Happy Birthday to Aunt Erin! Happy Veteran’s Day, with a big thank you to all of our loved ones who have served.

We have a holiday-mashup post today. We have been a little too busy and we never got around to carving pumpkins for Halloween. We waited until Veteran’s Day to carve our Halloween pumpkin to look like a turkey for Thanksgiving.

Trevor drew his own Jack-o-Lantern face

We made the best turkey we could 🙂

The boys painted it in pretty fall colors

Today, Trevor had his first belt/rank test. The dojo was super full!

Trevor is waiting his turn

Demonstrating his kata as he went through each test station

The face. I watched this video 20 times. He was so super excited!

He got to take home that very first board that he broke and he is still amazed that he did it.

He got his yellow/white belt! We are all proud of him. He spent 30 minutes practicing with me the night before, and I could tell he was really nervous.

Catching up on the week again…

I won’t talk about the presidential election.

Trevor is really enjoying his martial arts classes, aka “ninja school”. He goes twice a week.

They are playing “Shark in the water” and trying to avoid getting whacked with a pool noodle

This is a video of the school creed that they recite every class. I love how Trevor’s voice stands out.

The building with the dojo is a small strip that has a dry cleaner and this next to it. The sign says an ice cream shop is coming soon!

Wednesday, we spent the morning at the Science Center because they are having a special exhibit called “Aliens and Androids”. In the lobby, we were greeted by Gort from “The Day the Earth Stood Still” and Robby the Robot from “Forbidden Planet”.

We pulled every blue foam block out of the bins and made a giant fortress. (“with laser canons” says Trevor)

Knocking it down so other kids can build

In the special exhibit, the boys got to meet a life-sized Iron Man.

Terminator

R2-D2

C-3PO

The Alien

There were building blocks

A cool movie about Curiosity and Mars

Robots to control

Giant crab!

Space!

Catching virtual rain with his shadow

Bubbles

Their favorite water games called “Spheres and Gears”

This thing usually makes a perfect globe of water that doesn’t even look like it is moving. But it was windy that day!

After a seriously busy week, sometimes you have to just soak it all away

Tonight we have to say goodbye to my great-aunt Lillian. She was 96 years old. It is truly hard to imagine just how much the world has changed in 96 years and what she experienced. I have a lot of respect and admiration for her stubborn will and independence. Her mind was sharp right to the end. She lived at home until these last three weeks in the hospital. She will be missed. Rest in peace, Lillian.

I do have some fun pictures to share. We spent the Sunday before Halloween at the “A-scare-ium”. There were trick-or-treat stations all throughout the place. The boys were not really in to costumes and all of the spooky stuff. They like the aquarium though.

There is a giant chalkboard wall and Trevor loves to color on it.

All my henchmen…

Trevor is too busy eating a lollipop to smile

Monday, at the last minute, the boys decided to put on last year’s costumes and go trick-or-treating. We went down our whole street and back, hit about 25 houses. The candy excitement was huge, so I think they will want to do it better next year.

Today, Bill had a day off of work, just for no reason other than to spend some time with the family. We went… back to the aquarium. We are lifetime members!

Since the place just opened on Labor Day weekend, it has a lot of growing pains. The touch pool tank is having trouble and most of the creatures are off exhibit. If you are brave, you can touch these cold water anemones!

The boys would spend hours at this water table. You can move the plastic walls around and direct the flow to different mechanisms.

One of my favorite creatures

They have a few of them!

There are a couple of clownfish too

Today in the reef tunnel, divers were scrubbing the fake corals with small brushes.

The shark tank is so cool, but still cloudy

Gift shop

The pavilion has a big stage and a bunch of empty store fronts right now. More places open every week.

Weird warty pumpkins!

To finish the “Dad’s Day Off” fun day, Bill set up the tent in the backyard. He and the boys are having a little camping experience tonight! Overnight low is 60 degrees, so they should have a nice comfy night! We will see if they make it until the morning!