Hogwarts for Halloween.

This, right here, makes me happy for so many reasons. 

There will be a list:

1. Anderson chose their costumes. My 4 year old believes in Harry Potter and chose to be a character from a book (also a movie, but we read the book first) for Halloween. My parenting job is done. 

2. Max as an owl=perfect. You should hear him with the owl noises. It is too much. 

3. There was a moment about 4 years ago when I was in the beginning stages of my sorrow/denial/grief/craziness over Anderson's EYE where I thought about Harry. Maybe, I thought, just maybe glasses at such a young age won't be so awful. Harry Potter wore glasses and he did save the world. 

And, I always go back to my love for JKRowling based on the fact that she gave the hero glasses. 

This, right here, sort of makes me happy, but also makes my hands sweat and my heart race. 

Boo at the Zoo, always an adventure in the Glover world, was an EPIC failure this year. I mean, EPIC. We waited in traffic for 2 hours, made Nicole miss most of the UT game and finally made it in just to deal with 1.2 million people. We let them try to squeeze through people and not get lost for a bit and then we just left and went to Sonic for milkshakes. 

I did get this awesome pic of them in Herbology class, though. 

I do love having these exciting times with my Mom.  She is so positive that it makes terrible, terrible, terrible times seem ok :)

There were seriously hundreds (thousands?) of people in line for candy and I just could not believe anyone would stay and do that. I am incredibly proud of the fact that we taught our kids the life lesson of problem solving. When the line for cheap candy is 2 hours, get out (get a refund) and go get milkshakes!

Anderson got to be a Halloween Scientist at a toy store and make slime, do weird things with gummy worms and vinegar and a pretty cool Pop Rocks things. His favorite part was definitely eating the supplies, though. 

On the actual day of Halloween, Anderson's class had Pajama Day for P week. And, he brought Halloween Pencils and Popsicles as our contribution for the Halloween festivities/P Show & Tell. 

Because I work with awesome people, we dressed up as the Wizard of Oz. Being short, I nabbed the easiest part and got to be Dorothy. I know she did not wear black leggings, but it was freakishly cold that day and I don't have white ones. Also, I went historically accurate and wore silver shoes. (I will clutch my few moments where I get to be a History person, again) Our AD was out that day, so we improvised him as the Tin Man. I had a few various meetings that day and I am sure I was came across as incredibly professional with my braids. 

Then, in an awesome twist, we went to the Brimers for Halloween night! I stole this fun science ghost thing from Nicole and we put one of our many jugs of vinegar to use. 

Clare is an EXPERT* face painter and she made an awesome lightning bolt for Harry. 

*She & Andy also made hilarious mummy dogs for the kids and delicious chili for us!

My.Happy.Place. 

Also, flashback about 2 days ago: 

Me: "Mom, can you make Anderson a Gryffindor scarf by Friday? I am too cheap to buy one on Amazon and pay shipping."

Mom: "Sure."

:)

Max was basically a terrorist/his normal self the entire evening, but I did get this cute one of him saying, "Hoo"

Y'all. 

Hedwig, Ron, Harry & Dobby. 

Hogwarts in a Wagon. 

It is too much. 

The Ferg, himself. 

Brandon was a trooper and pulled the wagon in the rain/freezing weather. 

We possibly stole the wands at one point. 

Someone gave out sticky skeletons instead of candy and the boys had a blast trying to get them to stick to the ceiling. Boys really are so easy to entertain. 

Fun/Free Times in October

Perhaps I will miss this time, if for no other reason than how many FREE and sometimes fun activities there are for little people! 

In a fun twist at the beginning of the month, I had a meeting away from school in the afternoon and managed to pick up the boys and make it home by 5:15. FIVE FIFTEEN! It was amazing and I was a bit giddy all night; it felt like I was on vacation. We ate dinner at a normal time, actually played and I think I even made it to bed at a normal hour. I truly love my job, but the bus duty and commute get a little bit tiresome occasionally. 5:15. I keep thinking about it. 

On a different note, how much fun is this bubble machine that Clare gave Max? 

Speaking of loving my job...there were a few weekends where Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg stuff was FREE for teachers & 1 guest. And, kids under 2 are always free, so SCORE! (Brandon was, of course, working so we had an epic time with the Brimers!

First up, Wonder Works! Now, I can tell him, "We have already been there!" every time we pass The Upside Down House. 

I love that Max is free when we go places because I feel like it is a total victory. He has just as much fun as Anderson!

Then, because she is awesome, Clare suggested we hit up the Aquarium and it was AWESOME and also FREE!! A shark tunnel! What on earth.

In addition to the amazing sights, they touched crabs & jelly fish!

Max was SO pumped about all of it. FISH! SHARK! TUR-TLE! (I love how he says turtle)

As always, we are so lucky to have these Brimers in our lives!

I love, love when I walk into sights like this.

A visit from our girls where we made Halloween houses. 

 And Amazing Noni took the older ones to Chuck E Cheese to battle the crowds in their Halloween costumes (free tickets for kids in costume and, you know we had free token coupons, too. Noni paid the rest, so technically...still free for me!)

while I kept these 2 and fed them ice cream for lunch. 

During my 2 day Fall Break (I LOVE MY JOB!), both boys were sick with Hand/Foot/Mouth virus and Max, of course, had ear infections, but that did not stop us from having fun running errands and cleaning the house! We did manage a few fun things like a visit to the library but, overall, my kids are destined to always associate breaks from school with productivity. Other people have vacations and we have oil changes; it all equals out in the end. 

We played hooky one afternoon from school & went to the Foothills Fall Festival, and, you know that a visit to a Fall festival is not complete without Noni/Bop along for the ride!

I got some really high quality pics while we were there like this one of Max climbing the basketball thing.

Really, I think that might be the best picture that I got with the exception of Twiggy the water skiing squirrel . You know it is a good time when there is a rodent on skis.

This Ferg loves his Bop. 

Due to the fact that I have already had one vehicle/construction/rescue loving boy, we have seen every truck in Knoxville at some point, but Round #2 deserves some truck love, too. So, we hit up a Fire/Rescue thing and Max was in heaven. 

There were all kinds of businesses giving out free stuff and we, of course, promptly hoarded all of it, including a little football. 

Just like I always do, I took many, many amazing pictures of everyone. 

Another Friday night, another football game. Bop & Anderson came with me to a few this season & it was really fun because the people I work with are amazing and have goody bags ready for Anderson/food Pops likes in the Press Box. I am serious. Also, it is fun when I get to hang out with them while "working."

 Fall festival at their preschool. I truly love that place.

He kept trying to pose as if he was scoring. 

Reese is seriously adorable. Her little petiteness, her excitement about Max, her little face. It is all too much. 

 We hit up the YMCA Fall Festival, which was a totally misleading name because there was definitely nothing "fall" about it. I think it was maybe 80 degrees. but, the heat did not stop Max & Reese from totally dominating the play doh table.

 Max LOVED the pumpkin painting. It was fun to watch him so focused.

 Anderson had a baseball game, but he came for a few minutes to paint a pumpkin, too.

 Then we hit up Sunny's 4th birthday party! The boys had such a fun time playing outside and hitting the piñata. I cannot believe Sunny is 4!

These 2 together are so precious and WAY less intense (emotionally, anyway) than their older siblings. 

And, here are a few videos from the month,  so I can easily find them when I want them: 

Anderson talking in the car

Max making animal sounds

Anderson explaining his solar system drawing

Max talking in the car

A link to an Anderson funny

Friday Bear.

In yet another reason on the list called "Why Anderson's Pre School is awesome," he got to bring Friday Bear home over last weekend. I was not actually sure why this bear was coming home with us, but Anderson was all about it & filled me in on his story. Apparently, one kid who was really good during the week gets to bring the bear home and take pics of their adventures and share them in a scrapbook. 

I think it is safe to say that Friday had a pretty good time at the Glover's house. 

First, we hit up a Fall Festival where they moon bounced, dug in a huge dirt pile, ate hot dogs and even got to* hold a water skiing squirrel! 

*Thanks to Noni who paid the $3 for the picture. I don't even buy the sports pics, you know I am not going to pay for a rodent picture. But,  Anderson was pretty pumped, so it was worth it. Especially since it was not my money. I have a feeling many, many stories in the future will begin with, "Remember that time I held the squirrel?"

On Saturday, we went to a "Fire Safety/Trucks/Rescue/I am not sure it had a name" thing that had a lot of  trucks/vehicles and all kinds of free goodies. Friday was very happy to pose by the garbage truck, ambulance, etc. 

 Friday also participated in a normal day with Anderson-hundreds of different activities, including playing in the sandbox/with chalk/play doh/etc, playing hockey, playing football, reading books, destroying things, eating snacks and decorating for Halloween with a box of goodies from GG!

 On Sunday, he went to Mass with us where I made him wait in the car because I was afraid we would lose him. Then, he hung out at Anderson's soccer game (where Anderson scored 4 goals further proving how much we desperately need baseball season to end.)

And, Friday even got to pick out a new fish for Noni's house!

A few more sightings of Friday Bear...looks like he saw a pretty real weekend.