Other October Holidays

October 24 was National Food Day. We ate leftovers. It was also World Kangaroo Day. Jet and I hopped like kangaroos.

October 25 was Greasy Food Day. It was also World Pasta Day. We ate kind of greasy pasta.

October 26 was Mother-in-Law Day. I wished several people Happy Mother-in-Law Day including my mother-in-law. I love her. It was also National Pumpkin Day. I know several people who carved pumpkins that day.

October 27 was National Black Cat Day. I often see black cats running around our neighborhood. Murphy's Law says on Black Cat Day, I wouldn't see one. At the end of the day, Jeremy reminded me that the neighbors had a glow in the dark black cat skeleton decoration. That worked for celebrating.

October 28 was the Anniversary of when the Statue of Liberty was dedicated and it was also Matt Smith's birthday so I really wanted to watch The Angels Take Manhattan (which has both the Statue of Liberty and Matt Smith) while working on a Halloween costume but that's an episode of Doctor Who we don't have. So I watched Daleks in Manhattan which also has the Statue of Liberty in it. For dinner we had fish sticks and vanilla pudding in honor of Matt Smith's Doctor. We didn't have enough fish sticks so I pulled some curry chicken from the freezer and cooked up some rice. #shelfcooking

It was also National Chocolate Day so Lucky made woo-woo for us. 

 

Jet's Happy Place

I've mentioned my happy place is up Provo Canyon among Fall colors.

I've found Jet's happy place. A graveyard. Or among Halloween decorations.

He LOVES Halloween decorations.

One night he got to go outside after dark and loved seeing the decorations glowing. I got this picture and figured he fit right in with how it turned out. 

Last year we went on a Halloween Drive seeing decorated houses listed by the city of Orem. People were able to submit their house with decorations to add to the list and Orem City put together a route for spectators to follow to see the houses. 

There was also a house down by the South end of the lake we passed a few times that had decorations that Jet kept talking about for months.

This year we went on another Halloween Drive going to a bunch of houses on Orem's list. Some of these houses had a lot of similar features. Giant skeletons coming out of people's yards or roofs was popular. Jet loved it.

 

He LOVES Halloween decorations. 

Halloween Drive

October 21 was Reptile Awareness Day. Jet watched some Wild Kratts that day.

It was also International Day of the Nacho so we had nachos.

That evening for Family Home Evening we went for a drive to look at Halloween decorations. You know Jet loves Halloween decorations.

We decided to follow a list of houses put together by the city of Orem. By the second and third house on the route, we realized that another vehicle was doing the same thing as us. The same vehicle stopped at the same houses as us. They got ahead of us at one point so we were stopping at the same houses as them. After a while we didn't keep up because we were looking at other houses that weren't on the list and we needed to head home anyway. I thought it was funny, though, that both of us decided to do the same thing on the same night at the same time.

While we were looking at Halloween decorations, Jet said a few cute things:

"Oh no. That one's not scary. Let's try again." 

"Ooh, that's a scary ghost. It scared me."

 

October 22 was National Color Day. Jet and I looked at different colors as we drove around. Leaves on trees. Traffic lights. We sang the traffic light song. We also looked at the different colors on the American flag.

I have to mention dinner that night because... c'mon... I love A Season of Family Meal Plans (by Jordan Page) and am getting so much use out of those books.

We had Salsa Sweet Pork with Cilantro Lime Rice Bowls. The pork was soooo good. Jeremy said it would be good for nachos so I'll keep that in mind for the future because we just had our nachos the day before.

From Helper to Grouch

One day, Jet was being my big helper. We made jello with berries in it with whipped topping on top. It went along with our French Dip sandwiches we had from A Season of Family Meal Plans, volume 4, by Jordan Page (still going strong). Jet put a bunch of berries in and ate the rest. Cutie.

He was also in charge of FHE treat so we took suckers and wrapped them in paper towels and drew faces on them to make ghosts. He likes decorations so much, we made our own.

The next day, however, he was a grouch. He must have been celebrating the holiday, National Grouch Day on October 15.

We also listened to Oscar the Grouch sing "I Love Trash."

That was a rough day. I picked up Lucky and when I got home, I let him go in while I posted this on Instagram:

Not a minute later, Lucky came back to the van and said, "Jet wants you."

Later before Jeremy got home from work, I texted him what Jet said. Jet was in the same room and must have seen Jeremy's picture on my phone because he told me, "I don't want Daddy. I want Nichole." Grouch.

Mommy, Look

Look at these decorations.

Comet Hunting

You know we've had varying levels of success with viewing comets in the past. We decided to try our luck again since there was supposed to be a comet around in October. So on Saturday, October 12, we went out in the evening to search for the comet. We went up West Mountain to where we saw the other comet in 2020. Unfortunately it was a very cloudy evening and we got up there later than we wanted to. We saw no comet but there was a gorgeous sunset.

We did, however, see the Y lit up on the mountain in the other direction. Nichole let us know this is the 100th anniversary of "Light the Y." I remember participating in "Light the Y" way back when I was in college.

And the moon looked cool as it often does.

That day was also International Moment of Frustration Scream Day. Often when that holiday comes around, I don't feel like celebrating in the way it's intended. That's a good thing. This year, I did feel it. I had my moment. I went back to my room, had a silent frustrated scream, then put together a shopping list and went shopping.

It was also Breakfast Burrito Day in Denver so we ate breakfast burritos to celebrate.

The next day, October 13, I wore my bow earrings because it was my cousin's birthday.

We had an at home potluck. It had been a while since we had one of those. These were the contributions from oldest to youngest: Stuffing, onion roasted potatoes, mint lemonade (not pictured), apples, and sour strawberry peeps. Jet didn't contribute.

Then we went for a relaxing Sunday drive up West Mountain, this time all the way to the top, to look for the comet again. As we drove, I mentioned that it was International Skeptics Day and Jeremy said, "I don't think the comet's actually a comet. I think it's a projection on the dome of our flat Earth." Heh heh heh. 

It became even cloudier than the day before sadly. We actually did get a glimpse of the comet through binoculars during a little break in the clouds. We weren't able to get pictures, though. We couldn't wait for the comet to come back into view, though, as we got chased off the mountain by lightning and thunder. Not so great on the top of a mountain.

Both nights had beautiful sunsets at least. The observatory was cool to look at.

What a view.

Both nights we drove by a house with some pretty fun decorations. Jet is really into Halloween decorations right now.

Jeremy and I did go out another night with Jet down to the lake and were able to see the comet again way up in the sky... without us being way up in the sky that time. Still no pictures.

Mommy, Look

It's a star! 

(He really likes the neighbors decorations)

Last Week of School- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

Last week of school continued.

I got to help put vinyl on T-shirts Lucky's grade wore for their dance festival. My sister, who has a LOT of experience with that sort of thing, helped me figure it out because I don't have as much experience. They danced to the song, "Thunder." Some of the shirts were black with white lettering that said, "Lightning," with a white lightning bolt and some were white with black lettering that said, "Thunder," with a black rain cloud.

Lucky's class also had a talent show that day. He played harmonica for his classmates and teacher.

Tuesday, May 21, was International Tea Day and Strawberries and Cream Day. I made scones with a recipe from The Fiction Kitchen Trio Cookbook. I did not make clotted cream to go with it. No, thanks.

The biscuits I made were based on the Funfetti Shortbread Bites we made January of 2021, but without the sprinkles.

 

Wednesday, April 22, was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's birthday. Nichole and I chatted about Sherlock Holmes then she, Jet, and I went to our own Lost World that evening. O.K. So it was Bridal Veil Falls which is not lost at all, but Utah's Adventure Family had mentioned it on Instagram and made we want to go so we got a little evening walk in after taking boys to activities that evening.

And cuteness. Jeremy brought home a watermelon that Jet was so excited about, he got a plastic knife out of the drawer and tried slicing it. You better believe he got the first piece when Jeremy finally cut it up.

 

Thursday, May 23, I got out for another walk in the morning. I've been wanting to get out for walks more.

That evening, Nichole and I went to a Relief Society activity together. I love getting to do things with my girl.

Ladies' Night

It's been a few years since Girls' Night with my group of friends from my old ward/neighborhood. Some I've seen since then for different reasons. Jeremy and Jet recently ran into one with her daughter at Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point. But it's been a while since we ladies gathered as a group to spend time together.

Recently one friend invited us to Ladies' Night at her house to decorate potion bottles for Halloween decorations.

That was fun. 

We had fun creating but we also had fun socializing. So much socializing

When I got home, Jr. Jr. was still up (too late), and when he saw what I brought home, he started analyzing my "potions" and going into detail about the differences between potions and elixirs and what different materials would make different things look like. That kid is quite a thinker.

Now let me share two of the things I love about Girls' Night with these friends:

1. It's not always the same group. A few of us have been there from the beginning going to most of the activities. Some friends have moved away too far to just drive back for a night. Some people have joined and have become a permanent part of the "group." I love that whether someone comes for one night or for ten, they are welcome. 

2. It's a safe space. We've had some discussions that have gotten pretty deep. There's been vulnerability shown. Honestly, there's also a lot of light discussions. There is definitely a lot of laughing. But it's not a place to start gossip or continue gossip. We can talk about things without worrying about it being blabbed elsewhere. I love that it can be comfortable with these friends even if I haven't seen them in a few years.

I LOVE GIRLS' NIGHT/LADIES' NIGHT!