Pumpkins

Of all the activities this time of year, I think pumpkin carving is in my top five favorite.

This is the greatest moment - removing the lid of the pumpkin, and taking a look at what's inside.

That smell!

It is the smell of childhood. It's nostalgic and exciting. I love that first smell of pumpkin innards.

 

Who thought up this tradition? It's just so great.

 

(I actually know that answer - learned it in my Mythology class - but you have to imagine me speaking in a know it all voice, pushing up my glasses.)

The short version: It started in the pagan days. Around this time of year, deceased ancestors were allowed to visit from the dead. To ward off evil spirits, people cut scary faces into gourds. When walking to visit their neighbors, they would carry the lit up gourds for protection.

Something like that. You could probably google it.

 

 

Avery picked the faces to be carved.

Skelator (Jimi carved) and a Witch (I carved).

 

I love how everyone begins around the table, excited about the project. Evan babbling non stop, Avery asking questions. Then little by little they get bored and find new things to do.

 

But when the parents finish carving, and the candles are lit - magic!

 

Evan kept saying,

"wow! coool!"

And for dinner?

Pumpkin pie.

Just pumpkin pie.

 

 

 

It's all just so fun.

My Aching Back

 

I have entered the "fat mama barking orders from the couch" phase of pregnancy.

Think:

 Bendickson

or if you're not from Fallon,

What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

 

"Hey you! hand me the remote."

"Avery Jean?! Get your brother a drink"

"All right now everyone, I'm gonna need socks on my feet."

 

My back is so tired. I don't remember it being this tired before.

I choose my "bendings over" wisely.

 

Like, when I'm transferring clothes from the washer to the dryer and some inevitably fall to the ground, I only bend over once to grab the stragglers.

 

Cleaning the living room - I wander around on my knees gathering as much stuff as possible before standing up. All bending over is accompanied with a pitiful grunt, so as to make sure everyone in the room knows it hurts to do so. I'm considering bringing the rake in for permanent.

 

Have I told you yet that my back hurts? It does.

 

 

Leaves

We almost didn't make it in time this year.

More than half the leaves were on the ground.

 

 

 

 

Avery's rendition of leave gathering:

For her, it's more along the lines of an egg hunt. She pretty much picks up any leaf. It doesn't matter if it's totally pretty or not. Just fill the basket.

 

Then she started playing some game where she would run back and forth to each tree and match up leaves...or something?

 

 

 

 

 

Evan's rendition of leave gathering:

He reminded me of an old man out for a stroll.

Calmly walking back and forth through the debris.

Until - what's this? i don't want this thing on me!

 

Get it off! Get it off!

Then he prayed for a second.

Jimi wore the vest.

 

Plethora

Here are a plethora of random phone pictures.

These two are conserving couch space.

 

The toys follow us everywhere. The problem is, his hands are too small to carry them all.

So they fall everywhere and get lost in grocery stores.

 

Bubble bath.

This lego guy is a superhero when he has his hair off, and a daddy when he has his hair on.

Daddy is his mild-mannered alter ego.

 

 

I just found this picture while looking through the archives.

I miss that dog. Going on excursions is 50% less fun without her.

Breakfast

 

Sundays are awesome.

Both kids fall asleep on the twenty minute drive home from church, so Jimi and I get to eat dinner all by ourselves.

Clink, cheers!

She's practically a genius.

 

Evan loves parmesan cheese.

He would eat it off the floor if I let him.

Right before bed - that sounds like a good time to play chase around the pool table.

 

That long hair was getting out of control...

 

After.

Avery kept calling him "Dallin" because she thought he looked like her cousin Dallin.

 

 

We went out to check up on Piper's spot the other day.

 

Avery in zen-like balance.

Evan throwing a fit when it was time to go.

 

Oh there's me, just growing a baby inside that tie dye shirt.

A pacific northwest kind of day.

Fall is definitely here.

 

 

Singing time in nursery. We are still working on getting a music leader for our primary. That's always awesome to not have a music leader.

 

Evan is doing way better in nursery, so I hear. Not as much screaming or running around.

 

You can look forward to this future blog post... 

When Jimi went to the Priesthood session, me and the kids went to subway.

Avery was making letters with her cheetos.

I had to wait patiently for Jim to finish reading this book, "The Secret Race" by Tyler Hamilton.

It is a tell all about the doping goings on in the Tour De France.

I can't stop thinking about it. It's crazy.

 

Two things here:

 

1. Bananas. What is the deal with bananas? They come in their own suit that you unzip to eat. Isn't that bizarre? Weirdest fruit.

 

2. The mess behind the banana.

Sometimes Jimi will go outside for a second and come walking back in with a rake and rake up the living room. It's out of control how fast two kids can turn a perfectly clean house into a war zone.

Plus I couldn't put the above mentioned book down long enough to keep things tidy.

Long legged naked kid.

Cozy on the couch because...

 

...the rainy season is here to stay.