Feeling Grateful for This Today

I Voted

I Ain't Afraid of No Ghost!

Happy Halloween!

I must say, for it being one of my least favorite holidays, with kids it gets more fun every year. With Halloween parties, the ward trunk-or-treat, a Halloween tea party, and TODAY, the girls got to wear their costumes multiple times this past week.

Now go blast "Ghostbusters!" to pump you up for trick-or-treating tonight!

Question: Who Hangs Christmas Lights in October?

Fact: 50% of our neighbors (slight exaggeration)
Here's the deal-io: Microsoft employs a lot of people from India, and many live in our neighborhood. And every fall they celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Houses are strung with beautiful twinkle lights and glowing candles. Right now neighbors up and down the street are letting off fireworks. It's quite festive!
Four years ago, our friends Anvay and Deepti hosted a fabulous Diwali feast. Anna wore a bindi, or as we called it "Baby's First Bindi". Deepti displayed gorgeous hand-painted lamps and spoiled us with a lavish feast.

The food was delish. The lovely Deepti & Anvay are now back in India (we miss you guys!). Each year there is a huge Diwali festival at our elementary school with catered foods and lots of dancing. Perhaps someday we'll celebrate Diwali again!

p.s. In case you didn't pick up on it, we are now The Office junkies. For a Michael Scott introduction to Diwali, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYwsaspQ29c. For a more "academic" explanation, where else but Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali.

School Days, School Days, Dear Old Golden Rule Days

What do three little girls & one mommy do all day while everyone's in school? Well, what we do best--have fun! This is my last year to have all my girls home with me. We are going to enjoy every single minute . . .

Singing

Dancing


Playing

Reading and Writing, Arithmetic, Taught to the Tune of the Hickory Stick

The Pumpkin Patch

I love reading about everyone’s festive autumn outings. So many harvests and farmers’ markets and apple picking and wagon rides! I wish we could come to all of them; they sound so fun! I’ll join in by adding a few pictures of our annual pumpkin patch excursion. (Which included a kids' class, harvest veggies, flower pickin', hay ride, bean maze, chickens, and alpacas--of course.)

the great pumpkin search
found: the perfect pumpkin! (Pumpkin Pie III)
this pumpkin is too big

this pumpkin is just right!


monet's garden

"I'm a puppy-lovin' pigeon!"