Halloween 2009

We went out looking for pumpkins and the oldest two wanted the ones with the most warts, so that's what they got. Come time for carving we suddenly realized why people don't carve warty pumpkins . . . THEY ARE TOO HARD!!! The kids each chose their own stencil to do and as I was helping Navia doing her "normal" pumpkin I couldn't understand why the kids were having such a hard time just poking holes in their pumpkins for the stencil. I was getting on their case about not whining so much when I went to try . . . yikes . . . talk about eatting my words!!! Then, when I tried to put a knife in it, well, it just wouldn't work! So, I finished Navia's Cinderella pumpkin, which she loved and tried to figure out how to do the other ones. Daddy was still at work at this time so I though, who needs him, went down to the basement and garage, and came back with his drill and jigsaw. I drilled a hole to start with (which was hard!) and then used the jigsaw to cut the hole in the top of the pumpkin - which again made a huge mess and was way too hard. Every time I came to a wart I'd get stuck - ug! Anyways, when Daddy came home we told him it was HIS job to do those two pumpkins. So, this morning he got out his Dremel and went to work - making a huge mess, but also succeeding in carving their pumpkins! Yay Daddy!!!

Emma had chose Ichabod's Fate for her stencil (the headless horseman's pumpkin head).

As you can tell, Kaleb doesn't trust Daddy all that much. His face is awesome as he's supposed to be holding the pumpkin so that Daddy can drill the eyes in it!!!

After using the dremel to cut through the thick pumpkin skin it's much easier for Kaleb to use the special pumpkin saw and cut out the face. You'll never find perfect circle eyes like this anywhere else!!! (can you tell that Daddy has a circle cut-out thingy for the drill?) Kaleb had chosen a stencil of Jack from The Nightmare Before Christmas - which he thought was scary, but not too scary.

After finishing the pumpkins it was time to do the caramel apples, but small problem . . . actually Emma considers it a HUGE problem - she CAN'T have caramel because of her braces!!! Oops! So . . . what better than to do CHOCOLATE apples and CARAMEL apples and CHOCOLATE CARAMEL apples - yummy!!!

This afternoon the kids wanted to hear some trick or treat stories and I told them about Grampa McGifford's escapades as a teenager at Halloween and also when he "kidnapped" and held for "ransom" a girl who had come to the house with her guy friends to do some "tricking" on the farm. The kids thought it was all hilarious and as Kaleb was walking away Braden gently pulled on the back of Kaleb's underwear, just as a joke - a "gotchie pull". Well, I came to his defense and told Kaleb that he should do the same to Daddy. Needless to say all the kids decided to attack Daddy and show him how it feels to have that done to him! It was hilarious to watch! Navia covered his head with a blanket and the other two tried their hardest to reach their goal of teaching him a lesson. As you can tell, he no longer can defend himself in the way he wants to against his three children - hehehe! I think it's hilarious!!!

Then the kids got dressed up for trick-or-treating and Daddy was convinced to dress up too - matching his son! So Emma was Batgirl, Kaleb and Daddy were Jedi Masters and Navia - well - a princess in pink of course!

We had more kids that usual, or at least I'm thinking so because I had to "recycle" Halloween candy - the kids had stopped home for a drink before continuing and I had mostly emptied their bags, so I was able to hand out their all-ready-handed-out candy to other kids. Actually worked out really well because now we don't have as much at the house. The kids don't even notice that this year's haul is smaller than normal! Yay to that!

Oh, and the results of the pumpkins at night - amazing! It was cute watching little princesses getting their picture taken beside the Cinderella pumpkin - definitely worth the time in making it!

Ichabod's Fate - by Emma

Jack (From the Night Before Christmas) - By Kaleb

Cinderella by Navia

Navia's Words

Last night I was putting Navia to bed and it was her turn to pray when she turned to me and said, "Mom, I can't remember all my words" . . . and then with the cutest little face she looked up and said, "Mom, can I borrow your words?" (This is her way of asking me to pray and her to be able to repeat the words.)

I love the words that come out of our kids mouths!

Guess what's in our garage?

Yep - it's a car!

We just purchased a second vehicle today. I know to most people that's not a big deal, but the reality is that we've been a one car family since Emma was 6 months old (she's now 8.5 yrs) except for a short stint in Airdrie (for a bit under 2 years). It hasn't been that bad, but this last little while with the kids in school (and not on the bus) and Navia in pre-school (further than a walk, but not fun in the pouring rain, distance away from our place) it's been getting harder. So, we found a deal and grabbed it! No more asking neighbors to see if Navia can catch a ride in bad weather to school or watch the kids come home soaking wet and crying! YAY! Anyways - I had to tell someone and you were chosen - don't you feel lucky!!!

Look at the kms - 089,511kms!!!

This car is cleaner than any we've ever owned - the backseat looks like it's never been used. I remember what the backseat of our previous Taurus looked like so he's been warned . . . hehehe!

pssst - all pics taken on the iphone - so not great, but oh well . . .