Fun-tober!

The weeks leading up to Halloween were filled with LOTS of not so spooky fun!  These pumpkins sure have enjoyed all the Halloween activities and goodies this month...Funtober was filled with tons and tons of FUN!

Allie had her spooktacular Halloween party after school on Friday (forgot to snap any photos...oops!) 

We enjoyed Boo-ing our neighbors...and in return we were Boo-ed 4 TIMES!

 

Allie had Trunk-or-Treat at cheer after practice one Sunday.  These cheer-gals were the cutest.

Ayden had his Halloween party after school .  He was a little teary-eyed when we first got there...he was certain we were leaving him to have all the fun without us.  Eventually he warmed up and had a ball driving his bulldozer through the halls collecting candy. 

 

Allie and I both had our Halloween parties last Friday.  Luckily, Todd could be there too...I was only able to enjoy her class fun for around 20 minutes...duty calls.  Allie had a great time playing games, making a super cute handprint spider painting and enjoying lots of goodies and treats with all her friends.

 

Nana was kind enough to have some Allie and Nana time this Saturday while Ayden went to soccer. Allie was getting a little jealous that Ayden gets all the Nana time.  Allie LOVES spending time with you, Nana...especially when you make a really fun haunted house with her!

This weekend we carved our pumpkin we picked to prepare for the big night!  I can't wait till these two can carve their own pumpkins!  Allie chose this guy's silly face. I think he kind of looks like Ayden!

We did a practice run of trick-or-treating yesterday at the West Bloomfield Trick-or-Treat Trail which we did for the very first time.  We saw a lot of familiar faces along the way...Dory, Nemo, Baby Bop and Pokémon to name a few.  Allie met her sweet friend, Allyson there too!  We entered Ayden in the Halloween costume contest.  We hope he wins!!!

Finally...the big night has arrived!  The weather actually cooperated this year and was somewhat pleasant.  I was afraid Ayden wouldn't want to walk all the way around our neighborhood with his costume on.  He walked and walked and didn't want to skip a house!  He was a little trooper driving himself up everyone steps for a little bit of chocolate!  After an hour, these  trick-or-treaters were done...they wanted to pass out the candy instead of collecting it.

Funtober is officially OVER!  Happy Halloween!!!.

Haunted Houses

Halloween is well on it's way!  Lot's going on in the Hammerick World to get us in the spooky spirit!  A couple weeks ago I surprised my goofy goblins with a new trick-or-treating pail filled with festive fun.  Let's just say the Mr. Potato Head bin came back out and was finally played with again.  The Halloween gummy worms were everyone's favorite!

 

 

 

Last night a few teeny tiny visitor showed up with some Halloween surprises...The Halloween Fairies flew in as quick as a ghost and left behind some treats...which Ayden gobbled up first thing in the morning when he saw it!

Pumpkin Picking

This year's pumpkin picking happened right around our neck of the woods...Tollgate Woods Farm!  We loaded up the kiddos in the stroller and walked over to the Fall Fest.  There was lots to do...

Animals to pet.  Sheep's wool to dye in Kool-Aid (yep...gross)! Pretend tractor driving.  S'more roasting and eating.  Apple pressing.  Hay mazes. Horse feeding. 

Allie met cutie-pie, Hailey, at the Fall Fest too!  We all loaded up in the hay ride and headed out to the pumpkin patch to pick the perfect carving pumpkin for our Halloween jack-o-lantern. 

Ayden LOVED those pumpkins!  He couldn't wait to stomp on them.  Roll them.  He tried with all his might to carry one home. 

The Hammerick's ended up with the perfect pumpkin for the season...and Allie rode all the way home with it in her lap!

Apple Picking

It wasn't the best day for a trip to the orchard...but, it was a Monday that we didn't have school!!!  Lucky for us, Todd took the day off and we planned to family outing to Erwin's Orchards to pick apples and enjoy time together.

 

We took the tractor ride out (Ayden was in Heaven!) to the orchard and got off at two different stops to pick three kinds of apples.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our pants got a little wet and our fingers got a little cold, but that didn't stop Ayden from eating every apple in sight...his favorite fruit by far. 

 



 

Caramel apple for me, cider and doughnuts for the rest...a great LUNCH before lunch.  Feeling blessed to have this day off with these sillies.

FunD Run

Way to go, Allie!  Another Fun Run!  Allie managed to make it all the way through Fun Run WITHOUT falling this year...A big improvement from last year!  Unfortunately her mom was not as lucky. Eeek!

 

 

 

Ayden is THREE

Our baby is THREE!  I can't believe he is THREE!  Papa Ray took us all out to celebrate Ayden's Birthday at Wasabi.  We had our own private table.  Good thing, because all Ayden wanted to do was play with his gift Papa got him.  All Ayden has been talking about is getting a GARBAGE TRUCK.  Yep...that's what he wanted the most for his birthday.  So we sat through dinner with the garbage truck on the table...making it load mints for garbage. 

Ayden loved his new truck so much...he insisted sleeping with it.  I managed to get him to set it outside of his bed, although he would have much rather cuddled with it all night long.
 

 

Lots and lots of accomplished happened during his two-year-old times.  Ayden learned how to use the potty...in just about a day.  Very shortly after he graduated to a big boy bed and hung up his binky on the Binky Tree.  He is officially a BIG BOY and a PRESCHOOLER as he started 3 year old preschool a few weeks ago.  Ayden can count to 10 and knows how to sing the ABC's.  He can dress himself, but would rather Mom do it. 

 

Ayden LOVES to drive his Mini-Coop power wheels around the neighborhood.  He really just likes anything that drives.  Ayden had a blast riding around on the golf cart (aka: the rider) in PA.  He enjoys playing with any of his trucks/scoopers and digging in the dirt with them.  Ayden likes to play pretend and gets along pretty well with Allie.  He loves to dance and sing...especially if Allie is playing along too.

 

Ayden likes to watch America's Got Talent (which he calls Captain America) and listen to the song Me Too, Danger Zone, and Stitches.  Ayden's favorite foods are cupcake protein bars, Gogurt, and applesauce pouches.  He loves his apple juice and still refuses to drink milk.  Ayden is still in soccer classes and swim lessons.  He is so brave and is used to going under water.  Ayden enjoys being physical and getting tickled by Daddy.  He can do a somersault.

 
Update: Ayden celebrated his birthday with all his new preschool friends with Oreo cookies the day after his birthday, since he didn't have school on his actual birthday!

 

Back to School 2016

Back to school for this little dude happened last week! Preschool started one week before Labor Day.  It just so happened that Ayden's first day was my first teacher work day.  Ayden was A-ok the morning of...

He smiled for his photos.  Held his First Day of Preschool sign like a champ.  He even posed for a picture in front of his school sign.

...but come time for me to leave, he shed some tears (break my heart).  Mrs. Poxon loved him up for us. The teacher in me knows everything is fine...but the mommy in me is hurting inside.  Ayden did calm down and participated in his day.  He cried on day two, as well.  I have a feeling it will take a while to adjust.

Today was Allie's first day of KINDERGARTEN!  ...and my first day as well.  How cute is she in her Brown Bear dress?!?

 

Allie is thrilled to be in Mrs. Wild's class this year!  We can't wait to see how she thrives this year!  There were no tears from my little brown bear.

 

UPDATE (end of September): 

Allie is doing wonderfully!  Mrs. Wild reported that Allie is her super helper and uses her and a few other friends from her 2YK class as role models.  She is loving having Allie in her class...and she DID grow as a reader this summer! 

Ayden still cries everyday he is dropped off (break my heart). It's getting better, but we aren't quite there yet.  He knows his routine and knows exactly how many more things to do until Mom or Dad come pick him up.  Maybe by June he'll adjust.