Haunted Happenings

We love the Overton Gym Carnival.  The kids go for the booths.  I go for the popcorn.  

One of our favorite traditions.

Toilet paper bowling.

Jack is an expert.  Hmm I wonder why?

Halloween piano recital.  Jack and Jara both played wonderfully,

they are making great progress, and thankfully with the completion of the recital I can ban the "trolley" song.  Christmas music now dears.  Although Jingle Hell, Bells, whatever, isn't much better.

Carving.  Jara and Elise setting up the scene.

Jara doesn't like pumpkin guts so she improvised rubber gloves out of a few Lin's sacks and rubber bands.  Girlfriend's not messing around.  I thought the rubber bands to hold them in place were really quite genius.  Trial and error she explained.

Elise with her unicorn pumpkin.  "Mom, I want a unicorn!"  Moment of silence.  

Thank you pinterest for having a unicorn pumpkin.

Jack's deer pumpkin he carved at a later date with dad.  

Deer, unicorn, clearly my children need to read a Halloween book about jack o'lanterns with triangles.

Pumpkin Patch Time

I braved the 88* weather (and Renn) and met Jack's class at the ag farm 

for a little pumpkin picking fun.

Jack with his great pumpkin.

How Renn feels about pumpkins.  Boo!

How Renn feels about miniature goats!  Yay!!!

Elise picking out her "little, baby pumpkin."

Kindergarten was brave and trekked a couple of miles for their bounteous harvest.

By the end there were a few tears, some blood, and lots of sweat.  

Poor little kiddies, it was only a fallish' 90* that day. 

I love Elise's class they are adorable.  I love her patient, well-organized teacher.  I love the excitement of 5-year-olds!  The pumpkin patch is always the best field trip even if it is a bit treacherous.  

Elise and Rodney.  

We will put this in the slideshow if Rodney can handle being her loyal subject.  

Happy Halloween

Bless schoolteachers everywhere Halloween was on a Monday.  Downright spooky!  

The school celebrates with a Halloween parade.  Jara and her lovely friend Brielle were twinsies completely by chance.  Apparently their mom's both shop on Amazon.

Jack wanted to be Babe Ruth.  I tried to get him to stuff his shirt and carry a stogie he said NO.  Something about it being embarrassing and bad for your lungs.  Jed made the shirt for his costume.  His technical engineering (straight lines) and artistic skills combined to create an authentic Yankees shirt, most people did not realize was created with a Sharpie.

Here is my proud peacock!  She strutted her stuff good!  Little things like this make me realize she really is a grown-up kindergartner!  sniff....

Halloween night, ready to trick-or-treat.

Me and my puppy.  I always call Renn "my puppy" so I found him an adorable puppy costume and you can't have a Dalmatian without a Cruella.  I pulled him all through the neighborhood in the wagon and he was a pro.  We went to about 5 houses and then he was perfectly happy to just sit in the wagon and eat his loot.  

It's a Thug Life

4th of July

Taking the kiddies to the fairground festivities.

Trying to get a picture with the flag shirts.  Trying...

The part where we were bad parents and sneaked away to GARTH!  

Jed's work buddy asked us in January if we wanted tickets, of course.  What is more American then a Garth Brooks concert on the 4th of July?

Even after 20+ years I still remember every single word and Garth has still got it.  

He even played my favorite song.  Bucket list-check.

Renn's First Haircut

Renn is lighter than my other babies and was not born with a full head of hair. 

 He had less hair on his first birthday than Jara had at birth!  However, it has been multiplying exponentially  all summer.  It was getting long with the cutest curls in the back, I didn't want to cut it he worked hard to grow it, plus it was so soft and pretty, which is exactly why Jed wanted to cut it!

He was smiling the whole time and never cried.  I have not experienced this in the past,  another reason I was holding out  on cutting his hair.  

After we cut it he looked like a real toddler.  Sniff.  Not my baby.

Elise was very sad we cut off his "cute, little rat tail."  

Maybe we'll grow it back out and go with the mullet trend.  

Cause he's the Baby

He really likes sunglasses, wearing them, breaking them, eating them.

Trying to escape out Aunt Ashley's doggie door. Just the right size.

Clearly he has older sisters.  Driving Elise's old Minnie mobile and wearing Jara's sunglasses. 

 Riding in fashion.  He's really quite fast on that thing.

Loving the library's resident dog.  Buck probably hasn't had a bath in 30 years.  

Of course that's why the children love him.

Going extra speedy with Jack power.

Cozy in the bike trailer.  Our new form of entertainment.

Folding his arms.  

Swimming shyness.