Trick or Treat!

Some pictures from our Trick or treat fun!

Moaning Myrtle, Hermione, the Golden Snitch and Harry Potter

Mike was a hilarious golden snitch.  I have no words.  But this was all his idea and the liquid courage in his bottle contributed to a good time.

Doc didn't go very long, but he was very happy to return back home to eat!

My army soldier

And Hermione who was so very excited!

We went with family, and although I didn't get a picture of everyone together here is the closest.  Cousin Andrew drove his tractor from house to house, Uncle Jason was a native American, and baby Abbie as a tiger from Daniel Tiger.  We had a wonderful time with everyone!

Pumpkins!

Spooky Fun - Halloween Parties!

First we had Dawson's preschool trunk or treat event.    It was a very nice little event held after school so that everyone could attend.  There was pizza and cupcakes and a craft to do. Then his teacher announced each child and their costume as well as their siblings too.  Due to rainy and windy weather we did the trick or treating inside the school. 

The soldier, Mrs. Norris (cat from Harry Potter) and Harry Potter

This year I am able to go to Carter's Halloween Party and Ava's Valentine Party.  In Carter's class we did the mummy wrap game.  Here he is being wrapped up with another student by his teacher.

Can't even see him!  He had a blast doing this game.

Enjoying his snack

Carter showing off his ghost and pumpkin that he carved in his group.  He choose the fish nose and they named their pumpkin fishie (the fish nose was something they did in FFF.)

Although I couldn't be in her class, I took a picture of Miss Ava post party.  She was rocking her black cat shirt and candy corn bow.  She loved the game they played with the vampire teeth and marshmallows.

Happy Halloween!  More celebrating to come!

Pumpkin Patch with Explorer Girls

Ava is participating in a scout-like group called Explorer Girls.  Ava has really enjoyed the meetings so far and for October we met at a pumpkin patch.  This was in the afternoon before Mike was home, so I was able to bring the boys with me.

Funny story about this picture, while the girls were lined up and smiling Dawson and Carter were close by playing pumpkin bowling.  During a quiet moment Carter yelled at Dawson "Holy Smokes, you're good!"  It caused a chuckle throughout the group.  It was sweet to hear big brother pumping up little brother's bowling skills.  

Wow, another pumpkin picture.

It was just a quick trip but we did get to lasso some steers, walk through the corn maze and take a chilly hay ride.

These slides built into the side of the hill are so much fun!  It was a great way to burn a some energy before bedtime.    

Silly Stories from the week

This weekend Ava, Dawson and I were discussing our favorite songs.  Here are Dawson's:  

1.  The Littlest Worm (a song I learned in girl scouts)

2.  Carol of the Bells by Transiberian Orchestra

3.  Bad Blood

Quite the eclectic mix!

Recently Mike was playing a math facts game with Ava and Carter.  It was supposed to be a competition to see who could answer the question first, so Mike was allowing Ava and Carter the opportunity to figure it out first.  Well afterwards Ava wrote this note to Mike:

Why

Do you not know your facts?  You should know it now.  10 + 10 I know that it is 20.  4 + 4 = I know that it is 8.

Don't worry Ava, Daddy knows his math facts!

Speaking of math facts, this little boy is so interested in math right now.  We've been playing an addition game together, and I think it is the cutest thing now that he has figured out how to use his fingers to solve problems.

Yup, she is my daughter.

We went to play at the park at the clubhouse this afternoon and she brought her new book.  Eventually I convinced her to put it away and get a little exercise.  But the minute we started walking home she decided to walk and read at the same time.  That takes talent!

Camping with Scouts

Carter went to a camp out this weekend with scouts.  It was really chilly, less than 32 degrees at night.  But Mike and Carter found a really good way to combat the cold: two sleeping bags zipped together with mummy bags inside and camp rolls to keep them off the ground.  Toasty warm!

S'more time!

Apparently they had a great time at the nature center watching hawks get fed and learning the names of different animals.  They also did a lot of hiking.

They found a geocache!

And it snowed.  That did very little to put a damper on his fun.  He had a great time!

A tale of two brave souls

 Every year the local park system hosts a haunted hayride that is put together by the high school students.  It is advertised all over the school, but Carter has never wanted to go.  Ava has been begging to go, and so I offered to take the two little ones while Carter was camping.  They were really pumped to go, but I talked to them about how it was going to be scary.  People were going to jump out and try to scare them.  But they insisted, they wanted to go to the hayride.

When we got there Ava saw two actors and changed her mind, she did not want to go.  But Dawson still did!  After talking with one of her friends, Ava got up the courage to go and we decided to sit in the middle of the hayride.  She could put her head down on my lap whenever she didn't want to see something scary.

The before pic:  Brave little boy convinced that he would love it.  

During the ride he did great until the chainsaws came out.  He was in my lap so fast and clung to my neck.  I told him over and over all the secrets:  the chainsaw has no blades it can't hurt you, that is a person in a mask, that isn't real blood, it's just like paint.

Ava enjoyed it!  She really liked watching the dance studio do the thriller dance.  Dawson got off and said "I hated it."  It's funny because there were kids there far younger than Dawson and they had no problem with it.  I guess every child is different and some are just more sensitive to it than others.  But I have a feeling that next year Ava will be begging to go again.

And as you can guess Ava and Dawson slept with me last night, but that's ok I enjoyed the company!!

Spending Time with my little one

As a Mom, I have to admit that I am endlessly amused by the little conversations that I have with my kids (as evidenced by this blog.)  Lately Dawson has done a lot of contemplating on his career path.  At one point or other in his life he has wanted to be a train engineer, fire fighter, volcanologist and more recently a priest.  But right now his imagination has been captured by the idea of being a part of a search and rescue crew for the Coast Guard or maybe a helicopter pilot that combats wildfires. 

A snack plus a video of the coast guard rescuing people during a hurricane.

It amazes me that he knows little facts like the top rotors give the helicopter lift while the tail rotors steer the helicopter (apparently he learned this from a mighty machine video.)  He also has been planning out his search and rescue crew.  He has been enticing me to join the coast guard with him because he wants me to be his co-pilot.  Mike gets to be the person that mans the hoist.  What a vivid little imagination he has!

He loves company and hates to be alone.  On this particular day while we were waiting for his siblings we took a walk and saw that they were using an asphalt ripper on our road.  Of course we had to follow and stare to investigate.  One day we were reading a book and he got really teary because the main character was feeling lonely.  He told me he is really lonely during homework time.  Carter, Ava and I are busy and he has no one to play with.  I felt so bad!  I've been trying to give him "homework" or a special job to do so that he doesn't feel so left out.  Love you so much, my sweet little boy!