Cute & Cheap

These are from my days as a Kindergarten teacher. We would end up doing a Miss Spider's Tea Party with our classes this time of year and made cute spider treats. I have to give the credit to the amazing Kinder teachers I taught with there that passed along all their great ideas to me. Here is a little favor that the children got to take home at the end of our tea party. We decided to make them for our own little Halloween party we attended yesterday. Give it a try. You'll love it!

Take tissue paper and lay it out. We choose more bold primary colors because it was a little kids Halloween party. The black ones turn out pretty cute too!

Fold into a square and place treats in the middle, little Tootsie Rolls work well.

Gather it at the top and secure with matching pipe cleaner. Bend in middle for knee of spider and at the end for foot of spider.

Repeat with three more pipe cleaners to complete the legs. Add googly eyes or draw on eyes/nose/mouth for the spider.

Here is my little helper!

Now we are ready for our party!

VOTE

Got my ballot in the mail today! Yipee!

You?

Cutest Soccer Player In The World

We had our last game yesterday. Collin scored 3 goals! Way to go, Collin!

Coach Kyle (a.k.a dad) did a great job. They thought he was the greatest coach in the world especially after giving them little flashlights and letting them have their soccer snack anytime during the game.

It has been a quick and enjoyable season. Somehow we managed to dodge most of the rain. The team was built with a fantastic group of people. We were even fortunate enough to have several friends on the team which made it that much more fun! Got to love that carpooling and those coffee runs for the soccer games!

Off to basketball season! We'll keep you posted!

Bauman Farms

This is one of my most favorite family outings that we do yearly. We usually try and get a jump start on the crowds and head out early in the morning with the boys bundled up. We hit the coffee shop (for mom's sanity) and then to Bauman Farms. There is sooooo much to do there that the boys love; jumping pillow, hay mazes, taking a tractor ride, animals, swings, the list goes on! But the best part, the part I look forward to for a whole year, is fresh pressed apple cidar and apple cidar donuts, yummers! The boys are at a great age where every turn is an adventure. Collin's favorite was the dark maze and Brody's was the tractor ride. Both boys were covered in sweat, dirt and cinnamon/sugar residue of their donuts. Now that's a good day! ;)

Washington DC or bust

The trip was absolutely perfect (besides the guilt of leaving my son right after he got terribly sick). The doctor gave us a definite clear to go ahead and take our trip and I was able to leave it all behind. I was so ready for a break.
Friday morning we woke up at 3am and headed off to PDX to catch a plane across the country. It was the first time Kyle and I have flown together since our honeymoon! We arrived around 5pm in DC and did the big loop around the city to all the major monuments and the White House that night. It was all so neat to actually be in those places (the pictures don't do them justice) and explore the history of the US more. I have to admit, this is NOT my expertise. Being in an area so rich in history you can't help but absorb the information and get a picture of where our country has come from. It felt like a priviledge to explore.
The next day we didn't slow down any; we hit the Pentagon (well, at least got to see the outside walls of it), Arlington cemetary, Old Post Office, National Archives Museum (that's right you movie buffs - that's where they filmed a few scenes for National Treasure), and followed it up with a great night on the town eating at Old Ebbitts Grill (old and BUSY restraunt next to the White House where you'll find citizens and politicians alike).
On Sunday, we did the Holacaust museum. Then, we switched hotels to a town called Old Alexandria (cute little town with shops galore, charm and a starbucks in the entry of the hotel - does it get any better than that?!?! ;) where we met up with people from Gerber coming in for the military show.
Monday, I got to meet up with my girlfriend Dassie and her little ones who happen to be in town as well. We explored her neck of the woods together and had a chance to catch up. So fun! That night, we went with people from Gerber on a cruise down the Potomac. What a treat that was seeing the city from the water at night all lit up.
The next morning I awoke early to walk the show with Kyle and see the world of the military. Vendors of all kinds were there - people who make tanks, technology that's beyond anything I've seen, weapons, tools, the whole gammit. I left there to pick up some souveniers and off to PDX where my mom and boys were waiting for me! It was so good to give them a squeeze after being gone for so long!
PHEW! It was busy but what a treat to get to travel. I feel refreshed. It was especially fun hanging out with my hubby. Thanks babe for letting me hitch a ride and treating me like a princess!

Here are a few pictures from our journey, enjoy!

Here we are getting ready to hop aboard the boat to head down the Potomac. That wasn't our actual boat behind us, we were still waiting for ours to come.

Here I am at the Capital building; resting my feet and taking a quick picture.
Arlington Cemetary (see the Washington Monument in the back?)

Changing of the guards at the tomb of the unknown soldier

Lincoln Memorial (Monument??)