Dunk or Treat

It’s been a cool week here in Indiana, with some cloudy and rainy days. The leaves are changing, so we’ve very much enjoyed the reds and yellows and oranges surrounding us. 

With the cooler weather, we’ve been stuck inside more and more, too, making tensions high. Merritt got into this habit in the last couple of weeks where when he changes into pajamas at night, he’ll put his dirty socks over his hands and waltz around like they’re boxing gloves. He either enjoys softly punching me out, or has me toss our throw pillows at him so he can knock them away. I have a hard time not cringing when he hits me in the lips with socks he’s had on all day, but who ever said parents don’t have to make sacrifices?

Hannah was gone most of the week at work or house-sitting. I didn’t mention last week that she was also caring for their German Shepherd puppy, so it’s not like she could just goof off the whole time. She came back to us early Friday morning and is now hopefully becoming re-acclimated to the noise and chaos of the household. Friday night, she went to join the senior sister missionaries in the branch, as they wanted to hear her play her instruments and chat.

Carver had an odd week. He awoke very early Wednesday with a hurt tummy. Without going into too much detail, he emptied out his entire digestive tract for about an hour and then went back to sleep. He stayed home from school that day, naturally, but by the time the rest of us were up for the day, he was acting like nothing had happened. We’re glad it wasn’t anything worse and that no one caught it, but we’re also puzzled about its cause. He’s never had a reaction like that to gluten, even though those things are common with Celiac patients, and we couldn’t think of anything he ate that was out of the ordinary, so we may never know. He was back in school the next day.

Saturday was the branch “trunk-or-treat,” and it took place during the day around lunch time, apparently to make it more family friendly as they invited people from around the neighborhood. Avey and Kira worked hard to get some decorations for the van, choosing a Stranger Things theme, with Christmas lights on a board over the alphabet, walkie-talkies, chocolate pudding, and such. Avey dressed like Eleven from the show (when she goes punk in Chicago), and Kira dressed like Joyce. We somehow did not get pictures again, so sorry.

Hannah decked her car out with an ocean theme, using blue sheets as water, stuffed ocean animals, a pink-balloon anemone, and she went as a jelly fish (using an umbrella as the body).

Unfortunately, it rained the entire day Saturday, so it really added to the cold and got us all wet. The kids dashed through their candy-getting and then ate their lunches inside. Gathering everyone to leave was a chore, and Hakan had a meltdown when he couldn’t get his buckle done by himself. He held the whole car hostage for several minutes, and then when we finally got on the road he fell asleep.

Once we made it home, we got the kids to clean up the house a bit to earn watching the new live-action Aladdin, and while they enjoyed that, I took Merritt to the library and then we picked up cheeseburger patties for Carver and pizza for the rest of us to end the day on a good note. 

Of course, after losing Saturday to the rain, and a windstorm like you would not believe overnight, we awoke today to glorious sunshine again. We’ve got pumpkin carving in the plans for this week, along with the real Halloween fun. We will be sure to get pictures this time!

Correction! Kira just informed me that she did get a picture!

#Happenings