Happy Halloween!

After a very busy morning getting the kids dressed in costumes and out the door, Jono and I headed to Oakwood for the parade.  (Without Coleman for the first time, he had his own party at Rainbow Connection.)  After the parade, Jono and I helped in Bud's 4th  grade class. We made Witches' Brew!  The kids were so excited and very nice and polite.  I added a new ingredient just for the day; snail sludge.  (It was really leftover gravy and water.)  The kids loved smelling it.  They said, "ewww gross!", "that smells kind of good" or "it smells peppery". (Jono used an extra amount of pepper in the gravy last week.)  I chuckled at the funny comments.

After the class party, we rushed home to be there when Coleman got home.  He was munching on a popcorn ball from his party and he excitedly told us all about the fun things he did.  Later, the kids came home and we got ready for Halloween night.  Rosie was a country singer or a rodeo queen.  She asked me if she should be a rodeo princess or rodeo queen.  Of course I told her it's always best to be the queen!  Bud was a Utah football player, again; we've lost track it it's  his 4th or 5th year in a row.  Coleman repeated his costume from last year also and was a baseball player.  It's my favorite costume (it belonged to Jono) and I'm very glad it still fit him.

Gordon, Adam and Amanda came over for a Halloween dinner.  Then, Bud went trick-or-treating with his friends.  I can't believe he is old enough to do that!  He was only gone for 30 minutes because his favorite part of the night is answering the door.  He says he doesn't really like very many kinds of candy, so he'd rather give away the candy. The Oettlis had barely left, so Jono hadn't taken Rosie and Coleman trick-or-treating yet, but since Bud was home, we sent the three of them around our circle by themselves.  Wow--the parents didn't go out at all! Coleman was so excited and brought home a lot of candy for only going to a few houses.  Our neighbors were very generous to our cute kids.

Everyone's favorite part of the night was relaxing by the fire, watching sports and eating candy, lots of candy.  Coleman jumped up and ran to the door every time the doorbell rang.  He was exhausted by bedtime.  Jono lay down with him and when the doorbell rang, Coleman tried to open his eyes.  He  whispered the words, "I get it" but then fell back to sleep.  It was a very fun Halloween!

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Carving Pumpkins

Pumpkins carving at the Oettli home was very fun this year!  We have been so busy lately that we didn't carve until the night before Halloween.  Bud and Jono came up with a variation on their usual "U" pumpkin, a double "U".  It turned out awesome (with the help of a few toothpicks).  Jono is amazing!  Coleman requested a "scary jack 'o lantern" and Rosie wanted a "normal jack 'o lantern with teeth".  Jen F. choose her usual "J" pumpkin.  We were concentrating so much on carving that I completely forgot to save any seeds to cook and munch on later!

Doesn't the Utah pumpkin look great!  The only pumpkin that looked better was JD's rose pumpkin a few years ago.

Here's cute Jen and her cute "J" pumpkin.

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Our Halloween Party

Several years ago, two sisters started a great tradition in our family; a Halloween Party for all the cousins.  Marilyn and Carol spend countless hours planning, shopping, decorating and cooking for the party.  They wore elaborate costumes and made sure everything was perfect. Do you remember when Grammy Marilyn wore a long blonde wig and a black dress and was almost unrecognizable?  Bud was 6 years old and said, "I know who you are, Grandma.  I recognize you by your wrinkles!"  Do you remember the year that all the kid's food was orange? (mac & cheese, carrots, cheetos)  The year the party was at my house, Grammy CC called me often to make plans and spent 2 hours decorating my basement.  These two sister really know how to throw a party!

But, this year Grammy Marilyn is in Pittsburgh and Grammy CC is in Boise.  Thanks to Greg and Andrea for hosting the annual Segerstedt Cousin Halloween Party.  A great time was had by all.  Happy Halloween!

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The Original Bud

In last week's editorial page there was a mention of Jono's grandfather, Bud Brain.  When he was newly married, Bud took what little money he had and started a men's clothing store.  He called it Bud's Duds for Men.  He bought a few shirts and a few pairs of pants to start.  When those sold he bought more, and when those sold he bought more.  He slowly built his Sugarhouse store into a thriving business. Bud had impeccable taste and was know for his fine quality.  His hard-working wife Nell was the tailor.  It was the place to shop, back in the day.  If you ask any older-generation man from Salt Lake about Bud's Duds, they will smile and tell you they bought a suit from Bud.

The editorial, written by Don Busath, is lamenting the current state of Sugar House.  He writes;  "This is personal to me because of Sugarhouse Music Co., where I worked at high school age for Mickey Hart.  Bud's Duds is where I bought my first expensive sweater and Southeast Furniture was where my wife and I picked out our first couch."

I was very excited and proud to read about Bud's Dud's in the paper. Papa Bud was an important person in Jono's life.  He taught Jono how to fish, to love the University of Utah and he taught him about life.  Our son Bud is named after this amazing man.  We love and miss Papa Bud!  

This is a picture of two Buds, wearing red and off the watch the Runnin' Utes play football.  The year was 1998 and we sat in the new Scholarship Box in the newly remodeled Rice-Eccles Stadium, built in preparation for the 2002 Olymic Games.  Papa Bud was an avid Utah fan and never missed a home game.  Does that sound familiar?  Papa Bud passed away the following year.

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Go Red Sox!

It was a night of mixed emotions in the Oettli house.  Boston was getting drilled, but the Cougars were losing.  Of course Bud begged to stay up past his 8:30 bedtime; after all, it's not a school night.  We consented and let him watch until 9:00.  At 9:00, Bud still protested, but got into bed. He asked for updates.  I told him both games were blow-outs and he didn't need updates.  To humor him, I told him that if Boston or BYU won, I would wake him up.  At 10:14, Jono said, "Go wake up Bud, it's 8 to 7 for Boston."  It took a lot of shaking to wake up Bud, and I don't think he'll remember it in the morning, but he's going to smile when he reads the sports page!

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This Is the Place

We had such a wonderful, autumn afternoon at This Is the Place State Park; and Brother Brigham was right--it really was the place!  We started off riding the train around the park, the kids were excited to see all the fun activities and the Pioneer houses.  Next, we visited the church, the school and the petting farm.  Rosie loved touching the animals and the kids rode ponies.  Up the street, we played with pioneer toys in ZCMI and ate lunch on the balcony at the Huntsman Hotel.  

 

Around the corner, we got lost in a corn maze; until Buddy found the way out.  Then we stood in line for at least 30 minutes to ride another train.  This train went very fast and the kids loved it, especially Coleman.  It was definitely worth the wait.  We walked through a Haunted Woods, the kids were not impressed.  Bud dipped a wick into hot wax and made his own candle.  We finished the day with a wagon ride and some time on the playground.  It was very fun; a perfect way to spend time together on this long UEA weekend!

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9:00 PM

This is what 9:00 pm  has been looking like at the Oettli home. Coleman is snuggled up, fast asleep with his monkey.  Rosie is snuggled up, fast asleep with her monkey.  Jono and Bud are snuggled up, watching baseball playoffs!  Bud's bedtime is 8:30, but it's the playoffs, c'mon Mom.  Jono always says, "Just one more inning, it's almost over".  How can I argue with father and son bonding over America's game?  Go Red Sox!

We have had some interesting conversations with Bud about the commercials.  Bud asked me, "What's viagra?"  I told him to ask Dad.  He said that Dad didn't know.  I told him I would tell him when he's older.  Bud replied, "At least tell Dad, he's 40 years old!"

The next night Bud asked Jono about cialis.  "Dad would you prefer to use cialis everyday or just as needed?"  Jono answered that he wasn't sure, and what would Bud prefer.  Bud said, "I don't know, I don't even know what cialis is."  I think Jono needs to start TiVo-ing the games and fast forward the commercials.

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Coleman and the Computer

Coleman recently discovered how fun the computer can be.  He has been playing games from his favorite show, The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He can use the mouse and go from game to game.  In this picture he is wearing his school backpack and drinking apple juice from his coke sippy cup.  He is quite the character!

Today I called him "sweetie-pie" and he said to me, "I not pie, I Coleman.  Don't eat me!"  He has been refusing my kisses lately, and I love to kiss him.  I figured out that if I kiss him and he complains, then I say, "OK, I'll give the kiss back" and then I get to kiss him again.  He also doesn't like to hold my hand anymore.  I am so sad.

Coleman is learning many important things at school.  He told me that "Dad's a man", "Johnny Appleseed is coming" and that "school has germs".  I am really getting my money's worth at Rainbow Connection!

On the way home from one of Bud's flag football games, Coleman said that he wanted to play football also.  I told him he could.  He was so excited and thought that I meant right now.  He refused to get out of the car back home, he wanted to play in his football game.  He still asks me when his football game is.  Yesterday, he answered his own question, "My football game is on Friday", he said.

Yesterday, Coleman and I went to Costco and he had the best time.  He ate so many samples! His favorite was the spaghetti and I took him back for seconds.  He was covered in marinara sauce and noodles by the time we checked out.  The worker helping the checker took one look at Coleman and silently handed me a large handful of paper towels. Coleman loves to shop.  He calls Dan's Grocery Store "Dad's store" because he and Jono go there every Saturday.  I asked him what was my store and he told me Target.  He's a smarty-pants!

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Flag Football

Bud and his favorite (sort-of) cousins, the Ashby boys, are playing flag football.  They are so excited!  They all love sports and love being on a team together.  There are only 3 teams in the league made up of 4th, 5th and 6th graders, so we play the same teams over and over.  Our team is made up 4th graders, a 3rd grader and a 1st grader, but we are competitors!  

Bud is the quarterback and has connected with a receiver for some great passes and touchdowns.  He calls his own number, from time to time, and has run in some touchdowns. He has also had his share of interceptions, but he keeps trying.  The boys play the whole game and it is lots of fun.

(Just a little FYI about the uniforms:  the league is sponsored by the U of U and so the uniforms say Utah Utes all over them, even the flags are red.  The die-hard Cougar Ashbys were horrified!  Bud was happy as can be.)

Here are the boys getting ready to receive the kick-off!

Bud is calling the audible; ready, set, hike!

QB Bud looks to pass deep.

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Toilet Talk

Yesterday I stuck my hand in a toilet, not once, but twice.  The first time, I was in Bud's bathroom, emptying his garbage can (I've written about Bud's garbage can before).  As I lifted my head up, I bumped into the glass shelf over the toilet and knocked off two of Bud's Tiger Woods bobble-head figures.  They broke, of course, and a large piece of Tiger's black hat fell into the toilet.  I had no choice but to reach in and pull it out.  It lodged into a crevice and it took me at least a minute to retrieve it.  It was very unpleasant; the cleaning lady (me) was negligent last week and only cleaned the main level and I was upstairs.  Equally unpleasant was listening to Bud's unhappy rant when he discovered the broken bobble-heads.

Then, before bed, I found myself again sticking my hand in yet another toilet.  Coleman had stuffed a good portion of a toilet paper roll in the toilet and flushed.  It was clogged.  I reached in and pulled out a huge handful of paper; still clogged.  I reached in again and pulled out a gross and soggy handful; still clogged.  I could not believe that for the second time in one day I was reaching into a toilet.  I hope this never happens again.  Or, at least I hope the cleaning lady has been more diligent, the next time this happens.

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3 Little Stories

I have funny little stories to share about funny little kids.  Coleman and I were at The Store a couple days ago and we saw friends.  I chatted with the mom for a few minutes and Coleman and his 2 friends ran around laughing nearby.  Soon Coleman came back carry an extra large carton of 18 eggs yelling, "I got the eggs, mom!"  I grabbed the carton just before he dropped it, and peeked inside.  About half the eggs were cracked.  It was very funny!  (For some reason, I laughed this time, but when he threw a huge bottle of spaghetti sauce out of our cart at Target and it splattered all over the floor, I was not laughing.)

Next is sweet Rose.  It was picture day at school this week and she was very excited.  We picked out her clothes days before and decided that she should shower that morning, instead of the night before, so her hair would look extra good.  Before going to sleep, Rosie set her alarm for 7:40 am.   She has been wanting to wake up with her alarm clock, I never have let her before now.  That morning, I was in my bathroom getting ready.  At 7:40 sharp, Rosie came running in.  Her eyes were open very wide and her face was very pale.  She was out of breathe and looked scared to death.  She had been in a deep sleep when her alarm woke up and woke up in a hurry! She probably won't be asking to set her alarm anytime soon.

Last is Bud.  I am in charge of the Reflections Program this year and spent about 30 minutes discussing rules and ideas with Bud's class. Near the end of my presentation, Bud raised his hand.  He creates a great project every year and has already begun a really neat 3D art for this year.  I was expecting him to add something interesting to the discussion.  Instead he said, "You shouldn't turn in a project about death or that has a lot of blood in it."  I was speechless, but Bud's teacher was quick to agree, that was good advice. 

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