Autumn Catch-Up, Part 2

Every October our licensing agency throws a party for their families. They don't call it a Halloween party because some foster families don't celebrate holidays. Instead they call it a Fall Party and encourage kids to dress up if they want. The highlight of this party for me is the quilts! A local quilting group donates small quilts to be given to foster families to use with their kids. This year they gave our big family two quilts. The one pictured in the background below and another one that is shades of green. 

Miss Nita, the princess vampire 

Prof. X as a red ninja, Joe as a Cub Scout (he had a scout meeting right after the party)

Anne as a devil, Miss S trying to get out of the shot, Rose as little red riding hood

Miss S  as a party girl, Cakes as a white ninja

I just have to record two little notes about Miss S. 


1) She completely dislikes having her picture taken. As soon as she sees a camera pointed in her direction, she will turn her head or walk away. I have lots of pictures of the back of her head and her rump as a result. This picture is another example. As her foster Mom, I am required to keep a memory book together for her. Do you think if I filled it with all the shots I have of her backside she might finally give in and let me take a shot of her face???


2) Her costume is a dress she wore to her friend's quinceanera. I insisted she have sleeves on the dress. It is a standard in our home (and in the LDS church) that sleeves be worn. It didn't even occur to me to talk about the skirt length. Haha! She had told me that she only liked to wear long dresses, so I thought we were alright with that dress standard and didn't give her the lecture on modest dress length.  Turns out we have different ideas about what constitutes a "long" dress.

Jim loved this game which involves throwing balls to knock things down. He played

for about fifteen minutes straight...until some other kids showed up and wanted a turn.

The little boy pitched a fit! He did not want to give up his turn. 

Cakes manning the water spout. I have no idea what the purpose of this water spout 

(which only sprays downward) is or who thought it was a good idea to put it in the middle 

of a sandy playground, but Cakes (and every other child who comes across it) use it 

in a kind of King-of-the-Mountain way, spraying anyone who dares come close!

Hubby watching Jim knock things down.

In the midst of the October fun, my dear friend moved away. Something about wanting to live in a place that had "four seasons". Pssh! Who needs four seasons? They obviously don't realize that four seasons means snow, sleet, ice, and hail. Yuck. The dear woman was actually looking forward to all that cold. Poor woman, she has obviously lost her mind. ;)

Joe and Cakes adored her children. And my friend was Cakes preschool teacher last year. Cakes loves her! He will do anything she says. Because of her, Cakes began saying "Excuse Me" after his huge, on-purpose burps. 

The night before they moved, we went over to say goodbye and take a few pictures. 

Joe saying goodbye to his buddy.

Cakes playing with the E girls one more time.

The very next day, Joe was baptized!!!  But I think that warrants its very own post. :)