Halloween part 3: Finally, Trick or treating

Trick or treating around town can be few and far between, due to the abundance of "Trunk or treats" in the area.  So, guess where we headed? You betcha! Trunk or treat.  This year was great though, even bigger, spreading from one church, down 2 or 3 blocks, to another church.  Our local Merchant's Association was there, along with fire trucks, police cars and parks and rec vehicles.  Lots of fun, lots of people...LOTS of candy!   They say a picture is worth a thousand words...here you go!

Front porch picture...notice the Thomas's hanging out!?

Flying off!  Yes, he was a Fire Fighter for school, Batman for trick or treat

He wanted to take a picture on the steps of the church

"Batman to da rescue!!!!"

We met up with our cute neighbors along the way!

Dumping the loot at Grandma's...the last stop

Wow!  Better hide the chocolate from Mommy!

Halloween part 2: We're gonna be stuck in here FOREVER!!!!

As you can tell by the title of this blog, our family decided to brave a corn maze.  We have a local farm, about 10 minutes from our house, that does one, along with hay rides, and all things farm.  Because Brant's class field trip got rained out, we wanted to be sure to get one in before the season was over.  So, Oct. 30th was the big day.

Brimming with excitement, Brant bounced out of the car...immediately wanting to go on the departing hay ride.  Scrambling to buy tickets, we hopped aboard, only to discover not only was one of my students on it, but a friend from a club as well.  So much for escaping for a few hours!  But we soon forgot them as the tractor started and we were off!

Raz Taz farm is a working farm, and the owner of the farm rode along, narrating the hayride though fields, around ponds and past historical farm equipment.  Brant is was in heaven as we passed combines, soybeans, Frog Bottom Pond (there's a story with that name) and lots and LOTS of tractors.  The farmer educated us on crops grown in NC, the Piedmont, and why it's important to buy local, specifically, "It's Gotta Be NC."

Looking where we've been, around Raz Taz farm.

Frog Bottom Pond (to the right) in a field of soybeans.

All too soon, the ride ended, and Brant was off.  He took off in the direction of the small silos filled with, you got it! CORN!  Brant kicked off his shoes and dug, waded, hopped, tossed, in other words, throughly enjoyed the corn.  We laughed when the kid exiting before Brant was squirming uncomfortably. As his dad checked...yep, corn in the diaper!

Brant had corn in his pockets when he came home!

On to the hay bales, hay tractor, hay tunnel.  If you ask Brant what is his favorite is...it's the hay tractor!   Running himself silly, it was time to hit the Maze.

Way up high on the hay bales

Look at my cute boys!

Having fun with Daddy in the tunnels

Loving crawling through

Brant's favorite, the hay tractor.

We didn't do the Mini Maze, but headed into the big one.  About an hour later...we came out.  It was great fun, Brant led the way.  By about 30 minutes in though, he was getting a bit concerned as we hit dead end after dead end.   Looking very serious, he stopped, turned around and said, "We're gonna be stuck in here FOREVER!"  He made Daddy lead the way after that, and slowly, but surely, we made it out! (Mommy was VERY glad to see the Port-a-potty strategically located at the exit of the maze!).

You are now entering the maze.

"The Leader!"

Looking through towards the rest of the farm

Mommy and Brant, in a rare blog appearance.  I'm usually behind the camera!

Smiles as we made it out!

We checked out a few more tractors, and it was off to rest up for the big night of Trunk-or-Treating...to be continued!

Halloween part 1: BDS Carnival = Great Family Fun!

Ms. Jodi walking with Brant during the parade

Halloween has come and gone and it's just now that I can sit down to record it all!  This is going to be a multi-post blogging session, as we crammed so much into the Halloween weekend, one post can't hold it all! 

The tradition at BDS is that the kindergarten students wear their costumes to school on the Friday before Halloween, and hold a "parade" through the halls of the school.  It's great fun, and, as you see the feet of the middle schoolers, they love to line the hall.  The kiddos are all adorable, but I have a soft spot in my heart for a particular fire fighter!

The costume only lasted a little while as it got shed, piece by piece throughout the day.  When Brant came home that afternoon, the only remaining costume parts were the t-shirt and pants he wore underneath it. 

A short break at home and we headed BACK to BDS for the annual Halloween Carnival.  For those of you who have never been, it's a must do on the list.  Entering under the black cat, it was a world of fun, from Putt Putt, inflatable slide, games and a cake walk.  Guess who the pro at the Cake Walk is?? You got it, Little B!  And he went straight for the Reese's Peanut Butter cake...like father, like son!

I'll let the pictures do the talking for the rest of the night!  Enjoy, we sure did!

Brant's class, Fireman Brant on the back row, far right.

The two fire fighters playing fire station, I overheard their conversation, it was adorable.
They both are shooting hoses at the fire!

Throwing the balls into the tic tac toe!  

Oh yeah, blue cotton candy.  Brant was blue too, by the end!

We're "falling" for fire safety and festivals!

As the boys are taking a rest, Brant with Grandma and Brantley at home, I thought I'd take a minute and update the blog!

School this week has been very exciting!  It's Fire Prevention Week, and the K4s have filled it to the brim!  The local Fire Department did a puppet show in the gym for the students, and then Christopher's daddy (a classmate) is a fireman in another city, on a ladder truck. He brought in all his gear, and the students LOVED it.  I got to slip in for a minute, just in time to see Brantley, waiting patiently with his hand raised (while chaos ensued around him), ask "Can't I just crawl UNDER the fire?!"  This was in response to how you get away from it!  Christopher's dad very seriously answered back the correct way, whew!   But ask Brantley how to prevent fires, how to check your smoke detectors, or what to do during a fire, he knows it ALL!  

Saturday brought another soccer game.  We are down to only 3 left in the season. I really don't know if Brant will play this Spring.  It's up to him, but he seems really interested in playing t-ball.  He can play both, but we'll see.  After the game, we headed home to change, and then to the annual Fall Festival.  It just keeps getting bigger and better!  It always amazes me, that a town that seems like Mayberry, puts on such great events! 

Cleo, the stubborn little pony!

This year, there were pony rides on the sweetest little shetland pony, and regular sized pony.  Brant, of course, HAD to ride, and seeing as the daughter of the operators had to go somewhere, I got elected to lead the pony!  Brant got settled, feet in the stirrups, and with a death grip on the pommel, off we go!  Cleo, the pony, got a bit stubborn with me, and didn't want to follow the other pony, but she got going in the end!  Brant's only comment, "IT'S VEWY BUMPY!" 

Enjoying his bumpy ride!

The favorite of everyone, no matter what age, is the  Garden Railroad.  We found a shady spot to watch the trains (IT WAS HOT!) .  Then the bouncy slide was next on the list.  The first year Brant was old enough, he was petrified of it!  One of the older kids we knew took him up, but he could barely make it.  This year, not a problem!  I can't believe how big he's getting!  

Brant is leaning on the hockey stick he won playing a game.

Brant called this the tunnel to Misty Island, his favorite new Thomas movie

Looking downtown from the layout

What goes up...

must come down!

We rounded off the trip to the festival with visits with some friends who were running booths.  It was great fun to see Dana, and her Cookie Lee friends, and we got to see her sweet kids too!  Bringing home lunch from Reno's and a quick trip to the best chocolate shop in the world, Once Upon a Chocolate (www.onceuponachocolate.com), we walked home.   

The rest of the weekend is wide open.  But I am happy to announce, we are back home.  Brant has finished the floor, and is working on the walls.  I've got to choose a new paint color...things are progressing!  From our house to yours, lots of love!