Monday, October 22, 2012

Halloween Jumpstart

Steph and Jim came down to spend their Fall Break with us and we had a great time over the weekend.  We went shopping, swimming, attended Jake's soccer game, headed downtown to see the Bellagio Conservatory, stopped quickly at a "Witches and Warlocks" party and made Haunted Halloween Houses and caramel apples.  It was a great way to jumpstart our Halloween traditions.  This is my most favorite time of year.  I absolutely LOVE it!

THE BELLAGIO 
Joe loves to torment tourists by discreetly leaning over to touch the water and make it spray innocent on-lookers
Katelyn was on a Mall Scavenger Hunt Birthday Party so she missed this family picture but we gained a cute niece and handsome nephew
The kids love the "Talking Tree" welcoming them to the Bellagio
We decided to grab a yummy treat and visit the World's Largest Chocolate Fountain at Jean Phillipe Patisserie.  All of us ate delicious gelato and chocolate-covered strawberries. 
This skeleton and chair were completely made from chocolate.  Amazing!
Their pastries and cakes looked delicious and so did their crepes.  Joe and I will definitely visit again for a date night.  It was an expensive treat but we lived it up because their motto is 
"Never pay full price for anything unless it's covered in chocolate!"

HAUNTED HALLOWEEN HOUSES
I made the caramel while the builders designed their houses
A very glamorous shot of my sis and me
 
The Finished Products


DIPPING CANDY APPLES

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Jacob's Shiner

Joe and I were in bed reading and listening to the usual raucous of the boys wrestling, playing basketball, and messing around in their room instead of sleeping at 11:30 p.m.  All of the sudden we heard Jake's usual nightly cry.  Again, a nightly routine so we didn't move.  Jake was screaming like he was dying (his usual cry).  We continued to ignore them.  Then Clark came into our room crying, apologizing, and explaining that Jake's eyebrow had moved to the side of his head. 

Joe got up and went in to see what was going on.  Jacob had the biggest goose-egg I have ever seen right next to his eye.  It was huge.  I grabbed an ice bag and told him to calm down because both he and Clark were crying hysterically.  Clark was apologizing profusely and yelling about how he was the worst brother in the world and that he wished he could take the pain away from Jake.  We again gave the lecture about messing around, carrying things too far, and not going to bed when they are told.  They had been playing wrestling soccer and Clark went to throw Jake on his bed but couldn't lift him high enough so he plowed right into the sideboard with his eye. 

Jacob went to bed with an ice pack on the side of his head next to his right eye and Clark continued to sniffle until he fell asleep too.  Sunday morning, the goose-egg had "moved" from the side of his head to his eye.  It was completely swollen shut.  We went to church and it was very interesting to see the progression of his eye during those three hours--swelling, purple, and red.  This black eye was definitely the worst I've seen and over the last 2 weeks people have been very impressed by its awesomeness.  And in case you are wondering, it didn't stop them from messing around again during bedtime the next night, even when Joe and I threatened to blacken the other one!  Oh, these boys!
The eye before church and the eye after church
When he wanted to look or talk to someone he would lift his head up and peer out from under his swollen eyelid.  It was so funny and I got the giggles every time.
The eye later that evening and the next day at school
Two days later and three days later
Four days later and a week later.  
It has been 2 weeks now and there is just some slight bruising under and around his eye.  
My sweet boy is almost back to looking normal!