Trick or Treat

This year I decided to make Luke a trick or treat bucket using a paint bucket after seeing one online. I am so happy with the way it turned out and I hope that he can use it for a couple years to come.

Halloween 2010

Well Halloween is officially over and we survived! Phew. No more candy for a while. The festivities started last Thursday Luke wore his skeleton shirt to school to get in the spirit.

Here is Luke at his school's party as a train conductor. In the morning he refused to wear his costume so when I got there for the party he was the only one not wearing a costume :( Luckily he got in the spirit and joined in the parade.


Saturday we went to the trunk or treat festival at the church that is at 7 Lakes High School. Luke had fun having a snow cone, he wouldn't eat the cotton candy. Later that night we had a good time reading Wall e









Halloween morning we had delicious donuts that were shaped like ghosts, bats and pumpkins. Unfortunately, the black frosting kind of got everywhere...


Trick or Treating was a success. We went to a friend's party and the kids had a hayride from house to house. Luke caught on to the whole thing and tried to eat as much candy as possible. Luke dressed up as a football player and I was an fanatical mom. Here are some highlights from the night.

The owl cupcakes I made for the party

David's idea of a costume. I am working on his holiday enthusiasm.


On the hayride waiting to trick or treat.


My fanatical mom mum and flip flops. Who knows, maybe I really will be one of those moms one day...



A rare moment of Luke looking at the camera and smiling.


Misty the Ninja Turtle


I always say I don't want him to play football till he's in Junior High but I'm not sure I can keep him away.

Mama almost burnt the house down

Today has been pretty eventful. After almost burning the house down last night, I have opened all the windows and cloroxed the whole kitchen to try to get the smell of ashes out. It has to be one of the most disgusting smells in the whole world. However, I have noticed that opening the windows makes me more inspired to do housework. And I must say, David was a wonderful husband and didn't make me feel worse for almost burning down the house. After all, I was just trying to be sweet and make tea...

In school today I worked on a project example for my kids who are drawing popcorn. The drawing on the left is in pencil with a paint over tissue paper background and the drawing on the right is chalk with a paint background.


I stopped at hobby Lobby after school and got some things for my costume on Sunday and, of course, I forgot my coupon. They really have some really random things there. Did you know they sell a moccasin kit for 17.99 that you lace together yourself? I think I am going to have to get one.

And why, may I ask, is it 93 degrees out on October 26? Ridiculous. I am beginning to think Luke is never going to get to wear long sleeves and to tell you the truth I am getting sick of all his summer clothes.

This afternoon I caught Luke in a rare moment actually wanting to pose for the camera. I love this shirt. I got it at a woman's artist show in Austin. I will be sad when he out grows it.

Family Fun Time

This Saturday I was lucky to be present for a friend's wedding. Thanks to Jace and Deidre who watched Luke, I had a few hours to spend with my family (which doesn't happen very often). The ceremony was great, the bride beautiful, and the food delicious. Audrye and I chased down the waiter several times and I fell in love with these sausage biscuits that I am going to try to make for Thanksgiving.

click here for the recipe

Here is my sister Audrye, me and my dad.

This is my dad telling me about his duck blinds. I am not interested in hunting but I sure do love him :)

Here is my sister Arienne wanting to be featured on my blog. Sweet tea anyone?

Audrye, my mom, me, the bride Heather, and Arienne. Then just me being silly.

What a beautiful bride!

Congratulations to the happy couple David and Heather.

Luke even got a party favor. Thanks Audrye! Also thank you for the use of your great pictures. Love you.

Pouty Pumpkin Pants

Yesterday was the day for our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. In three years David has never made to one of these excursions so he doesn't even know what he's missing.

The first year, Luke was one month old and slept the entire time. He looked so sweet and we snapped the most adorable pictures of him laying in the pumpkins.




Last year was a challenge keeping up with him as he toddled his way around the pumpkin patch. I am pretty sure I was profusely sweating. Not to mention that he was in the drooling phase. Look how little hair he had!




So this year I was looking forward to him being older and maybe even smiling for the camera. Yeah right. Luckily I had Megan and Nikki both taking pictures with their "real" cameras. Out of the approximately 150 pictures they took he is actually looking at the camera about 5 times and is smiling zero. The lady working there must have been getting annoyed at the amount of pictures we were taking because she kept coming over making sure we knew how the pumpkins were priced. The only times he looks happy is when he is playing with Lightning McQueen. Ha.

But I must say that Luke is an excellent pumpkin chooser. He expects nothing less than perfection. No dents, bumps or scratches for him. Just smooth and perfectly shaped.







Luke and his pumpkin. Little stinker. Smiling when we get in the car to go home.



I cant wait to see what next year's pumpkin patch extravaganza brings.

Saturday morning madness

This morning Luke decided to wake us up at 4:30 am screaming and crying to watch Cars. We tried to get him to go back to sleep but he wouldn't have it so we alternated staying up with him. At 6:30 Megan woke me up so that we could go to the Seven Lakes High School garage sale. Even though it started at 8, by the time we went to Mcdonalds and the atm the sale was in full swing at 7:30. It had a flea market type feel and there was so much stuff and so many people I kind of felt like I was on the Amazing race. Luckily, there are TONS of families in our surrounding neighborhood and most of the things for sale were for kids. I was excited and exuberant about my wonderful purchases and I am sure Megan thought I was a little bit crazy. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation. Anyways, here's a look at what I found this morning.




A white toddler bath robe made out of the super soft towel material that feels like velvet. It has vehicles all over it and a hood! I have been looking online to find one for Luke for Christmas so this was an amazing find at $2.

Lightning McQueen rainboots in perfect condition in size 9-10. Luke wears an 8 right now so he even has room to grow. $2

A beautifully colored spinning globe $2. I have already taught Luke that we live in Texas.

Some glass jars to hold Megan's scrapbook embellishment collection. $2

3 different Wiggles dvds. All for $1. Maybe I can catch a break from Cars.

A set of 7 brand new how to draw books for the classroom. $2 Maybe when kids get bored, they won't start throwing things across the room if I tell them to learn to draw something.

3 sets of vintage lace trims including eyelet. Perfect for scrapbooking sweet little girls pages. $6

The Super Nanny parenting book and Jenny Mcarthy's book Baby Laughs. I can tell you I am really excited to read these. The super nanny one because Luke has been throwing little fits lately and I am unsure of how to handle them. I will be reading that book as fast as I can. I have also heard that Jenny Mcarthy's Baby Laughs is a witty and informative read. $1 a piece

I also stumbled upon a family that had the most amazing children books for sale in pristine condition. Either their kids hated to read or they had too many books. I can tell that most of them have never even been opened. What a shame. We got Walle, Five Little Monkey's Jumping on the Bed, Miss Spider's Tea Party, Stellaluna, Owl Moon, The Berenstain Bears Learn about Strangers, and my personal favorite Ferdinand.

I also got Luke a few pieces of clothing and a cupcake shirt for my mom.
All in all it was a great morning with a great friend. I only spent $19. The best part is that I didn't buy any toys. Phew!

Here's a picture of us sans makeup but looking triumphant.



Also I cannot resist putting up this picture of Luke and his Daddy yesterday snuggling on the couch. What a lucky girl I am.
-Alycia

Bathtime is one of my favorite moments of the day. I buy the Sesame Street bathtub colors and it is the perfect bribe to get Luke into the tub. I say "what color bath do you want ?!" and Luke runs to the tub and jumps up and down until its time to throw in the magic tablets. We practice making green and purple and orange but by far blue is his favorite bathtub color. I think he is going to grow up and be disappointed that water is really clear.

Yesterday I went to book club. My friend Whitney invited me and I am really glad that I went. I love to read but often don't use my time to do it. Isn't it funny how people make so many different choices on how to spend their time? I don't have enough time in the day to do everything that I want. Scrapbook, read, play with Luke, see my friends, spend time with my husband, cleaning the house, watching tv, getting on the computer, writing this blog. I want to make the right choices. I want to look back on my life and not have regrets.
Anyways, at book club we read The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent. It was not a book that I would probably choose to read on my own, which is what I love about book club. Putting others in control of what you are reading pushes you out of your comfort zone and into the unknown. The book was awesome . A heavy tale of a farm life, family animosity and the accusation of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials. It was fascinating and depressing all at once. It is so nice to be able to discuss something intellectual with a group of fellow adults. I cant wait until next month when we are reading The Mercy Seller by Brenda Rickman Vantrease.