An "A" Kind of Day!

BIG big day around the Lee-Bishop house!! Nikolas got his first "A" time!! NO big surprise that it was in backstroke. The 50y back, to be specific. He was ELATED! He burst through the front door, came booking up the stairs to share his exciting news with me. Wearing, of course, his "A" jacket. With his named embroidered on it. Of course! He killed his PB and almost got an AA time! Crazy kid. His previous PB was a 39.40, today's time was a 36.71. He needed a 36.49 for an AA. When he chooses to do something, he REALLY does it! Way to go Budz! I'm SO proud of you!!

While our boys were at the pool Mizzy Moo and I went to church and began working on our Halloween projects. We picked up some embellishments for her witches hat.

We were the Purplicious girls today. She in purple from head to toe and I with bits and bobs. Didn't have time to dye the white in my hair, sorry Michael! I saw this cute picture on Pinterest and copied it. Would be fun to do on a yearly basis to see how we both change.

And while she was decked out in her purple and light was nice under the autumn leaves, we took a stroll around the corner for a photo op. She still hates being in front of the camera. My camera in particular. But she did kind of play along. I got a few good shots out of the time frolicking amongst the leaves and trees.

After lunch we set about more Halloween preparations!! Dad and Mia headed out to pick up our weekly rations from Costco while Nikolas and I hung the ghost, spread the spider webs and other spooky apparitions. And then it was pumpkin carving time! Nikolas had his heart set on the death star so the instructions were all printed out and off we went. It only took about 4 hours. 4 hours of me on the stool, carving, scraping, measuring and carefully transforming my round orange pumpkin into a work of art. Nikolas sat beside me and read out instructions as each step needed revealing. His main task was gutting and de-gutting the pumpkin as the thick walls were thinned out. He made critical decisions as to where things would go; he was the director of operations! Dad and Mia were the creators of some Angry Birds! She had the task of pull carved pieces out of the pumpkin and transporting them to the refuse bowl.

We went outside and posed with our pumpkins before settling into a well earned dinner of chili, homemade by Dad!

Stinky Halloweenie! Dad is smiling because he tooted... We're reacting to his foulness!

After dinner, as it darkened, you got the real effect. Mia's first angry bird, the 2nd from the left, has a flashing strobe light in to add to the "anger".