Halloween

We started off the Halloween season with a family trip to the pumpkin patch.  The kids were super-excited to meet up with all their cousins and immediately ran off together to get lost in the corn maze.  Thankfully, it was a short corn maze, and they all found their way back to us ... eventually, and on to the petting zoo and to choose pumpkins.  Here are some cute pictures from the day:

it only took 10 attempts to get one passable shot of all 6 kiddos

only a few less attempts to get this one

even more takes to get the whole fam in a shot - and Isaac still managed to ruin this one with a sour face

Isaac and Caitlin admiring their pumpkins

Showing off their Halloween-themed clothes

Isaac and Caitlin decided on designs for their pumpkins and then directed Daddy to do the carving.  When it came time to pull out the insides, they each put their hand in once, immediately pulled it back out screaming "eeewww gross", and refused to do it any longer. Wimps...

On the actual day, the kids couldn't have been more excited to put on their costumes and head to school.  Isaac was the Green Ninja from Ninjago and Caitlin was Doc McStuffins.

Bill and I made the Halloween party rounds at the kids' schools.  I started in Caitlin's class, and watched the adorable costume parade and each of the kids introduce their characters to Ms. Jean -the witch teacher who set up adorable activities all over the classroom where the kids could make treats and cool Halloween stuff.  Meanwhile Bill, Grandpa and Aunt Ray-Ray watched the parade at Isaac's school before joining me at Caitlin's school for the big party from 9-10, and then we all headed back to Isaac's school for his party from 10-11.

At Isaac's school, Ms. Adams was dressed up as a scarecrow and had her friend Mr. Bones hanging up on the board.  The kids joined her in an adorable song about a bat, and then made their way around the different stations she had set up with Halloween games and the buffet of treats.  Bill challenged Isaac to the beanbag toss, and Isaac beat him (seriously!)

Since trick-or-treating on our street wouldn't be very fruitful for the kids, we went to Isaac's friend Soren's neighborhood instead.  Soren was dressed up as Wonder Woman, and was very excited to have Isaac and Caitlin join her.  It had gotten pretty cold and windy, and Isaac was suffering from his annual Halloween bronchitis (we were hoping he had grown out of it, but apparently, that's not the case yet), so we had to bundle the kids and didn't want to stay out too long.  The moms and Aunt Ray-Ray took the kids out first, and once we got back, the dads and Grandpa took a run.

Let's just say the kids did alright.  We gave each one piece, and plan to confiscate the rest once they forget about it :)

Parent-teacher conference, field trip, hockey and legos

We had Isaac's first parent-teacher conference, and got lots of feedback on his kindergarten performance -- he is very well-mannered and sweet, and he is enthusiastically learning math, but he is behind schedule for reading and writing.  Ms. Adams said it is nothing to be concerned about and that he will catch up, but it was still unsettling to hear.  I think some of it is a result of the Spanish immersion program at Tyler, and having a first-year teacher in the Montessori program last year, but I suppose we haven't been as focused on reading and writing with Isaac as we could have been.  We are focusing more on it now...  

Isaac practicing his numbers

Picture of Isaac (bottom) being a scary pumpkin for the board in his classroom

I signed up to be a chaperone for Isaac's school trip to Anderson Farms, the biggest pumpkin patch in the area.  Lots of parents signed up, so I was only responsible for 3 kids - but that was enough given the hundreds of other kids running around. The kids had a blast, and I didn't lose anyone else's kid - so it was a win all around :)

my 3 charges

One of only a few minutes where all 3 boys wanted to be in one spot. The kid to his right (Brennan) and the kid in the black jacket (Asher) are his best buddies

Isaac's class with their pumpkins

Now that baseball is over, Isaac is starting hockey again.  He was excited to get on the ice, and we all have high hopes that this season will be a turning point and he'll master the skating thing.

One of the enrichment program offerings at Isaac's school was Lego class - no joke - that helps teach kids the engineering and creativity part of legos.  What could be better for our already lego-obsessed child?  He was more excited for this than hockey and baseball put together, and came home with some great ideas re-building his helicopter, truck and boat.