Star Wars

Even before Jeremy started showing the kids short video clips of Lego Star Wars (which I think is various Star Wars scenes illustrated through animated Lego), our kids were enamored with light sabers and Luke Skywalker. Though they still haven't seen any of the real movies, they know most of the major plot elements and character relationships. Josiah has Star Wars Lego: before he lost him, the Lego Chewbacca was his favorite Lego guy. Often the kids dress up and play an adapted version of Star Wars. Sometimes Lydia plays "baby Obi-Wan Kenobi," so it's not without adulteration. But still--they're obsessed. So naturally, Star Wars comes into conversation pretty regularly . . .

When my cousin Maureen stayed with us in early February, Lydia (as is her wont) ran out for early morning snuggles. One morning in bed with Aunt Reenie, she rolled over and whispered loudly in her ear, "STAR WARS!!" It's so thrilling, it doesn't need context . . .

Lydia, in a non-Star-Wars-related paper crown

Josiah, over the moon about a box of Legos from some friends: "It smells SO COOL!"
Jeremy: "It smells cool?"
Josiah: "It IS cool!"

Last summer Grandma and Aunt Rach watched the kids while Jeremy and I went out for dinner. Josiah asked why we left them and went out by ourselves. Grandma explained that mamas and daddies need time just with each other. Then she asked, "What do you think? How do you feel about that?" Josiah made a funny face and shrugged. Abby chimed in, "Han Solo says, 'I have a bad feelin' about this!'"

Abby usually plays Princess Leia

One lunch several months back, I overheard Josiah try to manipulate Lydia into doing his bidding: "If you don't eat my beans, your guys will be on the dark side!"

Josiah to Grandma: "I forced you with the force!"

Josiah wanted me to take a picture of the underside of his ship, too

Last year, Jeremy took the kids on an outing to Cabela's, where they saw lots of animals and fish. When they came home, Lydia told me about one fish that she called "tie-fighter" because she thought it looked like one.

Josiah later observed that something looked like an X-wing. He asked, "Does everything look like tie-fighters and X-wings, Mom?" Yes, Bud, when you're a Star Wars-obsessed five-year-old, I guess it does.

Princess Twins: L on l, A on r

I overheard Josiah declare to the twins the other day, "I'm a cowboy American ewok!"

Trick or Treat

In an effort spearheaded by Josiah, the kids had been planning their Halloween costumes for several months . . . possibly even since last year! They waffled a little once in a while, but for the most part, they staunchly stuck with their plan to be Robin Hood, Little John, and Maid Marion. 

When our church announced we wouldn't do our usual neighborhood Halloween night trunk-or-treat/outreach, we looked up some local churches that did something similar, not sure if our neighborhood would work well for trick-or-treating. 

Robin Hood

 

We ended up taking the kids to a church trunk-or-treat on the Friday before Halloween, but then last-minute decided to join some neighbor friends for a brief stint of trick-or-treating on Halloween before it got dark. The latter surprised me by being quite fun!

Maid Marion, Little John, and unidentified sidekick

This was my first experience with trick-or-treating, since my family didn't do Halloween when I was growing up. I was leery of taking our kids around the neighborhood because of the few houses with scary decorations, and I wondered if the un-decorated houses would just not answer to trick-or-treaters.

The merry gang

Well, it turns out most people happily pass out candy to cute kids on Halloween, at least around here! Lydia corrected everyone most seriously when they asked her if she was Robin Hood: "No. I'm Little John. 'Siah is Robin Hood." (She pronounces "John" with a French "j"--softened.)

Clara in some sort of little outfit I threw together so she wouldn't look entirely out of place

The kids were giddy with the excitement of running up to doors and getting candy, candy, and more candy. They had lots of fun with their friends Leo and Massi (neighborhood kids) as we slowly went about a block and a half before heading home. It's amazing how much candy they accumulated in just that distance . . . enough to last a looong time if Mama and Daddy didn't dispose of some of it.

When we got home, they had just about as much fun passing out candy to the kids who rang our doorbell. They'd race over, carefully pick out three pieces each, and importantly drop the candy into the kids' buckets. "My turn! MY TURN!" they'd yell whenever we heard the doorbell . . .

Last year I failed in the costume department (Clara was born the day before Halloween). This year I started earlier and came up with pretty easy but decent-looking Robin Hood and Little John outfits. I found a tutorial for the hats online, and I let Josiah and Lydia pick out a fake feather to glue in. I cut their short cape-things out of the same green felt as the hats and then criss-crossed a brown felt strip through holes in the front to look like lacing. They wore long-sleeved tee-shirts underneath the quickly fashioned tunics (Lydia's I cut and sewed up from an old tee-shirt of Jer's; Josiah's was a too-big sweatshirt). In the full-length picture of Josiah at the beginning, you can see his spats. I made those out of felt, and then we held them on with leather thongs and twine. Jeremy made the bows out of PVC pipe and string. All in all, I think those costumes turned out pretty well!

Abby's was more haphazard. I found the skirt at Goodwill, paired it with a white tee-shirt, and wrapped and tucked some stretchy white material over that. I used the same material to fashion a sort of headcover for her. Because she was with her siblings, most people figured out what her costume was pretty easily.

So Halloween was a success: the children had lots of fun, we didn't run into any traumatizing/frightening decorations or characters, and they're already planning their costumes for next year . . .

Fall Weekend in Flagstaff

Jeremy got an elk tag this year and so went on his very first hunting trip. We all drove up on the Thursday before the season started. He dropped the kids and me off at his parents' house and took off for his hunt area--west of Flagstaff near the border of the Coconino and Kaibab forests.

Honestly, I was a little worried for Jeremy's safety as he was out there alone. He camped Thursday night and rose early Friday (the first day of the hunting season) to hike after elk. We knew lots of hunters would be out, and I don't know how careful they all are . . . . and Jeremy is a newbie at guns and hunting.

Anyway, I was relieved when Scott and our friend James drove out to join Jeremy Friday night. Unfortunately they didn't come back with an elk--but they did all come back safely!

Meanwhile, the kids and I enjoyed the gorgeous weather, outings with Grandma, and visits with the aunts, uncles, and cousins. Dortha took us up to Snowbowl the first afternoon we were there, and oh, those aspens were beautiful!

The kids pretended to be Robin Hood and his men or knights errant in the forest as we hiked around a bit. Grandma allowed them to bring the swords and shields Aunt Linda made a few years ago. They were thrilled to carry them around and fight imaginary enemies!

Lydia and Josiah

 Lydia

 Josiah

Abby

Grandma led the kids around to find these fun forts people have made of logs, moss, and leaves in the forest:

And did I mention the aspens? In this particular area the trees had already lost most of their leaves . . . but the white trunks, spray of yellow, and blue sky--

Clara liked watching everything from my back. She was a trooper, despite missing both naps that day. It's nice having a pretty easy-going baby!

Grandma also initiated a game of throwing leaves:

Lydia decided to test out different rest spots along the way back to the car:

All three enjoyed climbing the boulders under a huge, spreading pine tree:

 Lydia

Abby and Grandma 

Abby                                                              

It was such fun to spend some leisurely time with the cousins! We went over to Justin and Anna's house one night and Em and James' another morning. I got some sweet cuddle time with Cedar, who was two and a half months old that weekend. Clara was jealous and did not want her cousin monopolizing her mama!

Despite some rough nap times and nights, Clara had fun at Grandma's. She loved trying out the stairs every chance she got! We had to get out Pa's handcrafted barricade. She was startled by Shashy when we first arrived and so was quite scared of her for a while. But by Sunday Clara would crawl after her, laughing and trying to grab at her tail. So we ended up needing to protect Shashy from Clara (and from Lydia's over-zealous ministrations of guidance and affection; that girl is a dog-lover!).

Clara and Grandma 

Despite Jeremy's disappointment in hunting, we had a fun weekend with everyone in Flagstaff!

Halloween

Josiah had long been anticipating our church's Halloween outreach/party. He switched costume plans several times in the months preceding: pirate, policeman, cowboy, pumpkin. In the week or so before Halloween, he decided he definitely wanted to be Robin Hood. I found a pretty simple pattern for a Robin Hood hat online, so I told him I'd make him a hat--and I figured a tunic would be pretty easy to cut out of some old clothes or piece of unneeded material. Of course, I should have made the hat early in the week. Clara's surprise arrival prevented me from working on any costumes!

Jeremy and I brought Clara home from the hospital on Saturday afternoon--just hours before the Halloween event. Jeremy and his parents decided to take the kids over to the church early in the evening before picking Grandma McNinch up from the airport. So Jeremy helped the kids throw together some last-minute costumes. . . .

First up we have Lydia, "Wonduh-woman!!!" as she called herself. She chose to wear Grandpa McNinch's old water polo hat and Josiah's cape. Somehow this costume just works to show her flair and personality, even if it is unconventional and mis-matched. 

Crazy-faced Wonderwoman

Abby's style is a little more posed and less wild--though no less unconventional/mismatched. She wanted the panda bear hat my parents brought her from China, and she paired it with the wings Uncle Justin and Aunt Anna got for the girls for Christmas. Here she is, clearly posing for the camera with a prim and proper stance that just makes me smile . . .

There's a real smile peaking through!

Josiah initially was sad to give up his dreams of dressing as Robin Hood. But Jeremy helped him put together a great cowboy costume! Josiah ended up being very happy with his get-up. (The PVC pipe is his gun. Unfortunately none of the pictures show his cool cowboy boots.)

Josiah managed to snag two huge sticks of cotton candy and loaded up his bag with the provided dinner items (including chips and a hot dog) in addition to the candy he scored. He thought it was a great night.

All three together!

Sorry about the picture overload--they're just too cute!