Reasons to celebrate

Riding the train at Kids' Day on the Common

Hansel and Gretel with their basket of bread crumbs

With Jack the Lumber Jack

Putting her prop to good use

Hansel leaving his trail of bread crumbs

The kids competed in the costume contest, and brought home a first place prize in their age group. Jack was the second place winner. The kids received a large teddy bear (in a sleeping Will's arms) with a shirt that reads, "Salem: Where Magic Happens," flashing pumpkin jewelry, a squeezable pumpkin, candy, and Mud Puddle Toys gift certificates.

Friday was Michaela's 17th birthday. She took in a batch of ghost-shaped shortbread cookies to school to share with her morning group, and she went out to a late lunch with all of her siblings and her dad before we dropped her off at the movies with her boyfriend. On Saturday, after returning from our victory on the Common, we had a party for her with some of her family, family friends, our neighbors, and her former foster family.

Fighting over popcorn 

Playing naptime

The night before her birthday, Michaela told us she didn't want us waking her up at 12:01 to sing "Happy Birthday." We joked that statement showed how little she knew us, because we were going to bust in at 11:59 with "I am Sixteen Going on Seventeen" and then transition to "Happy Birthday."

We had ice cream cake, chocolate cake, and dirt cups at the party. Thankfully, there was also a lot of salad that got eaten.

With family friends and her previous foster family

She had plenty of helpers with opening presents.

With some family friends and one of her older sisters (in the striped scarf), her brother (in red), and her dad

The rest of October is a storm of birthdays in our family. We start with Michaela and then extend our best wishes to Uncle Dillon, Great Grandpa, Uncle Jeff, and Grandma Radue.