halloween and in between

 it's been a heavy year, and heavy election cycle, and i think we are all pretty spent. 

so you better believe that when a holiday that is ALL OUTDOORS, on a SATURDAY, and under a full moon, we participated. halloween this year was an absolute stunner of a fall day, and david and i squeezed into all the animal print we could find at the local second hand shop to bring the tiger king people (i mean, if you know, you know...) to life on sherman ave. my costume was kinda...eh...but david really nailed it.

ramona has been committed to dressing as billie eilish and she nailed it.

james was OF COURSE interested in being a character from a horror movie he knows nothing about, and after much negotiation since before last halloween, he finally realized his dreams of being jason from friday the 13th. 

lots and lots of candy, including socially distanced candy shoots, candy hide and seek in yards, and ramona even brought home a 5 pound bag of gummy worms.

our next door neighbor dave got very very very beetlejuice creepy, stayed in character, and dragged that chain all over the neighborhood before hatching a very elaborate super scary backyard haunted house style candy hunt for our kids and the other nextdoor neighbor kids. he's traumatized james on halloween before. this might have been the last time.

it was an exceptionally good halloween.

but the whole month of october seems to have known that we needed good weather for outdoor time, and it delivered. we carved pumpkins four times.

we hit up the skate park. lots.

we camped, hiked, fished, and spent all possible moments outside. 

and the ONE thing we do with any regularity indoors in james' karate class, which is frankly a necessity for him and his little bundle of energy body. it teaches respect, attention, body control, and gives him an outlet for his motions. he is a natural according to his sensay, and if i may brag here for a moment: he is really good, a fast learner, and cares a lot about doing well and doing it right. it is amazing to watch. he have never complained ever--not once--about his twice per week karate lessons. even with only 2 students. even in a mask. even if its in the gym instead of the old dojo room. he's hooked. and in october, he advanced another belt after a belt test, which he crushed. 

i am so proud of him. truly.