Date Night: Movie & Appetizers/Drinks

Our third date

October 22, 2010

Dustin was in charge

We recently started using Red Box - it's a great invention, I'm a big fan!  Dustin sneakily found out what movie I would like to see and Red Boxed it, secretly.  After the kids were in bed out came the champagne flutes, bottles of various sparkling juices, crackers, cheese, balsamic glaze and the movie.  We watched Letters to Juliet.  I know it's a chick flick but honestly Dustin & I very rarely watch a chick flick together.  I was very excited that he picked this to watch with me for our date.  I enjoyed to movie.  The drinks and snacks were fun to have during the movie instead of traditional popcorn - it's like we were being super fancy during our date!  After the movie we watched The Office and went to bed.  No kids woke up or needed anything during our date so it was nice to be together.

Date Night: a Couch, a Drink, a Book

Our Second Date.

October 15, 2010

Dustin was in charge.

We picked up the new book The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan.  It was just released on the 12th and we've been reading it together.  We pulled out the champagne flutes, a chilled bottle of sparkling orange juice from Ikea and cuddled on the couch.  We take turns reading the chapters; usually when we read together we alternate every chapter but since with book has the same character position for 2 chapters we are alternating every 2 chapters.  So far the book has been very fun to read and although we don't get much time to read together we have been enjoying it.  If you read the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series you will enjoy this new series, The Heros of Olympus.

Date Night: Mini Disc Golf

Our first date.

October 8, 2010.

Dustin was in charge.

We played a rousing game of mini disc golf..... in the house.  The big challenges came in not waking the boys.  We had obstacles of doors, walls, furniture, we went upstairs and back downstairs, outside and back in.  We playing 9 baskets.  It really was a lot of fun.  While playing it was decided that waking the boys would result in a 1 stroke penalty.  It was really hard to play quietly the entire time, neither of us woke the boys and we ended up in a tie score.  It was a great first date.  After our game we enjoyed each other's company in the living room and caught up on some of our weekly shows via Hulu since the shows we like come on at inconveinent times for us.

Costumes, Parties, and Candy Galore!

Meet Calvin & Hobbes 

David decided he wanted to be Calvin for Halloween this year - I was relieved that I didn't have to work as hard as last year!  All I had to do was figure out what we could use for a Hobbes doll and we remembered that a couple of months previous we had picked up this tiger costume for Matthew.  It was meant to be.

David's preschool hosted a Halloween party on Friday, October 29th.  David and his classmates had been working on this party for the entire month.  Their teacher, Mrs. Robinson, let them plan the games, activities, treats and decorations.  David talked about this party all month long and was so excited for the big day.  Parents were invited and the kids were allowed to wear their costumes for the party (but not before so they wouldn't be a distraction for the beginning of school).  Dustin's parents were in town and they joined in the fun also.  Here are some pictures from the party.

 .                 Decorating cupcakes                             David's scary spider                        .

David's cupcake

We all had lots of fun - there were lots more pictures but these were some of my favorites.  There was witch's brew root beer - complete with dry ice to drink, cheesecloth ghosts the kids had made, slime making and a pinata that refused to break until dropped from the second story of the house.

We had a ward Dinner and Trunk or Treat on Saturday, October 30th.  It was fun.  Every trunk was asked to have a game so the kids could enjoy some carnival-ness of Halloween, not many trunks did.  We had mini-disc golf in the back of our trunk.  The kids were given three discs and for each disc they got in they would receive and extra piece of candy.  Some kids played the game, some kids didn't, some parents needed to play a couple of times.  It was great.  There was a good turnout and the weather was nice too.  Here we all are in our costumes.

Grandpa David as a pumpkin, Grandma Sharon as a bag of leaves, Matthew as Hobbes, Dustin as a Soccer Hooligan, Christy as Sam Sparks (from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) & David as Calvin.

We got rid of most of the Halloween candy we bought but not all of it.  We had some trick or treaters on Saturday night after the trunk or treat but only a few groups before I locked the gate so I could put the kids to bed.  Very few came on Sunday - maybe 5 or so.

Sunday and Monday David was able to enjoy Halloween candy to his hearts content.

Dustin & I have started a new tradition - The Great Pumpkin

The Great Pumpkin comes on November 1st.

David is given a quart sized baggie to fill with a designated number of candies.  The remaining halloween candy is placed in a large baggie and put outside at the front door next to the carved pumpkin.  In the morning David is left with a small toy.

This is a great way to get rid of all that Halloween candy with the sugar rush.  David gets to keep some pieces and in exchange for his candy he gets a toy, this year the Great Pumpkin brought him a lego truck  to build and combine with one of his lego cars.

I think this is definitely a tradition that will stick around.  I can only handle the candy in the house for so long!