Happy Halloween!

Hope everyone had a Happy & Safe Halloween!

Last year we went to Boo Ha Ha, which is a daytime event in our city the weekend before the 31st, where the kids can trick or treat, play games to win candy and jump around in a bouncy castle.  We had so much fun last year that we did it again this year.  

This years costume theme was Batman - The Dark Knight.  Little Man was Batman of course, I was Catwoman (circa Anne Hathaway) and the Hubs was Scarecrow aka Dr. Jonathan Crane.

Catwoman, Scarecrow-minus the mask and Batman

Our dog Henry was supposed to be The Joker but he was not having any part of his costume and FREAKED when we tried to spray the top of his head green.

The one picture of Henry in his Joker costume before he tried to take it off himself.

I was pretty disappointed last year with the lack of participation by our neighborhood in handing out candy.  We live in the neighborhood where I grew up and I remember everyone handing out candy and one family ALWAYS had a haunted house set up in their home...it was the best!  I was determined that LM have a better experience this year, so last night I drove over to another part of town (thanks for the tip "M"!) where all the houses decorated and the homeowners dressed up and it was great!  They obviously had a reputation for doing it up right because there were TONS of people driving in and parking just to trick or treat in this neighborhood.

One house had cut outs on the front lawn so you could take your kid's picture.

LM said its a picture of him being eaten by a trick or treating monster.  :D

We came across a house that went all out!  Inflatable gargoyles on the roof, tiki torches along the front of the house, a fog machine, scary music with screams & lightning mixed in, tons of spiders and webs, skulls, skeletons in cages, yellow caution tape, pumpkins...the whole nine yards!  And it was AWESOME!!!  Told LM, "this is what our neighborhood was like when I was your age".  

Wish I could have taken a better pic!  So Cool!!!

This is what I want to do with our house next year!  Hope the Hubs is up for it!  :D

LM said, "this is the best Halloween ever!  I'm rich!" (meaning he hit the jackpot in candy)  :D  Loved seeing him having so much fun.

Now its time to gear up for Thanksgiving!

Catch Up!

About a week ago, we attended a Pet Blessing at my M-I-L's church.  I took a picture of Mabel but it was out of focus. :(

Henry

This past weekend, we visited a pumpkin patch!

LM and cousin J

Pony rides!

Cousin Baby J!

Happy Birthday GiGi!

Labor Day weekend we celebrated GiGi's 80th Birthday!

She is my Hubs grandmother and Little Man's Great-Grandmother.  Wonderful lady!  Friends and family from 4 different states (I think) celebrated together.  Great to see everyone!

Surprising GiGi at the hotel

My husbands cousin "T" and her daughter "C"

during our girls only shopping trip. :)

LM with his cousins from his Dad's side of the family.

"J" (red shirt), "R" holding "Baby J", "C" being Mr. Cool, "C" with the red mustache and LM on the right end.

"J" and LM enjoying chips and a comfy chair at 

Panera Bread Restaurant

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIGI, WE LOVE YOU!

First Week of School

We made it through the first week of school!  I was a little teary-eyed dropping him off but held it together until the Hubs and I got home.  

Little Man loves Kindergarten...probably because they don't make them take naps anymore. :)  The school went from 3 pre-school classes to 4 Kindergarten classes, so we were curious how many kids he would know in his new class.  He was happy to see 3 of his  former classmates in his class and also excited that he would be making new friends as well.  Here are some pics from his first day.

Getting ready to walk to school

His first big boy locker!

LM with Miss S, Miss L and Miss M (not pictured)

from his pre-school class.

Hope everyone has a wonderful school year!

What we did this Summer!

Our summer had been filled with family, friends, trips to the zoo and splash parks! Here are the pics!  (sorry if there are any duplicates from previous posts)

Little Man's friend Miss M at her dance recital

Trip to the Zoo with family,

LM with cousin J on the camel!

Splash park with cousin J

Lunch afterwards with cousin J, LM and LM's friend Miss K 

from his Pre-K class this past year

Cousin C and LM at Cherry Berry!  YUM!

Sleep-over included lots of LEGO play, superhero dress up, hot wheels and 

ImagiNext Batman and Joker fights.  :)

 LM at Golf Lessons

 "Jake"

The dog we rescued and took care of for 2 weeks (thought we were going to keep him)

until his parents saw my Lost & Found post on Craigslist.org  :(

Happy that he was reunited with his family but sad to see him go.

W, Miss M and LM

at Miss M's Birthday Party!

"Mabel"

Was found in a field and is now happily living

with Grandma M

Our new addition!

A.R.F (Animal Rescue Foundation) had this little guy at

a Adoption Day event.

I was there to put in an application for another dog,

 but when I saw this sweet face, it was all over. :)

LM new little brother, "Henry"!

Loves car rides, chewing on his toys, sleeping on the couch

with us during family T.V. time and playing "jungle dog" in the bushes in our backyard.

We're doing potty training, crate training, "sit", "lay down" and "shake"-such a smart boy!

School starts in a couple of weeks!  

Hope everyone had a wonderful summer!

Brazil Butt Lift

Last week the boy and I were cleaning out the DVD cabinet and I found the Brazil Butt Lift box set ("The Supermodels' Secret To A Perfect Butt"), shoved to the back, still in the plastic packaging.  Seeing as we just returned from our vacation to a water park, where I had to reveal my backside for the first time this summer (swimsuit clad...of course), and being VERY SELF-CONSCIENCE THE WHOLE TIME, I felt I should break out the DVDs and get moving on the Butt Lifting/Toning Mission.  Because who doesn't want to have a Victoria's Secret Model Butt?!


The booklet outlines a 4 week schedule with meal suggestions.  Hmmmm.  So yesterday The Hubs and I took our measurements (he's going to do Yoga) and weighed in, and I let him take a before pic of my backside in a bikini bottom (cringe) which will never be viewed by anyone else.


Week 1 / Day 1


Got a late start due to a freak storm waking us up at 1:30 am and not being able to get back to sleep.


DVD #1 - Booty Basics DVD (20 min) to teach you the basic movements used in all the videos.  Little Man tried to do this with me but said it was too hard, gave up and went to the other room to watch cartoons.


DVD #2 was BUM BUM (35 min) Lunges, squats, leg lifts, booty shaking, over and over!  All the time the instructor, Leandro, is saying "Work that Bum Bum!"  Which sounded like Boom Boom. :D


By the end I sweating buckets and LM wanders in and says, "Good job Mom!"...grabs a bag of chips and walks back out.  I'm going to get him some Pom Poms and make him sit and cheer me on next time!


Things I figured out after today's workout:


1.  Trying to workout in my pajamas and no shoes was not a great idea.


2.  Having to do the "modified" movement sucks!  But that is the competitive side in me. :)


3.  I REALLY have NO RHYTHM but hoping that I can improve on that.


4.  Turn on the ceiling fan BEFORE starting the workout.  Sheesh!


I'll keep you posted on my progress!

New Addition

Happy Birthday Baby J!  My S-I-L and her husband welcomed Baby J into the world on Tuesday and we were so anxious to see him when we returned from our trip!  LM kept saying, "Baby J will be there when we get home, right?"  Such a sweet little baby and LM thought holding him was pretty cool. :)

JMR

Proud cousin!

LM liked rubbing his head.

First Summer Trip of 2012

We just returned from a family trip to Kansas City and we had a GREAT TIME!!!  

LM with "Barrel Man" at one of the rest stops.

LM at LEGOland Discovery Center Gift Shop 

We spent 2 nights with Grandpa J and Grandma M and their dog Mitsy (sp?)...it was so nice sitting out on the deck at night and visiting.

LM with Grandpa J and Grandma M. 

We were headed into Trader Joe's which is 

WAY better than a Whole Foods and WAY cheaper!

Home of 3 Buck Chuck Wine!

LM near one of the fountains at Legends Outlet Mall

near Great Wolf Lodge.  Nothing like an outlet mall with great Memorial Day sales!

Then we spent 2 nights at The Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City.  The husband and I haven't been down so many watersides in our life!  LM had a blast!

Indoor waterpark at Great Wolf!  So Cool!!!

The Lodge also had an outdoor pool, putt-putt golf, a Wizard Quest game, arcade, storytime at bedtime and lots of other stuff for the kids to do.

LM and Dad playing Putt-Putt...LM totally out played Dad! ha!

LM getting a pirate tattoo and showing it off to the kids waiting in line for theirs.  So funny, for the rest of the trip, he kept pulling up his sleeve whenever anyone walked by. :D

Storytime with Violet the Wolf.

LM with Violet.

He really wanted to see Wiley the Wolf but I think

Wiley had the night off. :)

Catch Up!

Been busy busy the last couple of months only to come to a screeching stop with the beginning of summer vacation!  :D

Here are some pics from the past month's events.

Little Man and cousin J with their Daddies at the Dinosaur show!

Ran into some of our friends!

Cousin J, S, Little Man and A

LM riding a Triceratops

Aunt R's baby shower for Baby J!

Celebrating Mother's Day with Grandma M

Showing J and LM her gift

My birthday dinner

The husband was in charge of putting the candles on

the cake...could have caught the place on fire! :D

Hope everyone is having a great start to their summer!

School Field Trip to the Zoo!

Little Man's Pre-K class went to the Zoo!  Some of the parents, including myself, volunteered to be "in charge" of small groups of kids...meaning we were responsible for keeping track of our assigned kids and not letting them fall into the Lion's exhibit or anything.  :D

It was such a nice sunny day, although a little hot by the end of the trip, and the kids had a great time!

 Little Man is front and center (white shirt)

 This goat in the children's barnyard cracked me up!

Look at that smile!

 My 3 Little Monkeys!

LM, "N" and "R"

 Acting silly

LM and Co and a couple of girls from their class

at the Elephant Encounter