Fall Break 2025

When Jeremy is on trips (quite a few this year), he misses a lot (including us and we miss him, too). One thing we've made sure to do as a family, though, is when Jeremy is traveling, he calls in the morning and night for family prayer over the phone. Sometimes he joins in for family scripture study as well. It's important to keep that gospel foundation strong for our family even when we're separated.

 

Since Jeremy was gone so long on this last trip to South Carolina, he also missed Fall Break.

 

Slumber Party!

When our older children were little we had a tradition of having a slumber party the night before Fall Break or Spring Break. We'd watch movies or play video games then all sleep out in the living room together. Over time, we had less people sleep in the living room after our "party" and eventually the tradition kind of fizzled out.

After many years we brought it back this Fall Break with watching a movie and playing MarioKart while eating muffins. Only a few opted to sleep out in the living room but we did have good bonding time while we were up.

October 15 was National Mushroom Day so I wore my pajamas that have mushrooms on them and Jr. Jr. commented: That's why Jet didn't want me to have mush room on the couch. 

P.S. For dinner earlier we made shawarma for Shawarma Day.

 

The next day, we had leftovers for dinner for World Food Day on October 16.

We got some snuggles in before Nichole and I went to a Relief Society activity to paint pumpkins. 

Normally I'm hands on involved in the activities (remember the sourdough?) but this time I was content to just sit and socialize. I also was able to praise Nichole's pumpkin painting. 

 

I got Kiki's Delivery Service vibes from it and not necessarily the movie. Isn't it so cute?

 

Fall Break Fun!

I hiked up Big Springs area with the kiddos. We'd been wanting to for a while and finally got the chance. We even had sun that day. 

A couple times, Jet and I took pictures of each other. This is how they turned out. 

Jr. Jr. pointed out to me how in Jet's picture the first time, Jr. Jr. was standing by me. In the other picture that I took, Jr. Jr. was standing by Jet. Ha Ha. Clever noticing. 

When we got home we had pasta to celebrate... National Pasta Day.

The mountains were gorgeous at sunset.

I love nature and I love living here and I especially love my children. 

 

The two oldest and I had some bonding time watching a movie one evening. While we watched, Jet watched Kiki's Delivery Service in a different room. I think he heard our conversation about Nichole's pumpkin.

 

Jet requested going to the library during Fall Break so on October 20, he and I went together. He was so well behaved. He followed directions. He stayed with me. We did a children's activity in the children's wing with pumpkin emotions. He got to play in the children's area and when it was time to move on to gather books on my list, he didn't put up a stink about it. He was quiet in the quiet areas, even when we had to get a book from the quietest area in the library. He was very good at whispering. We watched construction on the new courtyard/greenhouse area. He helped me check out our books and did a good job. I am so proud of him.

He did not yell, "Tractor!" in the middle of the library. Once we got out to the van, he was able to. "Tractor! Burninating the countryside..." For those that get the reference, he yells, "Trogdor!" but thinks it's "Tractor!" If you listen to Strong Bad from Homestar Runner, it does kind of sound like "Tractor."

Since October 20 was International Sloth Day, Jet requested a book about koalas. Why not?

I love bonding time with my children. And I love how this Fall Break went.

Mommy, Look

Jet: They're dinosaur eggs. I want the dinosaur eggs to hatch. Can you set a three minute timer and then the dinosaur eggs will hatch?

(after three minutes) Come on, little babies. Hatch. I'm going to feed you pine cones.

Mom, I want the little triceratops to come out and have some pine cones.

Come on, triceratops. Come on out. I've got some pine cones for you. Come on out, babies.

I will put them on the ground so the babies can have them when they hatch. 

 

Peculiar People Day 2022

When my mom heard Peculiar People Day was on January 10 her response was, "I am proud to have a day just for me!"

That's right except she can't have it all to herself. She has to share it with us. This is one we can always celebrate without even trying but it's fun to try. 

If you've been to my blog enough times, you know that orange soda is kind of our family drink. It's chosen quite often for birthdays and when we eat Hungarian food (though sometimes it's a different flavor). So for Peculiar People Day this year we had orange soda with our dinner. We also had a special guest at dinner.

(Going along with peculiar people, it took me a while to figure out how to say that last sentence. We had a guest for dinner? We had a guest with dinner? Both of those sentences could mean we ate our guest, which could go along with who our guest was.)

Lucky was able to bring home the class pet and he chose that day specifically because it was Peculiar People Day. Jeremy and I have a thing about platypuses... platypi. "I've heard it both ways." I'm so glad Lucky brought Charm for a visit. 

Since Charm's favorite food is mushrooms, I actually ate mushrooms. I hate mushrooms but again... I'm trying to be a good example. The thing about mushrooms for me is the texture. It's like I expected the texture of escargot to be. So take a look at the picture of me thinking about eating escargot on my "French Dining Experience" blog post from June 22, 2020. That's what I look like when I eat mushrooms and can recognize the texture and taste. I will put cream of mushroom soup in things and eat mushrooms if they are on pizza.

Enough about my dislike of mushrooms. Back to the platypus. 

 

Charm joined us for a number of things that day, including opening packages that Lucky got from grandparents for his baptism. Charm and Lucky's new baptism dog became fast friends.

Thanks for visiting, Charm.

Since I didn't get pictures, I will let you know we drank chocolate milk on National Milk Day on January 11.