HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

lunch trash

School lunch. We all love to visit our kids for lunch. Sitting at the tiny seats attached to the table. The lights being turned off so we're not supposed to talk. One thing that always catches my eye, is the quick sweep of the floor between classes coming and going...and the amount of trash that accumulates. I never really thought about how I could help.

But I just saw this video at a family runs through it and realized my baggies are part of the problem. And cloth napkins at school...ingenious!

bats

Remember these? Never mind the people in the background.

I made one the other day for Sami, but didn't take a picture. Joaquin is three in this picture.

They're super easy to make...just an old black sock, craft foam and hot glue. You can figure out the rest. I think I did the wings differently this time. I cut a slit in the middle of the side I was going to glue. Then I folded the top half to the front and the bottom half to the back when I glued. That way they stuck out straight. But it's fine any way you do it. They'll flop around like they're flying, too!

the stuff of fairies

I always wanted to try this "wet felting" technique that seems to be all the rage right now...but I don't have the wool and I don't know where to get it.....so I saw an even easier way to make the colorful acorns I've been coveting. Pompoms. Just glue them onto the cap and you're done. You can even leave the nut outside for the squirrels.

These were for my friend's little girl who has got me into all things fairy. Isabela was never into that (and neither was I as a child), but it's been fun to do with Sami. She calls her fairy land "Pixie Hollow" and said she's added these to it. I'm going to have to make some more for my house.

For other fairy ideas and natural crafts, check out these sites:

Filth Wizardry
Twig and Toadstool
Little Acorn Learning

Fall Festival

I'm not sure what came over us this year. It all started with the Santa suit. We picked it up for Diego in a yard sale this summer. Then we thought of all going as something from Christmas. Rudolph, a tree, an elf....somewhere along the way, Isabela and Joaquin dropped out of the family Christmas costumes and went their own route.
But that left JP, Diego and me.

As we were stepping out of the car at the school, JP said, "It's not too late to turn back."

We debated about whether other parents would dress up. To say we were almost the ONLY ones who did, would not be exaggerating. If that's not embarrassing, I'm not sure what is. But at the same time, it was fun. I hadn't dressed up in a long time. And it will probably be another long time before I do it again.

So here's a few pictures we snapped before we left.

Isabela was an owl. The idea for this costume came from Alpha Mom. It was very easy to make...I added the feet, the wings and some feathers on the mask...otherwise it was pretty much the same. We loved this costume. Isabela would dance around in it throughout the house and you could tell she felt beautiful in it. I loved how simple it was to make, but how shimmery it was. I thought it might win "the contest". I did give her the "what if you don't win" speech before we left, but she was still so upset when she didn't. The little mask hid her tears.


Joaquin went as a lumberjack. This idea was from Family Fun and very simple. I didn't have to make anything except the suspenders and the ax.


Here's Diego and me. A lot of people thought I was a plain ol' grandma if I wasn't near the others. Nothing like people not getting your costume to make you want to rip it off.


Here's his stroller! A sleigh made out of poster board. He sat in it for a good while, and even rang a little jingle bell we'd given him. At some point he kicked it apart...and even threw a tantrum in the hallway, knocking over his stoller.... I overheard a passerby say, "Oooh...Santa's mad."


JP was an elf. A friend gave us the elf hat, and I made the vest....

...and the shoes! He loved the shoes and secretly wanted to wear them to work.


And would you believe....Joaquin won the costume contest?

field trip

Joaquin and one of his best buddies. The other day, Joaquin said someone was his "BFF" and I told him boys don't say "BFF". Isn't that right? I've never heard a boy say "BFF".


This is a black rat snack. I asked the guy if he ever bit him and he said those kind of snakes are pretty gentle. So I asked, "What would make her bite you?" He replied, "Well, if I were whacking her in the head... that might make her mad."


Didn't the sign say don't climb on the rocks?


Everyone got to touch the turtle...and then get a squirt of hand sanitizer. Whoever invented that stuff must be making a fortune. You can't do anything these days without squirting that stuff on your hands. The lady asked if Diego wanted to touch the turtle. He was sitting right with all the big kids, and of course, I said yes. He stood up on the chair, touched the turtle's foot, and immediately stuck his fingers in his mouth before I could squirt his hand. He's fine.


The friendly goats...

...if that fence were any wider, we might have had a little problem.


It was a gorgeous day for Maymont. A quick trip...they were only there for two hours which included a picnic lunch...minus the thirty minutes they were late...turns out Joaquin got a bloody nose just as they got on the bus and it held the whole thing up. I hope he won't be known now as "the boy who got the bloody nose on the field trip!"

ferdinand

Last Sunday, we went to see a play at Theater IV called Ferdinand the Bull. This was my first time taking Isabela and Joaquin there, but for some reason, I feel like I saw Theater IV plays all the time as a child. I'd actually thought of taking them last year, but wasn't sure they could sit still for it...and by they, I mean Joaquin.
But this Ferdinand play caught my eye because we love this book...plus I think they mentioned it would be bilingual, so I definitely wanted to take them.


We arrived pretty early. Here's Joaquin snapping his fingers to pass time.


And Isabela in front of the doors to the theater.


Some interesting architecture to look at while you wait. There wasn't much to do before the doors opened.

The kids really enjoyed the play. We were in Row B, right up front! There were dancers from the Latin Ballet, beautiful sets, singing, and lots of jokes. It was about an hour long and ended just when I thought Joaquin would start to get fidgety.

On the way back to the car, we saw this amazing sculpture sticking out of a building. I had passed it when I was looking for a parking spot earlier, but I just thought it was a jumble of metal. This time we got a good look at. Do you know what kind of building this is?

Signs

My week has gotten away from me...with the busy-ness of life and sewing costumes for Halloween, but I just wanted to mention the story of those blackbirds in the pictures of our mountain trip.

Our family was all gathered around for a memorial to grandma and grandpa...and as soon as we started, those two birds came and sat right in the trees above us. We all took it as a sign from grandma and grandpa...but then a third bird came and sat with them. Someone mentioned that it was my mom.

It hadn't even occurred to me.
But I'm glad someone said that. How amazing for all of us to be gathered together and to have those three birds there watching us.

It's been a long time since I've seen a sign. Maybe I've just overlooked them.

My desire for a sign is always diminished when I remember doubting Thomas. Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29)

I count it as strengthening my FAITH when I go on without any signs...but it sure is nice to have one every now and then.

mountain top

For now, I'll let the pictures tell the story.