Pumpkin Heads!

Pumpkin carving time!!!
Seems like every year, we' wait for Brett to join us in pumpkin carving and end up hurrying the night before to get it done. This year we did it in the middle of the day w/o daddy.

Wish I could combine these shots... the top one is a good one of Austin, the bottom caught Shane... *sigh* little boys.

SCoooooooooooooooping out the guts!

Shane scooped twice with the long-handled scooper...

at school he insisted on wearing gloves before he'd touch the open pumpkin.

Austin helped me sort the seeds from the guts ... for roasting.

Finished Product...in the dark...

Shane insisted on the tongue.They worked together to blow out the candle.

Happy Fall!

Dissolve into Insanity

Ok, so as the kids got home after the murder party... it kind of wound 'down' into kareoke.

Zack & I singing Beattles.

This was hilarious. He was singing 'Angie' (his wife's name- next to him)

And he was purposely murdering it- so hilarious.

Go Angie!

and Ryan!

Brock- rockin' out.

Brock and Zack hitting the high notes
The 2nd most hilarious part was...Brett singing Bohemian Rhapsody!
After that, I abandoned him to get the sitter home.
Forgetting that w/o Brett I would have to take the kids with me.
As Mom, I did what I had to do- a screaming Austin drowning out the radio the whole time.
Ran back to pick up Brett and didn't get an answer-
thier music was cranked up too loud for anyone to hear the phones ringing.
But they had so much fun that we're doing it again for FHE tonight. I gotta go!

Class of '54 Murder

Welcome to the 5 year reunion of the class of '54

Rick Alcitrent & Pris E. Teene
Dee C. Deucer & Del Toydes

Penny Lofer & Joe K. Awledge

Cal Q. Layder & E.C. Leigh

Super Cool.

Brett missed pictures with the leather jacket brigade.

Spooky

So, a week ago, I was staring at my computer at a blank blog entry form one evening...

trying to think of what to say...

When the lights went out.

Everyone was a bit startled at the sudden silence.

Kids started crying from thier beds

(more upset that thier movie stopped than anything else.

Candles were lit, flashlights and headlamps were broken out.

Once everyone was calmed down and back into bed...

Shane and Austin were being silly.

Austin Turns 2

Ok, so I'm officially a bad mom.

Austin's birthday came and the camera wasn't charged up.

I grabbed this one with my phone- then it's battery was shot too.

He had a Blues Clues birthday party. Some super fun gifts from all our friends. Grandma & Grandpa Banks' birthday money went toward an art center with whiteboar on one side, chalkboard on the other. With the fun and food and friends... Austin fell asleep 2/3rds of the way through. Our pilot friend Brock was tire after a busy week (and after doing my dishes- he's the coolest!) so he cuddled up with Austin on thte couch so I could eat.

Menu of Dreams

I have this on FB, but thought y'all might want to see it too.

It's a menu planner that I copied from my friend.
Days of the week down the side and parts of the meal across the top.

The cards have the ingredients listed.

When you choose the menus for the week,

you pull out the cards to take o the store with you...

instant grocery list.

Here it all is in action.

This is a close-up of the one my friend had.

OUR reality of this system is that if I plan a full week of menus it will generally last 1 1/2-2 weeks. And trying to plan the meals in accordance with what's on sale... being carefull not to get too much of some things while stocking up on others... But, keeping it under a $500/ month budget (including Brett's soda)...

I have a headache.

Expeditions in the South East: Late Night Park

After going out to dinner one night we stopped breifly at a park, hoping to get the kids' energy out. It didn't last too terribly long, but it was fun.

Dad and Shane tried some new things.
Do you like the plaid combination?

Expeditions in the South East: Austin

What a NUT!

Expeditions in the South East: The Chili

Our friends made a go at a garden this year.

One of thier crops was some chili peppers.

Well, one of those pretty little peppers was sitting on the deck table one afternoon.

It was with a small handful of greenish tomato babies.

Austin took it in his head to taste the tomatoes and one by one he took a bite and discarded it.

(I'm sure you can see where this is going.)
He picked up THIS pepper,

took an nice bite

and looked absolutely shocked.

The tears and struggles that ensued were sad and hilarious all at the same time.

He couldn't understand why his tounge was on FIRE,

nor why mom's remedies weren't quick-fixes like a kiss on a boo-boo.

Poor kid, I hope he learned a bit of a lesson.

Expeditions in the South East: Random Summer Fun

RIP

pool

Sorry, but we don't miss ya!

The big surprise was that even SHANE got wet!
Trampoline is an all-time favorite.

Sage, Austin, and Brody

Watching Daddy play with his new rock-crawlin' truck.

Daddy and his Big helper.

The kids wore shoes and/or socks after an run-in or two with the ants that bite.