Minnie Mouse and The Cowboy

Pa-Pa Cowboy and Ma-Ma Linda (Dallas' parents) came for a visit. They came up on Amtrak and visited us for a week.














Tru had a Halloween party at school. This was the first year he was really into Trick-or-Treating.










All of the children participated in a Halloween Parade around the school. At each door there was a parent handing out candy.

Tru was too busy smiling and galloping to say "Trick-or-Treat".






























Tru's whole class.












They had outdoor activities after their parade. This is a sensory table filled with noodles and eyeballs.













Here's another table filled with goo and spiders.





Then they sat at tables and decorated pumpkins. They obviously do not believe in the "a little dab will do you" theory when it comes to using glue.





After nap time it was time for the party.










I think I have a photo of Tru licking a cupcake at every party he has had at school.















It was Pa-Pa Cowboy and Ma-Ma's Linda last night with us. Lin-Ley talked Pa-Pa into a game of checkers.
I warned Pa-Pa that Lin-Ley would cry if she did not win. He said he would be "mad" if he did not win. Luckily I do not think they ever finished the game so there was no loser.



Tru was walking around giving away kisses.





















So Ma-Ma Linda grabbed him as he hopped by.





















Halloween night. Ready to get started with the house-to-house Trick-or-Treating.















You can see Lin-Ley's "silver tooth" in this photo. (She is very proud of it!)






























































After visiting several houses it began to sprinkle so we headed over to our church for the Fall Festival. This year's theme was Noah and the Ark.













Lin-Ley is playing the matching game. She had to match the baby animal with the adult animal. Memory game style.































There was a potato sack race game as well. Since Tru can not hop in a sack (yet) Dallas and Lin-Ley took him through the course without the sack.


Tru played Casting The Net. He would throw the hoops and he got to keep the prizes that his hoops landed on.



Lin-Ley waited semi-patiently for the face/body painting.










Tru takes the opportunity for some more galloping.















Ta-Da.

















Happy Halloween from Minnie and Cowboy.













Quotes Of The Day:

Lin-Ley
After dropping something on the floor Dallas bent to pick it up. Lin-Ley swooped in, grabbed it and handed it to Dallas saying, "Here you go Dad. Kids are just faster than old people."

Tru
At most meals Tru holds out his hands and says, "Let's pray guys."
The night before Pa-Pa Cowboy and Ma-Ma Linda left to go to Louisiana Tru's prayer went as follows:
"Dear God, Thank you for our vacuum cleaner, our napkins, our food, and thank you for fixing Lin-Ley's toy box. Amen."

(By the way, Tru is absolutely obsessed with vacuum cleaners. However, if you turn the power on he will leave the room faster than you ever thought he could....)

Mix-Up

My posts are a little out of order. See "Girls Weekend" below "Tru and Rocket's Collage". Scroll down or click here.

Tru and Rocket's Nature Collage

Tru had a school project. He had to find an item found in nature and "care for it".
A project? Love it!
I soon took over (I simply can not help myself!) and we began a two day photo session featuring Tru and Rocket (his pet rock from last year). We created a collage with these photos:

Girls Weekend In NYC

Here we are: Jody, Nikki, Melissa.
Best high school pals.

We had a plan! Never been done before. Just us. No husbands. No kids. In New York. Broadway. Tour. Shopping. Good food.
Everything was booked.

Each family began having illnesses. The rule was that all family members must be well by Sept 29th - or else! One day before the trip... along came the H1N1 Virus and Nikki had to stay behind. (Her kids are doing just fine now - thank God!)

As they say on Broadway (and yes, I will be using as many Broadway/musicals' lines as I can in this post) "The show must go on." With much guilt Melissa and I headed to New York. Nikki, we missed you dearly!! But the girls had to do what the girls had to do.

Friday morning we caught our bus to New York and arrived in the City around 10AM. Our adventures began right away...

We were going to be staying in NYC for two nights so obviously we each had luggage. We soon "heard the rumble of the subway train" as we started toward our hotel. Let me share something with you, if you do not already know this,.... the subway stalls are meant for passengers only. Not passengers AND their luggage. The two of us went up the stairs (with luggage), down the stairs (with luggage) , helped one another hoist our luggage over the narrow stalls (laughing all the way), found ourselves right in the middle of Rockefeller Center and finally managed to find our hotel.

We checked our luggage at the hotel and we were off to Times Square.

42nd Street: "In the heart of little old New York, you'll find a thoroughfare. It's the part of little old New York that runs into Times Square. A crazy quilt that "Wall Street Jack" built. If you've got a little time to spare I want to take you there."


Times Square today.

Times Square 64 years ago.

Love this photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt!





OK - I can not help myself...

Wicked: "Are people born Wicked? Or do they have Wickedness thrust upon them? After all, she had a father. She had a mother, as so many do."

Phantom of the Opera: "Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Lead me, save me from my solitude. Say you want me with you. Beside you. Anywhere you go let me go too."


West Side Story: "I feel pretty, Oh, so pretty, I feel pretty and witty and bright! And I pity Any girl who isn't me tonight."

South Pacific: "I'm gonna wash that man right outa my hair. And send him on his way."

Chicago: "Mmmm, I'm a star! And the audience loves me! And I love them. And they love me for loving them. And I love them for loving me. And we love each other."


Tourists and tour buses everywhere!




I had not been to New York since they blocked some areas of Times Square for easier pedestrian traffic. There are now tables and chairs placed throughout The Square so you can sit and soak up the atmosphere. Nice!




Friday night we saw Wicked !!

Words can not fully describe this show! Excellent! Amazing!

I can not stop thinking about how incredibly wonderful it was. I love, love, love Broadway. This was the ultimate Broadway show (musical).

Everyone must go see it. And I must go see it with everyone. (So call me!)





Saturday we caught "the party bus" for our five hour tour. Our guide was excellent!





Rockefeller Center






Our tour included a ride on the Staten Island Ferry.

There's The Lady!

It was overcast all day and as we were on the ferry the clouds let loose. The remainder of the tour was quite damp!!




During lunch Melissa and I decided we would see a play that evening. We had some time on our hands before the play and took a quick stroll through Central Park.




"Shakespeare in the Park"







The play we chose offered heavily discounted tickets as it was currently in previews. Sienna Miller and Johnny Lee Miller (best known as Eli Stone) were the stars of the play.

The play was advertised as provocative. I could think of many other adjectives: boring, twisted, erratic, and just plain weird.
Melissa and I just looked at each other several times during the performance.




This is the set from the play. The entire 90 minute play took place in this kitchen.
Nice set. Good acting. Weird story!

I am definitely a musical kind of gal! (But I already knew that.) However, we expanded our New York experience with a play.

The highlights afterward were a glimpse of Hugh Jackman (as he left the theatre after his play) (he is pretty!) and a nice slice of New York cheesecake.

Ahhhh... Broadway.

The Producers: "Next stop - Broadway!"

The Producers: "Leo and Max. Up off our backs. Back on the Great White Way!"


I often see signs, fliers, etc. that drive me crazy! This sign, I spotted in a NYC pizzeria, inspired our newest blog feature:

Sign Of The Day:























P.S.