Halloween Part 2

For the rest of the Halloween festivities we walked down to the church just down the street from us and attended their fall festival. We've gone every year since we moved here so it's just become a tradition for us. It's so easy since we can walk there and it gives Preston the illusion that he's trick-or-treating even if we just stop at the neighbor's house. Sadly, we learned that this will be the last year for the fall festival at that church since they are moving to another building in the next town. I know Preston will miss going. He will probably always call that church his "Halloween church" whenever we pass it.

We got there a little a little early and not all the games were manned. So you know what that means! Free bucket of candy!!!

Just kidding. We told Mario here that he could only take two.

Here he is playing roll the dice game. Or better known as "Craps".

Turns out that's not so easy with gloves on and a creepy clown eyeballing you. Hey, I thought the church flyer said no scary costumes!










Next up, the hockey game. Always a hit with the little guys.

What form...

What grace...

What moonwalk?

Now it was time for Connor to try his hand at winning candy.

How about a little fishing?

Connor was not excited.

"What do you mean you want me to catch a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup?"

Every year they have door prizes to giveaway. This year you registered for the prizes by putting your name in a hat. So I went ahead and signed up all four of us. Well guess who won?

That's right. Little sleepy Connor was carried up on stage to accept his prize of this adorable teddy bear that he clung onto for the rest of the night. I have to admit that even though this was Connor's first year attending the fall festival it wasn't his first time to win something there. Last year I (at 7 months pregnant) won the very last door prize of the evening which just happened to be a really cute baby toy. He certainly is a lucky little fella.

Next up - the Costume Contest! This is the first year that they have done this that we know of. One of the church staffers brought up several contestants on the stage they felt were worthy of being judged. Preston was the first one chosen. I couldn't believe how well behaved he was up on stage all by himself. And when it was his turn to talk into the microphone he clearly stated his name and who he was dressed up as. We were so proud.

Unfortunately, Preston didn't win the grand prize. That award went to the lobster and two chefs you see standing next to him. What you can't see is the big stock pot the baby lobster was in. It was really a cute costume.

However, lots of applause and cheers (especially from mom and dad) made up for the loss and Preston didn't seem to mind.

I mean who would, when you go home with a loot like this?!

I'm pretty sure that Reese's Peanut Butter Cup never made it back into the bag.

Halloween Part 1

I am so far behind posting photos. And the next few posts will probably seem out of order but I just had to share some of my boys and how cute they were on Halloween.

Preston is really into Mario right now. So we thought it fitting that he dress up as Mario for Halloween. And since I'm pretty frugal these days it also seemed like a relatively cheap costume to put together. Turns out that I spent only $1 - yes! $1 to make both boys costumes. Not too bad, if I do say so myself.

First I need to show you the cute trick-or-treat bags that I picked up at the dollar store. (Yes, I spent more on the bags to hold the loot than I did the actual costumes.) These bags had a cute jack-0-lantern face on one side and I cut out felt and glued their names on the other.

Time to pose with your bags, boys.




Connor wasn't too sure what to do with his, so Phillip improvised the "holding". We made sure to remove the bag from around his neck prior to adding candy to it.

And here's Mario showing off his bag. Yes, the high water overalls were intentional. I felt that it really completed the video game "geek" factor.

Connor went as "Power Ups". For those not in the know, power ups are kind of like little helps that Mario collects on the way. The mushrooms give Mario extra lives and the flower gives him fire power.

In case you were curious here's how I made his costume: one already owned pajama sleeper light blue + cut out felt in the shapes of power ups + hot glue (not while child is wearing!) = one super cute Super Mario Galaxy Power Up!

Uh oh Mario! Looks like your power ups are getting away! You better go get them!

Why do you laugh, Mario? Does your mustache tickle?

Here's the recipe for a great Mario costume: one already owned size 24 month overalls that your too skinny 5 year old can still wear *gasp* + one borrowed red shirt + brown shoes + mustache shaped felt attached with elastic + already owned red hat with felt M + one pair of white gloves $1 = one cute super plumber! (Remember? Mario was a plumber when he first appeared on Donkey Kong.)

Good work Mario! You caught your power up! Now go save Princess Peach!

Connor's Photo Shoot

I got the link to the rest of Connor's photos from his photoshoot yesterday. Good news they are awesome, bad news is the link is only good for 5 days. That means you have until 5pm October 19 to place an order.

Click here to view the photos. You will need my log in and password (or you could set up your own). Once logged in use the access code: connorgrape.

Enjoy!

Playing Catch Up

Yikes! Has it really been almost a month since I've updated my blog. Sorry mom - I'm pretty sure she's my lone reader - I'll try to do better.

Lots of exciting things have happened, especially in the photography category. Both boys got a professional photoshoot. However, not together, and not with the same photographer so I've got lots of links to share.

First up, Preston had a photoshoot with my friend Jennifer Mazy. Mazy is an amazing photographer. I especially love her work with newborns. She has a gift of bringing on baby fever - no matter how long it's been since you've had a baby.

Here's the link to Preston's proofs. You'll need to enter the site (on the bottom) and then on the left and you'll see "Info". Click that. Then you'll see "Client Proofs". Click that. And now sit back and look at that sweet, sweet baby. Wait, that baby's not mine... let's move on.

For username enter "models". And now enter "models" for password. Don't use the quotations. Click "Submit".



Now you'll have to scroll past several other kiddos before you get to Preston. Or you can just sit back and enjoy the slideshow. There's music too, so as long as you don't wake anybody up go ahead and turn up the sound. Preston's photos come around number 39 or so. Be sure and see them all, there's about 13 or so. The little girl immediately following Preston was at our photoshoot as well and they have been friends for quite a while and they are only a few days apart in age. They were very cute together, unfortunately we don't get to see them very often.



For immediate family, you might recognize photo number 135 as that is the one that earned Preston this:
For those that don't know, that's a local free magazine that is available at neighborhood grocery stores, restaurants, etc. Cool, huh?

Secondly, Connor had his professional photoshoot with a Jennifer as well. But with a different Jennifer, this time with Jennifer Lauren. She is another amazing photographer but has an altogether different look with her photography. She really has a way of capturing the eyes. We spent nearly two hours together and I learned so much from just watching her work. It was truly a joy to get to know her and I now consider her a good friend.

Ok, ready for trip to the internets folks? On your mark... get set... click!

Unfortunately Jennifer hasn't completed the photos from Connor's photoshoot, but you can click here for a sneak peek on Jennifer's blog. (I promise I'll share the link to the full reveal when I get it.)

Once you get to Jennifer's blog the first thing you might notice is Jennifer's reflection in the eye in her welcome post. That is Connor's eye! I told you she had a way with eyes. Connor is also up at the top in her rotating header, but you're going to want to see the rest.

So keep scrolling down and you'll see a handful of Connor. We thought we would go for a little bit different look this time and I think it suits him well. He was just all smiles throughout the whole process. Not even a diaper blow-out would spoil his mood. It was perfect. I can't wait for the rest of the photos.

Want to own some of these portraits of my beautiful children? Well, do you mom? Good news, both photographers are offering discounts of their prints for us to purchase. Now these are professionals so they won't be Walgreens pricing, but they also won't be Walgreens quality - much, much better! Let me know (mom) if you want any and we'll place an order.

So that ought to just about catch us up... at least for now.

What's Up Doc?

It's the day every child looks forward to. They wait with anticipation at seeing their favorite person. Is it Santa Clause? The Easter Bunny? Is it the Great Pumpkin? Nope. For Preston, it's Dr. G. No, not Dr. G. the medical examimer. Now that would be just weird.



It's Dr. G., the pediatrician. Really, that's what she goes by. It's so much easier than butchering her name when I call to make an appointment. However, it's very awkward when you're filling out medical paperwork and you suddenly have no clue what her real last name is.


The morning of Preston's appointment we were in the car discussing that afternoon's events which was going to his five year well with Dr. G. I explained to Preston that he was going for a check up. Of course the obvious five year old question was "What's a check up?"



My response was brief and vague: It's a time when you go the doctor and she checks to make sure your body is working well and she answers any questions you have about your body. Now be quiet while mommy navigates through heavy traffic.




Well I suppose I ignited a spark in him somewhere because once we got home he immediately had a list of questions he wanted to ask the doctor. And being the good mom/cook/cleaner/secretary that I am, promptly took dictation. Here's what he came up with all on his own:

He was so proud of his list of questions. He carried them with him to the appointment and told everyone from the receptionist to the nurse that he had his "list" for the doctor. He barely let the doctor get in the patient room before he shoved the list in her hand. Thank goodness, Dr. G. has been around kids a time or two and was more than gracious to take the time to answer his questions right away.

Number one was easy for her, "Today". Uh-oh, that pesky chicken pox vaccine. She quickly went to the next question as to not lose her captive audience, literally. The next three questions all tied in together so all she had to do was explain the digestive system in a way that a five-year-old can understand. As you can imagine this led to questions about elimination. *Sigh* Oh to be the mom of boys.

Fortunately, Preston got all of his questions answered to his satisfaction and a clean bill of health. He is ready to take on the year that is five. He looks good doesn't he?

Ok, well he might need a little plastic surgery for that floating head and wiggly nose, but all in all I'd say he's looking mighty fine.

Oh wait, this is better. Although I think the self-portrait with the mouth wide open is a more accurate representation.

First Day of School

Well it's not big school, it's pre-school but that's a big deal around here. Preston was super excited about going to school this year. He met the teacher last week and was disappointed that he couldn't stay and play. Of course the first thing he asked Miss Katie was if she had "blocks and marbles" (translation: a marble run). When she said that she did, Preston insisted that she get them out for him so he could play. It took quite a bit of convincing but we were finally able to leave. While most kids were crying because they thought they were staying - mine was crying because he had to go.

So on Tuesday, Preston gets to pick his special breakfast which is waffle with strawberries.






Meanwhile, I get his lunch all packed and ready to go. A peanut butter and strawberry jam Uncrustable (bought on sale nearly free, but probably never again as they are so expensive), grapes, Go-Gurt (yogurt in a tube which I froze first so it will thaw by lunchtime), a Capri Sun, and a special note from mom. Sorry for the lack of vegetable, it was the first day.

His lunchbox that he picked out among our collection. Yes, it's Sesame Street. Yes, it's old. Yes, it's ok that he took it.

All ready to go!

Being silly.

A rare photo with mommy. Yes, I do exist!

One with Daddy.

Walking into the school. Once we got inside he looked back and me and said, "Mom, I know my way there" and took off like a light. I was nearly running (with Connor strapped to me) to catch up with him. Like he thought I was going to just let him go in by himself. Don't grow up too fast buddy!

With his teacher, Miss Katie.

I had a very busy day running errands. The day just flew by. I really didn't have time to miss him.

When I picked him up they had just come in from recess and he was all hot and sweaty. I asked him if he had a good day and he said, "I had a GREAT day!" I guess that pretty much says it all.

I'm so proud of my big guy.

New Blog: Come Pray With Us!

My friend and I took on a new adventure last week and started a new blog dedicated just for moms. As fellow moms we understand that it's not always easy to find the time to pray. We're all busy and let's face it, life happens. And while nothing can replace your daily quiet time with the Lord, our goal is to provide a place where moms just like you gather together and pray.

In just a short amount of time you can encourage and be encouraged as we lift up our requests to the Lord. No matter where you are or what you are doing, it's ok to say, "Just a moment, mom's praying".

Come check us out and let us know what you think. If you'd like to join the many women who are praying daily, you can sign up as a follower.

We'd love to lift you up in prayer, so if you have a prayer request let us know at momsprayingblog@yahoo.com.

On the Hunt

My local moms groups hosted a photo scavenger hunt for the month of July. The goal was to find each of the items on the list and take a picture of it with your child(ren). We got kind of a late start as we were out of town for the first week, and we had to get creative with a few of them. But we had a lot of fun running around town trying to hunt down the items on our list.

Check out the slideshow below to see all the things we had to track down.

Our entry for "Old school" even won us a free photoshoot with one of the professional mom photographers in our group! How cool is that?!

Surprise!

Eight months old.

I love this age.

Every day we're starting to see more and more of Connor's personality.

It's so much fun discovering if he's...

funny

clever

adventurous

or mischievous.

Turns out, he is all four of those things and much more.

This was evidenced by how I found him in his crib one morning.

A Houdini in the making.

(Note the stragetically placed diaper in the background.)

And the Winner is...

Thanks to all those who entered my contest and made suggestions for the name of my mommy prayer group. There were so many good suggestions, that I honestly could not decide. While I may still use one of the suggestions, I decided to go ahead and just choose a winner randomly. Seemed fair enough, right?

So without further delay, the winner chosen by Random.org is Sandy! She made comment number 17 with "Mommy Has Faith".

Congratulations Sandy! I'll be contacting you to get your address so that I can mail your prize to you.

Thanks again, to everyone who participated. You ladies are a creative bunch! As soon as I nail down the name, I'll be sure and post here as well.

Help Wanted - and a Giveaway!

Do you have a way with words?

Do you have a creative flair for writing?

Do you like to talk?

Do you use words in your every day life?


If you said yes to any of the above, then have I got a job for you!

I have a concept for a future project and I'm stumped for what to call it. And to help get your creative juices flowing I'm going to entice you with a little bribe prize.

Hold your horses, I'll get to the prize in just a minute. First, here's what I need from you.

I need a clever name/title for a prayer group for moms/women. Here are just a few guidelines:

• It does need to be original. So while Women of Faith is a great suggestion, I unfortunately can't use it.

• You can mention "moms", "women" or any other name suggesting as such in the name. However, there should be an emphasis on prayer, faith, or Christianity as that's what the group is all about. You can use alliterations, acronyms or any other verbiage you like.

• You must leave your suggestion in the comments section of this post. If you tell me in person, over the phone, on Facebook, or in a text I will forget it. That's just how my brain works.

• One suggestion per comment please, but you can leave multiple comments. (This is to your advantage - you'll see in a minute.)

• Be sure and leave me a way to contact you if you win. Something like an email address, blog address, or your handle if you are on my moms board. If I know you in person you must tell me three things you like about me - just kidding! Just let me know who you are when you leave a comment.
  

• You have until Friday, August 14 at midnight to post your comment.

• I will pick a winning name/title from the suggestions in the comments on Saturday, August 15. If, for some reason, I don't use one of the suggestions, the winner will be picked at random using the random number generator. So make as many suggestions as you like, no matter how lame you think it is!

And now to the good stuff. Here is what the winner receives!

It's not much, but it is hand made by moi. And I'm sure it would look beautiful in your home, or office, or kitchen, or in your friend's home. Hey, I won't tell if you re-gift it!

This little beauty will be either delivered to you via the postal service of when I see you in person, whichever is the fastest.

So lay it on me. Give me your best suggestions!

Wordless Wednesday: I'm Lovin' it!

Somebody's had a little too much "special sauce".

"Mom, can we pretend he's not with us?"

It's Wednesday! It's Wordless! See more here and here.

Somebody's Gonna Be In Trouuuuble!

In the words of Tootie from The Facts of Life: "... and make that a double."


It's 10:30 at night. Your doorbell rings. You think your hubby is in the office working. You peek out the front door and you see a big truck with lots of lights.

Is it a firetruck? Ambulance? Oh dear, what could it be?
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It's REPO-MAN!

And no, he wasn't looking for us!

Apparently Adam (last name withheld) is a little behind on his payments and will no longer have access to his Jeep Wrangler. That is, if the big burly (and somewhat scary) individual that was standing on my porch can find his car.

Now the question is, who is Adam and why was he using our address?

Oh and hubby? He was in bed. Asleep. Missed the whole thing!

And thank goodness the doorbell didn't wake up the little ones, otherwise Repo-Man would have to answer to Mini Mean Momma!

Life Is a Highway

Being a mother of all boys means

finding Hot Wheels under your pillow.

It's a Swim Thing

Preston started swim class the day after we got back from our trip. Thanks to Great Granddad, we were able to sign him up at the local rec center. Last year we went to the YMCA and I wasn't impressed with his teacher, so I thought we'd try someplace new.

I'm so glad we did because Preston got an excellent teacher. Chris was extra patient and kind and had a lot of fun while teaching. And since he only had one other student besides Preston it was like having private lessons. And for an added bonus our entrance to swim class allowed us to visit the city pool (located at the rec center) for free, so we often stayed after to enjoy a little fun in the sun. We almost forgot that it was a hundred and ten degrees outside.

Waiting for swim class to start

Teacher Chris, classmate Emma, and Preston having a little pow wow.

Practicing floating like a starfish

Not quite sure about it yet

Starting to get the hang of it

By the end of the session he had mastered floating on his back

Connor hung out in the stroller and cheered brother on

Waiting for your turn is sometimes boring

Preston showing off his mad swimming skills

Now that's some concentration

Towards the end of nearly every class Chris would take the kids outside and have them jump off the diving board and swim to the edge of the pool. Emma showed no fear and would jump right in. Preston needed a little more coaxing. He would get all excited but as soon as he got about half way out on the board he would turn around and head back down the ladder. Poor fella. I don't think it was the jumping but the wobbly diving board that made him nervous.

Finally Chris convinced Preston to jump from the side of the pool instead.

Chris asked Preston to "pinky swear" that he'll jump off the diving board next time and he did! Sorry, I wasn't able to get pictures of it. But you'll just have to trust me that he did it. After he jumped, he was ready to end the class and leave, but his teacher and I convinced him to do it one more time. This was such a great accomplishment for him. I know he was really scared and it took every ounce of bravery he had in him to do it.

One quick funny:

During class his teacher Chris would hold him in the water and repeat, "Dunkin' donuts" as he swung him back and forth. The point was to get them ready to be dunked in the water.

One day at home, Preston and I were playing and he asked me to sing the "Donkey Donuts" song. I had no clue what he was talking about until he started "singing" it the way his swim teacher does. I nearly lost it. I guess the dunking part was lost on Preston.

Preston had accomplished all of the class goals (something he didn't do last year). He is able to swim a few feet, float on his back, and knows the proper stroke and kicking techniques. Chris said that this was his best class by far. After our disappointment from last year, it was so refreshing to see Preston learn and accomplish something he tried so hard to do.