Halloween 2014

Wow, has it really been a month since my last post? Is it really November already?? Where has this past year gone! I figured that I would recap all of our fun Halloween events in just one quick post.



While visiting Grandma and Grandpa's house one weekend with cousins, the kids were all allowed to head out to the garden and pick a pumpkin. My two were even allowed to use a drywall saw to cut the vine on their own. They all had fun searching for the perfect pumpkin.

We co-hosted/attending a Trunk or Treat with some of our oldest local friends (and some new ones as well). We have been doing this since 2009 with a handful of the same families and it is so much fun to look back over the pictures and see how they have all grown.

I finally got a madeleine pan and the first ones I needed to make were these candy corn cookies!

I taught L's class on how to draw 3-d pumpkins using chalk pastels, and discussing shadow, lines, shape, and color.

We went to Frightful Fridays at a local library. The kids had off that day due to Fall Break, so we put on our costumes and headed in for games, crafts, and trick or treating to some local businesses tables set up.

We had a fun Halloween party with Cub Scouts! Each den made a game to play, we did Frankensteins head filled with brains, eyes, and spiders in his mouth. I also made these brain cupcakes with blood filling. Most boys were too grossed out to try one, and I must say that shocked me.

I went out of town for the day and Adam took the kids to carve pumpkins at a local place downtown. They then got to head back after dark to see all the pumpkins lit up along the street and bring their own pumpkins home. We also carved the pumpkins we picked from Grandpa's garden. Those were tough little pumpkins and I thought for sure I was going to walk away with a knife in my hand. Thankfully they were finished without incident.

Halloween night brought with it high winds, a severe drop in temps to the 30's, and rain/snow during trick or treat hours. We still braved it, but only hit up about half the houses we normally visit. D was of course the first one to get cold and complain (even though I told her to wear warm items under her costume and only be told that she was fine).

And last but not least friends of ours had a Halloween/Housewarming party the day after Halloween. The kids were excited to go to a "grown up" party, and that most people understood their costumes. (L was Han Solo, and D was Black Widow) (also see: Chicago Comic Con) The kids did an amazing job of being well behaved, and carrying on conversations with a bunch of people they had just met. At one point they were in charge of getting everyone's vote for the costume contest. There were a few different categories, each one making their own, and they then asked each person for their vote. They took this as serious work.

They then had fun announcing the winners! (They won one of the prizes)

Rain Gutter Regatta 2014

This is the beginning of our 3rd year in Cub Scouts, and it is time for the Rain Gutter Regatta once again! D even wanted to get in on it this year and made her own boat. Both kids sat down with Adam one day and drew out designs for their boats. Then another day they sat outside and sanded the balsa wood boat parts, and put on the first coat of paint. D decided to base her boat on the Titanic only with bombs on the side. We asked her if she was sure she wanted to base it off of the boat only known for sinking, and she thought it was hilarious. L made his into an eagle themed boat this year. He noticed that the front of it looked a little like a beak and claws. The last day, the kids putting finishing touches on the boat, decorated the sails, and then Adam sprayed them with a clear coat.

The day of the race was here! Luckily just was just a slightly chilly night, and no rain this year, which is always nice. Our tracks are real rain gutters, capped on both ends, filled with water, and 2 set next to each other on a table with 1 table per den. We only have 3 boys in our den this year, so our race went quickly.

Then it was time for the pixie race, this is the race for any of the siblings of the Scouts. Most are little sisters, but we have one little brother that can't wait to be a Scout as well. D and this boy are great friends, and always race against each other. He beat her at the Pinewood Derby, and she beat him in the Regatta race! In fact, D won her race!!!

D was doing such a great job that L decided to start calling her the Unsinkable Molly Brown due to her boat.

L came in 2nd in his den, so he was bumped into the finals. He did a wonderful job in the finals, winning most of his races.

It came down to this race. It was really close, and then he blew to hard, the front of his boat dipped down too far, and the other boy just barely pulled ahead.

He was a very happy kid to get a finalist medal!

D was very happy to get a 1st place ribbon! There is a funny story behind this picture. I had tried to get a nice picture of her with her ribbon and boat, but people kept walking in front of her. It got to the point where we just were laughing about it. One of the dads was watching the whole time, and then did a really funny photo bomb!

Our den getting their ribbons for the den race. These boys were all so proud, excited, and showed amazing sportsmanship!

This is going to be a great year in Scouts, I can just tell!

Here is last year's post!
Rain Gutter Regatta 2013
And check out all the cool stuff we do with Scouts!

Wood working with Dad

Adam has really gotten into antique wood working tools lately. We have gone to many flea markets, junk shops, and antique malls looking for inexpensive tools. A friend of his gave him a larger axe, and it all went downhill from there. A bad storm had come through the area ripping trees down all over the place, and unfortunately, a few of those in Adam's sister's yard. The sassafras tree was one that came down, and she gave Adam one of the chunks from the tree. This past weekend, he and the kids headed out back to split the log in half. Adam started by getting the wedges placed in, and then allowed the kids to help hammer the wedges all the way in until it split. It didn't take long at all, and they were all giddy with excitement!

Very proud kids!!!

Adam then went on to split it further and into planks. He is looking forward to trying to make a rocking chair from scratch this fall.

2nd grade field trip to the Snite

This year at school, the 2nd grade classes got to participate in a wonderful program! They get to take field trips to the Snite Museum of Art at Notre Dame University! We took our first trip last week. The kids were so very excited to ride a bus all the way there.

The museum had put together a video for the kids to watch the day before the trip, and so the kids knew that this sculpture was called The Griffin and were super excited to be standing in front of it. We also took a class photo in front of the museum where most of the kids were giving us their best museum pose.

Our wonderful guide showed us 5 different pieces of art, we got to discuss them, and learn more about the pieces themselves and the artists that created them.

After checking out the art work, we had a fun picnic lunch outside, and let the kids run out some of that energy. We then headed into the workshop to create our own art work. The kids got to make their own version of the art we studied. They were amazed to use watercolor pencils and paint the water on them.

Then back upstairs to begin the writing portion of our trip. Each student got to pick out one of their favorite moments of the day coming up with the beginning, middle, and end of what will become their story of the day.

I LOVED going with them and was so very thankful to be allowed to come along.

Berrien Springs Dam and St. Joe River

This past weekend, Adam decided to take us on a family field trip. We headed up to Berrien Springs Michigan. We parked the truck in town, and walked down to 4 different places along the Mighty St. Joe River. The kids had watched a neat program about how powerful and amazing water can be, and this was a way to show the kids the good things about a dam and hydro-electric power. It was an amazing day. The temps got a little warmer then we were expecting, so after a run at the playground and a long hike, we ducked into a local grocery store to pick up bottles of water and a box of root beer twin pops. What a fantastic day!!!