I was convinced my 4th child didn’t have to go to the middle school “showcase of learning” but she mentioned that she might be sick the day they get to visit in the spring so we should take advantage now. Natalie was so impressive and took the opportunity very seriously while having the best guide she could ask for, her 8th grade sister. Michelle helped her learn where the different areas of the school were, took her to everywhere Natalie wanted to go, and introduced her little sister to her favorite teachers. Natalie even got to try out a half size cello and Michelle is trying to contain her excitement about Natalie potentially following in her orchestra footsteps.
A couple nights later the three of us were back at the middle school, this time to watch “Legally Blonde the Musical Jr.” I was so impressed with how well A did as a Delta Nu, T did as the professor, and D did as Emmett. It was a fun take on a great story.
While we were at the musical, Kate was heading to a Halloween party with friends. I was so glad A’s mom sent me this picture. I only know what Kate is supposed to be….
Saturday night found Hubby and Danny at a CU basketball game (with excellent seats for only $15 each!) while Kate went to another party with friends and Michelle, Natalie and I went to the M family’s mom and daughter Harry Potter inspired party. The girls came home with cute mandrakes they made, stomachs full of stew and caramel apples and/or cookies, and a chance to dress up in their HP robes. (I’m supposed to be Molly Weasley.)
The first snow of the season was on Saturday so we came out to snow on the car after the party. Natalie and her friends had a snowball fight with our pirate ship the next day and Hubby had the great idea to teach Michelle and Natalie how to play Settlers of Catan while Danny was at a friends house and Kate was recovering from two sleepovers in a row at our house.
I asked Natalie to take a picture of Hubby and I before we went to work because I felt like my costume was much better with him next to me. He borrowed Kate’s hoodie and we bought him the headband and he was a great sort to wear two pairs of glasses.
Here is a picture of the friends Michelle ate pizza with before trick or treating. Michelle said she might feel too old to go next year so wanted to be sure to trick or treat in our neighborhood as well. Luckily she quickly found some classmates all dressed as bananas to go around our area with. It was quite comical to have them all warming up by the fire for a while before they went on their way. I think she had more fun than she expected to, for which I am grateful.
Natalie had a blast dressing up with friends to be characters from the 100 Acre Wood. I thought it was such a good idea! And with snow on the ground, those onsies came in handy! They ate pizza at our next door neighbor’s house, went trick or treating, and later came inside to trade candy and then play volleyball in the driveway. At one point the volleyball got stuck on the roof so Michelle climbed out her bedroom window to knock it back down. One of the banana’s dads saw it and was quite concerned. I was too due to the snow but all went well! Whew.
I can’t say the same for Danny’s Halloween party in the basement. Let’s keep it simple: when he said he wanted to host a party instead of going trick or treating I suggested he invite about 8 people over. He invited 15, and then those people invited other people and it upended up being 3 times as many people as I had recommended. Let’s just say he’s not allowed to have any more parties. I was truly disappointed by their behavior. Kate had a few friends over that mostly stuck to her bedroom and I appreciate that. Dad and I realized that between the bananas and Winnie the Pooh characters in the driveway and the teenagers indoors we probably had 45 kids on our property at once. Crazy! Thank goodness it was a late start day the next morning. We had enough trouble getting to school on time even with the delay. I was so very grateful that I had a day off work November first. I got to freely take down the Halloween decorations and put up all the Thanksgiving ones while Maisie got to go to the groomer. So much easier to haul things up and down from the basement when you don’t have a four legged shadow. It was good to have her with me, though, to pick up Natalie’s replacement retainers (since Maisie had eaten them) and to pick up a confiscated cell phone from the high school. Oh, how I believe that growing up in the 80s and 90s was so much more fun than today!!!
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