Halloween Party - Take 1

Thursday night was the beginning of Halloween events for the kids. My MOPS meeting was that night and the kids attend the MOPPETS group during that time. They decided to have a Halloween party for the kids, so they were able to dress up in their costumes. This year Emily decided to be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and Matt veered from his normal firefighter format to a SWAT officer - no gun included with the costume. It does have a whistle which can get a wee bit annoying but it is only a week and a half of activities that it has to "available" for. I'm not sure where it will find a home after the festivities. The kids costume schedule consists of Trunk or Treat on Sunday 10/25, school parades on 10/30 and Halloween 10/31. At least, these costumes are being worn more than once .... it is the multiple accumulation periods of candy that is not so good. We've already had to make a candy eating rule in the house for the season. They are cute though. TRICK OR TREAT!

A Plethora of Pumpkins

Normally our fall decorations consist of just 4 "real" pumpkins - 2 for outside on the front stoop and one for each of the kids to carve. Well this year has been a totally different circumstance. Emily's class walked to the corner nursery where she got to pick out a pumpkin last Tuesday. Then Thursday, Matt and I went on his field trip to the pumpkin farm where we both were able to get a pumpkin. To top it all off, the kids went to their Moppets group on Thursday night while I was at my MOPS meeting and they each got a pumpkin there. This brings our grand total of pumpkins this season to 9 (counting the ones outside). Those are the real ones, we have three decorative pumpkins on the hearth too. I guess it proves the old saying "when it rains it pours" this time in pumpkins.

Look How Much They've Grown

This past summer we went back to Williamsburg, VA for a short family vacation. The last time we went there was is June 2006. At that time, Emily was our little fish in the water and Matt was about to turn 1. This past summer both of them were like fishes and they couldn't even be bothered for me to get a picture of them together in the water. Matt has changed so much in 3+ years and Emily is exactly the same just a bigger version. Here is to good times growing up.

Heaven Hills Pumpkin Farm

On Thursday, October 22, Matt had his first official school field trip to a pumpkin farm in Vernon, NJ. Being a class mom, I was able to go as a chaperon for the trip. We all loaded on to a tour bus (no yellow bus here a bathroom is necessary for preschoolers) in the morning and headed out on the long drive. When we got to the farm, we first went on a hayride through their "haunted" tour area - most kids weren't scared by it. Then, we saw all their farm animals which was followed by pig races. Matt was a little upset after that because he didn't win at the races. They chose kids to represent the pigs that were racing in each race and he didn't get chosen, so he had a small crying meltdown. After that we picked our pumpkins, ate lunch and then let them play in the different hay and cornstalk structures they have for the kids. The teacher bought apple cider donuts and cider that the kids had as a snack just before getting on the bus to head back to school. Now you would think that after all that he would have been sleeping on the way back, but no he was too bust watching Nemo on the bus TV. We made it back just in time for Emily to be dismissed from school. It was a great day. The weather was absolutely gorgeous which we were hoping for after our rain and cold spells we've had the last few weeks. It was so much fun being able to go with him too. Thank you Matt for our special day together.

This is Ruby

Meet the newest addition to our "craft" family, Ruby the Spider. Emily's teacher, Miss Palummierri wants the kids to use their imaginations for Show & Tell not just bring in their favorite toy to show. She gives them a theme the Friday before the following week - Show & Tell is on Friday's - so they have a whole week to "create". This past week's theme was to show something that means the season fall to them and they needed to use 3 materials to create it. So, I asked Emily what reminds her of fall...well, after talking it somehow came down to a spider - Halloween related. Off to the craft store we went. This is the final product. Ruby is made of a Styrofoam ball, black felt strips hot glued to the body, green pipe cleaners for the legs and smile and of course googly eyes. I know that is 4 things but I did ask the teacher if googly eyes would count as a fourth item and she said "no"....just the main part needed to be 3 items. I have to tell you this was one of my favorite projects she has done so far. Emily even made a chart showing the materials you need so the other kids could make one too. Her teacher loved it and said it was unusual because when it was her turn to present "Ruby" she froze at first - not normal for her. Emily's projects are quite a hit at school. The kids want to make them and there are several teachers that come in just to see what she has made. I guess the creative streak of the family lives on in Emily. So, say welcome to our newest friend.