More October Events

October has just gone by in a flash.  These boys' social calendars are just getting so much busier, and we have been so busy with them every weekend.  Shuffling both to soccer games/practices, school, Evan to Cub Scouts events and other play dates, and some fun neighborhood events have been keeping us running.  We have not yet had an opportunity to do some of our favorite fun fall events, but we hope November will offer us more of those opportunities.

Neighborhood Oktoberfest

Our neighborhood host an annual Oktoberfest event for all the families.  Evan has so many friends in our neighborhood now so he loves these opportunities to get together with them.  Our neighborhood is pretty large so we don't often get to meet up with or run into his friends.  The event is fun for adults and kids.  The kids enjoy several inflatable bounce houses while the adults enjoy eating brats and drinking beer.  Who do you think has more fun?  Haha!  Evan was such a blur at this event, and I could barely keep up with him much less take his picture.  He just thinks he is grown lately and wants to run off and play with his buddies.  Brody wasn't a big fan of the inflatables this time as they were pretty packed with kids.  He preferred a little bean bag toss with a lot of other kids more his age.

Brody figuring out the bean bag toss.

He preferred being a little closer.  Ha!

One of the few shots I could get of Evan playing a rough game of tag or wrestling with his buddy.

Uh oh, Patrick charges head first.

Tackled.  These boys need to go out for football!

Cub Scout Pumpkin Smashing

At Evan's last Cub Scout meeting, his troop had some fall fun carving pumpkins, shooting pumpkins from a catapult, and smashing their carved pumpkins on the ground.  It would seriously have made me so sad to smash a pumpkin I had just worked hard to carve, but I guess boys just love to smash and destroy stuff.  Haha!

They had to plan out their pumpkin design. 

An interesting creation. 

The pumpkin catapult.

Evan's turn

They added a fog machine for a dramatic and spooky effect on their pumpkins.

Spooky pumpkin

Preparing for the smashing!

Climbing the ladder for more height.

And there goes the pumpkin.  I understand it was quite exciting.

Evan also got a lot of belt loops and pins that he earned at his weekend camping trip.  

Evan's belt loop collection has grown:  soccer, swimming, basketball, fishing, ultimate frisbee, hiking, and bbshooting for which he also got a pin.  

First Sleepover, Trunk or Treat, and Neighborhood Pumpkin Painting

This past weekend, Evan had a busy Saturday.  He had a soccer game, then he had to go sell some more popcorn for Cub Scouts, and then he went to his best buddy's house for a sleepover.  It was his first sleepover with a school buddy, and I would not typically feel comfortable allowing Evan to spend the night with a school friend yet, but we know this family pretty well.  Evan's friend's mom was their substitute teacher last year for a large part of the year, they live in our neighborhood, and they are in Cub Scouts together.  I feel comfortable that this lady can handle these boys.  She actually bravely allowed a couple of other boys to stay as well that are all good friends through school and Cub Scouts.  They went together to a fall festival at a local church and just enjoyed playing together.  Evan's friend's dad is a retired Navy pilot so he and his son have helped fuel Evan's new love of airplanes I think.  I did get a text at about 9:30 that night that Evan was sad and wanted to come home.  I said I would come over and talk to him and see if he wanted to stay or come home, but then the dad said he had gotten him cheered up and ready to stay.  I think Evan just missed us and was getting really tired after his long day.  I think his friend's dad has a very patient and playful way of dealing with them similar to Eddie.  He said they started a laser gun fight around the house, and Evan was having too good of a time after that.  After we picked Evan up after breakfast and went to get lunch, we had to get some last minute things for Brody's costume which I made.  I finished his costume just in time to go to Brody's school for a trunk or treat.  Both boys enjoyed getting an early start on getting treats, and they were a big hit in their costumes.  After the trunk or treat, we rushed back to our neighborhood for the annual pumpkin painting event.  Whew, what a weekend!

Brody proudly painting his pumpkin. 

Both boys concentrate so hard on their work. 

Evan decided he wanted to paint an American flag on his this year. 

Brody's was quite a color explosion.  

I helped Evan get his colors a little more separate as the paint wanted to run together and make pink instead of red and white stripes.  

I helped Brody make a sticker face and add the feathers, but he did all the painting. 

A lovely colorful pumpkin.

Daddy brought Cocoa so she could get some exercise and have some fun too.

Brody enjoyed running up and down the big hill much like his big brother.

Cocoa is growing so fast!

I was a little too far away for this picture, but I loved how Brody was leading the way up the hill with some other boys his age.  It made my heart happy watching them play like big boys.

Coming down the big hill.  Brody is very cautious while the others don't care if they fall.

Sweet big boy

They just sat down under the tree at the top of the hill and played.