The Scottish Play

Molly had an opportunity to try out for the High School Spot Light Theatre production of the Scottish Play (we don't call it Macbeth or we will be cursed) this Fall.  At any rate, she got the part of Fleance (Banquo's son) and a messenger/attendant as well as an apparition.  Molly and two other friends from school took the transfer bus up to the High School for weeks, practicing blocking and lines.  It was a very dark play that was performed in the round with the audience on the stage.  The witches and the cast moved in and out amongst the audience.  It was fantastic!

Jordan as Macbeth and Molly as the Messenger.

Molly and Destinee

Anna, Emilie, Lauren, and Molly

Banquo and Fleance (Banq to the Quo and Lil' Fley Fley)

Adoring fans!

The Star! hehehee

I love this picture of Anna!

Molly as Fleance

Molly and Emilie

The middle school girls make the H.S. play!

Destinee, Meghan, and Molly

The cast.

Silly actors!

Pumpkin Guts and Phlegm

October has been a heck of a month!  It started out with Molly getting laryngitis a few weeks before her big Macbeth debut and then Timothy came down with Pneumonia. This was followed by Jack missing a week of school due to the Creeping Crud and then somehow we passed it through skype to Robbie in Boston. In fact, all four of my kids were on Zithromax in the same month. I should take stock in the company that makes that drug! So the excuse I am using for why Halloween is a bit nontraditional this year is because the Plague his hit our house big time!

Every year, for as long as I can remember, we have gone to Stokoe Farms in the Fall. However, this year, since at least one family member has been on the futon, coughing and feverish, and home from school, we just didn't get a chance to go. In fact I am ashamed to say I took the lamo way out and bought 5 pumpkins, all about the same size, from Wegmans.  Ugh.  I brought them home to my sick chickens to carve while they hacked up lungs and green phlegm and gasped for air and the fever broke to beads of sweat!!! Okay so it isn't that bad anymore, but still, it's really gross here!

In fact, in keeping with this year's nontraditional Halloween, Timmy even went to the local Monster Bash in street clothes (costume -schmostume).  For those of you that know just how many dozens of plastic totes of costumes we have in our attic, that is really unbelievable and basically sad!

Today, drugged up and raring to go, my kids were very excited about getting to the the task of cleaning out the guts and carving the faces on their store bought pumpkins. Like I do every year, I pulled out the zip lock bag of orange plastic handled mini pumpkin carving tools for little hands to safely carve their jack-o-lanterns.  However,  in keeping with our lamo-Halloween season which included not going to the pumpkin patch and not picking out their own pumpkins, the interesting twist to this years new way of doing Halloween the "non-traditional" way was the introduction of power tools!

Gotta love power tools!

Heavily medicated and using power tools... nice!

I am happy to report, none of my kids will be dressing up as dismembered zombies this year.  They all still have their limbs and all ten digits!

Using the traditional pumpkin tool to change the bit on the power tool.  Love it!

Timothy even carved his tiny little pumpkin he got from the bus driver. 

You do get perfect little circles when you use a drill, that's for sure.

Mucus? Snot? Phlegm? nah, just pumpkin guts!

You can't even tell he has a raging fever!

Someone tell that boy to cut away from himself!

Only 5 pumpkins this year =(   Boston has snow, they are onto Christmas!

Using the child safe tools!  I haven't slept in weeks and I like my fingers.

Yum!

Jack's!  He's been planning this on paper for weeks.

Molly's : p

Mommy's

The one Halloween decoration this year!  Oh well, there is always next year.

Ketchup

The stores are stocked with Christmas decorations and the Thanksgiving plates and napkins are on clearance in Wegmans.   There is hardly any Halloween candy left on the shelves and the leaves are rapidly piling up in my back yard..  I, however, am moving in slow motion.   In fact, I cannot even believe summer is over already.  I think I only went in the pool once this year...or did I even do that?  October is coming to an end and I am still stuck in September.    I need to get off the couch and quit watching soaps and eating bon bons and post some blogs.  People (Alex Yudelson) are beginning to lodge formal complaints. 

So I will attempt to update.  Not feeling very bloggish though, mostly sluggish... Fortunately I have a profile picture for that on FB... let me go change that, then I will throw some pictures on here and get you (Alex Yudelson) off  my back.

We dropped off Robbie to college and had a tough, but memorable, trip home.  Rob and his roommate Greg are having a great Freshman year.  In addition to some interesting and challenging classes, they are perfecting their tennis and ping pong games. 

First day of 8th grade for Mollz.  Basically this is "the year".  She is now the Big Cheese in her school as an 8th grader!  However, in an  interesting twist, Molly finds herself every afternoon at the High School with a part in the production of Macbeth.  So instead of being the confident upperclassman, she is the "little" middle school kid who is shy and awkward.  Ha!  Who am I kidding?  This girl is so comfortable in the High School she cannot wait until she goes there full time.  It's also interesting to note that as an 8th grader, it is no  longer important to decorate your locker.  In fact, you don't even have to hang out at your locker.  As the girl who rules the school I notice when I am in and out of there, Molly does an excellent job of strolling the halls... "it's about seeing and being seen". 

A good hair day/year.  Fifth grade for Jack and it's all about the hair (again) this year.  Fortunately he has found a hairdresser who "gets it"!  Jack is known for his fabulous hair and does a great job keeping the locks tamed with the nice balance of looking hip and cool but not freaking out Mom if she cannot see his eyes.  The P.E. teacher calls him "Beibs" after that heart throb they just made a new doll out of with matching hair.    Jack is taking a new instrument this year too, the tenor saxophone.  He is not just rockin' the looks, he's basically rockin' it all!

Tim started 5th grade this year.  A handsome boy, well liked by all the kids, Timmy loves to go to school.  His favorite subjects are Gym (we don't call it gym, Mom, it's called P.E.), lunch and recess.  All boy with a love of capture the flag, soccer, football, and goofing with the guys at lunch, Timothy is also a really great student and a kindhearted soul.

"Laripstickall" - the new and upcoming sport!

Some kids are naturally athletic.  I was always in awe of these kind of kids.  Now I am blessed to have four of them!  Each of my children play multiple sports which impresses the heck out of me. 

I am happy to foster this activity by buying the necessary equipment and driving them to and from practices and games. 

That being said, I'm not sure how thrilled I am with this "new sport" Tim is perfecting every afternoon while waiting to leave for football practice.


And I am certainly wondering why the boy doesn't have a helmet on or mouth guard in! 

Such a slacker mom!  Ugh.

Still, I am impressed by his skills...

Bahston (aka Boston) Whale Watch

 

A trip to Boston combine Boston College orientation and a family vacation.  Here Jack, Molly, Robbie, Tim, and Betsy waiting for the catamaran to take them on a whale watch.

 

A beautiful day to be on the water and enjoy Boston Harbor.

Jack, Chris and Timmy enjoy the boat ride out to where the whales are.

 

Molly was feeling a little motion sickness.  

Thar she blows!

We saw dozens of whales on this trip!  It was an adventure our family will always remember.