Lions, and Tigers, and Bears... Oh My!

Or, Vampires, and Mummies, and Skeletons... Oh My!!
That would be the more appropriate phrase, describing my little troop of Trick-or-Treaters on Halloween Night! Of course Dorothy was there too, to keep them all heading down the right path.

We had quite a busy, fun-packed night. Daddy had to work, so we planned to visit him and then meet some friends at a restaurant for dinner. Unfortunately, the process of getting 4 kids into their costumes took me longer than expected. We abandoned the face makeup and the sit-down dinner. We opted for In-n-Out as take-out and ate at the Fire Station with Daddy so he could check out the kids' costumes. Afterward, we joined up with a group of friends for Trick-or-Treating! The big kids ran ahead with the single goal of getting as much candy as possible! A couple of the younger ones stayed with Allison and I.
Allison took to Trick-or-Treating like a real pro. It didn't take her long to figure out what to do. I loved hearing her say "Trick or Treat" and "Thank you" at all the houses. So cute! She was an adorable Dorothy. I made her dress by altering a pattern for a dress. She had a little black Scottie dog in her basket as Toto. I tried to get the boys to go as TinMan, Scarecrow & Cowardly Lion, but they were having none of that! Too bad. That would have been cute!

My poor Ryan was so excited to be a mummy, at first. It started out great and looked fabulous. But as the night wore on, the costume just kept falling off him piece by piece. I guess the gazillion safety pins I put in it weren't enough to hold it all in place while running around. He stayed by me so I could keep wrapping him up over and over while walking. Ugh! I sure learned some do's and don'ts of the mummy costume. Trial and error for sure!

Blake ran along with all the big kids as a Skeleton. He so badly wanted his face painted but settled for white spray paint in his hair. He insisted that was best as "skulls are white, Mom!" He was very happy. (white paint was sprayed after picture. oops!)

Darren has always wanted to be a scary Halloween character. I finally gave in this year. We slicked back his hair and painted it black. He had some great looking teeth to bond onto his own, but they wouldn't stick well. Bummer. I made his vest and bow tie (don't look too closely, I'm no seamstress). I didn't have a pattern. I just bought a piece of fabric and held it up to him, started cutting and sewing. Surprisingly it turned out ok. He was happy, so that's all that matters.


After the candy collecting was over, we went back to our base home, The Hanshaws. Rachelle had made hot chocolate, wassail, and the yummiest home-made Apple Fritters!! They were quite a treat! The kids got to check out their loot, make trades, and play for a while while the grown-ups visited.
Overall the night was a huge success! The kids all had a blast and got more than their necessary share of cavity causing candy. I love the Fall and I love Halloween. Isn't it great?

Pumpkin Carving

I'm not sure who ever thought of this idea of carving faces in pumpkins, but I love the tradition. My kids enjoy it too. Even Daddy gets involved each year. The boys each chose their own design for their pumpkins this year and did them on their own (except Blake who required a little assistance). I think traditions are a great family-bonding experience and this is one for us! Here is what the boys created this year:

 

Cousins Visit

Jason's youngest sister, Emily, came to stay a few days with us. She has two adorable children- Daylen is 3 and Gwen is 9 months. Allison had so much fun having a playmate to run around with all day long. Daylen is a bundle of energy and successfully wore Allison out! She also loved playing mother to her little cousin Gwen. She often tried to swipe Gwen's pacifier too. It looks exactly like the one Alli USED to have. I took away her pacifier (a.k.a. Su-su) a week before their visit. She refused to take naps that whole week. Bless that little nephew of mine, because after keeping her busy those days, she couldn't help but fall asleep when put in her bed. She has now gone back to napping ever since! I owe you one, little buddy! Anyway, we were all so excited to have them come hang out with us! We're pretty boring around here, but hope they had fun. We tried to find a few things to entertain them.

 

Of course, there's always the trip to Uncle Jason's Fire Station. This was Daylen's first time. He was timid at first, but quickly warmed up to the idea of playing on a fire truck. Uncle Jason let him climb all over the truck, and even gave him a short ride! How many little boys get to do that? Wow!

Daylen is a HUGE fan of trains so I thought a trip to Travel Town would be a hit. My boys always loved it when they were that age. Even Allison enjoyed her first time there. I'm guessing a lot of that had to do with the fact that her cousin was running around with her! They got to climb on real locomotives, see the train museum, go to the gift shop, ride the mini train around the park, and have a picnic lunch. It was a beautiful day (in the shade) and the kids had a great time!


Thanks for coming to play with us Daylen and Gwen! Please come again soon! We miss you!

Halloween Party!!

Our friends, the Pinneo's, hosted their annual Halloween Costume Party! It was tons of fun, as usual. There were games, yummy food, friends, and prizes for best costumes. It's so fun to see what everyone comes up with from year to year. Here are some of this year's: Remember to click on pictures for enlarged view!

 

Jason & I went as Popeye and Olive Oyl. What do you think?

 

left to right: Zeediks as Cowboy/Cowgirl, Gredings & Gredings as Scooby Doo Gang (they got my vote!), Liddells representing Star Wars, Matthews as 50's, Adams as demented bunnies I think, Pinneos as Daddy Warbucks & Miss Hannigan (from Annie & Mandy played the part so well--she was hysterical!), Wrights as trees hanging a laundry line.

 

Ustach (our bishop) as Spartan Cheerleaders, Zierenbergs as pirates, Middlebrooks as Head-less horseman, Hanshaw as Bride & Groom w/ Yes on Prop 8 sticker, Murrays as Black Widow, Jen Overholt (her hubby was home sick- he was supposed to complete the group) and the Hymas' as KISS, Egglestons as McCain/Palin (doesn't she look great?), Garrets as a witch and a snow skiier.

 

Hansens, Wildes as heat meiser and frost meiser, Birds as Sonny & Cher, Heathcotes as Monkeys, Weymouths as gruesome Bride & Groom saying "Don't Kill Marriage -Vote Yes on Prop 8", Stewarts as Juno & an I-pod commercial, Emerys as rockers, Roberts as "Yes" on "8"


Thanks Pinneos for another fantastic party! Can't wait to see what everyone comes up with next year! I already have a couple ideas for next-year's costume!! Shhh... I won't tell. By the way, 1st place was McCain/Palin, 2nd place by one point was Scooby Doo Gang, and 3rd place was the Trees. Great job everyone! Very clever!!!

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday Darren!
My baby turned 11! I can't believe it!
I'm searching for a baby picture of him to post, for nostalgic reasons. I'll have to post that later!
Here is some of the fun we had to celebrate his day.




The morning started with his favorite breakfast, French Toast Casserole.
After school, his friend Michael came over (it was his b-day also, only he turned 12) and they decorated cupcakes together to take to Scouts that night.
We went to dinner at restaurant of his choice (In-n-Out). Daddy had to work that day, so after dinner we packed up his gifts and went to the Fire Station so Daddy could join in on the fun. Daddy surprised Darren with a chocolate cake he made that day. Yum! We sang happy birthday, had cake and ice cream, and Darren opened his gifts. He got a hiking backpack and sleeping bag for his future Scout outings! He was sooooooo excited! After the Fire Station Darren went to Scouts. It was such an exciting, busy day! But that's not all...



Two nights later, Friday, Darren got to have a few friends over for a campout birthday party. The boys played video games, ate pizza, played a couple games like flashlight tag in the dark house, body-body, etc. They went outside for silly string wars. They won candy in one of the games which they ate while watching the movie Eragon. Of course there was cake & ice cream too. Then Darren set up the 6-man tent and they had a campout in the backyard. They told ghost stories and were asleep by 11:30pm. It was really a fun time. I think the boys all had a blast! I know Darren did! Happy Birthday to my big kid!

Clark visit

 

Melissa Clark and her family were visiting from Texas this week. For those who don't know Melissa, she used to live in our ward. They came over today for a playdate. Blake & Ryan were best pals with her son Isaac, and our girls are very close in age also. Her son Noah is in the middle. I called up a few other friends to come by for a surprise visit and to say hi! I felt bad because she came to church last Sunday to say hi to everyone, but nobody was there. It was our Stake Conference which is held in a different building.
It was good to see you and your family, Melissa! Have a safe trip back to Texas! We miss you!

Pumpkin Patch

Allison had her first Preschool field trip - a visit to the Pumpkin Patch!
I always love this field trip. It starts with a ride through the farm on a hay wagon pulled by a tractor. After the ride the kids get to pick their own pumpkin. Then you can go around to all the animals and feed them if you choose. I also splurged and Alli got a pony ride. She had so much fun running around and playing, seeing the real animals, having her freedom to roam. It was a great day!

Not to be outdone....

Not to bore you, but here are more pictures from riding at Gorman. We went again this week since the kids had another day off and the weather was cooler. This time Allison and I tagged along. She was not about to be outdone by her big brothers, and enjoyed her riding time just as much as they did! Despite my protests, her Daddy put her on a quad by herself and let her go for it. He adjusted the throttle so she didn't have full power which is why it goes pretty slow. We needed to be able to run along side her. It was pretty darn cute. I see a pink quad and pink riding gear in our future! Enjoy the video!

Here are all my handsome boys!!

Go Wild!

 

My brother's son is 7 years old and on an ice hockey team in Riverside called "Wild." There aren't other teams in the area to compete against, so they have to branch out to multiple cities. Last weekend, they played the team in Simi Valley at the Easy Street Arena. We were so excited to have them come play near us (about 3 miles away) so we could attend Jayden's hockey game. It was so much fun to watch! Wow! What excitement! We had them come over and hang out afterward and have dinner with us too. It was such a pleasant afternoon and evening! We can't wait for Jayden to play the Simi Valley team again! (p.s. - they won!)

Yes on Prop 8!!

 

This was a great experience for me and my kids! We walked in the Moorpark Country Days Parade with a large group supporting Proposition 8! It's an annual community parade, but in almost 10 years of living here, we've never attended. We made quite an impression, I think. The kids handed out candy to people on the sidelines, we passed out Prop 8 flyers, and chanted as we walked down High Street, gaining support for our cause. We had a turn out of almost 350 people marching with us. It was incredible! After the parade we got to walk around the booths set up by various groups/businesses in our community. We got some yummy Kettle Korn, made crafts, recieved handouts, face-painting, climbed in emergency vehicles, etc. It was fun! I'm glad my kids could be a part of this important cause, and hope they have learned the importance of being involved and supporting what you know to be right. It sprinkled, rained, and down-poured on us off and on, but that just made the event more memorable. Remember to Vote on Nov. 4th! Yes on 8! 10-4-08

Gorman

Jason took the boys riding at Gorman when they had last Tuesday off from school (it's how we celebrate the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah!) j/k Anyway, I know I've posted pics of them riding before, but I don't think I've done a video. I just love that they have this bonding activity with their Dad and they create these great memories!

Up first you'll see Blake on his quad. He rides the PW50 (2-wheel motorcycle) also but has more fun on the quad. He is the more reserved of the 3 boys. Next up is Darren on his newest bike, a 100. Jay recently upgraded him as he is growing like a weed and was ready for this bigger bike. Ryan follows up last in this video on the PW50. He has also outgrown this bike, and trades off riding Darren's old bike, an 80.




Jason wanted Alli and I to go, but it was so hot that day that I wasn't even tempted. I also like them to have father-son opportunities. Maybe the girls will go next time. I'm also not as nervous if I don't see what's happening. Jason's careful and they all go pretty easy so it's not bad. They have a great time and have a tradition of hitting In-n-Out on their way home. So fun!

Date Night!

Jason & I were lucky enough to get 2 front row tickets to the Angels/Red Sox game Friday night. It was the 2nd game in the Playoff Series and unfortunately the Angels lost!! We were so bummed! But it's a great time to go to a live ballgame! It was very exciting and we were on the edge of our seats for much of it! Best of all, we enjoyed our date night together! We're still hoping the Angels win the next 3 in a row so they stay in the Playoffs, but we're not holding our breath! They're not playing their best.

Stylin'!!

As I went to get a quick shower this morning, I was pleased when I saw Darren go into Alli's room with her. I remember thinking to myself.. "I need to be sure to thank Darren for keeping her occupied, when I didn't even ask him to!" Getting a shower is tricky around here if Alli is without supervision! Anything can happen! A few minutes later while I was drying my hair, she came running into my bathroom saying "Look, Mommy! My hair!" I knew she wasn't capable of such glamour all on her own, and quickly realized her big brother Darren had played stylist with her in her room. I couldn't resist grabbing the camera and capturing this sweet moment between the two of them. (Of course I have ulterior motives to use this against Darren in the future!!)

 

Itsy, Bitsy, Spider...

Okay, this spider was not itsy or bitsy... it was HUGE! Luckily it was in the backyard and not something I found in my house!
The boys came in from playing outside screaming about this huge spider they found in this huge web. Of course I thought they were exaggeraing, but they weren't. It really was BIG! I'm not sure what kind it was, but it looked creepy! I could see the distinct markings on it so we took a picture. I'm going to have to have Darren look it up online and get us a name for it. Gross, huh?