HalloOoOween

Early this morning in the pre-dawn darkness, I drove to the fitness center. Today was my second Saturday morning yoga class since I started going back to the gym two weeks ago. This morning the instructor came to class with a ripped dress, teased up hair and white zombie makeup with stitches. Spooky music by Berlioz and Wagner played as we stretched to renamed yoga poses: mummy, zombie, scarecrow, witch's cauldron, goddess of devestation and werewolf. Some poses didn't have to be renamed like cobra, scorpion and corpse. The instructor encouraged us to moan and howl and cackle, which a few of us did, but mostly didn't.

The sun rose during class, tinting the clouds purple and pink. By the time I left class, the sun was up. The clear blue sky and puffy clouds hovered above the orange and yellow trees in the park. Several years ago when I used to take the kids to swim classes we'd go to that park for free summer lunch. The park was new and the trees were tiny, like my children. Now the trees are 20 feet tall, Meagan is in her second year of college, the boys tower over me and Amber is on the verge of being a teenager. The memory was bittersweet.

Upon arriving home, I urged Jarom to get out of bed for the young men's bike ride. Nearly an hour later, when John came to pick him up, Jarom was still snoozing and his scrambled eggs and toast were getting cold. While John waited for Jarom, we talked Cameron in to joining the bike ride - once I told him he could ride his dad's bike and I'd make him a couple of turkey and cheese sandwiches. John had packed a bunch of PB&J's, but Cameron hates peanut butter. Eventually Jarom pried himself out of bed.

I told the boys we'd wait until noon for them to get home, then we were going to Grandma and Grandpa's. Since they didn't leave until almost 10:00, I didn't think there was much chance of that, but we waited. After their 25 mile bike ride, John dropped them off at my parent's house. I didn't know they were riding on a bike trail that far north. In the end, everyone except Meagan ended up at Grandma and Grandpa's. Good thing the Crown holds 5!

Yesterday Amber cut up a pair of levi's and made herself a zombie costume. I was rather miffed about that. Amber enjoys cutting things up, but I thought she'd stopped cutting up her clothes. You'd think she would have asked me first! I asked her, "Amber, what am I going to do with you?" She shrugged sheepishly and said, "Come over here and hug me?" I did, about a half hour later.

She and Jarom both went to Halloween parties last night and Meagan spent the night at Kasey's house. Cameron was a lone boy at home, but didn't seem to mind. Meagan has dressed up for Halloween several times this year - as a nerd, a 50's girl with a poodle skirt and a superhero. She loves her job that encourages dressing up for Halloween.

This evening Amber went trick-or-treating in the rain with Kyleen for an hour. This is the first year Cameron and Jarom haven't gone trick-or-treating. Not too long after Amber got home Gary and Katelyn picked her up to go trick-or-treating again. Because of the rain, we haven't gotten many trick-or-treaters, probably 120. Last year I think we got 300. I'll have to look at last Halloween's blog and see. Hmmm...guess I was wrong. We only had 130 trick-or-treaters last year. It must have been the year before that we got so many and ran out of candy.

October...so far...

Yesterday I finished my sixth ICL assignment and mailed it in. I wrote a humorous teen romance entitled "Cha-Cha-Cha." I got a one month extension for my assignment, and - whew! - I'm so relieved it's in the mail. Now I get to wait and see what my instructor thinks of it. In the meantime, I'm revising my third assignment and submitting it to magazines.

Work has been crazy busy. Again. Yesterday I worked for 8.5 hours - and that was with Lorry there. I hate to think how long it would have been with just me. And we're bringing on 3 OT's soon. Oh boy, I'm soooo excited. I hope Joe gets another office person. I don't think Lorry or I want any more hours. I'm already working about 30 hours a week, which is enough for me!

Tonight our entire family and Zac went to our Ward Potluck. I made gluten free chicken noodle soup. GF noodles take a long time to cook. I used rotelli noodles and they had to boil 1/2 hour before they softened up. As soon as I finished the soup, I dumped it in a big bowl and sealed the lid. Before we left the house the steam popped the lid off. I've never had that happen before.

This morning I finished listening to the first Leven Thumps book on CD. Clover, who looks like a large gray cat wearing a robe, with his happy-go-lucky attitude was my favorite character. I noticed several spots where the book could have been edited better, thanks to my lovely ICL course, but - wow - Obert's crazy imagination makes up for his wordiness. All the strange candy and food Clover pulls out of his void "pocket" and the way Leven and his group travel across the ocean are crazily inventive. And turning an all-powerful ruler from another realm into a walking, talking toothpick? That's imagination!

Now I'm listening to the second Fablehaven book on CD. I made this deal with myself that I can listen to books on CD if I do housework or cooking while I listen. Because of books on CD, I finally got my bedroom cleaned up. Do you have any idea how long I had boxes piled up in my bedroom? So, I'd say the books on CD thing is working. Of course, I'd rather curl up with a good book and ignore cooking and housework, but...

I guess the only other thing that's been going on is Cameron and Jarom are actually working on their Eagle Scout Projects. David and I (especially David) are overjoyed. Maybe they'll even complete their projects by the end of 2010!