Halloween 2021 -- Monkeys who pop Bloons

 For Halloween this year we talked a lot but Theo finally decided that he wanted us all to be monkeys from his video game. The goal of the game is to upgrade to special monkeys to better pop the "bloons" (balloons) and win.

We are still in lockdown mode and Halloween was small. Jay did basically all the costumes, except I helped fix the bobbin twice on the sewing machine. 

Jay -- Alchemist Monkey

Julie -- Wizard Monkey

Theo -- Sun God Monkey

Wendy -- Monkey Buccaneer

Miri -- Engineer Monkey

Little Foot -- red bloon

Our pictures weren't great, but the important part is that Theo had fun.

The best picture we got together and Jay somehow wasn't even in it! Timer fail.
It's hard to social distance.

Many people asked if he was the Statue of Liberty. He was like, "No, see my tail? I'm a monkey!"

Jay bought a fluffy bathrobe and then used the fabric to sew the monkey costume for Theo. I'm very impressed. Theo wore the costume again just today after he was all cold from swimming in our outside neighborhood pool.

The girls and their hats, although in this case they were wearing each other's hats. Wendy is currently in the yellow and Miri in the pirate one

Wendy

Wendy. Her ears are on a headband

Miri. She loves the headband

We did not get a picture of Jay in costume. Rats.

He came out in costume and told Miri that he was a monkey. Miri looked at him and said, "Doggie."

Jay explained, "I'm a monkey."

I asked, "Did she say 'doggie,' or 'Daddy'?"

Miri said helpfully, with conviction, "Woof."

The javelina ate Jay's jack-o'-lantern. Sad

I had a second, very easy costume. I was a Harry Potter wizard, possibly Hermione or Susan Bones.
I listen to a Podcast called The Potter Virgin and they had an online costume sharing party. I considered posting a picture of myself as a monkey wizard and claiming to be an animagus (wizard who turns into an animal), and even considered claiming some random student was an animagus, but I decided against it.
The point of the podcast is that a woman is reading HP (so she's the Potter Virgin) for the first time and talking it over with a Potter Expert. They are in the middle of the 3rd book and I didn't want to make animagus jokes because animagus is an important plot point. I don't want to spoil anything.

Wendy immediately turned the raspberries into finger hats. Miri focused on eating hers.

Julie Theo Jay
Wendy Miri
The girls painted theirs with paint made from flour, water, and food coloring

The scary Halloween story:

I can't say I'm normally scared on Halloween. This year we decided to take everyone around our neighborhood. The girls were only in the stroller, those of us old enough wore masks, and we kept the stroller 10 feet away from the doors when they opened. It was all good until Jay and Theo cut across the playground and I went around with the stroller to avoid stairs. 

As soon as they were out of sight, there was a bad smell and the bushes started rustling. While I'm normally not afraid of javelina (I keep back and what-not) I had 2 babies in the stroller. I couldn't just pick them both up easily if needed. I wished my husband were right there. I turned on my cell flashlight and I carefully walked in the deserted street away from the bushes. The javelina didn't come out. Later when we were all together we saw them again and Jay went ahead and made sure we were fine. Then we got to our house and our neighbors were there. They said we couldn't go home -- a javelina was at our front door eating a pumpkin. It was Jay's. We got in the garage and closed the door behind us to keep the kids safe.

They were sharing a chair and I gave them a pear. They loved it.

Miri
They have learned to climb up the ladders to go down the slide by themselves

Wendy

Going down headfirst. It was Miri's idea but they both did it. 

I got this chair wet to clean the yogurt off. Then I put some dish soap on it but then ran off to rescue Wendy from her trouble. I got back to find Miri sitting in the water and soap, proud of herself for finding a chair.

Miri loves all the cuddle things

Miri loves to lie back on that big red ball

Wendy and Miri

Playing with a ball toy hand me down from Jenna.
Also, it's hard to get toothbrushes out of the track.

Wendy

Book!
There were sad that there were no animal pictures -- or any at all -- inside.

Jay's birthday cake! Theo helped design it.

School award

Theo got an award at his school for good grades. A few days later he was sent home with a slushy for it too. He told me he wasn't sure why he got it -- only 4 kids from his class got one -- so I explained. He told me, "Oh, good, because the other day the only award they gave me was a piece of paper." I guess for Theo recognition doesn't go as far as a slushy.

Sandwich words

A few weeks ago, Miri was in her high chair while I made her lunch (Wendy was still playing).

Miri impressed me with her words.

"Ham! Ham!"

"Cheese!"

"Dip!!!" She yelled at I added mayonnaise. They think it's like Ranch. They are both very into Ranch and will yell "dip" and pantomime dipping things.

"Diggle!" she said when I added pickles. I didn't know she had a word for, "pickle." Apparently she does. I think "diggle" is the cutest word for "pickle" ever.

I got Wendy and they both ate, but Miri picked her sandwich apart and ate all the things she had named but left the bread. Bread apparently can't compete with all those delicious things on it.

Sign

Theo asked about a sign that he read:

Slow

Children

Playing

He asked what that meant. After I explained he said he wasn't sure if it was telling cars to go slow or if it was telling kids to play slow. I guess Theo needs to design signs that are worded more clearly.