all hallow's eve

And the final Halloween post... on all hallow's eve!

Not to much new for this day except Jaiden and I had a horrible start with his tooth cavity  giving him trouble clotting but he managed to make it to school feeling only half as good as normal which was a big bummer for him. This is his last year in the school's annual Halloween parade and a big celebration for 5th graders as they show off their play on words.

I grabbed a quick photo of him presenting his pun... I almost wished I had brought some sample for the kids to try!

And then it was time for the annual parade...

Here he walks past Alyssa's class ... oh how I will miss not having him there next year!

And then it was Alyssa's turn who always give me a huge smile. 

She isn't in full costume though... despite numerous other students not following the rules and wearing blood and gore... she chose to follow the rules. I was kind of bummed about her costume being thought of having too much blood and gore when clearly it was much tamer than several I did see in the parade. And I am sure many thought she was just a doctor which lost more than half the scariness she was wanting to achieve. But we got fixed up for Halloween night...

and the final loot! 

We did celebrate Dennis' birthday by having two other families join us for a huge Chinese food spread - his favorite food and his second time having a birthday dinner that week! It was a fun and low key. He was treated to a pumpkin torte that didn't turn out so well (note to self: discard that recipe!) and a super cool birthday present from the kids and I.

orange gooey gourds

Looking back at these photos makes me realize how when I am involved with the kids, photos don't happen. Both kids wanted to try patterns this year - the paper kind that you punch holes into and then try to saw around them connecting the holes to make the design. These designs turn out pretty awesome but can be a bit challenging. I spent most of time helping Jaiden. He did the major part of the design while I focused on the details - the tiny eye, ear and a few designs on the neck.

This was Jaiden's and it looked really cool in the dark!

Alyssa freehanded the front of hers and then went in for the detail. She was really intent on doing it herself.

 Here was her front...

 And here was her back... 

BEWARE!

She started with a pattern but found it to be too difficult so came up with her own design. I love how she stays so focused and determined, but I also love how she knows when to say forget that way and try a new way! 

Carving pumpkins this year was a completely different experience from year's prior and I can see how it is the shift of them growing up. I love that they still want to carve them though!

a little spooky...

Boy, did October and November fly by! and I find myself again sorting photos and realizing I didn't share a few fun moments so a little back tracking... 

I don't think I posted any photos of the kids costume... well except the one of Jaiden winning the funniest costume at Haunted weekend.

Have I ever mentioned how every year as I look through pattern books and dream of doing some super frilly, girly costume like a mermaid, a gypsy, a funky candy girl? Lots of pink, tulle and shimmers? And every year this one has her own idea...

 A doctor? No, a zombie doctor, Mommy! She loved her costume which included scrubs, an arm band that had an open would on it, bloody necklace which she had spurting out of her heart, blood on a pale face and that look of death.

This next photo cracks me up because we went to do a local Halloween parade with our good friends who stayed with us during the flood last year, and I laugh because Jaiden went to hang out with the boys and they were spooky except for chicken cord on blue!

 The other fun thing about this parade is that Katie's dance class was performing. Katie asked Alyssa to join in even though Alyssa knew no one nor knew the moves but it ended up being a highlight for her. They were dancing to the Time Warp from the Rocky Horror Picture show over and over down Main Street. Luckily it's a very small town so Main Street was only 4 blocks! 

The trick or treating after the parade to the local business was in the dark so no photos of that but it also was a lot of fun. So great to spend time with our good friends!

ghost peppers...

A few days ago, Dennis came home from Whole Foods and announced ...

D: Guess what Whole Foods has? 

All three of us: What?

D: Ghost peppers!

M: You actually saw them?

D (ignoring my pun and the kids laughter): Yes!

And then today he brought home ghost pepper chips. Let me preface this with that Jaiden has a fascination for anything spicy... the spicier the better. He tries it all and most of the time decides it's not that bad. But ghost peppers? They have been on his list to try... 

 the first bite...

 give it a few seconds...

 Oh wow... really spicy!

Did he eat more? Yes, I am told the limit is 2-3 chips and no more. I will take their word for it as I have no interest in trying any of those chips!

looming ...

This is actually one of those very, very, very long stories and I hesitate do I fill those of you in   who haven't heard the story and risk a super long post ... or launch straight into today? Let's see if I can bullet it for you...

rewind to about 3 weeks ago

*  Jaiden gets himself in a little trouble with another boy

*  super strict teacher tells the boys they are grounded from each other for the entire month of October and can not be anywhere near each other - at lunch, recess, in line... anywhere!

*  other boy beats Jaiden out to recess and hogs the soccer field, tether ball courts or where ever the majority of the boys are playing

* Jaiden wanders aimlessly around during recess

*  I ask teacher about Jaiden bringing a yo yo or something to school

* yo yo is a hit for about 3 days

*  Jaiden still bored at recess brings his rainbow loom cat with its long leash to school

*  he and a different boy figure out a way to launch the kitty into the air - this begins to take off and becomes a HUGE hit at recess

* I try to figure out what is going on for the next 2 days only to show up on Friday at recess and arrive just in time to see super cool laid back male teacher shut it down during recess

* just before being shut down, Jaiden informs me "mom, it was crazy. ALL the kids are into launching the cat. They were all chanting LAUNCH the CAT, LAUNCH the CAT... even the 1st graders that were out at recess too!"

the next day is Saturday and Jaiden's bed looks like this...

rainbow loom bands spread all over his bed with my iPad running hot from 4 boys making more 3-d cats and launching mechanisms...

this is the original flying cat soon to be replaced by...

fireball kitty... 

yes, the cat is yellow on the back, orange in the middle and red in front because this cat is on fire!

* following week, super strict teacher lets boys continue launching cats and she even has her grandson come launch it!

*  launching kitty and fireball kitty are a HUGE hit during recess - the fun continues, the launching goes wild... nearly every kid is lined up to watch or give it a try

*  I forgot to photograph the 3rd cat - she's made from clear bands and is named cloud kitty

*  Jaiden gets challenged to a "loom off" by a couple of 5th grade girls

*  he starts planning his challenges

*  the boys try a few other rainbow loom balls but the kitties still rule until today...

... meet the hamster...

the hamster was made partially last night but fully completed this morning at 7:30 am! Yes, Jaiden asked if I'd wake him at 7 this morning so he could finish it but instead he came and woke me at 6:58 am wondering why I hadn't woken him yet?!

And technically, this isn't the same hamster that was made earlier and launched today because Jaiden sold that one to a boy at school for 50 cents... yes, he sold it and then during study time finished all of his homework at school so he could race home and make another one, but this time I was smart enough to photograph this cute little hamster.

So today, the hamster ruled the launching field.

The hamster nearly flew over the fence into the middle school's field. The kitties took a back seat while the kids screamed and squealed as that hamster flew even further!

And that brings you up to date... the adventures of a 5th grade boy continues ...

mama and baby?

I was talking with my Dad on the phone tonight and I shared with him a funny story that happened today after school... sadly no photo to go with this but I think you will have your own image nicely pop into your mind...

Alyssa and I rode up onto the driveway when Alyssa spotted a grasshopper, well, not just one but two. This is the time of the year where they are crazy slow and easy to catch... and somehow highly entertaining to little kids. 

Anyway, she runs into the garage and grabbed her garden gloves (yes, she has suddenly become squeamish about holding bugs!) and she says "oh look mommy, it's a mama grasshopper with her baby riding on her back!" She immediately swooped them up and took them next door to show Sophie while I brought back a coffee mug to Homa that was left at my house from a Vex meeting. While the girls watched the "Mommy and baby grasshoppers", I told Homa that Alyssa had found a "mommy grasshopper with her baby riding on her back!" Homa nearly died laughing while her older daughter, Lilia, ran out the door to check it out as well.

So if you know anything about grasshoppers at this time of the year, it's the mating and waiting to die season! We didn't correct the kids on their observation but had a good laugh about their innocence!

acute tastebuds...

... and to the other half of that blanco, anejo, dinero equation earlier this month...

... that goes to Nana who had the finer tastebuds!

Happy Birthday Nana!

ps. what should we bet on next?

the very last haunted weekend. ever.

yes. ever. for Jaiden at least! This year Jaiden is a Webelos II and he will be crossing over to Boy Scouts this Spring. Haunted Weekend is a tradition that the older Boy Scouts put on for the Cub Scouts at a camp just a few hours Northwest of us here. 

Dennis and Jaiden have gone every year for the past 4 years so this year was a bit bittersweet. And I am quite certain I am the only one who thinks that because this year marks the last of a lot things for Jaiden. Last year at elementary school. Last year in the Halloween school parade. Last year singing at the amazing 3rd-5th grade concert... oh I need to stop, don't I? 

Dennis sent me a few text photos over the course of the day so I chose my two favorites. They did their usual activities that included bb guns, archery and paint ball wrist rockets. He earned the final rounder (the Gold Award) on his Archery badge. He had to hit a single balloon in the center of the target with a single arrow. What makes it extra tricky is the balloon moves and mind you this is done outside where you have to deal with the natural wind as well as your arrows movement! They did the night hike to Spyglass but mostly Jaiden and his good cub scout buddy, Tyler, did a lot of running around and what they call as "bouldering".

 They spend the entire day up there and after dinner there is a big Halloween costume parade and of course, awards. Every year, Jaiden gets worked up and asks Dennis on the drive "do you think I will win the costume contest?" And every year he has big hopes of winning but has yet to do it ... until this year...

This year he didn't ask if Dennis thought he'd win.

This year he had no expectations.

This year he had the simplest costume ever. 

This year he wore a blue hoodie.

This year he wrapped a coiled telephone cord around him and attached a rubber chicken.

This year he won the Funniest Costume Award.

This year he was "chicken cord on blue"... get it?

He came home thrilled beyond the moon and back. I could barely make out what he was saying. 

This year Tyler and Jaiden talked about this being the year to do the "extra scary" haunted house.

This year they did the "scary" version and declared as always "that was scary!"

And this year he still wouldn't go into the "extra scary" haunted house.

But this year, he won the contest!

beach party

Saturday... oh how I love Saturdays when they are just full enough to keep us busy but enough time is built in for down time and playing with friends. And yesterday was a perfect mix not to mention the extra fun company we had for dinner too.

But first, I need to take a couple of steps backward and go back to that whole new quilt Jaiden got... remember from a few days ago? Well it inspired him to rearrange his nightstand display and set up a little display of his bobble heads, baseballs, mini figurines, puzzles and some commemorative coins... 

 he showed me all of this late at night when I really didn't want to try to hassle with managing the flash so I waited until morning. Isn't that hilarious? 

I also discovered my sweet nephew, Wesley, had a similar experience recently when my sister had to replace his Star Wars sheets. Except Wesley chose a Seahawks theme for his bed. I love how my sister agreed to it only as long as it wasn't a tacky one and apparently it fit the bill because he sleeps under a navy blue quilt with a Seahawks logo on it! I just can't get over how cute these 10 year old boys are!

Now onto some 8 year old cuteness... while Jaiden was out running around with the neighborhood boys, Miss Alyssa invited a friend over for a backyard "beach party" and somehow convinced Daddy to make them fruity umbrella drinks with sea horse stir sticks...

... and then when they got cold, they convinced me to sit in my bathtub to pretend it was a hot tub!

Seriously, that was a bunch of cute silly giggles!

Yes, I love Saturday's like yesterday!

blanco, anejo y dinero

Yes, only those 3 words could wish someone a truly happy birthday...

Happy Birthday Papi!

ps. I hope you didn't make any wild bets without me... I like winning :)

the nationals...

About a week ago, Jaiden asked if we could please get him a new quilt cover for his bed... he was thinking something solid color so it wouldn't be ... you know... too cute! 

We started looking online to see what we could find and I wanted to make sure he and I were on the same page before I started shopping around town. I was a little sad that he's at that age where cute is no longer an option but seriously, solid color? That made me quite sad so I wanted to show him a rugby stripe cover I had seen at PB Teen (pottery barn teen... yes, teen!) to see if I could at least persuade him into solid stripes. 

As I scrolled down, he said "Mom, did you see the baseball one?" I said, "No, those are all football leagues" but he insisted he had seen the National League so after he says no to the rugby stripes, I'll be darn if there isn't a baseball quilt with the National League logos on it. He said that one would work and I was sold. I thought he'd want solid color sheets but instead he chose the matching sheets - the choice was National or American League and because Rockies, Brewers, Diamondbacks and a few other teams are in the Nationals, he chose Nationals.

A week later it arrives and I wash it up yesterday afternoon. By the time he got home, I had the sheets on his bed but the quilt was taking longer to dry. When I came up to put the quilt on just shortly after putting them to bed, I flip on the light and my heart just melts...

 At the end of the bed is all of his baseball caps lined up! I mean seriously how adorable is that?

But then I tell him I have his quilt and would he like that on too? He was, of course, thrilled and after I put it on his bed, he moved his baseball hats on top of big doggy...

I had to take one last photo but as I was leaving he said "mom, you aren't going to blog this are you?" But I can't resist... who would have thought he'd be so excited over a pair of sheets and a new quilt?

It is these moments that I just love to see the glimpses of my little boy mixed in with his growing up stages. I am going to so miss all these cute little things he does but maybe I will be lucky and still find these moments even when he is older.

Oh, and the best part? this morning I went to show my friend his new quilt and I was going to pull it off his bed and show her but instead I walked in to find his bed made!

Yes, he's excited and I am excited that it isn't a plain red quilt!

eeeek!

The moment she discovers we are the same age and I look younger than she does...

how can I not resist? Happy Birthday sister!

laps for leadership...

aka harvest hustle aka jog-a-thon... and I am certain there probably has been at least one other name but today was the kid's annual and only major fundraiser... yep, the one in which they run as many laps as they possibly can in 30 minutes.

Jaiden's grade started at 9:15am and it was very chilly... wonderfully sunny and bright but a brisk 39 degrees which didn't stop any of these kids from wearing short sleeves and shorts!

Jaiden is two to the left of the boy in red shorts. He was ready to go and excited!

I have no idea what lap this was but he was motivated and the amazing thing watching him this year was noticing how he almost seems to have a natural running stride. I have seen that in a few other kids but I was a bit surprised to see him run the entire 30 minutes and yet his feet barely touched the ground!

a total of 13 laps... ironically the exact same as last year which equates to 3 1/4 miles in 30 minutes... just a little under a 10 minute mile ... I think we have a future track or cross country star in the family!

Then it was time for 3rd grade at 10 am and a hot 44 degrees F! The photo with Alyssa at the start line didn't turn out so great. She was hard to see behind the kids but she took off on her first lap happy as a little lark!

This is her rounding the back side of school on her first lap and the only photo I have of her running as at this point, I ditched my camera and did the remaining 25 minutes trying to pace her with a light jog and walk combination... although hers was more of a skip and walk!

Because she was starting when Jaiden was sitting on the lawn, I didn't get a photo of him relaxing with his friends but I did nab one of her!

and her bib... amazingly she ran the exact same number of laps as last year as well ... 9 total laps for a total of 2 1/4 miles.

Go kids go!

So proud of both of these cuties! I love their enthusiasm to run for their school ... sadly this is Jaiden's last year for the jog-a-thon! I can't believe that is actually true but this year feels awfully strange as I realize so much is his "last" in elementary school... brings tears to my eyes whenever I think of that. When I saw the kindergartners run with the 3rd graders, all I could think of was it feels only like yesterday but many moons ago, Jaiden was just starting! How fast time really flies...

green star

I still can't figure out how to downsize a recent video I took so it would be small enough to post here so in the meantime, I have only one photo to share...

This is Jaiden and a few of his classmates at the front of the school presenting! Yes, he stood up in front of 512 students and who knows how many teachers, staff and additional adults and presented what goes in the trash, recycle and compost at school - it was part of the school's 5 year celebration as a Green Star school which severely limits the amount of landfill waste and strives to be a zero waste school meaning anything used coming in or out of the school must be able to be reused, recycled or composted!

 This year, Jaiden is part of a super cool new program and team called MESA mentors. You must be a 5th grader, you must have been involved in MESA as a 4th grader and then there is some fairly strict guidelines in terms of behavior, school work and arriving to school once a week at 8 am to mentor the 4th graders. I could not be more proud of him because if you knew how hard it is for him to wake up early, you'd know how amazing this program is to get him early and to school!

The other cute side note about the presentation is he saw me there and had what looked to be a roll of the eyes and then he pretended I didn't exist... not even a quick hi when he walked past at the end... but just a mere 5 minutes later when the school bell rang and I was waiting for Alyssa and Jaiden outside of Alyssa's class, he snuck up behind and excitedly asked "what did you think, Mom?"

Too cool! Seriously amazed at his presentation and ability to stay calm in front of 512 students and at least another 30-40 adults!

Go Jaiden go!