Trick or Treating

Our neighborhood mom's are all in a GroupMe chat, and we all checked in with each other about if we were going to do Trick or Treating Saturday night or Sunday. Most said they were going to go out Saturday/today, but that they'd hand out candy both nights. We were in the Saturday crowd. In fact, I think Halloween should be on the calendar like Thanksgiving - it should always be the last Saturday in October (maybe Friday). That would be a good idea. So we told the kids they had to clean their room AND practice music if they wanted freedom to collect candy today. Natalie did such a good job practicing, I was very proud of her. 

We didn't do review today, we just focused on getting the bowing right on Minuet 3. After she had done the slow practice for 15 minutes, I told her she had to do 15 more minutes. She asked how long the video was (3:26) and she did her own math and said "Ok! six more times! and then we'll do fight song..." And I was going to let her stop but she just kept going and she ended up practicing for a total of 45 minutes! Good, solid, deep and focused practicing. Way to go Natalie! Let's do this everyday! Sophi usually cranks through all her pieces without a metronome and way too fast and she was done in 15 minutes. I told her to come do more, but I don't think she did, I'll try to watch her more closely. She is consistent though and does a good job doing it by herself. Lily got out of music today too. She spent the day at Lagoon with Isa, but she's practiced every day this week, plus jazz band every morning, plus concert band during school everyday, plus clarinet lessons on Wednesdays, so I told her she's good to go. Abi practiced after she got home from a youth campout - they went out to the desert for the night and were shooting clay pigeons this morning! Abi said she is a good shot, and I think she looks like she means business. 

Abi was home at 2. Corey took kids out to buy pumpkins, per a promise he had made to Owen and Sophi a few weeks ago that he'd give a pumpkin to each kid that went on a bike ride. It turned out to be very cold (packed ice/snow on a lot of the trail, Corey took of his socks and gave them to Owen to use as gloves, which Owen thought was super funny. I said Natalie deserved a pumpkin for her hard work today. We didn't have time to carve them because we had to go to a Hale Center Theater play, so that we wouldn't waste out money. We should have changed it to a different date, but you can't do that the day of. The kids kinda didn't want to go and miss out on Halloween stuff, Sophi had been invited for Pizza but this was going to go past 6pm. But she willingly came. We only had 5 tickets, so Natalie got out of it and she went trick or treating with her friend Lani May at 5:30. 

Natalie had quite the hair-do!

Abi, Soph, Owen and Daniel came with me to the play.

We went and saw the play "The Mousetrap" by Agatha Christie. I didn't know anything about it, so with my zero expectations it turned out being pretty fun and very Halloween-ish (Murder mystery). Abi and Sophi were following it well and liked it. Owen and Daniel fell asleep during the first Act, but were awake for Act 2 after I gave them candy at intermission. Also during intermission, I thought someone in front of us looked familiar... Oh, it's just cause he looks like Father David. No... Oh! It's Elder Callister!! Who gave the "God's Compelling Witness" talk in General Conference, which is one of our favorites and shows up in the bloopers of Ethan's House video! Fun!! After the play was over, I got up the courage to talk to him and tell him we have three missionaries who love his talks and that we'd love to get a picture with him. He and his wife very kindly obliged. :)

Before we got that pictures, someone else tapped him on the shoulder and was talking to him about their gratitude for his powerful messages. His daughter offered to take the picture so I could be in it too. "Does he get recognized often?" I asked. "Oh yeah!" I was glad that the kids humored me and let me take a few more minutes of their trick or treating time. We hurried home after that and they put on their costumes. Sophi took off without saying goodbye, Lily was home with Isa, and I put a nose on Isa and then they left. They took Owen, which I didn't know until later. I went with Daniel and Peter went with Corey to drop Abi off at a friend's house. We just put out a bowl of candy on our porch since we were out and about. Abi met up with her friends - 

Daniel had to make a big decision - which candy to pick... so many choices!

I was texting moms as we walked - Sophi had found her friends, good. I wasn't sure if Owen went with her. But we found him with Lily and Isa, oh yeah, you told me that when you left. It was a little crazy though, but good, I'm glad he's safe. 

One neighbor Dave does a tradition of cooking scones and serving them up with honey butter. 

And across the street from him, the Hanson always serve hot dogs and smores. We live in the best neighborhood. 

The kids liked the decorations around the neighborhood - video here.

And we stopped for a couple of minutes to dance at the Thriller window - 

Maybe I'll get a refresher for myself of the steps and teach it to the kids. It's fun to dance Thriller. 

My little sister Jerusha and I learned it years ago in high school. It was fun. This video had it right, but then the song keeps playing and they have the computer images keep moving but they are doing the whole dance in reverse, I guess to save on programming. That video above is the reverse. I was dancing along during the correct version.

So it was fun. The kids still aren't die hard for going to every house, which I appreciate. So we walked home and they ate candy while watching the Hobbit. And I'm up here blogging. Joseph sent these pictures tonight of him and his girlfriend Amber. It's Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder! Joseph knew Flynn Ryder was a simple and do-able outfit for him, since he's played that part before, and Amber makes a great Rapunzel! Don't they look great?! 

I especially liked the bare feet! Nice touch. 

So it was a busy day and we all came from and went in different directions, but it was a good Halloween.