Here Moosey-Moosey-Moosey!

We got to see something kind of out of the ordinary the other night.

 

Keaton called us from the barn and said "Uh... guys...  it wouldn't be a good time to head out to the barn right now.  There's a bull moose right outside my door."

 

So we all ran to the windows and strained our eyes to see through the dark night, to locate the said moose.  It was dark, real dark.  Winston was the one who spotted it first.  It was eating the old shriveled apples from our apple trees.  It would stick it's nose up, grab a branch and the whole tree would bend way down.  Then it would take it's bite and the tree would slingshot back up to it's normal height.  Really, all we could see was it's sillouhette against the light out at the barn.

 

Tom tried to take a picture, and this is the best we could get...

Ears and rack.

In this picture, he's standing next to the tractor.

 

He stuck around for a long time and was definitely not afraid of the dogs barking from their pen.

Other than work, work, work, school, school, school... our only other real exciting news is that our football team won their last game (which they were very much predicted to NOT win).  So we're pretty excited for Trenton to get another step closer to a shot at State.  He's playing tonight.  If they win this one, they have one more game before going to State.  We'll be rooting him on from the cozy warmth of our living room - listening to the game on the radio.  It's just too darn cold out there to sit in the stands.  It's supposed to get down to 13 degrees tonight.  Brrrrrr!

Well, that's all she wrote!

 

Until next time...

A much needed 3-day weekend...

I am so thankful to have a three-day weekend.  It seems like we've got things coming and going like crazy, and it's good to have a couple of days to take a breather and get caught up on a few things.

 

We just finished with Parent-Teacher conferences at school.  Things are going pretty well for Winston.  He is just (still) struggling in math.  Last year we made the choice to put him in special ed for math help.  The purpose was to get a little extra help with the classroom curriculum.  As the new CC standards are being implemented, we've found he is getting more and more lost.  For a kid who has an auditory processing disorder, figuring out story problems and multi-function math is really hard.  He can do some of it, but it takes him a loooong time.  But we also found that in his attempt to process that kind of math, he's lost some of the function knowledge - you know, basic addition, subtraction and multiplication.  So as a team with his teachers, we've decided that he just needs to get the basics learned well enough to be cemented in his mind, and not worry about the standards questions so much.  Thank goodness for teachers who are willing to work with us!

 

Winston also has had a couple of situations that he was involved in at school.  It's a bit daunting when I'm called into my supervisor's office (i.e.: the principal) and have a talk about my son's attitude.  Winston has been following a 'group' of his friends into situations that spell trouble.  Then when he got questioned about it, he threw a big fit in front of his teacher - then in front of the principal.  We've been trying to get it through to him that he doesn't have to do what his friends do, especially if it will get him in trouble.  He's such a good kid, I really can't believe we've had to go through this.  I'm thinking it must be the age.

 

Today Tom was able to get all the gutters cleaned out and a drain worked on to keep water out of the basement.  He worked on it pretty much all day - but at least the basement won't flood anymore.  I worked on getting some organizing done.  I start full-time work at school starting Tuesday.  I'll be filling in for a teacher while she is on leave for a few months.  I will also still be filling my own scheduled duties.  I'm looking forward to the double paychecks - but I just know my house will probably fall down around my ears with laundry and dishes during this time. 

 

Preston is on a field trip this weekend for his forestry class.  He didn't know exactly where they were going to, but they will spend the whole weekend there.  He was looking forward to that.  He has also been working on his schedule for next semester.  It's looking like he will probably have to go one more semester past this one.  Evidently his math requirements have yet to be met, plus he's thinking of taking a minor in (I can't remember the name of it...) basically it is computerized/satellite map making.  It will probably be very useful when it comes time for him to put his degree to work.   

 

Keaton has been enjoying a quiet time at home - in his home-sweet-home, the barn.  He has Sally cat to keep him company.  She up and moved in with him.  He is still doing cartoons for the  Evergreen, as well as working for the Foundation.  Classes are going pretty well for him, too.  Lots of art - he likes that. 

 

Trenton is at another football game tonight.  If they win this game, they go on to the playoffs for State.  If not, this will be it for the season.  Tomorrow we take him to the airport so he can fly home and see his family for a couple of days.  His Mom, Carrie, has been very much in our thoughts and prayers these past days since she was diagnosed with cancer.  She starts radiation and chemo on Monday.   We love you, Carrie, and will be thinking of you as you go through this.  I'm glad Trenton is going to get to be with her for a couple of days.

 

I think Winter hibernation is settling in around here.  All of us are just tired all the time.  The weather has been pretty dreary - raining with a little bit of snow.  The snow melts as soon as it falls, though.  After such a lovely Autumn, it's hard to be ready for the winter blah-ness.

 

I am thankful, too, for this Veteran's Day weekend.  Thankful to those who are serving, have served, or given their lives, for our country and the freedoms we enjoy each day.  Even though things in this country are a crazy right now, we still live in the best country there is.  I am grateful for that.

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY, EVERYONE!

Senior Night

Friday night was Trenton's Senior Night football game.  Mark was able to be here to watch the game.  We've been enjoying our company this weekend.  Mark, Marcia, Karen and Kirsten are here.  It's been great!

For Senior Night the announcer calls the parents of the senior players and cheerleaders to the field.  Mark was able to be here for that.  We know that Carrie would have been here for it if she could.  We were thinking of her.

Father and Son.

Trenton is doing a great job this year, and we've been so proud of him and all that he's accomplished.  We're so glad to get to be a part of his senior year!

Tom and Marcia decided to watch the game from the car, as the temperatures got pretty cold.

Mark even popped in during half-time to warm up!

They also got to have a visit from our good friend, Janice.  She brought along Sweet Pea, who she is watching for her sister and brother-in-law.  They are vacationing in a warmer climate.

I'm a bit jealous.

Meanwhile, the girls and I decided to tough it out on the bleachers.

Me, Karen and Kirsten.

It was very cold - but we did it!

It was fun having them along.

We are trying to eke out the last bit of Autumn that we can.  The weather is supposed to change soon (like possibly tonight) and we'll be seeing the white stuff.

 

I think it should wait until after Thanksgiving.

Hollow-een

 

This is about the extent of my Halloween-ness this year...

I cooked a spooky dinner.

Skeleton bones (french fries), Mummy Dogs (aka pigs-in-a-blanket), Werewolf tongue poppers (pepperoni wrapped in bread dough), Goblin Ears (peaches) and the all time favorite Witches Fingers (dill pickles).

 

Winston loved the witches fingers - he chowed down on them and probably ate two-hands worth.

 

Like I said, this was about the extent of my abilities this year.  I can't seem to be as organized as I used to be.  Tom asked me this evening if I'd gotten Winston's costume made.  Uh... costume?  Oh yeah, I was supposed to make a costume.  Winston decided he wanted to be a Mindcraft Creeper, so at the last minute I found a box, we cut holes in it and he decorated it with markers.  Hows that for a costume?

Works for me!

He was happy with it too.

Isn't he a cute creeper?

 

Keaton likes to dress up for Halloween, too.  He dressed up for a day of work and college.  Can you tell what he is?

He's a Newsie - or Newsey - or Newsee...

I don't remember how it's spelled - I know, terrible huh.

Actually, 'Newsies' is Keaton and Preston's favorite musical.  Trenton admitted to liking some of the songs from it too.

It's probably the only one they like.

He's a cute Newsie... or Newsey... or whatever.

Here's Preston.  His costume is...

..."I've been awake for almost 36 hours after doing an overnight security shift for Martin Stadium - in which I had to keep drunk college kids off the football field.  Now leave me alone and let me eat in peace."

 

Actually, he looked like he was doing pretty good for having next to no sleep.

 

Here's Trenton's Halloween costume...

It's the "Hey, I just walked in the door from football practice and I need a shower before you start taking a bunch of pictures" costume.

He looks great, doesn't he!

 

That's about it for us - this is as festive as we get.

Tom just took Winston out to get some treats.  In our house, all Halloween candy is community property.  We anxiously await what the little Creeper will be bringing home to us.

 

OooOoOooh, Happy Hollow-een!

Ramblings...

Here's just a little bit of rambling of the past couple of weeks.  Over Tom's birthday weekend we got to enjoy the company of his three brothers, Marcia and niece & nephew: Ani & Jack.  It was a hoot having the Moore Brothers back together in one house again.

Some things never change.

Trenton & Uncle Paul

Winston & Jack having a plumb war

Rachael and Ani

 

The only drawback to the weekend was that Tom had to go in to work at midnight on his birthday and work for about 4 hours because of a shutdown on campus.  Boo!  But after a couple hours of sleep, he was back in the party again.  Between golfing, playing dominoes & Catan, watching the Coug/Duck game and eating - it was a great weekend.

 

The whole gang - minus Rachael.  She was taking the picture.

 

Keaton was gone on a road trip to the west-side.  He attended a young-people's get-together there.  He said there were about 60 kids involved.  He had a great time, although had a couple of close calls in the way home, i.e.: almost hitting a deer and then getting pulled over by police - no ticket though, whew!

Rachael & Preston

 

What a beautiful Autumn we've had this year!

 

Usually the trees barely get color on them and we get a windstorm that blows them all off before we can really enjoy them.  This year we've been blessed with lots of color that has lasted quite a while.  Our yard is absolutely beautiful this year.  As always, the picture doesn't do it justice.  The only thing missing is our dear deer Hope.  We're pretty sure she was bagged over hunting week.  The boys heard a shot close to the house - then Tom found evidence of a small deer shot and dressed near our trail.  We're sad, but knew it could come to that.  We're just glad for the time we got to have her around.

Last weekend, Tom knocked another hole in the wall.

 

The new slider got put in.  It should keep us warmer this winter.  The only drawback to the whole construction was the blue-bugs were flying around (They always hatch and fly this time of year) and some found their way into the house via this enormous portal.  Thank goodness they only last a couple of days!

Daisy and Coco supervise the construction.

On Friday we sent Trenton off to one of the more important football games for our high school.  He was ready to play again - after having to take a break for a sore shoulder (Dr's orders).  We settled down in the living room to listen to the game on the radio, but there was no game.  Evidently the officials never ordered refs for the game, so it was postponed.  So a two-hour bus ride back home for some disappointed football players.  They will have to make up the game in a couple of weeks.  So not fair for these kids who not only have to keep conditioned and spirits up for the game, but also have to keep up with school too.  This Friday is Senior night for our team, and Trenton will be starting in that game.  We're looking forward to having Mark and Marcia back here for that.

 On Saturday the kids carved pumpkins - well, except for Keaton and Trenton, who were out in the barn (aka Man Cave) playing games with their friends. 

Preston, Rachael & Winston - the happy carvers!

We also baked & decorated sugar cookies and dipped carmel apples.

The finished products!

Tom had to throw a 'Mr. Buff' in there too.

The happy vampire is Winston's.

Rachael made the one with the paw and stars.

Preston made the dragon.

Ohhh, the goodies!

 

It was another fun weekend.  We're looking forward to the next one for many reasons.  Among them are the visit from Mark and Marcia, but we'll also be enjoying a visit from our workers and good friends Karen & Kirsten.  We'll get to watch a hometown football game and...

....ready for it?....

...the TIME CHANGE!  Yay!

Finally!

I'm so ready for it.

Run Bambi, Run!!!

It's hunting season again.
We haven't seen Hope the past couple of days.
We may have lost our Hope.

Tom's punching holes in our walls again.
The man just can't leave things alone.
Supposedly this will keep the house warmer.
Hmmmmmm....

I've been juggling computer lab and library at work.
Some days the 3rd graders drive me crazy.
Recess has been a bit of a zoo too.
Somebody save me!

Preston gets to watch the football field on Halloween Eve.
Yay.
Then he gets to take two exams the next day.
Double yay!

Keaton was asked to do a cartoon for the 'life' section.
He accepted the job.
They didn't tell him it was for a sex column.
Eeek!

Trenton has been getting a lot of playtime in football.
We rooted him on at Homecoming.
He invited his friends over for dinner on Saturday.
We had hamburgers.

Winston wants to be a 'popler' kid.
That's how he spells it.
I think he means 'popular'.
I think he'll find it's not all it's cracked up to be.

Sorry this post is so cryptic.
Time's short - too much to do.
Just a bit of what's up...
...in a nutshell.

Does this qualify as a Haiku?

nonewsisgoodnews

You haven't heard from me in a while.

So there is no bad news to report.

We've been pretty busy, getting the school year kicked off.  I was hired back at the school, this year helping with the computer lab and library for the K-4th grades.  It's been a new experience, teaching first graders how to log on to a computer.  I've also learned how to check out/in books using the library computer - which isn't hard in itself, only when I have to keep about 25 kindergardeners under control as I do it (all by myself).  It's been a challenge.  I'm also doing at least an hours worth of recess duty throughout the day.  Yes, I come home and pretty much de-compress for about an hour.  A cold diet Pepsi has become my medicine of choice.

 

Tom has been trying to keep up with the garden and yard.  The weather hasn't exactly been cooperating with him.  We've had a bit of rain and wind, which has brought in the cooler temperatures.  We've been slowly trying to harvest what we can from our garden before it freezes.  Here's some of our bounty...

Peppers!

I roasted these babies up with some garlic and then preserved them in olive oil.  They're pretty spicy!

Today we harvested this gigantic acorn squash.  I'm the only one that eats these things.  I hope I'm hungry when this one gets cooked.  Winston looks so jolly holding that squash.  He's probably thinking "I hope she's not feeding this to me."

 

Preston started his senior year at WSU.  So far he's been doing well, going to classes and labs and doing a bit of work for the athletic department.  He had to do some overnight security a couple of weeks ago that got interesting.  Let's just say some college boys (probably frat bros) made off with one of the Coug flags before Preston could stop them.  Crazy college kids - stealing stuff.  That's the first time that's happened on Preston's watch.

 

Keaton has been taking some 'fun' classes and 'interesting' classes.  One of his classes was 'Ultimate Frisbee'.  He also signed up for a class thinking it was a marketing class for design.  It ended up being a fashion class.  So he's one of just a few guys in a class FULL of girls.  I told him maybe fashion is where it's at.  He is also making more political cartoons for the Daily Evergreen newspaper.  He does at least one, sometimes two, a week.  This is his latest one, and one of my favorites...

It was for an article about smart phones.

 

Our nephew Trenton has been staying with us, and is attending our high school with the plan to graduate here.  He has joined the varsity football team, and after a little bit of paperwork and craziness (a-hem... we had to prove he wasn't being recruited) he is finally getting to play in some games.  This Friday will be the first home game he will get to play in.  We are looking forward to rooting him on!  He's been doing great, and we've really enjoyed having him around here.

 

Winston is plugging along in school.  He's a big fifth grader now.  He's grown out of all of his clothes.  We had to make a special trip to the store to restock his wardrobe.  He wears the same size shoe as I do now.  He's still drawing lots and lots of pictures of everything from houses to boats.  Right now he's really interested in the 'tiny house' movement - probably because his Mom is interested in it too.  We like to look at tiny houses on the internet together.  Here is his newest school picture...

Such a handsome fella.

A couple of weekends ago Tom, Winston and I took a trip to Bend to visit Tom's Grandmother & Grandfather Cribbins.  It was Grandfather's 88th birthday.  We hadn't been to see them in a couple of years, so it was quite overdue.  It was really great to get to see the Cribbin's clan again and enjoyed a wonderful birthday dinner at Tom's Aunt Cheryl's home.  While we were there we stayed at a hotel that had a swimming pool - Winston loved that!  Then later that evening we got a call from the front desk telling us that a car had backed into our car in the parking lot.  The rear-passenger door and quarterpanel got a bit dented in.  Unfortunately the party who did it was on their honeymoon, and was quite upset about it.  I kind of felt sorry that it happened - partially because now we have a dent in the side of our car.

Other than that, we've just been watching the wheat harvest come to an end and the leaves turn colors.  There's been lots of things that I haven't posted about yet - just haven't had the time.  Maybe in the next week or so I will get some more blogging done.  Here's one of my favorite things from this week...

I had Preston take this picture of Daisy and Jellybean, just chillin' out together, watching the back yard on an autumn afternoon.

The Leprechaun did it!

 

Today when I was at work, doing recess duty on the playground, I noticed that Winston's zipper on his pants was undone.  I walked over and told him to 'zip up his zipper'.  Then later when he came home I noticed it was undone again.  I told him he needed to make sure he got his pants zipped up after using the bathroom.  He said "What if a Leprechaun did it?"

 

What does a mother say to that?

Moore's Hawaiian Adventure: Pt. 12 - ALO......HA!

This is the last of our hawaiian adventure pictures.

 

There's a little out-of-the-way sight to go see on Kauai called the Queen's Bath.  It's a beautiful spot, but you have to hike down to it - and it's quite a little hike.

 

The boys going down the trail to the Queen's Bath.

Preston next to the waterfall along the trail.

Tom, at the base of the waterfall.

The pool that is called the Queen's Bath.

 

We were there at the right time of year for these guys to get in it.  Sometimes the waves break over the sides so violently that many people have been drown or swept out to sea from this area.  When we were there the waves were pretty gentle.

Thumbs Up!

One thing that Marcia really wanted to do while in Hawaii was to go to a Luau.  Tom and I had been to the Smith Family Luau the last time we were there, so we thought we'd try a different one.  This one was held at the old Kilihana Plantation.  It was pretty good, but not quite as fun as the Smith Family Luau.  One thing we liked amout the Smith one, they had a great big garden area with lots of things to walk around and look at - plant life and water life, etc.  The Kilihana one had vendors selling things that you walked around before the luau.  The music was excellent, though.  And the dancing show was nice - although not quite as exciting as the erupting volcano at the Smith Family one.

Walking into the luau we got to watch a drum exhibition.

In the luau enclosure.  It was a big venue!

Marcia, Keaton and I

Red-faced Tom and I.

Some hula dancers.

Some male hula dancers.

The show they put on told the history of the Polynesian people when they first came to Hawaii.

Keaton and a Wahine!

One place Tom really wanted to take the boys to see was the blow-holes at Shipwreck beach.  So after their catamaran ride, we snapped them up and took off while everyone else went back to Poipu Beach to play.

Keaton, Winston & Preston.

The waves at Shipwreck Beach are HUGE!

One of the blow-holes.  The waves go into the underground caves and spray up through the rocks.  In some spots you just see the sand moving.  It's really kind of cool to see.  I think the boys liked it, even though they were pretty tired by this point.

The meat grinder.

This is where some of the turbulent waves come through a canyon carved out in the rocks.  Wouldn't want to fall in there!

Sea spray against the black rocks.

 

Well, that does it for our adventure.  I might post some pictures at a later time of some of the flowers and cool plants we saw while we were there.  Until next time....

 

ALO........HA!