Halloween 2010

I love Halloween. I think that it's my favorite holiday.

I got a lot smarter this year. Previous years, I have scrambled to make Halloween costumes. I let the kids choose anything they want, and then I spend weeks and weeks in a panic, hoping I'll be done in time. This year, I had purchased costumes for the kids. AND, I got them on clearance LAST year. I was sure to pick things that I believed the kids would like, but I absolutely, positively did not consult them on this matter.

It turned out great.

The little girls were Sharpei and Gabrielle from High School Musical. Ginger would have preferred to be Sharpei (her life long wish is to be blond), but the other dress fit her better.


They were so cute. It took me hours to curl Ginger's hair. (Ok - so maybe I'm exaggerating. Wouldn't be the first time. But, it sure FELT like hours).



CoCo only let me work on hers for a few minutes.


Maddie wouldn't let me touch her hair at all. Maddie has the most beautiful hair in the world, and she never lets me anywhere near it. I had visions of straight, very Egyptian looking hair (until Maddie informed me that Cleopatra was Greek).



Owen has become very camera shy. It took a lot of bribing and threatening to get these few pictures. He is the cutest Jedi knight that I have ever seen.





The kids (and mom!!) were so excited to wear Halloween costumes 3 days in a row. We we to a Halloween party at the haunted dojo where they take karate, spent an evening on a horse farm with Owen's friends (with horses in costume - if you can imagine that), and Halloween night trick-or-treating with Maddie's friends. It was a fantastic weekend.



And, I am proud to report that I have already bought 3 out of 4 kids costumes for next year. 90% off at Walmart. Can't beat it.

Another Year at the Gourd Farm

This was our second annual trip to the Green Level Gourd Farm in Apex. (Although it was actually Owen's first trip - last year, he was in DC for his "boys only" trip). We love this little farm - it really gets us in the mood for fall and Halloween.

We started our day in the mini corn maze. I am too directionally challenged for full-size corn field mazes, so this one was perfect for us. No one got lost. In fact, I could stand at the edge and watch everyone without ever entering the maze myself. (I didn't. The sign said that parents had to accompany children, and we follow every single rule that is on a sign).



Then, we moved on to the haunted hay ride. Calling it haunted is a little bit of a stretch, really, but the kids get a big kick out of it. This picture is probably the most haunting part of the entire ride.


Here is Owen, ready for anything. He was very disappointed that the hay ride didn't take place in the dark. (However, Owen later had the chance to go on a very haunted hay ride. I could hear him screaming from the other side of the farm. He could not sleep by himself for weeks after that. I am a bad mother. I should not have let him go.).


Funny story - Owen wore his "Jukebox the Ghost" shirt almost non-stop during the Halloween season. I think he thinks the "ghost" has something to do with Halloween! He cracks me up.

After the hayride, we got to play with the many toys and activities that they have on the farm. We stayed for hours. There's so much to do (although, to be honest, we could do most of these things in our own back yard. There is something about being away from home that makes it so much more fun).

They loved pushing each other around on these horse swings.




And had fun driving around the tractors.


Maddie's favorite is pretending to lasso steer and horses.



There were lots of things to climb, crawl thru, and slide down.








We spent a long time just playing games.




And, of course, there were the pumpkins. Er....I mean gourds? I don't know. Either way, this is one of the best parts.




After pumpkins have been selected, you are allowed to decorate your pumpkin with stickers and markers for FREE! You have to pay a few dollars for the pumpkins, but you can decorate to your heart's content.



I have to say, I felt a little sad about the kids growing up. As I watched them play, I realized that this wouldn't be fun for them much longer. In fact, Maddie spent more time hanging out with me than she did with the other kids. I enjoy my kids so much at every age, and I am excited to be a part of them growing up. But they sure aren't babies any more. This was a day for little kids and this a place for families with small children. We aren't going to be that family much longer. It's kinda sad for me.

But - we had a wonderful time. It was a beautiful day and the kids are still talking about the fun that they had.


Happy Birthday Owen!

I am so far behind on everything these days. I don't know if I'll ever catch up.

Owen's birthday was weeks ago, and I am only posting now. Oh well.



It was a happy one. Owen enjoyed decorating his own cake, and got some very fun presents.


Happy Eighth Birthday Owen!!!



So Happy Together

This is (hopefully) the last Disney post. These are some pictures that show how much fun we had just being together.