HELP!

 

Someone was playing with my camera...

Just thought I would share the random pictures.

I think it was son #2.. but not sure..

Happy November 1st!

Laura

Happy Halloween!

Baby and I went to the Halloween parade at school. I think it is really fun to see all the costumes. I mean- personally- our family waits until the last possible moment- and then we scurry around the house trying to find a costume. (It's a Halloween tradition on my side of the family.) But some people are so creative and clever!

So proceed scrolling down to enjoy the parade of pictures...

Here we are... making our way to the school's large field where the parade will happen. Of course baby has to stop and play on all the playground equipment first.

Thank heavens for a box of old costumes! This use to be son #2.

I think this is pretty common- at our school the children are suppose to dress up as a character from a book they have read. Or like. Or at least have the hard copy of...

Pirate School is a really cute book. Lucky for us- we have a Pirate costume from a past Disney land trip. (Thanks grandma for buying that costume- It's been 4 years and we're still lovin it!)

Here he is sitting with his class... what a cutie!

Son #2 wanted to be a hockey player- but he sprung on me last night he's suppose to do a "Book Talk" in class about his costume book. Next months book club book would have been PERFECT- The Million Dollar Goal by Dan Gutman... but we had to read a simple hockey book this morning instead...for his book review.

Here he is with his class. It doesn't seem fair- Mother Nature can have such a cruel sense of humor. Third grade is tough- do you see the size difference of the kids? It's hard to be a "dainty butterfly" when you are a head taller than all the boys. .. and I doubt anyone is making fun of that nerd in the the background... yet look at my son and the small Indian... such huge size differences!

Here's a classic. I loved this classic ghost-

holes cut in a sheet....

Okay- here is son #1... with the book

The Kid Who Ran for President
Doesn't he look sharp?

Here he is at school. He didn't want to dress up. The very last second- he changed his outfit.

(ugh!)

Another Indiana Jones...

Even the parents dressed up....

yet another Indiana Jones???

or is that just how he dresses?

The teacher that put- it- all- on- the- line- this man. I don't even know who he is... but green tights... Peter Pan!?

Some people have an abundance of confidence!

Last night was our church Halloween party. (Sounds a bit conflicting doesn't it? Church...Halloween?)

Anyway- I work with the Primary so I dressed up. I started out - with a black skirt, white shirt and black vest... I think I was thinking a Nun or Witch... ( there we go with the conflicts..) and then I pulled my hair up in pig-tails and made a mouse/cat face... I wanted to be a "church mouse"...

My husband has a problem with costumes you have to explain. Those are the only kinds I know how to do. One year we went as Clark Kent and Lois Lane and all our boys were Superman. (Supermen) .. He didn't like that one.

He didn't dress up this year. OH! ONE year- He full on dressed up as Captain Hook... I was Wendy, son peter pan and one son the crocodile... he said he felt "silly" that year. ( I borrowed the costume so he wouldn't have a home spun/ lame costume...) I give up.. I don't really like Halloween anyway... but I'm not a party poop er- we pass out candy... we just don't do a good job of dressing up.

don't hold it against us.

Laura

How Sweet

This picture is for all of us - who wonder what a daughter would ever look like. We bought this mullet last year for Halloween- as part of a "retro-hockey player costume". Last time my mom was here... my husband was wearing it, sitting on the couch watching TV and my mom mistook him for me. (Unbelievable- right?) I mean my hair doesn't look like this... right? Right!!??!

Well not now anyway- I got my hair cut.

Heath is in a cute dress-up stage. I think he's a Ninja Turtle.

Son #1 asked if he could read to the baby and have it count as his 20 minutes of reading. This is how I found them. Too cute.

But um... where are the books? Just kidding....

this picture just pulls on my heartstrings... My first baby.. .. snuggling with my last baby. How our family began and ended. (Not that it ever ends really- ) It's just a sweet photo. Son #1 is the best big brother to our baby..

Spooky Hike

One of our neighbors hosted a "Spooky Hike" for Family Home Evening. At 7:00 pm families gathered in the townhouse parking lot equip with flashlights and shoes ( our kids run around barefoot most the time) to go on a hike in the dark. My husband took son #2, son #1 was "working the trail". ( I guessed he and a bunch of the other 12 year olds were going to be scaring people along the way...) I stayed behind with sons #3, #4. (Son 3 was having a melt down and hysterical.

It reminded me of an activity my sister and her family enjoy. Even when her kids were really small, like toddlers, her husband use to take the kids out on "flashlight walks". The kids would get soooo excited and it was a nice break for my sister. I think it would be fun to go on a flashlight walk before Halloween and just enjoy everyone's decorations. We might do the hike again- tomorrow night. (Tonight- we have HOCKEY and don't get back until bedtime.)

New fitness teams..
The Sharks (Husband, sons #1, #3) vs The Capitals (Mom, sons 2,4)
I just got back with an hour walk with baby.... but this week is going to be hard... I've only got one hockey kid on my team.

Black Knights ROCK!

I know you have been sitting on pins and needles wondering... wondering who? WHO? Which team won the fitness challenge this week?

Hockey was rained out yesterday so we made our way over to the dollar theaters for a movie. We had some time to kill before the movie and were looking for an excuse to eat out- so we grabbed some lunch. Trying to sneak in last minute points- I let everyone order drinks... and I ordered a water. (1 pt) I got a thumbs up from my team captain ( son #1) Then when we ordered our meals we all ordered, but my husband ordered last... soup and salad! (like.. 8 points!) .. he's so sneaky! But the joke was on him... maybe he got to enjoy his diet coke while I settled with water--- but I got to enjoy southwestern spring rolls... yummy!

The week ended with:

Black Knights 475 points to a mere 385 points from the Red Dragons.

Yup- my team won.
Our team captain gets to pick FHE treats tomorrow night. Double Stuffed Mint Oreos. (surprise surprise...)
Laura

Funny Fitness

We are in full swing with our Fitness teams. Two nights ago- at dinner, I was pouring drinks and I poured my husband and sons 2 & 3 fruit punch. Then I gave sons 1 &;4 and myself water. (we get points for drinking water... they do not get points for punch.) At first the boys 2 &3 were confused, like, "hey- I got punch and they got water... but why aren't they fussing about that?" Then son 2 says, "HEY! I want water too!". My husband caught on .. and just smirked at me. (I'm sly competitive..."What?" I bat my eyes innocently. "I was just trying to be nice....") They didn't believe it.
So this morning, my husband wakes up early to go for a walk and he only wakes up sons 2 &3 to go with him. (THEY are trying to sneak in workouts without us!) Well that back fired because then they were GRUMPY/sleepy all morning. My husband apologized and promised not to do that again as I had to get them off to school.
But I love it. I volunteered to drive them to school- since they were so sleepy- but I rushed my son off walking to school. They noticed and said, "HEY! We're walking to school too mom- you are so mean!"
It's just funny. Normally they would beg for a ride, beg for fruit punch, etc.. etc.. but these teams make them say and do the funniest things! You've got to try it!
Laura

Pani Po Po

What the ho ho?
Pani Po Po is a slightly sweet type bread... I think it is a Samoan -I'm not 100% sure. (I'll find out for you.) But it is yummy- especially if you don't like super sweet. People have given us Pani Po Po for breakfast , I've had it at dinner pot-lucks too so I'm not sure what it falls under. (A breakfast or dinner/dessert type dish.)

This is something else you can make with that basic bread recipe I've already shared. It's one of those things- you just can't get enough of!


Just as review: The Basic Bread Recipe
2 cups warm water + 2 TBl. yeast + 1/2 cup sugar
Then add 2 1/2 tsp salt + 3 cups flour and mix well.
Then add 1 egg +1/4 cup oil + 3 more cups flour
Knead and let dough rise for 1/2 hour

Here's the Pani Po Po part
You need ...
1 can coconut milk
3 1/2 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
5 T corn starch
cook over medium heat until thick
cool and pour into (2) 9X13 pans
Reserve some coconut pudding to brush over hot rolls.

Take egg size balls of dough and place them on top of the pudding. Let rise 30 min.
Bake 375 for 20 min or until rolls are brown.
Brush the coconut pudding over.

It's super yummy.