Halloween Prep

You would think, with the amount of crazy dressing up that children do, Halloween would be just another day.  But it's definitely high on the list of holiday favorites.  Any chance to don a costume or show off her wackiness has XX hooked.

On the goofy side, she's recently taken a liking to these cut-out photo opps.

There is the grocery store ...

... apple country ...

... and the pumpkin patch.

The pumpkin patch had a sunflower labyrinth ...

... and a corn maze.

Took this purely because, the new cameras/phones can.  Love panoramic pix!

XX was our fearless leader.

Success!

XX always loves train rides.

She had great fun picking up walnuts with Daddy ...

... feeding goats ...

... and sitting on giant pumpkins.

Today was the homeschoolers' Harvest Festival. 

There a pirate ship, a cupcake walk, pumpkin painting and lots of games ...

... feeling "fingers," "eyeballs," and "brains" ...

... lassoing a "bull" (XX elicited quite a few chuckles as she swung the lasso with gusto, but forgot to hold onto one end of the rope ... several times.  It was more like throwing a rope at a bull.) ...

... and face painting.

Of course, there was lots of sugar, like eating donuts hanging off a string ...

... and real cotton candy.

There were even crafts, including candle-dipping.

XX left with her candle, balloon, a pumpkin and loads of candy and toy prizes.

There are still more community events and a friend's party in the next few days (definitely getting good use out of the costume, as usual), but XX is always ready to show her Halloween spirit. I never know who I will be taking to the grocery store ...

... or on a walk around the neighborhood.

Watch out, Halloween, XX is ready!

Plenty

School is just the beginning of the avalanche that is Autumn into Holiday.  Schedules are full, but we always manage to squeeze in just a bit more.

We were cat owners ... for a night and almost two days. However, a microchip scan led us to Tiger's owner, who was out of town.  We were instructed to leave him in the driveway and told he would be fine outside. We did so reluctantly as he was really a dog in a cat skin (read: we fell in love).  He ran to see us when we came home and demanded loudly that we adore him, which we did.  Red was the only one not so sure about this new intruder.

Tiger was back the next night as we left the house, running up to see us and we have seen him several times since on our walks.  We hear a loud "meow," then turn to see a cat hurrying toward us.  He happily cuddles and turns to have his stomach rubbed, as though he has claimed a place in our family. We are now ever on the lookout for "our cat."

We went to a picnic with bouncy houses, face painting, and a real cotton candy machine. 

She ate her second cotton candy (yes, second, and there was a sno-cone and a juice bag, too -- sugar galore) with a fork.

Red also attended and made his own friends.

Daddy has a new pastime, which has earned him many lectures on safety from a small, self-proclaimed expert.

We went to pick apples with friends.

 

XX said that the apples she picked are much better than any other apples.  Of course.

There are the usual activities as well ...

... ballet class ...

... violin lessons ...

... Chinese school (XX is in the red skirt) ...

... biology class ...

... painting ...

... and the dog park, where Red has a special friend who is not only the same color, but has the same white markings.  She outweighs him by a good 60 pounds but they do have a great time together.

XX broke in her Halloween costume at a friend's party.  

She has a few other opportunities to wear it in the next few weeks, but of course, she never needs a reason to dress up.

Fun-a-plenty.