Trick Or Treat!

Luckily for us all, the Ducks were leading at halftime, so Daddy was in a great mood to trek the neighborhood for trick-or-treating time. We tried to get a picture with Grace, but since she doesn't eat candy, the idea of a bucketful didn't have the same appeal :) The flickering Jack-o-lanters were another story entirely!

And the best treat of all?

GO DUCKS!!

Pumpkin Carving!

This year, the boys each did their own pumkin!! It's amazing how big they are getting. Usually we have to do it for them, but this year they had their safety carvers and went to town. (Daddy did help with the initial stem-ectomy, but they even scooped their own guts!)

Grace missed the whole adventure since she spent an hour deciding that napping was not on her agenda today. It seems the 5 minutes in the van she got because the gas line at Costco was long was all she wanted. Does she know there is trick-or-treating tonite?

Cheese!

Grace still has her rash face, so if anyone has any ideas for how clear it up, I'm listening. It's better with the cortizone cream, but not gone. Aquaphor didn't seem to do much.

Pumpkin Patch

The Gordon Girls came up to do the pumpkin patch with us. Since the girls outnumbered the boys, we even decided to let Grace walk rather than stay in the backpack. She had a great time tromping around in mud boots and falling down. She even got to do her first hay maze.



Because she was on her feet, she was quite brave...but she also realized the benefits of being toted around.

We kept making the kids pose for photo-ops. I do not think they were nearly impressed at the 'memories' we were making as we were.

I picked up a new video camera...

...but I got it at Kohls...so lemme know if it works! It takes a while for it to load in for me.

Chess!

Chess Club is starting up and Hayden wants to join. He knew the basics, but we did a refresher and he played his first game with Bayley...until it got hard :)

Grace was not very excited about the boys playing a game on the table instead of with her!

3

It's hard to get 3 kids to look decent in one picture. I still haven't managed to do the 'we've moved' cards. I know. But I wanted a picture of the kids. Here are two more that won't work

Time To Play!!

Dad & Unlce Matt put up the play structure today! In the driving rain. Not just Oregon drizzle, the heavens opened up and christened the backyard, and still they kept at it.



They boys helped out when it wasn't raining too hard by hauling the lumber from the garage, removing the trash, unwrapping the slide, and staying out of the way :)

They were so excited to finally get to climp on it - and get to talk to the boys next door from their own perch. I can't wait to see what Grace thinks of it!

The Science of FEAR

We took in the new exhibit at OMSI today - everything but the guillotine. I wasn't ready for that. I think Bayley might have tried it. He had a great time showing he wasn't afraid of creepy crawlies, gunshots, electrical shock, falling, being chased by a leopard...it was quite entertaining.

The picture is of the 'falling' machine. They strap you in and then tip you back while a camera records your fear response. It was interesting to see everyone flow from anxiety to startled to joy. Everyone who 'fell' ended with a huge smile on their face.

Hayden struggled between wanting to be with Bayley and his friends, or in the science playground with Grace. He opted for Grace and was wonderful about playing with her.

He tried to get her to love the water tables, helped her with playdough, and gave her the cutest puppet show on record. It was the most beautiful thing I've seen in ages. Sometimes things just align.

Bayley enjoyed big-boy time, playing with the friend he brought and another who happened to be there (both from his last school).

Don't be rash...

Grace had a drool rash on her chin last week (new teeth)...but now it's on her cheeks and under her eyes! It's probably from all the food she smears on her face, but yikes!

More From The Land Of Buy This

The boys are selling popcorn for Cub Scouts. Want some?

Grace won't be happy. The kid loves popcorn, but I'm too chicken to let her have it.

Her New Favorite Spot

I guess she thinks we should be storing HER in the storage ottoman!

Halloween Preview

The Force is strong with these two (and yes, that is Boba Fett holding Aniken's light saber...the Aniken mask was disturbing, so we passed!

What does it mean when your little girl wants to give the worst dude in the universe a smooch?