October came. October went. We are halfway through November. And here's what has happened (in addition to cross country and our Columbus Day trip, which have already been covered in depth)...
I went with Briggs and his class to Springfield for his 4th grade field trip. My group was Briggs, his friend George, and two sweet little girls (Amelia and Mila). One of my easier field trip assignments!
We visited the Lincoln Memorial, Lincoln's Home, and New Salem. The weather was beautiful, the kids were well-behaved, and the day moved along quickly.
It was a fun, educational day. I enjoyed my time with Briggs and his friends. I could have done without the several hours on a school bus, but that's probably just my old lady body talking.
I participated in the Trunk or Treat that NTA put on. I was pretty proud of my easy-peasy Soccer Momster theme that I threw together.
While I was handing out candy, Staley and her Singapella group performed in the parking lot for all the Trunk or Treaters.
Briggs got chosen to be part of the Hornet Buzz news team at school. He has really enjoyed taking pictures, writing scripts, and presenting on 'Top Stories' for the weekly news show.
We didn't get around to our family visit to the pumpkin farm, much to Briggs' chagrin. (Poor third child!) So on October 30th, on the way home from the orthodontist, we made a quick stop at Ackerman Farms. I insisted that all 3 kids pick out pumpkins (for Briggs' sake), although Briggs was the only one who actually ended up carving his. He did it all by himself this year, including scooping out the pumpkin guts.
Adelie dressed up as an M&M for the Penguin Project Halloween Party. Her partner, Naomi, was a boxer. In retrospect, we should have dressed Adelie up as a punching bag. Then they would have been in serious contention for the partner costume prize.
Briggs is my only kid who still has a Halloween party at school. He wore his Harry Potter costume and enjoyed his last official school Halloween party with treats, games, and crafts. After all my years of attending these parties, I can't say that I'm overly sad to say good-bye to this tradition.
We enjoyed a Halloween evening with the Hostetlers. While Stella, Adelie, and Briggs trick or treated in our neighborhood and the Hostetler's neighborhood (and checked out the Chapman's haunted house down the street) with Holly and I, Staley and Olivia just hung out at our house. Then we all enjoyed dinner together at our house. It's been a fun tradition doing Halloween together with the Hostetlers the last few years.
For trick or treating, Briggs wore his Harry Potter costume while Adelie recycled the 'Apple Pi' costume that Staley wore a few years ago.
November kicked off with another trip to Springfield, this time with Staley and her friends for the 8th grade field trip to the Lincoln Museum. (I definitely feel much more informed about all things Abraham Lincoln now.)
As easy as Briggs' group was, being in charge of Staley, Morgan, and Opal was even easier.
This was my first time at the Lincoln Museum, and I really enjoyed it. (And as someone who is not always a museum person, that is high praise.) Stopping for lunch at Mission BBQ was a fun way to round out the field trip day.
Basketball games have officially started, so Staley's dance team practices and dancing at the games has kicked into high gear.
NTA holiday performances have also started, so we have added those into the mix along with NTA classes, EMS drama club, Davenport drama club, Hornet Buzz, quizzing, and church activities.
In the midst of the busy, Zach and I were able to slip away for a week of hiking and relaxation in Arizona. This will have its own post, but it was definitely a fall highlight.
And just like that, our October disappeared, and we are staring down a little over a month until Christmas is here. I'm not sure where the time keeps going, but I am trying to hold onto the magic of these crazy, busy, full, fun days during this season of life.
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