Happy Halloween!

I've been "Boo'd" and tagged, I'll be sure to catch up while my children are in a sugar induced coma tomorrow! I am off to watch Graham in the Kindergarten Halloween parade with Greg and Lauren!

Hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween!

Pumpkin Patch Take TWO!

Oh my - we tried to go Monday night but I was one grumpy lady. And saying that is being polite. By the time we got the kids in the car, found out our camera batteries were dead, and then it got dark and Lauren lost her shoe....we booked out of there with 3 pumpkins, I came home and put myself to bed. Grumpty grump!!!

I felt bad and decided we needed a "do over." Sometimes in life you are allowed to do that, I was lucky this was one of them. So we planned it all a little better and off we went.

Graham and Greg being scary in front of the kids corn maze. They ran through this a few times. I get claustrophobic and I'm not a fan of corn mazes. The kids love them so I brave it.

LuLu just liked looking around at everything. She did not enjoy sitting on hay. She is so like her mom I think and hates to get dirty.

Rows of pumpkins! The boys got to sit and "ride" the tractors. run up and down the rows of pumpkins to their hearts delight while we followed. Take Two was a bit hit! (Whew!) We came home, had a yummy hot dinner waiting and it was off to baths and bed. Just as it should've been the first night!

The Pirate Party!

Ahoy ye Mateys! Today was the big day - Graham's 6 year old Pirate Party!

I had the kids come into the garage through the side gate and they were greeted with pirate music and a motion sensor spider that would drop on them. (and me in the head a few times.)

The kids came in and we made Pirate Booty necklaces (fruit loops) we had them gear up with patches, hats, swords, compasses, etc. Then they all received their "pirate names." My favorites were Black Hearted K, Moldy Eye C, Gunwalls O' Greg, and Cutthroat I. Argghhhh!

Graham was the Captain of course. He showed his crew that if they didn't shape up they would walk the plank.

Greg walking the plank.

The fierce crew (do you like my Wal-Mart $2.50 sheet that I painted for a pirate flag?!) Graham is standing in between Greg and his BFF (or until he thinks girls are eh) K. They spend HOURS (not exaggerating) outside playing together. Her little brother I is Greg's good friend so they make a great foursome.

Captain Jack, (oh, um, er I mean Dan) giving the kids their clues for the treasure hunt!

"We found treasure!"

I thought the pinata looked a little lackluster so I hot glued gems and glittered pipe cleaners onto to it. Who wants to find a dumb paper box? Ok, I think this is the cutest picture ever - K is 6 months older than Graham but is in first grade. She was reading all his cards to him. How sweet is that?

I am going to brag here. It's my blog so I am entitled. I made this cake. Four sheet cakes, four batches of frosting and four hours later - viola! I made the sand out of cinnamon graham crackers and the pirate ship was his small gift from us. I mean, we JUST took him to Disneyland, so that was his big present!

I asked the kids who was thirsty for some Shark's Blood. A few of them looked over at my friend Kj in horror. They got scared of a little fruit punch, but it was funny.

Hitting the pinata! I'm proud to report that no kids were injured this year. Thanks to the moms who stayed to help me watch out for the ones trying to cross the safety line!

All in all it was a great party! We never know what the weather will be this time of year here so I always plan the parties in the garage in case it's yuck - but it worked out great again! I am TIRED but Graham's dancing around and grins were all worth it!

Now onto Halloween!!

Happy Birthday Grahambuncious!

I cannot believe my baby is SIX!! I asked him all day yesterday if he would stay five for me. He said no.

He did agree to take me on a date, no age disclosed on when.

Graham is happy, silly, loud, energetic, shy, observant, cunning, deliberate, smart, and handsome. He is tall, has gorgeous thick, wavy hair, skin that turns brown like a berry and the cutest smile with a dimple that makes the girls swoon. (At least it does this girl)

He is the sweetest big brother to Lauren and maybe a bad influence on Gregory. We haven't determined that yet. But they are the best of friends, which I had hoped my two boys would be.

He still holds my hand on occasion and I even randomly get a kiss good-bye AT school from him. He drives me up a wall and melts my heart all at the same time. I love that he is at an age where I can tease him and he gets it.

He loves doing anything for and with his dad. You name it and Graham wants to help. He is certainly not a ring leader but he sure likes to be part of the group and having fun!

Sometimes I think he got the short end of the stick with me learning to be a mom with him.

He is the oldest of the 3 little hearts I wear on my sleeve.

I know that I received the greatest blessing of my life when because of him, I became a mother. I just simply adore this little man.

We hope you have a wonderful and magical day!
I love you Grammie!
Happy Birthday!

Going Home

Huntington Beach

My Muscle Man

Greg playing with the sea weed he called a "Sea Monster."

My sweetie

Good-bye California! I will miss you!!!

I had this overwhelming feeling of sadness at the thought of coming home. The whole time I was there I felt like I WAS home. I told Dan, I want to move. I don't want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere anymore. Hoping we can get our ducks in a row so this duck out of water can be ready when the housing market turns, and we can get outta dodge. Utah. Whatever you want to call it.

Bored of this yet? Too bad - Day 3!!

Good Morning! By Thursday 1/2 of Utah had made its way to Anaheim. Good thing Dan didn't wear his BYU football shirt that day. I was wishing I had on my U of U one though, let everyone think I'm a bad girl for going to "that" school!

In line...still.

Being pirates over on Tom Sawyer's Island. "Arghh!!" I've never been on the island in my life, so that was fun. The kids loved running around like crazy.
I have to mention that there used to be a ride over here called the "Mike Fink Keel Boats" a long time ago. My brother having the name Mike Fink - makes him pretty dang cool for having a ride with HIS name on it at Disneyland!

We sort of took it slow and easy, doing all the "leftover' things. I asked the guy at the monorail if we could ride in the front car since it was Graham's birthday celebration and my boys LOVE trains. They are still talking about this. They though they were the coolest. I was hot - that car was 100 degrees inside. But it was still pretty fun to do!

We had to see McQueen again of course. So again with the super fun Play Parade. "Have you got your paperwork?" This chick was scary and got right in my face!

We walked by the Haunted Mansion and Graham gave it his big thumbs DOWN!
Another little known fact, I got my first kiss while in the Haunted Mansion years ago. I was one of those hussies who picked up boys at amusement parks. Ha!!
We tricked the kids into going on Splash Mountain next and I thought Greg's heart was going to pound right out of his chest.

To calm them down we went by Woody's Roundup for a fun little western show and photo ops.

Greg liked meeting Woody. It was the only character he would take his picture with, which I find amusing since he hates that movie. The mean kid scares him.

Dan paid $12 (TWELVE) dollars for 2 (TWO) sugar cookies to decorate. Um, hello, that is like THREE bottles of water there, Mr. Budget "Don't spend any more money till Christmas." What a softie. The joke was on him when then kids ate the frosting and then wanted to take the cookies home. How do you throw out a cookie that costs $6 each? You don't. You pack them in your backpack and carry them aroun in 90 degree weather to get yuck and then throw them away in the hotel room after your kids go to sleep. "Graham and Greg, hold them straight up or, oh I am SO sorry he hit your baby with, GRAHAM, hold the lightsaber UP! Greg, if you cannot walk and hold that up, you are going to hit someone, GREGORY JOHN, stop dragging it on the ground, GRAHAM, hold that UP!"

My view 99.9% of the time while walking with slow pokie Greg. Look at those cute boys.

We ended the trip with the coolest firework show I have ever seen, I think I even got a little teary eyed feeling so grateful to be there with my boys. It was really amazing.

We rode the rockets a few more times where they again announced Graham's birthday and Greg's first visit. For being 4 in 1 million there at the park we felt like we got treated so wonderfully and so many things were done by cast members to make our stay special.

The last ride was the carousel again (of course) and we all went home a happy tired. My boys have never stayed up till midnight. Graham thought that was pretty cool and Greg fell asleep on his daddy's shoulders. How sweet is that?

Disneyland Day Two!!

I have already gotten out of order. We spent all of Day One in Disneyland and then all of Day Two at California Adventure. Which worked out great so we could see the parade at each one. Which I am still singing the songs too! 5,4,3,2, FUN!!

The Play Parade got us soaking wet from all the water guns they shoot but it was so hot I didn't mind a bit. And hello, seeing the REAL Lightening McQueen? The faces on my Cars loving boys when they saw him made this trip worth every single penny. Mater at the end was just icing on the cake.

At the entrance of California Adventure!

It was all decorated so cute for Halloween. I loved it.

After going on Soaring over California (one of my new favorites there, thankfully Greg was tall enough to ride it) we went over to the Redwoods area..the boys got to help a "Ranger" open the ride and we were all sworn in as citizens as the boys helped to open the ropes and yell to the other Rangers that the ride was open.

The boys were dying to try this and both fell and flipped off the first time ending in tears. Then they watched a few other (much older) kids do it and I was so proud of Graham and Greg who walked right back up in line, tried it again and did it!

We did almost everything over on that side, the Talking with Crush was super cute and even the Playhouse Disney show was a lot of fun. We did NOT like the It's Tough to be a Bug where you get exterminated and spiders fly down from the ceiling. How scary is that to a 3 year old? I had to cover Greg's eyes. Boooo!

We went back over to Disneyland at the end of the day to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This looks just like one of their GeoTrax trains so they were talking all day about going. Our longest line of the entire trip at about 20 minutes, we get on, wheeeee, get off and Graham is ticked. Like someone forgot to tell him it was a runaway train. Oops. I was a sneaky mom but we all lived to tell about it. He is now telling me that he will like it better next time we go!