Halloween Costumes

In case you didn't know, I love Halloween costumes. This is going to be a lengthy blog; it was just too hard to narrow down my favorites. 

First Dallin as a slice of watermelon. He came up with the idea (it's his favorite food), and I had no idea how to do it. But I found one picture I liked online and tried to duplicate it. There were no instructions. Dave brought home a tall box, and I cut it into an elongated half circle. I also cut out holes for his head and arms. Then I attached red and green material to it using a glue gun. I also used a glue gun to stick on black felt seeds and white ribbon rind. 

I was very happy with how it turned out.

And Dallin loves it, so that's what really matters.

Next Brennan. He always talks about being a rock star. Then a month ago we watched a bunch of episodes of The Muppet Show. He said his favorite guest star was Alice Cooper. We figured that would be super easy, since we already had most of the outfit, the wig and the guitar. I just had to buy black jeans and a necklace. Of course the make-up finishes the transformation. Wow, he sure looks like a different person.

I chose to go with something really easy for Levi, since he's apt to not want to wear anything. He's wearing Brennan's old astronaut costume from a couple years ago, and luckily he likes it.

Tyler is a Scottish golfer this year. He got the idea last month when he saw this cool hat/wig. Some friends from church got it from their son when he was serving a mission in Scotland, and the mom uses it as a prop during singing time.

I bought some size 16 shorts on clearance for $3, then I gathered the bottom seams so they'd be puffy.  Argyle socks and a sweater vest finish the costume. Unfortunately there was an incident with the golf club involving Brennan's face, and Dave had to use Dermabond to glue his laceration. We debated between that and stitches, and it seems to be healing fine.

 Dave put his costume together himself. He's a beat-up hockey player.

Note the hockey puck half stuck to his face with blood trickling down. I colored his front tooth with eyeliner.

 I love that red tree behind us. I should take more pictures in front of it.

Spencer's costume was definitely the easiest, and he loves it. It's a ninja morphsuit. We ordered it online, and it came in plenty of time. I suggested the black shorts, since it's skin-tight.

 The material is really cool. He can see through it just fine. He can even drink through it. Crazy! 

My adorable boys!

I spent the most amount of time on Chloe's ladybug costume, but that's mostly because I was figuring it out as I went along. I made the tutu (which is just strips of tulle tied around a circle of elastic - super easy). Then I had a heck of a time trying to find a plain black shirt. I ended up finding one at Target, but it had a ghost on it. So I covered it up with a ladybug applique - something I've always wanted to learn to do, and it was pretty easy too. The headband was made from black tights, floral wire, pom poms and ribbon. She's so stinkin' cute! And she actually keeps it on because she likes to suck on her skirt and shake her antennae. Happy Halloween! 

Kinder Field Trip

Brennan's class went on a field trip to Jack Creek Farm last Friday.

Brennan has had a hard time adjusting to kindergarten this year. He's had an upset tummy almost every day before school, and he hasn't felt like he was making any friends. I really wanted to go on the field trip so I could get to know his class and watch him interact with them.  

The little boy on his right also has a peanut allergy, so at least he always has someone to eat lunch with at the nut-free table. They went to a cute little pumpkin farm. First they broke up into groups and learned how things were done in the old days. They got to pump water,

and grind wheat, 

 and feed the goats.

 He was in a great group, and he soon became good friends with this adorable little girl, Haley. 

After snack (apple slices and apple juice), they went through the hay maze. 

They ended with finding pumpkins in the pumpkin patch.

He decided he wanted a white/yellow pumpkin instead, so he gave his other pumpkin to Haley. 

These are his two new friends: Haley and Jeston. I talked to both of their moms afterwards and exchanged phone numbers so we can set up play dates. I'm hoping Brennan will be more eager to go to school now that he has friends there. I'm really glad I went. 

Raingutter Regatta

We had our first ever Raingutter Regatta at our pack meeting last week. It was kind of like a Pinewood Derby, but they made and raced sailboats instead. We forgot about them until the night before, but it was okay because they were pretty easy to make. So right there I liked them better.

Dave helped them sand and shape their boats and cut the grooves for the rudder and keel. Then they painted them and let them dry overnight. I helped them glue on the rudder, keel and mast that afternoon. We read that they would be more stable if we glued the sail to the boat. Dallin chose to do that, and his never fell over. 

They had long side-by-side raingutters filled with water. They each got a straw to blow them from one side to the other.

Tyler's fell over a few times (he chose not to glue the sail to the boat, so now we know that definitely helps). But he won most of his races anyway. He often came back from behind to win them. Don't you love his octopus sail?

 Cousin against cousin!

And the undefeated champion: Dallin! It was a super fun night.

L.A. trip

We went to Los Angeles last weekend for the stake temple trip. A stake is a group of congregations from our church, and several times a year we all have a special session at the temple. Since it's about 3 1/2 hours away (closer to 4 with stops), we like to go down the night before and stay at the temple apartments. Then Dave and I take turns watching the kids and going to the temple. This time Dave took them on a walk around the beautiful temple grounds and visitor's center while I was in the temple. As I was walking back to our apartment after my session, I noticed a young dad with a baby on his back and several young children walking with him. I thought, "Oh, how nice. That sweet dad is watching the kids while the mom is in the temple." Then when I got closer I realized it was DAVE with Chloe on his back and our boys all around him.   I tried to put Chloe on my back later, but she kept pulling my hair. So Tyler offered to carry her for me.

My boys LOVE the temple apartments. They were built in the 50's, and they're nothing fancy. But they like to play on the stairs (they drop pennies from the 4th floor and pick them up from the bottom floor), play telephone through the garbage shoot, and ride the elevators. I heard one of them say, "Who wants to go elevatoring with me?" Apparently that's when they ride the elevator up and down until someone comes in, and then they chat with them. They love to talk to adults. They're so funny!

There's also a little park right outside the temple grounds. On one side is an LDS church, and on the other side of this fence is a Catholic school. Apparently they were having a school carnival, and my kids were amazed. 

It had a bunch of full-size carnival rides plus tons of food, games and music. We thought our school carnival was fun last year - we just had a bounce house! They really wanted to go, but it was just for the students of the school.

So we just played at the park and enjoyed the music.

They always want to play on the luggage carriers, but we only let them do that when we're loading up to go home. This is their tough kids pose. On the way home we stopped to eat dinner at Olive Garden in Bakersfield. It was a little bit out of our way, but Dave really likes one of their soups, and the boys had never been there before. Then Chloe screamed for about an hour in the car, and we were all very happy to get home. 

Pumpkin Patch

One year we went to the pumpkin patch to discover that they were completely out of pumpkins, so now we always go early in the month. We met Dave there after work last Monday. The lighting was gorgeous, and they had plenty of pumpkins.

Chloe's first Halloween! 

While Dave took the boys through the hay maze (I don't like those things), I took pictures of Chloe on this pile of pumpkins and gourds. Everyone stopped to smile and say how adorable she was. Chloe mostly chewed on the pumpkin stems.

What a fun group!

Chloe did not want to give up that pumpkin!

Just the right size for Levi.

Still enjoying that pumpkin.

We were going to go on the hay ride to the pumpkin patch, but we waited in the wrong place and missed the last one of the day. So we walked over to the nearest pumpkin patch instead. Luckily the boys didn't mind. 

I love pumpkin patch pictures. They're so colorful and fun.

Tyler's arm is now all free. He was so happy to get rid of this splint.

Brennan chose red shorts "for blood." My boys can be a bit morbid.

They chose this green one because they are planning an ill jack-o-lantern. There will be vomit involved. They start planning how they want to carve their pumpkins months in advance.

 Love that face!

Afterwards Spencer bought ice cream for all the kids. So nice!