Cheese and Pickle Sandwiches

I am thankful for cheese and pickle sandwiches and how easy they are to make. I'm also thankful for homemade bread with which to make the sandwiches.

November 14 was National Pickle Day. It was also American Teddy Bear Day. I wanted to look for a teddy bear to put in a picture with a cheese and pickle sandwich to celebrate both holidays. One of my children mentioned Winnie-the-Pooh but I noted that Winnie-the-Pooh is a British teddy bear. I grabbed a care bear, which is an American teddy bear. 

Phew. Holidays celebrated. 

 

November 15 was Steve Irwin Day. I kept my eye out for wildlife as I was out running errands. First thing I noticed when I left the house was hearing birds in the morning. Not surprising. You know I love birds.

I am thankful for Steve Irwin's family and what they have continued to teach us about wildlife conservation even though Steve is no longer around. The Crocodile Hunter was a very important part of my childhood growing up as it was with a lot of people my age.

It was also Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day so we had leftovers. 

 

P.S. My friend sent me the Lucille Ball wearing the pickle costume video again like she did last year. 

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.

November 15

November 15 was Steve Irwin Day. Jet and I saw some living fish. I remembered to call them "gorgeous." I also thought about how their species have been around for millions of years.

November 15 was Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day. We ate leftovers.

 

November 15 was Raisin Bran Cereal Day. Jet and I made muffins from The Fiction Kitchen Trio Cookbook. I love my baking buddy.

 

That was November 15.

Halloween 2024

October 30 was Haunted Refrigerated Night. We had leftovers for dinner then headed to the ward/neighborhood Trunk or Treat. Jeremy brought the sugar skulls and a balloon puppet home from Thanksgiving Point's Dia de Muertos Celebration and suggested I use those to decorate our trunk for the festivities. It worked well.

When I asked Jet a week or two before Halloween what he wanted to be for Halloween, he told me a dinosaur. Perfect. He had green clothes, pteranodon wings, and Jeremy the night before the Trunk or Treat made him a balloon pteranodon hat to wear on his head. Perfect. (Again, we are using the word dinosaur as a general term for prehistoric creatures, including flying reptiles)

So as we were getting ready for the Trunk or Treat, Jet told me he was a vampire bat. O.K. Great. He was a vampire bat that some people would mistake for a pteranodon (and a lot of other things as that is how costumes go).

 

Lucky was Flowey, a character from the video game, "Undertale."

Jr. Jr. went as himself but with an "inflated ego." Ha Ha Ha Ha. Jeremy's idea.

Jr.'s Halloween costume was Death from Terry Pratchett's "Discworld." He had a Rat Death on his shoulder. Loved it.

Jeremy put together most of the costumes for the boys. I used to be more helpful but not lately (at least with Halloween costumes).

Halloween, October 31, was also National Knock Knock Joke Day but I couldn't think of any knock knock jokes that day. Weird and sad.

Jet and I went to see Lucky in his Halloween Parade at the elementary school. Like last year, they had the band from the high school playing for them as they walked outside.

After the parade, Jet and I drove up to Bridal Veil Falls to say Goodbye for the next 6 months.

That evening, Jet, Lucky, Jr. Jr., and I went around the neighborhood trick or treating. Jr. stayed home to work on college applications. He stayed in the van at Trunk or Treat to do the same. Poor kid. Lots of stress for him lately.

After we trick or treated in our neighborhood, we went to trick or treat and visit my sister. Nice chatting and good end to the evening.

I Love to Write Day

November 15 was Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day. You know what that means. Leftovers Night! Unfortunately a lot of things went back into the refrigerator. It still needs to be cleaned out more.

I bought raisin bran for Raisin Bran Cereal Day that same day, but I forgot to get it out. Sigh. Sounds like me.

That day was also I Love to Write Day. Nichole happened to have her Creative Writing class that day. Jeremy did some writing that day as well. And since it was a special writing holiday (and because it's November- NaNoWriMo), Nichole had some hot chocolate in our composition mug.

I Do Like to Celebrate With Food

November 15 was Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day. Leftovers!

It was also Raisin Bran Cereal Day. Raisin Bran!

November 16 was Fast Food Day. Fast food type food we can make from home!

November 18 was Apple Cider Day. This was not on our calendar but someone told Six Sisters' Stuff about it which is where I learned about it so it is now on the calendar for every year after this. Apple Cider!

Moldy Cheese Day

October 9th is Moldy Cheese Day.

Time to clean out the refrigerator.