Our school district starts offering Strings classes in 4th grade so Jaco is trying his hand at the violin. He goes to class 5 days a week and we are renting his instrument. He seems to be enjoying it and is doing great! Tonight they had what is called a "play in" where all the kids in the district who are taking strings, get together and play together. The high school gym was packed! The kids could wear costumes if they wanted so Jaco went as an orangutan. The 4th graders start learning by plucking the strings. They are just starting to use the bow. This video clip just shows Jaco from the back. Sorry! The place was too crowded to get a front shot. At least you can hear a gym full of kids ranging from 4th grade to high school playing Hot Cross Buns!
Severed toes anyone? When I saw this idea I knew I had to do it for the two foot Dr's on the guest list; Dr Johnson and Dr Freulich. They were so easy! Just cocktail wieners with a small divet cut out, wrapped in strips of tortillas, baked for a few minutes and a dab of ketchup to finish it off! I think they were a little too realistic because both Dr's were a little apprehensive about eating them.
What is for dinner? How about bones and brains! Once again a super easy idea. I bought orange peppers and we carved them to look like pumpkins and then stuffed them full of spaghetti. The bones were store bought bread sticks, the kind in a can. I just cut a small slit at each end of the breadsticks and then rolled those pieces up to look like the end of a bone. 
And finally, we had to have a scary dessert! I took the idea of dirt dessert but instead of worms, I used these great skulls and hands I found at the dollar store to make a spooky dug up graveyard.
We went to a local pumpkin patch today! It was a small family farm that was nice and quiet with tons of perfect pumpkins.
Care Bear had the hardest time picking a pumpkin. Her requirements for a perfect pumpkin were 1) it couldn't be wet, 2) it couldn't be spiky anywhere, and 3) it couldn't be dirty. Plus she had to be able to carry it. I guess we should have taken her to Wal-Mart where she could have bought a clean dry pumpkin!
Jaco searched high and low for the biggest pumpkin in the field. I think he succeeded!
The farm had turkeys, sheep, chickens, and a horse. I have never seen white turkeys like these. If a turkey can be pretty, then I would have to say these gobblers are!
The kids were also able to pet this horse named Cassidy. Care Bear wouldn't go near it but that is no surprise!
I bought some dried cornstalks for decorating and it was a little tricky fitting them in the van. We had to put them on top of the kids seats. As we were leaving, Justin commented that there might be spiders in the stalks. Sure enough, a few minutes later, Jaco started screaming that there was a huge spider and La-La agreed. I felt bad but I had to laugh because there was not anything I could do until we stopped. I was really mean and took this picture. Sorry Jaco!
Justin had to put an external fixator on this foot to stabilize the shattered bone. So the poor guy has a bunch of pins sticking out of his foot now and faces more surgery. I think it would have been much easier to make sure the safety was on instead!
I have decided our house was built on an ant farm! I am so tired of little black ants invading my personal space. Today I discovered that they like children's advil and tylenol. My medicine cabinet was crawling with ants! I hurried and pulled eveything out so I could spray the pesky six legged creatures with window cleaner but before I could get all of them, they started disappearing into the power sockets for the microwave! It ticks me off that these tiny black things bug me so bad! UUGGHH!!!
Despite being under a freeze warning last night, today turned into a gorgeous fall day. After lunch and after it warmed up a bit we went for a great family hike. It was the perfect hike because there were no extreme ups or downs. We did have to step carefully because some areas had pretty steep drop-offs that Jaco experimented with but thank goodness a small tree stopped him before he went more than a couple feet. The goal of the hike was to see salmon jumping a water fall. I am pretty sure I saw one and La-La thinks she did too but it turns out we went a little too early. We might try it again in a few weeks. Not too long after we started the hike, Cody and I fell a little behind because he was enjoying all the new sounds and smells. La-La backtracked a bit because she was worried about me. She was worried that I might fall and get hurt or die. Then she asked me if I did fall and thought I was about to die or was hurt really bad, would I tie a note to Cody's leash and let him go so I could be found? I asked her what I would do if I didn't have a pen. She told me I could scratch a message in the dirt or write on a leaf somehow and attach the leaf to Cody. It was an odd conversation to be having with a 6 year old but I was touched that she was concerned for me. I have to say this was one of the best family hikes we have ever been on. Jaco typically does not enjoy hiking but he did so good! He loved trying to throw rocks into the river and even succeeded a couple times and the river was quite a ways away from the trail. Care Bear rode on Daddy's back the whole time and said she was tired too if anyone else said they were. La-La did great but she loves to be outside so I would not have expected anything different from her. We finished the day at a chile cook off at church. It was a great family day!
Aurora has survived with us for one week now and we have survived her. Why didn't anyone tell me kitties are endless entertainment!? She bats her toys around and does somersaults. It is so cute! She still loves to be held and we love holding her. This morning La-La came to tell me Aurora must be hungry because her tummy was growling. Turns out she was just purring! How cute is that?! Cody still thinks she is his own living, moving chew toy. They do pretty good together but we have had to rescue her a few times when her ears and tail are soaked with Cody's saliva. Aurora was introduced to the rats today. La-La thought it would be a good idea to put the kitty IN the rat's cage. Oh yeah, the rats were IN the cage too! Everyone survived but I had to have a talk with La-La about cats and rats and how cohabitation does not usually work between the two species.
Yes, she is sound asleep and yes, that is the top stair.
This clip is of Cody barking at the toilet brush. I know it is gross but I had been cleaning the half bath on the main floor and Care Bear grabbed the brush when I wasn't looking. Like I said Cody rarely barks and I thought it was so funny that he chose this brush of all things to bark at!
This is what happens when 3 kids get a hold of a bottle of shampoo and take a bath in a jetted tub while I clean up from dinner. They are all squeaky clean including Cody!
One final look! 
Putting them under her pillow. 
New light up slip slops! Can I tell you how many stores I had to go to to find flip flops in her size in September? These are a little big but atleast she should be able to wear them next summer because how long will she be able to wear them this year before her toes freeze?!
She also requested a princess so this is one of those new mini barbies that she can wear in a necklace around her neck.
I hope we survive the next few days. When Daddy left this morning she was sad and immediately wanted her binky back so I am sure plenty of tears will be shed before this is really behind us. Oh well, like I said, this has to happen sometime and now is as good as anytime!