Historical Halloween and Halloween traditions

Our week of constant activities is coming to an end and I'm trying to get everything documented so I don't fall too far behind.

Thursday night we had our annual homemade popcorn ball making party. All of Marcus's family get involved and it's a night we look forward to all season.

 

Taste testing to make sure there was just the right amount of molasses

We made 188 popcorn balls! I think we set a new family record.

Granddad and I were the "waders" or so he called it.

When we got home I made caramel apples for Georgia's Halloween party the next day. This was my first time and they weren't perfect but they turned out fine.

  

Friday was the most anticipated day of the year for AKK-the Halloween party! When I dropped off Georgia and Jack, Aunt Shanna was doing her makeup for her costume and all the kids were mesmerized by it ha!

 

After I dropped the kids off, I headed to MES to see the Historical Halloween parade that Marcus coordinated. All of his 5th graders picked a historical character that they researched and made a presentation on while being dressed as their character. I took this video at the end of it and my memory was full so I missed the last 10-15 students. I was so impressed with the costumes and accessories!! I'm so proud of my husband's passion for teaching and students.

Mr. Harrison and ALL his 5th graders

Then I received all the pictures from the AKK Halloween party.

They also celebrated Georgia's birthday on Friday and she made her monumental transfer to the four year old table. That is such a big deal to them and she was proud to be up with the big kids. 

 

AKK Halloween party 2016

Aunt Shanna as an ice cream cone and Georgia Grace as a 50's girl

 

Musical chairs

Ma the nurse and sister girl

Happy Halloween girls!

Georgia and Callyn playing pass the pumpkin

Dancing and making their skirts twirl

This weekend we celebrated Georgia's birthday and a post all about our special four year old is coming up next!

Our Favorite Week

The week leading up to Halloween is one of the busiest but best weeks of the year. There is so much excitement at our house for Halloween festivities, trick or treating, and Georgia's birthday. 

The fun week started on Monday with Jack-o-lantern carving at preschool. Georgia took a turn smelling and touching the pumpkin while she colored her rainbow owl. She is all about the whole color spectrum these days. Everything she colors looks like a rainbow :)

 

The AKK babies smelled, touched and carved their Jack-o-lantern. Could they be any cuter?!? I never want our preschool days to end!

 

Tuesday was dance night. Georgia's class dances in a private studio so I don't get to watch her and take many pictures but I snapped this one of her lining up to come out. She loves dance and her teacher Mrs. Ginny! She tells me all the time she wants to be Claira and a Rockette.

 

Wednesday afternoon we headed to the pumpkin patch. The weather was warm but that was totally fine with me since we didn't need jackets and blankets. I put the babies in this wagon and just pulled them around while they took in all the sights. Then we headed to the cider slide, hay maze and tractor play set. We pretty much had the place to ourselves since we went on a weekday and it was so much fun!

 

My sister and nephew met us there and we had a blast spending time together and letting the kids play. Bo was the best baby ever the whole time! He never made a peep. 

 

I enjoyed/savored every second with these two. This is probably our last fall we will spend with them in the states so I'm trying to make all the memories I can.

 

Pumpkin boy Jack

Pumpkin girl Georgia

 

She looks so old and mature these days. It's killing my mama heart.

   

My favorite pumpkins in the whole patch. We had apple cider slushes and homemade peach ice cream as rewards for being so well behaved. They were both so filthy by the time we left. Evidence of a well spent afternoon :)

All the kids plus Aunt Paige playing and swinging 

 

 

After we left the pumpkin patch we dashed home, grabbed our costumes and headed to church for our trunk or treat festivities. We debuted our Halloween costumes. Georgia found a picture of a 50's girl in a magazine and knew instantly that was the costume for her. Her great-grandmother made the skirt for her and her Ma assembled all the other pieces to look just like the picture in the magazine. She is one lucky little girl! Jack's costume was a last minute, express shipped kind of arrangement. We went back and forth on what he would be and finally decided a cowboy suited him best. His snake skin boots he wore are his Daddy's. #homemadehalloween

Mike Ingram snapped a professional quality picture of them at trunk or treat and I just love it! Both personalities were suited for their costumes.

And the fun week/weekend is just getting started! We've got a popcorn ball making party, AKK Halloween party, historical Halloween, a birthday party and a FOURTH BIRTHDAY! I don't know when I'll sleep or eat but it will be fun! :)

Indian Summer So They Say

Lots of pictures and memories to document from this past week/weekend. I never want to take a day for granted in this life. Each day is a gift and I feel burdened more than ever to live each day to its fullest and live in the moment. I'm challenging myself to do a better job of that.

Tuesday night is dance night. We are still trying to get into this routine so we have been eating out for supper on our way home but after this week I promised that I would start crock pot meals. It was past bedtime and they were 

 

Our tiny dancer fell asleep on the way home. Bless it, Tuesday nights get her every week.

 

They have cute matching Halloween pajamas but sibling pictures are just a no-go these days. Posed pictures are overrated anyway.

 

On Friday, my very best friend from when I worked at TLRMC retired after 45 years! She was my work mom and now I call her "Aunt Marian" to my kids. She is so deserving of this retirement and I couldn't be happier for her. She posted on Facebook today that she had official changed her alarm and there was a screenshot of her iPhone with her weekday alarm switched to off. How awesome is that? Love you Aunt Marian! Enjoy every moment of this time.

   

Saturday my Mom and Stan took Georgia Grace to a Cinderella play by the WKU Theater Department. She had a great time and thought Prince Charming looked like Uncle Eric :) She loves dance and music and acting. Maybe she will be our Broadway start someday! She told me the other day she wanted to grow up and be a Rockette.

Saturday night we were invited to the annual McKinney hayride. Last year Jack was just a baby so Marcus stayed home with him while I took Georgia so it was nice that we all for went this year. Also, they have the neatest play set. I have play set envy if there is such a thing. It's awesome and the kids had a blast. Now if only we can find one for us. We've been looking for weeks/months and it just hasn't happened yet, I'm trying to be patient and positive.

 

The whole gang ready for a hayride through Woodbury. It was a perfect fall night with beautiful countryside.

 

Sunday before church I snapped a few pictures of sister girl on the front porch. She's the prettiest pumpkin in the patch.

 

Her Mamaw brought her and Jack baby pumpkins and she was telling hers a big story I do believe :)

 

 

After church, we went to Grams to eat our lunch. She has a little table and chairs set up for them in her laundry room where they eat their meals sometimes. I thought they looked adorable sitting in there with the Halloween tablecloth and their pumpkin outfits.

After lunch we came home and while the babies napped Marcus and I started our back porch facelift project. We have underutilized our back porch since we moved here almost two years ago. I gave it a good scrubbing on Saturday and we started painting it today.

  

We are painting the floor Cape Cod Gray and the railings white. I think this space has a lot of potential and I'm excited to make it ours.

Jack was the first up from his nap and he woke up saying "mower mower mower". Marcus had just mowed yesterday but he pulled it out of the garage and took him for a ride. My papaw would be so proud of this picture.

 

Marcus built a fire pit a couple weeks ago and Jack was helping get the wood. Marcus loves fall. Between the cooler temps and his new firepit I can't keep him inside.

 

I tried to get a few pictures of brother bear but he wasn't really having it. He's my adorable yet solemn pumpkin.

 

His longall was more like a Shortall on him so we threw on our boots and wore it anyway! #tallboyproblems

They say this is an Indian Summer which is why we have had such a mild fall so far which I am absolutely loving. The cold weather is brutal to this cold natured girl so I will take 70 degree days as long as I can! We are still playing outside everyday and have only needed a jacket a few times. This week looks like another perfect one. Happy fall y'all!

 

Jack is 18 months old!

Jack boy turned 18 months last week and it's time for a little update.

 

Jack weighs 25 pounds, is 34 1/2 inches long and continues to have a big ol' noggin. He's 60th percentile in height and 98th percentile for weight/head circumference. Long and lean with a big brain to get him into Princeton :)

You are wearing 18-24 month clothing, size 6 shoes and size 4 diapers. You are quickly catching your sister and will probably pass her up soon.

You can say over 20 words now and have started to put two words together like "clothes on" and "Georgia go". You seriously talk every waking minute. I don't think I've ever met a little boy that talks as much as you. You love to express yourself. You recognize some animals and know some of their sounds, your favorite is the cow.

You and your sister are daylight and dark in many ways. She is calm and reserved, you are rambunctious and outgoing. She loves television, you have yet to watch it for more than five seconds (this could simply be because of the difference in age). 

 
Your favorite foods are blueberries, strawberries, actually pretty much all fruit, cheese, macaroni and cheese, biscuit & gravy and raisins. You also love your daily gummy vitamin but still protest that it is just one a day. You're a good eater and eat best when we feed you.

You love playing with other children. You especially love Drew, a little boy that goes to preschool with Georgia at Grandmomma's house. You see him some on the days you stay with Gram and you go right to him to play and "love on him" which sometimes gets you in trouble when you are too rough. You will learn proper play.


Your favorite toys are any type of balls, trucks/cars/tractors and you love to carry around mini bottles of baby shampoo and chapstick. We can't figure that one out. And your favorite thing right now is riding the mower with daddy. You will stand at the door and yell "mower" until it happens :)

 
You call your crocheted blankets "mimmys" and you have one with you at all times. Another thing you are very attached to is your bottle. We have cut it back to where you mostly just have it when you're going to sleep or in a vehicle but you love "ba ba" with a fire passion!


The king of sleep continues to reign. You sleep for 12-14 hours every night (straight through) and take a 1 1/2-2 hour nap every day. We rock you occasionally but you like just being laid down best. When I say it's bedtime, you automatically go give Georgia and Daddy kisses. You require more sleep than Georgia ever did. You are still in your crib in your nursery. Thank you son for this gift to your parents!

You LOVE to be outside. If we're inside and you want to go out, you will say "door" or "outside" and walk to the garage door. You love to play and get dirty.

  
You're still not crazy about bath time. It has gotten better in recent days but you still throw a crying fit pretty often. You're usually super sleepy by the time we do baths after supper so the combination of the two just do you in. You're also not crazy about riding in the car. Being restrained is not our forte. 


You hardly ever sit still, but you will let me hold you and read to you right before bedtime. Your favorite book right now is "Happy Baby Colors".

You and your sister are best buds. You ask for her first thing when I get you up in the mornings.

You swoon all the ladies with your blonde locks and big round eyes. You still favor your Papaw Porter but I see more of Daddy in you everyday. And Georgia, some of your features are identical. 

 

My two babies at 18 months. I don't think they look that much alike in this side-by-side comparison but I do see it on a daily basis. 

Happy year and a half baby boy! I don't know how we got here so quickly but you've made every moment, good and bad, worth it. I'm so thankful God chose me to be your mommy. You are the perfect son for us.

We love you forever and always!