with his higer pitched