Hot Chocolate Without the Brussels Sprouts

January 31 was both Eat Brussels Sprouts Day and National Hot Chocolate Day.

We didn't have any Brussels Sprouts so I made Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies (from A Season of Family Meal Plans, volume 1) with other vegetables instead. Yumm. Good with Brussels Sprouts. Good without.

Later on, I went to sleep while others in the family had hot chocolate. I obviously didn't get pictures because I was asleep. 

My friend, Stephanie, sent me Hot Chocolate Day greetings and a picture of hot chocolate she enjoyed that day. She knows how to celebrate, too. 

 

Earlier in the day, Lucky went to a friend's birthday party. He helped Jeremy build a balloon sculpture for his friend. His friend had a really good, "Whoah!" reaction when Lucky got to the party. Heh Heh. 

 

Hodge Podge Halloween

The last few days of October kind of became a hodge podge of Halloween and other holiday celebrating. Some things were celebrated on their day and some were celebrated "observed." So here we go.

I asked Jet a while back what he wanted to be for Halloween. He told me, "Batty." I definitely went with a joke in there but also decided I could make him bat wings so he could be "Batty." Jeremy made bat ears for him.

He loved his bat wings so much, he wore them a lot. One day when they were all finished, he asked to watch an episode of Wild Kratts about bats. He wore his wings and watched the episode then told us things he knew about bats. "They sleep upside down." He said that as he was lying on his back trying to get his feet all the way up into the air. Have I mentioned I love that kid so much?

That day was October 29, National Cat Day (not to be confused with National Black Cat Day two days earlier). I took a picture of the neighbor's cat skeleton decoration again.

It was also National Oatmeal Day but we were too busy to celebrate that day. Jeremy and Lucky volunteered to make balloon animals at the Primary Carnival the Young Women put on. Jet got to test run his bat wings and ears. He enjoyed playing games and getting prizes and treats. He also decorated a sugar cookie. 

The Young Women really put on a good event. Besides the things Jet wanted to do, they also had face painting and freeze dance contests and musical chairs and crafts. I was impressed.

We celebrated Oatmeal Day the next day, October 30, which was actually Haunted Refrigerator Night. So Lucky and I made oatmeal muffins and I fried up some eggs (from the refrigerator- Boo!) for dinner.

Lucky: It looks like a duck face.

 

Earlier that day, our friend Stephanie came over to watch a spooky movie with Nichole and me while we drank hot chocolate and ate toast. Mmmmm. The movie was Something Wicked This Way Comes. I watched that movie when I was a kid and it was creepy. It's still creepy now that I'm an adult. I won't recommend it to my sensitive child.

October 31 was Halloween, National Breadstick Day, Frankenstein Friday, and National Knock Knock Joke Day. Jet and I did knock knock jokes a few days before when we were talking about that holiday coming up.

Jeremy got us donuts as a special treat for Halloween breakfast.

Jet did a really good job going in to school that day (he doesn't always). I think he was excited about Halloween and his costume. I watched Jet and Lucky in the elementary school Halloween parade. 

At home after Nichole got back from classes, she helped me make dinner. That was really helpful because besides working on the food, I was also running around picking kids up after school. 

Jet got fangs at school (which he calls a jaw- it makes sense), so a few times he told people he was a vampire bat. 

Because of Nichole's help, we were able to eat before trick or treating. Spaghetti Monsters to celebrate Halloween, National Breadstick Day, and Frankenstein Friday. 

The three youngest went trick or treating with me around the neighborhood then the whole family loaded up in the van and went trick or treating at my sister's house then went in to visit for a little bit. It's tradition. Every year, Jet talks about trick or treating at his aunt's house.

While we were out trick or treating, Jr. Jr., dressed as a jester, showed people juggling tricks and they gave him treats.  

Jet as you know was a bat (Batty).

Lucky dressed as Quirrel from Hollow Knight, the video game. Jeremy made his costume.

Hodge Podge Halloween celebrating. It's fun.

Catch of the Day

Jet: I'm staying here with my new friend.

Catching Up June 2025 part 1

Back in Utah, we celebrated again.

June 4 was National Cheese Day. We had Cheeseburger Pasta. Yumm. 

Another day, Nichole and I got to go celebrate our friend, Stephanie's birthday. She is amazing, She is Wonder Woman. 

Nichole designed a card for her. Butterflies are definitely her thing. Stephanie is also an artist so she really appreciated it. Nichole and she get together often to do art. 

 

On Name Your Poison Day, June 8, I told Nichole the holiday and she immediately started naming several different poisons. She wants to write a mystery so she is often researching poisons. She even took a medicinal plants class in college to learn more.

We also had an at-home potluck that day. Here were the contributions (oldest to youngest):

zucchini bread, strawberries and cream, tacquitos, sparkling apple-grape, otter pops.

 O.K. That's enough catching up for now.

It's Graduation Day!

May 23 was World Turtle Day. This is what Nichole drew for the holiday. That's my girl.

It was also the last day of school and the day of Jr.'s high school graduation. When I woke Jr., I acted like Frozen.

"It's graduation day? It's graduation day! The window is open, so's that door. I didn't know they did that anymore..." 

This was Jr.'s third and last time playing with the orchestra for graduation. The first time was for Nichole's graduation, the last was for his. That's my boy.

I also made sure to get pictures of the other boys before school because we were not around when they got out. 

We all enjoyed wishing Jr. well and watching him open graduation presents. Then he and Jet played music together. So cute.

My sweet husband stayed up late to take Jr. to grad night and pick him up because I was too tired to do so and slept that night.

Once Jr. got home in the middle of the night, he helped Jeremy with a combined anniversary, Mother's Day, and birthday surprise for me. 

I woke up the next morning to go for a quick walk at Bridal Veil Falls. And I had one of my morning musings: Are the colors in your dreams muted or are they vibrant?

As I was headed out, I noticed my surprise and felt loved. My husband had started a garden for me. He knew I wanted one. Earlier in May, Jr. had been volunteering at the high school's greenhouse for their greenhouse sale. He helped Jeremy pick out some plant starts for me. Since he couldn't find everything he wanted, he did go to a store to get some others.

 

Later the day of my surprise, Jeremy and Jet and I went shopping for some more potting soil and some more plants as well as picking up some starts from someone in our ward. He also gave us pickles that he had canned himself. Mmmm, pickles. 

Jet has become a big helper with the plants with watering them and he even got to pick a tomato one day. That's my boy. 

It's been a while since May. This is what our garden looked like toward the end of June. It's grown even more since then.

Jeremy and I went out to eat to celebrate my birthday then the next day we had cake and ice cream. Jet helped with the cake and the candles.

Another day a friend and I, who both have May birthdays, went out for lunch and a little walk around Bridal Veil Falls to celebrate our birthdays. 

 

May 25 was Towel Day. I did take a towel in my bag to church. 

 

And because this post was supposed to be about Jr.'s graduation...

I am proud of Jr. He worked plenty hard through high school and did some pretty cool things. Way to go, Jr. I think you are terrific.