Halloween and other stuff

Gosh, it seems like I never post anything anymore!  I'll have to do a couple of months' worth of catch up with this post, once again.  I've just been so busy this semester; actually, it's probably been the busiest semester I've ever had!  I'm getting closer and closer to December and my final weeks on campus.  In January I'll be student teaching and in May I'll graduate!  So really, my time actually going to school is almost done.  I found out this week that I've been placed at Blackfoot High School, which is great since it means NO MORE DRIVING!  I've been making SIX trips a week to Pocatello, which isn't so great on the pocketbook or on my sanity.  I'm to the point now where I get there and don't remember making the drive because I've zoned out the whole way :)

I'm also back to square one with the daycare thing.  I was so apprehensive about taking the kids to the ELC but it turned out to be a great experience.  The staff is wonderful and the kids love going.  So of course, now that we're all comfortable and everything, we have to change!  I'm in the process of finding them a new daycare in Blackfoot (since that's where I'm student teaching), and not looking forward to the change at all.  Don't think I haven't considered driving them to Pocatello every day, because I have!

Despite the downsides, I've had a really great semester.  I'm so lucky to have been able to spend so much time in Marci's classroom (for my part-time student teaching class); she's such a fantastic teacher and friend and a great resource for me! (Only don't tell her I said that or she'll get a fat head, ha ha ha).  She's really let us take control of the classes and I've taught pretty much every day that I've been there.  Even when I've made mistakes or tried things that didn't work out, she's been patient and helpful.  I'll be really sad to say goodbye in a few weeks.

I had to throw in this pic.  One of the first things we did in Marci's classroom was help her set up for the year, and she put Sarah (my partner) and I in charge of some bulletin boards.  It was quite comical and we joked a lot that ISU needed to have a course on decorating classrooms!  After much effort and way too many staples, we came up with this:

 

We're pretty darn proud.  Even though we really just did what she told us :)

Jake is still working away from home.  This time he's in Northern Idaho, and in order to have Thanksgiving off, he had to work two weeks straight.  We're on day six of those fourteen, with eight more to go.  In a couple of days it'll officially be the longest time we've spent apart in the almost seven years since we've met.  It's also the longest he's ever been away from the kids, and it's really starting to get to them, especially Sayer!  But he gets to talk to Dad on the phone a lot and I keep reminding him that when Dad comes home we'll have a whole week with him.

Whew!  I think I'm putting myself to sleep with this post, so onto the good stuff.  Halloween this year was so much fun for us!  Not only did Jake get to be home (which was a surprise, because we thought he was going to have to work), but the kids' daycare went all out for Halloween.  All of the kids dressed up and they went trick-or-treating all over campus, even Sari's class!  It was so much fun and I was sure to get pics.

 

Sayer was a lion for school.  This is actually the same costume he wore last year.  His actual costume for Halloween was a tool man, and we got him an actual tool belt and real tools, along with a hard hat to wear.  But I didn't think he would be able to keep track of all the pieces going around campus, so I had him wear this one instead and he wore his tools for the trunk-or-treat.  Sari was our little rockstar, and I LOVE how her costume turned out!  It was a pain and took me forever to make but I'm glad I did it.

 Here's Sayer posing with two of his teachers, Miss Misty (the doctor) and Miss Sarah (the princess).  He absolutely loves them!

This is Sari with one of her teachers, Miss Callie.  We sure do love her!

 This is just a random shot of Sari.  She's crawling like crazy now and gets into EVERYTHING, of course.  She also pulls herself up and walks along furniture, which is fun :)

Wearing brother's hat!

A few weeks ago, Jeff and Emily (my "godsister") came for a visit and we got to see baby Miley!  She is soooo adorable and has the most gorgeous hair and eyes.  This is the best pic we could get of the two of them.  I like to think Sari is trying to steal some hair for herself.  And by the way, Miley totally looks like Jeff in this picture.  Maybe it's the little scowl she had going on :)

Say and Sari are best buds.  One of Sayer's favorite things to do is take Sari for rides on his "broom broom".

Just a classic pic of Say.  I love his cute little pouty face!

I also forgot to blog about the fair!  This year Nicole (my sister-in-law) invited us to go to the fair with them.  Sayer and AyBree are the best of friends and they had a lot of fun!

Isn't she a doll?

And of course, we had to stop to test drive the John Deeres.  Notice Sayer is wearing his John Deere boots that his dad bought him.  They're about three sizes too big, but he doesn't care.  He wears them everywhere.