Spooktacular

 The weather outside is frightful!

The Covid has changed the normal.

But since we have zoom online

Halloween, Spooktacular, BOO!

We kicked off our Halloween with a Zoom costume party.  Followed by Halloween themed Balderdash!

Eden was sooo convincing as Jafar.

We had a big costume reveal performance with YMCA and In the Navy, as the Village people. 

Art class in the week leading up to Halloween was our pumpkin carving fun. 

Ava did some prep ahead.. and took longer to complete.. but was SO worth the wait for her incredible Pumpkin Diorama house.

With all our pre-Halloween activities, the actual day of Halloween wasn't very eventful.  (Celebration wise.  We did a huge demolition on the kitchen wall and kept very busy with construction)  We didn't even dress up again.  The boys watched their traditional 'Coco' movie and just ate the candy from the bowl.  We had planned to have them trick or treat each room and outbuilding but it was cold and we were all tired.  

Before bed they popped outside for some sparkler fun thanks to Grandma. 

Next day was art day again... what better fun than, candy wrapper art!

Long before I blogged... there was a time....  things happened. 

I even have photographic proof of it. 

It's time to drag them out of archives and make them real... because if there is a photo and it gets blogged with a few words here and there... it really happened. 

One of such things was:

• Caleb used to be little. 
• Patrick used to have dark hair
• We made a trip to Canada... with only one child. 
• Photos used to be a little grainier
• Patrick used to wear sweats in public... until I put a stop to it!
• I used to bowl with style.. (okay it wasn't graceful style... it may be my own style)

What better than a bowling throw to bring back Throwback Thursdays!!

whew, another preserved.

Christmas Day

Christmas Bells...

...were ringing.  This was a hit Christmas morning.  We kept it a fairly sensible and simple Christmas.  We had decided on one fairly large family gift... I had had a few ideas but none that truly included everyone... Then while up late one night I stumbled across Merry Bells..  I was intrigued.  I watched a few videos and hmmed and hawed... I finally caved and made the purchase at over 50% off.  I had almost forgotten about them until the package arrived.  

Who knew they would take over Christmas!  They were played almost exclusively from dawn to dusk and even later... and they were played almost daily for the next two weeks.  

They became proficient in next to no time!

They mastered all the songs in single note and moved on to harmonized ringing!

Then they decided to increase the difficulty... the sped up the songs!

Ring a ling .. ding dong..

Partway through the day the Walkers arrived to join our festivities and Whittaker had requested we play a game.  A ridiculous hat wearing, oven mitt wearing, fork wielding, unwrap a chocolate bar that has been wrapped 50 times kind of game.

While all of this was going on, some of us worked on the 1000 piece nativity puzzle and enjoyed a video chat with Miles.  We even paused the game and played some bells for him and his companion.

No holiday is exempt from chores... especially when chores mean keeping us warm!

The exhausted but happy sledders had used up every bit of daylight careening around on the sleds and finally called it a night.  The sled made one last trip across the yard filled with firewood.

After a long winters day of sledding and ringing bells, a warm winter's evening of fun and games was enjoyed.  It had been a day of fun and lots of nibbling on goodies and treats.  We had left over soup from the Ranch nativity and all the extra cookies plus martinelli's juice.  Walkers, Caleb and the girls and of course us, filled our little house with fun all day.

Bell ringing really happened all day long and included all.

Ahoy Matey...

There was a lull in the festivities...

not really but we created one.

Sparky suggested we do a group activity and I concurred.  We announced boat races in one hour..  

I opened the craft cupboard and the teams formed and the creative juices began to flow!

Team Teenagers

Three teams pictured here.  

Team Lizzie, Team Boys with Uncle Sparky and Team Tree, Nana and Nora

Team Lizzie

Team Smug Engineers

Team Memo and Team Nova were not photographed.

On your marks!

Get Set!

Let 'em GO!!!

I would just like to interject that in all the mayhem of the one hour to be ready for the races, I helped people find glue, tape, popsicle sticks (they had to eat the popsicles first), paper plates, pool noodles, and other craft supplies.  I was also taking photos and gathering chairs for spectators.  My late entry boat was scoffed at for its simplicity. 

Team smug engineers had tested out their floatability before hand ... it still didn't help when they were bumped off course into the weeds.

  

The boats moved along at a good clip so boat launchers had to quickly get out of the starting line waters and hurry along beside.  

A great deal of encouraging words were called out to the boats.

A fair bit of friendly banter was also bandied about as boats sailed along...

note the simple tub in the lead!!... Team nova for the win!!

As the boats approached the 'white water rapids' section of the course, there were some worried boat builders.

ummm....

Capsizing boats

Caught on the weeds

Knocking other boats off course... 

It capsized!

oh no!

No amount of pleading helped Tree coax his boat to flip back over.

It's all good... It sails just as well upside down... how versatile.

Team Teenager's boat fared best on the rapids, even righting itself and sailing upright... if not backwards...

Another blockade held up a few boats, giving Team Teenager, Team Memo and Team Tree Nora a lead... wait... where is Team Nova!?

Some stayed quite a  while in the detritus.

  

All loosed from the rapids, the race was on again... 

Team nova was still in... just floating along completely submerged!

The final stretch!

Final judging at the finish line... 

The final approach.

Last bits of encouragement... and a bit of trash talking might have also occurred.

A final burst of speed overtook the simple barge.... 

WINNERS !!! 

upside down, and sustaining the loss of decorative parts, but first to reach the finish!

Much debate over location status based on ability to traverse the 'rapids' and speed isn't everything.  One boat stood out as staying upright and making it through the rapids unscathed... it just lacked speed.  Others lost decorative pieces and ran upsidedown, collided with others knocking others off course and being knocked into the weeds..

(Note the callus treatment of Team Nova's barge!!   I will have to speak to management.) 

An hour of creativity led to an hour of delightful 'riparian entertainment'!

REMATCH!!

Three races later, numb feet and waterlogged boats headed back to the house. 

Other than requests for annual course bank grooming... tough on bare feet... and of course a bridge over the creek would be appreciated.

It was so much FUN

We'll do it again!!

When 21 gather

Duncan mowed a baseball diamond in the hopes of a game.  He couldn't have predicted such a hilarious kickball game.  The dog chased the ball, the terrain was uneven and uphill on the last two bases, and there was so much laughing!!

Giant Jenga came tumbling down.  Grandma only jumped out of her skin... a lot.  but laughed with each tumble.  Techniques were discussed and strategies were definitely in play.

Speaking of strategy!  Giant Chess... Strategy for this game was supervised and suggested, but mostly it was just for fun!

Croquet anyone?  A full on game never got in to full 'swing', but there were multiple attempts at a few rounds.  Typically at the urging from a younger fellow.

Emerson's Birthday Party!

Saturday was all about fun and what better way to have fun than to have a birthday for a SEVEN year old!  It was only 3 days early and he was soo excited.  He requested a pumpkin cake.  We also made a lemon cake for feeding the masses.  Lighting the candles outside didn't work too well but finally success and singing and cake all around!

BOAT RACING

see next post!

Archery at sunset across the gorge.

Meals

the photographer was also the cook... just trust me... there was food... lots of FOOD

they lined up to eat it!

Games were played would be an understatement!  There was almost always a game going somewhere. 

Shhhh,  naptime.

Hugs

Some hugs were in the background, but they were captured all the same!

SURPRISE!!

It was time to christen the project with a name.  

It was difficult finding just the right fit.  We tried a few but nothing could quite stick.... until a chat online with Jim about Star Wars and rural living and other un-connected things.  He casually referred to the new building as 'the ole' tin playhouse'. 

The sign was painted and it was official.

And now...  

it was ready to welcome guests. 

The first to arrive were Seattle.

Grandma and Duncan were in the middle of a game of Canasta.  I watched the car pull up, so I casually told Emerson to check if I'd left my shoes out on the porch.  He went to check and there were shocked faces on both sides of the door. 

We enjoyed some games, and wandered a bit.  We prepared for supper when....

These guests were expected.  Just not for two more days... (well I knew... but I knew everything.. all along.)

Another round of hello's.. another tour about and some more games and we called it a night.  

Boys to the Tin House and the girls in the main house.

The next morning... dawned beautiful and bright.  With fourteen for breakfast we started the day early.

The little boys took over entertainment and set up croquet and introduced everyone to the geese and chicks.  There was a soccer ball produced and some took walks, others naps

As lunchtime approached.... 

Caleb arrived... he does pop over frequently.  We were also expecting him... just not everyone knew who he was bringing.

The mighty master.. Jim.

Now we were 16!

We were also no longer quiet, but the air rang with laughter and fun.

It wasn't more than 20 minutes later that Sarah and Boomer arrived.

Sarah completed the Noble family... (well Miles was late getting home from work... but we'd seen him earlier that morning.. and every day leading up to this moment)

What a reunion!

An hysterical and I'm told exhausting game of kickball began.

and then...

...la raison d'etre.

Texas arrived.

So did the tears.

the hugs

the laughter

and the memories...

(not pictured, Miles (on his way home from work...) Nova.. took the photo)