Carving Pumpkins and Trying on Costumes

This Sunday afternoon, the boys carved their pumpkins. It took over 3 hours from start to finish. Both boys scooped out pumpkin goo this year. Evan was so excited after carving his first pumpkin, he asked to carve a second. Michael had a big pumpkin to carve and he did a fabulous job all by himself. Later, the boys tried on their halloween costumes.

Evan helps Michael to scoop out pumpkin goo. Michael's pumpkin was so thick that it was hard to get your hand in!

Michael chose a scary pumpkin to carve. He works very carefully to outline the pumpkin with little hole punches.

Evan has his face drawn on the pumpkin and is now carving it out. He carves fast and furious!

This is Evan's second carved pumpkin. He carved a cat. Doesn't it look good?

Michael and Evan sit with their finished pumpkins. They both did a great job!

My two Clone Troopers!

Michael and Evan try on their Halloween costumes. They really get into character. Trick or treating here is on Halloween Evening, which thankfully this year is on a Friday evening. Michael has a soccer game bright and early the following morning.

Having removed their masks, my clone troopers show their cute faces :)

Evan's class visits the zoo

The second grade classes spent the day at the zoo. They looked at lots of animals. They had a great sunny day for their fieldtrip. Matt went along as a chaperone.






This is the new elephant baby. He was born about a month ago at the zoo. He seems so small!










The giraffes are always fun to look at!














Evan makes friends with one of the zoo penguins.














Evan and his group gather together for a picture at the zoo. It may be sunny, but it's still very cold outside. Eventually it warms up to about 63 degrees.
















The fieldtrip to the zoo was ''beary" fun!

Webelos woods

Michael spent a full filled weekend at Webelos Woods at Camp Merriweather along the Oregon coast. He and his scout friends looked at a number of Boy Scout troops to cross over to in early 2009. They had a nerf gun war and flew kites on the beach. They slept in adorondacks. Michael came home tired, hungry, and very dirty. He had a blast :)

Michael and the cub scouts in his Pack

The boys spent the weekend at Camp Meriweather - for Webelos Woods.

Having a little fun down on the beach. The boys have a nerf gun war.

The boys sit at their campsite right along the Ocean.

Michael works to saw off a piece of wood so he can later brand it.

The adorondacks that the boys and men spent the night in. It's quite rustic.

Inside the boys adorondack. Michael is sleeping on the bottom bunk.

The Pumpkin Patch

Today we went to Lakeview Farms Pumpkin Patch in North Plains. They have a great pumpkin patch. They have a train you get to take out to the pumpkin patch and a boat you can take back. Today the boys liked the train better and we took the train both ways. Picking out the perfect pumpkin is harder than it looks. The professional carver in our family is Michael. We let him pick out the perfect carving pumpkins. Last year he spent hours in the driveway scooping the seeds and pulp out and carving out his design (Matt took the "lid" off the pumpkin for him). He's planning on carving two of the pumpkins (pictures to come much later). We have to carve at most a week before trick or treat as the weather here makes the pumpkins rot quickly. I know, it's hard to live where it's a warm and lovely 65 degrees daily at the end of October. :)

Evan and Michael on the train at the pumpkin patch.

Out in the fields. Michael and Evan so nicely cooperate for a picture. They do both complain that the sun is in their eyes.

Matt picks out a "unique" pumpkin. I truly believe we all need to find something "unique" in life to enjoy!

Evan, on the other hand, finds the tiniest pumpkin ever! It's so tiny, they don't charge us for it. Too bad the big pumpkins were jealous of it's petiteness and happened to roll over it in the back of the van on the way home.

Our pumpkin carver Michael hunts down pumpkins that are great for carving. He brings one to show us that he is confident will cooperate.

Hmm - eenie, meanie, miny, mo... which one should I pick? They are all the right size and each has it's own great qualities, so which one shall it be? Yes, I know, the white/green pumpkin. Ahh, another unique pumpkin!

So many pumpkins, that it's easier to tote them around in the wheelbarrow (trust me folks - we're not the only ones). Here is what we have so far - a great assortment of pumpkins for our front porch - well, front stoop, but we like to pretend it's a porch. Michael plans to carve two of these pumpkins. Michael, Mom, and Evan at the Pumpkin Patch.

Yah, he's not really moving the wheelbarrow, but the picture sure looks cute doesn't it? Evan waits as we check out "just one more pumpkin."

Okay - this is it. Michael stands by our completed pumpkin family.

Evan is satisfied with our pumpkins. He's been thru the hay maze and is ready to go. Did I mention that he is now taller than the hay maze? That makes it a bit easier to navigate your way thru :)

Happy Birthday Matt!

We gathered with family to celebrate Matt's 36th birthday. We got two 6 inch cakes from the Beaverton Bakery. They have the best cakes. We got two smaller cakes in lieu of one bigger cake so we had some yummy variety.

Matt opens his cards. He's wearing a pair of balloons (aka balloon ears) that Owen brought for him. Owen picked them out all by himself :)

Grandma Sue sits with Michael and Evan. Not an easy task as neither of the boys sit still. Soon they're sitting on each other, on Grandma Sue, on the floor, etc.

A rare photo :) Pam with Emma and Grandma Judy with Owen. Everyone is actually looking at the camera - well almost.

Singing Happy Birthday to Matt. Evan leads the chorus. Hey - why are those people wearing coats? Our house is not that cold!

An even more rare photo! All four of Grandma Judy and Grandpa Tony's grandkids. I used to say grandsons, but now with Emma I have to say grandkids. Here is Owen (almost 4yrs), Evan (7 3/4 yrs), Emma (7 mos) and Michael (10 1/4 yrs). Just after this is taken, Emma leans forward and then way back quickly. Ouch for Emma and Michael!

Awww, Pam with Emma (a very tired sleepy baby)!

Michael with Matt - a very cute shot.

Evan with Matt - smiles all around.

Yep - it's time to go. Grandma Judy helps Owen zip up his coat.

It's October

Wow - it's already October. The boys seem to be enjoying school. Evan's 2nd grade class just finished a safety themed unit. Their class got to visit with firefighters and a firetruck, paramedics and an ambulance, a police officer, a K-9 trainer, and a SWAT vehicle and policemen. He loves math and reading. He's been coming home singing songs that he learns in class and in music. He has a great memory! Michael's 5th grade class just started book reports. Of course he read the entire book the first night. He's also loving math, reading, and social studies. Oh, I can't forget science. This is a new subject for them this year. In previous years, science was incorporated in sections. This year, they actually have a science block of time daily.

Last week Michael got his bands changed on his braces and he was given yet another stronger wire. He chose the lovely colors of yellow and black again. He said he'll change the color once soccer season is coming to a close. His team is yellow :)

Michael shows off his new bands and wire on his braces.

This week, the cub scouts had a Pack Meeting. Matt is the cubmaster of the pack and is giving out the awards that the boys have earned. In the pictures below, Michael and Evan get awards and shake the cubmaster's hand :)

Evan takes his soccer pin and shakes his dad's (also the cubmaster's) hand.

Michael shakes his dad's hand while getting one of his activity pins that will go on his scout colors.

Webelos Cub Scout Michael salutes by the flag.

Wolf Cub Scout Evan gives a cub scout salute in front of the flag.

Soccer season continues. Evan's team is on a winning streak. They've won their first five games of the season. His team has three games left until the end of the season. Evan loves to play defense, but also is good at offense.

Evan tries to gain control and possession of the soccer ball.

Evan dribbles the ball around the other team.

Evan concentrates (see - his tounge is sticking out) as he moves the ball away from the other team.

Michael's soccer team has won three games, lost one and tied this last game. The pictures below are a series of shots of the same play. Michael played goalie again for half of both halves.

The other team shoots the soccer ball at the goal. Michael is at the correct angle to stop it, but the ball swings around him. He runs to grab the ball, but it's headed towards the other corner of the goal - in fact, it's going to hit the goal post corner.

The ball bounces off the goalpost corner and it is definately going to head into the goal. Michael jumps onto the ball to stop it just at the line, before it crosses the goal line. Stop the ball at all costs!

Michael is absolutely thrilled that he stopped the ball from going in the goal. You can see the look on his face! If the ball had gone in, the other team would have pulled ahead and won the game. This was a good moment for Michael! He was very happy with his performance.

Michael gives the ball a great boot down the field so his team can try to score again. Unfortunately after a number of shots on goal, they just can't get the ball in again before the end of the game.

Michael is currently attending an after school capsela class (currently being offered for TAG kids). He loves building things, figuring out why things do and don't work and spending time with his friends in the class. He's also going to be attending a chess club after school. The club is first opened up to TAG kids and then filled with other kids after that. Myself and another parent are going to "host the room" once a month (that's what we're starting with this year) all school year long. Did I mention that I do not know how to play chess? I'm going to hopefully learn the basics before the kids do. There is a great website that teaches you how to play chess. I'm currently working my way thru the process.