Bonfire on the Beach

Since we have been here, I have been wanting to build a fire on the beach at night. There aren't a lot of beaches where you can have fires here, but just past the Carmel beach there are a few. Those beaches (which I didn't even know existed until about a month ago), have become some of my favorites. We went with our friends Cheryl and Micah and Sheila and Jayce. It was so warm out there that night (which never happens. It seems like it is always cold and windy at the beach). The kids had so much fun climbing on rocks, playing with kelp, and watching the huge waves. Of course, everything was much more exciting because it was dark. We'll have to do it again.

Climbing on the rocks. Super safe with pointy sticks in their hands, right?

Smoke in your eyes stinks.

Getting the perfect marshmallow.

What is it with boys and digging holes?

Micha and baby Asher.
Sheila and Tom roasting... something.

I think it's cute that he sticks his tongue out when he is thinking. I think it's even cuter that he's thinking so hard about getting that hot dog just right.

Hot dogs are good.

Piano Lessons

Addison started piano lessons about 2 months ago, and it has been so much fun to see how excited he is about it. I'm sure it can't last forever, but he still is really excited to practice and play everything he learns. As anyone who calls and talks to him can attest, he loves to set the phone down on top of the piano and play for the caller. I don't know how many times the grandmas have heard Darth Vader's theme in the last 2 months.

I love his teacher. She is the cutest little lady. She really wants him to enjoy playing, so she teaches him songs that he will be interested in. He has learned about every theme from Star Wars. She really takes her cues from the students as to how to approach their lessons and it makes for such a perfect learning environment. A few weeks ago Addison had been playing around on the piano and had figured out the beginning of a song from Star Wars (of course). He played it for her at his next lesson, and she used that theme for the basis of that week's lesson and taught him the rest of the song.

Look out John Williams.

Halloween

We had a lot of fun this Halloween. Addison wore his costume almost nonstop the week before Halloween. We went to the ward trunk-or-treat, his school's Halloween party, and trick-or-treating in two neighborhoods. I forgot my camera at most of these events, but trust me, we had fun. Addison studying his pumpkin to make sure it's scary enough.
Yep. Looks pretty scary.
This actually was pretty scary. This was just moments after Tom took the knife that I had given to Addison back into responsible hands. It seemed to me that Addison was old enough to do a little pumpkin carving of his own. I let him at it, and started pulling pumpkin seeds out of another pumpkin. Tom, however, was paying attention to the fact that Addison grabbed the handle of the knife at the very bottom, closest to the blade and when he stabbed the pumpkin, which was really thick, his hand slipped really quickly down the remaining handle almost onto the blade. ... I hadn't thought of that. I'm a good mom. Addison was happy to draw the scary face and let Tom carve it. So was I.
Addison has a blue tongue in this picture, and I'm hoping he didn't lick the pumpkin (he's 8 not 2), but he might have.
Safety supervisor, Tom.
We roasted the pumpkin seeds with olive oil and salt. They were so yummy.

Addison's scary pumpkin is on the left. Tom's is a happy pumpkin.
We first went trick-or-treating in Toro Park. That is the neighborhood where Addison's school is. It is perfect for trick-or-treaters - nice sidewalks, houses that are close together, well lit. EVERYONE goes there. If you live in Toro Park, you seriously have to stock up on the candy. They really get into it there, too. Some of the houses were like spook alleys just going up the walkways. There were so many people there. The kids had to wait in lines sometimes to get to doors. There were a lot of houses that had 20 or more people milling around on the lawns. Our new friends the Martinson's (who just moved into the ward and live near us) came with us. We met up with the Lamb's and Georgariou's and had a great time.

I wish I had taken pictures, but I completely forgot. We stopped by to trick-or-treat at Addison's friend's house who lives in Toro Park and I got a couple pictures of the two of them, and the cute, cute, cute little sister, but then put the camera away.

After Toro Park, we came back and everyone was out in our neighborhood, so we got out and trick-or-treated around here too. We were going to go to a neighborhood party, but were a little pooped by then. So, we came home, spread out the candy, and watched "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World."