Halloween 2015

Happy Halloween from the Peanuts Gang!

Pigpen scored big time with the treats!

To Charlie Brown's delight many adults asked if she received rocks instead of candy.

Audrey's favorite part of the night…watching her tail wag as she walked.  

Halloween just isn't Halloween without the red flyer wagon and a cooler of beer. 

 The best part of the evening…trading candy with friends and watching "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown."

New Digs

I like to buy things big, because sometimes kids grow really fast.  Due to this practice, I am sometimes startled by the new size needed.  Recently, I had a conversation with Amelia that went something like this.

Amelia…"Mom, I need a new helmet and horse riding boots."

Me…"Really, last we checked your boots were 1 1/2 sizes bigger than your foot size and your helmet is adjustable."

Amelia…"See for yourself."

Me…"Holy smokes! You are not joking."

After this reality check we made a trip to the closest equestrian store and outfitted Amelia with some new digs.  Again, we bought shoes on the large size.  I gulp as I type this, because her new boots are size 6, one size smaller than my own size.  Wow, my little lady is growing way to fast!    

Birthday Gift - rock climbing

As a birthday present from grandparents, aunts, and uncles, Avery was gifted a one month pass to a local rock climbing gym.  This was beyond perfect, because my boy loves to climb and has been haphazardly climbing trees since he was 3!!!  Although, he quickly learned after his first class that rock climbing is very different from tree climbing, leaving lots of room for personal growth, and exercise in the art of humility. Once a week he practiced on an intermediate team with other contemporaries. This was thankfully guided by experienced coaches, because a handful of the tempting walls seemed mighty high. He made a few friends along the way, that eagerly greeted him when he arrived for beginning warm-up, and genuinely cheered him on during difficult climbs.  It was a super cool experience, because unlike most sports, no one was winning or losing a game, participants were just trying their best! 

This little lady thinks she might want to try rock climbing too!

Happy Birthday Shane!

September is a busy month for birthdays!  Shane shares his birthday with my sister, which is two days after Avery's, and three days before my mom's birthday.  That makes a total of 4 birthdays within a 7 day period.  Sometimes this means combining celebrations, but this year we were able to sneak away to Steamboat over Shane's birthday immediately following Avery's bootcamp birthday to appease both birthday boys.  

Pumpkin Patch 2015

It's time to select some very special pumpkins, including a few unusual varieties of gourds and squash.  This of course will lead to a messy evening dedicated to decorating and carving, but that's all part of the fun.  Because come Halloween night there is nothing more satisfying than seeing your handy work of a spookily carved pumpkin illuminated by candle light.

BOO!

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year!  I love the changes in the weather, the embering landscape, the pantry re-introduction of hot chocolate, and pumpkin oatmeal for breakfast.  

October, for me, has always been extra special, because it marks the beginning of the holiday season, kicking off with Halloween. It means pulling out my favorite seasonal books, like "Room on the Broom" & "The Troll with no Heart in His Body" for bed time reading, and sitting down to "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" for family movie night.  October also means "booing!"

Watching the kids roam the aisles of Target looking for "boo" bag goodies and brainstorming escape routes after "boo" bag delivery is so much fun and super hilarious, as delivery never seems to go as planned.  I love it and so do they!         

   

BOOT CAMP Birthday Party!

Moving is hard, but it's especially hard when your child's birthday is just months after a recent geographic relocation.  Add turning 10, double digits, to that equation and the possibility of major disaster crosses the parenting radar more than once.  With most party planning, I find logistics to be the major challenge.  But in this particular situation it was the little things, like who to invite and what to do, that served as the major road blocks.  Luckily, we live in an area full of kids, who have become quick friends with our three kiddos.  And so with a little elbow grease, a few neighborhood "recruits," and one excited 10 year old, DIECKMAN BOOT CAMP became a reality!!!

The birthday boy!

The drill sergeant.

The drill sergeant's assistant.

The "recruits" with lots of camouflaged faces.  

New Recruit Inspection.

Phase 1 of the training course…run around cones, back peddle, sprint to phase 2.    

Phase 2…army crawl.

Phase 3…grid run.

Phase 4…weight pull.

Phase 5…archery shoot.

Completion!!!

For lunch we served MRE's.  This was totally high maintenance but a HUGE hit amongst the kids.  They all raved about their meals, commenting on how tasty they were.   

Tug of war after lunch.  The kids won against Shane and Papa, but when Mimi was added to the mix they all fell.

I made red velvet cupcakes after receiving the recipe from a good friend in San Antonio.  However, high altitude baking is a challenge, and all of my cupcakes collapsed.  I covered their appearance with a yummy cream cheese frosting.  Whatever they lacked in presentation they made up for in taste.  Very yummy!

Silly String!  Also, a huge hit.

The grand finale, a balloon toss!