Halloween Festivities Guh-lore

You may be asking, how many activities can you cram into one weekend...um, well, at least as many days there are, right?

Our Halloween morn began with preparing the kids for various activities at school. Ella Grace's school's kindergarten classes celebrated with "Scarecrow Day". They all were asked to dress Scarecrow-ish and prepare for a day of fun - decorating cookies with lots of icing, making candy corn people things, hats, beaded necklaces with patterns, doughnut bobbing - see the education involved here?

So, off we went with our scarecrow girl.


Then home after school. A quick nutritious supper of meatloaf, steamed cabbage navy beans and cornbread (yup, all that before the sugar was piled on). We costumed-up and began the evening fun.

Here our spider has his legs out and Hello Kitty is ready to go!

Our first trick or treater, our sweet neighbor Dylan the astronaut (quite the popular costume here in Florida, might I add).
Off the spider-man (ha!) goes for his first goods. Hello Kitty had already gotten in a little, um, trouble and was sitting at home for the first house. (We did let her go back later, but she could only accept 1 piece of candy. Harsh. I know.)
Hello Kitty likes to pose!
A little scared at first. I mean, were we really expecting smoke AND a headless horseman?

Hello Kitty also enjoys dancing through the streets.

Our spider turned scary!
Hmm, which leg/hand should I hold?


Our sweet neighbor Miss Chelsea with the kids.


All cleaned up and organizing the goods!
Aunt Lo-Lo also had to take time to look through it...I'll never tell what she did after the kids went to bed...
It didn't take long for these kids to become exhausted and a little whiney. On their behalf, it was Aunt Lo-Lo's last night and we were a little upset and all.

Happy (belated) Halloween 2011!

Trick or Treat on Greek Street

This year, it was a little difficult to trick-or-treat on Sorority Row...(read about our adventures last year here).

We parked and had to make a quick costume fix for the spider,

Hello Kitty had to pose...

and off we went. We got lots of goods, including cotton candy from a girl in BIG shoes,


we decorated (and ate cookies) - and they asked if my kids wanted sprinkles (what kid says "no" to sprinkles?),


painted pumpkins,

tossed a ball at cups,
did a bean bag toss game,

filled our bags with candy,

jumped in bounce houses,
played corn hole,

bobbed for doughnuts,
we made witch wands with pretzel sticks and chocolate,
picked up ducks for candy,
fished,
had pictures made,
All in all, it was a great day!

A pumpkin par-tay!

On Sunday evening, October 23, we visited with friends for a "pumpkin carvin' party". We had mummy dogs and lots of cookies and sausage balls and all sorts of yummy-ness! It was such a good time.

Here we are carving away, while Daddy snapped the pictures.





Our frowny face pumpkin!

And the final product with a smiley Ella Grace & Major:

And all the kids with all the pumpkins! Wow!


It was a "thumbs-up" kinda night!

Our (first) Florida pumpkin patch

Saturday before last (10/22), we visited a pumpkin patch. The day was a little chilly, but a great fall day! We set out early for our visit. After checking the patch's website we were a little confused about their opening time - was it 9 or 10? So, we got there about 9:30, were the first to park and told no one else was there & we had the place to ourselves! Woo-hoo!

Well, we learned they opened at 10:00 but we were able to go in and look around.


Jeremy made pictures in front of the pumpkins & hay, the kids rode a horse tire swing.



They played...
And then we were ready to get started. After waiting and waiting and waiting, they finally started getting things moving about 10:30. It was quite aggravating.

The kids rode horses. Ella Grace was first and then Major warmed up to the idea.








Look like naturals, don't they?!

And of course, wherever there is a bouncey house or slide we must participate!








Since we weren't fond of how the other place ran their business, we purchased our pumpkins elsewhere! (Only after a trip to get new cell phones since I broke mine the day before. COMPLETELY accidental, really.)


Needless to say, we were tired. And ready to watch a certain team play ball!