It's pumpkin carving day!

The kids have been begging, since we went to the pumpkin patch, to make their jack-o-lanterns. You see, if you do it too early, they get all moldy and gross and are rotten by Halloween. So, it was hard for them to wait, but today is finally the day! First, we cut off the lid.

Then we get out the guts.

Gross, Mama!
Then we carve a face for each child! Skylar was the face designer this year and she made sketches for me to copy. If I did not do it exactly as she had designed, I was in big trouble!


Smile!

The final results!






Brennen, Kellen, James, and Skylar.

The Taekwondoers have arrived!

Skylar, James and I are all taking Taekwondo together. We are all white belts and all in the same class. It is a lot of fun! We just got our uniforms and that makes it official! The kids really love it and it seems to be a great program. We all can't wait to be black belts!

James and Papa cook dinner!

We are making sure that we pass on the tradition that the men cook in this family. Papa bought James a kids cookbook and told him to pick out a dish and they would cook it together. James was very thorough and looked at every single picture before he decided on Philly Cheese steak sandwiches. So James and I went and bought the ingredients and Papa and him cooked dinner together tonight. James had a lot of fun and stayed with it until it was all made. He was pretty proud of himself.



On a side note, James got sent home from school today because he had a fever above 100.4. When I went to pick him up, he was just bawling. The nurse told me he did not get upset until he was told he had to go home and could not come back until he has been fever free for 24 hours (Dr. appointment tomorrow). He absolutely loves school and can't stand missing a single minute. Oh, how that makes my heart swell! He was crying for a good 30 min. after I picked him up about how he wanted to go back to school.

Swim Meets and Rockets!

Today was Skylar's first swim meet (and I forgot the camera!) and she did really well. She dropped 3 seconds in each her freestyle and backstroke (from her best times last year) and 2 seconds in breaststroke. She also did really well in her 100 IM. She is about 2 seconds away from qualifying for the big Tri-State Meet at the end of the year. And this is only the first meet of the year! When we got home, they worked on finishing up the rockets they got earlier in the week. Then we went out to a big field to shoot off the rockets. It was really neat and the kids just loved it. This is something JT did as a child with his dad so he was really happy to bring some of his childhood to his kids and have them enjoy it!

Getting the rocket set up and ready.

3,2,1...Launch!

Awesome!

Then they have to run to get the rocket.

We got it! Let do it again!

See http://thedeanslife.shutterfly.com/ for more pictures!

Case #12465 : The Case of the Missing School Pictures

Yesterday, James said, "I wish I could mail pictures to people." Thinking that he meant pictures that he had drawn, I said that was fine. He told me he was going to put them in the mailbox and, again, I said that was fine. I thought he was going to put them in our mailbox to be mailed out (I would just go get them out later). Then he told me that he put one picture on my nightstand and he was going to to put the rest in the mailbox. So out he went. At just that moment, Kellen decided to get into the blue food coloring and it got everywhere. So I spent a while cleaning that up and then I realized that James had been gone a long time. I went out to check on him and here he was coming up the street with his bike and he said, "Luanne loved my picture, mommy." She is a friend of ours that lives two blocks away and I thought that was nice that he drew a picture for her and took it all the way down there. Fade to seven hours later when I am going to bed and I see the picture on my nightstand is actually his school picture. An alarm sound went off in my head. I went to look in the envelope of school pictures and his were all gone. I had a sinking feeling that he had just gone all around the neighborhood putting his school picture in random people's mailboxes. The next morning, I asked James at breakfast what he did with his school pictures and he looked at me like I was crazy. "Mom, I told you I was mailing them. I put them in the mailboxes!" Apparently, he had gone around for four blocks, putting his picture in total strangers mailboxes. After he went to school, I drove around and looked in people's mailboxes and recovered about five pictures (that he had cut apart himself, so the edges were all uneven). He went a really long way. For those of you who have been to Sioux Center, he made it all the way to the ugly blue castle house across from the park. That is quite a trek and I don't know most of the people. I am sure they opened their mailboxes and were like, "Who the h$#C is this?" Oh well, at least I have a few pictures left and I am sure some people are out there wondering who this kid is.

The Halloween box FINALLY came!!

Every year David (who is a Halloween nut!) sends the kids a Halloween box filled with goodies. David called this weekend to say that it was on the way and they have been checking the front door every hour since then to see if the box had come. Well, it finally came today and the kids tore into it! They were so happy with what was inside. James and Kellen each got a pair of Halloween underwear (which they immediately put on), Skylar got a witch costume (which she immediately put on, but I will not show pictures because I don't want to ruin her surprise), and Brennen got a Halloween bib and socks. Of course there was lots of candy and other Halloween goodies. The kids were just so happy!

Skylar calling to thank David!

In fact, the box was so good they forgot all about what was in the other box that came. Two weeks ago while we were at grandma and grandpa's house, the kids found JT's old rocket stuff. JT thought it would be fun to do that with the kids, so he ordered some new rocket stuff and the kids have been so excited for THAT box to come. Of course, candy and Halloween trump all but Christmas, but JT was very happy to get the rocket box!

After a while though, the kids were very interested in the rockets and did not want to go to bed. JT had to promise that he wouldn't do anything more and finally James agreed to bed. It was a very exciting evening for the kids. I wish I had taken a video of them opening the Halloween box. They had so much joy! Of course, I didn't think of it until after the fact. Oh well, maybe next year I will remember!

What?!!!

I could not believe it when I woke up and saw this! I was totally unprepared for snow and was madly scrambling this morning to get the kids all the gear they need. I had no snow boots that fit them, so I had to send them in galoshes. Their winter coats were small last year and they could not even squeeze into them today. I had to send them in spring jackets with an extra sweat shirt. I ran down to storage to dig out some snow pants (they actually fit!). Then I had to find gloves and hats that fit. I can't believe we actually made it in time for the bus. I mean everything was still green, so snow had not even crept into my mind!

After I got everyone to school in a joke of a get-up, I ran to Wal-mart to stock up on winter gear. Boy, am I glad I came early. Apparently, I was not the only mom frazzled by the snow this morning. Wal-mart was packed with people buying snow wear and the pickings got slim pretty fast. I got the last pair of boots in each of the kids' sizes. I felt like I was elbowing people out of the way for a pair of kid boots. Then I was nervous the whole rest of the day, waiting for Skylar's approval on her new gear (she is very picky about her clothes)! She loved it and told me I was the best mom and got her the best winter stuff (I was not expecting that). Phew, what a relief! Now, I am physically prepared for the snow, but mentally... this is going to be a very long winter if it starts now.

The Omaha Children's Museum

We promised Skylar a long time ago that when she quit sucking her thumb, JT would take her to the science center. Well, she has been done sucking her thumb for about a month now (even at night), so today, JT took her and James to the Omaha Children's Museum. JT said it was VERY disappointing and the kids got bored pretty quick (they were only there a little over an hour). Everything was either broken or kind of lame (according to JT). However, the kids said they had a good time and it looks like they did have some fun.








Skylar painted this cat face on herself!

To make it up to the kids, he took them to Chuck-E-Cheese (always a hit) and then to shop a little at the mall. JT said the economy has killed the mall there and the whole top level is boarded up and closed off and there were very few stores open on the bottom level. He said it had almost turned into a homeless shelter. He felt really bad about taking the kids there. JT was disappointed in the day, but the kids came home happy and said they had an awesome time! JT has promised Skylar a trip to a good science center to repay her.

How is this comfortable?

I just don't understand how kids can wear their underwear backwards! I tried to turn it around for Kellen, but he refused (Skylar did the same thing at this age). At least he is wearing underwear. He is going through a hard core naked phase. I just can't keep clothes on him (at least it is just at home--he does keep his clothes on at school and when we go to the store:))!

Our Annual Excursion to the Pumpkin Patch!

Time for our trip to the pumpkin patch. The kids just love it here. They get to pet the animals, run around in the corn, find the biggest, dirtiest pumpkin that Papa can lift, and get yummy treats! What's not to like?

Let's get moving!

James falls in love with this kitten (until it scratched him and then he just dropped it)!

Kellen loves this rooster.

Skylar always loves the bunnies the most!

I get stuck in the cart, while everyone else has fun!

Cheese!

Searching for the perfect pumpkin!

We found one! Get it Papa!

While I'm sitting here, I think I'll try some of this dirt...

Not a good plan!

Off to the cash register!

Small detour to the corn maze. Which way to go?

Kellen tells me he is really strong! (He actually is)

After a chocolate chip cookie, Brennen cashes out on the ride home. A good time was had by all!


For more pictures of the day, see the shutterfly site:

http://thedeanslife.shutterfly.com/

We've done it!!

JT and I have taken a big bite out of our savings (more like all of it) and purchased a lake home. We are really excited about this house!

If you would like to see more pictures, please she the shutterfly site.

http://thedeanslife.shutterfly.com/#