October Traditions

I think this year is the most I have ever enjoyed Halloween with the kiddos. I guess it's because both the kids are big enough now to really enjoy all the activities so it has made it super enjoyable for me as well. Here is a recap of our festivities.

Carving pumkins. Bre wanted a cat and Wes really just wanted to use the apple corer to make a bunch of holes, but then when I suggested that we trace and cut out his hands as well, he thought that was a good idea too.


Wes and I have been going to a couple of 2-gether Mommy & Me community education classes while Bre is in school and this weeks theme was Fall. I forgot that we was supposed to go in costume, but they had some dress up clothes there and he chose spider-man. They got to paint spider webs and play with pumpkin spice scented play dough and go trick or treating in the gym with the preschoolers and make silly monster faces with construction paper and play with seed corn and a bunch of other fun things too. He never wants to leave when it's done and always asks when he gets to come back to "his" class. :-)



One of my Mom's groups in Rochester does a Trunk or Treat every year and this is the second year we have taken the kids to that. I gotta say it is NEVER that cold when you go trick or treating in TN. I had on bunny ears and a painted nose and whiskers (the kids thought it was a hoot that a grown up had a costume too) and by the time all the kids walked through the line up of vehicles and got their candy I could no longer feel my little pink bunny nose.



We also took them to a Hallelujah Party that our old church does every year. We had hot dogs and chili for supper then the kids got to play a bunch of games and be in the costume contest, Bre participated in the pie eating contest, and then they both came home with brown lunch bags 3/4 FULL of candy loot! Wes also won a GIANT chocolate bar for his firefighter/firetruck costume and his eyes got as big as the chocolate bar when they handed it to him. Here is their combined stash from both events. Dear Lord help me!!!

I am trying to decide if I want to ration it out over time, let them have a free for all for 1 day and one day only, let them choose a given number of items and donate the rest to a women's shelter or Operation Hometown Gratitude (sending boxes of goodies to military men/women who are overseas) or let them take some of it to a dentist friend in the area who does candy buy backs ($1/lb I believe). So many learning opportunities to choose from, patience, indulgence, giving, gratitude, bartering, not sure which way to go with this one. My heart and my head can't seem to agree. I'm really liking the Operation Hometown Gratitude thing though, maybe we'll go with that option. It's NEVER a bad thing to show our appreciation to our service men and women and you are never to young to start being thankful for your freedom.

Fall Celelbations!!!

Fall Celelbations!!!

Bird up!!!

Hunting season has begun here in MN and my hubby and his hunting dog are in 7th heaven. Pheasant opener was yesterday but due to a family wedding Matt wasn't able to participate, even though I knew he would much rather be wearing camo than khakis. What a guy!

Matt got up with the kids this morning and took care of breakfast, allowing me to sleep in (again...what a guy!), but as soon as I came down stairs he donned his neon orange duds, loaded his guns in the car and took Hooch out for some quality guy time. And much to their delight and satisfaction they came home a couple hours later triumphant in their quest. Hooch had gotten up a beautiful hen, Matt sent her spiraling back down to earth and Hooch retrieved her just like a good 4 legged hunting companion should do.

We had just sat down to have lunch when the conquerors came home to rest and replenish and the kids were beside themselves with excitement. They LOVE seeing Daddy's spoils of the hunt and we always take pictures of them checking things out. So, after we all finished eating we headed outside for our investigating and documenting.

Bre has no fear and just grabs with bare hands whatever Daddy pulls out of his hunting bag. She even asked to watch the butchering process today which is definitely NOT something I want to see but she thought it was fascinating so good for her. Wes tends to be a little more cautious and handles things with a bit more reservation and sometimes needs some encouragement from Matt to feel safe handling these dead animals Daddy brings home. We never force him to hold something he doesn't want to of course, but when he does he is SO very proud of himself afterward and will talk about it for days to come.

Pintrested?

So, I have recently become a member of a web site called www.pintrest.com It is an inescapable, swirling vortex of craft ideas, recipes, home decor, gardening ideas, quotes, funny pictures, fashion...basically any image you can find on the internet you can post it to pintrest....and I am LOVING it! It serves as a cyber cork board where you can "pin" images that you like and others can see what you place on your "board" and you can see what they have placed on theirs as well. You can also repin images you see on someone else's board to your own and visa versa, adding to your collections. I really didn't need one more reason to be on the computer even more than I already am, but I am absolutely adoring this awesome site and am gathering all kinds of creative ideas from it. Here is the result of a pintrest image I saw a few days ago:

This is a paper collage box I made for my fridge to hold the recipes I use during my weekly meal planning. Isn't it gorgeous!?! I have very little counter space so I LOVED the idea of using some of the prime fridge real estate to hold my full page, laminated recipes, and it is beautiful to boot!

I started with a frozen waffle box, cut the top flaps off and then cut the dip out of the front to give it a little more shape and interest. Then I raided my scrapbooking scraps file and started gluing. I used good ol' elmers (because that is all I had), laid a few pieces down till it looked pleasing, went to town with the sticky stuff and kept layering till the box was covered and my eyes were happy. Then I glued several rectangular magnets to the back of the box so that it would hold nice and strong to the fridge. I am THRILLED beyond measure with the result and can't help but smile with satisfaction every time I walk past the fridge. Thanks to pintrest for the inspiration, the recycle bin for the box and my scrapbooking habit for the supplies I now have a beautiful, one of a kind and highly functional piece of art in my kitchen. I do believe this could be the beginning of a long and beautiful pinship.

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss