Who ya gonna call..Ghostbusters!

I love creating a do it yourself costume.  We started this tradition when he was 1yr old because of cost and it just became a fun and unique experience.  This year Grant wanted to be a no-noggin (head) scarecrow for the longest time because he watches Curious George Halloween.  When searching on Pinterest on how to make him a cool scary looking scarecrow we came across a Ghostbuster.  Once he saw the proton park and gun attached it was a must have for Grant. We had a lot of fun walking around with the Ghostbuster theme song playing.  Brought back a lot of memories for people and they shared their stories with us at that time in their life when the movie came out. Grant would choose a candy and toss it over his shoulder making it right into his proton pack.  We emptied it 3 times because it was full and too heavy for him to carry. Grant finally let us go home when he realized he was staggering from being so tired.  Dave got to carry him about 4 blocks home. 

Finished product, Proton Pack

This years costume was the most expensive but well worth it:

Flight suit-$20

Ghostbuster badges for Dave and Grant -$20

Back pack-$3 target bin

Reflectors - $1

Ghostbuster theme song for iPhone - $1.99
Hot glue gun - $7

Vacuum parts - free broken

Night vision goggles - already owned

Black spray paint - already owned

washer hose - already owned

cables - have tons of extras

Lucky Charms box - already owned

Squirt gun - already owned

Danger stickers - internet free

This was the initial set up. Old egg carton, Altoid tin, pepsi can, empty box, large lego, anything lying around the house

Then we found a broken vacuum and Grant and Dave took the entire thing apart down to the motor which was cool but too heavy to use

The goods

Now to spray paint all the peices 

Builder goggles from Grants play set along with a box Dave cut to wrap around. 2 toilet paper rolls and 2 tops to spices

Candy catcher, proton pack, ghost zapper

I wasn't going to dress up until the day before so it was a quickie. Have to do it better next year.

Grants 4th Birthday

We celebrated Grants birthday at school with cupcakes and melon balls to balance the artificial sugar. All his friends colored a page for him and the teacher made a happy birthday book for him as a keepsake.  I'm really pleased with his school and everything he is learning.  On Saturday, his official birthday we took some of his friends bowling and his grandma's.  Grant got a fish for his birthday and put together his tank.

Party favors. Yoyo, maze, light up ball (bowling ball) and bowling pin (water bottle)

Nemo

Farm Weekend

Twenty years ago I met the best friends of my life while living in Florida.  We were all transplanted there from different parts of the country: Ohio, California and West Virginia.  Since then we have all migrated back to our homes but still manage to plan a trip yearly to reunite.  This years trip was special as we invited husbands and boyfriends and children to join in on the fun.  It was farm weekend in West Virginia on the Smith's farm of over 200 acres.  The colors of the season are beautiful and the pictures don't do the fall leaves justice.  They are brilliant yellows, bright corals, vibrant reds and shades of oranges and greens.  If you ever get a chance to go East in the fall you should.

4 states in 5 days.  We met Dave in Virginia while he was on a business trip.  While he worked on Thursday Grant and I went to  National Aire and Space Museum where the shuttle Discovery now rests.  Thursday night we took the Metro to D.C. too visit the monuments.  The capital building was beautifully lit with twinkle lights from a distance but we didn't have time to tour everything. We were on a tight schedule and had homework due. Friday morning we drove to West Virginia passing through Maryland.

11pm after D.C. catching up on homework, blah....

There was so much to do for Grant I knew I didn't need to bring any toys to occupy him.  We woke to the sound of roosters and when Grant saw from the 2nd story window the cows coming in from the pasture to be fed he raced like lighting down the stairs, yelled at Tim "we gotta go feed the cows!"  He fed the chickens in the morning while the others fed the black Angus cows and gave the donkeys mints.  Grant went hunting for farm fresh eggs in the barn.  He dug for worms and handled them like a champ so he could fish in the creek.  Drove a tractor and a mule, went off roading, hung in the tree house, met friends, roasted marshmallows and hot dogs, and played in the rain for hours.  The adults went off roading at night, shooting, tried to hunt but it was raining, and relaxed and laughed in the outdoors.  This is the good life away from the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle.  What a wonderful time!

Feeding the chickens and taking a ride on a John Deer

Breakfast, fresh fruit, homemade cobblers and apple pumpkin bread. Bagels, coffee, all the fixin's

He caught 5 fish, one after another and then we released them in a pond up on the hill

Grant handling his bucket of worms like a champ that he dug up for fishing

They look sad in the rain but only because we wanted a picture

Grant played with Olivia, Anna, Josiah and Jackson

AR15 target shooting

Some of the group. Left to right. Christina, Lisa, Tim, me, Grant, Michele, TK, and Dave.  

Testing out the deer seat high above the trees

Enjoying our foil dinners

hunting for eggs with Christina

Working on the farm and so happy

Those of you who know Grant know he's obsessed with tractors. Heaven!

Bug catching and crawdad fishing

So delicious. Salmon, chicken and pork with veggies and every seasoning to make a foil packet on the BBQ

So one morning I was looking out the kitchen window when a pack of white cows strolled onto the farm.  Apparently the neighbors cows got loose and Tim had to heard them away.