But, yes it is true, Thanksgiving pics.

No, no, it can't be. A post.

But it is.

This is our Thanksgiving dinner this year. I made it New Mexico-style, and my in-laws were good sports to not complain about this, and to try everything.



This is about the last time I cooked anything interesting up until now. Doug is in charge of dinner tonight, and we are having tacos.

Here's what we have when Doug is making dinner:

Tacos
Frozen pizza
Noodles and beans (a western Kansas/German favorite)
Spaghetti
Homemade barbeque pork

That is about his repertoire. I'm really glad when he cooks, though, and only complain if he choose to make the last item on the menu, the pork barbeque, because although it remains his favorite, the rest of us are sick of it.

No Halloween pics

None at all to share. This mom was deathly ill on Halloween. After hurling twice during Sophia's class party (not in front of the kids, to her great relief), I spent the evening in the dark basement on the sofa with the throw-up bowl and The O'Reilly Factor.

The dad in our family performed Halloween heroics, first escorting the kids to a neighborhood parade, then driving the girls off to various friend's houses, setting up a serve-yourself bowl of candy at our door, and trick-or-treating with our littlest knight and his neighborhood pals who were also with their dads. (Lucy too, of course).

But do you think he thought to get out the camera and take any shots? No, he did not.

I don't think he deserves any haranguing, though. I was really quite grateful for the way he gamely carried out the usual panoply all on his own.

Family run

The whole family took to the race course for a 5K three weeks ago. This was Mom's first 5K, and I did indeed run it the whole way, which was my goal. Sophia finished well ahead of me, and Meredith, running with a cousin and a friend, came on gamely behind. Doug pushed Aidan in a stroller, so it can be said that we all five completed the course! The weather was fabulous--we have been having the most beautiful fall here--and this Saturday morning was no exception.

Redo . . . I wish

For the last couple of weeks, Uncle Rick as been in town. There have been a round of occasions and events for us to visit with him in different combinations, and for our family it climaxed on Sunday when all the Von Feldts were here for a family dinner and scum-playing extravaganza. It was also the day of the Children's Sacrament Meeting Presentation, so Uncle Rick accompanied us to church and got to see Aidan's first Sacrament Meeting talk, Meredith's fine retelling of the Parable of the Good Samaritan, and Sophia's "I am a Child of God" solo and last talk (she's almost 12 and will be moving on to Young Women's soon).

At the end of a busy and fun weekend, as he exited with his suitcase to his rental car, the whole family piled out of the house to say good-bye, including the dog and the cat.

It was sometime the next day that I realized I hadn't seen Zazu for many hours.

It took us awhile to realize that we had forgotten to let him back in the night before. We began combing the JournalWorld classifieds and Craigslist notices for "Found Cat," but to no avail. We've plastered the neighborhood with posters and knocked door-to-door, but no one has seen Zazu. We've begged in our prayers for his safe return, Aidan always asking for a blessing that "he have lots of fur," since it was our first hard freeze earlier this week.

I guess I am starting to face up to fact that we have had a sad loss. Hopefully, he has found another warm home, but I fear that the coyotes who run at night in the field out back and even sometimes right down the street out front may have played a part in this.

In my melancholy, I must reflect for a moment on that feeling that I am consumed with right now . . . that unbearable yearning for an ability to rewind, to have another chance to make the choice that I didn't know at the time would have such a devastating consequence. It is frightening indeed to realize how the most inconsequential acts can have enormous impact, and it feels somehow unfair that we are so often unaware of the grave events that are to come as the result of something we do in a thought-less moment.

Zazu, 2008:

Pets and family stuff

Sophia has been taking the camera more and more to help me capture family life. She had some great shots of everyday stuff recently.

Here's the share:

Zoo instead of school

The dasterdly Von Feldt parents removed their children from school two Fridays ago and took them to the zoo instead!

I had requested a temple trip for my birthday present, and we made it a family event by hitting the Omaha zoo before a lovely temple session at the Winter Quarters temple. We were going to keep the destination a mystery for the kids, but Brother Von Feldt forgot that detail and blabbed to Sophia. However, Meredith was in the dark about where we were going until she noticed "Nebraska" license plates at the gas station, then saw the Henry Doorly Zoo sign as we drove up. She was thrilled! So was Sophia, and anyway she does best when surprises aren't too surprising.

It was just an idyllic trip. Doug and I enjoyed lots of talking time on the 3 1/2 drive up and back. The weather--oh my goodness--was gorgeous. It was neat to be at the zoo in the fall, yet not too cold.

Apple Time

Yeah, you know, the yearly trip to the apple orchard. My first time with Aidan, though, and he was mesmerized. A most diligent picker of apples. And it was the most beautiful day. . . .

Please enjoy the shots.

The Outdoor Von Feldts

We scheduled it and planned it for several weeks, and then it finally arrived--our camping weekend! (Last month, that is, but I'm just now posting about it.)

Doug came home early to help us get packed up, then off we went to Clinton Lake for an overnight stay with a hike and boating the next day.

The weather could not have been better, and the traffic on the lake was way down, I guess just because it's fall. We spent four hours on the water! Lucy swam until she was absolutely exhausted--as did the rest of us. Doug played a game with the kids called "shark" which sent them all into peels of laughter as Lucy did laps around the boat. I myself got in the water, which amazed everyone, and even did some rafting, but I also got in some reading, some napping, and a nice pink sunburn.

Bliss.

Train tracks

We have these wooden train tracks that we have finally been able to afford after the birth of the fourth kid, and the whole family loves them. Aidan likes to play with them, and the rest of us like to set them up for him.

Meredith created this configuration recently:


Here's Aidan happily enjoying it:


I came along and made some modifications:

This is what our straggler child does for the whole family. He keeps us playing.

Magnifying one's calling

The girls were required to clean out the van one recent weekend and vaccuum it. Nothing can really ever remove the smell that has developed in it through the years, no matter how much Brown Sugar and Fig body spray Sophia might mist into the air, but I digress.

Sophia and Meredith took their cleaning job a step further and completely tricked out the van, girl style. Behold:

Trash receptacle and library:


The girls in their lounge:

Sophia anchorwoman

Meredith may want to be an actress, but Sophia got the first crack at the screen. She appeared as the news anchor on her school's morning broadcast for a month this fall.

Here Sophia prepares for the newsday:


The newsroom is bustling with activity every morning:

Sophia and Matthew, the sports and weather anchor, are ready to go:


Catch her last broadcast here:

Sophia News Anchor

You will note that she is diligent in applying her dazzling smile between segments.

Halloween School Party Ideas

I have been a room parent or a room parent assistant for many years, and by now I definitely know now how to throw a rockin' school party. I have developed some opinions about what works and what does not work. Here are my tips. Why, you may ask, am I suddenly in the business of giving tips? I'll let you know when I've figured that out.

Aly's School Party Principles

1. The goal is to have wild fun that would not otherwise be had at school. Therefore, forget word searches, crossword puzzles, and read-aloud stories. The kids do that stuff already.

2. Keep parties simple. Trying to fit too much stuff into the 30-45 minutes allotted for most school parties just makes everyone feel rushed. Parties are funnest when there is plenty of time to enjoy each activity and parents haven't worked too hard to plan them.

3. Keep it cheap. There is no reason for a school party to consume much of anyone's budget.

3. Forget the candy. Each and every holiday already has plenty of candy associated, so no need to add more as part of the class party.

4. Forget the craft. They are hard to organize and chaotic as part of a school party. There is no time for glue to dry. They are a bummer to clean up. They are difficult to take home along with all the other goods and costumes that kids will be carrying that day. Plus, kids already do plenty of crafts at school and probably did several associated with the holiday already.

5. Have parents bring the treats. Parents are more than willing to donate food for the party--some want to go all out and make elaborate decorated cupcakes, others just want to bring a couple of boxes of Capri Suns. Either way is fine; the good news is that the parents enjoy contributing, and you can use your budget from the PTO, if you have a budget from the PTO, for game supplies and maybe prizes. Or you can just buy some more classroom books with it. P.S. Make sure kids can eat every item with their fingers so that you don't need utensils.

6. Include some salty and healthy treats. Some pretzels, trail mix, or even a--gasp--small apple will be for many kids a welcome palate-cleanser to go with the sweet stuff.

7. Request or purchase pre-packaged drinks. Then you are not pouring and spilling sticky liquid, or, at worst, managing the mess of a punch bowl. Request that parents who send drinks donate individual boxes, pouches, cans, or bottled water. Save the punch bowl for the holiday party at home.

8. Here's my standard party food list: for each child, a frosted/decorated cupcake or large cookie; a salty snack such as pretzels, potato chips, or popcorn; a healthy component such as an apple, grape-and-cheese-cubes-skewers, or baby carrots; a pre-packaged drink; and a large napkin. Notice that no utensils, cups, or plates are needed! This saves budget money and reduces waste!

7. Here's where the party action is at: GAMES. How often to kids push back the desks and play a fun game together? Hardly ever! We have forgotten how much fun simple games are! Tips for keeping things from getting too rowdy: give VERY CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS AND RULES before anyone moves from their seats. Have groups or teams defined AHEAD OF TIME and once you've told each child which group they are in, TELL THEM EXACTLY WHERE TO GO to hook up with the rest of their group (Team A, meet up here by the teacher's desk; team B, you're in the back corner by the door, etc). After the game, have everyone sit where they are and WAIT FOR EVERYONE TO BE QUIET before you give further instructions.

8. My tried-and-tested-party-formula: One game (10-20 minutes), then treats at your desk (15 minutes). Have parent-helpers deliver treats and drink to each person's desk rather than allowing the kids to serve themselves. You can have a second and even third game in mind just-in-case, but I bet you won't need them! This formula works for 30-45 minute class parties.

I quickly compiled the list of games below from several sources, including other internet sites. I bring these together because they are all 1) super fun, 2) cheap, 3) simple to prepare for.

This year, the sixth-grade class I'm room parenting will, for Halloween, play the Party Pairings game, and I'll have the Eye-ball relay or the Spider Web available as back-pocket alternatives.

Halloween Game Ideas

Party Pairings
Supplies needed: Enough slips of paper for everyone
No. people: Any even-numbered size group—standing up
Directions: Make enough slips of paper for each player to have one. Write the name of different Halloween characters on two slips (ex. 2 ghosts, 2 witches, 2 bats, etc.). Then fold the pieces of paper up and throw them into the air. Everyone in the group dives for a piece of paper and starts acting out the character written on it. When you find your partner (the player who is acting out the same animal as you), sit down. The last people to sit down are out! Take out one pair of characters from the pieces of paper and start over!
Halloween characters—enough for a whole classroom!: Ghost, witch, bat, mummy, crow, monster, scarecrow, rat, spider, cat, vampire, Frankenstein

Eyeball Relay
Supplies needed:
1 Ping pong ball for each team (painted like an eyeball)
1 spoon for each team
Divide children into teams. Give the first child on each team a spoon and a ping pong ball.
Set up the course to where they have to carry the "EYE" on the spoon to the end of the course and come back. Hand off to the next child and continue until all children have played on the team. First team done wins!

Spider Web
Supplies needed:
Ball of black yarn
Children stand in a circle. A ball of yarn is thrown across to another child. The child holds on to a piece of the yarn and then throws the ball across to another child. Continue until a spider web is created.

Tongue Twisters
Playing with words, silly rhymes and sounds are a favorite activity for children and can be a blast at parties. See who can say these quickly three times:
Which witch wants Winnie's watch?
Good ghosts go galloping gratefully.
Slow snakes slither, speedy spiders spin.
You could have a tournament: split the kids up into teams, then let them try the twisters and choose a representative for a championship round to be judged by parents and/or teachers.

Mummy Wrap
Supplies needed:
Toilet paper on a roll
Teacher or adult helper
Chair
If you desire to make this a relay, then you will need a roll of toilet paper for each team, an adult, and a chair.
Each child takes turn wrapping up the adult as a mummy. Don't forget to unwrap them!

Candy Corn Relay
Supplies needed:
Candy corn (you will need a lot)
1 Pumpkin or ghost bucket for each team
1 Spoon for each team
Small candy pieces such as candy corns, M&M’s, Skittles, etc.
Divide children into teams. Set up a course for them to race on. Children scoop up candy corn in spoon and race to the end of the course and dump the candy in the bucket. Run back and tag the next person. First team to finish wins.

Ghost Waiter
Supplies needed:
Balloon for each team
Paper plate for each team
Divide children into teams. Set up a course for them to race on. The child has to balance a balloon on a paper plate while walking it down the course and back to their team.

Spider Relay
Divide children into teams. Set up a course for them to race on. Have first child of each team sit down, put their arms behind them and walk (AKA crab walk) to the end of the course and back. Tag the next child and repeat until all the teams finish.

Pop the Balloon
Supplies needed:
At least 2 balloons for each child
Enough "treats" for each balloon to have one
Add the "treat" inside each balloon and blow up. Tie the balloon. Dump all the balloons on the floor and tell the children how MANY they may pop. The children must pop the balloons by sitting on them and bouncing.
Treat ideas: spider or other types of rings, wrapped candy, mini balls, anything small that will fit inside a balloon.

Scarecrow Nose
Supplies needed:
Sheet
Scissors
Paint
Adult helpers
Before the party, paint a scarecrow on a sheet. Cut out the area where the nose is. Keep in mind the height of the children playing the game!
Divide the children into 2 teams. Take one team out into the hall. The other team stays in the classroom. Have the adults hold the sheet up. The first child out in the hall puts their nose through the hole in the sheet. The children in the classroom try to guess who is the scarecrow's nose.

Balloon Sweep
Supplies needed:
1 Broom for each team
1 Balloon for each team
Divide children into teams. Set up a course for them to race on. The children are to run relays sweeping the balloon along the course and back to their team. First team having all their classmates through the course wins.

On Meredith

Meredith is a most delightful young lady. She wants to be an actress when she grows up. She has the personality to fit that role. We went camping recently weekend (more on that later), and here are some quotes I heard from her:

Mom, take a picture of me.
Mom, get out your camera.
Mom, I wasn't in that picture.
Mom, let me see that picture.
Mom, you never take one of me.
Mom, take one of just me.

So here are some shots of Meredith, just Meredith, composed by Meredith, posed by Meredith, and reviewed by Meredith. Taken by me, though, or she wouldn't have been able to be in them.

Meredith up:


Still higher up:


Meredith dawg:

Fall family get-together

So we have not got together with Doug's side of the family--the Kansas relatives--since before Jacob went away to school in early August! We remedied that recently.

Enjoy the shots. Uncle Rick and Jacob, we missed you. We drew names for Christmas. The idea is to give meaningful, thoughtful gifts, and keep the price down so that the expression of caring is highlighted above the commercialism. I'll write and explain more!

Family home evening

We grabbed the camera during a couple of family home evenings this year. The kids absolutely love family home evening. Family home evening tends to put Doug to lettin' out lots of big yawns. But you will see below that we keep him involved so that he stays alert.

One trick is to assign him a major role. Last winter we had our very own Sukkoth. Behold Doug as King Bejamin:



And the people in their tents:

The next set shows Aidan's first time conducting. Sophia had the lesson (Sophia LOVES to have the lesson, and she does a very good job, and we just have to keep reminding her: short and sweet!)

Family home evening is play time extraordinaire for Lucy. She grabs one or two of her toys and settles down in the middle of the carpet for some crazy wild toy-squeaking. I guess you could say Lucy loves family home evening as much as the kiddos. Even Zazu, our new cat who we haven't yet mentioned on the blog, is quite a student of the scriptures.

Sophia also had the activity. We had promised her for some reason earlier in the week that she could teach us all a dance. SHORT AND SWEET, we said, and she stuck to it. Look at us dancing! Boogie, Doug, boogie! Then we threw in a second activity, which was to play a favorite family game, Quirkle.

Outings with Addison

Aidan and I still take great joy in assaying forth now and then for an outing with friends. We spend a lot of time with Addison, whose mom has lots of great ideas for fun things to do.

We hit Prairie Park Nature center in September for a great class on spiders. Since that time, Aidan has not been afraid of spiders anymore. It was such a beautiful day, we could not resist a leisurely hike afterward.

Kansas prairie grass:


Addison and Aidan exploring near a bridge:


One bridge. Two sticks. That's all you really need:


Lucy was along and could not resist:


Mary's Lake. Isn't it beautiful. Readers formerly from Kansas, don't you miss it here? (No chiggers this time of year).


Later in the month we went with the playgroup to Deanna Rose Farms. How neglectful am I that it's been so long since we went that Aidan didn't even remember it?

Here are the boys with a friendly (or is it hungry?) goat:


Aidan with friend Ellie:


New at the petting zoo, you can buy a bottle with milk for $1 and then feed it to the baby goats. You cannot imagine how much Aidan laughed and laughed!



Hayride below!!



Addison looking resplendent:


Boys on a turtle:

Aidan starts school, too--for the first time ever!

Now that he is four, Aidan has started preschool. He was excited about this until the first day of school, and then he thought it was the worst idea he ever heard of. We worked with him for a few weeks, and pretty soon he figured out that being at school was WAY better than being home with mom.

The preschool is just across the street at the Catholic school, so we walk together every day.

Here Aidan is with his backpack, ready to set out:


And tearing out of school at the end of the day:


The incomparable Mrs. Fowler, a woman of great wisdom and kindness:


And . . . Aidan, 007:

Sunday on the boat

After a busy Saturday of a soccer game, a wedding, some shopping, and a fine BYU game, we decided to spend some family time together on the boat. It was the most beautiful day on Clinton Lake:

Sophia's playing soccer

Sophia has been a dance or gymnastics girl for many years, but she has decided to give soccer a try:

Do I Have Daughters, Too?

Many may have noticed that my younger three have gotten short shrift in blog posts for many months. I assure that that is only when it comes to blogging, of course. But now it's time to make up that shortfall!

I didn't get to take pictures of everyone on their first day of school because I had given the camera to Jacob when we dropped him off at school. It took me several weeks to decide what model to replace it with.

Today is picture day for the girls at school, and I thought it was high time to take their first-day--of-school pictures.




Look out how they are growing into such beauties! Here's Sophia:


And of course Meredith:


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