Harvest Festival

Our church had the brilliant idea to put on a harvest festival 12-3 on Halloween. And since Halloween fell on a Saturday the kids (and parents) really needed something to curb their excitement for the evening trick-or-treating.

It turned out to be about 80 degrees - crazy hot- but the kids had a great time, that never bothered them (just me HAHA).  They jumped in the bounce house, ran the obstacle course, went fishing, picked up rubber ducks and painted pumpkins. Did I mention they got a lot of candy too? OY.

Elijah met mickey!

Lucas met mickey!

Vampire teeth!

Lucas at the bean bag toss

Duck Hunt

School Parade

Once again, Elijah is growing up. Where last year at his Halloween parade he refused to wear his costume, this year we didn't have any problem (except when I dropped him off in the morning and he stood in the corner and cried because he didn't want anyone to look at his costume....oy). He walked the whole school next to his best -bud Matthew and proudly wore his costume.  What a sweet boy and finally a successful parade!

The class coming around the bend

Our ninja turtle

Elijah and Matthew and Abigale

Reese and Elijah Buds!

Pumpkin Decorating

I was at the dollar store and found these great stickers that the kids could decorate their pumpkins with. I thought, if it worked, this would be an amazing alternative to pumpkin carving. I just didn't really have it in me to do that this year and if we were to get our pumpkins out on the porch in a respectable amount of time, this would be ideal in accomplishing that. So I proposed it to the boys and they were all in (not that they really know the difference). So We had a pumpkin decorating session that lasted about 15 minutes before they lost interested, AND got the job done. I think we will do that next year, until they start asking to carve again!

Going Back a Week

A week ago Saturday (Oct 24) the main street in town did a Halloween walk for all the kids. They got to trick-or-treat in the main street shops and have a little practice round in their costumes.  It was darling!

The boys dressed up and did so well, though Elijah wouldn't take a picture with me, even though I was his side-kick April O'neil.

We had a good time with all the friends, and thanked the good lord for Extra hands like Kris K. and Kaitlin's parents, because we needed it.  I think i definitely prepared the kids and got them even more excited for Halloween.

I made Lucas' shield out of one of Aaron's frisbees!

We ran in to my Second Cousin Elaine and her little girl Alexandra (who Lucas goes to daycare with). Super cute little baseball players like that from the movie A League of Their Own

The Gang

 

Then we thought we would say "Hi" to Gigi:

Afterwards, we all went home for naps, and Lizzie came over to have some play time with Elijah.

After nap, Kaitlin and Erin brought the rest of the kids over so we could have some organized chaos and the kids could entertain themselves by playing with each other. We fed them pizza and then at the end of the night.....

Erin getting some snuggles out of her not-so-snuggly McKenna

Dinner Time

This happened....

The Morning After Halloween

This morning when I was getting ready the kids decided that they needed to practice trick-or-treating. Mind you this is after-the-fact....Halloween was last night. It was so cute though. I had to capture it and share it with you. So enjoy.

Halloween!

I have a couple of posts that should have happened before Halloween, but I got busy, and lazy and didn't post them. So we will do the current, and anticipated, Halloween post now, and then in the days to come (check back daily for about a week, I should have enough to fill the week) I will post all that has happened in the last two weeks.  We are also headed out to Phoenix for Aaron's cousin's wedding, and a 2-birds-with-1-stone, and fairly selfish visit to see Jess and her family, which we have not seen in at least 3 years (ugh, we are the worst).

So Halloween!

First off I would like to say that Elijah wore his costume (though threatened not to, but decided that getting candy, was again worth dressing up).  Lucas, was all too enthusiastic to wear his, no problem there.  However, the funny thing was when last week Elijah refused to take a picture, this week Lucas refused to take a picture, unless it was with Daddy. So be it.

The kids did a practice round and trick-or-treated for dad, it was so cute!

Elijah dressed up like a ninja turtle and I in-turn dressed up as the ninja turtle's side-kick April O'neil.

Lucas was Captain America, and Aaron was himself. HAHA.

We had a great time trick-or-treating with our close friends and family - all ten kids. It was a little chaotic, but fun at the same time.  By the end of the night Elijah and his new friend Eddy (Kaitlin's nephew) were best buds racing the other kids to get to the "jolly Rodger" a.k.a. the double stroller I brought along for tired feet. It was really cute.

Left to Right: Cousin Jack (spiderman), Cohen (the pancake), Jackson (Neo from Umi Zoomi), Emma (Digust from Inside Out), Colette (butterfly princess), Cousin Lizzie (Rapunzel), Eddy (Peter Pan), Lucas (Capt. Ame.), Elijah (Ninja Turtle), Ryan (racoon).

We came home and had a few pieces of candy, let the two boys run off the energy and sugar and then went to bed, hating the fact we knew there would be a couple of early risers due to the time change in the morning.  Elijah was up at 5:40 and Lucas at 6:40. Oy. Happy Standard Time Savings. ;)

Fun Filled Weekend

McKenna, Lucas & Elijah Holding hands.

We had one of the busiest weekends I have had in a long time.

Aaron had a Frisbee tournament on Saturday so i wanted to make sure the boys and I got out. I called Erin and the two of us and all three kids went to breakfast at the local breakfast place and then hopped over to the Lindsay Wildlife Museum across the bridge. I forgot how small it was, however it entertained the kids for  about an hour.

Lucas and McKenna looking at the birds and owls

Elijah, Lucas and McKenna

Lucas and McKenna flying on the bird wings

Elijah's turn!

Elijah's Wingspan

Lucas looking for his prey

Elijah checking out the exhibt

We dumped everybody off, had our separate lunches and naps and about 3:00 rendezvoused again for another outing, this time to the pumpkin patch.  Again, this place was small and not much to write home about. I think we had higher expectations because we had heard about and how great it was from several friends. We were expecting lots of bells and whistles, and it really wasn't that, BUT the kids had a great time running around and seeing some goats and pigs and riding the train (for like, seriously 2 minutes and it cost me nearly $10).  We wore them out and went home.

Elijah on the wrong side of the scarecrow.

The three of us on the train ride - and Erin photobombing us in the background!

Erin and McKenna riding the train

The boys on the train ride

Lucas and McKenna in the bus cutout

The only decent picture on the pumpkins

Lucas watching the pig

Lucas feeding the goat.

The boys feeding the goats video! 

Today, we got up...you know, the kids at what we thought was about 630 am, and us around 7 am. Turns out Dad informed us that Elijah had come in to his room about 330 am, and had not fallen back asleep....at all....  We had plans to see friends with a new baby today, and Elijah running on 330 am wake up, just didn't seem like it was going to fit in to our plans.  So we promptly scolded dad for not sending Elijah back to bed, scolded Elijah for getting up and going in to Dad's room so early in the morning, and then punished them both by making them spend the day together. Of course Elijah was a perfect gem for dad. Of course he was. And you KNOW he would have been an absolute basket case if he was with us, so in the end it really did work out for the best.

Lucas scoping out the new chick in town! 

Accessing the chick

Yep, I think he likes this little girl! (p.s. he LOVES babies)

We got to spend some nice one-on-one time with Lucas, which was honestly, a little weird for all of us, because I don't think we have ever JUST had Lucas. Lucas kept saying the whole drive to our friend's house "where's Elijah".  It was pretty awesome only having one kid to look after as well, so we might have to punish dad and Elijah more often HAHA.

Lucas loved the baby as you can see and we had a nice visit.  We got the kids bathed and in bed before 8pm, which is a sheer miracle in this house and now they are all sound asleep, which is where I should be. With that I bid you goodnight.