Halloween!

It was a wet Halloween, but I think I would call it a successful one.

How about you??????

Alex's candy bag was 3/4 full of candy and the kids didn't

trick or treat too long either.

It's pretty safe to say the kids have had some sort of

candy for breakfast all week long.

Their Costumes

Alex saw a Mario costume at Toys R Us and decided he wanted to be Mario.  I didn't think the costume was worth the twenty dollars so I emailed a friend of mine whose kids were Mario and Luigi last year and asked if we could borrow the hats.  She agreed and the rest of the costume was pretty simple.  At the last minute, Alex agreed to be Luigi because he is taller and Carter was Mario.  They were adorable!

The girls kept going back and forth and couldn't decide on a costume.  I told them I wasn't about to spend forty dollars on a costume again so they needed to get creative or reuse an older costume.  (We have a pile of them in the toy room).   The night before their Halloween parade they decided they were going as babies.  Easy enough.  I bought footed Jammies and binkies and we had everything else we needed to pull off their costumes.  (And I am blogging out of order, Nadya has braces.  I'll post  about that soon!)

The kids had all their Halloween festivities on Thursday.  (All except Carter)  I bounced back and forth between their two schools to try and catch all the action.  I think I spent most my time searching for parking spots though. 

Alex's School

The Girls' School

(Each pictured with their teacher, Nadya with her friend,

and Josie on the bottom)

Carter had trunk or treating at his school on Saturday.

Alex enjoyed seeing some of his friends too!

They filled their bag about 1/3 of the way full in ten minutes or less.

We came back to the house for our annual soup dinner before trick or treating.

Soup, witches fingers, fruit, and witches brew!

Our Trick or Treating Crew

Trick or Treating Around the Neighborhood

We made our way around the neighborhood before the rain started again, 

which was good because Alex was so worried about the weather.  He kept asking me prior to Halloween what happened if it snowed or rained.  The things kids worry about!   We all had a spooktacular Halloween!

Cowabunga Bay

Aunt Misty got the kids passes to Cowabunga Bay for Christmas.

They have been begging to go, so we finally did.

We picked perhaps the windiest day of the year, but we went.

The park is really pretty kid friendly.

It isn't very big so it's easy to keep an eye on your kids.

The lazy river is a warm 94 degrees, but the slides are cold.

And the best part is that the deepest the water gets is three feet.

The kids didn't complain about the cold water though, just me.

I hate cold water!

But, we enjoyed ourselves so much that we upgraded to season passes.

It was a great deal and it included the rest of this year, and all of next.

I went back and forth because I was worried about the cold slides

mixed with drapper's famous wind, but the kids loved it 

and I am to please.  (Just kidding)

I am confident though that we will get our monies worth. 

Carter loved the green slide.

(He asked the attendant prior to entering 

which slide was the slowest! 

Yup, he is my dare devil!)

Alex spent most of his time in the lazy river 

and the girls enjoyed the fast, steep slides.  

The boys will build forts anywhere!

They built a fort with chairs and towels.

We all scored free cupcakes (Left overs from a b-day celebration!)

We also got the use of a cabana for four hours for upgrading to season passes.

 

Summer Camp

It was quiet around the Johnson house last week.

It was strangely quiet because the kids were at camp.

The girls spent their week (Monday-Friday) in cabin number 7.

It stunk like skunk.

I took a quick picture before I left.

I signed the boys up for 1/2 day- Day Camp.

The theme for the week was wet-n-wild.

They spent an insane amount of time in the pool,

but they loved it.  They love the water.

Although on the last day when I pulled out my little camera,

they were playing in the gym.  

Alex is pictured with his best friend, Audran.
Audran's little brother Stefan (who is also Carter's good friend)

was suppose to come too, 

but he broke his arm a week before camp.

Carter missed having Stefan there, but still had fun.

I thought  the boys were too young for overnight camp,

but it turns out Alex was old enough.

Oh well.  Not sure how he would have done???

He seems to think he is ready,

so maybe I"ll try next year.

Could I really send them all to camp for five consecutive nights?

hummm.... Sounds tempting! LOL

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The night before the girls were to return

Doug and I took the boys out for a special night.

We went to Red Robins because the boys earned free kid meal

certificates from the library for their summer reading.

Carter stayed busy copying from the menu,

and Alex and I played a cheeseburger version of 

you sunk my battleship.

Alex discovered two lose teeth at dinner.

Finally!  

He has been waiting  a LONG time 

for the tooth fairy to visit.

After we went to see How To Train Your Dragon 

at the dollar movies.

I heart the dollar movies.

The boys loved, loved, loved the movie.

The girls returned Friday and Nadya had a souvenir.

Apparently, we forget to send her with lip-balm,

so she came home sporting FIVE cold sores!

I felt so bad!!!!

Nadya and Hallie's First Day of School- 2009

Nadya's First day of 4th Grade!  She was very excited for school and learned a valuable lesson about betting with her father.  Nadya was absolutely certain she would have teacher A and made a bet with her dad.  Dad bet teacher b or C and Nadya bet teacher A. Obviously, dad had better odds and of course he won!  Nadya has a wonderful teacher and she has a few good friends in her class so she was excited!!!!!!  Here she is on the 1st day of school!  She saved back her "Gotcha Outfit" just for the occasion!  She looked so grown up and so beautiful!  It is amazing how much this girl has grown in the last two years!

We peeked in her classroom and her teacher offered to take a picture!

Hallie's first day of 5th Grade!  She was so excited to have the teacher she has!
Her teacher has a TON of personality and Hallie has absolutely loved school so far.
Every day she comes home and tells me about the crazy things her teacher does!  

So excited to have Brooke in her class!

Wow!  They are sitting by each other too! 

The dynamic Trio-
Hallie, Josie and Nadya!  

(Josie's first day of 2nd grade)