How We Halloweened

We got the Trick or Treating job done last night and have enough candy now to last til Easter. 

First, we donned the costumes. Anna's involved some extra clothes to keep warm and a hair braiding session.  First one side ...

and then the other.

Noah's costume pretty much took care of itself in the "keeping you warm" department.  He patiently rolled around in the floor with the dog to relieve some of the pre-trick-or-treating excitement.

Once we got his nose colored in just right, we got Dorothy and her Scarecrow outside for an official Halloween picture ...

or two. :)  You know me.

Then we got down to the business of trekking 'round the 'hood.

Oh my heavens, I love my sweeties!  Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of their childhoods!  I can't get enough!!

Anna in her ruby red slippers was always flitting across the yards trying to keep up with Noah and another little girl that ended up walking with us.

By the end of the night, however, she had commandeered her friend Ben's wagon. :}  The cold had taken its toll on her.

Noah, ever my easy child, had a blast and didn't complain about a thing. He warmed up with a cup of Mrs. Cindy's inviting hot chocolate ...

while Daddy and daughter warmed themselves by her fire.  Then they bailed on the cold weather altogether and just warmed up inside with a couple bowls of chili.  Thanks again, Cindy!  You are, as always, the hostess with the mostest!

Mercifully, Josh had gotten the car earlier in the evening and we were able to drive home instead of hike home.  We were back by 7:30 and offered sweet loot to the 4 trick or treaters that bothered to come down our street.  Truth?  They only bothered because they live on our street.  Ha!

It was a Happy Halloween, indeed ... proven by the immediate inquiries as to how long it will be before Halloween comes again.  :S  Hope your holiday brought you sweet smiles as well!

Recipe: PB-Free Puppy Chow!

This.  THIS is delicious.

 

Make haste to make yourself a batch or twenty of this.  It goes fast!  Anna could tell you all about it because my poor little helper had to watch me bag up every last one for Noah's class's Halloween tomorrow - minus a piece or two I let her sample.  I'm pretty sure I will have to make another batch within the week to make it up to her.  :)  Good thing this stuff comes easy!

Pumpkin Spice Puppy Chow

Makes 9 cups Puppy Chow
Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 12-ounce package white baking chips
• 1/2 cup (heaping!) Biscoff spread (creamy or crunchy will work)
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 9 cups rice Chex cereal

Directions

1. Place powdered sugar in a large sealable plastic bag. Set aside.
2. Combine white baking chips and Biscoff spread in a microwavable safe bowl and microwave on high for one minute. Stir. Microwave for an additional 30 seconds and stir.
3. Stir pumpkin pie spice into Biscoff mixture. Fold in Chex cereal and toss to coat.
4. Pour Chex into plastic bag and shake to coat the cereal in powdered sugar.
5. Remove coated cereal from bag and serve. Enjoy!

First Grade's First Report Card

Noah got his first real report card last Friday.  It came home looking all serious with computerized indicators and grids and subjects and number grades instead of a bunch of very subjective handwritten Beginning, Progressing, and Mastered letter assessments like we had in kindergarten.

And where I was told last year that Noah might struggle to keep up in First Grade, I was met with a different outcome that was a welcome surprise.  He is not/has not been struggling at all.  He's not even been just treading water.  He has moved into first grade work with, what I would call, ease!   Thank you, Lord.

Noah's First Quarter First Grade Report Card

He got straight A's (and high A's at that!) in Language Arts, Math, Science, Reading, and Spelling.  He got all S's (satisfactory) in conduct in his Related Arts classes (PE, Art, Music).  And in Handwriting he brought home an I, which I can only take to mean Improving?  If so, that's a generous mark if you ask me.  His handwriting is kind of a mess, poor boy.  Don't get me started about this grip again.  Yikes.

Anyways, with his first real report card we started the tradition I grew up with, which is getting paid for good grades.  Noah got $3 per A and, with some money he'd been saving, was such a rich man he couldn't wait to relieve the financial burden of too much cash in his pocket.  When Daddy got home, it was off to Walmart to buy a couple new... you guessed it, Lego sets.

Enjoy the bounty, Noah.  Good work at school!  We are so proud of your accomplishments and your excellent behavior at school!!

Last October Weekend

The highlights of this last weekend of October 2012 were ... 

The falling of our beloved tree's leaves,
(look closely - there's an Annabird in that pile!) 

The return of chilly winter temps and a test run of the kiddos' Halloween costumes 

at our church's Trunk or Treat.

Word Junkie Fix

The best words I have come upon lately,
with my particular faves in bold:

parterre

saturnine

aitch

guerdon

purdah

calumny

rostrum

ostler

malmsey

alaunts

handfast

hanap

arable

ether

sangfroid

feoffees

hoarfrost

betimes

decoction

risible

pell-mell

preferment

butlandishly

besom

perspicacity

cabal

parsing

perambulations

exactitude

plinthe

sloe

lumpen

palanquin

crispinette

impecunious

kirtle

detritus

laconic

dolorus

trenchant

sappers

Current Creations

Our photog is taking FOREVER AND A DAY to get our family photos back to us. So instead, I am submitting a family photo of a different variety. Noah and Anna made a family set. From left to right, they are Josh, me, Noah, Anna. We make quite a lovely bunch, don't we? :} 

Anna's continues to draw her way through enough paper to wipe out an entire rainforest.  This is her from one of our lovely evenings here lately.  She went to the front porch to draw our pumpkins.  Love this girl.

And, Noah.  Oh, my Noah. 
He is ALL about this new funny thing he picked up from a recent episode of AFV.  In case it's not entirely clear what he is so amused with, he is recreating a bootie with his belly button.  A belly bootie, if you will. I am probably fooling myself to think he hasn't shown off this beauty at school already, aren't I?  

And that concludes today's installment of Current Creations from my Crew.  Good day!

Taa Daa: Bench/Toy Box

I found this old wooden dusty toy box on GTP for $10 

and a team effort of Josh, Anna, and myself gave it new life!

Don't be surprised if I find a way to decorate it a bit more.

Until then, it functions just fine as a stuffed animal reserve

and a reading bench for a girl in a bonnet.

I'm thinking it could use a cute painted branch with some birdies to match that painting I did last month ... that has yet to be hung. :S

All on a Sunday

Noah had his first communion today. So, yes, I totally whipped out my camera for the occasion.  I hope that wasn't sacrilegious. Are we sure there weren't any there at the original Lord's Supper? 

And since our SS class was responsible for set up and clean up for that communion, Anna enjoyed more than one little cup of juice after church as well.

The leaves continue to be stunning!

I started a new project - this bench/toy box I snagged for $10. Josh cleaned it out, bought some hinges and...

Anna got busy with the priming.  I'll take over the painting this week in a mint green of Anna's choosing since this pretty little thing is headed for her room.

Noah adopted three new pets - a roly poly, a grasshopper, and a ladybug.  He also escorted two grandaddy long-leg spiders off the porch with his bare hands!  In related news, I added a bug cage to his Christmas list.

And we finally packed up all the Thomas stuff to sell.  Noah is ready to let them go in the name of upgrading to more Lego sets.   It was a little bittersweet organizing it all while he rested.  We can so vividly remember our little 2 1/2 year old baby when he got his first trains in the mail from Aunt Kathy shortly after we moved here.  Oh the hours and hours of train trance whereby he sat spellbound at his train table!

This part of the collection is what Noah has to sell.  The rest goes back to FL to Aunt Kathy to keep for her grandbabies one day. :)

Oh yeah, Chewie got his second bath of the year today after I caught him rolling in dead mouse.  Lovely.  I did not get a picture of that for you.  I don't know what I was thinking!  :}

Taa Daa: Playgound Upgrade

Goodbye, ramp!

Hello, ladder!

And, bonus, a new monkey bar!

Looking good, Josh!  So thankful (again and as always) to have such a handy man. ♥

Trappings of Fall

Proof that it's fully fall around here. 

My brain has gone into orbit enjoying it all.

Leaves like art.

Costumes and pumpkin patch trips.

Pumpkins!

More art!

So fantastic!

Halloween activities.

Outdoor projects for Josh.

 
What else?  More leaves!

And our annual family photos ... more to come once I get them all.

Happy Fall, Y'all!