Halloween Party

Today was the annual Halloween party and as always we had so much fun.  I love seeing everyone in their costumes, eating yummy soup and treats, and playing fun games.  We really had a great time.

 

All the cousins

 

Our little Mr. T

 

Claire kept changing her mind on what she wanted to be but finally settled on a pink and purple owl.

 

Frankenstein and the Bride of Frankenstein

 

 

How awesome are these costumes!!  My brother is Captain Hook, my mom as Peter Pan, and Ron as Tinker Bell.

 

Ron definately won best costume!!  He went all out...fake lashes and all.

 

We had a race to see who could make a mummy first.

 

The youngest ones ended up winning.

We bowled with pumpkins.

 

Played a little bit of piano

 

Crue taking advantage of all eyes on the games being played.  He just sat himself down in front of all the carmel apple toppings and started eating away.

Autumn

One of our favorite things to do in the summer is just to go on walks.  Whether it is to the store, to get ice cream, the library, around the block, or just down the street while we wait for daddy to get home,  it really doesn't matter.  Today it was around the block so Claire and Sydney could collect leaves.  Claire really wants to be able to rake up the leaves and jump in them but our trees just aren't cooperating.  In another week or so the leaves will be on the ground but that just isn't fast enough for Claire.  She has resorted to gathering leaves elsewhere and then putting them in our yard. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PuMpKiN WaLk

 Yesterday it rained all day and we spent most of the day in the house so today we were all bored and ready to go out and do something fun.  We headed over to the Pumpkin Walk and it was a big hit with the kids. 

 

Bounce House

Crafts

Cinnamon Almonds

Games

Trick or Treating

and...

the kids can dress up if they want, which of course Claire was so excited to do.

 

She looked in the costume box/dress-up box and after trying on several things she finally decided on her halloween costume from last year. 

 

 Crue buddy was a little bit harder to dress up since we don't have his costume yet for this year.  We ended up making him into a little scarecrow and he looked oh so cute.

 

 

Claire headed straight for the bounce house and once Crue saw what she was doing he decided that he was big enough to do it as well.  The guy working it was really great and wouldn't let other kids go on it until we were almost to the end. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Decorations, Decorations, and More Decorations

Claire has declared multiple times this week that Halloween is her favorite holiday because she gets to make decorations everyday, carve pumpkins, and dress-up.  And she has definitely gone to town with the decorations too.  I was beginning to run out of ideas for her and then I came across a million different Halloween things you can make out of paper plates.  Jackpot!! She is one happy girl.  The second her brother goes down for a nap she breaks out her craft box and gets busy.  She is now checking out the neighbors to see if they have enough Halloween decor and is starting to make stuff for them too.  Watch out neighbors...Claire is on a mission to Halloweenify (is that even a word?) our street. 

Crue woke up early and wanted a little bit of the action too so what did he decorate....ahh, just himself.  A few pumpkin stamps on his hands and face while mom isn't looking.

 

 

 

And then he found a spider stamp that was accidently left out while I was making dinner. 

Uh-oh!!  Mom caught me!!

Oh good...She's not mad

 

Man, I love this little boy!!

Daddy's taking us to the zoo

With summer ending we are trying to fit in a few more things before the weather turns too cold so today we were off to the zoo.  My sis and I took the kids during the summer but it was so hot that many of the animals were hiding and it was so busy that we really had a hard time seeing some of animals we really wanted to see.  Plus Claire had been really wanting to take her daddy to the zoo. 

 

Last night at dinner we talked about possibly going to the zoo today but Claire must have forgot because this morning she was asking what we were going to do.  Luke and I decided to remind her by playing the song "Daddy's taking us to the zoo tomorrow" really loud.  Nothing...she still didn't remember.  So then Luke and I are going around the house singing the song over and over again.  Nothing still.  So we finally just had to tell her what our plans were for the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crue loved the polar bear and sea lion.

 

 

Loved this...Claire was worried that Crue would fall back and get hurt so she put her arm behind him.

 

 

Polar Bear

Grizzly Bear

Black Bear

Claire Bear

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite part was when Crue saw a rooster walking around the zoo.  He instantly started chasing it around yelling "bok, bok, bok."

Hey, where did he go???

 

Ahhh, I found him!!

The ride home was fun too.  Claire can be quite the little tease.  When she has something that Crue wants when we are driving, she will sometimes lean over and pretend to give it to Crue and the second he leans over to grab it, she will jerk it back.  It drives Crue crazy!!  Well he has learned a thing or two.  Today he had a toy that Claire wanted and he pretended to lean over so she could grab it and just as she had her hand on it, he yanked it away and just started laughing. 

Sunday afternoon

It is funny how some things turn out.  Years ago I imagined myself constantly making cookies with my kids.  Then this last year I discovered I really don't like to bake.  Sure, I enjoy baking every once in awhile...holidays, birthdays, cookie day at Claire's school, etc.  Cooking is totally my thing and I love cooking with Claire...but baking, um, no thanks.  Funny thing is that about the same time I realized I don't like to bake Luke realized he really likes to. And I must say that he is really good at it.  He can't cook much more than a box of macaroni and cheese but man, he can bake.  So every sunday afternoon these two can be found in the kitchen whipping up some cinnamon rolls, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and much more.  I love it!!  

 

 

Claire is convinced that Luke's old graduation cap is really a baking hat and she has taken it over.

 And this little man just waits around for daddy to give him the beater to lick and then he runs and hides with it.