Halloween Playgroup at the Park!

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to catch up with some old friends at their Halloween Playgroup at the Park. It was a bit chilly, but Anneli had fun playing, giving her little treat bags she helped put together, and getting some treats too! Fun times--even if it was rather chilly! :)

Anneli and AC.

A VERY cold Little Pirate.

Anneli (bundled up Dorothy!) and a bunch of friends gathering their treats!Sliding down the slide!

It's not supposed to be so windy and chilly tonight--thank goodness!!!

Annual Pumpkin Carving

Yesterday after school, I took Christopher to pick out another pumpkin, since his other pumpkin was stolen. He thought it was pretty cool because his new pumpkin is much bigger than his old one.

Before Shaun got home, we started getting the pumpkins ready. We cut the top and emptied out the "seeds and ikky gook"--that's what Anneli called it!

(Photo my little photographer, Christopher)

Then we baked the pumpkin seeds. The kids LOVED them!

When Daddy came home he helped them cut out the faces they drew on their pumpkins.

The artists with their finished masterieces.
Here are their pumpkins glowing. Be sure to check out Anneli's Pumpkin below...**

**She has earrings!**

Carving pumpkins together is always such a fun time and a great family memory!

“May the Force be with you.”

Yes, the Star Wars theme seems to be the costume of choice among young boys this year! At least that is what we saw at the Cub Scout Pack Meeting/Halloween Party last night. Christopher was dressed in his Anakin Skywalker costume that I made. Oops wait a minute, I forgot, Christopher changed his character, he is Luke Skywalker NOT Anakin anymore. He found out that Anakin is Darth Vader, and he wasn't happy about that!

Anyway, the party last night was super fun! Shaun was running late from work, so Anneli and I ran Christopher over and ended up staying even after Shaun got there. I wasn't planning on staying, but it looked like it was going to be too much fun to just leave and go home! The boys got into their Den units and made their way around 6 different activities that each Den Leader was in charge of. Shaun was in charge of 'Alien Disection'. Check out the pictures below!

Activity Number 1 was 'Alien Disection'. As you can see from the pictures there was a little green alien and you had to stick your fingers in slits in his head and in his stomach and pull out his insides. It was pretty ikkkky! Shaun was the Den Leader in charge of this activity and he couldn't believe all the boys that didn't like to get their fingers dirty with a little green pudding! :)

Activity Number 2 was 'The Mummy Wrap'. The den was divided in two groups. Each group chose a boy who would be wrapped and the other two would wrap him like a mummy. Christopher volunteered to by a 'Mummy'! Activity Number 3 was 'Marshmallow Races'. You hold a spoon in your mouth with a marshmallow on it and you run from one side of the room to the next and back. Christopher kept dropping his marshmallow! It was fun to watch the kids--some were so cautious while others were fast!

Activity Number 4 was Anneli's favorite, 'Decorating & Eating Cupcakes'. YUMMM!!

Activity Number 5 was 'Pumpkin Sweep'. You use a broom and sweep your pumpkin down the driveway and back. It was harder than it looked--those pumpkins can get away!

What a super fun night for everyone! Christopher must have been whipped, because he slept in this morning! Early to bed tonight! :)

Pumpkin Drama

Christopher and his Pumpkin.



On Saturday morning during our rush to swimming and soccer, Shaun asked me where Christopher's pumpkin was. I told him the small one went to school and the big one was sitting on our front steps with Anneli's big pumpkin. He told me it was GONE! Someone took poor Christopher's big pumpkin! How could someone steal a pumpkin off someone's steps!? Mean Pumpkin Thief! We checked the road to see if someone smashed it--isn't that what usually happens? No sign of pumpkin guts anywhere! I even called my parents to see if they were playing a trick on us. Nope. Someone stole our pumpkin! Crazy world we live in. I was very proud of Christopher, he handled the situation very maturely. But I was upset, it took Christopher FOREVER to pick out his perfect pumpkin and I'm going to have to go to another place and have him choose another! UGH! We plan on carving our pumpkins tonight, so we will be heading on another pumpkin advenure--fun, fun, fun!

Here is a note Christopher wrote to whoever stole his big pumpkin.

Dear pumkin thef,
ples pumkin thef bring back my
big pumkin. did you know you are steeling from a kid. I did not carve it yet. I
wanted to carv my pumkin with my dad. BRING MY PUMKIN BACK NOW! ~Christopher

Should you vote for Obama or McCain?

With the Presidential Election finally only 1 week away, I thought I'd post this quiz for those of you who may still be undecided. I have a tendency to follow politics pretty closely and I already made my decision awhile ago, but I took the quiz anyway, and the results were just as I thought...I will vote for John McCain next Tuesday.

Take the test and let me know if your results match who you will be voting for!!

Should You Vote for Obama or McCain? I took the quiz. Here were my results! Your Issue Profile: 24% Obama, 76% McCain

When it gets down to it, you tend to best match John McCain.

Should You Vote for Obama or McCain?

Pumpkin Painting

Today,after school, the kids wanted to do something fun, but I really needed to get something done in the house! It's a disaster and of course I've been gallivanting all day!

I set the kids up in the kitchen with paints and told them they could paint their smaller pumpkins they picked out a few weeks ago.

I don't think this one is going to dry any time soon...

Fun times!

I've been TAGGED!

I've been TAGGED by Ashley.

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago...
1.) Just moved back home from Utah.
2.) Building a long distance relationship with Shaun...
(we met in June 1998 he was in Virginia and I was in CT)
3.) Working at the Hartford Insurance Company.
4.) Taking a few lingering college courses.
5.) Figuring out what I was going to do with my life...

5 Things on my "To-Do" list today...
1.) Clean my house
2.) Do laundry
3.) Go to Lunch Bunch
4.) Get Christopher another BIG Pumpkin (Someone stole his off the front steps on Friday night!)
5.) Make dinner

5 Snacks I enjoy...
1.) Rice Krispie Treats
2.) Junior Mints
3.) Popcorn with butter!
4.) Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
5.) Doritos

5 Things I'd do if I were a Millionaire...
1.) Build our dream home.
2.) Save money for our kids education.
3.) Travel all over the world.
4.) Surprise family and friends with gifts for no reason at all!!!
5.) Save some for a rainy day!

5 Places I've Lived...
1.) Brookfield, MA
2.) Plainville, CT
3.) Logan, UT
4.) Plainville, CT
5.) Bristol, CT

5 Jobs I've Had...
1.) Random Babysitting jobs when I was younger.
2.) Grocery Store Cashier
3.) Old Navy
4.) Hartford Insurance Company
5.) Mommy!!

5 People I tag
1.) Jessica Mansfield
2.) Mandy Ostaszewski
3.) Sarah Rogers
4.) Diane Stone
5.) YOU!!!!

Rules: Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person that tagged you know when you’ve answered the questions on your blog.

I've been a little busy...

In the middle of all my regular weekly 'Mommy duties', like dropping kids at school, kidzersize, music class, 2 soccer practices, swim lessons, soccer games, Christopher had three shortened days and parent conferences at Christopher's school I had time to finish Christopher & Anneli's Halloween Costumes. I was pretty happy with them, since they were the first clothes that I EVERY sewed! Not too bad...

Christopher is Anakin Skywalker.


Anneli is Dorothy, from the Wizard of Oz.


I was lucky to have gotten them done Saturday morning, because we had "Trunk or Treat" at our church Saturday evening. Our church has an annual Trunk or Treat party at church, usually the week before Halloween. Check out our slide show from last year--HERE. The kids look so little!! It's amazing how much they grow from year to year!

What is Trunk or Treat you ask? It's where people gather and park their cars in a large parking lot. They open their trunks or the backs of their vehicles and decorate them. Then they pass out candy from their trunks.

Like last year, the weather did not cooperate and the kids went from classroom to classroom gathering treats. It was a lot of fun!

Sew Busy...

Can you guess what I am sewing?!?!?
Wish me luck!

Weekend Review!

As usual, it was a wild and crazy weekend here! Our weekend pretty much started Tuesday when my sister Jessica flew in from South Carolina with her family to surprise our Mother for her 50th Birthday. She was super surprised. The kids all knew and did a great job keeping it a secret!

This weekend started out with a Pancake Birthday Breatfast at Meme and Pepe's house with Meme, Pepe, Aunt Jess, Uncle Nick, Cole, Carter, Aunt Valerie, Johann and us! Then off and running to soccer pictures at the park. Then a LONG soccer game. Thanks for coming to watch everyone!



It was funny, I was on one side of the soccer field with Val and Johann and I couldn't find Shaun. Take a look in the photo above...see Shaun sitting watching us!? He called me on his cell laughing at us! Ha ha!

After the soccer game, Cole and Carter modeled their Halloween costumes from their Grandmother Mansfield. Way cool guys!

Next, we flew some little finger kites. Well, we tried to anyways...
We gave up with the kites and then played with a BIG BEACH BALL. Everyone got in on the BIG BEACH BALL game!
Then we went inside and had Cake and Ice Cream.
We watched movies with Aunt Val and Johann too!
We even took lots of pictures together!

What a wild, crazy and fun weekend with family! :) We all hated to see it end, but couldn't wait until Monday so we could rest!