Mystery night

We had a great weekend recently.  We got to visit our friends from BlmNormal and attend a murder mystery dinner.  We had a blast.  We really got to maximize our hang out time b/c grandparents were taking care of the kids the whole time.  It was tough keeping up with the late nights since I'm preggers, but it was worth it.  I really thought we might get kicked out of the restaurant we ate lunch at we were such a rowdy group of adults.  The mystery was set in 1930s Britain, but we look a bit gangster, too. Here's just a few photos. 

 

We were all assigned a character.  Scott, a lawyer and golfer; me the wealthy man's secretary; Bree, a sexy American starlet; and Stan, a doctor. Stan's bag was magical.  He had it stuffed full of premade shots and mini-liquors.  He would say, "Anyone have an earache?" and pull one out.

 

The whole crew. The other guests were, a wealthy businessman, an heiress/eyeshadow model, the host's bastard son and avid mountain climber, and a famous author. 

this picture cracks me up.  this was at the very end.  not one person guessed the correct murderer.  we were all fooled.

Giving Thanks

I found this project/board on Pinterest that I fell in love with.  Really it was 2 ideas.  The one was a board with all 30 days of November with a pocket to hold a blank card to write on each day something you are thankful for.  I felt this was too advanced for C to come up with 30 things or to write.  I loved the concept though.  Then I found this sewn project with a similar idea, but it provided ideas in each day of things kids could be thankful for and an accompanying activity.  I melded the two ideas together, and here is what I came up with.

 

I plan to make my activities more uniform in size for next year b/c they keep slipping into the pockets, but other than that I'm really happy with this.  I also had to handwrite a couple b/c I only found 22 stock activities, so I added a few.  We are having so much fun each day remembering to be thankful and doing something fun or kind.  

 

Here are the links to the ideas I used. 

 

http://jellybeanjunkyard.wordpress.com/2010/10/12/tuesday-tutorial-give-thanks-gratitude-board/ 

this is what I followed for the exterior. I used a canvas instead of plywood b/c I was too lazy to go to Lowe's.  I decorated mine slightly different, and I couldn't find very large letter or # stickers, but oh well.

 

http://angbrimwil.blogspot.com/2007/11/thankful-activities-for-calendar.html 

these are really good with quite a variety.  i added a few activities that added some things i wanted to do.  it would be so easy to adapt these activities to different ages. Some are simple, some require an act of service, and some are just plain fun. I feel like these are definitely geared to 8 and under. 

Thanksgiving decorations

We love Thanksgiving at our house, so I like to decorate for it just like Halloween. I leave up all my generic fall stuff, but switch out the holiday-specifics.

 

 

Had a hard time finding a place for my sign, but settled on the dining room window

 

I found this vintage-inspired turkey votive holder.  I bought 2...love.

 

my entry way

mantel

 

funky stick turkey

 

outside shot--to the right is a little give thanks sign

Halloween

At school ready to party.  He left his mask on for 5 minutes or less

 

Ready for trick or treating with lots of clothes on underneath.  It was chilly.  He only went to maybe 10 houses b/c he was cold and tired. 

Catch up

I'm behind, I know.  C's class went on a field trip last week to Thies Pumpkinland. It was pretty cute.  I don't think it is quite as good as Rader b/c you can't ever pick your own pumpkins, but they have some different fun things. 

 

 

Kiddie zip line

 

they had tons of structures to climb on/through.  here's a class photo...not all the kids were there.

 

we carved a pumpkin tonight.  Scot took C to a school event last week where they decorated the other pumpkin

 

school photos. 

 

super akward photo that C thinks is his favorite. it was nice they were outdoors

Parenting is no bed of roses

Isn't "a bed of roses" a weird saying.  Who would want to lay on a bed of roses...Ouch!  Maybe it doesn't refer to the act of sleeping, but a flower bed or roses...either way it's a weird figure of speech.  The last week of parenting has been in no simpler terms hellish.  Someone replaced my sweet 4 yr old, who I'd been bragging about to Scott before the storm with a demon.  He is a changeling.  He has been whiny, sassy, tempermental, argumentative, and downright hateful 4 out of the last 5 days.  Now it doesn't last all day, but the episodes are memorable enough to pretty much ruin your day. 

Episode 1: A week ago last Friday.  This was really the gateway to it all.  He stayed up really late for a fun activity, and then fell asleep in the car. When we got home we had to wake him to use the restroom.  40 min later we finally had him in bed after much screaming, refusing to pee and put back on his underwear, and just the repeated use of the word "NO" we got him to bed.  Then no episodes for a week.

Episode 2: We are at some friends' house watching the Cardinals game Friday night.  We have stayed past C's bedtime, but nothing crazy.  We decide to not repeat last Friday, so we ask him to use the restroom before we leave.  Cue epic meltdown/refusal to pee that ends in him falling in the toilet, then refusing to put his underwear back on, then hitting Scott, refusing to leave.  He actually bit Scott in the head at one point.  More screaming.  He comes up to some consequences.  We did not punish him the week before b/c he had been so tired, but this time we can't let it slide.

Episode 3: Next morning things are fine. We go to soccer, and then we decide to take him to a soccer store to look at soccer shoes since he is enjoying it so much.  He argues with us, refuses to take off shoes he tries on.  I tell him we are not buying anything because of his attitude, and I have to carry him out while he whines, "But I want to buy something." 

Episode 4: That night we go out to dinner with Scott's parents, and he is just so disagreeable it is miserable.  "I don't want a drink--throw it away."  "I'm not eating anything."  "Don't take that away from me."  Just so much arguing, but he seems to pull it together after he eats--he always changes his mind.

Episode 5: We go for a hike that takes longer than anticipated.  He wants to play at the playground after.  We say okay, but he only has 5 minutes b/c I need to get home to make dinner--it's getting late.  The dogs and Scott stay in the car with the A/C running b/c it was so warm on Sunday.  I tell C his time is up.  He tells me he's never leaving, and he runs away to hide in the pipe tunnels.  This playground is a parent's nightmare for corralling an unruly child--there are too many ways to evade you--especially when you're pregnant.  I finally go to get Scott for help after pursuing him for 10 minutes.  I get him right as Scott comes to help, but he has to carry C kicking and screaming.  He sets him down to open the car, and C almost runs out in front of a car.  His consequences are worse when he gets home.  He has no tv or MobiGo privileges for 1 hr, and he has to spend the whole evening in his room except to come down for dinner and then back up to bed.

Episode 6: Skip to today.  Things seem fine.  We go to Bible Study this morning.  I arrive to pick him up from childcare, but he refuses to leave.  He tells me he's never leaving.  I have to drag him out.  He has lost his privileges again.  His mouth just keeps getting him in trouble.  I'm at a loss for what to do.  We stayed relatively calm the first 3 episodes, but we are just so frustrated at this point. 

I hope it's just a phase, but man it sucks. 

Final Halloween projects

C and I made some new decor for Halloween/fall...mostly inspired by pottery barn kids

 

Our hanging ghosts.  This was probably hilarious for our neighbors to watch me attempt to hang these.  I realized quickly I needed the big ladder, and once I got up there, I couldn't get the wire to go through the posts by myself.  Luckily I have a 4 year old willing to help.  He had to go upstairs, unlock the balcony door (difficult for him), and then go out and follow instructions on catching the wire and then sending it back down a row over.  This took a little while for him to figure out.  All the while I'm standing on the ladder looking up, and consequently like an idiot.  Well we got them up finally.  Pretty cute. 

 

Here's the PB version. $59.  I spent maybe $20 b/c I needed the styrofoam balls and glue.  My eyes aren't as dark b/c I didn't use cheesecloth, but they look awesome swinging in the wind.

 

 

 

I took my oval planter and filled it with pumpkings, gourds, and spanish moss. 

 

Finally--this was for C specifically.  He wanted a skeleton for his room.  I think it turned out cute, but I would do it differently if I were to do it again.  His name is "skully" dubbed by C.  You can't see his  name very well in this pic.  This project cost me $2.99 b/c I had most of the material.  Skully would show up better against a dark color, but this is where C wanted him. 

 

Here's the PB inspiration.

 

C was adamant his skeleton NOT have a hat.  Weird, I know.  I made skully more 3-D than this, which made him heavier, so it took some rigging to get him to hang w/o his shoulders sagging.  I also cut his humerus WAY TOO long.  This is what happens when you have no artistic ability.  I might redo them after Halloween, but C was pressuring me to finish him.