Happy Halloween 2014

Halloween snuck up on us this year.

We were busy enjoying a visit from Grammy and preparing for a trip to Mexico so Halloween got stuck on the back burner.  We still had a great time but I feel the holiday rushed by.

I did manage to snap a few pictures for your viewing pleasure.

The Taekwondo studio hosted a Trunk or Treat event.

We didn't get our costumes in time so L and T found something to wear around the house.

The Taekwondo-ers

Last year we carved our pumpkins too early and they rotted way before Halloween.

This year we carved them just a few days ahead of time.

We enjoyed having Tera and Grammy with us too.

The kids did their own carving this year and no one cut off a finger.

My special University of Oregon pumpkin.

There is a house in a nearby neighborhood that goes all out for Halloween.  I made sure to take my Mom to see it.  They even have a building in their backyard to store it all in the off season.  They build the pirate ship from the ground up every year.

And then all too soon it was Halloween night!

Grammy handed out candy at home while Matt and I took the kids trick-or-treating.

We were lucky to hitch a ride on a neighbor's golf cart so we rode around in easy comfort while the kiddos ran up and down the street.

Queen of the Bumble Bees and the Mad Joker

Family Picture

(including distant ancestors on Matt's side)

Hope you enjoyed your Halloween!

(Hope you still remember it because Thanksgiving has already come and gone.)

Fall Festival 2014 and Why My Husband Rocks #345

Every year Lauren and Tyler's elementary school hosts a Fall Festival.  This is a fun fundraiser for the school with games, food, bouncy houses, vendors, and much more.  To make this festival happen we depend on parent volunteers for the different activities.  Since I didn't have to be a Room Mom this year I decided to volunteer for anything and everything I could.  For the Fall Festival I signed up for both the Hair Painting and Cotton Candy booth.

After I worked at the Hair Painting booth

(I apologize to all of you parents of blond haired kids because if your kid insisted on Red spray paint, I did NOT tell them, "uh, that might not wash out....like ever.")

Matt offered to work the Cotton Candy booth so I could watch the kiddos play some games.  

And here you have Reason #345 Why My Husband Rocks.

He didn't have to work at the booth and get completely coated in cotton and candy.

But he did!

Check out the cotton or is it the candy hanging off his arm.

Meanwhile I got to hang out with L and T.

Here's a pic of them smashing the stacked milk bottles.

 It was a fun filled, yummy tummy, sunny day.

One for the memory books.

(Big thanks to Matt for working the dreaded Cotton Candy booth.)

Homemade Note Pads

Blame it on my Oregon (re-use, re-purpose, respect the environment) Roots, I can't seem to simply recycle all of the paper sent home from L and T's school.  Instead, I fold it into fourths and use the blank backside as a notepad.  I tuck the folded pages in with some pens and pencils so they're easily accessible.

 

When I need to make a note of something I pull a folded page from the front to write it down.

Back in August I wrote down this little conversation with Lauren.

  

"Momma, you know about black widow spiders?

After they marry and mate, they kill their spouse."

I thought this was cute and funny and thought I might blog about it.

I never did so back into my notepad stash it went.

Two months later, in October, Lauren was struggling with her spelling word "enthusiastically."  We went over it extensively during the day and right before bedtime I wanted her to spell it again so I pulled out a sheet from my notepad stash and had her write it down.

I'm very happy I didn't blog about her first comment about black widow spiders because adding her spelling word "enthusiastically" makes it so much better.

 

lol lol lol lol lol 

or for the older crowd

ha ha ha ha ha