Get ready for Halloween!

I'm so excited about Halloween this year. A understands it and we have a familycostume  ready. Pictures of that will have to wait until at least tomorrow, but in the meantime check out last weekend's fun at the Discovery Museum Halloween Party and carving our pumpkin!

The pirate in his pirate ship

Mad scientists!

Making a pumpkin 

Yummy spider cookie!

Pumpkin goo

Showing off our silly face pumpkin

S'mores and glowing jack 'olantern

Life's a Beach (Part 2 of the family vacay)

I meant to do this post earlier this week, because with Halloween looming, I already have some great pictures to share! Oh well, it's here at last :)

Most of the week we had fantastic weather...check out DaDoc (far left), Pop, A, Kyle and Fella enjoying the fishing and waves.
 
We mostly tried to fish...

though a few fish were caught (none good for eating).

And we went exploring too!

And on the one day we did have rain, we went to the NC Aquarium! This was our first full aquarium trip, and it was really fun.

Don't worry...we relaxed plenty too...mostly by playing play-doh and watching Jake!

We had a really great time with our family, and can't wait for the next family trip in 2015!

Crabby Time

Don't worry. Crabby time is not a reference to A's recent mood or behaviors. Instead it is a reference to the nightly ritual we had while at the beach this past week! Perhaps this was A's favorite part of the beach trip this year. (And I mean for real favorite, not just the last thing mentioned.)

With the sun going down around 7pm, it was perfect for us to head out to the beach and hunt for crabs each night. Well, except for that night it was pouring rain of course so we skipped. Fiddler crabs, ghost crabs, sand crabs...whatever you want to call them...are downright fun to chase around the beach for all ages! 

First, take a look at one. They range from 1 inch to 6 inches and are usually tan or spotted to blend in with the sand. Here's a tinier one that DaDoc was happy to hold for us. 

But searching for and running after them are really the fun part. 

Just wait til you find one!

Yep. We had fun. I think we'll do it again. 

Apples and More Apples

Last week I posted a menu that was mostly fantastic. A ate everything without complaint, though unfortunately the sweet potato quesadillas were a little lack-luster. But let me tell you that kid can eat some sausage with apples and cabbage. Lucky for us we have leftover pumpkin soup (recipe winner for the week!) so this week will be easy for dinner. 

If we do need something beyond leftovers, we have 30 lbs of apples to eat. Yep, you read that right. Thirty. And here begins the picture installment from our adventure to Carter Mountain today...

Look at this view...

Apple picking time!

Pumpkin patch!

On the hayride 

And now for some apple pie!