Trick or Treat!

We had an awesome Halloween this year! It was nice having it on a Saturday too, so no rushing off to an early bedtime. The kids couldn't wait to get their costumes on, so once the chili and cornbread were cooking, we got to work.
Zoe was Cleopatra:


Cooper was a Zombie Punker:
Together they were two kids having a lot fun enjoying their fun makeup and Zoe's sprayed black hair:
After getting dressed and ready we ended up having some neighbors over for our annual pre-trick-or-treat dinner. Everyone was so excited that Halloween was finally here!
It was time to head out for the best part of the night...getting the candy! Joe stayed home to pass out the candy and visit with everyone coming around, while I went with the kids and everyone else to walk around the neighborhood. It was the perfect temperature outside and the kids had a blast. We even had 2 very scary haunted houses in the neighborhood. I started to check out one, but I chickened out and had to send our neighbor Lenny in first!
After spending time running around the neighborhood, this is how Cooper looked:

(A latex head mask is never a good thing!)

Then it was off to our neighbor Todd's house for our post-trick-or-treating party. After taking turns handing out more candy, the kids all ran around and played while the adults sat around the firepit in the driveway. It was great time...

(Cooper's good friend Jakob even joined the party!)

What would a Halloween party be without learning the Thriller dance?? By this time Zoe had stripped out of her costume, and it was hard to recognize her with her black hair!

Happy Halloween everyone!!

Bowl Game

Well we headed to Murrieta this morning for the Chocolate Bowl. We thought this was going to be the last game of the season, so I figured I better try to get a few action shots of Cooper. I am usually so focused on the play of the game that I forget to get pictures of him while he's actually doing something on the field! Well, I did get a few, but it turns out that today wasn't our last game. We get to officially end the season next weekend, followed up with our team party. Today's game was a tough one. We played La Costa Canyon and they were good. They were actually a team of all 2nd and 3rd year players, so they were much bigger and much more experienced than our little guys. We took a loss 16-7, but it was a good fight!

(Play begins...)

(Cooper making his block)

(Coop double-teaming)

(Get him Coop!)

(Whew...I'm beat, and it is hot out here!)

(Cooper and his good friend Kendall)

Way to go boys! Just one more!!

Guts and crazy faces...

Time to get to our pumpkin carving! I can't believe how quickly Halloween has approached. After dinner, we got out the newspaper to cover the table and bowls to collect the seeds and guts. My favorite part is squishing all of the guts in my fingers! (I think Zoe likes that the best too). Surprisingly, Cooper really didn't enjoy that part this year; he just wanted to get to the carving.
The kids started to get bored after the first few pumpkins, so poor Daddy sat by himself to do his. ( I don't think he minded so much though, he was singing along to the music in the background...)
The finished products!!
Can't wait for tomorrow night!

Party Time!

Cooper loves going to the Long's annual Halloween party! So after a fun day of school, he headed off to their place.
They played so many fun games and enjoyed some yummy Halloween treats. Cooper's favorite game is the whipped cream in the pie tin. Whoever can get the whipped cream the fastest and get out the 5 licorice pieces wins...
Does it surprise me that Cooper won this one??
What a great way to begin a fun weekend of Halloween festivities!

EI-EI Oops!

The 2nd Graders put on their annual Ei-Ei Oops show today! They all showed up in their costumes ready to go. When Cooper first found out he was going to be a pig, he wasn't very excited, but after he found out that some of his friends were pigs and they went through all of the rehearsals, he was pretty happy about it!

The show started out with a group of kids doing some fun line dancing...

Cooper waiting for his turn on stage...
Time to say his lines and do a little dance to "Ham It Up!"

Hanging out after the show with Lorien and Allie who were "cute chicks"...

Mrs. Falciano's class...what a cute group!
I'm sure going to miss this show in the coming years...

Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere!

We headed to Orange County today to visit Grandma and Grandpa and we decided to go to Tanaka Farms for some more pumpkin picking. It was so warm outside, it felt like summer, but it was a lot of fun to walk around, go through yet another corn maze, and find the "perfect" pumpkin.

(Fall fun!)

(Ready for the corn maze...Jax had his grumpy face on today)

(Zoe and Gramps having a great time!)

(Cooper and Cole...so cute with each other)


(Zoe getting a ride)

(Poor Grandma, never got in a picture!)

(We were watching them launch pumpkins into the air and splatter on the hills above...it was pretty fun!)

(They had some great scarecrows!)

(Zoe found a great pumpkin with lots of "warts"!)

(Jax was checking out Cooper's cool little pumpkin)

Thanks for planning a great day Grandma! We had a lot fun! Maybe we'll even go back for the Christmas trees! :)

Reflections Art Night

Zoe participated in the Reflections Art Program again this year. The theme was "Beauty Is..." She entered 2 photos in the Photography category and 1 entry for Literature. Tonight was the Gallery night for the school where the participants are each given certificates and winners are announced. It is a great night to be able to see all of the amazing work done by our students. The categories are photography, literature, visual arts, and musical composition. Zoe was so excited to go (she even came home from crazy hair to wash all the color out!) Well, she ended up getting the 1st place Award of Excellence for one of her photos and received a trophy. Her photo will now move on to compete at the District level later in the year.

(Jenny giving Zoe her award)

(Zoe was so happy!)

(Her photo of the Grand Canyon)

(Her beautiful sunset photo entry...the flash from my camera made the white spot; it looks great in person!)

(Her literature entry, a story about waterfalls)

Congratulations Zoe!! We are so proud of you!