Dynamite........

So we had our annual talent show at our church this year.  Last year, when McKay was four, after the talent show was over he was so sad and upset that he didn't get to go up on the stage and share a talent.  He wanted to go up on the the stage and show everyone how fast he could run.  Since that talent show he has been looking forward to sharing his talent.  Back in the spring he developed a new skill for Hula hooping, so since that time he has talked about hula hooping for the church talent show.

Well, about 2 weeks ago he decided he did not want to do anything for the talent show.  He was getting super shy about getting up in front of people.  I kept asking him and he was pretty adamant about not doing it, so 2 days before the talent show I asked again and he said, "no".  So I took him off the list.  I told Mike he wasn't going to do anything, well Mike took matters into his own hands and offered McKay $2 to do his hula hooping.  Two dollars and McKay was good to go.

I helped Mike and McKay pick out some music to hula to.  McKay was not feeling it on a lot of the music, no, no, no..... then he heard dynamite, and it was a definite YES.   He was feeling the music while he was practicing, doing different moves every time he practiced.  This kid enjoys a good beat!

I went to Toys R' Us and bought another hula hoop just in case Ethan decided to hula hoop too.  Ethan at the last minute agreed to do it too.  Even though they seemed hesitant to get up in front of everyone, they were actually pretty excited.  Here is the video footage I got.  Sorry it isn't the best filming.

Fall Field Trips...

 I met up with McKay's kindergarten class up at Johnson's Farm.  It is a beautiful farm tucked way back in the Santa Cruz mountains.  The kids got to go on a tractor ride to the pumpkin patch that was filled with 8 foot tall sunflowers.  McKay got to pick a pumpkin off the vine and cut it off.  I am glad I got to share this experience with McKay.  I also couldn't find my camera, so thank you Kimi for the photos.

I also went on two field trips with Ethan.  Ethan has about 11 field trips this year.  This is the first year I have been able to help out with field trips.  So I have been keeping myself very busy.  I went with Ethan to the Whale Museum Natural History Museum in Santa Cruz.  I forgot my camera so I didn't get any pictures.  We had a good time learning about the Ohlone Native Americans, who lived in Santa Cruz.  Ethan loved seeing the tiny baskets the Ohlone's weaved, which were water proof, and seeing all the bees in the honeycomb.  He wrote a much more detailed paper on the entire experience.
I also, got to go on the UCSC life lab field trip.  The children learned all about fruits and vegtebles.  They made fresh squeezed apple juice and corn tortillas.  They sampled kale, radish, and apples from the gardens.  They fed the chickens, learned about worm composting, and played in the musical garden.  It is such a picturesque farm overlooking the ocean.  Luckily I had my camera, but my pictures do not do it justice.

Exploring the farm (view looking into ocean can't tell from photo)

Making Corn Tortillas

Learning about worm composting

With Ethan being in 3rd grade I have felt there is a sense of innocence that is not there anymore that you find in the younger grades.  When one of the girls I drove in my car asked if I had eminem to listen to I was a little taken aback.  I was thinking wow things start changing at an early age.
However, after watching all the kids cheer on their fellow classmates while they were pressing apples it brought a smile to my face.  There is still sweetness in the 3rd grade. ( I had trouble loading the video of the kids cheering for Ethan, if I can figure out the problem I will add later.)

Drinking their Fresh Pressed Apple Juice.

Making music in the musical garden.

Fall time is Beach time in Santa Cruz...

We have enjoyed a beautiful fall this year.  Every weekend we would think, oh lets head down to the beach, it may be the last nice weekend, and it kept staying nice, so we just kept going.  One Sunday afternoon we were so lucky to see Whales, Dolphins, sea lions,  pelicans, sea stars, and sea anemones all in one stroll down to Natural Bridges tide pools. 

Another time the boys got to play with their friends down at the beach and Naomi enjoyed catching some waves with her dad. 

Mike also got to get in some early morning waves, a friend of ours was out that morning and captured some nice pictures.

We are really spoiled living here.

Birthday Waves.....

 I started out my 35th birthday with breakfast in bed from Mike and the kids.  The kids were adamant about "surprising" me with breakfast in bed.  At 7:45 a.m. I was forcing myself to stay in bed, since I knew the kids needed their lunches and needed to be out the door at 8 a.m. for school.  Seeing their excitment and pure joy on their faces made it so enjoyable.  I also got their birthday books that they had been working so hard on the previous couple of day.  Ethan's story was an informational story about redwood trees and Mckay's story was about playing soccer.

My good friend JoAnn covered my lunch duty shift that I had that day for Naomi's preschool, so I could go out to lunch.  My parents, April, who came in from Oklahoma, and Jeff came down for the day to celebrate with us.  

After school we ditched McKay's gymnastic class and we headed down to the beach.

Nice weather, a nice swell, and a quite afternoon in October made for some great birthday waves.  

I got to surf with my 2 brothers Jeff and Justin while April and my parents watched the kids play on the beach.

 The kids love their cousin Elle.

 We enjoyed some yummy Mexican food.

 

We ended the day with homemade birthday cake from Mike.

I must say it was one of the best birthdays.  I guess turning 35 years old isn't so bad.

Let the Halloween craziness begin....

 We started celebrating Halloween on Friday at school.  Parades and parties galore.  Between attending the kindergarten parade and party and the 3rd grade parade I was pretty much at school all day.

McKay was a little embarrassed and refused to wear his helmet and belt with gun in the parade.

Ms. Bariteau's Kindergarten class

Mckay, Jake, and Ms. Bariteau

McKay and Pinkalicious (before she ate all those cupcakes).  She insisted on wearing those shoes all day.

Ms. Courneen's 3rd grade class

That night we went to our church's trunk-or-treat.  

Then, on the actual Halloween night we went to Pleasanton and got to party with D. J. Lance Rock.  As D.J. Lance would say, "it was awesssssooooommmme".

 I transformed into Pinkalicious's mom for Halloween.

A good time was had by all!

Here is a cute little note book I found in the car.  

Ethan wrote in it driving over to Pleasanton.  Too cute.

Ethan's Note Book

Today it's Halloween.  I'm going to my grandma and grandpa's house.   I love going to their house it's so much fun when we go. They have a pool and lots of toys to play with.  And my cousons are there.  They live with grandma and grandpa.  It is so much fun go to grandma and grandpa's house.  I love my grandma and grandpa's house.
Plans
How to be with Lexi.  Running away from McKay.  locking doors. Having a war wih Naomi, Ethan, McKay, Lexis and Londened. (stafanials)  (stuffed animals)

Ceep away from Him  (craning away) Lexi Naomi.

plans
Bilding a clud house. (wih sticks)

By Ethan Eyre

J-mac is back.....

 We were so happy to surprise Jeff at the airport when he arrived back from serving a two year mission in the Dominican Republic.   The kids were so excited to make him signs and see him again.  When he left Naomi was 1, McKay was 3, and Ethan was 6.  They missed their uncle.  Now that he is back sometimes they catch themselves still praying for Jeff on his mission.

 It was such a celebration at the McLeod house with the return of Jeff that Christy came from Texas, April came from Oklahoma, and Mackenzie came from Hawaii!  I am so blessed to have 4 amazing sisters and I treasure any time I get to hang with them.

Letting our inner asian out.

I am so thankful I live close to family again.  It was such a great weekend spending time with the entire family.  Going bowling with all my siblings, Mike, Silvia, Ryan, and Jeff's friends was definitely a highlight, felt like a kid again!  Thanks mom and dad for creating such a loving and fun family atmosphere always!!!

Rough Draft.... Coversation with Ethan

Ethan, McKay and I were reading the scriptures tonight and the boys were a little distracted and somewhat wild, but when I asked Ethan a question about what we read he gave a very meaningful answer.  We were reading about Earth being a prepartory state to meet God.  He said, "This life is like a rough draft and it is easier to erase your mistakes here than it is once you are in Heaven."  What a great analogy.  What a gift repentance is, to be able to go back and edit and fix the mistakes we have made.