Happy Halloween and some pumpkin carving

On Wednesday night Todd and I realized that we hadn't carved pumpkins with the boys yet, so we hauled in the pumpkins from the porch and got our carving tools ready! Jaden has always hated pumpkin guts and has absolutely refused to touch it since he was 22 mo.old . . . but that doesn't stop his teasing daddy from torturing him with them!
2008

2007 (doesn't this just say "family moment")

2006

2005

Bryson even got introduced to the pumpkin gut torture this year!

Wait a minute, Jaden looks wayyy too happy in this picture!


After the pumpkin gut torture tradition, the boys got down to the dirty work, which consisted of carefully scooping out the insides of the pumpkins with spoons. Jaden and Bryson making sure to not get any pumpkin guts on their hands (Jaden would run and wash his hands if any of it touched him, a little OCD?). In all fairness to my eldest he did reach his bare hand into the pumpkin after Todd and I bribed him with a sucker if he did (model parents aren't we?)

Self-portrait of Jaden with his reward.



After bathtime they came back downstairs to see the pumpkins lit up.






For the past few years we have met a group of friends at a local strip mall to do some trick-or-treating. This year a friend of mine came up with a new plan to take the kids to a great neighborhood that goes all out on Halloween and gets hundreds of trick-or-treaters!

Here they all are! (from l. to r.) Kailee the ghost, Kellen the astronaut, Jaden aka Buzz Lightyear, Henry the pirate, Bryson the giraffe, Sylvie the purple dragon, and Griffin the tiger.

Here they all are again with Graison aka Mr. Freeze (super creative home-made outfit!)


We started trick-or-treating a little early, it was still light out!

Todd and our little giraffe:)

Brycie checking out his loot!

This was just one of the decorated houses that we saw!

The people in this neighborhood go all out, there were lights, fog machines, skeletons and goblins hanging from pullies that slid down from the roofs when you passed by, scary scenery, black lights, strobe lights, music, etc. The kids had a blast running from door to door! Afterwards we had a delicious dinner with Mr. Freeze and his family at a local italian restaurant.

Rock climbing and the fire station

Last weekend Jaden went to his buddy Graison's 5th birthday party at a rock climbing gym in Seattle called Vertical World. Jaden and a few of the boys had gone there once before last April and had a great time.

Graison, Kellen, Jaden and Henry receiving some instructions.

Lining up to climb.

Jaden scaling the wall!

What a fun birthday party:)

Today Bryson and I got to accompany Jaden's class to the Fire Station up the street from his school. The three firemen who were on duty were so friendly (easy on the eyes) and nice to the kids and kept commenting on how well behaved his class was (which they were:). They showed them around the fire station and the "rig" (fire truck in firefighter language).

This picture is of the very handsome fireman #1 showing the children some of the fire equipment.

Here is cute fireman #2 showing the kids his gear and mask, while emphasizing to the children not to be afraid of firefighters in masks but to run up to them.

Jaden (in red sweatshirt) contemplating if he might want to be a fireman someday.

The firemen also showed the children some of the first aid equipment (unfortunately I cut off both of the hunky firemen's faces!).

J "driving" the rig.

B "driving" the rig (he is not just obsessed with construction equipment but also with "fiya-injins" as he calls them).

Lastly, one of the firemen demonstrated going down the fire pole.


The firemen explained that unfortunately after they get a remodel or brand-new fire station (which they have been waiting for a few years now), they will not get a new firepole:( Apparently, it is too pricey to insure one, so they don't build them in fire stations anymore. . .

After the field trip on our way home, Jaden informed me that they call them "firefighters" and not "firemen" because there are "girl firemen". If I had to choose though, I would definitely want hunky fireman #1 to save me from a burning building;)

Trick or Treat in the junction

Every year since J was a baby we have taken him/them to the local business area for some daylight trick-or-treating the Saturday before Halloween. Jaden decided to be Buzz Lightyear this year and was all decked out except we couldn't find his Buzz goggles (found them today though!). Bryson refused to wear the lion costume that Jaden looked absolutely adorable in when he was 22 mo. old.


So he settled on the giraffe costume that Jaden wore the following year, which was probably just as good since I don't think it would fit my big boy next year anyway. So much for my plan to have Bryson following in his big brothers Halloween costume footsteps (and saving some $)!


The boys collecting some goodies.

Bryson with his loot!


Lots of Halloween candy, a hockey game where he got home pretty late, and a busy birthday party today makes Jaden a very cranky little boy this evening!

The best part of this time of year? Raiding your children's Halloween candy after they have gone to bed. Didn't think I was going to say the look of joy on my children's faces seeing them trick-or-treating did you?

Pumpkin Patch take 2!

On Friday October 24th Jaden's preschool made their annual trek to Remlinger Farms. Yes, this is the exact same pumpkin patch that we went to a few weeks ago, but this time we didn't actually visit the patch we went to a mini amusement park of sorts in a different part of the farm, complete with a straw trampoline and maze, rides, animals, a train ride and a show! Todd took the day off of work again (he came last year too) so that he could help chaperone the field trip. Besides Jaden and Bryson we had a little girl that rode with us from Jaden's class named Anne. Jaden and Anne have known eachother since they were in swim diapers in waterbabies at the YMCA, they also play on the same soccer team this year. It was a beautiful, but chilly fall day when we arrived (my car's temp said that it wasn't yet 40 degrees). Fortunately, it did warm up throughout the morning, because last year it was extremely cold the entire time!

Wait a minute, it is October not Spring! Why did I have them pose behind some daisies?!?


Bryson and Todd checking out the straw trampoline.



In the maze, this was definitely a highlight for Jaden!




Next we moved on to the rides, most of which looked too scary to Anne, so Jaden didn't want to go on them either. But they did like this little horse ride.




Here's a video of Bryson taken while Jaden and Anne were enjoying the horse ride. Bryson pretty much calls all animals by the sound that they make. . . hence the use of the words "neigh neigh" in place of "horse". And I don't know who he thinks he is big 2 year old started referring to me as "Mom" this past week instead of "Mama"! You. Are. Growing. Up. Too. Fast. Stop. Now. Please!!! (Even Jaden still occasionally calls me Mama).


We walked around and then Bryson spotted this:

and , of course, got super excited so we had to go on the train ride!


During the train ride, Bryson amused us with imitating the scarecrows set up along the tracks (he is really into imitating anything and everything lately it is pretty funny!). Jaden pointed out some of the animals and worried if the bull was nice or not. The end of the ride we went through a dark tunnel, in it were blinking eyes. . . Bryson gets this pretend scared look and shakes his head (like he is quivering) when I mention the tunnel to him! At soccer practice later that evening Anne's mom, Jane, informed me that Anne told her at the end of the train ride they went through the tunnel of love (she has an older brother)!!! But I assured her mother that there was no hanky panky going on in that tunnel, LOL!

You can't visit a farm and not go on a tractor (at least if your name is Bryson you can't!).

Look at the total joy of a boy on his tractor, what you don't see is the screaming tantrum that ensued as boy had to let his big brother have a turn!


Jaden and his buddy Graison on the John Deere.

Another fabulous fall field trip:)

Bryson's 1st 2 years. . .

I took a picture of Bryson in the same chair every month for his 1st 2 years. . . I wish I would've done the same for Jaden! It's fun to see how quickly he grows/changes throughout these pictures:)