This doesn't belong to me.

Well, it does, and it doesn't. And then it really doesn't. :D But maybe it'll all make more sense if you just listen to it.

Post-a-palooza

I just posted something like 15 new posts or so.  DO NOT feel obligated to comment on each one (unless you're family, of course.)!  :D  (I'm really just kidding about family.  Be at peace my short-attention-span siblings.).  So, the most recent experience (Halloween) is at the top with the earliest October happenings falling at the bottom of this monumental spread.  Go to it, dear ones.  And try to forgive me for kitchen sinking.

P.S. I kept the written word to a minimum, but photos abound.

Halloween

{10/31/09}

The Chief took the boys trick or treating.  They loved it.  I loved that they loved it.  End of story.




{I left Bugga's red eye because I thought it was funny that both of their eyes were glowing.  :D}



{Must be organized with our spoils.  This is one of those personal traditions that we all tend to pass along to (translate: force upon) our kids.}

Pumpkin Carving!

{10/28/09}

These are the pumpkins that the boys and I picked out at the Bates Nut Farm.  We kept putting off the carving and finally decided it couldn't wait anymore.  So we brought out our carving kits and went to town.  Buddha drew the face he wanted to carve directly onto his pumpkin, then The Chief and I helped the boys hold the carving knives and saw away at their jack o' lanterns.  Neither child wanted to so much as touch the guts.  Come to think of it, maybe that's because we call them guts.  :D  Fun times!











Turned out pretty good, didn't they? We never use stencils.  And mine are always pretty elementary.  But I'm quite impressed with The Chief's. Can you figure out which is his?

Nature Walk

{10/28/09}

We joined a homeschool Meetup group in the area and made the trek to the Blue Sky Ecological Reserve with some small number of members on this fine October day.  Buddha and Bugga had a great time hiking, exploring, chatting with their little friend Natalie, and making new friends.  We stopped to check out bugs and to color in nature binders.  It was a very serene and lovely hike with great company.





{Bugga said he was drawing a snake.  Buddha decided to master a rainbow.}




{Charred trees from the 2007 Witch Creek fire.}




{This gentleman is a Ukrainian Catholic Pastor down in La Mesa.  He was very friendly, but, sadly, in the midst of dealing with a break-in at his church building.  Below, he's describing Cattails to Bugga.  After his brief instruction, Bugga simply turned and slowly walked away, matter-of-factly stating "Yeah, I know."  The pastor and I looked at each other and busted up laughing.  Oh Bugga.  Bugga, Bugga, Bugga.  He cracks me UP!  :D}




{Evidence of the day's activities on the front of Buddha's shirt. He had toted a humongous, charred stick with him for half of the hike; it obviously left its mark on him. :D}

Trunk or Treat

{10/24/09}



This is literally the only picture I took the entire night. With three wards and their community friends all meeting in one building, it was absolute chaos and mayhem the entire night. I think we'll skip the trunk or treat next year. I couldn't even find any of my friends or my boys friends in the cultural hall. After a while (and a few cell phone calls) we finally managed to hook up, but then we'd just get separated again by the masses. All in all, more trouble than fun. For me anyway. :D The boys look like they're having a good time, right?!

On a related sidenote, Buddha picked out his costume this year.  I went to an online costume site and he insisted on being something scary.  He especially loved this one because it has eyes that glow and a scythe that menaces.  He's called a phantom.  Too bad they weren't allowed to wear masks or hoods at the trunk or treat for safety reasons (and good thing we consoled him with promises of happy haunting on Halloween night).  :D

Bugs, on the other hand, is wearing Buddha's hand-me-down Batman costume.  He was thrilled.  He would charge around holding his arms up at people (like he's doing in the picture) and tell them threateningly that he's killing them with the little pointy things on the sleeves.  I love little boys!

Bates Nut Farm

{10/23/09}

This is THE place to go for Fall fun in SD.  They have a hay bale maze, a tractor ride, pony rides, pumpkin picking, petting zoo, curios market.  It's just great.  Unfortunately, we went there on an unusually HOT Fall day.  I thought I might just die from heat exhaustion.  I'm such a wuss.  But the boys seemed to have a great time and that's all that matters.  The Chief couldn't make it to this excursion as it was during the week, but we went with two of my favorite families and I had plenty of help with my boys (thanks friends!).


{The real wheelbarrow races.}



{Kim and baby Aaron}




{Waiting for their turn on the pony ride.}







{Buddha staked an early claim on a seasoned-looking pony named Cowboy.}





{Bugs was reaching for the stars when he singled out Star for his lift.}


{Are you sure about this, Mom?}




{Oh yeah, I'm cool.}






{Corban and Jared}



{Ben and Aaron}



{Jared and Corban again (I LOVE this kid.  He gives the greatest grins and has so much energy it's infectious.).}



{Hay bale maze.  They had to find all eight stamping stations and stamp their cards.  We were seriously lagging behind the rest of the pack in the heat.  Bagels and heat . . . we don't mix well together.}



{Kim photographing her baby boy, Aaron.}



{Farmer Buddha.}



{Farmer Buddha pulling all the little boy pumpkins.}



{From left to right: Isaac, Bugga, Roman, Aaron, Corban}



{I took a chance and dubiously handed over the camera to Buddha to take a picture of all the adults.  He did pretty good, eh?!  From left to right: Ben, Kim, me, Amanda, Jared.}



{Me and my wild and crazy Bagel boys.}



{Tractor ride.}




{Here's Bugga just lovin' himself some pumpkin.}




{I told Buddha to lift up his pumpkin for a picture and he insisted he couldn't; that it was too heavy.  I convinced him to try and I'd take the picture quick.  This is what I got . . . and I love it!  :D}



{Bugga was a little less cooperative.  I think he was probably envisioning bruised toes.}




{Just look at the glossy, bright red cheeks!  It was so stinkin' hot.}




{This is what you get when you try to take a picture of six little boys together.  It's not perfect, but it's perfectly representative of their attention spans. :D}




{Jared built a pumpkin fortress with a space in the center for little bodies to be confined for pictures.  It was perfect!  Thanks Jared!!}