Halloween Continued

Hi All,
We celebrated Halloween on Saturday the 30th in our town this year. We got lucky with some mild weather, so the kids had no problem making it to most the homes up and down our street. Both grandparents came over and  provided lots of Halloween goodies. And my parents came over to pass out candy for us while we roamed the neighborhood, which worked out great.  Apparently our street is getting popular. There were over 100 trick or treaters visiting our home this year, which is a huge increase from the past. At least that's where my Dad said all the candy went! :)  We even got 60 regular size candy bars to hand out this year, but ran out before it was over. As far as our take, I think we have enough candy to last us through to next Halloween!

Drew was really getting the hang of the club by the time trick or treating rolled around....

A sleepy Pebbles prior to the big event. Poor Bree just wanted her nap!

The Flintstone family (plus Bamm-Bamm). I gave the wig one last try before ditching it. No time to fuss with it this time around! And Bree is still waking up here.

Drew insisted on having my necklace. He wanted to eat it more than he wanted to wear it.

Ready to head out for some candy!

Tootsie pop fan #1

Tootsie pop fan #2

Drew and Bree "helping" hand out candy at the door.

PS - Did anyone notice there was another appearance of the "favorite pants"???

Yabba Dabba Do!!!

Hi All,
We had a busy Thursday, as my Dad and Grandma visited, and we were preparing for our evening at P&M. My Grandma is headed south for the winter, so it was nice to have the day to visit with her before her trip to Georgia.
As far as evening plans, Jim's work once again hosted Haunted Halls this year! Several staff decorate their offices in various Halloween themes (some scary, some not) and pass out candy. And the kids roam the hallways and trick-or-treat as they go. I thought this year would be the perfect time to have the twins go as Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm from the Flintstones. Incidentally, the Flintstones is also celebrating it's 50th anniversary of the first airing. Jim and I decided to join in on the fun this year, too and went as Fred and Wilma. I was both excited and hesitant to try dying my hair "Wilma orange". But after I doused an entire can of temporary hair color on my hair to no avail, I gave up! (Apparently my hair is too dark for that to work.) I also had a wig, but noted lots of operational issues with keeping it in place (without assistance), so I decided to just go without.
We enjoyed a nice dinner. And, the kids enjoyed lots of scary themed offices, a pink princess decorated office, a Haunted laboratory, a cookie decorating activity, and of course, more candy than any of us needed! Turns out the Flintstones were a big hit. The Manning Family took home two awards - Best Costume and Best Halloween Spirit!
We are thankful to the P&M team for hosting such a fun event and a warm, safe place to trick or treat.
We are taking ideas for costumes for next year, so let me know any thoughts!

Meet the Flintstones!

Time to get rolling

A quick snack break along the way....

Caveman favorite - tootsie pops!

20 Months

Hi All,
Here we are at 20 months! Bree seems to be saying "I'll hold your hand, if you'll hold mine" in this picture. Drew is taking it under consideration.
In our unofficial weigh-in, Drew and Bree are 28 and 24 pounds respectively.

And a few more shots before bedtime.....

Hugs for brother!

Not quite ready for bed

Cats & Dogs and Wedding Bells

Hi All,
Saturday we took the kids to their first movie in the theater! We saw a matinee viewing of Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. Drew and Bree always love watching and laughing at cats and dogs that they see on TV in commercials and home videos. So I thought of anything, this might be a movie to hold their attention. Well, I wouldn't say it held their attention for too long. Drew was squirmy, and I took him to the top corner of the theater to be away from the few movie goers on hand. There, he proceeded to climb up and down the steps, with little to no interest in the movie. But he wasn't bothering anyone, so it worked well enough for me. Bree was good about staying seated with Jim. We took the kids out of the theater (for a "run the halls" break) a little over half way through, but returned and caught almost all of the rest of the movie. Not bad for 20 month olds, but it will probably be awhile before we attempt the theater again (unless they come out with a Dora movie for the big screen! LOL!)

Also, wedding bells were ringing for my cousin Krystal and her new husband Jason! They had a beautiful ceremony followed by a reception downtown. Drew and Bree were in attendance, but were quickly escorted (by Mom and Dad) to watch from the back entry of the church after someone so much as peeped in the pew.  We enjoyed a nice dinner, but the kids were pretty restless at the reception. So it was a short evening for us. Congrats Krystal and Jason!

The newlyweds

Someone offered to take a picture of me and the kids - I had to laugh at the results!

Hey, we're all looking!

Drew and Grandma

Bree admiring her new shoes

Go State!

Hi All,
We may have said it before, but it bears repeating!

"Wait for it"

And... "Go State!"

Double #1s for emphasis!

PS - I am super impressed with Drew that he got these foam fingers (and his sister's hat) on all by himself . Go Drew!

Little Wrestlers

Hi All,

Sometimes brotherly/sisterly love turns into a friendly rumble around here. Sometimes Drew comes out on top, and sometimes like this day, it's Bree. But one thing is for sure. It's always entertaining for the audience. :)

"She THINKS she has me pinned!"

"Oh, yes I do, and I would be correct!"

"I'll get her next time."

Consolation hug from the victor

"Ahh, my next victim..."

More Fall Fun

Hi All,
The fun continued on Sunday when we went out to my parents' house. There's nothing better than a warm fall day for.....

Leaf piles

Leaves and family

Yes, even raking!

All-time favorite - the wagon ride

A Day at the Orchard

Hi All,
Sunday we took a trip to Klackles Apple Orchard in Greenville with Jim's parents. It was our first trip, and we were pleasantly surprised with all the activities they had! We had a nice ride to the orchards and were able to pick some apples and pumpkins to take home. The kids also enjoyed the petting zoo, where we were able to pet sheep, bunnies, donkeys, llamas, etc. They had all sorts of the inflatable bounce toys, and we found a small one that Drew and Bree could enjoy. They had pony, camel and elephant rides, something to look forward to in the future. There was also a huge corn maze. Oh, and Drew was a big fan of the fresh apples. He picked one up from the orchard and took a big bite! And he ate most of it before giving it up.
On a side note, I have to mention Bree has become very particular about the clothing she wears. She has a favorite pair of pants, which you will see below. If I give her a choice of what to wear, she always chooses these striped pants! I did not give her a choice today and dressed her in jeans. However, she rebelled and got to wear her striped pants over her jeans. What does this mean for the teen years ahead?!?

Drew trying his hand at apple picking

Attempted family shot. Drew and Bree had other ideas.

"That one's mine!"

And another for Bree

Drew enjoying the fruits of our labor

Lunchtime - handouts from Opa and Oma 

Another bold fashion statement from Bree - pairing stripes and polka dots

  

"Here you go, just don't eat my hand please!"

Jumper Drew in action

Latest Fashion Statement

Hi All,
Apparently there is a new fashion statement sweeping our household - the "socks and shoes with no pants look" is all the rage! Hey, I'm not complaining. Up until very recently, the kids hated wearing their socks and shoes. So this is progress!

Upside Down Antics

Hi All,
Here are Drew and Bree displaying some of their latest gymnastic maneuvers. Perhaps that Wrigglers class in the fall wasn't a bust after all!

Bree loves to swing upside down. (I think it's the monkey in her.) And yes, it always makes me a tad bit nervous when she and Jim do this.

Double headstands! Another household favorite....

And Bree walking in my slippers seems quite athletic to me.....

Fall Birthday Bonanza

Hi All,
The last few years or so, we have been consolidating our birthday celebrations a bit. So now, Chad, Mom, Dad and I all celebrate our birthdays as a family sometime during the end of September. As usual, the kids enjoyed a day at the grandparents. They actually spent the night, so Jim and I could attend a work dinner party in Detroit the evening prior.

"Grandma, if you are wondering where your measuring spoons are - he did it."

My children refining their musical talents

This kid can play!

Pumpkin inspection

Family shot

Softball or football - how about both?!?

Mom convinced us to take a birthday cake shot - after half the cake was gone