Pumpkin Carving.

Today is nuts. I should be doing about 8,000 other things as Colin and I get ready to spend the day tomorrow flying across the Pacific. But you know what? I've been organizing photos the last couple of days into groups of events (first lost tooth, trip to Doernbecher, Easter 2011, etc.) and I realize that I really have been terrible about documenting things. Somewhere around Abe's birth and cancer, I kind of fell off the documenting wagon and it makes me sad. I don't even have any notes down about Juliet's last birthday. What?? So today, when I should be packing, I am taking a few moments to document last night's pumpkin carving. My kids had a blast. These pumpkins are out of our own garden, which the hippie in me loves. The kids picked out stencils and Colin and I helped (actually, we did it all) the carving.

Here is Boss telling me something - this kid has lots of words to use. All the time.

Jude loved handling the guts of the pumpkin. My job during this gutting process was picking out pumpkin seeds, which I roasted. Have you tried that? They are off the hook good for a snack.

Jude had the scary pumpkin, Sissy had the witch and Samuel did Frankenstein.

Sissy had fun gutting her pumpkin - although she said it felt pretty gross. Isn't her hair cute? Colin cut it. She wants no hair up front because it gets in her eyes. I told her that's called a mullet and I won't be having it. At least not for my girl.

Yay! The kids packed up their pumpkins to leave for the grandparents house. I can't believe we won't be with them for Halloween - actually, they were going to attend the church harvest festival (which is way more fun than trick or treating), but we'll do that next year.

Portland Art Museum.

You know what? When I lived in Queens and was about 20 minutes away from NYC, I think I sort of took it for granted. Gasp. I had all the best food, museums, Broadway shows, people watching, parks, famous actors, etc., right at my fingertips. Don't get me wrong - Colin and I would take a train ride here and there into the city for a day of exploring. But if you put me there now, I would go nuts with excitement. I think it's when you live far from it, that it becomes a cherished concept. That's how I felt at the Portland Art Museum today. We are so blessed to have Monet and other amazing and famous painters right downtown in Portland, yet I only go about 2 times per year. Seriously. Today I deemed a "field trip" day as I am trying to be better about using library passes that allow us to do cultural things for free. So, my  mom and I packed up four kids and headed in. You know what? It was really fun. We didn't stay super long, but long enough to get some culture into these kids. They all loved the samurai exhibit, but could have done without the paintings. I guess that takes time, right?

Above: in front of Monet.
Below: all of us ready to go in - Sissy is standing with her cousin, Ella.

Below: my mom loved the paintings as well. She snapped some pics with her phone.

Below: the kids getting a pre-museum lecture from Grandma about appropriate behavior in this setting. My  mom is a master at lectures. For realsies. She would agree.

Below: jaw dropping.

Below: we decided the horses weren't real, but only after a stranger advised us that the "fur" was actually fabric. Could have fooled me.

These two are so sweet together - they were positively giddy with each other's company!

So the only cost we had to get into this museum was the parking. The cultural pass I snagged got adults in free. I would highly recommend.

October Pics

I have to say that October has been pretty much consumed by homeschool, but we have managed to attend a cousin birthday at Sauvie Island pumpkin patch. October is fantastically beautiful here in October - I am constantly amazed of the beauty that surrounds me.

The kids enjoyed doughnuts.

This is a picture I took during school one day - Boss enjoyed me peeking between the chair slats. Someday I will remember these moments and really miss the innocence and happiness that exudes from small kiddos.

Boss at the pumpkin patch - I do believe he is wearing a man sized hat here. Big kid.

Here Grandma Mary is happily reading to the kids. All my kids really truly love book time - Sissy is a little hyper at times to sit through entire stories, but the rest of them love it.

A sweet moment between Uncle Joel and Abe.

Just capturing a moment of chaos - I think this was during school.

Sissy and Ella love being together.

These girls made a beeline for the flower field - they picked and picked and picked.