Halloween

Halloween this year was some carving pumpkins, trunk-or-treat at the ward party where Dallas also tried his hand at eating a donut on a string (he gave up after two nibbles), and the Children's Museum "Enchanted Woods" event.

The "Enchanted Woods" was done in the middle of October. The children gathered at the entrance of the museum where King Aurthur sent them on a quest in search of the Golden Rose (if you ask Dallas what they were looking for on their quest, he will still tell you, "the Golden Rose"). They were to ask those they met for assistance and to give them any assistance that they could, because the kids were knights (Aurthur knighted them before they embarked on the quest) and knights always help those around them. The children traveled through the museum meeting Robin Hood, Long John Silver, Humpty Dumpty, Dorothy and the Scarecrow, and many other storybook characters. They helped everyone they met and in return the kids got information on where to find the Golden Rose (if the character knew anything) and a little treat (donated to the museum by local businesses: some small toys or coupons or candy... one stop gave them all schoolboy apples from a local farm). It was very fun for the kids and taught them a few good lessons as well. I have no pictures from that day... not good planning on my part.

Dallas' favorite song is "What's This" from Tim Burtons "The Nightmare Before Christmas." Dallas has never seen the movie, but he loves that song (and can sing most of it himself). When it was time to carve the pumpkin we went online to glean ideas from free pumpkin templates. One template was Jack Skelington, the main character, and singer of "What's This", on "Nightmare Before Christmas". Dallas was sold. He wanted a "Jack" pumpkin. So I gave it a whirl.
Unfortunatly, Jack has a stitched mouth which is fairly difficult to carve into a pumpkin, but it all worked out, although Jack is missing a few teeth...


The ward night I again didn't bring the camera with me so you don't get to see Chelane wearing her Trick-or-Treat bag around her neck and pointing to it when asking for candy or Dallas trying to eat the donut on a string. We must be content with pictures in really bad lighting instead...

Dallas got to be Woody this year and Chelane was stuck using his old Buzz Lightyear costume from last year. She did love being Buzz, although she was mistaken for a boy a lot.

These pictures are after the Trunk-or-Treat. Chelane wanted her face painted, which she didn't hold too still for and didn't keep her hands off afterwards... oh well, I should have seen that coming! Dallas has a Chinese yo-yo in his hand. He LOVED playing with it until he (or his sister) pulled the paper off.

The kids weren't the only one who dressed up. I came almost straight from work and didn't bother doing anything fun. However, Cam went all out. He grew out his hair and sideburns since mid-September when Dallas mentioned he wanted Dad to be Wolverine from X-Men for Halloween. Cam visited a local cosmetology school right before the Trunk-or-Treat to get the hair right.


He finished the look off with a flannel, jeans, his leather jacket, and old army dog-tags.

Please excuse the deer-in-the-headlights look, I really have no idea how that happened! This may be a costume we just improve upon every year, Cam had lots of fun dressing up!

The Wild Locks

Chelane was cursed blessed with fine and wispy hair that also has a loose curl. The fine/wipsy part forces her hair to do very odd things when slept on, and doesn't allow for easy styling; while the 'loose curl' part gives her hair wave with no determinable direction. Put these together and you have a volatile combination.

If left to its own devices, Chelane's hair makes her appear to be a homeless child of seeing-impaired parents. Unfortunately I don't have a picture to prove my point... or perhaps the lack of pictures does just that.

Before I started working, I put effort into Chelane's hair... once and a while (see object 1). Her hair would be very cute for approximately 15 minutes after I put it up (again you will need to trust me, I never took pictures of the ruined product).

Object 1: Cute hair Chelane

After moving to Utah, I have no time in the morning to do Chelane's hair (not to mention I am often gone before the kiddos awaken). However, on days off I attack Chelane's hair with a renewed vigor. Since it had such natural curl, I decided to force it to work in our favor and broke out the defuser.

Just like her mommy's hair, while Chelane's hair has an abundance of curl in the back, the front will not curl to save a life; so I pinned it up. I honestly believe the end product is amazingly cute (but I am bias) and wish I could make her hair do this every time.

Chelane was very unhappy at being subjected to the hair dryer. We had to console her with her binky. But oviously the binky wasn't consoling too well...

A less accusing Chelane. See all the curls?

From the back.

Of course I dolled her up so we could go out. By the time we reached out destination, Chelane had mushed most of the curl out of her hair. Oh well, at least I have pictures to prove it was cute.

Dallas's Mad Skills (lots of pictures!)

Girls like guys with skills. You know like egg-cracking skills, acting skill, photography skills...
(Yes, I shamelessly took that from Napolean Dynamite, a movie I don't really like.)

Dallas has some hidden talents. First, he likes to take pictures; pictures I did not know about until I was loading my pictures onto the computer. I did delete some of his less than complimentary work, but here is (most) of the rest in all it's glory.

Dallas and still life:

The Buzz lightyear beachball. I really feel he captured those little Green Men...

I call this one: Vacuum Over Couch

A picture of Netflix. Looks to be Bugs Bunny and the Road Runner.

Dallas and Portraits:

Chelane less than willing to allow her picture taken. I believe she is practicing for her future diva days... oh, wait she already is one

Chey and Daddy


I think he really captured Cam in this one


Say, "Cheese". Dallas taking the picture of a friend.

As you can see, not only does he take these completely independently, he is quite good at getting the item of interest in the center of the picture. Not bad Dallas!


Second, Dallas acts... sort of. As I mentioned back in this post, Dallas has started "acting" in some "partici-plays" at the local Children's Museum. Here is a picture of him as the "Woodcutter"


In this play there was a bit of standing and sitting and a few lines; not much acting. Dallas would jazz it up a bit by falling to the floor or other oddities. That play wasn't nearly as exciting for him as the play where he was the Big Bad Wolf. Unfortunately, I only have phone pictures for that play, but here they are:

I am sorry if they make your head hurt. Focus and crispness are not the forte of the phone pictures...

Dallas in his adorable Big Bad Wolf costume waiting to start.

Dallas just blew the house made of sticks down! (You can see the employee (in blue) moving the house as it "blows down")

Dallas trying to "huff and puff and blow" the third little pig's house down (his little lips are puckered and his cheeks are full of air... you can't see it with the phone-picture, but he is).

Dallas did so amazing with that part. He was attentive, followed directions, and LOVED trying to blow all the houses down. It was great fun to watch.


Third, Dallas has gained some culinary skills. Back in June, I bought some alphabet cookie cutters, so one lazy Sunday afternoon Dallas and I made sugar cookies and spelled the names of everyone in the house with the cookies cutters. Dallas had great fun and I learned that sugar cookies need to be a bit thicker than, say, pie crust...

Anyway. That day Dallas asked me if he could help crack the eggs. I gave him a short tutorial of what to do, helped him crack an egg, and thought nothing of it until we moved. A month ago, he asked to eat German Pancakes, a recipe that takes 6 six eggs. Then he asked to crack them. I gave him the bowl, and the eggs and watched:

Sorry that is is sideways and small.

I was pretty amazed. He did all six eggs and I haven't cracked many eggs since. Later I showed him how to cut up potatoes one day while making soup. He was able to cu them himself and safely. Daddy got quite nervous seeing Dallas with a knife, so I haven't continued to nurture that skill.

Yesterday, Dallas also helped my clean and carve a pumpkin. The wonders of this kid never end. More to come...

Chey's Birthday

Back in September, Chelane turned the big oh-two.

The question on everyone's lips: "is she in her 'terrible twos'?"
And my answer is: "Chelane is very advanced... we have been dealing with the 'terrible twos' for a few months now".

Chelane (and Dallas) had a wonderful time opening the cards and gifts. Here are some pictures of the day. We were going to have cupcakes and have her blow out a candle, but somehow we never got around to it. Blame it on the Mommy working; I am not good at scheduling family things while working full-time. But we do have some fun pictures nonetheless.

Chelane opening her card.

Chelane opening her first gift: the backpack. She didn't want to take it off all night.


She is very happy to show it off.


Opening Tinkerbell. Dallas and Chelane both enjoy playing with this one :)


Last gift: Baby doll set that I bought at Kmart over a year ago.

Both kids enjoyed celebrating the birthday. Chelane is growing up very fast. She is very vocal and extremely opinionated.

Also of note: as you may have noticed, the back of Chlane's hair is quite short. That is Mommy's handiwork. It was a failed attempted at what was envisioned to be a very cute bob. Obviously the "bob" part didn't pan-out; however, it has tamed her wild locks (by removing them)... for now...

Kassie #2

My mom habitually calls us kids by our sibling's names. I thought it had something to do with all us kids having K- or J- names; you seem to be setting yourself up for failure giving your kids like-sounding names (however, now that I have kids of my own, I find Moms mix up all their kids' names no matter how different they sound).

My little sister, Karma, seemed to get the worst of the sibling-name-mix-up. She was called "Kassie" so often we starting nicknaming her "Kassie #2". No one was immune from calling her by the wrong name. It wasn't only my mom, it was everyone in the family (and even some family friends).

Once when I was very upset with her, I sternly said, "Kassie!... " and the rest of my tirade was lost in laughing. I couldn't keep a straight face after calling her by MY name.

Chelane has started calling me Kassie. Cam and I correct her and say "Mom" after every time. She more often calls me "Mom" now.

It is our "fall break" here in Utah so we took the kids to the Kangaroo Zoo (much like the Bouncy Place back home), went to Temple Square and visited the Visitor's Center (Cam wanted the kids to see the large Christus), then headed a little more South to visit with some friends until Karma was off work.

All day we were telling the kids that we were going to see Karma, and Chelane would say, "Karma?" However once we got there, we asked Chelane, "Who is that?" and she said, "Kassie". While carrying her, Cam drilled her on the "Who is that?" question. Chelane would say "Karma" then when she got in earshot of Karma, would change to "Kassie". Karma decided Chelane was just doing it to get a rise out of her (where on earth did she learn to do that?!) As for me, I think it is just a reminder to Karma that she can never escape her past as "Kassie #2".