Ghostly Dip

I haven't been very ambitious lately in my cooking but when I saw this idea in October's Family Fun magazine I just had to give it a try. Their recipe called for a humus dip which I wasn't so keen on. I decided on more of a 7-layer dip idea instead. Just choose your favorite 7-layer dip recipe and be sure to end with guacamole dip on top for the graveyard "grass". Then add crackers for gravestones using edible marker to write on some of the tombstones. Hardboil some eggs, peel them and cut slits for eyes and push in some olive slices for eyes and mouth. The trees are broccoli and celery and the graveyard fence is made of pretzels.

Fall is Here

I can't believe that October is already half over and Halloween will soon be here. I need time to slow down a little!!! Frankly I'm so tired from the day that I can't believe I'm doing a post right now but life has been so crazy that I have been posting rarely and I can't see it slowing down anytime soon so I'm just pushing through tonight.

Today we took some to enjoy the beautiful day and go to a local festival for some fall fun. It was packed!!! We had a great time despite long lines and we didn't even have time to half of the things there.







Next year we will have to go much earlier in the day to take it all in.

Halloween At Last!!!!

No I'm not talking about Halloween 2009! I'm talking about my long-awaited Halloween pictures for this year (because I know you have been DYING to see them right?).  Now that my camera/computer problems are a thing of the past I finally have my Halloween pictures on my Mac.  Yeah!!!!!!!

I can't believe that my boys are growing so fast.  Most of them are significantly taller this year than last (my three-year old being the exception).  They all chose what they wanted to be this year although some boys changed their minds a couple of times until settling on a final choice.  The end result:  

As Halloween can get expensive you may be wondering how much I spent.  Let me break it down for you.  Brett's costume (can you really call it a costume? hahaha!!!!) ... mask= $1.00

Joe Montana football player (borrowed from Grandma) cost = $0.00

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume- already had it but needed nunchucks cost for nunchucks= $1.99

Batman costume - already had it, cost = $0.00

Jerry Rice (hope I spelled his name right) costume (also borrowed from Grandma) 

cost = $0.00

Total costs= $2.99

Halloween candy on the other hand...... well..... we won't go there will we.

We begin trick or treating in an orderly fashion at first...

but once the boys see candy it is like a shark frenzy sets in... didn't your mother teach you manners???? Oh wait! I'm their mother.  Moving on....

Can you guys even see????

Night sets in and we have done our rounds so we head for home to fill up treat bags.  

That should keep us stocked for Family night, lunch boxes and week-end treats for quite some time.  Thanks to all my neighbors for a great Halloween!!!

Cautiously Optimistic

Today I had a bobbing planet on the bottom of my screen with some Apple updates and I noticed that two were related to iPhoto.  I figured... hey... why not download them and see if it miraculously resolves my problem (one of them had Camera Raw in the title so I had my fingers crossed).  Lo and behold I have been able to upload the photos from my 4MB card that I have been dying to load and I took a few more pictures to be sure it wasn't a card issue and it loaded again!!!! It's an iPhoto miracle!!!  I still need to do the whole song and dance of transferring Halloween pictures from my downstairs computer to my Mac and edit them but here are some of my pictures from October 31st...

First I had to get to the school for the Halloween Parade.  It was a really long wait before kids in costumes came along.  But that's okay.  It gave me time to take in the pre-parade show...

My pictures are better... no MY pictures are better!!!

Some parade observers were more awake than others...(I'm referring to the little guy only!!)

Some parade observers even dressed up in costumes themselves...

And some were still looking at their pictures 10 minutes later.... (gotcha ladies hahahahaha!!!!)

Due to the poor lighting I won't show you my parade photos... they're shameful.  Instead we'll move along to later in the day when I helped out in my 8 year old's class party.

I'm not quite sure about these expressions my neighbor has on his face during the pictionary game.  Perhaps he was hoping to be picked and wasn't or perhaps he was just being silly with his friend next to him.  Anyways,  I took these during the haunted pictionary game...

 

Later that day my 3 and 4 year-old and I went to pick the older boys up from school.

The big boys looked great in their costumes and had a blast at school at their parties and celebrating Halloween.  Now if I can just get through Christmas......

Well, all I can say is I hope that from now on I have no more camera/computer problems.  I know I take a lot of pictures but I realized over the past week how much I rely on my camera and my computer synching perfectly!!!!  My fingers are crossed!!!

Fall Beauty

I noticed the leaves on the trees out in front of my house... I wonder how long ago they changed their color??? I wanted to take a couple of pictures before they all fall off.  My 3 year-old obliged me as my model for this morning.

My boys are already complaining about the cold weather.  Poor guys don't realize that it has only just begun!

The Making of a Pumpkin

First take five boys (I'm including Brett as one of the boys) and gather them around the kitchen table.  Next - everyone draws a picture of a pumpkin face and you end up choosing one mom finds on the internet... go mom!!!  Dad draws it on the pumpkin... go dad!!! Get one giant pumpkin with its top cut off.  

Have boys roll up their sleeves in preparation for the messy job ahead.  

Loosen the insides of the pumpkin and order your unwilling boys to scoop out the slimy pumpkin innards with their bare hands. 

 Tell them to ignore the stinky pumpkin smell and keep on digging in!!!  

Firmer orders must be given to your oldest boy who appears to be hanging back and letting younger brothers do all the work (he's no dummy!!!)   

"No you are not done yet" you tell them... "aren't you having fun?" you ask.  "did you just put that in your mouth?" you say.  

Be sure to have at least one  tactile intolerant child so you can catch moments like these...

While dad cuts out the face, play with the pumpkin cut-outs.

Test your pumpkin with a candle to be sure it will light up well enough on Halloween.

The end result.... a Star Wars storm-trooper pumpkin and boys now with clean hands and happy faces.  

Thanks to Brett for an awesome cutting job on the pumpkin!!! Thanks to M. for surviving the whole process.... I know it was hard for him but he kept on participating anyways, bless his heart.