We went camping with the boys' school over the weekend. The trip was organized by a parent and close to 40 families supposedly showed up. And it was a blast. Stephen couldn't get over the fact that we were camping as a school.

For reals. It was like the idea of a school sponsored camping trip for families was the most fantastic things that had ever (EVER) happened to him. I quickly grew tired of him saying, "Oh my God! We're camping with the school! How many other schools do you think are camping right now? None!" Of course he was wrong. I am sure lots of other schools were camping on Saturday. Maybe even one in Idaho.

I didn't get the opportunity to camp once last year and it was so nice to be out in the woods, so to speak. Stephen and I are hoping to squeeze in a few family camping trips this summer and we might have to go back to this spot because the boys had the most fun they've ever had on a camping trip. I am not sure whether it was playing with friends for almost 24 hours straight or the Dust Bowl.



See the haze between the trees - that's the Dust Bowl. Or the Hell Hill, or the Dirt Gulch That All the Children Slid Down for Hours on End When They Weren't Having Pine Cone Wars. And they came back looking like this:



The pictures don't really convey just how filthy they really were. They were disgusting filthy. Maybe the dirtiest they've ever (EVER) been! We heard from parents who'd been there before that one year a rain storm turned the Dust Bowl into a Mud Bowl. Those parents ended up just throwing their children's clothes away. What fun that would have been!

Besides the Dust Bowl there was some communal meat cooking and a potluck. I heart potlucks. I always fill up on salads and this this potluck was no exception! Stephen opted for some soft spreadable cheese. I think he was trying to spite me or prove some ridiculous point. The last time he bought soft cheese I was disappointed in his choice. I had wanted something else and so I was mean to him about his soft cheese. But it's okay. He likes it when I am mean to him. Plus, he gets confused when I am kind.




After dinner Stephen looked for opportunities to show off his short shorts. We also had a campfire. I brought leftover Peeps and offered them to all the children but my own - I don't want them eating that crap!



And that was that. The boys went back to the Dust Bowl. Stephen and I drank wine well into the night with new friends. We had blueberries and pancakes in the morning, loaded up the car and headed home. A weekend well spent as the first and last people ever (EVER) to camp as a school.

It's been dumping snow all week and all I can say is, finally! Because it finally feels like a real winter. I'm not a big fan of being cold but I absolutely despise being cold without the joy of a snowy landscape. Finally.

It snowed all day Monday and most of the day on Thursday. In fact, school was cancelled across the valley and Henry and Wyatt had their first snow day ever! No doubt they went sledding with their dad and few friends.



I miss snow days. Do you?

Last Wednesday, on Halloween, I volunteered to help with Henry's classroom party. The party was organized to celebrate both Halloween and all the October birthdays. I waited until two days before the party to inquire about volunteering and was told by the parent organizer that I was welcome to attend, however, there might not be anything for me to do - which sounded awesome.

But there was something for me to do and it was called reading-out-loud-for-one-hour-while-small-children-talk-loudly-and-eat-cupcakes-right-next-to-you-and-the-skirt-you-just-picked-up-from-the-dry-cleaner-on-Saturday! Yes, when the teacher asked for a volunteer to read Halloween stories she was looking right at me - a parent with nothing else to offer - so I nodded my head and agreed to read. Out loud. For one hour.

The party was divided into three stations: craft project, game, and eating treats/listening to stories. I think my job to was to keep them from checking out the two stations because they all kept getting up and walking around and talking to each other and dropping food on the floor. It was awesome.

It really was awesome. I enjoy spending time at the boys' school and volunteering.

Anyway, one of the books I read was titled, Skeleton Meets the Mummy. Apparently the kids had just read the book earlier in the week and didn't want to hear it again. However, during my last rotation of cupcake-eating first graders, I put my foot down and read the only book that had caught my interest. But not before I had to gulp down half of Henry's juice box to sooth my hoarse voice and tired throat. And not before one little boy told me that Ms. S could read for longer without stopping, to which I said:

Dude, you don't even know! I've been reading for almost 45 minutes straight with no break!  But yes, I bet Ms. S does read better because she is a really good teacher.

And then, with a kiss and a hug from Henry, I went back to work. And a few hours later I went home to my own little skeleton and mummy! See? They were a matching set after all.



After a rather chaotic start to our evening, we set out to trick or treat. Tia-D and Casey joined us and this year we made the rounds through a different neighborhood. It's still behind our house but it has more homes that participate in the festivities of handing out candy to small children who they don't know.



After seven years Henry and Wyatt still don't really get how this all works. They said "Happy Halloween" rather than "Trick or Treat" and they didn't always remember to say "Thank You". And Henry doesn't really like trick or treating. He just wanted to go home the entire time we were out, especially after his candy bucket became too full for him to comfortably carry. Even so, I have no doubt that we'll do this all again next year. And the year after that and so on. How could we not? They're so cute in their little homemade costumes!