Kiersten’s Blog

With all of the time wasted buying candy that I spent too much money on yesterday, we got ZERO trick-or-treaters.  I’m taking the candy back.  Don’t tell my kids.  We had a pretty low key Halloween.  Taylor and I went to a costume party with a bunch of friends on Friday.  That was a lot of fun.  There were some great costumes and a lot of good company and lots of yummy food.  I ate way too much.

For being dressed as a tourist, you would have thought I would get more pictures than I did! This is the only one I have of me.

Yesterday we planned on going to the Fall Festival at London’s school.  It was scheduled from 11-4 and Taylor’s parents decided to come down to see the kids in costume and have fun at the carnival with them.  Oh, and also fix my broken garage door.  But instead of a Fall Festival, we woke up to rain, so the carnival was cancelled.  I didn’t mind much, and it seems that neither did my kids.  Instead we got them dressed up in their costumes (just for fun) and went to lunch with Taylor’s parents at Taco Bell.  Of course the rain had stopped by then (even by 11:15) and the day turned out to be beautiful and sunny.  Then while the boys (minus Ashton of course) went surfing, the rest of us stayed home and made yummy soup and rolls.  I’m secretly not sad that the carnival was cancelled.  It was nice to not have anything to do.

Now that Halloween’s over, I need to get the Christmas presents finished for my family before Thanksgiving.  The year will be over before I know it!

Since today didn’t feel much like Halloween, I figured it was time to put up the thankful turkey.  This is our third year doing this.  London really looks forward to it.  Each day of the month, we choose something we’re thankful for (starting with a different letter of the alphabet) and add a new feather to the turkey.  Two years ago we didn’t have a turkey.  Last year we decided to make one, and I don’t think I even have a choice anymore.  Today we made the turkey and added the first feather.  London wanted to add all of the feathers today, but I told her that we’re only doing one a day.  I’m trying really hard to not repeat things I have mentioned in years past.  Of course this gets harder every year, so hopefully I dig deep and think of the things I’m really thankful for.

Today we start off with the letter A.  Now, mind you, London just thinks of the first thing that comes to mind that starts with the letter of the day.  Of course, she is thankful for apples.  I’m pretty sure it’s the same thing she can up with last year, but she’s 5.  Coming up with anything is good to me.  I said I was thankful for Ashton so she said that we could be thankful for both.  I love that Ashton is part of our family.  He is so much fun (but not so much in church today) and just hilarious.  Then I realized that the most important thing that I’m thankful for and that starts with the letter A is the atonement.  I really am thankful for the atonement of my Savior Jesus Christ because I know that because of his sacrifice, I can live again with my Heavenly Father and with my family.  That is the greatest blessing I will ever receive.

Since tomorrow is Halloween and I bought candy too early (that means we don’t have enough left) I needed to go to the store to get some more.  Of course, I don’t expect many trick-or-treaters, so I buy the stuff that I like.  That way I still get to eat it.  Plus, my kids didn’t get much in the candy department this year and since it was raining this morning, London’s carnival at school was cancelled.  I know more than anyone (except that darned dentist) that my kids don’t need any more candy.  But sometimes I think I do!  Truth be told, I don’t need it either.  So, as I was saying, I went out tonight to buy some more goodies, just in case.  Of course I wanted to go to the cheapest place so I got on line to see where to go.  I ended up printing off a coupon for $2.50 off 2 bags of a Nestle variety pack 20 oz or larger.  Then I headed out to Target.  I spent way too long looking at candy and trying to figure out what the best deal would be.  I finally decided to nix the coupon because I would save more money by just buying cheaper candy (or two smaller bags).  I chose some sort of Starburst gummies (I think) and peanut butter M&Ms.  I chose the M&Ms for a couple of reasons.  I love them.  London loves them.  Taylor loves them.  They also had one of those coupons stuck to the bag that you could just use right then for 50¢ off.  I figured that would be the best deal, and left.  It wasn’t until I got home that I realized that I FORGOT to use the coupon!!!  Sure, it’s only 50¢, but dang it!  I chose those M&Ms BECAUSE they had a COUPON!!!  So after my time spent (and it was too much) looking for the best deal, I would have been WAY better off to have just gone to Target (or probably any other store for that matter) and bought two bags of candy.  I could have been done in a half hour instead of all the time wasted just to save as much as $2.50, which I didn’t even use anyway.  Sometimes I think I’ll try couponing.  Then I have an experience like this and decide once again that it’s SO not worth it.

Somehow, my mom couldn’t find the Halloween pictures I wanted.  I really wanted one of Jana dressed in the same costume London is wearing this year.  I’m sure we’ll find it, but I don’t have it today.  So you get one of Kenton as Alfalfa and Jana as a witch.

Our weekend visitors left today.  We had a nice time with my aunt and uncle and their four kids.  They came to go to Disneyland, and have other exciting adventures.  On Friday night we had a bunch of family over for dinner.  It was CRAZY.  It’s always nice to see everybody, but everybody together might be a little much for our little house.  Then on Sunday we went to the Mormon Battalion Museum after church.  London loves it there.  It’s the first time that we’ve gone without riding the trolley, but the kids liked it anyway.  London got to be the one chosen out of the group to dress in the uniform to show what the battalion members had to carry.  She’s been wanting to do that for a long time and had her hand almost up, even before the missionary asked the question.  She didn’t want to miss out on that opportunity!

Now that I have my house back to myself, I could clean once again and get organized.  But did I do that today?  No.  I spent Ashton’s nap time (and even a little awake time) finishing up his Halloween costume.  I will say that I’m excited about the way that it turned out.  I have the cutest little Jasmine and Aladdin.  London got the Jasmine costume from my mom.  My mom made it for Jana when she was little.  All I had to do was make an under shirt so she could be modest.  Then, of course, how could we have a Jasmine without an Aladdin?  It’s a good thing the costume was easy.

As you can see, Ashton has learned the cheesy kid grin for the camera already.

Tonight was our ward carnival.  The kids had a great time.  Ashton just kept running around and London loved that she could go play all the games and win candy.  There was also a trunk-or-treat.  That’s always a big hit with the kids.  Ashton even got into it.  He would go up to the cars and say, “treat.”  It’s too bad that all the big kids kept pushing him out of the way.  I don’t think he really realized what was going on, though.  He was too enamored with all of the scary decorations.  The kids had fun and definitely came home with enough candy.

Right now my Aunt Julie and her family are staying at our house, visiting from Utah.  In honor of her, I’m posting this picture of the two of us back in the day.  This was our house in Alberta.  I love how dated this picture is.  Look at the lovely wallpaper.  We had the same exact stuff elsewhere in the house, but the colors were switched around (the flowers were brown and the background was off-white).  And if you look closely, you can see a diver in the fish tank!  I still think my dress was cute, though.

I don’t know anything about Todd Moore, except that he’s not so good at paying attention to details.  You know, like the little things that make a good mayor.  I’m pretty sure spelling the name of the city correctly would be a good start.

Our Saturday was full of parties.  London had two different birthday parties, for 3 different friends that she was invited to.  Since I have been all about making gifts lately, I decided to sew up some capes for the girls for their birthdays, thanks to an idea I found on my cousin, Brandy’s, blog.  I love how they turned out, even if they did take way longer than I expected.

Not only did I love how they turned out, they were a hit with the little girls as well.  I’m sure I’ll be making more of these.  I already have one on order from London, but first I need to get cracking on Halloween costumes.  Our ward party is on Tuesday.

We have a tradition every holiday of making sugar cookies.  My grandma has the best (and easiest) recipe.  London loves helping roll and cut them out, but I think her favorite part is eating the dough!  After her traumatic day at school yesterday, we made cookies  Then for family home evening, we frosted them and watched The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Frosting cookies was a new experience for Ashton.  He didn’t like it so much.

He wasn’t exactly sure what to do, and eating the frosting was not an option for him.  In fact, while London was licking her knife, he was saying to Taylor, “Ha, ha, ha” meaning “hand.”

He really doesn’t like it when his hands get dirty in any way, so having frosting on them was not fun for him.  We tried to teach him to lick it off, but he would have none of that. He didn’t even eat his cookie because it was too messy.  Funny guy.  Maybe he’ll be more willing in a couple of months when we make them again for Christmas (Thanksgiving is just too soon to do that again and I need to start making pumpkin stuff anyway.  Hmm, pumpkin sugar cookies?  I need a recipe for that!)

London had kind of a traumatic day at school today.  She told me she doesn’t want to go back.  I’m sure she’ll change her mind tomorrow, though, when everything is fine.  It wasn’t the first time they had gone to the big kids playground.  I guess they go out there for P.E. and run laps around the grassy area.  Today she didn’t hear when it was her class’ turn to go back to the classroom.  She was left on the big kids playground all alone.  Of course she cried.  She knew how to get back to her classroom, and did, but by then she was already traumatized.  I think she was scared and slightly embarrassed.  She said that after that, she just wanted to come home to her mom.  Poor girl.  Now she’s afraid to go back to school and run again.  I told her to stick with a friend from her class and she’d be just fine.  I feel so helpless, like I don’t know what I can do to help her.  I guess that’s the hard thing about being a parent.  I have to let my children grow up and experience things and learn how to deal with hard things on their own.  I know this is a very minor thing, but I just want my little girl to be okay.