Giving Tree

Ryan's school did their Annual Giving Tree program this month.   They brought their presents down the aisle then sang the Christmas songs they had been working on.  It is really funny- the youngest group, 3 year olds, mostly twirl and sway and listen to the music teacher sing a solo performance with maybe one random girl periodically chiming in.  The four years olds know the words but scream every word and note.  The five year olds have it down - Ryan's class knew the words and sang them beautifully...well in a slightly off key, but sweet kind of way! :)

Bringing his gift to the front

Yea Ryan!  Hi Leah!

No way we are getting all these kids to look at camera and smile at same time.

Nope.

Still no.  But, happy Ryan is always smiling!  :)

8!

Can't believe I have an eight year old!  Yeesh!  This year we had a joint birthday party with a friend at the bowling alley and it was so much fun.  I also loved splitting the planning duties with another mom.  Should have been doing this for years!  :)

Reagan wanted to open presents and blow out a candle before he left for school (6:45a)!!

Ryan is thinking , "Yes!  A gift for me too!  :)

Party Time

The kids would throw the ball then run off!

They had these cool contraptions for the younger kids.  Their scores were much higher than the bigger kids!  :)

Happy Birthday Boys!

Happy Hullaween!

Lots of Halloween fun this year with parades, parties, and trick-or-treating!

Ryan feeling presidential

THE INCREDIBLE HULK!!!  At the end of the evening he told us his muscles were tired.  :)

Time for the annual parade.  So sad this is our last year!

Here they come.  The baby girl in the front of the buggy's dress was bigger  than she was.

Ryan's Class

Hulk sighting

The mask came off mid-parade due to impaired vision.  :)

He did NOT want me to take his picture at the party.

Can you tell??

Ready to Trick-or-Treat with Hulk and RC Zombie

Staying in character.  Those poor flowers got trampled by trick-or-treaters later that evening.  :(

On to the neighborhood party.  Reagan and Ninja Mason.

Grant, Ryan and Jake.  These guys are also on the same soccer team. Dangerous!

Little Macie Goldilocks

Andrew Monster

End of the evening - we were ALL feeling like ZOMBIES!

Fall Fun

Fall is my favorite season.  Love the football, pumpkins, fall colors and activities.  Cleaned out my iphone pics and here is a sampling of my fall loves...  

Fun centerpiece did for an outdoor dinner

A local gardening center hosts an annual Pumpkin Glow.  They have thousands of pumpkins and fall flowers, candy and a hay maze. Everything is glowing and so pretty.  They also have pumpkin decorating contests and let local students enter their creations.  Reagan and the other second graders made this "Life Cycle of a Butterfly".  My phone picture is not too hot, but it was well done! (Note the prize ribbon!  :) )

Kids in the hay maze.  Guess I need to upgrade to a phone with a flash!

Chilling on a porch swing

Yea for decorated porches.  And zombies.

Soccer!

After all these years of being a sideline observer, Ryan finally gets to play soccer! 

First practice

Game day.  Not sure why they couldn't just smile.  Camera comes out, weirdness comes out.

Don't you love the neon green ball he chose?  You should see the shin guards under those socks.

Wish you could see the other team's jerseys...they were the Angry Birds.  The team names crack me up - especially the girls.  It is usually a mix of something sweet and tough like the Fighting Daisies, or the Menacing Kittens.  (ok- the second example I made up, but you get the point...)  

Jazz run perhaps?

He is actually one of if not the tallest kid on the team.  Not use to that! 

Run Ryan Run!

On the way to the game, he complained of ear pain.  He spent the second half of the game with his ear to his shoulder or with his hand on his ear.  He felt awful and the wind was not helping.

The ear!

At the end the coach always gives a pep talk and they all put their hands in and scream STRIKERS!!  Too funny.

I knew he truly didn't feel good when he came home and put a heating pad on his ear and went to sleep.  Naps in my house = sick.