My Trick-R-Treaters

In our neighborhood we (my friend Cheryl, myself and a handful of ladies on the activity committee) organize a community halloween party at the park that is always well attended! We have a chili/pie cookoff with prizes, game booths, and a cake walk it is a great time to just connect with our neighbors!

We usually do it the Sat just before Halloween, but some years it will fall on the same night as trick r treating. That makes the day very long! My family is always great about helping us prepare for it and setting up and picking up the slack when I can't. We had a successful carnival despite the wind, and then had just enough time to cleanup and regroup before it was time to head out to trick r treat!

This year we had a pirate, a leprechaun, a motocross racer, a power ranger and a very sticky turtle!



We used to all go out together, and now it has become 3 separate groups. Aubrey went to a friends house for a party, Ashton and a friend went out in a group, and Carter, Parker, Hunter and I went to another neighborhood where they have a trunk r treat and so car to car is easier than house to house! Rick stays home and hands out the treats. It was a fun night and everyone had a good time, got lots of treats and all were home asleep by 9! Church is at 9 am, so I'm glad it wasn't too late!

After church (yes, we get in pj's at noon!) they were all able to sit down for the traditional candy trading session! Notice top right of photo...this is the prime example of why my husband things that robes are USELESS! Notice the bare chest and the blue boxers?! Haha...this kid can never keep his robe tied!



It was a fun weekend, but I am SO relieved it has finally past...now to gear up for Thanksgiving!

Halloween Parties

I find myself always crazy, busy, around holidays, which, if I'm being honest, is really my own doing! I like to be involved at school, church and the community! However, being involved also means being busy and that sometimes can become very overwhelming!

This week I signed up to help in Parker's class for the Halloween party. I already had to bring treats since it was Parker's bday, so I figured just do it! I had some great moms who helped. We played halloween bingo and used candy corns as the markers. Then we made ghost tootsie pops (my friend taught at church the week before and they were her handouts to always have the "holy ghost" with us...cute), then we had rootbeer in a kettle with dry ice...the kids loved that part! It was fun to be a part of the class!

Parker (red power ranger) celebrated his bday with 12 of his friends after school that same day...once again, overachiever, just want to cram all the activities in 1 day and knock them out!

We had ghost cucpcakes, juice, pinata, treat bags, and played pin the bat and pass the pumpkin. Everyone had a great time and I was thrilled to have day 1 of our 2 day halloween plans over with!

Happy Birthday, Parker!

Can't believe my trick or treat 7 years ago was this special kid! Halloween is SO much better in this house by getting to celebrate his life on such a kid holiday! This picture sums him up in a nutshell. He is tender, cute, sweet, tempting ornery, and joyful!

He laughs all the time...you know that laugh that other people do when they are obnoxiously fake laughing, that bugs the heck out of us, well, it's like that but HIS laugh is sincere and you can't help but smile!

When he was 2 we decided to have another baby, but it took us another 2 years to have one. Looking back, I was so thankful for those 4 years that I was able to REALLY enjoy him and watch him grow and have so much mommy time with him! I have loved having him be a part of our growing family and have enjoyed the joyful spirit that he is!

Garage Sale Find!

So, my kids like going to the Dr's. office for 1 reason only and that is to play at the activity table, BUT, I am a MEAN mom and never let them!

Does it bother anyone else that we are at a medical office where people take their sick kids and then they let them all play on a community toy?!

I checked these out online and they were pricey! A price I could NEVER justify! So, I happened to be at a garage sale and saw this...they wanted $100! Which compared to what I saw they cost new was still fair, but NO WAY was Rick going to ever approve of the purchase (yes, I approve ALL purchases (with the exception of food) by him! It keeps us agreed so we don't fight about $)...It's a good thing! So, I mulled over it for hours, REALLY, I came across the table at 9 and by noon, I couldn't think about anything else. I talked Rick into going back, and hoping it was still there, offer them considerably less since the garage sale day was winding down.

Rick gave me strict instructions to stay in the car or I could blow the bargaining strategy. So I did, I watched him walk up, say something, she said SOLD and I jumped out of the car, cheering! Yes, I am THAT insane! We bought it for $50!!!!!! I was so stoked!

We contemplated saving it for the big holiday, but I had NO hiding places left in our house for it! It was in excellent shape. We brought it home and Carter and Parker and Hunter were so excited and said, "We never have to go to the DR's again!"

So funny....so here they are enjoying our treasure!

FYI, I have to have a yard sale next week to pay for it, but it is WORTH it!!!

Rachel's Dr's office is now open, and I promise it will be 100% sanitary!

Hunter's "Beautiful" Rug

So, I wish I could take credit for the tender sweet things my 2 yr old says. For those of you who really "know" me, you wonder where he learns these phrases, too!

Lately, everything is "cute" and "boo-tiful" to Hunter, he expresses himself so well and at the right places in conversation.

So today while I did my routine of checking the clearance end caps for anything fun, useful, or awesome that was 75% off at Target we came across this $80 rug, there was 1 left and it was only $19! I thought it might go great in the little boys room and got it, knowing that if I didn't LOVE it, I would return it!

Hunter woke up from his nap, saw the new rug and got SO excited and said, "Mommy it's bootiful!!" He then got up and immediately started dumping out toys and playing, all the while repeating how boo-tiful" it was!

I love my sweet, expressive, tender, funny boy and my NEW rug!

Shower in the kids room!

One of the things that agitates my OCD is to see bookshelves that aren't perfectly stacked by size, shape and color. When I walk past them I have to stop and fix them, this could be an endless task. So, I have had a dilemna with the bookshelves in the little boys rooms, the books are constantly read and put back in the wrong places and sometimes shoved in. I DO appreciate that they are "reading", but the aftermath is stressful! While my mom was here we thought of sewing curtains and using spring rods to "block" the chaos from my view, but I just didn't see what I liked or could afford!

Here was the solution I found for $2.48 thanks to my fav store Target! The print perfectly matches the colors in their room. Don't get me wrong if I had unlimited spending, this is not what I would have "dreamed" of doing, but it was affordable, functional and was an easy solution to my problem!

So, Rick doesn't understand it and says it looks like we have a shower stall in their room, especially with their robes hooked on either side. Hunter said "It's so cute, mommy, watch me hide!" and the older kids thought it was awesome! So I am at peace, shower stall and all!

Here is a view open, the shelves are on both sides of the cubby area:



Here it is while Hunter is hiding:



Here is the closeup detail, I love the design and colors!

The Mental Quilt

In August when my mom was here she began a project with Carter who is 10. He wanted to learn how to sew. Mom is always patient and kind and smart, so I was happy to have her teach him. I was thinking more along the lines of bean bags, she thought a quilt would be the easiest for repetitive straight stitch sewing. She bought the fabric, a print, a solid and batting, stayed up late cutting all the squares and got him started! He was to put batting in between the print and solid and basically sew an X, then when they were all sewn together there was to be about 1/4-1/2" for the frayed look on the back.

Before we knew it time had run out and they had to go back home. Carter knew how to sew the squares together and then I would need to help with the rows and the binding. I was all for the quilt making until I realized I had to see it completed under my direction! Yikes! After my mom left, we would take it out and Carter would sew a few rows and then move on to something else. The process kept dragging on, and I feared it would never be complete!

So, there it sat, for over a month, in my bedroom, staring me in the face every morning, and every night. My mental quilt. It was going to be so amazing when it finally got done and I was determined to do it! This past Mon it was cold and rainy and I sent the school kids off and settled in for the long haul! I was able to get all 14 rows of 12 squares sewn and together, making sure to leave the last 2 rows for Carter to complete. Rick was great and picked up more thread and the bias tape to finish it off!

I was so thrilled with each stitch as I got closer and closer to being done. The other great joy I felt was knowing this would be Carter's "ta-da" moment, so I wasn't critical of any mistakes I made, because I was essentially helping a 10 yr old finish "his" project!

So here it is, the quilt that took hours to sew and a month of mental attention! Carter loves it, and it is special to me because it was something he did with my mom and I was able to be a part of!