Tuesday, October 30, 2012

THE POWER OF THE CROSS

I CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF THIS SONG!  IT'S DRAWS ME SO CLOSE TO THE LORD EVERY TIME I HEAR IT!!!

"Boo"-licious Rice Krispie Treats!

Second grade is very different from Kindergarten and 1st grade for sooooo many reasons.  One tiny difference, is that 2nd graders and above do not get holiday parties for ALL occasions. The reality of growing up has NOW set in for Tyson. Stinky!!!  Ty's teacher, however, doesn't want the day to pass without providing her students with some form of fun. The home room mom (no it's NOT me, surprised?) has accepted some help and I offered mine :)  She assigned me to rice krispie treats.  B-O-R-I-N-G!!!!!!!  I agreed, but totally had plans to SPRUCE up the old fashioned rectangular-shaped rice krispie treat.

While stocking up at Sam's Club, for storm "Sandy" (is this really happening AGAIN), I decided to buy the pre-made rice krispie treats, to save me some time (AND NOT KNOWING if the storm will cut my electricity off, I had to be prepared).

I decided to make ghost rice krispie treats.  Here are the items you will need to replicate this yummy treat...
Pre-made or homemade rice krispie treats
Candy Coating (WHITE)
Lollipop Sticks
Chocolate Chips 
Insert the lollipop stick inside the rice krispie treat.   

Carve rice krispie treat to look like a "tombstone".
SAVE "cut-outs" or frugal friends, like Erin Carroll, will yell at you.

Dip and "paint" white chocolate on HALF of the rice krispie treat.
WALAAA! 
Add miniature or regular chocolate chips for eyes.   
Wrap in a clear treat bag and tie with festive ribbons.
Then.... EAT!

Pumpkin Carving PART 1

After church on Sunday, while I did the mummy mason jars, Tyson was haunting me (pun intended) because he was grounded from ALL electronics.  So, I allowed him to carve ONE of our pumpkins on his own.  I am not entirely sure this type of carving is what he had in mind, but he did it with minimal grumbling.  

I saw this idea on pinterest and decided to give it a try! Basically, you carve out the "guts" from the center of the pumpkin, replace the pumpkin's top, and start drilling holes.  If you look closely, we tried to drill a B for BOLLING, but it just wasn't that "full" or visible.  So we just decided to drill holes ALL OVER the pumpkin.  I also stole this idea off of pinterest to put glow sticks into the pumpkin instead of candles.  If we are lucky, our pumpkin still remains on our front stoop, but as I type, I can hear high winds.  Let me know if it it ends up on your door step.  :)
Cut, gut, and drill!
It's EMPTY! 
TY LOVED THIS PART!
BUT I DID NOT!!!
HE WAS NOT STEADY!
AND HE WOUND UP DRILLING HIS LEG... NO LIE.

You can still see the "B" a little bit.
I did try to hide it, but it didn't happen.

I titled this post, "Pumpkin Carving Part 1" because our family has plans of carving pumpkins tomorrow night!!! I have a feeling NFL, Ballet, or McQueen is on the carving agenda!  LOL!

Monday, October 29, 2012

Mummy Mason Jars

Aside from owls, I think mummies are my new favorite Halloween decor. They are fun, cute, and a little bit "spookie" all at once :)  I am very pleased with the way my mummy mason jars turned out.  I have had these materials for over a month now. Life has just been way too busy to find the time to sit down and accomplish making them.  After church on Sunday, I took the time to make them since time is running out.  

These mummies were made for ME, teachers, my step-mom, and my "Sensational 6".  SURPRISE girls... if you are reading this.  I hope you like them.  I sure do.  With the storm heading our way, you may not get them before Halloween arrives though.
Materials needed:
Cheesecloth, google eyes, modge podge, and flameless tealights.
Mason jars.  Any sizes.
"Paint" the modge podge onto the entire mason jar.
Wrap cheesecloth over entire jar, overlapping layers, 
to give it the mummy look.
Adhere google eyes using modge podge.
I used the LARGE eyes.

Insert flameless tealight candles. 
Enjoy the cute mummy in the day 
And the illuminated mummy in the night. 

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Lilah & Jax's First Field Trip

Lilah and Jax had their first field trip today!  You might think you are seeing double because this is the second time I have posted photos at the Layman Pumpkin Patch.  It was a gorgeous, gorgeous, did I say gorgeous, day!  I think we all dressed a tad too warm, but the kids didn't seem to be bothered.  They were able to do EVERYTHING from the ride the tractor (which we didn't get to do last time), to picking out a pumpkin, to the "moo choo", the bouncing trampoline, the corn maze, etc.....  We even ate our packed lunches there.  Lilah didn't last 10 minutes in the car before passing out.  Jax was my little conversationalist the entire way home.  That boy can talk!!!!  LOL!  He will have a blessed wife.  Hehe.  

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Halloween "Celebrations" Part 1_2012


Halloween tends to stress me out just a little.  LOL!  Why, you ask?  Well, anyone who knows me, knows I do nothing without doing it to the extreme/fullest.  I am simply an ALL or NOTHING type of person.  It can be a little annoying to be me.  I can turn something as FUN or SIMPLE as picking a Halloween costume out, into a nightmare.  LOL!  I’d have to say, it hasn’t helped that we have won the Halloween costume contest at our church the last 2/4 years we “entered”.  It puts the pressure on me BIG TIME to raise the bar again this year.
This year, I tried to be the mom that let’s go and let’s the kids choose what they want to be.  Lilah and Jaxon were adamant on being “Spiderman and Spider-girl”.  I was willing to let it happen, but then I came across some INCREDIBLY detailed and cute costumes during my visit to Charlotte.  I brought them home, showed the twins, and said, “You can be this or you can be Spiderman and Spider-girl.”  Lilah and Jax chose my selection.  Yea me!!!!  LOL!
But then… I realized, that the twins had a TON of Halloween festivities to attend, and I decided to let them get TWO costumes this year.  I know it’s a bit over indulgent and unnecessary, but dressing up is fun and only happens ONCE a year (unless you have a great dress up collection).  
So, I took the kids out today and here is what they picked.  Lilah chose to be a kitty kat and Jax a shark!  The BEST was when Jax came across the shark costume, at the store, he stopped dead in his tracks, and with the biggest, deepest, expression-filled voice exclaimed, “Mooooooooooooooommy, LOOK AT THIS!  I’ve always wanted to be a shark!”  HAHA!  I HAD to get it for him.  He was right.  His second choice, besides Spiderman, was to be a shark. 
I thought they BOTH looked adorable.  They were so thrilled to wear their costumes.  They wore them with pride.  It was TOUGH for me to NOT get something MATCHY, but then my dear friend Ashely and I decided that CATS EAT FISH!  LOL!  So they kind of do go together.  It’s a twin thing…unless you have them, you wouldn’t understand. 

Lilah and Jax wore these costumes to the YMCA "Willy Wonka" Halloween party.  Tyson couldn't go :(  He was at football.  Instead, we were accompanied with the Harris family.  We managed fine, but Ashely and I both agreed, NEXT YEAR THE DADDIES GO OR WE DON'T GO! Enjoy viewing the ENTIRE night captured on camera BELOW.  Double click to see it in a bigger version.
Anyway, these are NOT their actual Halloween costumes, so be on the look out for the cute DUO’s costume selection soon. 

"Friend" #4 Comes to Dance With Lilah

Drum roll.... who is this "friend" that came to dance class with Lilah???  Well none other than JAXON!  He he... we did NOT get this approved from daddy FIRST.  This was really not planned either though.  I decided NOT to allow Lilah to bring a friend this week because I thought this was the week that she had to come to dance class with her Halloween costume on.  The house was a little on edge today.  Trying to get the twins up from nap, homework done, and get Lilah all diva'd up in 25 minutes is CRA-AAAAZY!  I just thought picking up a friend to the agenda would be horrible.  

When we arrived to ballet, Lilah was not herself.  She and Jax had gotten into a small altercation before leaving the house and Lilah just NEVER recovered from it.  When I dropped her off to dance, she cried and cried for Jax.  So... I decided to ask Jax if he wanted to be Lilah's "friend" today and dance with her.  At first, he quickly said "no", but I didn't have to ask him TWICE.  He said "YES", just as quickly as he said "NO."  

Ms. Tracy said he actually danced more than Lilah did today.  LOL!  OH to be a FLY on the WALL.  She also called Jax a "doll baby" and she's right.  I just love him to pieces.  Don't worry... WE ARE NOT signing him up for dance.  Darren would NEVER allow it.  I'm not sure I would either.

OH, PS.  This was NOT the week to wear your Halloween costume to dance class.  POOR Lilah was the only dancer with a costume on.  Better early than late, right?

A Pink iPhone

This was my FAVORITE purchase, while in Charlotte, with my hubby!!!!!  I'm pretty sure I finally have something NO ONE in Roanoke or Salem, VA has.  :)  Let the trend begin, LOL!



Football Playoffs.

Tyson and his team may be calling it quits after tomorrow night.  The Bulldogs have started out as winners in the play offs, but we played the team that hasn't won a game all season :(  We anticipate this Wednesday being the last game of the year for us.  It's been a really busy season of football.  It's bitter-sweet to say goodbye.  Now on to basketball... such is life with BOYS!

Monday, October 22, 2012

Today's Lunch!

I feel like I have been preparing for and "celebrating" Fall/Halloween for three months now.  I wish it would already hurry up and get here :) I'm ready to decorate for Christmas!!! Okay, not really, that's a little too premature, BUT, I am anxious to see this "holiday" pass.  

Today, in the kids' lunches, I tried to hype them up a little about Halloween being just around the corner.  Here's what was in their lunch boxes....
A bat PBJ with raisin eyes.
A cup of mandarin oranges.  I drew on a jack-o-latern face.  

Festive napkins.

JOKES


Boo-datious dessert.  Ghost sugar cookies.

Friend #3 Comes to Dance with Lilah

Last week, Lilah brought Kate to ballet.  These two seemed very excited to be in each other's presence. It made me realize that Lilah really needs a play date with Kate soon!  Take note Lisa.  My house OR yours, doesn't matter to me.  I think the teacher got a little frustrated with them because their concentration level wasn't very high.  Haha.  Oh well!  This is the last week that Lilah can bring a friend, but I think I am going to have her arrive empty handed.  The dancers are supposed to wear their Halloween costumes and I think it will be too much to get Lilah dressed up and worry about bringing a friend.  

Thanks Miss Mona's Dance studio for allowing us this fun opportunity.  It gained them ONE new student from us!



Sunday, October 21, 2012

A Boo-tiful Surprise

I've had these Halloween items for 4 weeks now.  I got tired of waiting for Halloween to arrive, so I left them out, on the kitchen table, for the kids to wake up to this a.m.  
  • BOO Berry Cereal
  • Jack-O-latern Toothpaste (for all of that candy they will be eating)
  • Halloween Earrings for our little DIVA
Surprisingly, they were MOST excited about the toothpaste. LOL!

Happy Halloween from Grandad and Grandnee

Thank you Grandad and Grandnee for the awesome Halloween gifts!!!!!  
Jaxon

Tyson

Lilah

Our Audrey Hepburn Look-A-Like


Occasionally, on pinterest, an Audrey Hepburn toddler look-a-like appears on the "everything" feed.  I had considered replicating this insanely cute look by making Lilah Audrey Hepburn for Halloween.  I knew, however, that Lilah would be less than thrilled, so I decided against it.  

A few weeks back, my friend Ashely sent me the pinterest link and said, "Lilah looks exactly like this little girl."  Haha.  I had to laugh because I had already thought the same thing.

Then today, Lilah was dressed up in a darling cheetah dress, hair in a bun, accompanied by sequined, gold shoes.  On the way out of church, another friend said, "Man, she looks so similar to a little girl I have seen on pinterest.  She is an Audrey Hepburn look-a-like."  I almost died.  :)

I decided to skip Lilah's nap today and in exchange for a photo session with mommy, I bribed Lilah with some candy.  LOL!  I think she did a great job fitting the part/role.  Don't you?

The Audrey Hepburn toddler look-a-like from Pinterest.

As if those are NOT enough look-a-like photos, take a peak at the album below, if you must   see the entire "photo shoot".  :)