Halloween costume creation & the beginning of the candy consumption

The month of October has been fairly busy here, I've felt like I can only deal with the next big thing coming and can't prepare in advance for things coming up. Thus, we just spent two days in a whirlwind of costume creation and our house looked like a craft store threw up in it when I got up this morning. Luckily we have a smaller sized home and cleaning it up doesn't take very long. Also luckily, no one told my children that they should expect perfect costumes and they are happy with them, imperfections and all. If I'd had more time, Dinoguy might have had a full suit and the spines might have stood up better, but he said he loved his costume, so yay for that! Trainboy's didn't have the wheels or back bumper and the all important straps were temporarily a rope - not as comfy, but it worked for the night!

Of course the boys helped make them - especially when it came to the painting! The multiple fittings bugged Dinoguy a little bit, but mostly because he was being interrupted from what he was doing for them.

We had to finish them by Wednesday night for our first trunk or treat. It was a bit of a race against the clock to get everything painted on Trainboy's costume by then.

We had a good time, once the anxiety of beating the clock with the costumes faded. Do you love that Dinoguy picked a stegosaur and Trainboy picked Thomas the train this year? Too fun I think. :) A few games, a few rounds of getting candy, and then it was play time!

Hope you are having a wonderful Halloween week! We're all high on sugar from eating candy already!

Our group camping adventure

What happens when you take 11 unschooling families with kids of all ages and put them together in a group campsite?

In our case, it makes for a FUN weekend!

We had a great time playing, exploring, fossil collecting, eating, playing with Sarge & other dogs, flashlight tag, etc. with our friends this weekend while camping. It was full of good times.

The temperature dipped into the mid 40's at night the first night, but it was close to 80 during the days, and with fires and coats we had fun.






Sarge enjoyed chasing sticks in the lake and meeting the other dogs who came. He got loved on by many people and had a good time. Trainboy also enjoyed playing in the lake.

Fixitman chopped up A LOT of wood for the group fire. He is awesome. Dinoguy enjoyed helping him.I think this is one of those experiences that photos and words are hard for me to capture. There was a great energy there and it was good times for all.

Pumpkin Carving!

Dinoguy did not like putting his hand in the pumpkin.

Helpful Fixitman cleaned out the pumpkins for the boys while I threw dinner together.

Trainboy needed some help with the carver - not quite enough strength.

Dinoguy needed help getting his design like he wanted too.

Yay for our pumpkins!

Boys have been wanting to carve pumpkins this year. Seeing how the weather is just barely starting to turn cooler, there aren't many Texas based pumpkins around, and all the pumpkin maze/farm places seem to truck them in even. Ours came from a farm in Indiana according to the label.

They aren't quite able to cut what they want from the pumpkins so it was a family helping activity, but they were thrilled to have their designs make it onto the pumpkins and be lit up!

Hopefully the pumpkins will survive until Halloween, we are having a bit of cooler weather this week. For now, they are sitting outside guarding our house! :)

Pumpkin Festival at Arboretum

Pumpkins and flowers! Let's go!

Hello butterfly friend!

Running thru the maze

A pumpkin house!

Love that impish face here

The reflection garden area is just gorgeous.

Butterflies and flowers!

Click on this picture! I love monarch butterfly migration!

Classics at the arboretum - pioneer village

The boys had SO much fun playing farmers

The dirt was very tilled after they were done!

Checking out old farm equipment was fun!

Thirsty boys!

We had a great time last week checking out the pumpkin festival at the Arboretum. It is a great place to play in the pioneer village area & Texas town, as well as seeing the seasonal displays and flowers.

I am in awe of seeing big groups of monarchs. I was letterboxing a few weeks ago and serendipitously discovered a group of them in the trees nearby. Of course I was camera less except my phone, which I still can't find the software CD for computer transfer. It was cool though!

Our cheap membership at the arboretum ends in a month sadly. We had gotten major mileage out of it this year but would have to upgrade to a more expensive one this coming year and there is no fundage for that. So I am treasuring the memories and fun we've had there.