A ridiculously long post about Halloween

The clincher is that it's not even all of the pictures I took. I have some awesome pics from Halloween night.  That will come later.  Be patient my friends...be patient. 

Before I do that, I wanted to pay a tribute to GrandDad Anderson.  I've only been a member of the White Family (and therefore the Anderson Family because of Danny's Mom) but I have felt welcome since day 1.  GrandDad turned 88!! I think that's a pretty cool thing.  Not only is every birthday after 80 a celebration in and of itself but 88 is just a cool number :)  We took a family picture of who was there (We missed you Greg, Kalani and fam), ate cake and icecream and asked GrandDad questions like "when you were my age..." it was so fun. I got to hear the way he met his wonderful wife and just melted at the way they adore each other after all these years.  What great examples to look to.  These two people have created such a beautiful, talented, hilarious, kind, loving group of people.  I hope they're proud.  I'm sure they are.

I have to also mention that even at the ripe old age of 88, GrandDad is totally witty and on the ball.  I can only hope to be so put together when I'm his age!

Oh, and yeah--Danny's crazy.  Moving on...

I was so proud of Cole's costume.  It came together nicely and basically pain free.  I should have mentioned this sooner as people were checking in with me about what I had decided to do.  October was a crazy month, please forgive :)

So here's how things went down.  The most expensive thing was the dumb hat (which was seriously weird, but it worked).  The dollar store was my BEST friend and the D.I. (a thrift store).  He already owned the shirt and shoes so I just cut up the shirt and had him wear his school shoes.  I found pajama bottoms at the D.I. for $2 and "dance" pants for $1.  Those were transformed into pirate pants and a red "sash".  I know that sounds so un-pirate like but I don't know what else to call it.  Don't judge me that he wore tights.  They were a buck and I think it pulls the costume together and it also kept him warm...so don't even start.  Then we've got the broken plastic sword and the flask (heh).  Also $1 each.  Hurray for me.  I win.

Neighborhood ParTAY

Our neighborhood knows how to throw a party.  We put together a "play group" that was actually a massive Halloween-Fest that was a smashing success.  We held it at the Clubhouse so we didn't have to trash anyone's house ;)

Cole was in pirate heaven.  He got to decorate cookies, eat candy, make spider cookies and then devour them, play a bean bag toss, eat some lunch and then eat some more.  Look at those owls used as the buckets for the bean bag toss.  Yep, Julia is pretty much amazing.  So cute.  As if frosting a cookie didn't keep Cole occupied, he apparently needed a sucker to tide his taste buds over.  I'm also not sure why Cole had to get up in Kate's bidness--but he totally did.

The pic of me and Addy (top left) is funny to me because I was showing her how you can see yourself on the screen of the camera if you flip it out but I told her several times to look at the LENS.  Anyway, you can see the result.  It's ok, adults do it too...it just makes me smile.

The group shot.  What on earth would we do if we got a group picture of every child looking directly at the camera? I would actually be frightened.  These pictures always make me laugh.  Kids have zero attention span and their pulses were probably so high from the sugar that they couldn't sit still!

American Heritage of South Jordan

Pre-K Halloween Party

We have such great room mothers! They put on the BEST and cutest school party I have ever seen. Seriously, it was so organized and well planned.  You expect total chaos when you get 20 something kids together but no, it was perfect.  They decorated pumpkins with pre-made styrofoam kits from Tai Pan Trading (brilliant and non messy!), played games, ate junk food and played musical monsters.  Cole got in some quality time with his crush, Sadie...I apparently am too incoherent to make a collage correctly so I put the same picture in both.  But dah well...she is so cute.  He always asks me where she is....  Like, when we're at home, or on Sunday or anytime he isn't at school.  He told me he wants to marry her in the temple, he makes sure she will chase him at recess and he lets her cut in line to the drinking fountain.  I think it's getting serious.

I had to throw in a picture of Cole eating veggies because when we got home I seriously confiscated his candy and put a platter of veggies in front of him.  Worked like a charm.  I forgot to mention that Cole's teacher (dressed as the purple witch) is a gem.  I look up to her so much.  You can just tell that she loves the children and even though she's going through some rough times she has such a good attitude about life and the kids can feel that. 

Ok, I think that's it for tonight.  It's almost midnight and I'm ready to turn into a pumpkin.  Like I said, more pictures to come...if you can imagine...