The Pollard Place: October 2021

October arrived, and with it lots of beautiful fall leaves! We did a little trip up to Big Springs Park up Provo Canyon and played in the leaves and spent some time outside with the kids. Henry and Della made a giant leaf pile and loved getting buried in the leaves. They also loved throwing leaves in the creek. I love fall weather!

While the weather was still nice we decided to do a campout in the backyard! The kids had their own tent and then Rusty, Amelia and I slept in the other one. Lia hated it and didn't sleep well so I came in with her in the middle of the night, but the kids had a blast! It sure helped us get caught up on some outside hours too for the 1,000 Hour Project.

We have tried to be a little more in routines this month, and have been going to Story time more regularly. Cruella DeVil came and told her story once and it was hilarious!

Provo Library did the coolest activity called the Superhero Academy. The kids all dressed up like superheroes and then they had little activities for the kids to do to help them learn how to be better superheroes. They even did a little play about a problem and totally included the kids in it. Henry and Della were in heaven, and it was really awesome to have some time without the baby too.

Accuracy Training

Engineering Training

Obstacle Course

Memory Training

One afternoon we met my parents up at Farmington Station and got some dinner at a yummy Greek place, and then walked around the mall. They had a fun fountain and playground area, and the best part was that they had a Monster Scavenger Hunt around the mall! The kids loved hunting for them and crossing them off their list.

The kids went to a creative dance class at the library that was all based on the characters of Alice In Wonderland. Henry and Della enjoyed the class, and Amelia crawled around a little bit but mostly stayed right by me and looked suspicious of everything like normal.

We got a babysitter to go to a BYU game, but before Rusty surprised me and took me to The Grid to try out the go-carts. It was hilarious and he lapped me twice haha, so I definitely have some work to do. Then we went to Mo Bettah's and ate some lunch before the game!

Rusty's business partner Josh has season tickets to the BYU football games, and so do his parents. His parents weren't able to go one Saturday and he gave us the tickets! It was BYU-BSU and the tickets were on Row 5, which is the closest I've ever been! BYU has been undefeated so we were expecting a great game, but they did not show up at all and BSU won. It was still a really fun game!

We went to the Scarecrow Festival again! This has become one of my favorite traditions for the fall, and this year I feel like they had the best ones yet! Our favorites were Godzilla (Henry's), the Corpse Bride (Della's), and Ghostbusters (mine). There were also the Friends, Monsters University, Bernie, and more! We had great weather and we enjoyed our time there.

Right as we were finishing the weather got cold so we stopped over at the Museum of Curiosity because we haven't been there since before Covid. The older kids loved playing in the "Market" and climbing in the towers and Lia loved climbing up the slide.

Harry Potter Night. What a magical evening! Carolina, Alyson, Jessica and I, and our husbands all went to my mom's house. There was lots of delicious food and treats from the books, warm butter beer and a delicious butter beer cake. We also played games, like trivia, code names, and minute to win-it games. It was very fun and we all decided it would be an annual party.

I found out that the MOA at BYU does an activity for Preschool kids every month. We went this time with the Wildes and it was really fun! They learned about print making and sang some songs about a black cat, read a book, and then did an art project. AFterwards we went to the bookstore with the Wildes to let the kids go down the slide and the we got ice cream from the creamery. A great day!

The Red Sign Team did their annual event at Jaker's! We got in for free and each got to take a pumpkin home. Amelia loved the corn pit the most, Henry loved doing the straw maze and corn maze, and Adeline loved the slides. It had been raining earlier in the day so it was too muddy for the tractor rides, but it also meant that there were hardly any people and the weather was glorious!

Rusty's business partner hired a chef to come and teach us all how to make sushi. It was really fun and so delicious. I have enjoyed making sushi already anyways, but this taught me a few tricks on how to make it look legit.

Cornbelly's! I love this place and so do the kids. As soon as we leave they ask when we can go back right away. We went once and it costs so much money that we were going to have to only go once, but the bounce back passes are so cheap it worked great! When we came back the second time we got rained out so we got a raincheck and got to go a third time! Best ever! One time Rusty came with us, and another time Rusty came. We did all the things and had a great time!

We started a lot of house projects this month, including painting our family room and getting new couches! Now that we have downstairs we can use all of that space, but we never have had anywhere to sit down there so it has basically gone to waste. We spent a lot of time planning and picking everything out (okay that was all me) and then finally got started! It isn't finaed all the way yet, but I'm really excited with how it's going! The couches were supposed to be charcoal but when they came it was a light blue/gray. At first I was stressed but now I really love them!

Our friends threw a Pumpkin Party and it was so fun! We went to their neighborhood clubhouse and the kids painted pumpkins and we ate yummy food and talked. The kids helped me make meregue bones and ghosts to take with us. The kids got stickers and put them all over my face haha.

One day we went over to the church and played in the leaves. It was kind of wet and cold so Amelia didn't love it haha, but the kids thought it was super fun!

We had our annual pumpkin carving party at Jessica's House. There was lots of yummy food and I carved a pumpkin for Amelia to sit in, but it was a disaster. Haha. She hated it so much and screamed the entire time. Yikes.

But we used the pumpkin in a different way and Henry and Papa used it as a helmet and hair hahaha.

Henry carved the top by himself and then drew the face that he wanted us to carve for him. I love his pumpkin!

Have I mentioned recently how much I love the University Place Mall? Rusty and I are talking about moving to a different area, and the mall is legitimately one of the reasons I want to stay here. This month they did a Villains Night where they had villains come and give out candy to kids. I took the older kids because it was cold, so Amelia had to stay home with Rusty. So when I saw that they had a villain that was Jafar, I went back home to get Amelia and had Henry change into his Aladdin costume. Henry's favorite was Darth Vader, and Della's were the mean step sisters from Cinderella. My personal favorite was Cruella because she was hilarious.

For Beckie's birthday Rusty and I went to the temple and did sealings there and it was really lovely. Afterwards we met Jessica and Aaron at Maria Bonita's for dinner. It was great to go out with them, it was our first time going on a double date with them! We always have kids with us haha. Jessica and I ordered a lemonade and they came out GIANT and so delicious. It made me feel like I was at the beach.

We had a little party where we played games, ate snacks, and did a costume parade at the church. It was so fun! I invited a few friends and their kids and we had a great time.

Halloween finally came! This year it was on a Sunday and because we live in Utah that means that we did everything on Saturday haha. Saturday the Orem Mall did the "Touch a Truck" event that got rained out earlier this month, but they did a Truck or Treat so the kids dressed up in their costumes and got candy from each truck. The kids had a blast! We did our family costume for this part and it was hilarious. Rusty's hat is my favorite thing and seeing Amelia cheesing in the Abu costume was a real hit. Della was so happy to be Jasmine.

Afterwards we went home and relaxed until it was time to go trick or treating! For dinner we had spooky eyeball meatballs and bone breadsticks. Then we were outside trying to take a picture when our friends came by to trick or treat. We ended up catching up with them and sticking with them the whole night! It was really fun and the kids couldn't stop giggling. Henry changed to become Captain America and Della became a doctor.

Henry's Highlights:

I asked him to tell me a healthy meal that he wanted to eat that week while I was meal planning and he said "Pumpkin pie... and whatever vegetables go with it" HA
Henry was recognized at school for being respectful!

I got to go and help in his classroom for their Halloween party!
He got a tardy because he went and ate breakfast in the cafeteria AFTER HE HAD ALREADY EATEN BREAKFAST AT HOME. He wanted to see what they were eating and he said it looked yummy haha.
Henry has been working on the monkey bars since school started. By the end of October he could go to the end and back and then start again! He is so proud of himself and we are too

Adeline's Adventures:

She incessantly asks for makeup, especially lipstick
Loves to pretend she's a waitress and take our orders
Her favorite show right now is Elena of Avalor

Amelia's Updates:

When you pick her up after bedtime or a nap she grabs her blanket and carries it with her
She has become the biggest snuggler and will nestle her head right into your shoulder and I'm here for it
Cruises around on furniture really good now
If you tell her, Say cheese" she makes the best scrunchy smiling face

Extra Pictures:

Gym friends

There was a contest at school to draw a picture of how you would change the world. Henry drew a picture of him being a police officer.

Just me sobbing going through baby boy clothes to give away

Rusty and his many snacks

Captain AMelia

Reading books and doing preschool

Monkey and bear toasts

A fish toast

Amelia wanted to hold hands while she ate

Adeline's shoes she chose haha

A fall breakfast

I wanted the Edgar Allan Poe stories but the library gave me a weird Japanese animation one

Playing on the trampoline

Amelia up all night teething

HAHAHAHA hopefully she doesn't hate me for this later

Dance party in Dad's office

Amelia is getting into everything right now! She is out of control and it is both hilarious and annoying. She does this cheesey smile when I catch her.