Happy Halloween

The night before Halloween, Anthony asked if he was off school.  After I told him no, he said, "Curse you Halloween."  I was debating telling him he could stay home, but figured I'd wait until morning to make my decision.   I didn't make him go and he was thrilled.   Grandma and I took the kids to the library.  Mr. Spence read two Halloween stories. The kids colored while Grandma made the craft.  They got to bring home a pumpkin.

Last night Grandma, Daddy, and I took the kids to Trunk or Treat at a Baptist Church on Maryville Highway.  We've been the last three years.  Anthony got to ride the Shriner's mini trucks again and a tractor train.  He loved the bounce house and the bounce house slide.  Grandma and I did the cake walk.  The kids had a blast.  We got to pet a sheep, who's owner happened to be where we got Madelyn when she was a baby bunny. Anthony would move on to the next car to get his candy.  He was in a hurry to take off his costume and play.  Emily walked patiently with Grandma and never even peeked in her bag to check out her goodies. Until one of the last cars.  One lady had put a banana in her bag and she really wanted it........

Then we went trick or treating at a few houses in Boones Landing.  Emily was a little shy at first.  We had to open her candy bag for her. She never said trick or treat like we had practiced at home.  Mostly she stared at the people as they opened the door and until I dragged her away.  After every house she said, "More porches."  She got much better and stood in front of Anthony at every house and put her bag on the ground and held it with two hands so people could reach inside.  When it was time to leave she would pick it up and go to the next house. At one house a man held out o bowl of full of candy and Halloween pencils and one apple.  I heard Emily say apple.  The man didn't hear her and told her to take what she wanted.  Of course, she was too shy to do that, so she just stared.  I told him she was checking out his apple.  He laughed and said, "An apple.  You don't want that."  I said, "No really, she wants your apple." He smiled and put it in her bag, but not before hiding a kit kat bar behind it so she wouldn't see.  Anthony and I were laughing because in between houses she was singing, "low, low, low, low." (from Apple bottom jeans with the boots and the fur........ shorty got low, low, low, low.  One lady said Anthony's costume was the best she'd seen all night and everyone thought Emily was the cutest kitty cat.

Boo at the zoo times two

Last night Grandma and Grandpa took Anthony, Emily and I to the Knoxville zoo.  We did their trick or treat trail twice, once with Grandma, Grandpa, and Emily, and the second time with Jayden and Nicholas from cub scouts.  The kids had fun but they were both wild as can be.

Tiger Can't Sleep on parade....

It took several trips to the store and three nights to make Anthony's costume and it was a hit. Grandma came up with the idea to incorperate Tiger Can't Sleep and the little stuffed tiger to tie his costume into the storybook charactor theme. Daddy attached the strings after we figured out the best way for him to wear it.  All the kids at school and the teachers loved it. But most importantly Anthony loved it. It suits his personality so well.  He's always drawing pictures at school of himself sleeping. Or making sure every sentence for his vocabulary words somehow involves sleeping or his bed.  He said when he walked into class this morning, all the kids gathered around him and his teacher told them to sit down.  When she saw him she said, "Now, I'm impressed."  She told me later that his costume was her all time favorite. His teacher from last year, Ms. Dale also commented on it.  And his speach teacher, Mrs Burnette, asked to take his picture. You could tell Anthony was proud.  After the school parade, when I went to his class to pick up his costume, he ran over and gave me a big hug right in front of all his friends.  I was so excited.  I think I was happier then he was. 

Tonight we rented Zookeeper with Kevin James for our movie party.  Daddy brought home pizza and soda for the movie.  We tried to put Emily to bed, but she wouldn't have it. She cried so hard she got sick.  So tonight Emily had her first Friday night movie party.  She kept saying "monkey and elephant," two of the animals from the movie.  She still didn't want to go to bed after the movie was over either, so Anthony agreed to sleep in the chair in her room.  He doesn't like to admit it, but I can tell.  He loves his little sister.

Seymour Primary Fall Festival 2011

Thursday night was the annual Fall Festival at Anthony's school.  We made a pineapple upside down cake and chocolate rice crispy treats for the cake walk. Anthony played all kinds of games.  He was very good at them too.  There were several different kinds of bean bag toss games, a fishing game, a hidden treasure game, a clothes pin drop game, and a throw the chicken in a KFC bucket game.  I think his favorite part of the night was riding in the Shriners mini trucks, (the driver of the purple truck went especially fast this year) and the cake walk.  He kept coming back for more tickets and asking to do it again.  His eyes got real big when I told him he could play until we ran out of tickets.  He won a bag of chocolate chip cookies, but was disappointed when they ran out of cakes and the game ended.  I don't think he needed a prize, he probably would have done the cake walk all night.  Afterwards, we went to the gym to watch the crowning of the king and queen of the school.  We didn't know the winners (they were in 1st grade) but the representatives of his class were Caden and Natalie.  Natalie is the daughter of one of the nurses at his doctors office. (the nurse who loved his cool eye trick - where he can shake his eyeballs) 

Garage sale goodies and Popcorn sales

Emily's new bike

Anthony in his cub scout uniform - notice the loops on his belt

Emily modeling Mommy's presents from the school garage sale

Every year Grandpa buys tickets to the Shriners circus.  Friday Daddy, Anthony and I went.  It was Emily's first circus and boy did she love it.  When she wasn't clapping, she was screaming. When she wasn't screaming, she was laughing.  We had such a good time. Saturday morning Aunt Kim and I went to Anthony's school garage sale and found lots of good deals.  I got Anthony a Titantic 3d puzzle and to share I got them a bowling and lucky ducks game.  For Emily, I got a little popper. (a baby toy) She's been having a blast running around the house with it and chasing Debbie. (We're dog sitting, while Grandma and Grandpa are out of town.) Then Aunt Kim came over to spend the morning with Emily while Anthony and I went to Krogers to sell popcorn for Cub scouts.   He was shy at first but did great.  The kids and I played the rest of the day. Anthony asked me to hide Emily's ponytails in her room for them to have a treasure hunt.  Then I hid them in Anthony's room and then mine.  They stayed busy for hours. 

We skipped the library today but later (while Anthony was in school) Daddy and Emily waited in the car while I dropped our books and dvds off at the library.  As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, Emily said, "Who wants to see Mr. Spence?  ME!!!!!!  When I told Mr. Spence that, he asked if Emily was in the car and he brought her a silly band bracelet and a lolipop.  Then we went to Walmart and picked up the stuff to make Anthony's bed costume for Halloween.   I hope he likes it.

We brought the dogs to pick Anthony up from school.  Then we waited for Daddy to finish at the chiropractor.  Emily and I waited in the car while Daddy and Anthony went inside.  I played "Where's Emme?" (peek a boo) with Emily and Where's Emily's (body parts)  I asked, "Where's Emily's hair?"  She pointed to her hair.  I was trying to teach her a new one, so I asked, "Where's Emily's bangs?"  I meant her hair bangs, but she said, "Emme bangs" and started banging her head on her carseat.

Today after Emily's bath  she started pointing to and naming her body parts. 
Emily: (pointed to her chest) boobie
Me: Yes, that's your boobie.
Emily: (pointed to the other side) boobie
Me:  Yes, Emme has two boobies. (trying to distract her) Where's your belly button (she points)
We played the where's Emily's (body parts) until I said
Me: Where's Emily's hair?  (she pointed)  What color is Emily's hair?
Emily: PINK!

I've been brainstorming all morning for ideas for a Halloween costume for Anthony.  Every year we wait until the last minute because he never sees anything he wants.  The last day of school before Halloween they have a parade and the kids are supposed to dress up as their favorite storybook character.  Last year Anthony was going to be Fred from Scooby Doo (white shirt, blue pants)  Easy enough but we couldn't find any yellow hair spray paint. So instead at the last minute I dressed him in a red and blue striped t-shirt and gave him a blanket to carry and told him he was Linus from the Peanuts cartoon.  He was content, but I felt bad.  So this year I want to do something special.  I'm so excited.  I can't wait until he gets out of school to see if he likes my idea.  Every week Anthony is supposed to write sentences in class using his vocabulary words.  And every week he writes sentences about sleeping.  EVERY WEEK.  His teacher has written on his paperwork and mentioned at the parent/teacher conference that Anthony sure is obsessed with sleeping.  So this year I want to make him a bed costume.  I'm not sure of the details yet but if he agrees (which I hope he will because I'm excited) then that's what we'll be making.