Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween all!  We hit our neighborhood while it was still light--thank you daylight savings for waiting an extra week.  The Noodle and I were on the hunt for loot and J stayed home passing out candy. 

I think next year we're going to stay away from cardboard costumes.  While they are cute and all, they're not very forgiving where steps are concerned or if you trip while you're walking (as evidenced by the tears in the eyes before we even headed out!).  Even so, we had a fun time trick-or-treating and by the end, the Noodle couldn't wait to go over all her candy.

'Twas the night before Halloween...

...and we were busy carving our pumpkins.  I should say J and C were busy carving--I was busy baking some pumpkin bread for breakfast tomorrow and roasting some pumpkin seeds.  Let me just say, the house was smelling delish!  In all honesty, I'm only too happy to let those 2 get goopy with pumpkin guts.  Yuck!  At some point, it became more about playing in the goo than actually scooping out the pumpkin...oh well!  J was able to get her back on track and when it was time to carve, she had quite a few ideas of her own :)

Fu Baoshi Family Day

Our art museum is currently hosting an exhibit on the modern Chinese master Fu Baoshi.  It is an overview of his work from the 1920s to 1965.  To celebrate this exhibition, the museum put on a family day to celebrate Chinese art and culture with art-making workshops and gallery activities, including a scavenger hunt.

We headed over there to see what was what.  The first stop was to construct a miniature version of a Chinese scroll.  You could also try your hand at ink painting.  Amazing how they do what they do with those brushes!

 After that, we stopped by to look (and touch!) some authentic objects including a ceramic pillow (soo not comfortable) and a pair of shoes that a woman with bound feet would have worn (grotesquely amazing).

Next was the gallery exhibit which focused on Fu Baoshi's creations, partly which occurred during the rule of Chairman Mao Zedong.  I especially found this interesting since I recently finished Dreams of Joy by Lisa See and quite a bit of the book revolved around artists during this same time period.  Having a little more background helped me understand visually what I was experiencing.

Finally, as the day was winding down, we went to make a chop, which in China, is often used as a signature.  The benefit was that we pretty much had the room (and supplies) to ourselves by this time, so that was cool.  It was a fun day and another opportunity to teach the Noodle a little bit more about the country from which she came.

Fun on the farm

 This afternoon we headed out to our favorite apple/pumpkin farm.  It's a small place.   A looong way out.  Quiet--without all the bells and whistles that sometimes accompany these kinds of farms.  But that's o.k. by us.  It has everything we need.  Pumpkins.  Apples.  A friendly farm cat.  A tasty treat or two.

It didn't take long for us to find that perfect pumpkin.  You just kinda know it when ya see it, don't ya?  Then we filled up a big bag of apples and of course, stopped to give our regards to the kitty.  No stop to an orchard would be complete with an apple and an apple fritter (split 3 ways) so we of course had to have one.  Yummo! 

And as far as those ellusive brown shoes?  Well we had success at N*rdstroms.  At least I think we did.  They're sending us a pair.  Fingers cross they fit.  We've even got the toe and heel pads to help that little foot fit a bit more snugly.  I guess I missed the fashion memo, in regards to footware in the size 8-12 toddler shoe department.  Seems that black and pewter/copper are all the rage this year.  Nary a brown shoe to be found.  Hmph.  Black I get and pewter/copper are way cool too, but my only question is this....how do you polish pewter or copper?!  Guess we'll have to wait and see.

And just because I love to see the passage of time, here are a few photos from years past. 

2011

2010--We went to a different place this year.

2009

2008--A few weeks after we arrived home!

Fall Festival

It seems to be a tradition, no matter the preschool/elementary school, to host a fall festival.  You have to have all the right components of course:  pumpkins, a cake walk, cider and pizza, face painting, games and highly coveted prizes like spider and bat rings and of course hyped-up kiddos running here and there in their costumes.  Ah, yes...the fall festival.

The only other LEGO block we saw.

We went to the Noodle's tonight and it met all the criteria, plus a few extras like a s'more station, cookie decorating station and a "photo booth".  In true Noodle fashion, she walked around with a straight face but at the end of the night declared "I had sooo much fun!".  Sweet girl!

The big hits?  The bat and spider rings and the pumpkin face paint.  She was adamant that J not wash it off when he washed her face before bed.  This was right before she conked out in bed...exhausted from so many festivities :)

A cardboard LEGO costume is sooo not fire friendly.

Tomorrow we begin the elusive search for a new pair of brown shoes that actually fit her narrow foot (so far the ol' stand-byes Str*de R*te, Tar-Jay and F*mous F**tware have left us out in the cold) and then, fingers crossed, to go pick pumpkins and apples!  Should be a busy, fun weekend!!

Thankful Thursday

Homecoming

J's alma mater played mine this weekend for the Homecoming game.  While neither of us are huge college football fans, this seemed like a game not to be missed!  My best friend from college had given me a Miami University cheerleader outfit and it happened to be in the right size for the Noodle--score!

We stayed through half-time, but by then, the fair-weathered-fans were questioning how much longer the game would go on.  Especially when the score was 0-3.  Besides, warmth and dinner were calling our names ;)

Yippee! No School...

...for me that is :)  Today, for reasons only known to the education gurus, the public schools didn't have school while the Catholics did.  Usually it is the other way around because it is St. Something-or-Other day.  Anywhooo, I was able to go into the Noodle's class to volunteer.  It has been killin' me not to know what it is like in her new room, because unfortunately, the Noodle is not a fount of information!

I think I might have said earlier, but her preschool follows the Reggio Emilia approach.  That being said, the environment is often called "the third teacher" and so the children go outside each and every day.  I believe they say, "there is no inappropriate weather, just inappropriate clothes for the weather".  No matter the precipitation.  No matter the temperature.  That is all fine and good when you live in a beautiful, temperate climate like San Diego, but in our neck of the woods, that can be downright crazy!

Today wasn't too bad.  Stiff wind off the Lake.  Puddles galore.  Damp, chilly weather.  The kiddos didn't seem to mind.  In fact one was running around in just short sleeves (?!?!).  Mine was adamant about wearing her vest, but somehow I convinced her to put her extra large rain-slicker over top. 

After that it was inside to make homemade applesauce.  What a wonderful smell that is--apples baking!  Yum.  When it was all said and done, the applesauce came out pink which was a pleasant surprise for many. 

When it was time to leave preschool, I gave the Noodle and big hug and kiss and left her in the trusty hands of our wonderful babysitter.  Then I headed to the mall to begin some early Christmas shopping.  I know.  It is only the middle of October, but the times are limited when I won't have a little one with me, so I decided to go for it.  I also can't tell a lie.  It was great being able to browse at my own pace.  Bad Mama.  Tee Hee!

Wordless Wednesday

Kickin' it!

Here's hoping you're having a kickin' good time this weekend.  The Noodle certainly is!

And just in case you've wondered, the "God Squad" t-shirt that Papa bought her this summer is her absolute F.A.V.O.R.I.T.E.  She wants to wear it every single weekend.  Usually both Saturday and Sunday.  When I put away her summer clothes, she begged me to keep it out.  So here it is.  Again.  Making a re-appearance.  Ha!

OH.MY.GOSH!!

Every so often, I'll enter a giveaway on a blog.  I never in a million years expect that I will actually win said giveaway.  Especially when there are usually 100+ people who have also entered.  I guess it just goes to show that you'll never know, if you don't try.

Yippee for me--I will be wearing a new scarf soon!  Thanks Nest of Posies!!!!!!!!!

Daddy daughter date day

Try saying that one 3 times fast!  Definitely ties your tongue up into knots :)  Tee Hee

Today the Noodle's preschool met down at our city's science center.  J and the C.N. had a date.  What fun!  There were lots of exhibits about space to explore.

Opportunities to play with sound, vibration and pitch.

Flight simulators.

Some kind of exhibit that dealt with race cars and screws...I got kinda lost on this one, but, because it had cars, it was one of the Noodle's favorites.

And of course no trip to a museum is complete with out a stop to the gift shop.  I'm loving the hat! And of course that serious face.  Ha!

After a yucky and disgusting unappetizing lunch at the museum cafe (J and C's words, not mine), J took the Noodle back to the babysitter's house and he headed down to work.  All in all, a pretty fun date day--minus the meal, of course!