getting ready for halloween

Thursday I finally started Claire's costume, and it is coming along really nice.  We went outside to clean up the back yard and raked leaves before supper. 

Friday I worked some more on Claire's costume and cleaned the house. 

Saturday we did not do much either.  Cleaned up in Claire's room quite a bit, then we were going to make a gingerbread halloween house, and my mixer blew up, scraing the crap out of me and Claire.  We went shopping to get a few things for halloween and get a new mixer. 

We had a busy Sunday, right away this morning we made the halloween gingerbread house.  Claire had so much fun and kept trying to sneak some of the candies.  We are going to bring it to a halloween party at our friends house on Wednesday.  We will see if the candies can make it on there that long!!  After the football game, that the Vikings lost, we carved our pumpkins.  Claire was so excited to finally get to do them.  She knew right away what she wanted her pumkin to be.  She chose a cat, and I helped her carve it, after she took out all the seeds.  I washed up the seeds and will roast them tomarrow.  I have promised Bre that we would make them this year.  We have another cookie halloween house for her to make with us for the halloween party at Aunt Lesa's, that we go to every year.  She still has a pumpkin here waiting for her to carve when she comes over next weekend.  We put the pumpkins outside and lit them up.  They look really nice out there.  Claire was so happy to see how her kitty pumpkin looked all lit up.  That was our busy day, now Claire is relaxing and watching Franklin.

Claire putting some candies on the gingerbread house.  I think some made it to her mouth too.

Here is what it looks like all finished.  We made a huge mess, but had a great time.

Claire digging all the seeds out of our pumpkin.  She had to use the skeleton gloves.

Another picure of Claire, and her dad, working on their pumpkins.

This is cute, she was looking inside to see if she got all the seeds out.  When I asked her if she got them all out she said, "of course I did".  It was so cute!

Claire and her dads pumpkins outside. This was in the dark with the candles lit.  Didn't turn out quite how I wanted it to.

I turned the flash off and this is what I got of Claire's pumpkin.

Busy, Busy, Busy.....

Ok, so I know it has been a while since I got on here to post......

Friday we did not do very much.  I had house cleaning to do and the girls painted pumpkins that they picked out at the pumpkin patch.  We did bake up a few mini apple pies too, they were very yummy and did not last very long...everyone ate them right up.

Here are all of the pumpkins that were painted.  The big pumpkins we are going to carve when it gets closer to halloween.

I was able to get a picture of the mini apple pies before they were all gone.  The girls had fun helping make them.

On Saturday Claire went to stay over night with Aunt Lesa and Uncle Tim.  John took me and Breanna out to the deer shack.  We did some squirrel hunting, but no luck.  We went out shining deer for a bit and saw quite a few.  Then we watched movies back at the deer shack.

Claire was playing in Bre's Christmas cardboard house before she went to Lesa and Tim's.

Sunday morning we got up and went out squirrel hunting.  Breanna shot her gun at a coffee can and did awesome.  After walking through the woods, me and Breanna picked apples out at the deer shack.  Then we were on our way to Uncle Gene's woods to try for more squirrel.  I took a shot at one and missed it : (  I hope I have better luck next time.  Claire had a great time with Lesa and Tim.  She was not even ready to come home when I went to pick her up.

On Monday we went up to Eagan with my mom for an appointment.  Me and Claire went for a walk outside and every few minutes a plane went over us.  Claire just loved seeing so many airplanes, and so close to us. 

Grandma gave Claire some eyes, nose, mouth and ears that you can stick into a pumpkin.  Claire had to do that as soon as we got home. 

She did it all by herslef and was very proud of her pumpkin.

Tuesday morning we went to the library in Le Sueur for story time, and then we picked out books for the letter Cc to go with her lessons for the week.  After library, we met our friends at the park for some play.  The girls picked out some leaves to take home and do crafts with.  I was just about frozen after almost 2 hours at the park.  For supper I made buttermilk squirrel pie, and it turned out really good.  Claire kept eating the meat as I was picking it off the bone. 

Wednesday morning I was busy with the apples we picked out at the deer shack.  I sliced up 24 cups of apples and shredded 12 cups.  In the afternoon there was a story and craft at the library in Henderson.  The stories were really great and they did songs too!  Then they did halloween crafts after the stories.  After supper we made a craft with the leaves that Claire picked from the park with Hannah.  Then we read her books form the library and got ready for bed.

Claire made a bat with lots of eyes.  She cut the orange paper and put halloween stamps on there.  Then they made a ghost out of a lolipop and tissue paper.  Claire had to eat one as soon as we got in the car.

We melted crayon shavings in wax paper with the leaves.

Then we tried it with paper too.  They turned out really cute, and Claire had so much fun.

Pumpkin Patch

We went to the pumpkin patch and had fun picking out pumpkins.  Claire's friend came too and the girls were busy with the small pumpkins.  Breanna did not want her picture taken, I had to talk her into 1 picture with me and Claire.  She did enjoy taking pictures of her sister though.  Breanna picked out a pumpkin for her and Claire.  Together we found a really big one for John.  Now Breanna can't wait to carve the pumpkins and bake the seeds.  I am glad we were able to have her for MEA, we have had such a good time. 

After the pumpkin patch we stopped to see our friends horse, twilight.  She is a big beautiful horse.  Claire got to pet one of the horses at the barn.  He stuck his head right out to her and she loved petting him.  The Claire and Hannah had fun playing in the mud and gravel pile.  Had to change Claire's clothes before putting her in the carseat.

The girls getting ready to start the pumpkin picking.

Claire picking one out, she did take this one home too.  John had just bought Claire the blaze orange hat earlier that morning, and she had to wear it.

Hannah and Claire sitting with their little pumpkins.  They had a little pumpkin in their hands the whole time.

Claire on a tractor wagon with another little pumpkin.

Claire and Hannah on the tractor wagon for a cute picture (they have their little pumpkins)

Claire bear at the little table and chairs made out of an oak tree. 

Me and my girls.  This little table and chairs is going to be in the New Prague Times this week.  I had to talk Bre into having this picture taken.  We had a great time, even though the day was cold and muddy.

Corn Maze

We went to Nelsons Apple Farm with my mom, niece, nephew, and of course my girls.  We all had a really fun time.  They kids played with the bean bag toss, fed the baby animals, and walked through the corn maze.  After all of that they picked out some pumpkins and halloween goodies.  The corn maze was really neat.  On the rules sign, they said not to stray form the path because last week 3 kids were eaten alive by a giant corn worm.  Another rule was that if you see a dead skunk to pick it up and carry it with you.  Another one was about a large bear being spotted in the maze.  It was really cute to see the kids reaction while we were reading the rules to them.  Breanna would go ahead and try to scare the kids, they thought it was so funny, then they worried that she was eaten by the worm.  Really fun place to go, if we get another nice day, we will be going again.  The people that own it are very nice.  The batteries in my camera were dead, and every extra one that I had must have been dead too.  I went in to ask if they had batteries to sell.  The lady said that she did not, but would check to see if she had any for me.  She gave me two of her own batteries, I told her to charge me whatever she thought.  After I got the batteries, I was able to get some really cute pictures.

The kids doing the bean bag toss

Claire trying to do the bean bag toss

The group photo

 Bre in the middle of the pumpkin, she was having a great time

My little farmers

Inside the corn maze

more of the corn maze

Claire had to take a rest on a rock after the corn maze.  Her little legs were so tired.

this was a little teepee made out of corn stalks on the outside.  Claire was peeking in the other end.

Everyone had a great time.  The kids all got along so well and played good together.  It was only $5 per person, and we could have done the mini golf putt, but we were all too tired after the corn maze.  Can't believe that Claire stayed awake until 9pm.  Each of the kids picked out a tiny little pumkin, and Bre painted hers right away when we got home.

Great Tuesday

This morning Claire asked me for a piece of paper before we left for the library.  She showed me her paper when she was done and she was trying to write her Bb's.  I am glad that she is likes doing her preschool work so much. 

We went to the library in Le Sueur for storytime this morning.  The librarian read books about fall, and told a cute story about pumpkins.  After library Claire and her friend Hannah were running around outside for a bit. 

We came home and had lunch then started with Claire's lessons for the day.  She is doing really well with her Bs. 

Here Claire was practicing writing her Bb's.  We read the poem Baa Baa Black Sheep, and then made black sheep out of our hands.  She had so much fun, and put the cotton balls on all by herself.

Then we made some halloween crafts to add to our wall.  After the story about the pumpkins at the library, I thought it would be cute to make our own little pumpkins.  I cut out a pumpkin on orange paper and the with black paper cut out some eyes, noses, and mouths, and had Claire pick out and put on the pumpkin the way she wanted to.  I was very surprised at how good she did.  Then she said that she wanted to make girl pumpkins so we put bows on for the girls and hats on for the boys.

We also made a spider out of her hands too (thanks for the idea Dianna).  We put the googly eyes on and Claire drew on the nose and mouth.

Here is her halloween craft wall so far.  The ghost is her foot, and the tree is her arm.  The spider is her hands too.

After Claire was done with all her crafts, she decided play princess.  She wants to pick out pretty dresses from her closet and wear them to be a princess.  I tried to tell her that she is a princess no matter what she wears.  It is hard to believe the amount of lipgloss that girl puts on in a day.  She is loving that vanity that I got her.  She got some really pretty little princess dress up shoes for her birthday, and if I would let her wear them out of the house, I know she would.  She is always putting on a different pair and dancing around.

I grilled steak for supper out in the garage last night.  I told Claire that I had to run out and start the grill and would be right back in.  When I came in, maybe 10 minutes later, Claire was very mad at me because she could not get her dress off and had to go to the bathroom.  She said that she pooped in her underwear, and that she was yelling for me, but I didn't hear her.  The poor girl really must have been trying to get that dress off. 

After supper we read all of the books that she checked out from the library. Then her daddy came home from a 12 hour day of shoveling concrete at work, and Claire was not letting him relax at all.  He barely walked in the door and she wanted to show him her pumpkins that she made. 

All in all we had a really good day.  Tomarrow we are planning to go to the apple orchard with the girls and their cousins, Sami and Andy.

**SNOW**

This morning after Claire woke up and had breakfast we bundled up and went outside to play in the snow.  Claire had fun eating the snow and running around in it.  It was still snowing while we were out there playing.  It probably not stay long so we tried to have as much fun as we could.  She did not want to come in, but her little nose was getting really red.  The weather is really beautiful too, not windy at all, and 31 degrees.  So pretty with the snow still falling.  When I look out my front window it reminds me of a Christmas card.  So pretty and quiet, with the beautiful white snow.  Makes me want to start on the winter crafts, and we have not even started with the Thanksgiving ones yet.  We will see what the rest of the day brings, maybe we will have to make a few snow crafts!!

Claire playing with all the snow in her wagon.

You can tell that she was having so much fun!

Here is the front of the house with the snow that we got.  Claire was walking up to the house.

Claire is trying out her snow angel.  She knew just how to do it.  It was really cute.

Claire was trying to find a good spot to put the other arm on our snowman.

Here it is, our first snowman this season.  I think this is the earliest that I have ever made a snowman, that I can remember anyway. 

Cold Weekend

On Friday we went to pick up Breanna.  Claire was very excited to see her big sister.  Breanna had to run the mile at school on Friday, she said that was 4 laps areound the track.  Me and Breanna played a game of clue after supper.  Then it was time for bed.

On Saturday morning we had our first snow this season.  It was just a dusting, but Claire was so happy to see it.  I wanted to get pictures of Claire out in the snow, but just was not feeling well enough t go out there.  I have had a head cold for a few days, no fever just head cold.  Breanna helped me make kneopfle soup for lunch.  It is a vegetable dumpling soup with milk and butter, perfect for a cold day.  Then we got ready to go out to the deer shack.  John worked so hard adding on to it the last few weeks, we had to see it.  Claire had fun dancing around out there and playing on the top bunk with Bre.  John and Breanna stayed over night, and me and Claire came home for a dance party.

Claire and Bre at the deer shack.  They were having fun on the top bunk.  This is the new bunks just built after they added on.

Jamie put the radio on, and Claire was dancing around.

Miss Claire getting pretty for our dance party with her new vanity I bought her from Unique (a thrift store).  I put in new batteries and it works like new.

Claire again with her vanity, she had so much fun playing with it.

Today Breanna got to shoot her new gun for the first time.  She did really good and is even more excited to go hunting with her dad.  She wants to stay out in the deer shack again next weekend.  Aunt Lesa came over for lunch.  The girls were very happy to have her over.  We played a game of Yahtzee free for all, a new yahtzee game that she got for her birthday.  It was really fun.  Then we went over to Toody's in Henderson some very good ice cream.

Aunt Lesa with the girls, aren't they so cute!!

Claire enjoying her ice cream, and....

Breanna enjoying her ice cream.

Claire was just looking so cute, had to snap another one!

We all had a great time and the girls were so good, so they got to pick out a treat before we left.  Then it was back home and time for Breanna to leave us for a few days.  She has MEA this week and will be coming back over again on Wednesday.

Me and Claire made a cherry pie with cherries from grandma and grandpa Friesz's cherry tree.  We picked them back in July.

 

This was back in July when we picked the cherries from the tree. 

Well, that was our weekend.  Now bath time and then get ready for bed.  I am finally feeling better today.  I will be busy cleaning house tomarrow since I have been sick all week.