I don't have the talent that others have with Photoshop or Elements so I can't add words to my pictures yet for Carin's challenge this month so my word for the picture below will have to be separate from the picture but here goes.....

HAPPY

A Haunted Halloween

Due to a computer or camera glitch I am delayed with my cute children's halloween costume pictures.  I do, however, have the pictures of my brother and sister-in-law's souped up haunted halloween house.  My brother-in-law Jeff has admitted that Halloween is by far his favorite holiday and I think that as you scan down these pictures you will agree that he certainly enjoys this holiday.  

The front yard was covered with a graveyard and skeletons of all kinds.

A ghostly figure moved up and down her hand outstretched....

In the backyard were more creepy characters....

The creepy character in this case is the spider .... of course!!!

Neighbors get in on the act to help create the spooky ambiance...  I'm referring to the teenager in the mask... not the skeleton in the casket.  Although if any neighbors are reported missing Jen might have to send some of Jeff's co-workers to question Jeff.

Family are also enlisted to scare up some fun.  

Most are suitably scared.  Cody would only get his picture taken with the mummy if Brett had an iron grip on him.  I was even scared and warned the masked teenager not to sneak up on me while I was taking pictures.

These pictures of course don't do justice to all the lights, sounds and motion to all of the figures.  Kudos to all the hard work that went into this year's haunted yard Jeff and Jen!!!!

Homework

The other day my youngest (he is 3) came upstairs and said to me "mom is it time for my homework?"  He hears me talking everyday to the older boys about doing their homework and I think he wanted to do "homework" too.  So I asked him what his homework was and he told me "abc's"  I said "okay let's do your homework but just give me a second"  I think you can see why I wanted a second.... I needed a second to go get my camera for he had come upstairs with this ridiculous duck hat on that looked sooooo funny.  

So we recited the abc's song twice while I took a few pictures of him in the duck hat and I told him he did a great job with his homework.  What is the funniest thing your child has ever put on?

The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat

As I was helping my oldest boy with his spelling words I happened to glance outside and saw my six-year old successfully riding his bike on the basketball court.  He had done this a few weeks ago but I was not home to see it and had given up since then due to some painful crashes.  I quickly  grabbed my camera in case he crashed and gave up again.  He did crash... and I caught a typical expression that I have seen often on his face...

But happily he got back on his bike again and continued to ride.  

I'm so glad I caught this before the weather turned too cold and kids are done with riding bikes.  I still have two more boys to teach to ride two-wheelers.

7 Unusual Things About Myself

Thanks for the tag Sara...not! Just kidding.  These kinds of things are usually where you look at yourself and go wow! am I a really boring person or what!  What could I possibly write that could make my friends say, "hey, that is unusual" or "I didn't know that about her".  So I'm going to try for the "I didn't know that about her" angle and see how I do.  My family will probably say "duh! I knew that!" so don't read this then.

1.  I was a certified dance teacher with the British Association for Teachers of Dance for four years.

2.  I was chosen valedictorian for the department of Psychology my graduating year at BYU.

3.  I dream of taking ballroom/latin dancing classes with my husband but he hates dancing so I fear that dream will never be fulfilled (in this life)

4.  I can't do math!!!!!!!!! so don't ask me!!!! please!!!!!!! I'm terrified of numbers!!!!!!

5.  As much as I love talking in class and by talking I mean contributing comments.... help me, I'm talking and I can't shut up!!!!! I'm socially very shy... it is like pulling teeth to walk up to someone and introduce myself to them.  

6.  I love eating things like poutine (french fries with gravy and melted cheese curds), borscht, pickle panic popcorn, lemons with salt sprinkled on them, hot water with lemon juice and salt in it (instead of hot cocoa like regular people), Strubs dill pickles (the best kosher pickles ever made), sour keys (a candy that takes the skin off your tongue if you eat too many).  Well you get the idea.... I like sour stuff mostly.

7.  I love watching "The Avatar" cartoon with Jaden.  really! it's a great show with humor and lots of kung fu action.

Fall Beauty

I noticed the leaves on the trees out in front of my house... I wonder how long ago they changed their color??? I wanted to take a couple of pictures before they all fall off.  My 3 year-old obliged me as my model for this morning.

My boys are already complaining about the cold weather.  Poor guys don't realize that it has only just begun!

X Marks the Spot????

Just when you think your kids are growing up and being more responsible they go and surprise you with this....

Silly me left an orange Sharpie in my bathroom.  I had been walking around with the current grocery ads and circling low prices in the ads with the marker.  I set the Sharpie down on the bathroom counter earlier in the day and forgot about it.  Stupid me!!!! I'm usually more responsible than that and put all pencils, pens, markers, and scissors away from sticky fingers (and by sticky I don't mean sticky in the sense of needing to be washed if you get my drift).  So after supper when I went into the bathroom for something I was surprised although not shocked when I saw orange markings on the counter top (I didn't see the toilet seat or the toilet paper yet).  Mentally kicking myself for leaving the marker there, I of course figured my 3-year-old did it but we asked all of the kids who did it and they all denied it.  The most emphatic denials coming from my 6 year-old (that should have been my first clue).  I took my 3 year-old into the bathroom and asked him why he did it.  He kept denying it and as I looked closer at the counter-top markings I realized that under the scribble was a beautiful number 8.  Bingo!  Giving my 3 year-old a hug I said thanks for telling the truth and called in my 6 year-old whose number 8s I recognize and asked him again why he drew on the counter.  I kid you not..... when I was growing up when we were asked by our parents why we did something our response was always "I don't know" my boys give me this "because I wanted to".  I think I would rather have the "I don't know" suggesting they were out of their minds when they did it versus knowingly doing something wrong.  In the process of discovering that it was my 6 year-old he managed to lie to me 3 times and to Brett once (while I was in the bathroom with my 3 year-old).  So he actually got in more trouble for lying than he did for drawing on the counter-top.  Poor kid!  

Anyways the point of this story is actually to ask for suggestions on how to get permanent marker out of the toilet seat.  I have been able to get it faded somewhat by using Goo Gone and Clorox Bathroom cleaner while scrubbing with a toothbrush.  Any other ideas to get the rest of it off or do I have to live with a toilet seat marked with an X?  (we just bought this seat 2 months ago.... sigh...)