halloween part one

bones

I've got to get this posted now because Halloween Part Two happens this evening. My wonderful neighbors Chad and Emily treated Tim and Luke to Halloween at The Farm last Friday night. We started the festivities in the afternoon with a pumpkin painting activity. Tim flat refused to put on his garbage bag smock and paint. He wouldn't even paint without the smock. But Addie happily painted while we watched. Tim did stick some stickers on one of the pumpkins that his Aunt Debbie grew and gave to him. We had to do the painting on the garage floor because the gorgeous late summer weather turned to fall overnight and it was too cool and misty to paint outside and too messy to paint inside. That's okay though; that's perfect Halloween weather. I forgot to take photos of this event.

After a short break in which Addie took a nap, Tim had some down time with a cup of milk, Luke played with his toys, and Paul came home from work, we all walked two doors down to their house and had hot dogs for dinner. Chad was working high in the mountains, riding horses in the snow of all things; he's a forest ranger, but he managed to get back in time to go to the Farm.


addie dressed as jessie from toy story 2. i meant to take her photo but had the camera on video.

Tim told me a few days before the party that he wanted to be C3P0 for Halloween, but I wasn't able to find him a costume in town. They are available on-line, but I'm not convinced he'd wear it, so I didn't bother. Next year, he'll let me know well ahead of time, I'm sure, and I'll be sure to get him or make him what he wants if at all humanly possible. He was happy to wear his skeleton pajamas (he calls them his bones). It was cold enough that he had to wear a heavy coat, so the costume didn't really matter. The hat was in a box of clothes that he inherited from Karsten, who must have been a skeleton for his second Halloween as well. Luke wore the Kangaroo suit that Colten gave to Tim at 9 months old. It's very warm and Luke was happy the whole evening and even fell asleep in Paul's arms.

For Halloween, local businesses like nursery schools, dental offices, and charities make false fronted doors for children to do their 'trick-or treating'. These are set up along the paths of the inner area of The Farm, around the pond and chicken coup. There is also a hay ride, and local schools make displays that are set up in the barn. The best was Monster Math, a mock classroom with a ghoul for a teacher and zombies for students.

waiting for our turn on the hayride

Addie, being a year older than Tim and having been to The Farm last Halloween, knew what was what and led him from door to door singing out 'Trick-or-Treat' or 'Happy Halloween' and holding out her bag for candy gleefully. Tim got the part about holding out his bag for candy (he figured that out last year as well), but he remained mute most of the night and wanted to stop and inspect what was deposited in his bag at each door before moving on. He took on the role of doing some knocking on the door about half way through.


checking out the treat

Every day since then, he's told me the story of going to The Farm, knocking on the door, saying 'Halloween,' and getting candy. He also asks to go back. Today he came home from school with a new story. Tomorrow night, his whole school is having a Halloween Party. Hence, Halloween Part Two...

my boys

helicopter

While we were in Breckenridge in August, the city was having a some kind of festival celebrating vehicles, especially those used for rescue operations. While Paul hiked up Mt. Quandry, Tim, Luke and I checked out the equipment on display, which was in a parking lot very close to our condo. Before we left, the rescue helicopter flew in and landed. It flew past our window, just above the buildings. Tim was beside himself with excitement. Then, he got to sit in the cockpit.





big smile on a beautiful summer day

enjoying some ice cream and dad and mom's undivided attention while baby brother sleeps

he's added jumping and climbing to his standard of running everywhere he goes

the blue river

people watching

lunch at bubba gump's restaurant

steamboat springs

Tim is fun to drive with now because he notices and comments on so many things that he sees outside of the car. Between his sightseeing, watching his DVD, and taking a nap, he can ride in the car for almost three hours without much complaining.

the yampa river

higher!

faster!

on a saddle in the tack room at the ranch

when he gets excited, he waves both arms

throwing rocks on the elk river

throwing big rocks on the elk river

the farm

Our city Parks and Recreation department maintains a small farm in one of the city parks. It was an actual farm in 1920, and the buildings have been restored. There are a couple of cows, some sheep, a few ponies, chickens, and most impressively, in Tim's mind, a water pump. While my in-laws were here, I booked a slot for Tim in the Lil' Dumplin' group, which met on three Monday's in a row from 11:15-12:15. Spaced over those three days, they got to feed the hens, milk the cow, go for a hay ride pulled by a tractor, and ride a pony. Jenny and Neville took him and they had a sack lunch on the grounds at the end of each session.

tractor in the sun

he was very excited about the pony ride and kept asking for his helmet which was a little late getting to him

helmeted at last


in the chicken yard


the water pump

Gramps and Gee Gee bought Tim (and Luke in another few months) a trampoline. I worked for a few hours last night putting it together, but never managed to get it right. It took longer to get it out of the box and packaging than to assemble it. Paul looked at it this morning and figured out the issue within minutes. I love being married to a problem solver. Our neighbor Emily and her three-year-old daughter Addie were around for the grand opening. I predict many hours of jumping for the two of them.