Halloween 2012

Halloween 2012 was a success!  Or as Will proclaimed, "The BEST day of my LIFE!"  I'll just add in the "to date" for him, because if not, it's all downhill from here.  And he's only 5!

At the boys' school, the kindergartners are the only ones allowed to wear their costumes to school.  AND they have a parade throughout the entire school to show off their costume fabulousness!  You can imagine what a big deal this is!

 Here is our Ice Wolf Ninja (self-named) in full costume minus his ninja weapons

I was volunteering at the school's book fair that morning, so I got to enjoy the Halloween parade.

Will's teacher (left) and teacher's assistant (right) dressed up as nerds!

They were all so cute!

That afternoon, Jack and Will had their class parties!  I helped with Jack's party and it was an afternoon filled with yummy treats and lots of fun games.

Posing with the Skeleton!

One of the games was Dress the Teachers.  There was a huge box filled with costumes, wigs, and masks, and the kids took turns in teams dressing up the teachers.

I love this picture!  After the teacher was turned into a monster, she started attacking the children.  They loved it!  Well, maybe not the boy on the right, but everyone else thought it was hilarious!

Another fun game was the eyeball relay race.  I think the chocolate eyeball might have just fallen off Jack's spoon.

While Jack's class was having fun, I snuck outside to see how Will's Halloween party was going.

Will was at the pumpkin painting station, and was very serious about decorating his pumpkin.

We came home from school and rested up before it was time to go out into the neighborhood and score some candy!

The Ninja and the Scream monster (villian?).

This year, Jack was most interested in what kind of "fright factor" his costume would have.  The Scream villian won out due to the cool blood that he could make run down his face.  Jack was quite pleased that at one point during the night, he had scared a girl so much that he had to remove his mask so she could see his real face!

Our trick or treat crew.  The pumpkin monster is one of our good friends.  He LOVES Halloween!  Every year, he decorates his garage like a haunted house with all things spooky.  The kids love it!  They also host a Post Trick or Treat party which is a fun way to end the night!

Jack and Will came home with loaded down buckets.  Their favorite treat this year were the mini soda cans (Coke, Fanta Orange, Dr. Pepper) that one neighbor was giving out!  We are still working hard on eating up all the loot!

I have a blog?!?! Really?!?!

Well, let me dust off the cobwebs on the ole blog and see if anyone is still stopping by my little neck of the Internet.

So where have I been?  Here, just busy.  In the Spring, I took over the neighborhood swim team which ended up feeling like a full time job (or maybe I just turned it into one), and I fell behind in blogging.  And the further I fell behind, the more overwhelmed the perfectionist in me became at the thought of trying to bring the blog up to date.  And in the meantime, I haven't been as diligent about taking pictures or writing down all of the funny stuff my boys have said and done, and that makes me sad.

So, I'm extending myself a bit of grace (or blogging amnesty) and I'm just going to jump in and start recording the memories of our little family again.  And hopefully along the way, I'll go back and try to fill in the 6 month gap of missing posts, but if not, then lesson learned about making time to do the small things (which turn out to be the really important things) even when I'm too tired, too busy, too stressed, too etc.

I'm off to wade through a whole slew of pictures, so check back tomorrow for our Halloween 2012 recap.

But in the meantime, I leave you with an

Out of the Mouth of Will: The Mickey Mouse Edition

Yo, lady!  Don't speak ill of the Mouse!

Several weeks ago (or maybe several months ago, who knows at this point), our family was driving in the car and reminiscing about our trip to Disney World.  We were discussing all our favorite rides, which was the best roller coaster, our favorite Disney characters, etc., when Will asked why Mickey Mouse was so small in the movies and TV shows, but was so big at Disney World.  Well, not thinking anything about it, I answered that the Mickey in the movies was the cartoon character but the Mickey at the park was someone dressed up in a costume.  

Jack jumps in to stop my conversation by frantically saying, "Don't listen to Mommy, Will!  It's not true!  Mickey Mouse is real!" 

Will looks at me all doe-eyed and sad and said, "Mommy!  Why did you tell me that?  You have broken my spirit!"

Wow!  BROKEN. MY. SPIRIT.  How's that for some Mother's Guilt?!?!?

Step aside, Ladies....Mother of the Year 2012 is all mine!    

Wordless Wednesday

~Wack-tacular Mustache~

Happy Easter

We have had a wonderful Easter Sunday.  The boys woke up delighted that their Easter baskets were filled with treats.  I forgot to take pictures before the baskets were dismantled, but both baskets were filled with books (as always) and candy (of course).  In addition, Jack's basket had the DVD The Muppets, NFL trading cards, MLB trading cards, and a collection of miniature batting helmets of all the MLB teams.  Will's basket also included the DVD Hop, and 3 new Skylanders.  Brent was surprised with candy, a book, and a new basketball.  But Will quickly pointed out that since the basketball was between his basket and Daddy's basket that meant that he and Daddy were supposed to share the basketball!  I got some sour jelly beans and a Amazon gift card.  I think I'll save it for my vacation beach books.


We made it to church EARLY today!  Thank you, Lord, for a smooth morning! I was so happy because we didn't have to fight for a seat on our favorite pew.  We sang my most favorite Easter hymn "Jesus Christ is Risen Today" complete with the trumpet.  I can't sing that song without chills...just love it!  After church, we saw Jack's teacher and Will ran up to her and said "Happy Easter, Mrs. Gentile!"  She said that it just made her day for Jack's little brother to greet her like that.  We had a nice chat with her in between Masses and Brent and I walked away commenting for the umpteenth time how blessed we are that Jack is in her class.

We just got back from Spring Break last night, so the cupboards were bare.  We decide that this year we would be eating out for Easter lunch, but without reservations, we knew we would be rolling the dice as to where we would eat.  We struck out on two of our favorite spots (they were closed!) but did find that one of our ole' reliable favorites was ready and waiting for us.  While we were on our restaurant search, Brent kept reminding me that Waffle House is always open!  Nothin' says Easter like "Scattered, Smothered, and Covered!"

We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out as a family.  Playing in the yard, playing with our Easter treats, reading books, and strolling through the neighborhood.  Brent and Jack did a little fishing at our neighborhood "lake" and caught a LARGE bass.  Brent hooked 'em and Jack reeled him in.  A neighbor across the lake was watching from his back patio and yelled out, "I've lived here 3 years and have never seen a fish that big pulled out of this water.  Wait right there while I go get my wife!"

It was a wonderful day of joy and hope in our risen Lord!  Jesus Christ is risen today, ALLELUIA!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...

1 Peter 1:3

The Difference Between Men and Women...

 

So true...


Now off to the gym!

Wordless Wednesday

~ a little bit of culture courtesy of Matisse ~

Wordless Wednesday

~ The Making of a Frat Boy ~

aka ~ Will discovered root beer comes in bottles ~