Fall Carnival

Last night my boys had their fall carnival at school. This was the first carnival that the school has ever done, so they were very excited. I'm part of the school's PTO and so I helped out setting up and running some things for it.

Josh brought the kids to the carnival since I was already there getting things ready and the first thing Jantzen wanted to do when they got there was the cupcake walk. This was set up in the cafeteria because it was hot outside (about 91 degrees) and we didn't want the frosting on the cupcakes to melt.

(Here's Jantz with Cadence and Coda)...

Jantzen picked a cupcake with white frosting and Halloween sprinkles...he really loved it!

While Jantzen was having fun at the cupcake walk, Jaron had been waiting in line at the dunk tank. It wasn't a full on dunk tank because the school district wouldn't allow that kind for liability reasons, so we got one that was just a bucket that would pour water on whoever was sitting underneath it. The reason Jaron was so excited to play this game was because it was his teacher (Mr. Games) that was sitting under the bucket. Mr. Games had told his class that if they missed the target that he would laugh at them, so Jaron was very determined to not let that happen. He got a total of four balls to throw at the target and on the third throw he hit the target. For some reason it didn't make the bucket tip over, so he got to go push it to make his teacher get all wet. I then asked Mr. Games if that meant that Jaron got a homework pass and he just laughed and said "yes".

Then, Jantzen tried to get Mr. Games wet, but unfortunately he wasn't able to hit the target.

After the boys had their fun at the dunk tank they went to get something for dinner. Jantzen had some nachos and chips, Jaron had a hot dog and chips, and Jaedyn was given some pizza, but I'm not sure how much she actually ate...she just wanted her water.

When the kids were all done eating their dinner, Jaron took off with some of his friends to play some games and Josh and I took Jantzen and Jaedyn around to play some games. Jaedyn first went to the "sucker pull" game where all she had to do was pull out a sucker ghost. She loves suckers, so this was a fun thing for her to do. She did have a hard time figuring out how to take the ghost off the sucker, so her daddy helped her so she could enjoy it.

Jantzen played a Halloween bean bag game that his Kindergarten teacher was running. He did pretty good, but mostly I think he was excited to see Ms. Curth.

Next up was the "Knock em Dead" game where you had to throw a baseball and knock over some milk cans. It took Jantz about three throws before he knocked anything over. I love the focus in his eyes (one is closed) as he throws each ball...

Then we moved on to another one of Jaedyn's favorite games, the "Fish Pond". Both Jaedyn and Jantzen got a ring from this game. Jantz was nice and gave his to Jaedyn because she loves rings (she ended up with about six of them by the end of the carnival).

After the fish pond, Jantzen took a try at the football toss game. He didn't do that well, but we'll work on it because next fall he wants to play football. This picture looks like he's catching the ball, but he's not, that's how he throws it...

There was a fun "Wheel of Fortune" game that the kids played. They both got some candy and a toy. When it came time to pick out the candy they wanted, Josh picked out a green Tootsie Roll for Jaedyn and she didn't want it. Instead she picked out a pink one...she's so girly!

One of the last games I got to see the kids play was the basketball toss. Jantzen liked this one and he got the ball in every time, Jaedyn was too small to hold the ball (it was as big as her).

I then had to leave to go back and help out in the drink booth that I was in charge of, so Josh took the kids around to play more games. I gave him the responsibility of taking pictures for me and all I got was one picture. I guess I should've known that was going to happen. I was a little bummed because I wanted to get a picture of the Plinko game he had made for the carnival, but he "forgot" to take a picture of it as Jantzen was playing it. Maybe next year I'll get a picture of it.

Here's Jaedyn playing in the duck pond...she loves ducks (the pink ones) and water!

Before the carnival was all over and cleaned up, I went inside the haunted house and took some pictures of everything in it because I helped put a lot of it together. This was the beginning of it...

We had an awesome dad volunteer (Jeremy) at the beginning all dressed up who was talking in a creepy voice to the kids as they walked in. It was funny when I was talking to him because he said that the teachers told him he was being a little too scary with the kids so he had to tone it down a little. On the stand by him was a talking head that was kind of creepy, but awesome at the same time. You can't see it in this picture (because the lights were all turned on), but we covered the light above Jeremy with red butcher paper to make it look a little creepy as the kids walked in...it was pretty cool! We also had scary music playing in the background.

Down past Jeremy was one of the teachers dressed up as a witch with a big cauldron. Unfortunately she left before I could get a picture of her. As the kids walked around the corner there was a big pumpkin and a mummy in a coffin.

Here's a better picture of the mummy. Julie made this mummy and it was huge and so awesome looking!

In the same area as the mummy was a body part storage area. I actually put this part of the haunted house together (spray painted boxes and all). We found this skeleton in a classroom that wasn't being used, so we decided to let it be a part of the haunted house.

Next to the skeletons was a graveyard, that I also helped with, complete with a lit up tree. By the time I got there to take a picture of it, the black paper on the wall had started coming down from the weight of the tree (we'll have to change it up next year so that doesn't happen), but it still looked good with the lights.

(Here's a picture of it with the lights on and off - how it was while the kids walked through)...

Next up was this awesome ghost that Brad and Julie put together. I can't explain how they did it because it still confuses me a little, but it involved some plastic wrap, some 2x4's, a light, and a hanging ghost. It looked better in person, but this was the best I could get with my camera...

Just past the ghost was this headstone that we had a teenager hiding under. He would jump out and scare the kids as they walked by.

At the end there was another graveyard that had another teenager dressed up as the Grimm Reaper who was also supposed to scare the kids (unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of either of the teens).

The last thing the kids saw as they left the haunted house was this big witch that would go up and down in her cauldron.

Here are some of the teachers that helped out in the haunted house...Mrs. Jones, Ms. Riley, and I don't know the last teacher (she's new to the school this year). Mrs. Jones is Jaron's GATE teacher and he thought it was cool that she was all dressed up. There were a few other teachers that dressed up and helped to scare the kids, but they took off before I could get a picture of them.

Overall, the first fall carnival was a success. There were a ton of people that came and my kids all had a lot of fun. After it was all over I was exhausted and my muscles ached, but it was all worth it. It's fun being able to create fun memories for my kids as they grow up.

(P.S. I want to thank Josh and Brad for building the games for the carnival, they did an awesome job...you guys are the best!)

"Spooky Dinner"...Take 2

Yesterday we had another one of our "spooky" dinners. This weeks menu consisted of "candy corn pizza", "bones and blood", and for dessert we had "worms and dirt". When I first told my kids that we were having candy corn pizza they gave me a look of disgust. I had to explain to them that I wasn't actually going to put candy corn on the pizza, it's just cheese...then they were okay with it.

The "candy corn" pizza (I actually made homemade pizza) was made with just mozzarella and cheddar cheese, lots of it! The kids all liked it, including Josh.

The "bones and blood" were bread sticks that I shaped to look like bones with marinara sauce (blood) to dip them in...

The "worms and dirt" were just that...just kidding! I made them especially for my boys because they LOVE chocolate and there was a lot of chocolate in them (way too much for me!). There was a brownie on the bottom (Jaron and Jantz requested this layer), then I added some chocolate pudding for the mud, then some gummy worms, and finally I added some crushed up Oreos for the dirt. Don't they look yummy?!?!...

And, again, we washed everything down with "ghost blood". Maybe next time we'll have to try some blood from another Halloween creature.

The kids didn't talk much this week while eating their food, they were too busy enjoying it. Jaron mostly enjoyed the "candy corn" pizza, Jantz enjoyed the "bones", and Jaedyn liked everything. Don't worry, the silence didn't last very long.

When it came time for dessert, the kids were all excited. I wanted to get a picture of all of them with their "worms and dirt" before they started eating it, but as you can see, Jaedyn couldn't wait that long. She went to town on the worms as soon as we gave it to her. I think my kids are a little too cheesy for pictures sometimes.

I like this picture of the boys because that gagging face that Jaron's giving is him really gagging. He hates anything gummy and he wouldn't eat the worm, not even a lick, it was funny! Jantz, on the other hand, loves anything gummy and he chowed his worms.

Jaedyn was very dainty about how she ate her worms...she's so girly! First, she sucked it a little bit...

...Then, she decided to bite it's head off...

...Then, it got a little slimy and wiggly on her...

...So, she decided to shove the whole thing in her mouth...

MMMM, that was yummy!

I think this dinner turned out better than last week, the family all loved it. The boys are already asking me what I'm making for next weeks "spooky" dinner. They'll just have to wait and see (that means I don't know yet).

Brothers Forever!

A few weeks ago I had one of the PE teachers (coach Snow) at the boys' school approach me after I dropped them off with their teachers. She informed me that my boys were some of the sweetest, kindest brothers that she's ever met. My first thought was, "My boys?!?!". Jaron and Jantzen fight a lot at home, so I was naturally curious as to why she thought this. Coach Snow proceeded to explain why she thought this about my boys. She told me that Jaron and Jantzen have recess together and Jantzen used to just sit and watch Jaron play 9 square with all his 5th grade friends. One day Jaron asked his friends if Jantzen could play the game with them, they all said yes. Jantzen was very happy about this because, despite their often disagreements at home, Jantzen looks up to Jaron and considers him his best friend. Coach Snow continued telling me that while all the kids played together, Jaron was extra kind to Jantzen. She said he'd help him play and would not make Jantzen "out" if he messed up like you would normally have to do. She also told me that all of Jaron's friends were really nice to Jantzen too and that surprised her because the 5th graders have never let a 1st grader play this game with them before, but because it was Jaron's brother, they made an exception. One of the last things coach Snow told me was how she thought it was so sweet how when they were lining up to go back to class that Jaron would give Jantzen a hug, tell him he did a great job in the game, tell him he loved him, and told him to have a good rest of the day at school. That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever told me about my boys, it made me so happy to hear that from her.


Unfortunately now, the boys no longer have recess together because their lunch times have been changed (Jantzen was really sad about this), but that hasn't stopped Jantzen from playing 9 square with his 1st grade friends, nor has it stopped Jaron from being a sweet kid at school. I wish they would be nice to each other like this at home!

"Spooky Dinner"...

I decided this year that I wanted to start a new Halloween tradition at our house, so here's what I came up with...

Once a week I'm going to make a "Halloween" themed dinner on the same day of the week that Halloween falls on. The kids thought this sounded like a fun idea and I was super excited to start doing this. I went and got some black plates and Halloween cups to use for our weekly dinners. Monday was our first "spooky dinner" night. For this week's dinner I made "mummy dogs", "monster jaws", and "cheesy fingers"...

Here's a close up of all the food, doesn't it look yummy?...

The monster jaws are made up of apples and almonds (teeth)...

The cheesy fingers are made up of string cheese, almonds, and cream cheese...

For dessert I made Halloween whoopie pies (the boys wanted to call them monster turds, but I decided not to call them that)...

We washed everything down with ghost blood (that's right, it's plain milk)...

Despite the lack of expression on the kids' faces here, they were pretty excited to have a fun dinner like this.

I had to include this picture of Jaron getting another "mummy dog" because he was the one who insisted on me taking a picture of him doing this, he's a funny kid!

Jantzen and Jaron had some fun with the "monster jaws". Jaron had a hard time keeping the apple in his mouth, but Jantz was a pro with it.

Jaedyn had to show me her "cheesy finger" that she was about to devour. This girl LOVES her string cheese (never mind her messy hair, it was done all cute until she went out to play on the trampoline with her brothers...right before dinner!).

And the very best part of the dinner for Jaedyn was dessert! Of course, she only ate the frosting!

Our first "spooky dinner" turned out pretty good, the kids all loved it. The boys kept telling me all during dinner that everything was delicious and awesome! Jaedyn just gave me a "mmmmm, yummy!". I love their enthusiasm. I'm looking forward to doing this every year with the kids, I think it will be a fun family tradition for many years!

Fall Ride

Yesterday we took the boys to the lake bed for their first ride of the Fall season. This is the season where the weather here is the best for riding, it's not too hot. Jaedyn and I decided to tag along too, even though neither one of us has a bike to ride.

While Josh was loading up the bikes, Jaedyn played around on the trailer showing me her sticker collection on her hand. She got these stickers from a McDonald's toy and she loved them! She wanted all of them on her hand at the same time and as soon as I was done putting them on her hand she said, "pretty!"...it was cute! She kept them on her hand the whole day.


One of the first things Jaron did when we got to the lake bed was go on this little jump over and over, he was loving it! I tried to get a picture of him catching some air, but I wasn't quick enough and unfortunately for him, he didn't get much air.


Here's my little biker punk!...(Jaron)...


The last time we came up here Josh made the boys a track to race on and they loved it, so he decided to do that for them again. Here he is getting the boys ready to follow him so they can make their track easy to see...


Part of the track included a little jump. I got some pictures of my boys all taking turns on it. Here's Josh...


...and Jaron...


...and Jantzen...


I snapped a quick picture of my boys before they started their race. Aren't they so cute in their outfits gear?


The boys then took off to race each other. Jaron let Jantzen start off first, but he doesn't usually stay the leader for very long, Jaron passes him quickly. Jantzen will usually cheat and cut through the track and get in front of Jaron again...he hates to lose!




While Jaron and Jantzen were out racing, Josh went for a long ride with our neighbor Daniel that came up with us, and Jaedyn and I just hung out at camp. Jaedyn did a lot of playing around on the trailer and running in the dirt. She's still so cute when she's filthy!


Jaron and Jantzen raced for a little while, then they came in for a lunch break with Jaedyn...


I think Jaedyn's face enjoyed more of her lunch than her stomach did...


After the kids finished eating lunch, the boys went back out for another ride. Josh came back from his and that made Jaedyn excited...she wanted to "watch". Jaedyn got to watch her favorite movie (it's still "Despicable Me") on Josh's phone.


Daniel joined the boys for a ride and they were gone for quite a while. I caught them on their way back...Jaron was in the lead...


The boys said they had fun, but they wanted to go again, so this time Josh went with them. I took a picture of all the boys before they left. (Daniel, Jantz, Josh, Jaron)


And then they were off...








They were gone a long time, which always makes me worry, but they all came back in one piece. I was told though, that both Jaron and Jantzen crashed on their bikes because they ventured off on a wrong trail a little. Jantzen was pinned underneath his bike and got a massive bruise on his thigh, but other than that they were all okay. In all, it was a fun day for the kids and that was the whole point of going. One of these days I hope I'll have something to ride so Jaedyn and I can go have an adventure of our own.