Happy Halloween!

Well, today's the day.  Happy Halloween!

Today we visited the brand new Toys R Us for the first time ...

... and hit the jackpot with Ben 10 toys.  Gabe is almost done spending the $50 he earned learning to tie his shoes!

We started taking decorations down in earnest today.

Since we've done so many Halloween events this year already, I thought we could skip trick-or-treating and just carve a pumpkin.  But Gabe was not going to let that fly.  (He doesn't like touching pumpkin guts, anyway.)

Brian and Dan were not big on the trick-or-treating idea ...

... but nobody listens to either of them.  So off we went!

Candy, candy, candy!

Maya the Angel Princess.

I love seeing other people's decorations.  Max was just along for the ride (carrying Gabe's mummy duck, much to Gabe's annoyance, and hollering, "Mine!" when Gabe tried to take it back).

The daddies have had enough of Halloween for the year.

Here's a video of Max dancing, like he does every night, to the theme song of Gabe's cartoon.  Enjoy!

Tomorrow I guess our lives go back to normal.

GOODNIGHT!

Two more parties and a soccer game.

First of all, here's a picture of our homeschool group Halloween party at the house on Thursday.  Thanks, Clari!

We started today with a soccer game.  Here is our most dreaded arrangement:  Joe as goalie and Gabe on defense.  I am all nerves when Joe and Gabe are the only thing between the other team and the goal.

The bad news is that we lost.  The good new is that Gabe scored another goal.  Go, Gabe!!

Afterward we went out to eat at Chili's, so that was a treat too!  (Max was not well-behaved though, so I couldn't take pictures.)

At around 5 we went to our first of two Halloween parties for the night, at the Dugas' house.  Here's Gabe at their son's playhouse.  Pretty neat!

Nearly every inch of their house and yard is covered with Halloween decorations, so it's really something to see!

We brought our two superheroes.

Gabe played a scavenger hunt game.

Touring the front yard graveyard.

This year we got to see it in the dark!

Next we went to Dan's family's party down the road.

Feeding our faces.

Gabe, explaining his costume to New Granny.

Everyone is hyped up on sugar tonight!  That's six Halloween parties we've been to now.  Is it possible that I am Halloweened out before even making it to Halloween?

Trunk-or-treat, again.

This morning when I told Gabe to go put on his costume, he said, "Again?!!"

"Swampfire!"

We went to the "trunk-or-treat" party for the Cypress Homeschool Association at Dyess Park.

Trunk-or-treat is fun and all, but the main reason we went was to pick up our photo CD from the shoot we had done in September.  I'll put some of those photos at the end of this post!

Back at home, Max was entertained as Gabe ran with the little kiddie car to give it momentum, then jumped on top to glide down the driveway.

Which was really a lot of fun until ...

... the car slid out from underneath him and he skinned his knee.

My little cutie.

He is interested in studying the cows right now.

The front gate, with a rare photo of our evil cat.  And now ...

... some of our family photos from September.

I like this one.

The two who started it all ...

One of Gabe's "real" smiles.

Maxie wasn't too happy that day.  Here we were all trying to make him smile.

Mama and Maxie.

Daddy and Maxie.

The people in my life I didn't know at the beginning but acquired along the way ...  I could never imagine my life without them.  I love my family.

Homeschool Halloween.

We had our homeschool group out for a Halloween party today!  (I don't have any pictures of that actual party, but Clari took some, so I'll post them later.)

When Joe came home from school and found out everyone was having a party, he was initially pretty upset.  So we decided to do another hay ride tonight.

We finally got some cooler weather ... I still can't get over how cute Max looks in his little long pants.

Maya and Max, pulling Buddy in two different directions, trying to get his attention.  Buddy is a popular guy.

Going on the hay ride tonight ... Max would not leave his little book at home.  He loves looking at the animals and trying to say their names!

On the ride home, Nathan was pointing and saying, "Vaca!"

Some cows took notice of our hay ...

They seemed to be pursuing us for a short distance, then stopped.  "Bye bye, cows!"

In this picture Mom was telling Joe that there is no such thing as "Killer Cows."  But if you click on this to look at this full size image, you'll see that the cow off to the right has glowing, "killer" eyes.

Closing the gate.

I wish he'd quit making this awful face whenever I take his picture.

Putting hay in his hair for a laugh ... We are raising another little comedian just like Daddy.