Halloween Festivities

Our next door neighbors held their Halloween party again.  This time I didn't get a costume at a costume shop so there was no way someone else would show up in the same costume!

Soccer referee Peter, all ready for the pouring rain outside

Don't you dare blow that whistle at me!

I got red carded. 

Soccer mom and her ref

The party was fun.  Well, as much fun as it can be when you #1 - don't get to enjoy any adult beverages, #2 - are hungry but little of the food is palatable to your sensitive stomach, #3 - are completely tired.  :)  Someday it's my goal to be completely at ease at parties like this.  It's just not something I am good at.  I enjoy being with my husband and most of the time these parties end up with the guys hanging out with each other while the ladies hang out with each other.  Plus, I get tired of small talk really quickly.  This year I knew more people and knew them better, so maybe next year will be great?

The next day, Brittany's church had a Halloween carnival so we packed up the costumed kids and headed over there.

Our trouble makers landed themselves in jail.

Hayden was a SWAT guy, Landen was a firefighter, and Max was a soccer player.  (We had a family theme this year.)

Max went on his first big kid ride.  He was a little nervous with this guy helping him get buckled.

Then the ride started and he got really upset and wanted to get out.

Once he realized he wasn't going to be able to get out until it was over, he sat there with his hands folded and the most sad "I'm being tortured" face.  He was the exact opposite of Landen who was having a GREAT time and was rocking the plane, laughing, and had the biggest smile ever on his face.  This is in keeping with these boys personalities...Landen is adventurous and bold while Max is more timid and reserved.

Happy to be back with dad

We played games and then he'd put the candy prizes in his pumpkin.

Once we let him have one piece of candy, it was all over and that became the focus.  He was very happy about this sucker!

Max trying a pixie stick

After we played the games and Landen and Hayden enjoyed some bounce houses (remember timid Max?  yeah, he wouldn't even go in one), then we got Max's first cotton candy.  

Yummmm, give me more!

He had a HUGE sugar rush.  He was running around and being silly.  Cracked me up.  It's fascinating to me how quickly that sugar hits his system and affects him.

When we got home, I was so tired that I went to bed at 8:30 with Max.  He was so well behaved at the festival.  He listened to us, he stayed close, he held our hands when we asked him to, and he didn't throw a fit when we stopped giving him candy.  We have found that it works really well for Max in general when we give him warnings of when stuff will end... for example, "one more piece of candy", or "2 more minutes on the iPad", "you have 5 minutes left to play before it's bedtime", etc.

More fun Halloween festivities...

Max painted the pumpkin he got at the Arboretum.

He figured out if he turned the paintbrush around, he could make designs in the paint - pretty clever!

Messy hands

Hayden helped Peter get the guts out of the pumpkin

Ew! :)

Max watching Daddy work his magic.

I'll post a picture of the finished pumpkins with another post.

This is what sick looks like

My poor, sweet Max got sick.  And it hit him like it's never hit him before.  It was so incredibly sad.  He just wanted to lay on Peter on the couch and asked to watch soccer.  We found a soccer game that was on (in Spanish).

Those eyes make me so sad!

He fell asleep laying on Peter

Both of them getting naps

He was doing a little bit better that afternoon so I asked him if he wanted to go with me to the store.  I thought he might enjoy getting out of the house.  He said yes, so we headed to the grocery store.  As soon as we got out of the car, and I put him into the grocery cart, he immediately did this:

I felt so bad!  He was feeling so crappy that he didn't even want to hold his head up.  He stayed this way through the grocery store.  Needless to say, I didn't spend long at the store.

The worst of it, thankfully, was just this day.  That night after we put Max to bed, we headed to a Halloween party and Britt kept her eye on Max.  The next day he felt much better.

So far behind!

I am trying to catch up on blogging but things just aren't going as planned.  I am tired at night, when I typically blog.  Plus, I usually sit on my couch with my laptop in my lap.  Now, there is a big belly in the way!  There's not really a comfortable way that works both for my back and my belly.  Grrrr...oh well.  Maybe I'll get caught up once the baby comes?  (HA!  Yeah right!)

Rockin the long hair

He might have a head of shaggy hair, but he can certainly rock it.  (I love running my hands through that sweet soft hair when we cuddle before bedtime.  I hate the thought of cutting it.)

A common sight in our house - Max wearing my elastic hairbands and headbands - his necklaces and bracelets.

Landen giving Max hugs goodbye.  So sweet.

Picking the flowers

Haha - Peter is wearing the exact same shirt as the construction worker next door.  :)

My sidewalk after Max enjoyed the flowers

You don't get crazy wind hair like this when it's buzzed.  :)

Annual Fall Trip to the Arboretum

On October 22nd, I took the day off from work to go have some fall fun with Max, Brittany, and Landen.  We headed to the Dallas Arboretum to enjoy the beautiful gardens and pumpkins.

Max was all excited.  Landen, not so much.

They had a petting zoo for toddlers.  Max was interested in a few animals.  He didn't pet many of them though.  He did brush this goat for a few seconds.  After that he had more fun picking the brushes from the bucket and then putting them back.

We did a craft and made a fall spider web.  Max did a great job of placing leaves onto the glue.  This was his first real "craft".  I let him do it however he wanted.  I should have taken a picture of the finished product, but didn't.

Britt helping Landen

We got lunch there - it felt so weird to be sitting there with these two little boys independently sitting/eating/etc.  They are getting big!

At the pumpkin patch, Max spent a LONG time picking up pumpkins and then moving them to another spot/arranging them in a line.  He could have done that all day if I'd let him.

He arranged these pumpkins on the bench.

In one of the pumpkin houses

Another fun activity, jumping down from the bales of hay.

Ready...

...Jump!

Landen took a break for awhile by himself

I think I'm starting to see some tired faces...

Yup, definitely seeing tired faces on these two

Last thing we did before we left was let the boys kick the soccer ball around a little on the grass 

(against the rules of "no balls" but who is going to stop two cute little 2 yr olds?)

Drop kicking the ball

Action shot

The boys each picked the pumpkin they wanted to bring home.  They were so happy and wanted to continue to hold them in the car.

The sign of a good, fun day - - wiped out in the car.

It was a fantastic day!  I sure love the Arboretum.  (We stopped at Torchy's Tacos on the way home so I could appease a pregnancy craving for the cane sugar soda there. - - so it was really a perfect day!)