Halloweeners

We had a great Halloween.  We spent less than 30 dollars on the kids' costumes, we came home with not too much candy, and managed not to lose any of our kids.  Win, win, win.

If you know me, then you know that half the fun of Halloween is making the costumes.  Not only does it pinch the few pennies that we've got, but it challenges us to be creative by using the things we have or procuring the things we need.  The kids have never minded.  Until this year.

One child in particular (I'll just tell you that it was Orry) was pretty set on buying the costume at Party City and being done with it.  No matter what reason you gave him for making it ourselves (cost, fun, creativity, quality), he was certain that he just wanted to buy the costume.  Finally he saw the light.  It took the choice between the purchased costume and no props, or the homemade costume and props.  And when you want to be a ninja for Halloween, a plastic sword, sai, and throwing star are so necessary.

Isaac wasn't nearly so worried about whether or not his costume was bought or made.  As long as he was the blue Power Ranger (and by the way, we have absolutely no clue what the blue Power Ranger does or who he is...), he was happy, happy, happy.

And Annie.  Oh, sweet, sweet, sweet Annie.  She went from wanting to be a butterfly, to wanting to be the pink Power Ranger (...), to wanting to be pink Batgirl.  She was pretty dead set on pink Batgirl until I finished the costume.  Then she decided that she didn't want a costume.  But when presented with "no costume = no candy", she changed her mind.  

Our night involved heading over to Miss Laura's house for some quick trick-or-treating.  The kids did remarkably well, walking up to people's houses, saying the magic words, and still remembering the manners (some of the times).  

Afterwards, we quickly headed over to the Richmond fire station to see what kind of fun was being had there.  Turns out every year the fire department puts on a Halloween celebration where kids get to come and see the inside of the fire station, explore the old and new fire trucks, see where the guys get suited up, and, best part of all, shoot the fire hose!  

It was pretty good night.  At the end of the night we talked about Halloween and our costumes and all the headache involved in deciding what we will be.  I explained that it would be much easier and way more fun if we coordinated our costumes each year, picking a different theme every year.  The kids loved the idea and have already decided that next year we will be The Avengers.  Now we have almost a whole year to decide who will be who.  You can join in on the fun.  Orry has pretty much claimed Thor.  Who should be the Hulk?  

Memory Lane

October has been a busy month.  Busy. busy, busy.  For the most part, it has mainly been me that is so busy.  This month, I prepared for my first ever in-person craft sale.  Our church puts on an annual event called Street of Shoppes.  Vendors from all over the area come together and sell their goods on the church grounds and the women's crafting group from the church sells the goods they spent all year working on.  It was pretty stressful for me, trying to balance my duties around the house and with the kids while working on the things I was selling.  Troy and the kids were great and sure did put up with a partial absentee mother.  

The sale was pretty good.  I had the goal of paying for the cost of my booth and making enough money for Christmas gifts for the kids.  I met my goal, so I guess it all worked out.  The most rewarding thing, however, was to see the looks on people's faces when they saw my wares.  Many of the older people smiled and commented on how they used to own sock monkeys.  One woman even said that seeing my booth took her back to her childhood.  The children's faces were equally delightful, eyes lighting up at all the colorful things.

Also at the craft sale was a room where the church was selling used toys.  Very much like a big garage sale, you can usually pick up some really great things, gently used, for a great price.  Troy took Orry through and came out with the game, Trouble.  Yeah.  You know the one.  With the clear bubble popper that holds the die and all the colorful pieces that made the best pretend fingernails.

When I saw the box, I remembered the game, but only when I saw them playing with the pieces did I remember playing the game.   And oh, my poor, poor parents.  Orry also received the game Guess Who from my parents.  That sure brought back memories.  The faces have changed.  (And what is it with there only being 5 girl characters?!  If you pick a girl you are sure to lose...just saying.)  And they added animal characters for an added challenge.  Guess Who was a favorite game of mine from summer day camp since we didn't actually own the game.  

So, to sum it all up, having kids is one great way to relive your childhood.  And I know everyone is aware of this, but I have come full circle.  And I'm sure that will continue and possibly freak me out as time goes on.  Ever on.  

And I'm sure that I have still left you wondering what we did all October.  So here it is in 5 pictures or less...

Pecan picking

Father and Child(ren) Retreat

Our own personal mouse trap

Annie has embraced the ponytail...for now

There was more done this month.  Much more.  I just forgot my camera for many of the things.  If memory serves me right we built a sandcastle, Troy got poison ivy/oak, we planted lettuce and chard, we finally identified an unknown bird, we started watching the Marvel comic movies (The Avengers, Captain American, Thor...), we saw Brave, we made costumes for Halloween, and the list goes on.  

Gunpowder and What?

This past month we celebrated Richmond, TX.  We also celebrated the county in which Richmond resides, Fort Bend.  (And yes, to my Louisiana friends, county is a strange word better replaced by parish.)

So what have we learned from our celebratory experiences?  Well, let me tell you...through a series of pictures and captions.

Festival celebrating Richmond's 175th year of incorporation:

Richmond Texans love America...and Texas.

Poodles and cowboys clearly go together.

These were some of the possible clothing styles worn between the years 1837 and 2012.

This old timey firetruck is pretty cool.

American flags make any parade better.

Not everything in Richmond is old or historic.  There is a Zumba class.

Did you know there are cowboys here?

Miss Daisy is here, too.

It's totally cool for kids to ride these things.

Jail isn't really a joking matter.

This wagon is one (or two) steps away from having a bicycle pull it...Troy Becker.

There is an old timey barbershop in town and it's totally fine for the manliest men to go there.

American flags really do make any parade better.

That was fun.  All 20 minutes of it.  Even though I jest, I really do like the people here.  I also like the history.    It's like trading in Cajuns for cowboys.

Now onto the 76th Annual Fort Bend County Fair:

You can get a gallon of milk from one cow in one milking...!

Baby ducks are about the cutest, most cuddly thing!

I spoke too soon.  This pig is pretty darn cute.

And big.

The FFA and 4-H are alive and well here.

Auctioneers talk fast, even ceiling fans are bigger in Texas, and did I mention that there are cowboys here? 

What a fun time.  I think we'll all need a pair of cowboy boots before we can really feel at home.  I don't know that we'll be raising any animals anytime soon (do bees count?!).  And another thing, I'm not sure that any amount of time spent here, no matter how long, could convince me that girls are made of gunpowder and lead.   I don't know that I will ever get into country music.                                     

So there you have it.  A small taste of our small country life.

How Our Garden Grows

I'll start out with a simple request.  Please pray for my hen and chicks.

In case you aren't familiar with succulents, these are hen and chicks.  Named so because the big plant (the hen) shoots off smaller versions of itself (the chicks).  And they snuggle in a pot.  So cute.  But my little hen...not so cute.  She started to rot due to her soil being the wrong mix and staying too wet.  So we tried our best to help her out.  We removed some of the chicks in the off chance that she doesn't make it and we mixed her damp soil with more sand and rocks.  I do not have a green thumb, so she may very well need a miracle to make it.

Isaac's chick

Annie's chick

Transplanted chicks

With our little plot of land, we've been enjoying some gardening.  We are currently sprouting our fall/winter garden in our sunroom.  Where that will go, I'm not sure.  But we're getting ready for some lettuce and chard.  Yum.  We have also spent a little time cultivating a butterfly garden.  Here are some photos:

Mystic Blue Spire Salvia

Turk's cap

Who can identify this butterfly?

Hibiscus, zinnias, and other types of salvia are also growing in our garden. We've also installed a couple of old dry logs that serve the purpose of giving the butterflies a place to sun themselves.  When we have overripe fruit (juicy fruits are the best) we cut it open and leave it out there and watch the butterflies land on the fruit to drink the juice.  Yellowjackets also like overripe fruit.  As do lizards...who knew?   Some of the most notable visitors to our little garden have been Cloudless Sulphurs and various Swallowtails (the hummingbirds actually chase these bigger butterflies away).  The butterfly in the photo is quite common here, as is the Hackberry.  Here's a list of Houston butterflies and moths.  Want to check out butterflies in your area?  Here you go.

We are still enjoying the hummingbirds, which have grown in number now that migration is happening.  The cooler weather also brought another deer family to the backyard.  The most we've seen at one time is five (two does and three fawns).  And we've got bees in our future!  Buzz, buzz.  

So, what have you got growing in your garden?  Or your flower beds?  Or your indoor pots?

Back in Session

*Allow me to start out by saying that this blog has been written for some weeks now.  I am just now getting around to putting pictures with it.  I am too lazy to try and rewrite it, so I will post it as is.  Pretend as though we are living in the moment.*

School's been going strong for a week now.  And there's not too much that I can say about it.  Strange, huh?

Since Troy is one of the assistant principals at the school, he has been taking care of all the "details".  He met the teacher, he has seen the students, he took care of the paper work.  I just pack the lunches and wash the uniforms.  But I shouldn't sell myself too short.  I do make sure the homework is done.  All one page of homework that he brings home daily...

But he's having a good time.  When asked what his favorite part of the day is, he happily replies, "Recess!".   Duh.  And there are cute girls, but we'll have to see what their conduct is like.

I asked him to be honest and tell me who was a better teacher, Mommy or Ms. Serath.  Ms. Serath won, but I'm not surprised.

At the end of the first week there was a picnic at the school.  It was a gathering with the intention of having parents meet parents and parents meet teachers and students meet parents, teachers, and other students.  I will add in here that I was impressed with what I saw.  There is a diverse mix of students and lots of parental involvement.  Also, since the school is K-9 there are children of all ages (up to about 15) there.  It was really heartwarming to see the older kids including the younger kids and watching out for them.  An older boy attempted to teach Orry how to properly throw a basketball.  Poor child, has his mom's sense of coordination.

*Now I'll update you with more recent tidbits.*

Orry tested out of the first grade, but we have decided to keep him in his class.  Instead of moving him up a grade, we will opt to do GT and harder assignments from his teacher.

This past week was a short one since school was out on Friday due to staff development.  We decided to make a day of it and head over to the zoo and take a ride on the train around Hermann Park.

All in all he is growing up to be a fine young boy.  Eager to help out and aware that he doesn't know everything.  He's imaginative and well behaved (when not around his mother).  He's considerate of others and willing to share.  He also eats like a horse!  

Here's to a great year of first grade, Orry!  Go get 'em!

Country Roads Take Me Home

Boy.  I'm quite embarrassed when I see the date of my last blog entry.  But on we go!

We've done it!  We've moved.  We are now living in the country.  I laugh a little when I say that or when I call our new home a "country home".  Allow me to explain.

Mowing grass and taking names

Our little house sits on an acre, almost at the end of a dirt road.  Behind our backyard is a field where we have happily watched a hummingbird, a few deer, a variety of birds (hawks, roseate spoonbills, scissor-tailed flycatchers, chickadees), and butterflies galore.  Our water comes from a well.   There are horses on our "street".  Our dishwasher is portable.  Dirt comes into our home every time we do.

Which is cuter, portable dishwasher or Isaac?

Now, on the other hand, we live off a semi major highway.  There's set of train tracks that run along that highway.  Follow that highway in either direction for about 7 miles and you'll run into a shopping center.

I like to think that we've got the best of both worlds.  Houston and all its offerings aren't too far away.  My house sits in the dark and the quiet.  Amenities are close.  Woodland creatures are even closer.

We really lucked out.  And that makes us happy.  Troy is enjoying his new job, as well as getting his hands dirty planting plants in our butterfly garden.  The kids enjoy being outside and sweaty.  I enjoy letting them outside without supervision and without worry.  Yep, the place where we belong.  It's going to be a good year.