Halloween Candy Then and Now

This is what my candy stash looked like when I was a kid.   To get a handful of small chocolate bars was a miracle.  I can at least brag about my bag of chips I received every year from the Rigby's. 

This is what  today's candy stash looks like.  

Who buys full size candy bars anyways?

I am always amazed!

Sorting and counting - good math skills. 

 Trading and bargaining - good social skills.

Brushing and brushing - good hygiene skills.

I hope.

Halloween Night

Halloween night was perfect to go out booing.  The weather was warm with a touch of crisp that sent late autumn chills to those out past eight thirty.  Neighbors walk together as kids follow their own paths.  Halloween night in our little neighborhood feels a bit like a memory from an old storybook.   I am always in awe. 

The house right across the street from us.

~ HALLOWEEN ~
By Harry Behn

Tonight is the night
When dead leaves fly
Like witches on switches
Across the sky,
When elf and sprite
Flit through the night
On a moony sheen.

Tonight is the night
When leaves make a sound
Like a gnome in his home
Under the ground,
When spooks and trolls
Creep out of holes 
Mossy and green.

Tonight is the night
When pumpkins stare
Through sheaves and leaves
Everywhere,
When ghouls and ghost 
And goblin host
Dance round their queen.
It's Halloween.

Jarin is a classy Ute fan.

Peek-a-boo.... do you see Trevee Moo?

Trev is a thing from last year.

Rebekah is a Victorian Vampiress Twin.

Makayla is dead.

Kerri is a Victorian Vampiress Twin. 

Poor thing had a tummy ache right before she went trick-o-treating.  

Oreo was a ferocious bee that greeted everyone that came to the door.

Happy Halloween!

Five Little Pumpkins

~ FIVE LITTLE PUMPKINS SITTING ON A GATE ~

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate,
The first one said,
"Oh my, it's getting late."
The second one said,

"There are witches in the air."

The third one said,

"But I don't care."

The fourth one said,
"Let's run, and run, and run."
The fifth one said,
"Get ready for some fun."
Then whoosh went the wind,
and out went the lights,
And five little pumpkins rolled out of sight!

Love - Sisters - Logic

Makayla started high school with a huge bill of needs.  On that list was a $120 calculator that we had been able to delay for two years.  Not this year.  As parents we did not want to just hand over a pricey calculator without some payment from the beneficary.  Blame it on 'Love and Logic'.  Makayla was given a list of jobs that would add up to the price of a calculator to be completed in one month.  Being a teenager, she took her sweet time in completing her tasks and had to borrow a friend's calculator here and there to finish math assignments.  Upon seeing Makayla's distress, Rebekah and Kerri devised a plan to earn a calculator for her.  The two sisters saved up their Box Tops and took them to their school store to buy a calculator for her.  It cost fifteen Box Tops - very pricey.  They presented it to her with giggles and told her that she no longer had to stress about not having a calculator.  Oh, what sweet little sisters to even notice.  Makayla graciously accepted their gift and quickly finished her list of jobs.

Technology

When Makayla was two years old, we invested in a cute CD-ROM (okay, that acronym sets us back a bit)  Sesame Street ABC/123 learning game pack.  I sat with Makayla and taught her how to use the mouse and keyboard and thrilled in her computer skills.  She was awesome!  She taught Jarin and later Trevor.  As they grew older, the three invested in PCCD games such as Harry Potter and Star Wars.  We were able to hold off on the WII for many many years months.  With our world bombarded with technology I held off in allowing the two girls start their own computer time.  In fact, I relied on the school to teach them mouse and keyboard skills beginning in kindergarten.  They learned and they learned fast.  In the last couple of years, the girls have received cute Webkinz stuffed animals, Littlest Pet Shop stuffed animals and Build-a-Bear animals all with tags granting them entry to the world of online games. 


Webkinz - the stuffed animal that comes alive online in Webkinz World. Keep your pet happy and healthy and build a home for it with our cool furniture.


Littlest Pet Shop Online is where you can play cool games, create you own pets, explore a fun world, and connect with friends and make new ones too!


I finally gave them access to one online world.  Trevor helped them create an account on Webkinz and set up their passwords (with my supervision of course).  Imagine my surprise when I found out that the word 'fart' was in each password.  According to Trevor, all the cutesy words were taken up, 'fart' provided a whole range of possibilities.  Figures.


I found a cute picture of the three oldest when they were little tots (2004).  They loved to play on the computer and watch each other play.

Autumn Dinner

Our yearly parade of spiders - remember.... the mama always eats the daddy before he makes it to the table.  ;)  I tried a new roll recipe this year.

Oatmeal Rolls 

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 cup oats

2 Tbsp oil

2 tsp salt

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

2 1/4 tsp SAF yeast

4 3/4- 5 1/4 cups flour (I usually substitute 2 cups of the white flour with whole wheat flour)

Add oats, oil, and salt to boiling water. Remove from heat and add water.  Pour into mixer and add sugar, molasses, and yeast and let rise. Add 2 cups of the flour and beat till smooth. Add remaining flour till dough is sticky but doesn’t stick to your finger. Use buttered hands to shape into rolls. Place on greased cookie sheet or baking pan and let rise till doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Brush with butter while still hot.

-Makes about 2 dozen rolls

(Recipe from Creations by Kara)

I ate this soup at a fun Relief Society Fall activity and fell in love.  It is the yummiest, creamiest soup ever. I went back for seconds and thirds.  The next week I made it for my family thinking they would praise me forever in my good tastes.  Instead, I had to force bribe them to eat it with more yummy squishy rolls.  I suppose eating the orange stringy insides of their favorite Jack o lantern did not agree with them.  Next time I'll save it for the Ladies' Luncheon and the kids can have canned soup.

Zesty Pumpkin Soup - Nicole Lemon

1/4 cup Butter
1 Clove Garlic-minced
1/2 teas. Salt

1/8 teas. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
3 cup Chicken Broth
1 cup Half-n-Half
1 cup Onion-diced

1 teas. Curry

1/4 teas. Coriander

1 16oz can Pumpkin

Saute onion in butter.  Add garlic.  Add curry, salt, coriander, and red pepper and cook 1 minute.  Add broth. Bring to a gentle boil for 15-20 minutes.  Stir in pumpkin and half-n-half.  Cook 5 minutes.  Blend in blender till creamy.

Jensen Math

5 + 5 + 2 = 80 - 1

5 boxes of apples + 5 'happy' children helping + 2 days of working = 80 quarts of applesauce - 1 year to devour it all!  Whew!  We love applesauce.

Birthday Hutch

I didn't think I needed a hutch for my dishes until I spied this little beauty at Gardner Village.  I instantly fell in love when I passed by it.  It is made of reclaimed wood to look like an antique hutch.  I went home, called Cameron and told him all about it.  He came home from work early, took me to Gardner Village and bought it for me.  Happy Birthday to me!  Yeah!