Halloween - Day 31

Excitement builds as the day progresses.  Chores are done without complaint.  A friend drops by with early treats.  Costumes are donned for a first run through.  Pieces are found; incomplete costume parts are made.  Face paint is picked to make the costumes complete.  Trick or Treating time is soon to begin.

An early supper of fruit, cheese and crackers is spread on the table to nibble on while we prepare to face the night.  Tummy's don't need to be too full tonight as plenty of treats will be eaten later.  There are certain times through the year I don't limit the amount of treats and goodies they eat.  Halloween is one of them.

After clothes are layered beneath the costumes for warmth, accessories are added and makeup applied.  Pictures are taken and we head out the door.  A Mystery Man, a pumpkin, Robin Hood, a dinosaur, and a black and white cat all load in the van.

Driving to town we trudge up the streets.  Small boys walk diligently on through drizzle and rain, knocking on doors Daddy says are okay.  As wee legs tire and fingers grow colder the little ones climb in the van that is warm.  But the twins keep Daddy walking, and standing in the wet, until home and dry beckon warmth.

Dylan fell asleep well before the last doorbell was rung.  Evan and Nicholas sat sorting candy in their seats in the van, enjoying some while we waited.  The three went straight to bed, exhausted by Halloween.  But James and Morgan's fun was still running high.  A good snoop through their loot, a few treats to eat, and off to bed they went.  

Click here to see the rest of my Write 31 Days series:  Simple Gems

Thank you for joining me on this journey through Write 31 Days.  I'm so glad I accepted this challenge.  It's really helped develop my love of writing and making it part of my every day.  Starting tomorrow, November 1, I will be starting my next writing journey of NaNoWriMo so I can continue writing daily.  I'm so excited! 

Pumpkin Carving - Day 25

The fire crackles in the corner stove.  Smells of fresh cut pumpkin blends with fresh cut wood.  The boys murmur quietly to each other, each at their own pumpkin, working intently pulling pumpkin guts out.  Every once in awhile Luke's power saw buzzes loudly, deafening us all for the moment it takes to make a cut; the whir of the drill fills the silence in between.

Every couple of years pumpkin carving has grown a little bigger in our family as we add another pumpkin for another boy to claim as his own.  This year I considered having all the boys carve only the one Big Max pumpkin I grew in our garden.  Not only did I think it would be a little less...well, less everything, but my pumpkins didn't produce all that well.  I only ended up with one Big Max carving pumpkin and three small pie pumpkins.  Fortunately our friendly neighbours had a big bunch of pumpkins to share and the boys happily picked out far more than we needed in a variety of sizes.  Needless to say, each boy had their own pumpkin to carve this year again.

Incorporating some fun pumpkin carving and seed counting homework Evan had with our family tradition prompted the afternoon in Luke's garage.  Dylan napped, Evan planned and counted, the boys each waited their turn to start.  Luke continued to work at his project, pausing to carve the pumpkin faces while I sorted plump white seeds from gooey, stringy orange slime.  The boys each settled in, elbow-deep, concentration mixed with offbeat boy-humour.

Dylan awoke and joined us, blinking sleep from his eyes.  His uncertainty quickly gave way to handfuls of pumpkin chunks.  Nicholas perched on the side of the table balancing precariously so his strong arms could reach further.  Evan methodically counted his seeds.  The twins grew bored and challenged each other to lift Dad's tools and pieces of wood a little higher than the other.

An easy clean up.  Seeds roasted.  Marshmallows bobbing in hot chocolate.  Chairs gathered in front of the toasty warm fire.  A perfect way to spend a cool autumn afternoon with daddy in his shop.

Click here to see the rest of my Write 31 Days series:  Simple Gems

Reflection - Day 17

Her hand reached out, slightly cupped with fingers extended, asking me to pass her sweater.  A simple gesture, no words needed.  In that motion with the slight turn of her wrist, the grace of her arm, I saw her mother reflected.

It startled me to see the grandmother I remember so fondly.  A shiver washed over my shoulders and clear down the back of me.  Déjà vu?  So clearly the manner of my grandmother.  So clearly the hand of my mother.  One small movement causing present and past to commingle.  The body and needs of my mother; the reflection and gesture of her mother.

Oh, how my Granny did tickle me!  Her quirks and peculiarities so uniquely her own causing her to be unlike any other grandmother.  My Mom is gentleness and sweetness all wrapped up in loving. Opposites in many ways with a likeness born through inheritance.

Limitations of movement and needing assistance were previously unknown to my Mom.  A woman of strength helping others with needs are part of what makes her her.  But for now, for this short duration of recovery, things once easy are cause to ask for assistance.  Requests and needs often indicated, not spoken, using mannerisms echoing her mothers'.

The reflection of my Granny in Mom paints such a beautiful picture of my heritage: a legacy of helping and loving.  Someday I hope I also emulate the actions and traits of my mother.

Click here to see the rest of my Write 31 Days series:  Simple Gems

A Season of Birthdays

Birthdays!  Sometimes it seems as though all our boys want to talk about is their birthday.  Typically they begin planning their next birthday party about a month after their birthday.  Here I am just recuperating from the past few months of birthdays and parties, and they're already talking about the next one!  So we have a standing rule established that starts in January: no birthday talk until Dylan's birthday.  In August!


Sometimes the mundane of daily existence can outshine moments.  Special moments need to be embraced.  It is in the stopping, the experiencing of those moments where we catch the true essence of what matters.

Although birthday talk is banished for a great part of the year, we try our best to make each birthday special.  Family traditions have evolved over the past almost nine years to become a family dinner consisting of the birthday boys' favourite, cake and, of course, presents on the actual day.  We try not to overdo.  Dinner is simple and homemade.  Gifts are small, consisting of useful items and candy.  Weekday birthdays usually mean the cake will be cupcakes with icing.  Nothing fancy.

We want our boys to appreciate simple,  We want them to understand the things that truly matter are made up of moments, not money.  It is about being with people they truly enjoy and love, not a place.  It is about embracing what is happening around and for them, not what they get.

September is Nicholas's birthday month.  He turned the most wonderful age of 5!  He's still at that magical stage of being excited about all things in life.  He's also at the age in our family where he could have a small birthday party with a few friends.  This means now there are two events surrounding each boys birthday, the family meal AND a kid party.  But in a family our size, it's nice to be able to celebrate them as individuals more than once to make them feel really special.


It's also a chance for us to do a fancy decorated cake (I use the word 'fancy' loosely here, by the way).  It's taken us a few years of practice, but I'd say this cake is our best yet.  It had candy and a monster truck on a ramp, Nicholas was thrilled!

There isn't a boys in our house who isn't excited by a gift of candy in any form.  I hope my boys will always appreciate the simple gift of a chocolate bar.  Not because of what it is, but because it was a gift given to them.

Finally FIVE!

Waiting is not easy when you are four.   And yet it seems there is always something you have to wait for - wait your turn, wait for your little brothers, wait for mommy to finish, wait for your big brothers and daddy to come home.  Probably the hardest is that you have to wait until your birthday so you can become the magical age of FIVE!

Evan and his "cake"

Evan has been waiting a really long time for the day to finally arrive.  Sometime during the night of November 23, while his eyes were closed, that magic happened.  In the morning when he opened his eyes and said good morning to mommy he was no longer a little boy of four, but was instead a big boy of FIVE.  He giggled with giddiness when I said "Happy Birthday" to him and kissed his sweet cheek.


To make it even better, we made it "the weekend of Evan".

Birthday Fun!

Saturday was the birthday party day when he invited four of his little friends and Nicholas to celebrate with him.  Of course, when you have four brothers all of them are part of the fun.  However, Evan was very specific that Nicholas was an invited guest.

Cupcakes and Christmas ornaments

 All of my boys love making stuff so I wasn't surprised when Evan asked to decorate cupcakes at his party.  I think all of them enjoyed the glittery-gluey mess of decorating the ornaments too.  It took the promise of snacks to stop the running, but once they started it was also fun making a lovely birthday party mess.

November 24

Sunday, November 24, was his actual birthday.  We followed our family tradition of having the birthday boys' choice of supper (Evan chose pizza) and giving him our gifts.  After the big party the day before, we spent the cold, wintry day watching movies, playing in the snow and eating popcorn.

Although the ground was covered with a thick layer of snow the day he was born, I told him that not every year will have enough snow for sledding on his birthday.  I clearly remember bundling up in snow pants that barely fit and pulling not-quite-2-year-old James and Morgan in their sled during the days before Evan was born.


Five years can bring so many wonderful things.  Evan has brought joy, laughter and sweetness to our lives.  He is my little buddy and I am so blessed that he is my son.  You made it Evan!  You are Finally FIVE!

Halloween

Halloween night finally arrived!  Morgan and James had been counting down for weeks as October 31 approached.  Four boys were excited to go trick-or-treating so they could bring home candy and refill their treat boxes.

Like many parent's in southwestern Ontario, we had been watching the weather and cringing at the forecast of strong winds and rain.  And they were right.  The strong winds didn't start until later, but the rain came early enough to make it a wet, albeit warm, Halloween.  But we added a plastic-bag-fashioned-into-a-shirt layer under the costumes and they all dressed up and were ready to go.   

A Power Ranger, a tiger, a ninja and a black Spider man.

Earlier in the month when I asked the boys what they wanted to dress up as for Halloween, it was quite a relief to me that they all picked something from our dress-up box.

A little monkey.  Yes, the picture is blurry. He would not stay still.

                                                                Our little monkey was quite well suited in his monkey costume.  Oh my, the way this boy climbs EVERYTHING!  It seems to me I am continually lifting him down off something.  Even taking this picture was quite an ordeal as I followed him around, tried to get his attention or had to put his monkey head back on.  I never did get a good picture.  At least he wasn't crying here like he was when we tried to take a picture of all five boys together.

Halloween Tradition

Pumpkin carving!

 

The final result.

Morgan and James

Nicholas and Evan

The dress up part of the Halloween experience didn't seem to be nearly as exciting for them as I expected it to be this year.  Maybe that's because these boys dress up all the time!  It's not unusual to have a bunch of super heroes or ninjas running through the house.  My personal favorites are when they appear in some mishmash of costumes including some that might even be too small or short.  But the beauty of the odd looking outfits is that they are bringing their imaginary world into being by putting on the persona of what they have created in their minds.  In the summer they often take the roleplay outside and run through the bush.  It's such a creative and fun part of their development. 

I'm really not sure what they were here.

But I'm pretty sure they were some type of tree-people here.

 It is definitely their imagination gone wild!

Kettle Corn

My family loves popcorn!  I mean like REALLY, REALLY love it.  It doesn't matter the flavour or form, if it's in the house it will be consumed.  And quickly.

Kettle Corn was the one treat we would always buy at Keady Market or anyplace else we saw it available.  And usually the largest bag they had!  But, now we can just leave it on the table to be purchased by somebody else because I have learned how to make it myself.     

It really had never occurred to me that Kettle Corn could be made at home!  A friend of mine mentioned making Kettle Corn for a Ladies outdoor movie night we were going to and I was intrigued.  I sat at the computer and started roaming recipe sites and blogs until I figured it out before I began.  Suddenly the kitchen was overflowing with bowls full of Kettle Corn.  Since popcorn does not last in this house, the bowls were empty by the next morning.

This is an unbelievably simple recipe I found on Allrecipes.com. It was the first and only one I have tried.  I did some additional reading and tweaked the method slightly from the original.  I have it pinned under Kid Food - snacks and lunches on Pinterest although it is far from just a snack for the boys.  I pulled it up just last night because it is a tradition in our house that we eat popcorn while we watch a family movie together.



For anybody else that wants to make this for yourself, here is the recipe I use.

Kettle Corn
makes about 10 cups

Ingredients:
   1/4 cup vegetable oil
   1/4 cup sugar ( I use a little less)
   1/2 cup popcorn kernels
   salt

Method:
Heat oil and 1 kernel of popcorn in large pot with tight fitting lid. When kernel pops, quickly dump in sugar, popcorn and sprinkle with salt. Stir immediately.   Cover.  Shake over burner until popping slows down to once every 2 or 3 seconds when you should remove it from the heat.  Continue to shake until popping stops.  Dump into a large bowl and stir.  Stir again when cooled to break up clumps.  Or, just be like us and dig in as soon as you can touch it.

Warning:  this has to be shaken continuously on the burner so make sure your stove top will accomodate the method.

Enjoy!!

Autumn Bounty

It's become a tradition in our family.  Every year that the apple trees are loaded with fruit we collect our bushel baskets and start picking.  It's time for making juice!

Nicholas, James, Evan, Morgan and Dylan - eating what they were gathering

Friday was the perfect day for apple picking. The boys were all home from school for a PD day.  (Yay!  we also got to sleep in!).  The sky was a beautiful clear blue.  The day was warm enough James and Morgan were in shorts.  Even I didn't need a sweater.  But Nicholas was still in his favorite Spiderman shirt (long sleeves) and camo pants.

Dylan and Nicholas loaded and ready to go

Luke is home from work shortly after lunch on Friday's so we gathered up baskets and empty feed bags before we loaded up.  Everyone was happy to get going.

The boys were ground crew, picking up any apples already fallen or the ones we shook down that were beyond our reach.  Luke was mostly up the ladder, but I got up in amongst the really high places.  Whichever one of us was on the ground spent our time picking apples we could reach or retrieving Dylan from a ladder.  Or, we held him while picking one handed.


Evan was a trooper at helping today.  I was very proud of how he stayed focused on the task. 

The collected bounty!

Well, we got the required eight bushels we need to take to the press.  There are also a bunch designated for apple pie filling and apple sauce.  And still more to simply eat.  That is, after all, what Simple Bounty is all about.

Apple Picking 2013