Colin Impersonating "The Wiggles"

He thinks they wear their pants really high.

November Heat Wave

We had some fabulous unseasonable weather last week. I've been trying to get the kids outside as much as possible before I go into hibernation mode this winter and the beautiful weather definitely helped encourage me to do that. Colin went out everyday last week to ride his bike which is especially exciting now that he can finally pedal it on his own. Then on Sunday the whole fam headed to the park to play on the playground. We only had Chris' phone to take pictures but here are a few shots of the boys enjoying the balmy temperature.

Trick-or-Treating

We were pumped for the kids to go trick-or-treating this year. Chris had the wagon ready, we put tons of layers under their costumes, and we were optimistic about the kids' behavior because Colin had such a great time last year and we figured Eli would just follow along with him this year. Colin told us he was pumped. Eli would get riled by Colin's excitement. Then we stepped out the door, there was a group of kids already at our house, and suddenly Colin didn't want to go. He only wanted to stay home with me and pass out candy. Now, I realize that passing out candy has been a highlight for him the past two years, but usually he trick-or-treats first and then helps me. I tried to explain there would be plenty of time for him to help after he came back. I tried to explain that if he missed trick-or-treating, he would have to wait an entire year before he could do it again. I appreciate his giving heart but I just didn't want him to regret his decision and wish he had gone. No amount of cajoling was going to work on him. We said good-bye to Daddy and Eli and he and I set up camp to pass out our treats. He seriously is the best helper. He dropped all his reservations with strangers and ran up to each kid who came to our house and placed the candy in their bag/bucket/etc. He would say things like "nice costume", "Happy Halloween", and "have a nice night". Where did this kid come from? Chris and Eli didn't stay out long since it was just the two of them. From what I understand, Eli was a bit reserved at the first house but quickly warmed up and was unabashedly taking handfuls of candy from subsequent houses. Cute this year, but we'll need to curb that behavior for next year. Hee hee! After returning, Eli went quickly to bed and it was just Colin and I again. After another 45 minutes or so, at about 7:30pm (please note that trick or treating lasts from 6:00-8:00 in our neighborhood), Colin announced that he was ready to go trick-or-treating. Seriously? Half the houses on our street had already turned out their lights or had run out of candy (we traditionally get over 150 kids in our neighborhood). But I couldn't say no to that sweet, excited face. We got Chris to take over our post on the porch (Colin said he wouldn't go unless Daddy took over passing out candy) and we headed out. I think we only walked around for 15-20 minutes, but it was enough for my little man and I was happy he got the experience. We turned our own lights off shortly after returning home and headed inside to warm up with hot chocolate and pumpkin pie. Of course Colin took a sip and a bite of each and decided he didn't like either. He requested grapes and crackers instead. Silly boy. I hope everyone else had a Happy Halloween too!

Nana and Papa's Halloween Party

Every year Nana and Papa have a Halloween party where all the grandkids (and sometimes the adults) get dressed up in their Halloween costumes to play games, do crafts, take pictures, and of course, get candy. This year's bash was fun as always. I just hope none of the pictures of me in the girls' sized Jessie costume get posted on the internet. LOL!

Buzz and Woody

Levi the Monkey with his Mama, Kara

Little Grace was a sweet bumble bee

Hannah, Autumn, and Emily

The boys: Alex, Drew, Colin, Eli, Josh, and Levi

 Colin waiting patiently to eat his donut on a string.

Eli opting to play with his costume's namesake instead.

On your mark, get set, go!

 Yum!

Balancing an egg on a spoon. Colin's big cousin Josh was there for support. :)

Sibling rivarly: Chris v. Kara

Buzz playing with Buzz.

Let's get that pinata open so we can eat the candy!

Brotherly love on the drive home. Aww!

Carving Pumpkins

Just trying to catch up on all our Halloween fun before we get too far into November. Eek!
This year when we carved pumpkins Colin got really into it. He usually doesn't like to get his hands messy but he dove right into it this year. He especially enjoyed helping pick out the seeds for me to roast. Of course, he never actually ate them but I thought they were yummy. This year we also let him help carve his pumpkin. He really liked that and was very proud of his creation. Surprisingly, Eli did not enjoy carving pumpkins this year. He wanted nothing to do with the gooey inards which is shocking considering how much he enjoys vaseline and other oozing substances. I personally was quite proud of the pumpkin I grew (Eli's)that wasn't quite entirely orange for Halloween but was close enough.

 

Halloween Crafts Gone Wrong

So, in the days leading up to Halloween I was inspired by a couple friends who had blogged about Halloween crafts they had done with their children. Both projects seemed really easy and both involved paint so I felt like Colin would definitely enjoy them. My arch nemesis in both tasks were Colin's thumbs. I either failed to notice the placement or lack thereof that opposable digit. I'm sure most people would have picked up on that little detail, but I am apparently not most people. Needless to say, the projects didn't quite turn out how I envisioned them and Colin refused to redo either. At least he had fun making the jenky-looking things.

Ghosts (aka "White Handprints on Black Paper")

To see what this craft *should* look like, visit Scribble and Splatters.

Spider (aka, "The Crab")

To see what *this* project should look like, visit There Goes My Life.