Days #15 & #16: Scarecrows & Halloween Party

Well, let me start out by saying that the kids were markedly more subdued this time around, I think owing to the fact that they were more used to our house and not all excited by a new environment.  Thank goodness!


Day #15:  Scarecrows
Our letter of the week was "H", so we started out by talking about things that start with H and doing some sound chanting.  Below is Ethan saying "Hhha, Hhha, Hhha, HAMMER!" 

For our snack we made scarecrow faces, i.e. hamburger buns, pretzel sticks, peanut butter, and raisins.  I don't know if anyone actually ate all of the components as a whole, but I think they all enjoyed the peanut butter on a hamburger bun.

I had made a little scarecrow puzzle, with five big pieces, and the kids LOVED putting it together over and over again, and they even did a good job cooperating in trying to get all their pieces in the right places.  This is an activity that will be repeated!

We also made little scarecrows out of paper bags and popsicle sticks.  These may or may not have turned out looking an awful lot like voodoo dolls.  Sorry about that . . . My artistic abilities are sooo limited!

During playtime the kids loved playing with some new Little People that our little guy Eli got for his birthday a few weeks ago.  I am constantly amazed at how truly good these kids are at sharing; they'll fight for a minute and then just give in and share.

Under the stairs is always a favorite place to play!

Day #16:  Halloween Party!!
The kids seemed to sense that this day was special somehow, and they were extra excited.  We started out with some movin' and groovin' to "Monster Mash".  Even Mason, who's usually pretty reserved, got a little rambunctious (in a good way!).  Throughout the morning whenever I'd go into the kitchen to get something, I'd come back to find them hiding their heads in the couch like ostriches, after which they'd jump around and start screaming.  They were so hilarious!!!

These guys LOVE pizza!  I gave them each a ball of dough -- ostensibly to form a pumpkin-shaped pizza -- and they went to town smooshing their dough, stretching it, and eventually eating it (don't worry, no eggs).  They also enjoyed eating the cheese and pepperonis that were supposed to go on their pizzas.  I was hard pressed to get them to relinquish their little pizzas so they could cook!

Here are the finished pizzas, l-r from the top: Mason's, London's, Ethan's, Lucy's, Jack's.  Jack was a purist and didn't want anything but the dough for his pizza.  In fact, he just wanted to eat all his dough.  He may come by this genetically.

We also played some Pumpkin Bingo, told flannel-board stories, and decorated trick-or-treat bags.  I had planned a lot more activities, but they took so much time making and eating their pizzas, that I decided to let them have playtime (which is what they really wanted to do anyway), instead of making them do some of the games I had planned.  Overall, I think they had a great time.  They are so excited about Halloween, and I'm afraid this party just made them more excited!