Halloween Festivities

In order to keep up with the Jones' (In this case, my mother) I had to post two things tonight so she wouldn't post more than me on her blog (hehehe). So, pictures of our Halloween festivities for my viewing enjoyment. I'm sad we didn't take more pictures. I was always running around doing something else so I didn't get the kids when I really dressed them up complete with everything. But you get the picture.I'm actually really proud of how Caden's costume turned out (not in the above picture though). He wanted to be a knight (after switching from a super hero) and so I made a tunic and cape for him. We got a shield and sword at the dollar store and used a tool belt to hold his sword. I wanted to draw a dragon on his tunic, but that was one of the things that just didn't get done. I'm sure it all could have looked better, but since I can't read patterns and make things up as I go, I'm pleased with how it turned out. I was also going to make him wrist cuff thingy's. No, I have no idea what they are really called, but I saw them on some costumes when I was searching the internet for what a Knight's costume is supposed to look like.
Kember looked beautiful as a witch...even with her hair all funny. It is amazing what mascara and eyeliner do for her. I mean, I think she's a pretty girl, but holy cow...when you add make-up, which we didn't take a picture of, she's drop dead gorgeous. When Dan saw her he said that she wasn't allowed to wear make-up for a looong time.
Cole was reusing Caden spider costume from when he was a baby. He was really excited that he got to be a spider. He kept telling people he was a spider web. I wanted to spray his hair black and spike it, but Wal-Mart didn't have any black hair spray, so...we just spiked it for actual trick-or-treating (or our ward party).
Thursday night our friends called and said that the athletic department does a trunk-or-treat for the community at the stadium. Great! We were in. So we threw on the kids costumes and walked over.
Cole thought it was awesome that you said, "Trick-or-treat!" and people gave you candy. The other two didn't say much but they enjoyed getting all the candy anyway.We went to the costume parade at Kember's school on Friday. Caden and Cole didn't like the waiting so much, but once all the kids came out they told me which ones were their favorite. Caden was really excited every time he saw another knight (although most of them were Ninja's).Kember apparently doesn't do well with crowds of people, so I wasn't surprised at all to see her holding hands with her teacher for the parade. I'm actually pleasantly surprised she wasn't crying and agreed to walk with everyone else. This is progress (although, maybe I'm being to hard on her...but let me tell you, the primary program was a disaster as far as Kember was concerned)Kember thought it was really neat that her teacher was a super hero.

Kember's teacher let me bring the boys to Kember's class party. I went to help, but didn't end up doing anything. Ah well. Maybe with our last child I'll be helpful again.We ended Halloween night (or I guess Saturday night) with part of Charlie Brown's great pumpkin movie on Hulu. The kids really enjoyed staying up to watch it. And, this year we actually got some trick-or-treaters. Last year I think most people gave up because of all the trunk-or-treats that the different organizations do every year. We probably would have gotten even more, but I turned the porch light off when I couldn't get off the couch anymore. It's amazing how uncomfortable just sitting is. Ah well...three more weeks...three more weeks. Chant with me now. Three more weeks.
The boys ended up getting sick and so the three of us stayed home from church today. Caden learned how boring it is to be sick, and how much better it would have been to go to church, and Cole just slept the whole time.
So, there you have our Halloween festivities. Good times, great memories. Now if I could only stop eating the candy. Once I'm done being pregnant it certainly isn't going to help in the weight loss area. So maybe I should just enjoy it while I have the excuse of being the size of a whale.

Cole's 2nd Birthday

Whew. A little late posting this, but it's sooner than I've posted Kember's. I've really got to do that at some point. We really did celebrate her turning 5, I promise.We don't do a lot for birthday's, but I always try to make a cake. I'll admit I wasn't into it this year and didn't want to make one...at all. So, this isn't my best effort. Especially considering the fact that I was rushing to get it done so we could take the kids to a movie for Cole's birthday.Cole really seemed to enjoy it though. It tasted nasty. The butter that I used must have gotten freezer burn because the frosting tasted disgusting. Bleh. But the kids still ate it. Anyway. The cutest part of Cole's birthday was that he loves the "Happy Birthday" song. He would sing it all the time, but he would never say, "Happy Birthday to Me (or Cole)" it was always "Kember" or "Caden" or "Mommy" or "Daddy". And when I said, "to Cole" he would say, "Nooo" with a big smile on his face. And when you asked him how old he was he would say, "I four". Guess we are skipping a few years with this kid. We are still working on getting him to say that he is two.
Presents were actually really fun because the kids helped. Kember informed me that she had money, and she wanted to buy Cole a present. I keep money that she gets in her wallet in our safe, and she pleaded with me to take it out so she could buy him a train. She was very insistent on that. Nothing else would do. I tried to get her to buy some cheaper things, but she had to buy him a train. Caden also wanted to buy Cole something, but he doesn't have any money. So I gave him a nickle (generous, I know) and told him that Daddy would pay for the rest. He got Cole a car. They were each very excited to wrap their presents themselves, and Cole was even more happy to unwrap them. He knew just what to do. These pictures make me laugh because the car ramp we bought him is bigger than he is, but he was excited!
Where'd he go? He's there somewhere.After presents we went out to dinner, which was a waste of money because none of the kids ate anything...at all. Sigh. And then we took them to Toy Story 3. I'll admit I was nervous about this. We've never taken the kids to a movie before (well, that isn't entirely true...they had summer matinee's in Pullman, but I'm not counting those because the whole theater was filled with kids and babies and non-grown up people). And I was nervous because my kids are sensitive to what they watch. Cole seemed to like it okay. Caden did pretty well. There were some parts that scared him, but Kember insisted on leaving. I took her out and we waited in the lobby for quite some time. I convinced her to try it again (I wanted to see it), and Dan had to take her back out to the lobby for a bit. I want to encourage my kids to leave when they don't feel right about a movie, or if somethings wrong....so I was trying to be supportive, but I really just didn't understand. But hopefully she will keep doing what she feels is right. Even if no one else feels the same way.
So, all in all, Cole had a good birthday, and I made a cake. Check. Done and done.

I sure love you little man!

Carving Pumpkins

Well, it's that time of year again. Probably past it, but we like to do things a little late in this family. Kember has been asking and asking forever to get pumpkins but I kept putting her off. I'll admit it was because I didn't want to buy any and I was hoping the parents would have extras for us. Turns out neither set of parents pumpkin crops turned out real great this year, so we had to buy some. Next year we'll try again to grow them...and not leave them unwatered for a week during the hottest part of the summer while we go out of town :) So, while ordering our Bountiful Basket for our date night activity (look for an Iron Chef post....it was awesome!) we decided to get some pumpkins too! And after everything was ordered we realized our order was going to Roy, UT. Huh, well, we don't live anywhere close to Roy, so that was a waste of money. So we bought more pumpkins at Harmons. Which we should have done in the first place because they were way cheaper. Ah well. Live and learn...live and learn.Here is the outcome of the pumpkin carving. Oh wait, there are only three pumpkins and there are five of us. Let's see...the Cat's Kember's choice...the Cyclopes is Caden's, and the little one is Cole's...so where are Dan's and mine? Especially Dan's, since he loves this activity....especially using power tools to help him :) Well, here's what happened. I'm sick. Carving pumpkins outside did not appeal to me at all. But Dan, being the good father that he is, took it upon himself to clean-out and carve everyone's pumpkins after they picked their template (because I'm not letting them near the knives). By the time that was finish, and don't worry, even though the kids didn't really help, they had a blast, Dan as worn out and it was getting dark. I don't know if we'll get to carving ours. Maybe I'll just let the kids paint on them, but whatever. They were so cute sitting there for pictures saying, "Happy Halloween!" Especially Cole. He puts this weird cadence on the word Halloween and makes it...funny. Anyway. Here they each are by their proud pumpkin.
Happy Halloween!

Iron Chef Date Night

It's true. Dan and I are cool. Even if I have to state it myself on a blog. We are trying to date more, and one of our ideas was for a group of us to do Iron Chef. It turned out more like Master Chef if you are cool like us and watch cooking shows on Hulu, but only if you're cool like that would you know these things. So we sent out invitations (which I was pretty proud of ps by-the-way) and asked some of our friends to join us for an evening to "Create a culinary masterpiece that will be judged on taste, presentation, and creativity." We stayed up the night before watching Julie & Julia (or Julia & Julie) to prepare...not a bad movie...don't know if I would recommend it, but it was about cooking, and we're cool like that. Are you convinced yet?We gave everyone instructions to bring one meat (or protein) and two other ingredients or spices and we would provide the rest. I'll have to say that our kitchen was really crowded, but it was awesome just the same. Everyone had 45 minutes to cook something. It ended up being more like an hour because ... let's face it... we aren't chef's and for cooking in someone else's kitchen using who knows what is no easy task. Here's how it turned out.The Pelton's brought fish and steamed that...and did other fishy stuff that I don't understand and never will. They also bake that yummy looking apple and stuffed it with yummy goodness. While I personally didn't appreciate the fish (and Ginger admitted that she chose that so I'd have to taste it...little stinker) the apple was divine, and look at their plating! Awesome!The Pence's created a yummy chicken stir fry, while not only making it up on the spot, but taking care of their twins as well. Again look at that plating. Actually, I keep looking at his hat. Don't you love that! I've got to get one of those for all those time I want to feel like a cook! Christmas is coming, so I'm just saying...I'd look awesome (or funny) in one of those hats.Because we are Johnson's we picked beef. And apparently because we're us and don't do healthy food we chose to deep fry it. What could be better than thinly sliced steak marinated and cooked to perfection by Dan and wrapped with chunks of cheddar cheese in a biscuit fried in oil then smothered in a cheese sauce? Then, to top it off ... cube up some apples and cook those with lemon juice and sugar, and stick them in cream cheese, wrap them up in a biscuit and fry those as well...not to mention a sugar glaze over it. Well, we haven't died of a heart attack yet. All of the finished master pieces...framed by our ingredient table. We wanted to go to the DI and get a really ugly trophy (or make it really ugly) for the winner, but we forgot till the end. So we just agreed that someone else would host Iron Chef again, and it will be more awesomeness. Proof that I tried fish. They didn't get a picture of my face after wards which was probably a good thing. And just a goober picture of Dan because he's cool, and I love him!