Trick or Treat!

Happy Halloween!

My "plan" this year was to have pumpkins carved a day or two before Halloween so we wouldn't be rushing as we so often are. As with so many of my plans, they went out the window like a stiff breeze. Thirty minutes before we were to have friends arrive, I was still picking out a pattern for Allyson's pumpkin. Nicole's didn't get carved. I stuck a wooden scarecrow head and hands in it and it became our scarecrow pumpkin. In case you missed it, you can read about our adventure getting the pumpkins.

Normally, the girls help with the carving of the pumpkin. But Britt had (mercifully) come home early from work to rake the ridiculous amount of leaves in our front yard. (Yes, it was that bad.) The kids were more interested in "helping" Dad. This is something they look forward to every year. Britt and I, not so much.

So, while all this was going on, I was inside carving Allyson's pumpkin. I did get the girls to come in and help me clean out the guts. 

I have always loved carving pumpkins. I love the smell, the slimy feeling of cleaning out the insides, and the fun of picking out a great design and making it come to life. Well, since I had about 20 minutes, we made this pumpkin super simple. But I still thought it was unique. One of the things we like about this pumpkin was it's great stem. So, I decided to use that as a "focal point" (lol) and let it be the nose. Here is the final product. 

This year we had our friends, Doug and Sarah and their girls, Darcy and Holland, join us for Halloween. We had our annual jack-o-lantern pizza and Sarah brought the best pumpkin cookies.

Then went to our church festival. I didn't take a lot of pictures. They had tons of bounce houses, free candy, apple cider, kettle corn, and balloons. Inside they had activities and a kids show. The kids show was advertised as a "4D" experience. It really wasn't, unfortunately. But I think the kids enjoyed it anyway.

We found a group of princesses and had everyone's picture taken together.

Afterward we hit the neighborhood for trick or treating. 

One of the reasons our friends joined us for trick or treating this year was because their neighborhood wasn't so great. I assured them ours was fantastic. That's why I was a little confused when we went outside and almost every house had their lights out! Not sure what was up this year but I felt a little bad that our neighborhood probably wasn't any better than theirs. Oh well. The kids, as you can see in this video, had fun. (Although, after about the third house, Allyson pooped out. I carried her bucket and dad carried her.)

One of our neighbors always has fun Halloween decorations. (Although Holland was afraid to go up to the door because of a talking "head" they have on the side of the wall.)

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Patch Pain

The weather this year killed the corn crop at our favorite pumpkin patch. So, I bought a half-price deal to another one that was only open on the weekends. Last Friday night was the only time we could go as a family due to Britt's work schedule. Somehow I missed the memo that after dark everything goes from family-friendly to haunted and scary. Maze: haunted. Hayride: haunted. The girls found a swing set to play on. Yippee. (Could've gone to the park free for that.)

Oh, and the pumpkin "patch?" It was a tent with a bunch of ugly, overpriced pumpkins. The girls picked out two. Britt and I decided to skip buying our own this year. 

The Pumpkin "Patch"

But that wasn't the worst of it. The worst was the karaoke. It was obvious there would never be a way to explain how bad. So, thinking of you, my dear reader, I decided to record it for your, ahem, "enjoyment."(Don't thank me. Seriously.)

That was about the last straw for me. I nicely explained our situation to the lady at the snack bar counter. She was nice enough to leave me in charge of the snack bar while she went to see if there was anything she could do. Well, I think she meant for me to just watch the snack bar. But, there were customers in line so ... I started selling stuff. But, when someone ordered a hot cider I had no clue which pot it was in. So, I began opening the covers to look inside. That's about the time another employee came over and started the inquisition.... "Do you work here?!" Thankfully, snack bar lady came back at that time and was quite happy with the money I had made. Lol.

The pumpkin patch owner decided to give us a free bonfire. That seemed pretty nice. He even threw in the ingredients to make s'mores. So we warmed up by the fire and had some yummy dessert.

Allyson was a happy camper!

After warming up and filling our bellies with yummy s'mores we headed home, trying to get the horrendous karaoke "music" out of our heads.

Here's our sleepy Nicole as we pulled up to the house. How cute is that? 

Sam's Club Singer

Allyson is at that age where she will sing at the top of her lungs regardless of who is around. Today, while shopping at Sam's Club, she was making up a song that was so cute I just had to record it. But, for some reason, when I started the video she stopped her ad-lib performance and went into her favorite "Aristocats" song, "Scales and Arpeggios." If I never hear this song again it will be too soon. Seriously.

Here's the song from the movie so you can understand a bit of what she's singing in "her version."

Now, when I record Allyson, I have to be very sly as she will immediately stop if she knows she's being recorded. So, that will explain the picture quality. And, as you can see, when I tried to get a better shot of her, I was caught.

Parent Magazine!

Fed-Ex just arrived today with a $50 Gymboree gift card.

Last month I was reading Parent's magazine. I was laughing at some of the things in their "blooper" section and noticed where we could submit our own "bloopers." Well, that was a no-brainer. My kids are constantly coming up with the funniest stuff.

I decided to go through my Facebook posts where I usually post their latest quip. The hard part was choosing what to submit!  I finally decided I would submit my favorites and let them decide.  

Here is the email I sent (you can see why it was hard to choose!):

**************

I hope it's okay for me to submit several. I have friends subscribe to my Facebook posts just to see what my kids are saying. So I just picked out a few favorites. Hope you can use something. Thank you!
Mom's Name: Julie Davis
Springfield, MO
Phone: 417-536-1952

Allyson, 3

• Waiting her turn for a haircut, my 3-year-old daughter began watching a stylist shampooing another customer's hair. This was her first time in an adult salon (in the kids salon they don't shampoo hair). After watching for a few minutes, she matter-of-factly asked, "Do you wash bodies, too?"
• We were waiting for a waiter to clear off a table. When he began taking the half-empty beer bottles, my 3-year-old daughter Allyson exclaimed, "Don't take those!"
• A woman asked my 3-year-old daughter if she goes to school yet. She replied, "No, I go to parties."
• My 3-year-old, Allyson was in a restaurant bathroom, singing at the top of her lungs. The restaurant was small so everyone in the dining room could hear. After quieting her down I said, "I love you." she responds, "I know. I do too."
• Our girls, 7 and 3, went outside in their play clothes to check on the pool Daddy just filled up. They were not supposed to get wet. When they came inside my husband asked our 3-year-old, "Allyson, are you all wet?" Her reply: "No, my clothes are!"
• On the way home from camping in Branson, we were listening to the Rascal Flats song "I Won't Let Go." When it was over, our 3-year-old daughter said, "That was really pretty." There was slight pause. Then she added, "It was really deep."
• Me to my 3-year-old daughter, Allyson: "Look at the beautiful sky." Allyson: "Where Mommy, where?" 

Nicole, 7

• We were saying bedtime prayers when I asked my daughter if there was something really difficult she needed God's help with. She answered, "To stop sneaking candy when mom isn't looking."
• I was telling my 7-year-old daughter about the time I lived overseas for a year. It was 1993. Incredulous she asked, "Wow! You lived in the old days?"
• My 7-year-old daughter, Nicole entered a drawing at church for a Wii. Before she left for class she said, "It's okay if I don't win. I'll just ask Santa for one." She didn't win.
• My husband and 7-year-old daughter were wrestling. My daughter got hurt and was crying. I Jokingly asked if she needed me to beat up Daddy. She responded, "No, I can do it myself."
• In car playing "I Spy" with my 7-year-old daughter, Nicole, and three of her friends. My husband, who is bald, was driving. I started the game with, "I see something tall and round." The girls guess my husband's head! 

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Anyway, make sure to pick up the January issue of Parent Magazine and find Nicole's prayer request featured in the Blooper section. 

Cherish Kids Run

I started this post last August and have never gotten around to finishing it. This year I started to get involved with a ministry at our church called "Cherish Kids." It is designed to help foster kids in the area get adopted and out of the system. Every year they do a fundraiser called a Cherish Kids 5K/10K.

Britt and I planned to run in the race. Yeah, that got as far as me running around the neighborhood one time for "training." Anyway, turns out Britt had to work so I wouldn't have been able to run it with both the girls. But, they also have a "Kids K" that the little ones can run. Nicole and Allyson were all exited.

By the time we got there to pick up our shirts, they were out of Allyson's size. So, we took the smallest they had and made do.

Here's Nicole doing her calisthenics before the race.

And push-ups!

Here's Allyson wondering what the heck is going on. The kids were grouped according to age so Nicole was in another group.

Ready to go!

And they're off! Nicole is in the bottom left behind the girl in the bright pink shirt.

The finish line

Next was Allyson's race. Nicole was pretty happy about her medal! She decided to run alongside her little sister. I was pretty thankful for that!

It didn't start out so good. I cannot tell you how proud I am of this little girl getting back up and finishing the race! She had a pretty bloody owie.

 Not necessarily happy but they both finished!

Once again, we find ourselves at a first aid booth. Why is this so familiar??

This lady was going to run alongside Allyson and her daughter in the race. She didn't end up needing to since Nicole did. I would have but I was trying to juggle both girls and the camera so it was a little tricky.

After the race it was all about fun and games. 

Notice how Allyson has her own way of going down the slide!

And bowling.

Even Mom got into the racing spirit.

Other pictures from the day...