Tricks and Treats (lots of treats)

After school it was time to put the costume back on and head to the mall. The Solomon Pond Mall invites trick or treaters from 3 - 5 on Halloween. Most of the shops pass out candy or stickers to the kids. The Lindt Candy shop gave out product samples. :)

Sorry grandma, no samples at the Yankee Candle shop.


Picture People did give out coupons to the adults.


The mall had already started putting up the Christmas decorations.


We found another Minnie.



We couldn't leave the mall without playing on the Sanyo/Reactrix projection.


When we got home Joanna took door duty and gave out candy.


When daddy got home he took over passing out candy so we could go trick or treating. I don't think he minded.


Most of our neighbors were just waiting to give out candy. Some had gone all out with their decorations but it didn't bother Joanna. Nothing scared her. She knew there was candy at the other end.

I think we will be rationing this out for a while.

I Love a Parade

Today was the Halloween Parade at North Grafton Elementary School. The AM kindergarten had their parade in the morning and the PM kindergarten paraded in the afternoon with the 1st and 2nd grades.

There was quite a crowd as we waited for the kids to come out.



Soon the first kid was out ad the parade was underway.





There were lots of great costumes.



I think if Joanna had hair like this little girl, we would have gotten the Little Mermaid costume too.



I loved the 1960's kid.



Hey, I know that kid!




Joanna: "Can Abby come over to our house?"



Mom: "As soon as you clean your room."



I think she has a plan.



Soon the parade was over and all the kids had to back to class.



Next up, Trick or Treat.

A Very Busy Day

Yesterday was very busy. Not just busy, it was a three costume change, feel like your in a Broadway play kind of busy.

Act One was dance class. We were off for a little brush up on our ballet and tap dance.



Act Two was a costume party at the home of Branden, one of her kindergarten friends.




After a few poses in the picture spot of the day we were off to the party. I printed a map but when we got into the neighborhood I had trouble finding house numbers. Pretty typical around here. I asked Joanna if Brandon was on the same bus as her and she said he was. Great! Which house is it? She had no idea. Her bus stops there everyday and could not tell me which house it was. I shouldn't have been to surprised. Rick and I left the house last week about 15 minutes after the buss had picked her up. When we got to the end of the street Joanna's bus had finished its loop through the neighborhood and was going down the street to the school. We saw Joanna up in the front of the bus. She was in the seat behind the driver, facing backwards and chatting with the kids behind her. The bus could have driven to Cleveland without her noticing.

I just picked a place to park and we got out of the car. Across the street and up a hill some kinds came out the door and yelled, "It's Joanna! Joanna is here!" That was easy.

Here she is with her friends Abigail and Isabella.



After the party is was time for Act 3, the Sock Hop. Joanna learned about hairspray.



With a lot of help from some ladies at church, I had made her a yellow poodle skirt.



I tried to find some saddle shoes but ended up getting some canvas sneakers and using a black marker.



The phrase that goes with the following expression: "There's dog slobber on my shoe!"



Joanna took a picture of mom & dad.



At the church there were lots of people dressed in their 1950's finest. Even baby Caitie had her poodle skirt on.



Joanna danced,



and danced,



and danced



until it looked like she was ready to fall over.



We even had a very special guest arrive.



It was a great time.

Demolition, Competition, Terpsichore and School Chore

We finally got rid of the giant piano. Since it could not be tuned to correct pitch without risking breaking the strings, it was not going to get played. We tried giving it away but no one wanted it. We rented a dumpster to clean out the basement and decided that was where the piano would go.

Getting it out on the porch was easy enough. Then there were the stairs.

We had friends over to help move the thing and we all tried to think of how to get it down the stairs. We didn't care if we damaged the piano but we didn't want to hurt the stairs.

We came up with a plan.

With luck the piano would slide down the ramp and land on its side on top of the dolly so we could wheel it to the dumpster. There was nothing let to do but push.


At least the stairs suffered no harm.

Every year I want to enter something in the Bolton Fair but I always forget. This year I remembered! I entered Joanna's butterfly sweater in the knitted "fancy sweater" category.

It won second place! Joanna wanted to wear it and the ribbon to school.

After school I asked her if everyone liked her sweater. She said "They liked the ribbon."

I felt pretty good about winning 2nd since the first place winner was incredible.


Joanna is taking ballet and tap lessions at a local dance studio. This is the outfit she picked out for the class.

All the other little girls have a plain pink leotard.

Joanna was actually excited about doing her homework today. She came come with a large Ziploc and the instructions to gather 15 colorful leaves. We didn't have to go very far.