Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Halloween 2012

Hallowen 2012 was one great big full day of fun.
As this is our first year in the new Primrose, we find that some activities are similar and some are different from our past Primrose.  The new Primrose had a party and parade, just like the past Primrose, but it was a bit different.  It was on the actual Halloween holiday, which was fabulous!  Yes, the kids were all fired up from their party, but they were also already dressed in their costume for trick-or-treating.  The parade was through the parking lot, which was nice so that we could see the kids and have good lighting for photos.  Of course it didn't provide a very appealing back drop, but the cuteness in the foreground made up for anything in the background.  The presentation by the kids was only by the Kindegarten class.  Maybe if our kiddos were in Kindegarten we would love this, however, they aren't and I would have much preferred a song or two by one of our own boys.  Regardless of the pros and cons, we showed up to support our boys, meet their friends, meet their friends parents and ooh and ahh over their cuteness.
The parade was kicked off with the oldest kids, so Oliver was not far from the front.  There were two Spidermen in his class, but we knew those tennis shoes anywhere.
After much cheering, he finally gave a wave.
I'm confident that he was smiling in that suit, but he was probably being a bit shy too.  It's more fun to think that he's being shy rather than thinking that he's too cool to wave at Mom and Dad now that he's five.
Kellan came by a bit later.  This was the first time that we had seen him as a tiger and he was C.U.T.E!!!!  Kellan marches to his own beat and the parade was no exception.
At one point the parade came to a stop so he started walking the other direction while he explored what was on the ground.  Really, there is no sense in standing in one spot just because traffic stopped.  Stop and search for ants!!
Eventually, we got his attention too.  He really was happy to see us, even if this photo doesn't portray that.
After the parade everyone went to one of the school yards for a presentation by the Kindegarten class.  Once again, Kellan sits to the beat of his own drum.  You can see how everyone is looking to the left, but our little tiger is in the bottom left of the photo facing the crowd to the right.  This is going to be the guy in the elevator who will face the crowd instead of the door.  There's one in every crowd.
(Oliver is in the back middle of the photo, but he's a bit hard to see)

Toward the end, Kellan wasn't shy to show his true feelings of the show.  With his back to the entertainment, he covered his ear.
Inside the classroom there were snacks to be had.  Yum!
We had to split our time between kiddos so there was a little bit of back and forth action.  The boys were cool with this and glad that we kept trading off.  Oliver was having a party with snacks and treats in his classroom as well.
Hey look, back to Kellan.  Once he had a snack in his belly he had a smile for Mama.
Cracker!!
Eventually, we brought Kellan to Oliver's classroom so they could party together.  As the other kids filed out, Keith and I bellied up to the table with the boys.  It was fun to chat with them over a snack and meet their friends.
Once the party was over, it was time to head home in preparation of trick-or-treating.
First up, a photo op.
Sometimes, you have to accept props in the photos if you're going to get them at all.  Have you ever seen a tiger riding a firetruck while Spiderman was throwing his webs at you?  Well... now you have.
Kellan and Oliver ... er... Tiger and Spiderman hanging out.
I tried to get a photo by the pumpkins but Tiger wanted nothing to do with it.
Spiderman was more than happy to pose with the pumpkin he and his Daddy carved.
Quickly we went inside to eat dinner.  Kellan couldn't decide between juice and milk, so he had both.  Life is an obstacle of battles and it's important to choose your battles wisely.  What beverage Kellan was going to have was not a battle worth having on a full day like Halloween, so he had both.
Both, at the same time.
I hope to never see a rendition of this in his college years and if it happens, I don't really want to know.
On Sunday, three days before Halloween, Oliver asked me why Daddy and I don't dress up.
I didn't have a good answer since the real answer is because it's enough work to get the two boys out to trick or treat in their costume, Daddy and I are out of steam by the time it comes to thinking about dressing up ourselves.  I was telling someone at work this and she sent me home with her devil accessories.  It was perfect, easy and made Oliver's night complete.  Then he asked "what is a devil"?  That kid always keeps up on our toes.  I told him the devil is the bad guy.
We had plans to meet the neighbors for trick-or-treating and it worked out perfectly.
Samantha, the Pirate Princess and Oliver the Spiderman.
Kellan managed to trick-or-treat at the houses around our culd-a-sac and he was SO CUTE!!

Going for more candy!!
He jumped in the wagon while we walked to the next street over and he decided that was a better option than walking up to every house.  
We ran into our friends the Limback's and look who they had going for a ride in their wagon, Kellan's tiger twin, Owen!  I guess we all know who shops at Costco.
  
Mommy and Daddy enjoying a nice Halloween night, adult style.
At our last stop of the night, Kellan got our to trick-or-treat and the big kids jumped in the wagon for the ride home.  Samantha, Kaitlyn and Oliver were ready to rest their tired feed and take their loot home.
Happy Halloween!!!

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Flag Football Division Champions

We signed Oliver up for Flag Football in anticipation of exposing him to another sport besides soccer as well as teaching him more about the game that he loves to watch with his Daddy.  His football season exceeding out expectations as he did very well and he LOVED it!!
Team Dragons had an undefeated season and won by an average of 30 points per game.  They went into the playoffs and defeated the other teams with the same results.  It was disappointing that the other teams felt they needed to tackle the Dragons in the play offs to slow them down but each week, the other team got penalized for tackling (flag pulling only allowed!!) and our boys got a great lesson in good sportsmanship.  The Dragons didn't let the tackling get them down, it just made them fight faster and harder for the win.
Oliver got the ball and was well on his way for a run down the field.
After dodging several kids, the biggest kid on the other team went for a tackle of Oliver's feet and tripped him up.  After he fell to the ground, another kid pulled his flag.  Oliver was disappointed that he didn't score, but he got the team close enough that the next team mate to play quarter back scored for the team.  The smile on his face and the beam of pride is priceless.
Here is a video of Oliver's first touch down attempt and his second.  His flag was pulled just shy of the end zone on the second attempt. Once again, his team mate ran the ball in.  Oliver was a huge contributor to two touchdowns in his final game.  We always tell Oliver, it takes a team to win a game, not just one player.

On the sidelines, Kellan and Cole were cozied up for Toy Story 3 on the iPad.
Cole eventually gave up on Woody and Buzz and Kellan had a front row seat.
The Dragons won the Division Championship.  They played like true champs and deserved every win.
They were the highest scoring team in all of Colorado for their age group and the second highest scoring team for all age groups.  Quite an accomplishment for ten 4 and 5 year olds.

Our first time Flag Football champ!!
(Notice the O for Oliver (and Oregon) hat from Uncle Jerry?)
The champ showing his champion muscles.

Way to Go, Oliver!!
We are VERY VERY Proud of You!!!

Pumpkin Carving 2012

With the coming of Halloween is the coming of pumpkin carving.

Erch!!  Wait a minute!!  The Ham Fam DID NOT go to Anderson Farms to harvest their very own pumpkins.  What is the world coming to?  Well.... Flag Football every Sunday and birthday parties every Saturday.  October is a busy month in the Ham Fam and we just didn't make it this year.  It about broke Mama's planner heart but even worse, it broke a bit more when Oliver asked why we weren't going.  This Mama is all about tradition and consistency.  A tradition that was bound to be made was an annual trip to the pumpkin patch.  Instead, in 2012 we went to the grocery store.  This is somewhat of a tradition too.  At least, that's what I told our dearest Oliver when we set off for King Soopers on Saturday after a birthday party.  When Mama was a kid, we went to Safeway for our pumpkins (or the garden, but that's not possible either, so therefore, not an option).  We hunted and hunted through the bins of pumpkins until Oliver found his perfect carving pumpkin.  

Note to the Ham Fam, we WILL go to Anderson Farms next year!

In the meantime, isn't Oliver so handsome with his perfect carving pumpkin?
Oliver picked out the perfect picture to carve upon his pumpkin.  He analyzed it carefully as Daddy placed it on the face of 'ol Jack.
Oliver and Mommy also picked out a pumpkin for Kellan.  Well, Mommy did.  Oliver was not as impressed with the little bean of a pumpkin that Mommy picked out but she couldn't resist the hour glass shape.  What she didn't predict was how huggable it would be for sweetie pie Kellan.
We carved our pumpkins on Sunday morning, before football.  Therefore, pumpkin carving commenced while two of the four Ham Fam members will still in their PJ's.  As the author of this blog, it's tempting to not post a picture of myself in PJ's with the morning look.  Then again, it's important to have equal opportunity in posting photos for the event.  At least my butt cheeks won't have a cameo appearance.
After Kellan's top was popped, his job was to scoop the seed out but apparently the roll of tape was much more exciting.
On the other end of the table, Oliver had stripped his shirt and was digging into the gooey guts.
EWWWW  Pumpkin Innards!!

Kellan continued to roll on.
Oliver had new Spider-Man PJ's, which were a tad big for his mid section, resulting in a full moon rising.
The guts continued to spew from Oliver's pumpkin.

This moment, right here, reminded me that this is my boy.
Slime on his fingers and he's holding them out in hopes of washing them soon.
The photo above with slime on his belly, well, he must get that acceptance from his Daddy.
It was quite the Sunday morning scene in the Ham Fam kitchen.
Eventually, Kellan decided to venture inside his pumpkin.
Ta-Da!
Guts on the Spoon!
A face of concentration.

AHHH  Jack Pot!
Nice and neat, in the bowl.
On the other side of the table, another face of concentration was marking his image.
Meanwhile, Kellan was on a mission for another scoop.

Oliver continued to make progress on his image.
Kellan spotted his favorite yellow spoon in the drawer and wanted to put in in action for pumpkin scooping.
His first time in he pulled out a seed.
Then, he tried and tried to get another seed and kept coming up with an empty spoon.
His determination was plentiful.

WALA!!
Seed on Yellow Spoon!

At the other end of the table, carving had commenced.
It was a critical job from every angle.
It didn't take long for Daddy to decide that it was too risky for Oliver to loose a tiny finger and he took over the carving.
The finished product was a haunted house for Oliver, complete with bats.
Kellan's Jack was a ghouly ghost, compliments of Mama's creativity.
Looking forward to Halloween in a few short days!
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