MSC Hospitality hosts Halloween

The MSC is open again.  That means that the MSC Hospitality Halloween event is back in the MSC instead of packed into the location they have had to have it the past few years.

And the kids had a great time at this one (as always)!

The girls decided to change up their outfits.

And notice the pan to accompany Tatum's outfit....she came up with that all.on.her.own.  Yes, she is precious, you can say it (and if you don't know to what I'm referring, go rent Tangled).

We headed to the MSC and played games.  All of their games.

Jacey was drawn to the duck game, although she didn't quite understand the concept (try to pick the duck that corresponds with the number you're given - numbers are on the bottom of the ducks).  She just liked to pick up the ducks out of the baby pool and play in the water.  So I had to be super diligent to make sure she wasn't putting the ducks in her mouth or doing anything else that might make the germ-a-phobes in my family go haywire.

We also decorated cookies.  A couple of times.

The kids also did some face painting.  They just love getting their faces painted!!  I didn't get a good picture of Tatum's face before she actually cleaned it off when we got home.

And then I let Kellen go through the haunted house. He came out saying that he wasn't scared but that he didn't want to do it again.  Then Tatum begged to do it, so she and I went through when it was on its least scary level.  That wasn't a smart idea on my part - even though it's geared for kids.  So then, because it was nearing the end of the event and we were the last group through, some of the people who were working the haunted house (or room) were starting to come out.  One of them had one of their props, and so she and I went over to talk to him, and I had her feel the prop and we talked about how everything she saw was just pretend.  I think it made her feel a little better.  The college kids putting it on were fabulous and I think they felt badly that she was so scared.

Our nights leading up to Halloween are quite full, and I'm so blessed to be near so many fun and family-friendly events for my kids!!

Pumpkin carving fun!

After our Fall Festival fun, we came home to carve our pumpkin.  The one we had purchased a while back and declared we would not wait until the last minute to carve. Yeah, that one.

Daddy took off the top to start the process.

Daddy proceeded by getting the kids involved in getting the 'guts' out.  This time, we decided that we were going to try our hand at making pumpkin seeds, so we were a little more careful with those guts that we have been in the past.

 We tried to get Jacey involved in the gutting process, but that took some work. Then we tried to get her just to feel the guts once they were out and help us sort the seeds. That process worked out a little better. She wasn't initially interested, but surprised Mommy by actually patting and molding the seedless guts!  I'll consider that a HUGE sensory success!

And then Daddy had the kids actually help with the carving of the pumpkin itself.  All kids got a turn at the carving stage (with Daddy assistance, of course - but I apparently didn't get good shots of all of the kids carving).

And then we have our final product!

Fall Festival!

Our church plans a fabulous fall festival each year the weekend of/before Halloween, so we were so excited for it to come this year!  We made plans to meet up with friends, the kids dressed up - and so did I - Tatum asked why I wasn't dressed up, and so I went as a superhero, according to her - unfortunately their daddy's Spiderman shirt ripped as he was putting it on, so he was unable to join in on the dressing up fun.  We ate the hot dogs, corn on the cob, but I think somehow managed to skip over the cotton candy (yes, craziness, I know!!), and played a multitude of games, got candy prizes, did bounce and activity houses and played in the petting zoo.

Shortly after eating, we made our way to the photo op.

I have my favorites, which one is(are) yours?

Then we played some games.

And then the girls had fun petting the various animals while the boys were running around in the activity houses.  I think they were fighting each other with the inflatables at this point.

All in all, they kids had a really good time at the Fall Festival again this year!  I love that our church puts on this event for everyone and provides WAY more activities than there is time to complete them!

Play doh Fun

We celebrate all kinds of sensory things around here.

Including Mommy deciding that we would get out the play doh.

On a school night.

Whoa buddy.

Are my kids going to remember that they were in bed 'on time' every night?  Maybe

Are they going to remember special nights of playing play doh and creating masterpieces on a sheet in the living room?  I certainly hope so.

September Running Recap

September Running

2 - 3.25 (35:17)
3 - 3.96 (33:14 for 3.09)
4 - 2.01 (8:49 [half mile sprints] + 10:05)
5 - 3.01 (20:18 for 2 miles + 8:42 for 1 mile)
6 - 1.5 (14:50)
7 - 2.89 (22:18 for 2.09)
9 - 5.02 (52:37 - ave 10:28 min/mile)
10 - 0.87 (walking kids to school)
11 - 1.86 (walking kids to and from school) 
14 - 3.01 (16:52 for 2 miles in 1/2 mile sprints + 1 mile walk)
17 - 2.94 (35:06)
21 - 2.02 (22:35)
22 - 8 (7 miles - 1:20:56 + 1 mile fun run)
24 - 1.98 (10:27 + 11:01)
25 - 3.01 (33:01)
26 - 3.02 (34:06)


2012 Running Recap
January total = 31.24 (31 days) [MET GOAL]
February total = 9.26 (29 days)
March total = 12.4 (31 days)
April total = 0 (30 days)
May total = 11.2 miles (31 days)
June total= 20.07 miles (30 days)
July total = 11.79 miles (31 days)
August total = 5.22 miles (31 days)
September total = 48.35 miles (30 days) [MET GOAL]

Beginning September:
2012 Mileage = 101.18
2012 Deficit = 142.82
I made up 18.35 miles in September toward my deficit, ending the month with  124.47 mile deficit.

Days remaining
September = 30
October = 31
November = 30
December = 31

****I calculated at the beginning of September that I would have to average more than 2.17 miles/day for the remainder of the year (Sept - Dec) to reach the goal of averaging 1 mile/day for 2012.

My September average was 1.6 miles/day....so I'm really going to have to kick it into gear for the rest of the year if I'm going to reach my goal.  But I'm going to have to balance that desire to reach my goal with the knowledge that if I overdo it, I'll be nursing myself back to health for the first part of 2013, which is what I ended up doing this year.  Balance.  I have to find balance.

Expanding our support of Aggie athletics past football and baseball

to....soccer!!!

Tatum and I went to the soccer game yesterday afternoon after church.  We didn't make it for the beginning of the game and apparently they scored a goal within the first 5 minutes of the match.

We missed it.

But we watched the game, we Tatum talked, she enjoyed seeing the girls hit the ball off of their heads, and she proceeded to inform me that she was going to play soccer again - after cheerleading, she reminded me of all the goals she scored from last season, then told me she wanted to grow up and play soccer for the Aggies.

Yeah, hon. I want that for you, too.

To the fans that were sitting in front of us that decided to move to get away from her chatter, sorry.  She was excited.  I hope your new spot was a little quieter.

During halftime we walked around for a bit and ran into a College Station celebrity.

For those that don't know who this gentleman is - it's R. Bowen Loftin, President of Texas A&M University and he impressed me beyond belief by having an almost 5 minute conversation with my 5 year-old daughter.  On her level.  They chatted about soccer and school and working hard and coming to college in Aggieland.

And y'all, she had no clue.

But since she's never met a stranger she was just fine chatting it up with him.  Then we let him go on his way and she promptly asked for ice cream. Chocolate ice cream.

That's my girl.

During the second half of the game we had connected with a friend of mine and some of her friends and all of their kids, so we hung out with them on the season ticket holder side (but not in the seats - lest you be upset with me since I only bought a general admission ticket) standing and letting the kids run around (and of course, eat Tatum's ice cream!). Tatum ran into a friend that she had gone to a summer camp with and was thrilled (whose name happens to be Kellen - a girl Kellen, actually, if you can believe it!). She was so excited!

They scored another goal toward the end of the game, sealing the win. And Tatum thoroughly enjoyed herself.

After the Spirit of Aggieland, we headed home. And Tatum remarked that she wanted to watch the Aggies every Sunday we could.

August Running Recap

August Running
9 - 2.09 miles - (1.03 mile at 9:47 & 1.06 mile at 9:48)
11 - 1.07 mile - 9:48
12 - 1.03 - 9:21
13 - 1.03 - 10:49

August mileage total = 5.22 miles

2012 Recap:
January total = 31.24 (31 days) [MET GOAL]
February total = 9.26 (29 days)
March total = 12.4 (31 days)
April total = 0 (30 days)
May total = 11.2 miles (31 days)
June total= 20.07 miles (30 days)
July total = 11.79 miles (31 days)
August total = 5.22 miles (31 days)

I may be too far gone to actually catch up....Ug.

Tatum is officially in kinder!

My sweet and precious Tatum-tot is officially in kinder.  And, true to fashion, her daddy walked her to school today and got her settled into her class, just as he did her big brother on his first day of kinder.

And he sent me a picture of her sitting behind her desk.  All smiles.

Not even a hint of a tear.

She was a little nervous, though, until she sat down at her desk and realized there was PINK PLAY DOH!  Then she was just fine. 

The school is bigger than her daycare, but she has such a super-duper BIG personality that I'm not the least bit very worried about her.