It's Getting Spooky! (And still pretty hot...)

Tomorrow will bring an end to all the Halloween hoopla!  I am disgusted to report that down here, the supermarkets and stores have already put up decorated Christmas trees and wreaths!  Halloween isn't even over people!!!!
  Today we went to a food truck feast festival with all the kids in costume.  The problem is dressing them in something they won't over heat in!  Totally new challenge for us.  Usually we are figuring how to make a turtleneck look like part of the costume!  We waited in a long line for a little taco.  I think I'm over food trucks.
   There have been a few "cool" days here.  That means a high under 85.  Today was not one of those days.  Still going in the pool a lot, and waiting for a chance to light the fireplace!  We ARE enjoying the cooler nights.  Scott went fancy on us the other night and made candy apples over our fire pit.  DELICIOUS!  The apples were hot and the caramel was drippy!
   

Kids and I saw "best ever" rainbow on way home from Spanish.

Ethan and Nate baked their first batch of cookies, un-assisted by any adults!  They were delicious pumpkin chocolate chip!

Can you make out the hand?

Our latest art project...

His fur must deflect heat.  There is no other explanation as to why he sits in the hot, hot sun.

Working crystal radio Ethan and Scott built this weekend.

Cool parents, right?  (We keep having to remind Fiona and Ethan.)

Zombie with a full belly.

Crafty witch.

Renaissance Festival may officially be checked off the list!

Oh boy!  Scott was soo out of his comfort zone this weekend!  For those of you who do not know, his two main fears are snakes and grown-ups in costume.  Here was a place where grown-ups are in costume holding snakes!!!!!!!  I desperately wanted to go to this festival.  Supposedly one of the biggest in the country!  It was MASSIVE!  There was actual jousting, lots of men wearing eyeliner, and ladies in undies...  The kids got in some real good people watching!  I could definitely go again next year.
On a completely different note, we are deep into Egyptian studies in our school day.  Lots of fun learning hieroglyphics, mummification and about the pyramids.  Kids are also really getting into their new track program(Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 4:30-5:30).  Their coaches are amazing, and have been at this a long time.  

Not to brag..but look which kids are winning.

Fiona has built a little "shop" amongst the trees in the front yard.

I granted her permission to weave yarn through the trunks.  Looks pretty cool.

Field next to where kids run.  I walk a 1/2 mile loop in and out of woods while they run.

Ethan's new reading glasses?

The library usually has a selfie station set up.  Neat, huh?

We finally rode the trolley at the waterway.

It is still hotter than Haiti here most days.  We discovered a new set of fountains.

Scott, are you having fun yet?

A little pyramid project we did.  This is Fiona's.

Ethan's. 

I found some cool fuse bead patterns!  Ethan did "Horus' Eye", Fiona did the "Scarab Beetle".

All I need to say is, "Legally haunted..."

This past weekend we decided to attempt a hike at Sam Houston National Park about 40 minutes north.  Along the way we also made it a point to stop anywhere that peeked our curiosity.  Well...let's just say we ended up taking a half hour hike because of how long it took us to arrive at our final destination.  Our first amazing sight was a HUGE dead boar on the side of the road.  Those things look so nasty!  Amazing we even saw it as the speed limit on the back farm roads is a posted 70 MPH!!!!  Seriously, these are two lane winding roads with hills (limited visibility).  We held it at a steady 60 and that felt a bit fast to me.  Eventually I had to pee...so we stopped in a town called Willis.  Your classic small southern Texas town.  Some minor inbreeding (sorry if anyone is from Willis), lots of men with T-shirts that had the sleeves cut off to reveal their side fat and arm-pit hair, and ladies in florescent clothing (a bit of a fashion time warp there as well).  A lady in a gift shop let us use her bathroom, so we felt compelled to buy something.  We agreed on some Mayhaw jelly.  This comes from a small swamp-berry similar to a cranberry.  At check-out we asked if there was anywhere we should see before heading out of town.  This was when she told us all about the "legally haunted" abandoned jail down the road.  It is on the grounds of a historic building cluster, so lots to see.  I had to stop her there and ask what "legally haunted" means.  Well, the T.V. show Ghost Hunters was there, and they got proof.  Lots of orbs captured on film, and years of tales from those who have spent time in the building.  She also cheerfully suggested we have a picnic under the "Hanging Tree".  Our Google research suggests that there were as many as 300 hangings over the years from this tree, as well as a few lynchings.  It is also a favorite place for weddings?!?!

Outside an old Post Office.

Uh...Where is everyone?

Fiona tried to play on the old abandoned piano.

This horse scared the pants off me.  He was lurking under the hanging tree...I was already on edge!

Hanging tree/climbing tree.

In the end I felt bad for the tree.  It is so beautiful, just lots of bad karma around it.

Not a movie set...real life.  Creepy.

Haunted jail.

Read this sign carefully.  Yikes right?!

We do get a little foliage.  This is as bright as it gets.

HAD to stop for this photo op.  (Just on side of the road outside a building for sale)

Shots and a trip to the arcade.

Oh joy!  The eleven year old check up is a doozy!  Poor Fiona received three shots the day after her birthday... Ethan was all fired up to go watch until I scheduled him to get his flu shot as well.  My dear Fiona was fine getting the shots, but five minutes later I almost had to peal her off the floor!  Turns out she is an "after-the-fact" fainter like her father.  Some time on the curb outside and a lollipop seemed to do the trick.   The deal was that I took the kids to Toys R Us after.  Each had $5 per shot to spend.  (Not too bad).  We then went out to our favorite burrito place for lunch.  This meant that the entire school day was shot...no pun intended.
This past weekend we joined the Duty's at an arcade/buffet pizza place to celebrated their son Paul's 11th birthday.  Believe it or not, Fiona and Ethan had never been to an arcade!  We all had a blast, and Scott and I could not resist getting in on all the games!

Fiona took this shot while she was feeding one of the baby ducks.

Doesn't she look awful?  Just after shots and near fainting spell!

I love seeing Fiona's laundry on the line...

Gym Class.

Such a monkey.

These guys totally pigged out on one of my plants!

She was waiting in the center of a palm plant.  OUCH!

Homemade lemonade pops in the hot tub with friends.  Tough life.

I feel the need to "cafftivate".  Do you?

At the arcade/pizza place.

Fiona flying away in Star Wars. (Can you see the indoor skate rink in background?)

They also had an indoor go-kart track.  Here we are right before I kicked Fiona's butt.  Scott and Ethan were on the other side.

"Ewww, Joel you're so gross!"