Halloween Evening

A few pics of the boys before trick or treating began...

Looks vaguely familiar . . . oh yeah, that's because they looked exactly the same at Halloweekend 2 weeks ago!

The whole crew including friends Max and Ben before heading out.

With the cute decorations on the Rock's front porch.

Halloween Party/Playdate at the Barn

Since I'm sure this is going to be a weekend of pictures and posts with all the parties (Halloween and Blake's birthday), I decided to start early or I'll be on here for hours creating posts. Here is the first of at least 4 posts coming your way this weekend...

This morning we were invited to go to the McCord Barn for a Halloween playdate party. Blake and one of his best buds Jake had an awesome time with all their friends.

Thank you Jac & Izy for letting us come play - we had a fantastic time!!!

True friends are "superheroes" to each other!

A little fun on the tire swing

Story time in the barn

Costume parade - the superheroes got to lead it out of the barn.

A "web" of sugar-rush fun - eating bites of their cookies inbetween bites of their sandwiches and grapes!

Lake Rudolph Halloweekend 2008

This was our 4th year going down to Santa Clause, IN to Holiday World's campground (Lake Rudolph) for Halloweekend. We always have a great time with our best friends from Cincinnati, the Cassidy's. We're each a family of 5, except we have 3 boys and they have 3 girls. It's been a long running joke that we'll just marry off our boys to their girls and we'll live happily ever after! ;o)

I wish these weekends lasted longer - the kids have a blast, and so do we. Maybe it's the fact that we don't have any media distractions that makes it so appealing. No TV, video games, computers, etc... just good ole' fashioned fun - the way it was when I was growing up for the most part. I love seeing the kids playing football, or riding their bikes, or playing at the playground, make-believe play with other kids near our campsite - it's refreshing I guess. So here are a lot of pictures from this past weekend's adventure. Until next year...

This is what you call "roughin' it" - Shawn and I's "all natural" look. No makeup etc... pure camping baby!!!

It's not a true Lil'Cass Reunion without a little euchre!

The kids organizing their plan of attack.

We used to go all out in decorating for Halloween - but our cabin here is affectionately referred to as the Bates Motel. Now we sit and watch the other campers spend hours and hours putting theirs together, then having to take it down less than 48 hours later.

We took along Evan's friend Max (back middle) - so squeezing these 4 boys up in the loft was cozy - but they all loved it!

There is a Halloween Carnival on Saturday morning with games, inflatable slides and jumpy things, food and prizes. Blake loved this slide - we almost couldn't get him off it.
Grant liked it too.
Even Evan got in on the fun (cuz' the Teen Carnival didn't start for another hour - they have stuff for ALL AGES).
Another highlight is the golf carts you rent to get around the campground. People decorate these too - some are quite elaborate. Ours just had some skulls and the all-important Ohio State Buckeye Flag!
Looking for prizes in a haystack.

Blake doing a little pumpkin decorating.
Grant doing the same.
When it came time for the teen carnival (8-17 year olds), they got to look for more than prizes - this was looking for money in a haystack. Evan was so sweet - he bought me a Vitamin Water (my favorite) with the money he found!
Blake won a new set of fangs - lovely huh?
This was just a cute shot of Grant in the golfcart in daddy's hat.

We didn't get a whole lot of pictures of little Megan, so we took this one while we had the opportunity.
Evan and Max in their Ninja and Army costumes.
All the kids ready for trick or treat!
The Lil'Cass Crew
The drive home - definitely worn out from a weekend of fun!

Just a funny pic

Okay, so if you've known my husband for a long period of time, chances are you've seen him attempt this trick. He does something weird with his arms and either grabs onto a pole or tree and lifts himself so he's parallel to the floor. It's actually pretty hilarious to watch.

This photo was particularly funny b/c our employer took this while we were working the Moto GP race last month (you know, when we were having all that terrible wind and rain and it felt like a hurricane had taken up residence in good ole' Indiana). I think it was taken right before the big motorcycle tent across from our tent collapsed from the wind - kinda scary!

But what's funnier (okay, maybe not funny for him) is that Shawn was sore for weeks after this. Sucks getting old! LOL

Help!!! Everyone grab onto something - look how strong the winds are today! You're diggin' my trash bag raincoat though aren't ya?

First Field Trip to Russell Farms

Today was Blake's first field trip at his new preschool. All the classes went to Russell Farms for some pumpkin picking, storytelling, animal gazing, exploration and playing! Blake was excited because Jake goes to his school. Luckily their 2 classes were teamed up to travel the farm together - so they had a blast!

I took over 60 pictures and it was hard not to post a lot more - so here's 15 of the cutest.

Jake and Blake waiting somewhat patiently in the parking lot when we first got there.

They were so cute holding hands on the way in - we can use this for blackmail someday at each of their weddings (haha).

Checkin' out the animals (pregnant pigs here).

Blake on the hunt for the great pumpkin.

Success!

The hayride back from the pumpkin patch with his friend Caleb (on the left)

Listening to a story.

Jake and Blake playing with tractors in the sand.

Pitchforking the hay - yeah, Blake was lovin' this!

Collecting eggs.

All these little learning stations (including the 2 above) were good teaching tools. Here are Blake and Jake (and Jake's mommy Shannon) putting the bales of hay in the tractor trailers, then unloading them onto the lift and sending them up, up and away.

And of course Blake had to do it by himself too.

These were really cute horse swings made out of tires - Blake loved swinging on it.

Then it was on to the wooden horse - not as much fun as the one that you could swing on though.

And finally a ride around the track on the John Deere.

Nebulizers, Halloween, Starbucks & Skyline Chili!!!

If you're a member of Facebook - you've seen my status comments about the whole nebulizer crisis. In a nutshell, Blake has been on an inhaler for over a month and his cough wasn't getting any better. Grant came home Monday from school saying he was "suffocating" - so we rushed him over to the Dr's office. Long story short - they both need nebulizer treatments until they stop coughing. I think we're almost there. They've been taking their breathing treatments 3-4 times a day and I can see the light at the end of their lung-tunnel! Since this was a new experience for us - I had to take a picture of them doing the treatments - they were actually really good about it and now they can put the medicine in all by themselves and start and stop it (the big, independent boys they are!)

We also took the boys costume shopping since in two weeks we'll be down at Lake Rudolph for the Halloweekend! Blake wanted to wear his all day, we borrowed it from our friend's son which ironically was what he wanted to be anyway! Thanks Trasan!!!

Friday morning I met my friend Betty and her youngest daughter for coffee at Starbucks. Blake and Isabel were shy with each other at first but gradually warmed up - along with the weather!

Friday night we went to Skyline with my friend from high school and her family! If you're a Cincinnati native, this is a must!!! I love that we have Skyline restaurants here in Indy . . . now if we could only get a Graeter's, UDF and LaRosa's we would be all set!!!

Grant on the nebulizer.
Blake on the nebulizer.
"I'm Spiderman"!!!
I think Blake was wanting to push Isabel in this, but she was having none of that!
On opposite sides of the fence - lol!
Christy (Brown) and I at our hometown haunt Skyline Chili - I should find our senior pictures and put them next to this one, but I already put those on Facebook! (well, I put hers on there anyway, hehehe).
Clockwise from left: Shawn, Christy's huband Steve, Marley (who would NOT look at the camera for anything) and Reese.
Reese and Blake nibbling on their crackers.
Grant and one of his many funny poses. Once the food came, we stopped taking pictures - there was no sense in showing all of us stuffing our faces!!! And if you're asking why we go on Friday nights??? Because KIDS EAT FREE!!!