Happy Halloween

Candy pails were ready and decorated.  Everyone got glow sticks so they wrapped them around the handle and put some in the bottom so their candy was illuminated.  Smart kids!

A happy Halloween it was!  We had a blast!  We set out to "trick or treat" at 6pm ish and all the kids did awesome.  

The Meinhardt bat family!  Well, minus daddy and Amelia is the baterina.  This was per Jeremy and Amelia's request that we go as a family, including mom!

Yes, Amelia is eating an apple!

Amelia did well last year and followed up with another super fun year.  She just puts her head down, walks like she's on a mission, gets her candy and shows ryan every piece of candy on her way back.  

Amelia even braved the scary house across the street and Pat the creepy witch.

Mabel was awesome and said "trick or treat" at every door and "thank you" on her way out.  She owned the place.

 Jbird was mature about the whole thing and just went about his business barely making a peep.  I have no pictures of J "treating" because he was up ahead of me.  All came home with tons of candy.  We always set up in the front yard to pass out candy and this year, I made mexican casserole and pumpkin pie to enjoy with the George family.  

We had a fun visit with Christian, Windy and kids who decided to join us this afternoon, and some friends of the George's, as well as some other neighbors.  

We always have to yell at kids to tell them we're not at the front door so I thought of this last minute.  A little path to guide them to us.  The picture is blurry but you get the idea.  Lunch sacks with candles!  Oh, and happy, sad and funny faces in each one.

It was Jeremy's idea to put the tears.

The haunted house was going crazy across the street so the block was buzzing and it was so busy! Jeremy and Amelia decided to help with the last of the candy and were super cute passing it out.

Amelia would tell Jeremy to put the candy in the bag if it was a scary costume.  She would also ask me if they were real and if they were ghosts.  

Kids were in bed by 9 (I know, super late for us) but they had a blast and so did mom and dad!!!!!  Looking forward to a mellow weekend and NOTHING to do.

Halloween Eve

We carved our pumpkins today!  Well, Ryan and I started with the kids and we lost their attention somewhere down the line.  Ryan did the white one and the bat and I did the two on the right.  I get really into it so I didn't mind that they ran around the front yard, played with bubbles and hung out with each other.  

 It would not be a Sunday if the ice cream truck didn't stop by and I've just resorted to the fact that my kids have lived in crappy food/candy for the last few days and will one more day :)

Every year, our neighbor goes ALL out and we have a block party the weekend before Halloween.  Everyone brings food, drinks, desserts and hangs out while the kids dance and get a sneak peak at the haunted house.  Nothing jumps out at them but it's too scary for me.  Jbird went through at least 10 times.  Here is a sample of his work.

The for sale sign hanging in the front yard.

This sketchy dude's eyes turn red and he starts to jerk around like he's actually being hung.  Mabel hates him.  Oh yeah, our neighbor made it with a windshield wiper motor.  Crazy.

Party started at 6:30 but my crew, Annie and her friend Porter were ready at 6.  The kids stayed up well past their bedtime...9 for Jbird because he came and asked me if he could go to bed and 9:30 for the girls.

Night night, momma's tired!

Halloween Parade at Johnny's 2011

 My "baterina" 

She's missing her bat mask because we couldn't find them after Disneyland but she still looks cute.  They of course showed up just hours after the parade and I was looking all yesterday :)

Teacher Chris invited Mabel to join along and the girls loved it.  Here they are dancing to "Shake your bones"!

Time to trick or treat!  Amelia is awesome and just walks right up.  Mabel follows behind and loves saying "trick or treat".  

Jeremy and Amelia having a sweet conversation and I am so happy I caught another moment between them.  She always asks Jeremy if "he can protect" her is she gets scared.  He always says yes.

Everyone waiting their turn to visit Teacher Chris at her door!

Happy campers!  Lollipops and treats in their bags and ready to go home.  Happy Halloween!

Amelia's new best friend Adia (A-dia).  Teacher Chris told me that there is something special between these girls.  Could they be any cuter together?!?!  The cutest part, they're the tiniest little people ever.  Watch out boys!

The kids absolutely LOVE all the stuff they get.  Cards, pencils, play-doh, stamps, stickers, etc.  Mommy could do with a little less mess :)

Another fun weekend ahead.  Carving pumpkins, block party and Halloween!  Yipppeeee!

Harvest Festival at Goethe

Jbird's school hosted a Harvest Festival and the kids had fun eating yummy food (Jbird picked the fruit kabobs, Mabel the cookie-pop and Amelia chose the pumpkin bread I contributed so I spent more money on my own bread).

There was the cutest craft where the kids made their own wreaths.  Mabel didn't get her own but as you can see, she tried to help.  There was a nice man with a guitar playing Sound of Music songs so the kids liked it but mom loved it :)  They also decorated pumpkins (again, Mabel didn't get one but she found a long ribbon that provided plenty of entertainment).  Amelia lost it at the end so the walk to the car with 3 kids, 2 pumpkins, 2 wreaths and a bag was awesome :)

ps...all the pics are of Mabel because J was running around with friends and Amelia was grumpy most of the time.

Trick or Treat at Disneyland!

We picked up J from school and headed for Disneyland to miss traffic and get started early!  Amelia doesn't look like it here but she could NOT wait to get in!  She's a Baterina which is a bat version of a ballerina.  She's missing her mask!

Mabel is a baby bat (ears came in Amelia's costume) and she obviously had no idea what was going on but LOVED it.  

We got there just in time for the regular parade before the park turned into the spooky Halloween park!

 Amelia waved at everyone and it turns out, if there aren't any drums, parades are a HUGE hit with her!

We saw this all night...

The kids "trick or treated" all over the park and Jbird and daddy went into the haunted house!  I am missing my bat face but in case you need help, we're all bats!  Per Jeremy and Amelia's request.

The word for Mabel was trooper!  She walked almost the whole night and was so easy going.  J and A taking a break from walking but Mabel liked to help push the stroller.

Amelia did awesome as well and was dancing like a crazy person during the Halloween parade.  Oh yeah, one freak out session for Amelia when we stopped to dance at the dance party and Donald Duck tried to dance with her.  Jbird was a no brainer of course but I wasn't expecting the girls to do so well.  The park was crazy crowded in the beginning but once everyone ate and we had a plan, it was a nice night.

We stayed until the Spooktacular fireworks at 9:30 and watched near the exit so we could make a mad dash for home.  A group shot of us with the Rendes clan. For the Westchester peeps, this is the "south bay" group!

Don't mind Mabel's gut, we were all pretty tired by this point!  Home and in bed by 11!  Kids were beat and passed out within 5 minutes of leaving.  Happy Halloween!

Rain, Rain, Go Away....

Or don't because the kids were super excited to wear their new rain coats!!!  When I say rain, it's like "storm watches" in LA!  It drizzled just enough to make tiny puddles but it was still dry underneath our cars!  :)  But don't they look cute!!

Amelia's is a dalmation, Jbird is a shuttle launch and well, Mabel's is just pink!

All About Me 2011

Jeremy's "All About Me" poster!!!!

They had to make a poster board all about them with different materials!  I think he covered a lot and there was only a tiny bit of help from me.  As much as it pained me to watch him underline and circle every word, I just let it go.  The top and bottom of the poster board was folded so he could hang his airplane (green and blue) and glue a baseball player (missing bottom left).  He wanted to write every word about soccer on the bottom flap, he picked grass to glue on and gathered sticks because he likes playing with sticks!

The stem of the pumpkin (penis looking thing glued on) had to go on because he likes those too and a matchbox car because lord knows, he couldn't live without them!

The George family gets a picture...

and, well, our family got some stick figures!  The word sisters had to be broken up because it didn't fit (maybe because we were the last things on) and Mom and Dad just got heads.  Whatever. :)

Climbing trees is more prevalent than us and Phineas and Ferb are written backwards!

Some random things that came out of nowhere...rainbows, Thomas the Train stickers came that day in the mail and golf.  

All in all, an AMAZING job buddy!  I loved watching you work super hard on it and I chuckled that you were just like your mom, project completed well in advance.  My kind of kid!  

Happy Birthday Opa!

We had a busy, full Sunday!  We hit the pumpkin patch and the kids loved it! 

The kids loved the maze!

Too sunny so everyone could only open one eye!

The kids got to choose a few things to do since there was so much!  They all wanted to ride the train first!  Mommy joined!

They LOVE watching horses but NEVER want to ride them!  I don't get it!

J and A chose to visit the petting zoo with their last token and Ryan said that Mabel cried when she had to leave her new bunny friend!  She loves bunnies!

Amelia chose to ride the train again!

We then left the pumpkin patch and went to a local nursery to pick out pumpkins since they were half the price and they wanted BIG ones.  Amelia chose a white one and J and A chose orange.  It wouldn't be an outing without a meltdown and today (like most days) it came from Amelia!  I tried to get a shot of her losing her senses but this is all I could get.  She was a wreck.  A 3 hour nap followed.  Don't mix hunger and fatigue with her or you're doomed!

Jbird jetted off to baseball and I got ready for the busy week ahead.  It's Opa's birthday so the kids made cards and a cake!  We ordered Chinese food and enjoyed family time!  Someone won over Mabel!  Not hard to do but still...

 Notice who's on Opa's lap in every picture!

She even called his name from her crib long after he was gone.  :)

Can you see how old Opa is?  The kids had fun doing that part!

Night night, lights out!  Fun times!

I'm going to bed because we have a busy week ahead and if I'm saying it's busy, it would push some people over the edge!