Sh, sh, snake

We have a rather large ball python that we inherited from a family in our ward (congregation). Randy and Richard were cleaning out his tank today (yeah) and I had the task of watching the snake. The poor think was rather cold and I told Nathan and Joshua this. They decided that Sal (the snake) needed a blanket so they grabbed a bunch of tissues and covered him up. Josh then wanted to make him a bed so he pulled out the piano bench and laid three tissues down on it. I then put Sal on top and Nathan and Josh covered him with more tissues. Josh wanted to add a pillow but I convinced him that Sal didn't need one. Since Sal was all tucked in, he needed a lullaby. "Hickory Dickory Dock" was first followed by "Ba, Ba Black Sheep," both favorites of Josh's. Nathan decided that the song needed a re-write and started singing "Sh, sh, sh snake. Have you any skin?" I love my kids.

Here is a picture of Nathan and Sal when Nathan was about a year old.

Tax dollars at work

Last night the dogs were going crazy barking at something in the back yard. Richard and Randy went outside to investigate and they found a stranded possum. The boys tried to scare the thing away but we unable to do anything. The dogs eventually calmed down and we all went to bed. This morning brought a surprise; a dead one on the backyard lawn. One of the dogs must have eventually caught the possum as it was lying dead, wet and slightly bloody right outside our bedroom window. By the way, our windows are pretty good at blocking out sound apparently. Either that or possums don't make much noise when they die. Richard had already left for work and while I'm sure that I could have taken care of it, I didn't really want to. I figured that if I really had to, I could just keep the boys out of the backyard today until Richard got home. Then I thought about it. We have Animal Control in our area and one of their jobs might be to pick up dead animals from your backyard. I figured it was worth a call. A quick Internet search for the number and I was calling SEAACA (Southeast Area Animal Control Authority). After a little explanation and laugh with the operator (I said "dead possum" at the same time someone put a box on her desk and I think her brain mixed the two momentarily. She wasn't too excited about a dead possum on her desk until her brain straightened out the two signals) she took my information and said she would send someone right over. I was getting prepared to wait at home for the morning when about 10 minutes after the call, an animal control officer showed up at the front door. I put the dogs in the garage, the officer put his gloves on, took care of the possum and was gone with-in five minutes. It's a good day for me!

Now We're Recycling!

There are several reasons that my husband thinks that I'm crazy. One of them is that for a while now I would save the recyclables from our household and then take them down to my sister's house about once a week. Although we only live a few miles away, we are in different cities. Her city has a recycling service while mine doesn't. Until now.

A few months ago, we saw a notice in the city newsletter about how the city would be starting a recycling program. And at the end of last month, we received our new recycling bin and that was when the fun started.

I have really loved having recycling. I don't have to haul it down to my sister's house (which I did try to match up with times I was going down there anyway), didn't have to find somewhere to store it until I could haul it, and I didn't have to feel guilty when my husband got tired of it and threw it away in our regular trash.

Now if you are wondering why I am so crazy, just watch "WALL-E" or reread the beginning of Genesis. Both of those sum up my reasons.

Halloween 2009

So here is a quick run down on all of the Halloween fun that we had in October this year. First we got the decorations out. Here is Joshua's favorite, Frankie. Last year he was scared of him. This year Frankie was his best friend.

In the middle of the month, we tried out the Disney Trick or Treat Night. It happens throughout the month of October over in Disney's California Adventor. The park is closed to everyone except special ticket holders. Candy is handed out all over the park along with special areas for dancing, taking pictures with Disney characters, and games. And almost everyone dresses up. EVERYONE. I felt out of place because I didn't dress up.

Nathan decided that night to dress up as a solider, even though he had a different costume. Josh was Luke Skywalker(Star Wars: A New Hope) but it's hard to tell because I wouldn't let him bring his light saber.

At the beginning of the week we started working in the pumpkins. The kids helped dig out the pumpkins and chose the designs. I did the rest.

Here is the finished product. Nathan chose the cat and Josh's is Diego.

On Halloween, we had our church Halloween party in the afternoon. Here is Randy in his costume, a teenage vampire a la Vladimir Todd.

Here our Luke Skywalker with a Leah that he met at the party.

And Nathan, in his costume that we spent too much money on, found another Snake Eyes in one of the older boys from the ward.

We had an early dinner, games, a spook alley, and trunk-o-treat. One of the games was a donut eating contest.

Nathan decided to help out Joshua a little.

Later that night I took the kids Trick-or-Treating around our neighborhood. We went around our block with our next door neighbors and then one more by ourselves. We ended the night tired and with too much sugar but we sure had fun.