Happy Halloween

So halloween isn't my favorite holiday.  Don't get me wrong I LOVE the candy but not the carving pumpkins or being out in the cold to walk door to door.  I don't even have many decorations, something Will pointed out earlier this month!  It is something that Justin takes over.  He and the kids carve pumpkins and go trick-or-treating while I stay home and hand out treats.  This year no such luck.  I did it all.  Well almost all.  We didn't go door to door this year.  We went with a neighbor to her church and their harvest festival.  There are a few outdoor things and then games and such inside.  Perfect!  

Supergirl taking a break from flying to ride a pony!

Superman needed a break too!

So before we left for the festival I tried to get some pictures of the outfits.  Not sure I got a very good one but here is what I got.

Dropping Eric!

Check out Will's mouth!

 The festival had inflatables that the kids loved.  They had simple games as well and I think the kids got about 15 pieces of candy each.  Yes!  Will was even able to pick the non-chocolate candy so he can eat all that he got.

Eric loved the ponies and I sat him with Will just to get a picture.

Hope everyone else enjoyed Halloween!!

Caroline's birthday

So I have been trying to get these pictures to load since Friday night!  I finally had to restart my computer so blogger would recognize I had uploaded new pictures.  But here they are!

Caroline had a great birthday.  She got to open 1 gift before school and it was a set of American Girl books.  She brought it to the table and it was hard to get her to eat breakfast!  I frequently find her up early reading in her bed with a flash light.  She loves to read!!  She keeps a variety of books in her bed so she is always ready!

 After school she opened the rest of her gifts.

checking out her horse

Trying on her flipflop socks!

She wanted chocolate cake, pink icing, and sprinkles!  She didn't wait for me to get the camera before she blew the candles out!

Thanks for all the birthday calls and well wishes.  She was one very happy girl!  I can't believe she is 7, where did the time go!

Bath time!

Eric is following in his big brother and sister's footsteps and loves the water!  He would sit in the tub for an hour if I had the time or let him.  If he is cranky or tired just put him in the tub and it instantly changes his mood.  He loves to crawl over to the tub and stand up and turn on the water now.  And don't even try to take a shower while he is awake because he will come mess with the water while you are in there!

One if his favorite things to do is stand up and plop back down making the water splash!

HE just figured this move out 2 days ago.  He starts by sitting up then leans forward shooting his legs out behind him and moves his arms and legs to splash.

He had a crowd to entertain!

Practicing drinking out of a cup!  Dad, don't freak that he's drinking bath water!

I have some video of bath time that I will try to get posted tomorrow.

Enchanted Princess Ball

Caroline and I got invited to go to an Enchanted Princess Ball with our friends the Krosts on Saturday.  When I tried to buy tickets online it said they were sold out.  We decided to get dressed up and go any way to see if we could still get in.  It worked!  It was in a school gym and you sat at tables and watched the show.  All the princes and princesses took turns singing and or dancing and then they would have some open dance party time and props would be handed out to the little ones so they could dance along. We also got a cookie and pink lemonade.

Caroline getting to try on the glass slipper!

She loved it!!  It was a prefect little girl show.  2 hours long, they could get up and move around, and they didn't care if the singing was off key!

Every one got a plastic coin to toss in the wishing well.

Pocahontas.  You can see the girls dancing along and very close to the performers.

Posing with Repunzel after the show.

Ariel was her favorite.  She is sitting in her lap!!

We had so much fun and she told me multiple times later in the afternoon how much she enjoyed it!

If you notice Caroline has wavy hair.  She asked me for "Aunt Karen hair" and her hair doesn't hold curl to save my life.  I got creative and braided her hair after she washed it Friday night.  9 braids!  She slept in them and left them in until lunch time.  When you take the braids out you get what she refers to as "Aunt Karen hair" and the closest things she is going to get to waves or curls!!  Mr. Krost came over and watched the boys for me since the rest of his family was with me.  Will and Eric had fun as well and at bed time Will told me he had the best day!

Hanging out!

While dad and Marie were here we also had plenty of time to just hang out!  

He had so much fun crawling around the yard playing in the "soup" Caroline was creating with leaves and water.

Serving Gdad

See I am here!

He loves this book.

Helping Mimi with the laundry!!

I am SO very glad you guys came to visit and we are looking forward to having you back soon!

School volunteering and Detroit

I LOVE to be in Caroline's classroom!  I like to help and really miss teaching after being in her room helping the kids.  I don't get in there as much as I would like since it is hard to find childcare for Eric.  But dad watched Eric on Friday and Marie and I went to school!  I had an activity going in Will's room that I had organized but wasn't involved in the classroom part so we both headed to Caroline's room.  Her teachers love to have help and Marie was a huge help.  She actually ended up staying all day!
While we were at school dad was locking himself, Eric, and the dog out of the house!!  So they went on a very long walk around the neighborhood!  I should mention that Miles didn't have a collar or leach while on this walk!!  Good thing Miles is a great dog and besides clearing the area of squirrels and making sure all the front porches were safe, stayed right with dad!  They are buddies those two!  I get home and find the house locked and have to use the spare key.  I find the 3 of them in the back yard having a great time!

Saturday we head into downtown Detroit.  The weather is perfect and we park down near the river and take a walk down the riverwalk.  Then hop on the "people mover", think way small "el".  It's 2 cars long and goes in a circle around to a few spots in the city.  It costs .50 to ride!  We got off and walked to see Tiger stadium and Ford field.  Then walked to the Detroit Eastern Market and had lunch at an awesome deli.  It was the biggest farmers market I have ever seen!  It was also apple festival weekend (or something like that).  We saw the apple queen and an apple pie contest and we hung around to taste some!  Then we rode a city bus back into the city, back on the people mover, and back to our car.  Then on to the Motown museum.  It was so neat to see where all the music was recorded and how they got their signature "big echo-y" sound (a hole in the ceiling so the sound bounces around!)  You weren't allowed to take pictures at the museum but if you come visit I will take you!  Not something the kids really enjoyed but the adults loved it!

Detroit river on left.

The Ambassador bridge heading to Canada is in between the trees and the boat.

I asked them to sit together so I could take a picture!

Watching a big ship come up the river.  Canada is in the background!

There it is!

More visitors!!

Dad and Marie came for a long weekend visit last weekend!  They arrived Thursday and we went to pick up the kids from school and head to gymnastics.  It was so nice to have them there to help corral Eric so I could take some pictures and watch Caroline and Will.  Dad was tired after gymnastics from chasing Eric around!

My dishwasher really broke that night and boy was I glad to have Mimi and Grandaddy around!!