Halloween and All the Festivities

We've had a fun Halloween season and were a bit sad to see it go.  We went to our friends, the Hanson's for a pumpkin carving, pizza making, cookie making party and boy was it fun!  The boys had a great time decorating their pizzas! 

 Chase and Jeff get the pizza ready.

 Chase, Jeff and Brian

 Susie, Brage and Emma

 Owen saying, "Ewww!" as he takes the top off his pumpkin

 Chase doing the same!

 Mommy and Chase working together to carve his pumpkin.

 Owen's self designed pumpkin!  Isn't it cute?!

 Jeff working on a special pumpkin

 Chase and his specially designed pumpkin!

 Emma eating her decorated cookie

 Owen's cookie

 Chase's cookie

The kids, Owen, Emma, Miles and Chase with their finished pumpkins!

Our church has a wonderful event called "Trunk n Treat". We went for the first time this year and had a blast.  It was so fun to play games, win prizes, see friends, laugh, worship God and then go outside and trick or treat out of people's trunks.  

 Chase the Spider Man!

 Owen my little dinosaur

 Waiting for a face tatoo

 Owen playing the Cake Walk game

Finally . . . Halloween night!  The boys were so excited.  Dinner came very quickly and I always forget it's a bit of a rush.  They easily got into costume and giggled with excitement.

 My little Owen Spider Man and Chase Bat Man

 Tough guys!

 This was how Owen wore his mask-I don't blame him, I wouldn't want that cloth over my face either!

 Boo!

 Heading out with Daddy, saying, "let's go to that house!"

 Run run!

 At the door

 Looking in the windows to see if anyone is coming.

 Examining the loot

 Nana Sandy has been here for 4 out of 5 Halloweens!  We were glad she could join us.

After examining candy they both held the big bowl for the kids who came by.  I told them to tell the kids, "Take one piece."  So when the first kid came, Owen says in a really deep voice, "ONE".  I had to laugh.  From there on out Chase took over saying, "Just take one," in this little sing song voice.  It was so funny!  They got high fives from the big kids who called them Spidey and Bat Man.  The boys had a blast!  When a friend came by, Chase peeked under the mask and said, "Is that you Jayden under there?"

Beginning of the Year

We've had a great start to the school year.  Chase and Owen transitioned very easily into their new preschool and have stories to tell every day.  When I drop them off we have a routine.  I alternate who I let out first each day.  Then the first boy out waits for the second and they take off running up the ramp leading up to the school.  They we go into the school and they tear off again running down the ramp leading to their classroom yelling and making noise. NO matter what I do they will not be quiet or slow down.  We then go to their lockers, they put all their stuff inside and we go in and say hi to their teachers.  Then we wash hands and Owen typically pulls me over to show me something new.  Then we do about 10 kisses and hugs, which I love.  Then I leave and the boys look out the window and wave at me when I walk out the building and drive off in the car.

When I pick them up they are typically outside and run over screaming "Mommy!!"  And give me huge hugs.  They have something to show me or tell me or a friend they want me to meet.  I love it when Chase says to his friend in a very cute voice, "This is my Mommy." 

Their speech and language has just exploded and I'm amazed at their vocabulary and the sentences they say. Just tonight Owen told me an entire story he made up which was complex, with sequence words, such as "then" and "the end".

They love to hear stories about when we were little, especially stories from Jeff.  They also love to hear "pooky" (Spooky) stories.

They just love love love school.  They are able to tell me bible stories better than I know them and are able to say new prayers at dinner and sing new songs.  This has been the best change ever and I praise God for providing it for us.  They love Monday because they get to go to the library and pick out 2 books.  They bring them into the house after school and immtediately read them on the couch.  It's great.

The other day Chase hurt his ear and said, "Now I can't listen!"  Nice try buddy!

They love to roll and crawl in the wood chips around the playground at Preschool.  I got sick of picking wood chips out of their coats, hats and mittens.  So, two days ago we spent 10 minutes sitting in the foyer picking woodchips from our coats.  They haven't crawled in the chips since!

The Breaking of a Habit

Chase and Owen have been sucking their thumbs since they were about 4-5 months old.  It's time to end, however, one child-Chase-is especially fond of his thumb.  In the past I've asked if I could put a bandaid on it to help not suck, he ran screaming and bawling away from me as fast as he could.

After visiting our dentist in August I was reassured that it was time to end this habit and that I could do it.  I bought some of that bad tasting polish thinking it would be easy to do.  ha ha.

We were taking a bath last night and out of the blue Owen asked to have his finger nails painted.  Perfect, I thought!  So, I brought him downstairs, painted his nails with a light pink, then painting his thumb with teh Thum polish.  I talked him through it and the reasoning and he was fine. It was then Chase's turn.  As i turned to reach for him he grabbed his thumb, started screaming and crying hysterically and ran away.  I tried to catch him but it only made him more hysterical.  Then I started to feel badly.  If he really loves his thumb this much it seems so mean to take it away.  It also seemed mean to let him suck, destroy his palate and push his teeth out, and only further the habit.  So, I tried again.  Same crying/screaming.  Jeff came home and tried to talk to him about it.  Nothing.  Finally, after about 45 minutes we were able to talk him into willingly letting us put it on his thumb.  He didn't flinch or cry.

Part 2.  Bedtime.  I'm putting Owen to bed, who hasn't had a problem with his thumb at all!  I went in to Chase's room to say goodnight and he's crying.  I guess he tried to suck his thumb and it tasted "Spicy".  Oh no.  I knew it was going to be hard so I geared up.  I tried to talk to him and he just cried quietly.  He was so tired and wanted his thumb.  We prayed about it and I told him the story about me and my blankey (which was somewhat made up).  He finally fell asleep.

This morning when I came down, there he was on the couch, sucking his thumb.  That dumb Thum polish does not work! 

Part 3.  About 1 week later I bought some heavy duty stuff I put it on my own thumb to see just how bad it tasted.  It was really really terrible. So, later that night I put it on the boys' thumbs.  Owen went to bed and sucked his thumb and it was terrible. He was spitting and needed several drinks. I told him not to suck anymore, but a little while later I heard coughing and went upstairs. He has sucked his thumb again and it was really tasting bad. He was gagging.I said, "Don't throw up, take big breaths." Pretty soon he threw up a little and closed his mouth. So I picked him up and took him into the bathroom so he could spit it out. Chase was there touching his arm telling him it was ok. Owen was still coughing and pretty soon throws up a ton right into the sink. He didn't seem to mind at all! We brushed his teeth and he went right back to bed.  Actually that's not true, we went into the bathroom and I tried to wash the polish off, which didn't work, so I used fingernail polish remover and it came off.
Since that night . . . NO THUMBSUCKING!!! No joke!  Neither of the boys has sucked their thumb, I can't believe it!!

Spooky Treats

We had a party last weekend and I made some spooktacular treats for the kids.  It was pretty fun and easy.

Apple mouths with teeth

Banana and peanutbutter mummies

Pumpkins on a stick

Witches fingers in a forest

How to Lose your Pants by Chase and Daddy