Autumn Activities

Wow! I can't believe it's been so long since my last blog. I'm still around. I've been working on the keeping connected front and planning to have some kind of get together or outing at least twice a month. I think of late it has been more often than that. I'll do a post later to catch up on Summer happenings (there were many), and here I'll just focus on more recent events.

Before Autumn even began I set a few plans in place of things the boys would enjoy. The list included visiting a pumpkin patch, taking a trip to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, hosting a Halloween party, hosting Thanksgiving dinner and putting up Christmas lights outside the house. I am happy to report that we have actually done the first part of the list and have the other two in our sights. I am also working on the Christmas Countdown and Cruising Through the Holidays.

Happy Halloween!

It is Halloween and Ray and Dan are ready for class parties and a night out and about the town. Ray is a dragon again this year and Daniel is opting to be an astronaut. They both have class parties at school.

The boys went out trick-or-treating with cousin Kevin and two neighbors. Of course they had plenty of candy. Near the end of the trick-or-treat journey we stopped for apple cider and cupcakes at the local store/pizza shop/bakery.

Jack-o'-lanterns All around

Grocery shopping today was a little easier than normal as I had already shopped at Wal-Mart on Sunday, but since the family was in tow then, and the cart was full with a few groceries, the table I purchased, a new coat for Daniel and a few other items, I had to get the rest of the things from my list on this trip. So I was off to Aldi's and filled a cart there so that we would have meals for the rest of the week.

As soon as the boys were off the school bus Monday afternoon, we started carving the pumpkins we bought last weekend.

Daniel's jack-o-lantern had a wink, Raymond and Joe's was an imp and Steven and Rick did the headless horseman.

A Place to Plan

Five Days until Halloween, One Month until Thanksgiving and Two Months until Christmas

So next Friday is Halloween, and the little kids are going to enjoy cousins coming over Friday and Saturday. I am planning what it is we will do for a fun day next Friday and Saturday with the kids.

In the meanwhile, the Countdown has started. I am making a list of things I need this week. My first goal is to set up a Christmas Planning Center. This is the one thing I have never done more than make shift at the dining room table, a space in the closet and even the bedroom floor. I hope that putting a planning/gift wrapping/card writing/scrapbook making/working area will make my preparations go more smoothly this year as well as give me a productive work space for other goals. I measured for a table in the corner near my desk, and I hope to pick one up today. One of the downfalls of my office area is that there is really no space to work since the computer takes up much of the work space. A table will create a wrap around work area. I think it is also important to have the Christmas planning/work area close by my computer as much of my ideas and resources are right there.

So the things I have added to my shopping list are amaryllis bulbs to start, the table (that can also double as an extra dining table when we entertain inside or outside), fun foods for next week's cousin fun days and Raymond still needs a costume.