Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween!!!

It's no secret that I LOVE holidays, especially ones that involve special clothes.  This year we stretched out Halloween for almost two weeks!  

Piper has had a strange obsession with the Big Bad Wolf for MONTHS, so I just had to work it into our Halloween plans this year.  She was Little Red Riding Hood, and Graham was the wolf.  This was the first year that she really knew what Halloween was all about, and she loved every minute of it.  Leading up to trick-or-treating, she was happy to tell everyone she met what she and Graham were going to be for Halloween.  And all the while we were trick-or-treating, she continued to tell everyone who she was (as if there was any doubt!).  She is wearing a cape that my mom had from when I was a kid (and I think it was even my brothers' before it was mine), and Graham is wearing a hooded sweatshirt that Mom and I converted into the best Big Bad Wolf costume I've ever seen (if I do say so myself!).  They were soooooo cute together!

Squirmy kids do not photograph well!
Family Photo 2012
I like to pretend I'm crafty, but I'm really not.  I can't sew, I have no artistic talent, and I'm just not very creative.  Martha Stewart came to my rescue with step-by-step instructions for this costume that required lots of fabric glue but no sewing (although Mom did sew part of it since she happened to be visiting when I was putting it all together).  I loved how it turned out!


Work in progress
Finished product
On the model :-)

Our local zoo has a Halloween trick-or-treat experience every year, and we have taken Piper all three of her Halloweens to date.  She was overwhelmed with all the treats and costumes!

Nana got to go to the zoo, too!
By the end of the night, she was an old pro, walking up to get treats all by herself and saying Thank You.
Graham gave Nana a kiss during the animal show.

Piper's preschool doesn't do Halloween costumes (which I totally understand), but they do have a special treat on the school day before Halloween: Pajama and Pancakes Day.

Don't you just love her slippers?
 We've spent many an hour dressed up like a jack-o-lantern.

Ta-Da!

She insisted on having her picture made with her Joey Jack-o-lantern.

Here she's building skyscrapers for "New City York."  Isn't Graham's pouty face just adorable?!
Tonight we met our friends in Franklin for trick-or-treating.  Piper had so much fun, and Graham was such a good sport.  He rode with me, never made a peep, and kept his hood on the whole time we were out (which was about an hour and a half!).  Graham LOVED Mary Clark and gave her kisses anytime she was close to him.  We have so much fun visiting with our friends and their children.  I have made it tradition to bake Grandmom's pumpkin bread to share with everyone instead of candy.

Piper, Meg, Graham, Mary Clark, and Jonah (not pictured: Jonathan)
My little fairy tale characters!
She marched up to the front doors liked she owned the place.  We had trouble keeping up with her!


 www.herringfamilyhappenings.blogspot.com

Saturday, October 27, 2012

The annual carving-of-the-jack-o-lantern post

Josh carved the kids' jack-o-lantern tonight.  Both Piper and Graham had a blast and were in the way much more than they were helping.  Graham actually had a bath during the middle of the process (the part with knives) because we couldn't keep him out of the middle of all the action.  These pictures are funny, but they don't begin to convey the excitement Piper had for her pumpkin.  

It's nearly impossible to get a picture of both of them these days--they are too fast!  You can tell by McKenna's placement in each of these next pictures how quickly I was shooting and how quickly Piper and Graham were moving.  They were ALL OVER this pumpkin!







And just like always, Graham was looking for something to eat.

I wasn't sure how she would do with it, but Piper really surprised me with how much she enjoyed scooping out the pumpkins "guts."

And Graham would not be left out of this...




He decided to taste the "guts" and was not impressed.



Still eating...

He really wanted to play with the bowl.

Daddy carved a face that looks like Joey the Jack-o-Lantern, one of Piper's favorite Halloween book characters.

Graham's favorite part was taking the lid on and off.

 Checking out Daddy's handiwork...

And posing with it!



www.herringfamilyhappenings.blogspot.com

Music and Molasses Festival

Last weekend we took Nana and Gramps to the Music and Molasses Festival held at the Agricultural Center located just down the road from us.  There were musical instruments that Piper played, animals she could pet, ponies to ride, and lots of crafts.  We had a great time!

Posing with one of the horses they used to make sorghum
Beating an OLD drum--I was terrified she was going to break it 
Dancing and drumming
Playing the washboard with Daddy
Playing the thumb piano
She didn't care too much about all the animals, but she HAD to sit on every hay bale she saw
Hey, goat! 
Petting a donkey 
More sitting on the hay bales 
Waiting patiently for a pony ride.  Thanks, Gramps!
Holding tightly to Gramps before the ponies started walking
Her pony's name was Hocus Pocus 
She really enjoyed it!
Big smiles!

She was an old pro at the end and didn't want Gramps to hold onto her.
She looks so grown up to me!

Graham hung out with me in his carrier and took in all the sights
A family portrait taken while on the wagon ride
Piper LOVED watching this man work his clay
She kept inching closer and closer 
She was practically in the wheel
We also celebrated my birthday with a cake all the way from Unique
I had help blowing out my candles :-)
We always love it when Nana and Gramps come to visit!

 www.herringfamilyhappenings.blogspot.com