Halloween Part 3... Pumpkin Carving!

We always enjoy carving our pumpkins. It's one of our favorite traditions. I almost titled this post "Pumpkin carving gone wild" because well it got a little wild. It all started out fine but then Alex started having his yearly gagging problem. He loves the act of cleaning out and carving his own pumpkin but the texture and smell get to him. He gags and digs, takes a breath, scoops some more, gags.. and on and on it goes. He hangs in there though and gets it done. Connor thinks it's funny and decided to torture his brother in various ways. One being scooping out "pumpkin guts" and dangling them in front of Alex. It ended up in a pumpkin gut throwing fight.

Then out came the power tools. Living with Grandpa, you have all kinds of cool tools at your disposal. It wasn't quite the Norman Rockwell family jack o lantern carving experience I may have imagined it would be but that is the joys of boys and I wouldn't trade it for anything.... well maybe... nah.






Check out Grandpas spot lights...told you he had cool stuff
Grandpa keeping the stove going

The finished products

Happy Halloween Part 2

Connor's costume was a little easier. He picked out a gorilla mask but wasn't quite sure what else he was going to wear. I suggested we go to the Goodwill store and just look around. Both boys looked at me horrified and said "the Goodwill store?" "Are we that bad off?" I explained to them that it's just like a huge garage sale and you can sometimes find treasures for cheap. I thought about going into how most of the clothing I wore growing up was 2nd hand and I still don't mind 2nd hand if I can get it cheap. I decided it really wouldn't be that helpful for now.

They begrudgingly walked into the "Goodwill" store with me and slowly started looking around. Soon they were getting into it. I watched as they went from one department to the other excitedly telling one another to look at this or look at that.

Connor found a great suit coat and a shirt with what he thought was a ridiculous pattern for cheap. Add in Grandpas Jerry Garcia tie and you have a "Gorilla in a monkey suit."

And Nowwwww.... The Rubics Cube!

Happy Halloween! Part 1

Alex was having a very difficult time choosing a halloween costume this year. He has never enjoyed the "scary" part of halloween. He's been a duck, Mickey Mouse (grandma's favorite), Tigger, a race car driver, a power ranger and a penguin (twice). After several trips to two different "Halloween" stores and 2-3 trips to Party city we were getting discouraged. Monday evening as we sat at the kitchen table pondering this, Alex getting discouraged thinking he wasn't going to have a costume for the halloween festivities at school on Friday I decided to browse the internet. What a concept!

You have to understand that up until this point EVERY idea I came up with was shot down by both boys.. by eye rolling, my personal favorite....blank stares (like you must be from another planet Mom). I had the most idiotic ideas according to them. I thought when I suggested he be an 80's rocker, pointing to a costume that included a blond wig and bandana head band I was really on to something. Alex said dryly... "Mom, I don't want to look like Bret Michaels." I answered in an honestly surprised tone "You don't"?? To which Connor took me aside and said "Mom, I don't think you should make any more suggestions, just let me help him."

Okay so back to Monday night... I had one more chance to redeem myself. I have to say by this point I'm a little gun shy. I google "home made Halloween costumes" and scroll down a bit when............ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I see the Rubics cube! 1. Alex loves Rubics cubes and 2. He loves props. I'm still a little apprehensive because I also thought being a nerd, mummy, rocker...etc were excellent ideas. Obviously I have no clue! I'm so excited I'm bursting at the seams. I shout as I'm running down the stairs... I got it!!! As I enter the kitchen Mark looks at me like "oh no what's she going to say" and Alex looking at me a little curious but maybe just a little nervous that I'm going to totally let him down again. I say "A RUBICS CUBE!!" I watch cautiously as I see his wheels turning.... he brightens a little... here it comes... "I like that Mom." shewwwwww I turn to Mark and he has an expression of relief that quickly turns a look of.. I see a bubble above his head that say's "I'm going to have to create this aren't I ??" I'm just relieved we have a plan. Now Mark, Grandpa and Alex can execute it, right? I'm just the brains of this operation, they are the brawn... heehee

I didn't get a picture of Alex wearing the finished product but I will tonight. Oh and of course for Mark nothing less than absolutely mathematically correct would do. Alex picked a pattern and Mark followed it to a tee. He did such a great job, always puts everything into everything he does.Never ever does anything halfway. Thank you grandpa, you are always such a good sport and always ready with helpful suggestions. I love watching you and Mark "collaborate." Alex you did a good job of helping too, as always.

Part 2 coming soon...

"F" is for Frolicking in Fall leaves

I am participating in Jenny Matlock's Alphabe Thursday.

Last weekend the boys decided to rake some leaves..... they had the best time raking leaves into a big pile and then skakeboarding through the pile.... then rollerblading... then jumping. They would rake a big pile and then scatter it as they "rode" through it. Then they would start all over again, raking (actually using a big brush broom) them all into a big pile and starting all over again. The best part was seeing them work together. Skylar and Max loved it, they just couldn't stay away.

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Happy Fall

Happy Fall from our house to yours