Community Affair

Our local village hosts a tree lighting ceremony each year.  This year the school got involved to try and make the event bigger.  The event included Santa arriving on a fire truck, lighting the Christmas tree, Santa Lucia singers, carols, and of course hot cocoa and cookies.  The kids also enjoyed the tractor/wagon ride from the tree to the highschool where they could sit on Santas lap.  Leland was rather cute and decided he needed to take his Outback Toy catalog so he could show Santa exactly what he wanted.  He even knew what page numbers he needed to show Santa!

Kapnicks Bakery

We love Christmas for many reasons and one of those reasons is making sugar cookies.  The boys enjoy helping with all the necessary steps.  Our first batch of the season ended up being quite a spread out process, but the end product was worth the wait.  Sutton and I mixed up the dough while Leland was at school, so of course we had to save some dough for Leland.  Then the rest of the steps each happended a day after the previous step was completed, hence all the different clothes!!

Tinsel Town

We started decorating the Christmas tree the day after we brought it home.  The boys could hardly wait to get the lights done so they could start hanging ornaments.  They really were good helpers this year!! 

Not The One With The Red Ribbon

We set off to get our Christmas tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  We chose a farm that we had not visited before.  This farm offered horse drawn wagon rides to the field, so we thought the kids would enjoy that.  As we got on the wagon I got out my camera to start taking some pictures.  I am trying to snap a picture and nothing is happening.  I turn it off and on again still nothing.  Then I realize I had left my memory card at home in the computer.  Thank goodness for phones right!!  We were able to get some pics with Nate's phone.  Once out in the field we found a tree that we liked, but noticed that it had a red ribbon tied to it.  When one of the workers came around we asked about the red ribbon, but he was unsure and had to go speak to the owner.  When he came back he let us know that we could not have the tree, so our search started over.  After a bit more hunting we found the perfect tree for us and after a few slices with the saw we were on our way!!  Despite many frozen fingers and toes a good time was had by all. 

Watch Out, It's Spider Man And A Member Of The SWAT

The kids made Halloween really easy for us this year.  They both decided to wear costumes that I found last year after Halloween was over on the clearance rack at Target.  It really doesn't get any easier than that does it?!!!  We had a fun time trick or treating and of course the kids got way more candy than they needed!!  Nate and I raided the clearance rack at Target again this year, only time will tell if we can be so lucky again next Halloween.

Goodies For Ghouls

I offered to put together the Halloween party for Lelands classroom.  It was lots of fun planning it, there was lots of neat stuff on the web to do.  We were not able to do some of the things I found due to a limited amount of time, but the kids still had fun with the things we were able to do.  I had help with the snacks with all had a Halloween theme.  We even had bubbling and steaming witches brew, the kids thought this was neat.  Then we had time for some games which included mummy wrap, witches brew relay, pin the bow tie on Mr. Bones, and makig a spider out of a Tootise Pop. 

Will They Look The Same Inside

We enjoyed an unseasonably warm fall, so when it was time to carve pumpkins we were able to do it outside.  This year Leland decided he wanted to carve a white pumpkin.  We all made a guess as to whether or not it would look the same on the inside as an orange pumpkin or if it would be different.  We found out that the white pumpkin was indeed different inside than the orange pumpkin.  Next year the kids have already requested to grow our own pumpkins and a specific kind at that.  They want to try growing peanut pumpkins, they are a creamy orange color and look like they have peanuts growing on the outside.  However, now that the garden spot got turned into a digging pit for the boys I am not sure this will happen!! 

Soggy Pumpkin Picking

Sutton and I enjoyed a fieldtrip with his preschool classroom near the middle of fall.  We went to a local orchard.  Other than being a soggy moring it was a fun trip.  Sutton had fun picking an apple and his own pumpkin.  Of course the trip wouldn't have been complete without donuts and cider!!

Scarecrow Alley

 

Every fall a local garden hosts a fall activity day for kids.  There are lots of scarecrows placed in various locations.  The day is complete with pumpkin decorating, other crafts, and a hay ride.