October

I have been patiently waiting to add a new post because I needed some pictures off my dear husband's camera to document our fun little excursion to Jackson Hole mid October (it's a work camera and the pictures can only be downloaded to his work computer).  I am slightly OCD about chronological order so I waited. . .and waited. . .but blogging is not on the top of JayDee's priority list plus he's very busy so I waited some more.  Then as time passed and October ended with lots of activities I just decided to bite the bullet, swallow the nagging uneasiness that posts will be out of order and do this! I hope in the near future I will be able to expound on our Jackson Hole trip because it was over JayDee's 35th birthday and that's kind of a big one so here's to later! 

October 27th
My Ethan turned 10!  It is unreal that I have been a mother for a decade.  It's been an amazing experience and I love my Ethan so much.  He really is the greatest kid.  He is very obedient ( I wish his sisters would learn from his example) and loving.  He loves the outdoors and sports.  Recently, when asked at school what his favorite sport is he said climbing trees.  I didn't know that was an official sport but it is definitely something he loves and is very good at.  He also loves riding his bike, his ripstick and recently his new skateboard.  He loves to play football at the church with all the neighborhood boys and basketball (but only in his friend Ryan's driveway, he never plays it here - go figure).  He is also completely adorable!  I just love his crooked teeth smile and his bright blue eyes.  Unless puberty is completely ruthless to him, I'm afraid I'll have to keep an extra watchful eye on my guy so all the girls won't swoon him to death.

 No he's not 4. This is his first day of school pic (4th grade) but isn't he doll?!

October 30th

Ethan's birthday was on a Wednesday this year so he was very patient and waited until Friday to have his friend birthday party.  My kids only get friend parties every other year and this year was lucky 10!  He wanted to have a skateboarding party, so we had his party at 10 in the morning on Friday trying to beat all the teenagers to the city skate park.  This skate park idea was the only thing causing me any worry.  All the boys invited to the party, except one, are younger than Ethan.  Plus, they are very beginner skateboarders, none of them had even been to a real skate park before, and I just knew if they tried to skateboard around much more advanced teenagers they would be hopelessly unhappy and possibly injured.  So I gambled that a Friday morning, before any normal teenager would be awake on a day off of school, would be the best time to have a party and I WON!  We were the only ones there! No one else showed up until we were leaving.  It was awesome!

Here are these cute boys having the time of their lives. . .that is after they got over the initial shock of how deep a real skate park is. 

 Ollie, Ethan and Ryan

 

Logan

  

Ethan

 Tregan

 Daxton

 Ryan

 Ollie

 Tanner

 

Isaac 

 

  

 The Gang

They had so much fun and there have been a lot of "Mom, can we go to the skate park?" being asked around the neighborhood ever since.  But this was only the beginning of the party.

We went back to our house for some "manly" games ( a.k.a. - dirty games ).

First up: Tomato Bombs

  

Next: Sour Patch Kids Buried Alive

 Ethan found 5

Next: 5 o'clock Shadow

 JayDee wanted in on this action

Can't forget the presents

or the spanking machine

Ethan and Dad shared a real cake the Sunday before at their dual family birthday party so Ethan wanted another of his favorite treats, brownie sundaes.  And just as I'm dishing everyone up I remembered that I left the birthday candles at Grandma's house on Sunday, so we made do with what we had. . .that's right a princess castle candle.  Remember when I told you how great Ethan is?  Well he totally rolled with this.  I explained the situation and he was happy to have  a "girl" candle.

 Happy Birthday Ethan!

Later that day we had a neighborhood halloween party.  Same boys but this time we added girls, babies and moms.  We played games:  a relay, Halloween bingo, bobbing for apples and of course there were treats. I got lazy with the camera so these are the only pictures.

 My kids have learned the art of bobbing for apples from their Grandpa Taggart 

so that means they win every time.  Thanks Grandpa!

    

And since you cannot have too many Halloween parties the adults had a Halloween Party that night.  It was an 80s themed party, so everyone came decked in their best memories. 

 Me and our rockin' 80s host, Melissa

I know. I so do not pull off super diva but I tried!

 You can't tell from this picture but Melissa krimped her bangs 

and Morgan hand acid washed his own jeans. Classic.

 JayDee and I went for the celebrity 80s look.

Madonna and John Cusack from "Say Anything"

 It's Miami Vice and his fan club!

 Ann and Dan went with the "I knocked up my girlfriend" look.

Totally married people!

There were more people at the party but these were the people who came on time and again, I got lazy with the camera.  

October 30th

And in case this wasn't enough Halloween for you there is more.  I can't neglect the actual Halloween trick-or-treating.  Before you can trick-or-treat you've got to carve pumpkins. I love that my kids aren't afraid of pumpkin guts and love to carve their own.  It makes for super fun and super interesting pumpkins.

 

The finished products.

It was raining when I took these so they're a little on the blurry side. 

Here are the kids ready to gather their haul and face any weather that got in their way.  It was pouring rain right before we left but when we finally got out of the house it dried up and didn't start raining again until we were making it back up our street.  What good timing.  And thanks to Grandma Taggart for coming over so that Mom and Dad could both go trick-or-treating with the kids.  

Here's what we had this year:

 The darn cutest football player around.

 A pretty witch and a gypsy.

Hannah's gypsy costume is the very same one I wore when I was little.

 

And last but certainly not least, the costume that was created out of skill and creativity, mostly by Grandma Taggart but assisted by Mom. . .Prince Dastan! (Prince of Persia)  Ethan takes his costumes very serioulsy. 

If you want to be really impressed get the cover of the movie and put it up next to Ethan's picture - the likeness is uncanny. 

We had some visitors after we got home. . .visitors from WAY out of town, possibly from another planet?

 E.T. and Gerty!  

Hey Katie and Bryan, thanks for sharing your awesome costumes with us and scaring Hannah to death when she opened the door.  What's Halloween without a good scare?

 And possibly my favorite moment of all.  Isaac had snuck Emma's glow wand she got trick-or-treating and got under his bed to watch it glow then fell dead asleep.This is what Halloween is really, nothing but kids so tired they drop off to sleep anywhere!  :)

Happy Halloween!!