Halloween

Happy Halloween!  It's a wild day around Ingram School.  We started bright and early by going to Baba's to check mail and get papers and we had to be there by 8:00 to see the new Curious George Halloween special.  Finally, a show that didn't produce whining and crying at the end!!  It was super cute and totally worth it.  I miss Curious George.  I always thought those episodes were cute and we usually learned something.  The kids don't like the drama and today's movie was pretty dramatic, but after hiding behind the couch, Rachel really loved it.  Ruby and Ford loved it, too...they didn't have to hide their eyes as much!!
We came home and did some handwriting and read some Halloween stories and even worked together to bake Jack-O-Lantern cookies.  They had a lot of fun decorating them...candy eyes and all!  Ford started his numbers in his math book today and when he finishes those, he'll be ready to move on to the Kindergarten book and the world of lower case letters!!!  He is so excited!  I think Rachel is just as excited for him!!  We colored some Halloween pictures and Rachel and I worked to make a list of possible candy she might get trick or treating tonight (Ford and Ruby chimed in, too, with their favorites).  I wrote the list of candy and then she wrote it in her handwriting, too.  Tomorrow we'll check off all the things she got in her bucket.  I was going to try to make a chart, but I'm afraid we won't have much candy left...we'll see what happens tomorrow after Papa gets a chance with their buckets :)
This afternoon we have violin.  Rachel is going to wear her costume (she is a witch), but wait for makeup when we get back home).  Allen is lucky enough (or maybe I'm the lucky one!) to leave school a little early today and bring Ford and Ruby home to start getting ready in their costumes and make some food to take to a Halloween party tonight.  When Rachel and I get home, we'll do some quick makeup on everyone, then make our rounds to Ms. Lisa, Dr. Ed, G.G., Aunt B, etc and then head to the Shives.  We're going to load all 5 kids in the wagon and walk down to a Halloween party/dinner thing and then go trick or treating.  We'll see how long we make it!!  It's going to be a wild and crazy afternoon, but I think we'll have a good time.
I've been reading several blogs this afternoon while waiting for Ruby to go to sleep and I've got lots of ideas for the upcoming months as far as holiday planning and de-cluttering go (I know, I have the extreme opposite problem of a hoarder, but it is what it is).
Tomorrow we'll start talking about what we're thankful for and drawing turkeys.  I'm ready to start emphasizing with the kids, too, that we need to be grateful for all that we have and try to do nice things (and meaningful things) for those that don't have as much as we do.  Rachel is starting to learn more and more about that through Daisy Scouts but it can't hurt to talk about it with Ford and Ruby, too!
I'm also trying my best to get a little more exercise in my life (we'll call it P.E.) because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel when it's not okay to eat whatever I want just because I'm pregnant!!  I heard a lot of songs yesterday that I used to listen to while running and my feet were getting a little itchy to get back to the pavement!!
Here's to the end of October...I can't believe how fast the next two months are going to fly!!!