Summer in November

We celebrate in spirit with our friends in northern climes the first stirrings of winter. Out here, we keep waiting for the cold to come, but instead we’re enjoying warm days and cool nights. After 13 years doing the snowy kind of winter, we grownups could get used to this! The kids are taking the new climate in stride, although Landon actually mentioned that he misses the snow. We’ll have to take him to the mountains in a few months, just for the refresher. Meanwhile, we’ll go for a dip in the pool.

For the first time in who knows how long, we took no pictures at all this week. We filled the week with the normal routines (homework, meetings, riding bikes, and doctor appointments) until Friday. At school, Landon participated in a Veterans Day program. He sang a patriotic song, heard speeches about the work of military personnel, and saw servicemen and women in uniform. Thank you, troops, for all you do!

Later in the day, Landon had a follow up to last week’s doctor’s appointment and we are happy to say the kick to the eye left no damage. We piled in the car and dropped Mike off at work on the way. It has been very hot and dry here, and after dropping Mike off, Hallie’s nose started to bleed while driving. That was an interesting experience for the three of them. After Landon’s appointment, Hallie took the kids to see Grandma and Grandpa O. and Alie. They played down at the park on the corner. The kids ran, laughed, met new friends, and even shed a little blood as they careened down the hilly paths on their scooters and soared up to the sky on the swings. A fun afternoon was had by all. We had a slightly different pizza-and-a-movie night tonight. Mom and the kids grabbed a slice of pizza from Costco and watched Mater’s Tall Tales before it was time to go back and pick up Mike from work.

On Saturday, after taking Mike to work, Hallie and the kids visited with Grandma and Grandpa M. and Aunt Carly and her kids. The only plans Hallie had made that day was to go to a store with Carly. They were brave moms, taking four kids age seven and under into a beauty supply store. The kids did well enough that we took them to Chick-Fil-A for lunch and play time. We then went back home to sort our goods. The kids ended up playing in the hose and mud in the afternoon heat.

After everyone got home, Mike set to work in the kitchen, cutting up the pumpkins we didn’t carve for Halloween and turning them into roasted seeds and puree. Hallie then took some of the puree to make a pumpkin poke cake that claims to be better than, well, something. We’ll have to see about that.