Happy Halloween!

Halloween lesson at co-op today was chaos as usual ... but fun!  (Max and I hang out after the lesson is over, and he has been glued to the i-phone lately.)

Chilling at the Buddhist temple.

The class was mostly excited about gutting and carving a pumpkin.

Gabe actually finished it when we got home.  (Gabe's first time to carve!)  After co-op we had a visit from Gabe's buddy Uriah and his four brothers and sisters.  Fun afternoon!

Somebody came and picked up the Incredible Hulk today.  Not sure if Brian sold it or gave it away.  (I didn't want to get too close to this stranger and take his picture.)

On our way out to trick or treat!

There really weren't many kids out.  Surprising, since Rosewood Hills is usually crawling with little monsters!

Me and my little monsters.

Where to go next?

Max's first time ever to walk up to a house on his own and say, "Trick or treat!"  (This was the very first house.)  The lady was pleased to have this honor, and gave him an extra piece of candy for being "extra cute."

It's been a big day!  Halloween season is now over, but the fun doesn't stop.  Tomorrow we are going to the Renaissance Festival!

An i-pad for Dad.

I haven't mentioned the fact that Daddy got an i-pad the other day!

Favorite toy to play on with Daddy.

Showing off his Batman shirt at Granny's house!

Gabe now has a "car bucket."  Any toy that doesn't fit in the bucket doesn't go in the car!

We love to hear all the cute things Max says.  Lately he's always asking, "What's that noisy, Mama?"  (Mistakenly substituting "noisy" for "noise.")

I was calling him "sweetheart" the other night, and he said, "No, Mama, no fwee-heart.  I Max!"

Tomorrow is the real Halloween!  Doing a special Halloween-themed lesson at co-op about pumpkins, spiders, rats, bats, and owls.  We're going to make crafts, gut a pumpkin, and play a trivia/bowling game!

Soccer, Santa and Halloween!

Gabe had a soccer game this morning, but Max stayed home with me to avoid the cold!

Then he and I went to the optometrist since my glasses broke yesterday and were being held together with super glue!

New glasses!

Max, showing off his superhero pajama shirt!

He prefers NOT to wear a shirt at all.  The only way I can convince him to get dressed is if the shirt has superheroes or dinosaurs on it.  (Or grumpy gators!)

Joe came over angry today at Gabe for not telling him that Santa Claus wasn't real!  (He just found out the truth today!)

Grumpy Daddy.

Grumpy Daddy on a scooter.

They won another soccer game!  Gabe scored another goal.

Tonight we went to Dan's Aunt Susie's Halloween party!

Very nicely done!  Spooky, dark and atmospheric.  The kids enjoyed their glow bracelets and necklaces!

Goodnight!!

Cold and rain.

Gabe said something very funny before I took this photo, but I'm not allowed to post it!

Helping watch Max is one of Gabe's daily chores.  He has to keep a record of his chores for his Financial Peace Junior class at co-op, and the teacher "pays" him if he does them.  (Fake money, but somehow it's still a motivator!)

Daddy comes home and takes over.  Max loves to look at the pictures in this Spanish-English picture dictionary.

Cold and nasty outside today!

Time to pull out the winter clothes.

Gabe and Joe ...

... have an early morning soccer game tomorrow!

By the way, as it turns out ... the library lost my books.  Wasn't my fault at all!

Library's Most Wanted.

The rain came down today!  Maxie wanted to go out.

Here's Gabe, helping him put a shirt on.

There was a lizard in Gabe's umbrella when he opened it.

Soccer practice got canceled.

I have spent a good part of the day ...

... looking for FIVE lost library books!  The library is out to get me ...

... so I finally had to contact them and confess.  I can't find the books, and I throw myself on the mercy of the court.

"What yer doing?"

Moonlight is pretty much back to her happy self, after getting fixed then sleeping most of the day yesterday.

Heard there's a good chance for rain on Thursday, so the monsters have retreated to the barn.

Fidget missed out on all the party food this year.  He stayed locked up in my room the whole time everyone was eating, and then came out to have his same ol' - same ol' -- dry dog food and green beans.

The chickens are gone (eaten)!  One of our neighbors was willing to do the dirty job of killing them for the payoff.  All that remains is the rooster, who was too mean to round up in a cage.  His time is coming soon, though.  Maybe he has already guessed that his goose is cooked.

I've been talking about Halloween so long, I haven't been mentioning all the cute things Max says lately!  He's always asking everyone, "What yer doing?"

Or, "What yer making?" or "What you say?"

And whenever you ask him where anything is, he says, "Oh, I find it!"  Then he gives up nearly immediately and declares, "It's lost."

Here he is, talking about the kitty cat and skeleton.

Tonight Gabe accompanied Joe, Maya and Nathan to their church Halloween party.

Goodnight!!