Happy Halloween

The day started with Alex marching in his Halloween Parade at preschool. Then, his class sang Halloween songs in the gym. A pleasant surprise was Daddy coming to watch his parade. Alex was so excited that he was jumping around & running over to give Shawn hugs whenever he could. Since I was the Parent of the Month for Alex's class, I helped all morning in his classroom. We had crafts, a Halloween Party, and I got the chance to read some Halloween books to Alex's class again. I go in every other week to read to his class (at least until our little girl joins us).

As the day wore on, I was lucky Alex actually took a short nap so he would have plenty of energy for trick or treating. Alex was supposed to be a monkey for Halloween, but refused to wear the costume a week before Halloween. Luckily, I found this Lightning McQueen Pit Crew outfit at the Disney Store on clearance (only $10.54). Otherwise, Alex wouldn't have gone trick or treating this year. Good thing he loved the Lightning McQueen costume! He was so excited to dress up this year and go trick or treating. Very surprising when only a few days before he was screaming & crying over the neighbor's decorations which scared him every time he saw them. Thank goodness Halloween is over with!
Alex loved walking or should I say running from house to house to get CANDY. We don't usually give him much candy, but he's recently gotten used to having an occasional lollipop when he has to go with me to the doctor's office. What a lucky boy! Here's a picture with some of the kids on our street. Alex is sitting next to his friend, Logan. They are too cute! Every time they see each other, they say, "Hi, Alex. Hi, Logan. You're my buddy!" It just melts your heart how precious kids can be at this age. The other picture is of Alex & his friend, Mason. We're so lucky to live in such a kid friendly neighborhood!
Well, Halloween is now over with...decorations are down (thank goodness), candy is still being eaten (mostly by mom & dad), and his costume is hanging in the closet. Another Halloween passed by and we're still shocked at how grown up Alex gets each year! Until next year...

A Few Good Laughs

You never know what kids will say. Here are a few examples of the good laughs Shawn & I are enjoying these days courtesy of Alex:

Alex was watching some Sesame Street while I was taking a quick shower. He came in to tell me something was wrong with the tv. As soon as I got out and took a look at the tv, I noticed he had turned the channel. When I asked him why he turned the channel, he responded "I was checking my email." I was laughing so hard for so long that I finally had to call Shawn at work to share Alex's comment. Obviously, we use the laptop more than we ever knew.

Alex & Shawn went away with some neighbors to the mountains this past week for a boys' weekend. (Yes, it was a lovely break for me and gave me some great time with some girlfriends plus lots of opportunity to rest since I'm constantly exhausted these days.) Well, they returned and I'm hearing about the trip bit by bit, day by day. Last night, we were enjoying some family time together when Alex bursts out with "Bow-wow-chick-a-bow-wow". Yes, you are probably thinking of a porno soundtrack right now. Well, that's what my cute, innocent son was singing. It seems he only heard it once during the boys' weekend, but it definitely made a lasting impression. After Shawn & I tried to conceal our laughs, we got ourselves together to begin talking to Alex about how this "song/lyrics" was not appropriate to repeat. Of course, he thought it was hilarious and continued to walk around the house singing "Bow-wow-chick-a-bow-wow" even during his bouts of time out. I can only hope that he has completely forgotten this moment and won't break out in song during his Halloween Parade and Party at school tomorrow, especially since I'm volunteering in his classroom all day. How embarrassing that would be!

Our Budding Artist

Alex got this digital camera from his Grandma Gail last Christmas but wasn't ready to use it until recently. As you can see, he's trying to get all the latest angles and the best light! Plus, his latest hobby is coloring ALL the TIME. He is always saying, "I have to do my homework before...(he eats, takes a nap, goes to school)". I don't know where he would have gotten the word "homework from." (Just kidding.) Poor kid is stuck with a mom that will always be a teacher.

Well, Alex and I are spending the day being artists. I'm sure I will spend the day cleaning up while he is the artist. We had found a monkey mask in the $1 bin at Michaels to paint. But of course, I hate messes especially things like painting and playdough. I was a 1st and a 2nd grade teacher for a total of 5 years, so I rarely try these items with Alex unless we're outside. Well, I gave it a try this morning and here are the results.
Before
To say the least, I had gotten some Elmer's Paintastics paintbrushes which have the paint inside the brush. It seems more like a marker but has a paintbrush tip and makes painting much easier for little ones. Alex really seemed to enjoy them! And for myself, less mess to clean up...no paint cups spilling over, no paint dripping off the paintbrushes onto the floor or clothes, just wash your little one's hands and you're done! I know I'm beginning to sound like a commericial for these super paintbrushes, but remember I've been there and had to clean up some big messes as a teacher. Alex was having so much fun painting that after he finished his monkey mask he wanted to continue to paint. Some finger painting paper from Target (my favorite store, of course) and he made two more masterpieces. Won't daddy be so proud that we had this great painting adventure in the living room and there was no mess! (Just a tip: Don't try this at home without adult supervision or should I say "responsible" supervision.)
After