Halloween!!

Kelly suggested we dress up this year so, at the last minute, we went scrambling for appropriate adult costumes. The kids loved it!

 

 

We were invited to a neighbor's house for a pre-Halloween gathering - pizza and fun times!  We have a great neighborhood!

Once we set out trick or treating we realized what a fantastic, kid-friendly neighborhood we were in.  So many houses were participating!!  If they weren't home, it was usually because they were out with their kids and had a bowl out on their porch.

 

We started off with our neighborhood group but the wagon and the trick or treaing for UNICEF slowed us down a bit so we ended up on our own.  We still had a lot of

 fun and collected quite a bit of candy (and money for UNICEF)

Surveying all the goods and being silly...

 

 

Neighborhood Festival

Our neighborhood had a great fall festival - lots of games, crafts, a bounce house, a hay ride, and a petting zoo!  Unfortunately, taking pictures and trying to wrangle all three kids was a bit of a challenge.  We did manage to snap a few.

 

Pumpkin bowling!  This was my station and lots of fun the bigger kids (especially the boys!) 

 

Clover Petal

We got to jump into Daisy Scouts with a petal workshop to earn our Clover petal.  We learned all about bees, honey, and using resources wisely.

Making a flower collage as everyone gathered.

Learning all about bees from a bee keeper.  Fascinating!!!  I think I may have enjoyed it more than the kids!

   

Feeling the wax

Craft time!

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Then we had the story and discussion time.  This lady was pretty strict but all of our girls were well behaved, even with out her guidance.

After story time we were able to try some apples dipped in yogurt and honey.

Then we headed up to the garden to look at the bee activity.

 

Friendship circle!

Trick or Treat for UNICEF

The elementary students at the kids' school were trick or treating for UNICEF.  The box came home with no instructions but the kids had apparently practiced with the upper elementary students during the day.  Keeley analyzed the box and decided that her goal should be the pump that provided water for a village or school. Excellent goal. It also happened to be a really big goal.  A $500 goal.  She was determined.  She wrote a script based on her practice with the upper el kids. We practiced at the house several times, Kayden even donated a big chunk of her allowance money!, and then we headed to Oma's for more practice.

 

Reading her script.

  

Talking it over with Oma and showing her the goal she had in mind.

After a donation from Oma, we knocked on several more doors.  John was the only one home but he gave her a very generous donation as well. 

Update:  Keeley emailed several of our family members, did a Google video chat with Uncle Kendall and Angie, and asked almost every person she trick-or-treated on Halloween.  She was incredibly determined and refused to quit, even when she received a lot of "no" responses. Mom and Dad came through with the last bit of her goal and she was so, so happy to have met her goal.  Even more fun was that she collected the most money of all the kids in the school so all the teachers and students have been making a really big deal about her.  We are very proud of her.  This week she has started making "thank you notes" all on her own and is even planning on having Kelly mail Kayden's home so that Kayden can have the fun of a letter in the mail and a thank you note.  Such a sweet spirit.

Trunk or Treat!!

Our school hosted a Trunk or Treat even and it was so much fun!  It started off with three kids actually in their entire costumes.  I'm not sure how that happened.  I was volunteering.  I give Kelly all the credit!

 

This is his little friend.  She is very interested in him. He's no sure what to make of it!

  

 

The girls wanted to go around by themselves and Kelly was chasing Killian so we don't have a lot of pictures of them hanging out together.    After a bit the girls sought us out because they wanted some items from the bake sale. The 6th graders were raising money for their trip to New York to participate in the Montessori Model UN so I was happy to contribute.

 

After I snapped this adorable picture of Killian, Kelly got on to me about only getting pictures of him so I tried to get a picture of all three.  This is how that went....

 

 

 

I think I'll stick to one kid at a time from now on!

Halloween Party

I had the opportunity to volunteer in Kayden's class for her Halloween party and was so excited to have some time with her!  She was equally as happy to have me there.  I love when the kids and I get to have some special time together.

Circle time with Mrs. Wilcox.  We love her.  She loves Kayden and always talks about how sweet and amazing she is.  Of course we agree!

Carving a pumpkin was one of the stations.  Another parent volunteered for that, thank goodness because I have no idea how to do that!

Decorating her pumpkin!

Making the ghost to hide under her pumpkin.

    

"Leading" a song.  She was shy that I was there and asked her friend to help her.

 I had such a great time and loved seeing her with all her friends.  She is such an amazing leader and sweet spirit in the classroom.

Girl Scouts!

The girls have started Daisy scouts and are having a blast.  The first meeting wasn't the greatest (one leader wasn't there and the other was late...).  The second meeting was fantastic.  The girls are having so much fun!

Listening to the promise story.

Picking out pumpkins at the pumpkin patch.

 

 

 

 

Friendship circle squeeze!

Art studio

This cute girl designed an art studio for the family.  Kayden helped her out a bit after she got started, but it was Keeley's plan...

There was a sign with instructions at the opening of the art studio...

A place for our backpacks for our finished projects (this was a studio where you created art)....

She took some tables and set them out in the hall.  Dad is hard at work here...

Here is an example of the work.  All the supplies are there, there are instructions, and an example product.

 

She even helped us pack up at the end.  Adorable!