Priceless Picture

We were in the car one morning, helping someone move items from a shed to their house, when Nate, who had on his Captain America jacket and a Despicable Me Minions hat, decided to morf into....

NATE the MUPPET

Just looking at this makes me laugh! Eric didn't get a good view as he was driving, but the rest of us were totally cracking up in the car. Then when Nate started lip syncing to the music that was playing in the car - PRICELESS!! Oh how I wish I had a video!

Captain Minion muppet singing Broadway

A little disgruntled maybe?

Nate is GREAT! Love my muppet. :)

Oct 31 - Halloween Characters

In years past, we've done a family theme, but there wasn't much agreement on things, so this is what they came up with:


Aurora decided to be Abby from the television series NCIS as part of Spirit Week at school. Eric let her dye her hair black, which was a shocker for a number of people, including myself. She played the part for Halloween as well.

Graigry wasn't sure he wanted to go out, but then decided last minute to be a BYU soccer player. When a guy from church saw Graigry, he called out "Scott Sterling!" who is a character in a Studio C (BYU TV on Youtube) skit who, as a goalie, gets totally hammered in penalty kicks. (Search Google if you want to watch it. Quite funny!)

Xela had created a Toothless, the Dragon (from "How to Train Your Dragon" movies) costume for a animated character day during Spirit Week at school. Nate has wanted to be Hiccup, from that movie for a long time and when Neta decided to be Astrid, the girl interest from that movie, it all worked out.

The church's trunk or treat was on the Saturday before Halloween and I was determined to get the costumes done. Neta's was fairly easy and I'd been able to work on it during my lunch breaks, but Nate's had a jacket with it which required a sewing machine, which, sadly, I could really use during my lunch break. So Saturday was the cram day.

Remind me never to do that again. It got done, with about 15 minutes to spare before the activity started. Sadly the jacket is too small (I need to use a bigger shirt for sizing, or actually have Nate be the model), so he won't be wearing the black jacket again. It wasn't as good as the Pinterest template I was following, but again, it got done and I got to use  my sewing machine, which I enjoy.

After the kids turn 12, they are done trick or treating. We've got one more year with Nate and then it's Neta. The kids like to dress up and walk around Irvington, if we go around there. This year, there was a split between Irvington and Little Flower, so I squoze in both. Irvington is where they got the good stuff (including full size candy bars). I didn't hear too many complaints.

I think Nate will decided not to go to the Little Flower "Bash" next year though. It's kind of lame. He may want to rake in the candy on his last go round. :)

Oct 30 - Carving Pumpkins

The older girls had been busy with school, so they didn't carve their pumpkin. Xela intended to make a Yoda (she had two small ones), but then they both decided to donate them to future edible items.

Nate and Neta, on the other hand, wanted to carve theirs, so we did. The day before Halloween. They did a good job (yes I helped a little) and more importantly, they had fun with them.

Nate with Olaf

Neta with her bat

Graigry made a little one

I usually don't set them out on the porch, but Eric was out with the older kids and I wanted to surprise them when they got home, so I put them out on the porch.

I had to keep going out there because the crew didn't get home as soon as I thought they would and the birthday candles kept melting out or being blown out. It was harder and harder each time to get the candle to stay upright, especially in Olaf.

Then when Eric and kids did arrive, they drove through the back "gate" foiling the whole plan! How rude!

Oct 21 - Waterman's Pumpkin Patch 14 years running!

Our annual pumpkin patch trip occurred Friday October 21. I look forward to this every year, even though the kids, in theory, are getting a little too big for some of it. Evenso, from the 16 year old down to the nine year old, everyone shares smiles and laughs.

We got there just after two o'clock. I had pulled out some $1 off coupons so we would have to pay seven dollars less. When I got to the ticket booth, our friend Crystal Dobson was there. As I'm counting out my cash, she tells me not to worry about it because we're family and family and friend get in free. That was totally unexpected but very much appreciated! I told her thank you, but I don't know that she understood how grateful. Little tender mercies!

We, as is tradition, had to get our

"How Tall This Fall" Pictures

Xela

Aurora

Graigry

Nate

Neta

They get bigger every year!

Sadly, they didn't have the big wheels/tractors that they have had for so many years. Instead, they had these bumper balls. The younger kids each brought money with them, which I discouraged and continued to discourage their spending it once we got there, but after watching some other kids play in these, I relented. So funny to watch them! And we got some good laughs as well.

Waiting in line

Ro taking a picture of all the Fun

Aurora's boots

Nate walking to the next bump

"Help! I can't get up!"
This was probably the funniest part;
Seeing them get rolled over
and stuck on their heads.

Xela is the legs you see trying to right herself.

It's all fun & games especially
when you're rolling around on your head.

Graigry's ready to bounce them both

Over Nate goes!

They had to do it more than once, and I couldn't blame them. :)

In years past there has been this "Beast" and I've never wanted to pay to go in (my scrooge shining through). Well, with the kids' money burning a hole in their pocket, we went in. The guy at the entrance let us all in for $10, when it was supposed to be $5/person I think, We were a group of six.

Aurora videoing the internal adventure

Rather dumb thing. You see the "inside" of this animal, it's organs, hear it's heart beating and then come out by the tail, as if he's eaten you. The kids agreed that it was a waste of money. I wonder if it's more fun at night, with the interior lights. We won't ever find out because the kids are not going to pay for it again.

Quick stop to feed the goats.

Aurora - the Goat Whisperer

We then went to the giant hay bail. I had to get the traditional pictures.

Scott Zoo Crew 2016

 This year Xela recommended that we do a few other poses.

We're flying! Kind of.
(took a few tries & I still didn't get everyone off the ground)

My monkeys

Youngest at the top of the heap

Then they crawled through the smaller hay bail maze, which was still bit moist from all the rain we'd received over the last month. I sat outside I waited for the kids to get their fix, then I snapped this picture:

My little farmer girl

From the hay bale, we usually go into 

THE MAZE 

The kids usually take turns deciding which way to turn as we wander around. That was our intent as we headed in, but within a few steps, we realized it was WAY TOO MUDDY to go too far without loosing a shoe, although we each grew half an inch, at least. Even in the few steps in, we'd redecorated our shoes with mud splotches. 

I had to get our annual picture of kids hiding in the corn, which was a little harder this time because no one really wanted to go much further than necessary. I told them this was necessary for posterity's sake, so in they went. Some further than others. :) 

They are all in there, I promise.
Aurora is the hardest one to find, so look really hard.

Random picture of Aurora
(I think it's just Ro)
in the muddy maze.

I had to take another picture, as evidence, of how muddy things were, so here you go. 

"Don't bring those into my house!"

They have this pumpkin merry-go-round, kind of like the tea cups at Disney World, where you spin yourselves around in an effort to revisit anything you've eaten in the last two hours. Eric has been the one to get on that and spin with the kids. He wasn't feeling up to it this year so, against my better judgment, I went in with the kids. 

Never again! I did not vomit, thankfully, but man! I was naucious for over an hour after that spin of doom. Even thinking about it now makes my tummy turn as if to tell me, next time, it will not keep its items contained.

Our last item of tradition is to visit the pumpkin patch and pick a pumpkin. The general rule has been you can only take it if you can carry it from it's spot to the wagon, then from the wagon drop off spot to the the car, because parents are carrying anything. This year, I asked them to either combine forces on a big one or pick out a small one. That was dumb. Some of the "not small" pumpkins would have been cheaper per pound than the small ones the kids got. Lesson learned. 

PUMPKIN PICKING

We take the wagon out to the patch where the pumpkins are laid. We used to have to watch out for vines, but they pretty much take those out before anyone can trip on them and so there are just pumpkins laying randomly everywhere. It's fun for me to watch the kids decide which one to pick. They find one, think it's the one they want, until they walk a few more feet and then find another one with less of a dent, or a better placed dent or a better circle, or whatever else it is that they are looking for. Rarely, if ever, have they taken home the first pumpkin picked. 

Neta (pink pants), Nate (blue shirt) and
Graigry (yellow/black jacket) searching for "the one"

My phone ran out of juice, so Xela has more pictures. Getting those off her camera, may take some doing, mostly remembering. I may come back and edit, if I remember. Anyway, the kids and I have fun and I end up with pumpkin flesh for bread, cookies and pie. Win-win.

Another year, another trip to the pumpkin patch. Yes, the kids are getting bigger, but as long as they enjoy going, we'll be there (which I think means we have another nine years)!

Sept 15 - Paid Time Off

Maybe, in the last day that I have off, I can finish the pictures for 2016. Probably not, but here is my attempt. :)

I took Thursday, September 15 off (thank you PTO) in order to play with Graigry, Nate and Neta. They had the 15th-16th off, but I only took that Thursday. We spent the first part of the day mowing and then I took them to the canal so we could do something fun.

The canal is one of our favorite places to blade, bike or walk around because there are ducks to feed and no cars to watch out for. Just people, who pretty much watch out for themselves. Besides, we hadn't been there in a long time.

I grabbed my blades, the kids grabbed their Razor scooters and we were off. We went from one end to the other and back again, which, if going a north to south direction, takes you from 10th street south to along Washington and right to the backside of the zoo.

Quick photo op at the State Museum

Bronze Indiana Mastadons. 

We spent about two hours there rolling around, exploring, and feeding the ducks. In total, it was around four miles of coverage. I think the kids enjoyed themselves, even if Nate's skin scraped against the ground on one, too sharp, turn.

It's always fun to be in the sun with my monkeys!