11.13.2013

More October

Pumpkin spice muffins with cinnamon chips. The boys helped put the bats in. According to Alex, the ones flying low are babies, the ones flying high are the mommies and daddies, and the ones flying really high are the grandparents.
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Lowes Build and Grow Workshops. Our kids love these clinics. Alex has become particularly good at hammering in the nails these days. He has "workshop class" every Wednesday at school where he learns to use tools and glue, and it has certainly improved his ability to hammer the nails. If we get it started, he can usually hammer it in (fairly straight) the rest of the way.
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A fashion statement. It was probably 75ยบ the day he decided to put on his hat and gloves. One can never be too prepared, I suppose.
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Another fashion statement. It looks a little Rastafarian if you ask me, but it's supposed to be a spider hat he made at school for Halloween.
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Pumpkin poses. One silly. One who models like a pro. They both posed themselves.
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Costume show. A ferocious T-Rex – and please don't try and call him cute. You'll be corrected. He was ferocious.
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The school costume "parade." (I use the word parade very loosely.) The teacher introduced the children one at a time and told all the parents what each of the costumes was. Every child stood there quietly, and, when she introduced Alex as a dinosaur, he let out a LOUD ROAR with perfect comedic timing. The entire room erupted into laughter. He was making his statement – ferocious, not cute. Look carefully. He brought out the claws and everything.
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Cutest Mike Wazowski you'll ever see. Ask him who he was dressed up as, and he'd tell you, "Mike (with a click of his tongue for the "k"; he always makes a click of his tongue for the letter k or hard c sounds if they fall at the end of a word) Wowski from Ma Inc. (one more tongue click)." I. Could. Eat. Him. Up.
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Ready for fun at the local church carnival. Games, bounce houses, free food. We even got to bring some of the free food home with us. Chili dog spilled right on Mike's eye and left horn. Because Halloween's no good without a soiled costume, right?
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The big night! Hitting the neighbors' houses before we went to our Halloween shindig with friends. This house was decked out with all kinds of decorations. The boys loved it!
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And the finest little crew of trick-or-treaters to knock on doors in the entire Roanoke Valley. The T-Rex, the astronaut, Mike Wowski from Ma Inc., the queen, and the mermaid. Their footsteps crunched the dried-up fallen leaves as they sprinted from house to house, raking in chocolate like there was no tomorrow.
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A handful left to share. Be back soon...

11.12.2013

October - Noni and Pop Pop's visit

Hands down my favorite month of the year. The leaves. The weather. The pumpkin farms. The farm days. The carnivals. The costumes. I love it all.

One thing that made this October extra, super special was a visit from Noni and Pop Pop. Here are some pics from their visit.

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Noni took the boys and I shopping for Halloween decorations and our traditional shirts. We are nothing if not Griswold, people. ;-)
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The boys each got a door to decorate – while wearing their costumes. Because shouldn't all Halloween decorating be done in costume?
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We went to the Homestead Creamery Farm Day – an annual tradition.
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Pony rides, hay rides, wagon train rides...
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Roo showed off his mad scooter skills. I continue to be amazed at this kid's sense of balance.
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We had walks to enjoy the fall weather and check out the houses in the neighborhood that were all decked out for Halloween.
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Checking out one of the haunts...a homemade cemetery.
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And what walk would be complete without a little acorn gathering this time of year?
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And we took a day trip to Charlottesville. We could have spent a couple of days there. It was a neat little town – home of UVA and home to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, which I will see one day because it did not happen on this trip!
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While our historical site tours didn't happen, we did take the boys to a children's museum and also let them ride this cute little hand-pushed carousel. Needless to say, they were in heaven. =)
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I still have more October to share. Stay tuned...