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We spent Halloween weekend with friends on the Oregon Coast. These pictures were taken the day after Halloween. November 1st on the Oregon Coast NEVER EVER looks like this. See our jackets off of our bodies? There was this fiery ball of light in the sky that usually goes away for about 9 months or so and it was there! The sky was bright blue. We even found a ladybug. Dare I say, it was perfect.

Games People Play

The kids have discovered the joy, or is it the addiction, that is Monopoly. I think, more importantly, they've discovered an adult game they can kinda sorta play. Playing Monopoly with them is not unlike playing with anyone else: it takes forever, half the people don't know what the hell they are doing and the things they say are rather ridiculous. And not unlike most games played in my family, somebody usually ends up crying.

A Family History of Gaming
My family will play a lot of board games when we're together. I think it's the combination of evil aggressive competitiveness and a desire to unleash that streak on relatives. Or as we like to call it: LOVE. As far back as I can remember, family reunions and holidays spent with family meant at least a game or two. Unfortunately it's never the game I want to play. I've made no secret of my gigantic geeky love of Scrabble but it seems the powers that be (that would be everyone else) won't play Scrabble because of their big losing streaks that lead them to challenge words they are fully aware exist and I have to defend them against an angry mob with their blazing torches and biting sarcasm. It gets ugly as family togetherness often does. The new obsession of family togetherness is Risk. You remember this joyful game of world domination. It's the monkey on Cody's back. He's currently seeking a 12 step program but is having trouble with the first part about admitting you have a problem. Most of last Christmas was spent in marathon Risk games that would have torn weaker families apart. The worst part is not the game, but the trash talking that stays long after the game has ended. This is a great present. . . .especially coming from someone who actually thinks they could take Yakutsk from Irkustk and have anywhere left to go. The game of world domination does not equal Happy Holidays and it usually leaves me wishing I lived somewhere in Kamchatka.

Change
So the kids played Monopoly by themselves for over two hours on Wednesday. I occasionally had to settle a dispute because Flannie can't read or figure out money (which you would think would make the game somewhat impossible but she usually wins) so she just automatically assumes if she gives Emerson money, he should give her change and if he doesn't, he gets hit. Change, as we know it, means nothing to her. You hand someone money and they hand you money back, SWEET! When a rent is $20 and Flannie gives you a $20, you better believe she's waiting for change. She's going to make a very effective mobster one day. And a very fancy one. Actually her real future may be in real estate. Each rent she collected was followed by her tagline, "that's cheap" because she was cutting us such an unbelievable deal. When I told her she makes an awesome slumlord, she replied, "THE BEST EVER!" But when she had to pay rent to me and no change was forthcoming, we had the following exchange:
Me: You owe me $20
Flannie: Here's $20. . . .What's my change?
M: You don't get any.
F: 4?
M: No
F: 3?
M: No
F: 2?
M: No
F:1?
M: No
F: 0?
M: Exactly.
Change, at least in Flannie's mind, is always good.

Hi, Dad! I'm in Jail!
The first game did upset Emerson since he was losing in such a fantastic way. He did two stints in the pokey while Flannie and I gobbled up properties left and right. When it came time to pay rent, he had no income. And LET THAT BE A LESSON TO YOU, BOY! Unfortunately jail did not harden him like it does to some people so when he landed on my utilities and I owned them all, he decided he'd had enough and quit. But I talked him off the ledge by explaining that most games are about chance and luck. I have really bad games and I have really good games. It all depends. And Monopoly is one of those because you have to land on the right property at the right time. It's basically a game where everyone gets a chance to really suck at it. This was his chance. He could not stay out of jail to save his life. And he never had money. I was hoping it was instilling a life lesson until I caught him trying to cheat to get the Free Parking money! Apparently his unfortunate incarceration has doomed him to a life of crime. Eventually I told him that when I play and it gets so bad, I have to just laugh. And I laughed. He didn't. Ex-cons have no sense of humor.

Gorgeous Gourds

Wanted to share these pictures of all the beautiful pumpkins and such at the farm the other day. It may have been colder than cold but it was very beautiful.

Also thought I'd share this since today with everyone at home, 8 loads of laundry, two years of pictures to download, one apron to sew and the constant peep of the ever growing chicks kind of drove me out of my gourd. It's all relative.

Pumpkins, Piggies and Possible Pneumonia

Brrrrrrrr. Flannery's school trip to the pumpkin patch just happened to be on the coldest day we've had yet. Cold, dark and rainy. Flannery, decked out in an outfit I can only describe as Rainbow Brite goes street, enjoyed every frozen minute of it. She loved the cold as ice barn where the farmer showed the class all the different kinds of pumpkins they grew. She liked the icy water pump racing track. She even liked the frigid hayride. However, she didn't quite like the pumpkin patch itself since the pumpkins were dirty! But we lasted until lunch time. Or at least I did. When I couldn't feel any of my toes, I made the kids an offer they couldn't refuse: eating lunch in the car! I'm a trooper but I'm also somewhat attached to my toes. We hurried back to warmth but not before I took a ton of pictures. I do love a good farm and this one had baby pigs. They were so perfectly porcine that I couldn't stop snapping up pictures. And I tried to figure out where I could put them in my backyard. I think the chickens need a friend.

Despite the freezing rain and chill to the bone wind, we did have a good time especially the drive back.

Top of the List

Tuesday was too busy to blog so I'm making up for it by squeezing it in on Thursday. Here are the things topping my list this week.

1. Magazine day. I just love the day when new magazines come and I can put down whatever piece of literature I'm reading for some magazine readin'. Oooooh, that's a good day. And even better when TWO come in one week. That's a good week. What magazines are worth checking out? Ideas?

2. Apples. Made mini apple pies this weekend. Tasty. The apples here are so good. I'm loving Honeycrisp and Fujis. Can't get enough. Had apple pie oatmeal for breakfast yesterday. Now that's the way to start the day. And a delicious apple crisp with ice cream last week. Any good apple recipes out there?

3. The fall leaves. Portland trees look like they were set on fire lately. The reds, yellows and orange are so bright they make up for the darker mornings and the early evenings. Autumn is my favorite season and I'm so lucky to live here to really experience it.

4. Potatoes. Another food I've been cooking and eating a lot lately. Have a whole bag here that I'm making into some Potato Corn Chowder this weekend. Potato lovers? Turns out the potato is a mood elevater.

5. The return of 30 Rock. I love this show and gets funnier every year. Tina Fey, you're my hero!

Flannery's Debut

The other night Flannery had her first show as a Chinese Immersion student. She sang a couple of songs for a fundraiser for her school. She really dug on this hairstyle. She and her friend looked awesome and they sang their little hearts out.

Costumes, parte dos

More Halloween fun in the form of the school's Harvest Party. This time Emerson was Obi-Wan Kenobi and I think he looks pretty good considering his costume is made from a bath robe, a curtain and some medical scrubs! Flannie is still a Fancy Witch because the Earth is still spinning. Her fanciness just can't be contained. I'm a Fancy Bee. Actually I'm dressed up like Flannie.