Our Early Halloween

Here is our little Jedi, or Padawan to be exact.

Note: Did you know that there is a Wookieepedia? (think Wikipedia for Star Wars) No, I am not kidding. How else would I confirm how to spell Padawan?

On Friday evening we took Kendry for his first trick-or-treating experience in downtown Clarkston, where they close the main street and the businesses host all the little kiddos. Kendry was so excited to have such a large open space to run that he hardly bothered with the candy collection. He only came home with 5 or 6 pieces. Apparently his sweet-tooth mommy needs to teach him a thing or two about free candy.

He also had his first fire engine experience - a fairly anti-climactic event since he has yet to understand what a fire engine is/does.



Jedi Lesson #1: Keep all vital body parts clear of your light saber.

Okay, so he has a lot to learn before he is an official Jedi. But he did seem to understand that the light saber was a crucial detail to his get-up and he carried it everywhere.

Then on Saturday Kendry got dressed up again to see his great-grandparents.

Even a Jedi needs a cookie now and then.

And a little cuddle time with Great Grandma.

This year I remembered to get some video as well:

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU

Ten on Tuesday

1. I finished Kendry's trick-or-treat bag this weekend by stitching a candy corn print fabric to the handles. I also added a "K" in the same fabric.


2. I am an auntie again! My little niece, Londyn Marie, was born on October 20th.

3. We are currently in the market for a training potty. No, I don't think Kendry is ready just yet to start potty training, but I like the idea of having one in the bathroom to perk his interest a bit.

4. My fall love this week comes in the form of the beautiful maple trees my hubby planted in our back yard a few years ago. They are called October Glory. I'm sure you can see why.

5. Disney Movie Trivia: "I'm packing your extra pair of shoes, and your angry eyes just in case."

{Last week's answer: Alice in Wonderland}

6. To all you Washington voters: don't forget to mail in your ballot this week!

7. After slacking off for way too long when it comes to introducing ourselves to our neighbors, I have met four of our neighbors (and one neighborhood dog) in the last two weeks. It feels great!

8. I met one neighbor at her recent yard sale, where I found a spectacular vintage piano bench to restore. This neighbor had so many wonderful things that were right up my alley when it comes to decor. She just might end up being my very favorite neighbor.

9. I love being a parent with my hubby, and can't wait to do it again...and again...and again, God willing.

10. This Week's Blessing: Our kiddo learning how to pick up his toys! Apparently he has been doing this for awhile at daycare, but he knew how to play the "baby card" when we tried to get him to clean up at home. Not anymore, kiddo!

Fabulous Furnishings and Fall Film Festival

In my efforts to be frugal over the last few years I have discovered a new passion of decorating with what I already have - or decorating with what other people are getting rid of for cheap. Specifically, I enjoy finding good quality pieces of furniture that just need some TLC. And by refinishing them myself they become unique additions to our home.

My most recent project was an old desk given to me so generously by my in-laws. I was in dire need of a simple desk to place in my spare room (where I keep all my crafting supplies), but I could not justify spending the money on a brand new desk. Fortunately, my in-laws were doing some re-arranging and decided to get rid of this piece in the process.

Here is the desk before its facelift. The top was in such poor shape that my hubby removed it and cut a new one for me.

After a lot of sanding and attaching the new top, we moved it inside for painting.




Finally, the finished product:




Yes, I am aware that it looks totally girly in this color, but that is exactly what I was going for - and it fits in with my spare room decor. This will serve as my sewing, crafting and scrapbooking space, so I wanted the desk to be an inspiring piece. I plan to spend a great deal of time here over the next two months in anticipation for the holiday season.

Which leads me to the second part of this post: my fall film festival. When I am crafting I love to have pretty music or a fun movie on in the background. Since I have quite a few projects ahead of me I made a list of some of my favorite movies to keep me company. Most of them have a fall or holiday theme.

My picks:
1. One True Thing (a great mother/daughter movie)
2. When Harry Met Sally
3. You've Got Mail
4. Planes, Trains & Automobiles
5. Little Women
6. Stepmom


Can you think of any others I should add to my list?

Pumpkin Patch

This weekend we headed out to Wilson Banner Ranch for the harvest fair. As I have already mentioned, our own garden yielded plenty of beautiful pumpkins this year, but we still couldn't resist giving Kendry a genuine pumpkin patch experience.

The walk out to the patch was a bit too far for Kendry's short legs, so he hitched a ride.

My handsome fellas:

Kendry attempted to lug a big one by himself.

When it wouldn't budge he resorted to climbing.

Then he gave it a few kisses.

Someone is looking a little tired...

Then the search was over - Daddy found the winning pumpkin!

Kendry agrees!

Having found our Charlie Brown Pumpkin (think "The Great Pumpkin" meets the "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree"), we headed back to the pavillion for music and games for the kids. This was a hanging apple bobbing contest.



Kendry was a bit too small to participate this year, but we bought him a farm-fresh apple for practice. Look out for this little chomper next year!

As for the pumpkin, this thing has so much character I'm not even sure it needs to be carved.

The Half-Marathon

Its official: I've been transformed. I've been denying it for several years now, but its time to face the music and fess up.

I have become a distance runner.

{GASP!}

Two weeks ago, this former sprinter competed in her first half-marathon in Leavenworth, Washington. The scenery was gorgeous, the weather perfect, and the company fantastic.

The run was tough.

At mile 3 I was still breathing well enough to cheer on other runners, specifically two moms who were running and pushing their kiddos in BOBs up a two mile incline. At that moment I wished I had Kendry cruising along with me. (This sentiment vanished at the mile 9 incline.)

Around mile 6 I was still smiling and admiring the beautiful fall colors displayed throughout the course, but I was starting to think: "It would be perfect if the run ended right here because I am still feeling great and would love to enjoy the rest of my day in Leavenworth."

By mile 7 I realized that I had erred in my choice of apparel. Although I had trained for several weeks wearing leggings, I opted to swap them out for spandex shorts on race day. Why? I do not know. But my inner thighs paid the price.

At mile 8 I finally spotted my wonderful hubby and kiddo, who had found a playground along the course and were waiting for me to pass by them. Here is evidence that I was still smiling at mile 8:

I don't remember much of miles 9-13.1, except that I kept telling myself "You can do this!" over and over again. And it worked. I ran the entire 13.1 miles. I did partake of the water stands along the way, but always made myself keep running. This wasn't a pride thing - I just knew that if I started walking I may never get myself running again.

One hour, fifty-two minutes and thirty seconds after the starting gun went off I was crossing the finish line...along with this strange guy wearing only a speedo, tennis shoes and a gladiator mask.

And you wonder why I gasped earlier about being classified as a distance runner?

DONE AT LAST!!

I finished 18th of 216 women in my age group (30-34), and 80th in a total of 908 female participants.

A finisher medal and hugs from my little man helped me recover quickly.

In all actuality the smile on my face reads: "Thank you, Lord, that my inner thighs are no longer being rubbed raw."

So maybe I'm not a true distance runner yet since I only learned after the race about Band-Aid's friction block stick that prevents this sort of running mishap. This knowledge will come in handy on my next half-marathon, if there is one.