Halloween!

Brooke got to wear her Halloween costume to school.  She was Ariel :) During the day the kids got to parade around the school so all the "big kids" got to see their costumes. They also had a party with games in class.

Ryan (aka Superman) also got to wear his costume to school and have a party with his class.

 

 After school we ventured out for some trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. Brooke still in her Ariel costume, but Ryan had transformed into a different superhero!

 

The kids actually bore of trick-or-treating pretty quickly.  They prefer to give vs. receive.

 

At the end of the night, each kid counted their stash and chose one treat to eat.  

Sunday She Said / He Said

Mom:  Ryan!  Did you slam that door?  We do not slam doors!

Ryan: You get what you get and you don't get upset.

Halloween Birthday

We celebrated both kids birthdays in conjunction with our neighborhood Halloween parade and trick-or-treating. Our little super heros marched down the street in style.

They went store to store and gathered lots of candy.

After trick-or-treating we had cake - two of them actually! Ryan chose a Batman cake and Brooke chose a Sophia the First cake. Unfortunately we veered from the norm and got them from a different bakery, and both kids thought the cakes were yucky :) There was lots of cake left over!

Apple Picking

We set off to one of our favorite places to pick fruit - Jollay Orchard

The fall season offered up some nice photo ops :)

Race to find the best fruit!

Brooke picks high ...

Ryan picks low...

Time for the taste test.

 

Note the careful inspection. Cant have bugs. Cant have dirt. Cant actually be a vegetable in disguise.

 

All the eating slows down the picking :)

All the farms are so different, and each has its own pros and cons. The big con of Jollay is the touristy feeling. They have a whole area set up with a ferris wheel and rides that they charge a hefty fee to get into. Each year we've told the kids that area is closed and they've bought our story. This year they knew something was suspicious, but still didnt argue. Next year it wont work. On the other hand, there are many positive aspects. Jollay is really big - it has tons of varieties of apples and peaches. It also has tractors that take you out into the fields - which is really one of the best sellers for the kids. Smaller orchards dont need tractors. There are other orchards that have tractors but are less efficient (we've waited over 30 minutes on a hot day waiting for a tractor in a different orchard) and make the whole trip quite stressful. Jollay has well run, timely tractors that pull us around and put nice, big smiles on everyone faces :) That's the seller.

Spectating Is A Sport

People running a marathon think its so hard.  Try spectating a marathon all day.  Its just exhausting.

We first saw Aunt Jean at about mile 8 of the race.  We got donuts and drinks and got there nice and early to get a spot and wait.  After about 10 minutes both kids were crying.  They wanted to know if we were done, if it was over, and if they could go home.  At this point they were still sitting in the stroller.  I made them get out and hold signs.  If they thought sitting in the stroller was hard work, they were wrong.

The kids cheered on so many runners, and had a blast getting "high fives" from everyone.  I think that a lot of the runners appreciated seeing the little ones cheering too.

 

We finally saw Aunt Jean!

By the time we got to the next location the kids refused to stand any longer. 

They held up a sign while sitting in the stroller.

 

We saw Aunt Jean again!

 

Before heading to the last point of the race by the finish line, 

the kids required milk-bribes from Starbucks.

 

Unfortunately, we somehow missed Aunt Jean at the last point of the race! We waited for a long time and the kids were beyond wiped out ... but I think by the time we got there she had already passed us.  I'm not sure if the kids had fun, but I'm pretty sure Aunt Jean appreciated the support.  It was a good lesson for them I think.  There are times you actually have to do things that are not always "fun", but you do them for the people you love ;)

 

 

 

Hawk Walk

Today Brooke and her class participated in the Audubon Hawk Walk - an event intended to promote physical fitness while simultaneously raising money to cover CPS budget shortfalls.  The event included a walk (laps around the school) followed by activities on the lawn of the school.

Prior to the event, Brooke's class picked a name (the Cha Cha's) and voted on the number of laps around the school they would complete (10).

The kids made it about 3.5 times around ;)

After their vigorous walk, they played lots of games and had a healthy snack.

After school I asked Brooke how her Hawk Walk went.  She said "Perfect.  Just as I expected."

The Princess Is 5

Brooke started off her 5th birthday with complaining about the amount of decorations and bossing everyone around.  She put on her birthday shirt, her 5 bow, and showed off her new manicure on the way to school.

At school she spent the day being treated like a princess (as she expected) and got to decorate and wear her own crown.

We then took our first trip to Chuck E. Cheese ... Where the kids got to meet the hero of the day.

And play a game or two ;)

We finished off the day with cupcakes and presents.

Brooke is a tough cookie to impress.  She's got big dreams and high expectations.  We made it through her 5th birthday and got a few smiles out of her, but I believe she'll exponentially up the ante each year.  Better start planning now for next year ;)