the Great Pumpkin Carve of 2012

Tis the season!  Last night we tackled the big job of carving up the pumpkins.  I was reminiscing about when Ethan was 2 and I took him to a pumpkin patch and we came home and carved a pumpkin and it was no big thing.  Fun, over in 10 minutes, such a fun memory!  And now, it's still fun, but it's a big thing.  Four kids gutting pumpkins is a big deal.  So, here we go. . .

 Emilee worked on this pretty kitty. . .

 Chandler worked on his photo bombing skills, and Heidi enjoyed it.

 And then things got really silly.  Emilee worked on her curtsy. . .

 Here are the finished products.  Ethan did the goblin

 Here is Aidan's scary skeleton

 And Chandler is so proud of his "doodle jump!"  The eye fell off half way through carving, but he came up with this little google eye on a stick to replace.  Always resourceful, that kid!

Looking forward to trick or treats tomorrow!  Almost there. . . almost there . . . almost there. . .  I must admit a little relief with November 1st around here.  The end of soccer season and halloween winding up always feels like a big breath of air!

Trunk or Treat

Tonight was the trunk or treat!  And it was the first time since we did Peter Pan 6 years ago that we have all dressed up.  It was so much fun!  We had:

Alice

 the lady bug made a second (and snugger) appearance

 Aidan came up with this Elmo all on his own, and since he dispises dressing up, I was so pleased to see him make a little effort.  It was cute!

 Our Astronaut

 the Mime

 and Gordon and I went as Mary Poppins and Bert.  We had a great time!

Sharing

Um, what cha got there, Dad?

Why don't you put some of that right in here. . .

 Yummy!

a helping heart is a happy heart

These pictures were sneakily taken out our front window.  I was so proud of Aidan and Emilee this week.  They have noticed our sweet neighbor trying to clean up her leaves dutifully every day.  Concerned the job may be getting too big for her, they headed out without being asked and raked her whole driveway and lawn.  Why is it so much more fun to do someone else's chores?  I was proud of them and even though I don't know if she even noticed that the job had been done, it was a big help to her.  Good kids.

 

makeover

Does a blog makeover count for a post this week?  I think it will have to do for now.  I've been thinking it was time to make it official and add Heidi to our family picture.  Don't you?

the red bathroom, before and after!

A year after moving in, I am finally getting around to some home improvement projects, IN the house.  We decided to get the yard in first, which I think was a great move.  But, as the school year began, I was ready to tackle something.  Gordon suggested this bathroom, lovingly named the "red bathroom" due to it's terra cotta flooring.  This is not only the master bathroom shower, but also the guest bathroom when people come over, so it was a great place to start.  Here is the before:

 Would you believe EVERY room in our house was painted this flat, "sad white" color?  It's not white enough to be cheerful, just blah. . .  Also, every bit of trim and door in our home is this 1980 honey oak.  Slowly. . . the changes are begining.

And after a month . . .

 Gordon would like you to know that the pictures do not do the makeover justice.  I would agree, it's hard to get a picture in a small space.  But, suffice it to say, it has been quite a makeover.  I painted the window sash, as well as the trim around the doors white, then the walls got a light grey.  I added the frame around the mirror, changed the light fixture, and then decided to tackle the vanity.  I painted it with the same oil based enamel that I did the trim with and even painted the back splash.  Added hardware and changed the hinges and Voila!

 Welcome to my new favorite room.  Come on over and we'll hang out in the prettiest room in the house.

So what's next????  The other master bath?  The living room?  My bedroom?  I can't decide where to move onto. . . I've taken the week off while I waited for the new hinges to arrive, which was a nice break.  But now I'm ready for a little more painting I think. . . just not the kitchen yet.  That will be a killer!!!

Fancy Pants

Our little Heidi is quite the drama queen at meal times lately.  She does not want a plastic plate.  She wants a white plate like us!  She does not want a gerber spoon or kiddie fork, it must be a REAL fork!

So, I dug through the silver that Grandma Hazel left me, and found my dad's baby fork.  She loves it.  So now, our little Heidi is developing quite the taste for fine things, as she is eating with a silver fork.

 At least she's eating!!!

Welcome home! And. . .

All last week Ethan was at outdoor school.  He had a wonderful time!  Here he is.  As you can see, puberty hit while he was gone and he's grown a mustache.  Also, when the mustache is present, he speaks with an a Tennessee accent.

 I thought it would be fun to welcome him home with a treat, and then I figured out it was also Chandler's half birthday, AND Heidi's 14 month birthday.  So, a cake was made!

 We also sang a very happy "un-birthday" to Emilee and Aidan.

It was a great kick off for the weekend!