A Rainy Halloween

We had a fun Halloween night...despite the rain. Jack was REALLY into trick or treating, as you can imagine. And Josie caught on after a couple houses...then she was a seasoned pro. "Chee Chee {Trick or Treat}" then a big smile and "Tank you!" Our rain boots proved - yet again - that they are worth every penny. Luckily it was just wet...not wet and cold (which would have been HORRIBLE). We came home and enjoyed a few pieces of candy...followed by a sugar rush.

Happy Halloween!

{Also - if you're keeping track - yes, Jack was a fireman last year, too.}

How to Make a Bad Guy: a tutorial for Moms with Boys

This is a little "How To" for moms with boys. Especially boys who like Superheroes and fighting "bad guys." In my house, there are LOTS of "bad guys" and Jack has an inherent need to fight them. I'm pretty sure this is just built right into boy DNA. Unfortunately for Josie, she is usually on the receiving end of the fight. So last week - after I'd had just about all the "bad guy fighting" I could take... I came up with a solution. I made a Bad Guy. Here's how:

1. Find a cardboard box. We always have plenty of these lying around thanks to our addiction to Amazon. The box above was from our latest order of dog food (yes, I'm THAT lazy).

2. Tell your little superhero to wait. This might be the hardest step. See Jack? He's asking, "One more minute, Mommy?"

3. Find some paper and draw a Bad Guy face. Give him a mean mug. Jack requested red eyes.

 4. Add a construction paper shirt (we went with the "prison" look) and give him a name. Our Bad Guy is "Bart."

5. Turn your Superhero loose on the Bad Guy and stay out of the way. Also - you may want to keep tape nearby, as you may be called on for some repairs.

6. {THIS IS A NEW ADDITION & Optional} Jack recently heard the song, "The Final Countdown" by Europe. So now he requests we play that song as he is fighting the Bad Guy. Go ahead and take a second to imagine this...it's hilarious.

Josie approves and is grateful that Bart has stepped in to alleviate her duties as the Bad Guy. She watches from the sidelines and cheers Jack on...like a supportive sister.

**We don't condone violence in our home - however, boys really like to hit things. As you know, if he's not hitting Bart - Jack also likes to hit home runs.

Who is excited for the weekend?

These two are!

We have no plans so far…

Which actually sounds pretty great.

Happy Friday.
(and Happy Birthday TODAY to Aunt Debbie!)
XOXO

Goodbye Tears

I found a few more pictures on my camera from the weekend. Of course, before the Carstens could leave, Jack needed them to see his rocket. So the kids launched some rockets in the yard while the parents packed up.

Josie didn't like saying goodbye. She must get that from her mother. She cried and yelled, "No bye bye." Heartbroken.

Skeleton Encounters

Fireman Jack was in awe of Calvin Johnson (the skeleton). He is a fine specimen (in live form and in skeletal form).

Downtown Northville goes ALL OUT for Halloween! Each business dresses up a skeleton and they stand around outside for weeks. They're amazing! We were downtown for a Halloween party today and we got a chance to see the skeletons up close. We saw Megatron (Calvin Johnson) and Superman. There was also a skeleton in a yoga pose, a UPS skeleton, a Dentist & her patient, a dancer, and a bank robber! If you live in Metro Detroit - come walk around our little town!

We Celebrate

Today we celebrate Grandma Nancy's birthday - and it's also Maddox's birthday. There were cupcakes-a-plenty this weekend. As you can see, Josie took part in the celebrating.

We hope you have a great birthday, Grandma Nancy! Jack thinks Grandpa should buy you a cake.

In The Big House

We had some special visitors this weekend…and as you can see - Jack couldn't wait for them to get here. We used a tracking app to watch where the Carstens were on their trip here. And when their "arrow car" landed on our "orange dot house" - Jack ran to the door and yelled "HEY GUYS!!!"

Friday night was a sleepover - complete with three superhero sleeping bags and one snow flake blanket (pretend sleeping bag) for the little girl. Saturday morning brought donuts and rain. Boooooo rain.

We got all the kiddos dressed in their IU gear…and Josie added some cupcake frosting to her face. Cute.

Even Baby Devin got in the Hoosier Spirit!

Tyson, Matt, the BIG boys, and I headed off to Ann Arbor for the IU vs Michigan game in the Big House. "Cold and wet - with a side of tired" - would be the words I'd use to describe our time. Grandma Nancy drove up to watch Josie - which was very nice of her!! Josie wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes at the game.

We made it through one downpour, one trip to the bathroom, and one visit to the concession stand - all before half-time. Then - we headed back to Northville.

Here is our final group picture. Cooper & Tucker even made it in the shot! We had a great weekend! Thanks for coming to visit us, Carstens!

PS: Bad weekend for sports. IU lost. Tigers lost. Lions lost.

Monster TRuck Rally

 The other day, while Josie napped, Jack talked me into racing Monster TRucks in our driveway. It was a Monster TRuck Rally, if you will...

 Jack got the BIG Monster TRuck...

And, as you can see, I got the small Monster TRuck. Can you guess who assigned trucks? FYI - my little truck held it's own just fine - I'll have you know...

And then Jack got gansta. When someone asks, "When did Jack Becker get so gansta?" Just show them this picture. He's like a mini-Kid Rock or something. Detroit. It's in the blood.

{Sidenote: The hat Jack is wearing was one of my cousin Chad's hats. Jack picked it out when we were visiting my Aunt & Uncle. It says Big Johnson Guns. He likes it because it's orange camo and because it would look damn good at a REAL Monster TRuck Rally!}

Clevenger Halloween/Christmas

We were back in Indiana for the weekend and we got a chance to catch up with some friends & family. Saturday morning we stopped by the Maile's - to see Katie (Beehler) and Max. Their little guy, Benjamin, was so sweet about sharing with Jack & Josie. We had fun!

Then, after naps, it was off to Plymouth for Clevenger Halloween/Christmas.

 Josie and I teamed up for a girlie pumpkin - complete with eyelashes and a kiss-face. (see it below)

Jack was SO excited about playing with Elliott and Owen - I barely got any pictures of him. Meanwhile, Josie was chumming with everyone and, therefore, is in A LOT of pictures.

She managed to eat bubbles. Not sure what that was about. And she became BFFs with Ada. My grandma made a traditional "Christmas dinner" and it was DELICIOUS! Jack and Josie chowed down...{and so did Kady & Tyson.}

Jack & his "boys" took a break from wrestling/football/being boys - to pose for a picture. I can't tell you how refreshing it is to be around my cousin's kids...a welcome reminder that Jack is ALL boy and perfectly normal.

Josie tried on Grandpa Gigi's glasses and I think they looked great on her! What do you think?

Last week was Fire Safety week! Make sure you hop over to Mumbling Mommy to see my post on how to talk to your kids about Fire Safety!! {See! I still have some Insurance Agent in me.}

Reflections of an Artist

The tools needed for an Almost-Two Artist:

Crayons - CHECK.

Paper (optional) - CHECK.

Water Bottle - CHECK.

Granola Bar - CHECK.

Cheesy Smile - CHECK.

Second Child Alert

First of all - before you look at the pictures below you need to promise not to judge. My pantry is a mess. It's on the list of "Things-I-Should-Do-When-I-Have-A-Free-Hour." Also - I feed my family Velveeta Mac & Cheese. It's easy and good. Oh, and you can see the Oreos. They're a staple.

Second Child Alert. Standing on a chair in the pantry, so you can play with the light switch while I cook dinner? Sure. Go for it.

Josie is {still} happiest while raiding the pantry...or playing in it.

Happy Friday! Looking forward to some Clevenger Family time!

How about those Tigers?!?!

It's Game 5, people!

We are sporting our Detroit Tigers gear today and hoping it isn't the last time we wear it for a while. Our Tigers are in Game 5 of the ALDS vs the Oakland A's. Come on, Cubs/Reds/Indians/White Sox fans - show us some love! Cubs fans are especially welcome on the Bandwagon...you need a reason to cheer.

Also - one more thing - BEST.TEACHER.GIFT. EVER!

That's a Wine "sippy cup." And it's brilliant. It rarely gets used. Okay, that's a lie. Add one to your Christmas/Hanukkah list...you won't regret it.

GO TIGERS!

Field Trip to the Orchard

Jack's class had a field trip to the Apple Orchard yesterday and I got to tag along! We picked some apples, found a couple pumpkins, and ate cider donuts {I know someone in Iowa who is jealous right now}.

 Jack posed as a black cat...

 And braved a picture with some scary monsters!

Then he flashed a toddler "gang sign" {or ASL for "love"} and we headed home to relieve Josie's babysitter. Much to my surprise, Josie didn't shed one tear! She's such a clingy girl these days…I was shocked. And happy. And I think I'll get this sitter again REALLY soon.

Down on the Farm {Part 2}

Saturday morning we woke up to find that one of the cows was having a baby...in the field...by herself. {apparently this is common for cows} I couldn't help it, my mommy instincts made me feel for this mama cow. Uncle Larry reported that the feet were out. No big deal. He sat down and ate some breakfast. By the time we got out to the field, the baby was standing up and her mama was giving her a "cow tongue bath." Talk about amazing. We left the mama and her baby - and headed off to North Vernon for the Farmer's Market.

The afternoon brought rain and a tractor ride for Jack. He was in heaven. We also "helped out" with feeding and Jack rode on the four-wheeler...again, in heaven. Uncle Larry was his new best friend.

 Oh look - I got in a couple pictures! {Thanks, mom!}

Jack may not look excited about riding the tractor & the four wheeler - don't be fooled. He talked about it the whole way back to Michigan. He also asked when he could go back to The Farm...

My answer: "When Aunt Debbie, Uncle Larry, and Grandpa Walker recover from our visit...it may take a while."