Lately: School, Museums and Halloween Prep

Here's a peak at what we've been up to lately!

Last week in Hands On Art, Will made a mosaic in the style of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi.

Last Friday night saw us visiting the science museum for a Members' Preview of the new Farish Hall of Texas Wildlife. We caught up with several friends, had fun eating barbeque, and loved exploring the new wildlife hall!

 This week was Spirit Week at school. The kids wore tacky ties on Tuesday,

wacky socks on Wednesday,

and team shirts on Thursday.

We have also been getting ready for Halloween! Will dressed up as Gandalf from The Hobbit for his Characters Come Alive day at school Thursday.

Everyone is going as a Hobbit character this year. Gene is a dwarf and Henry is the dragon Smaug.

The boys both wrote spooky stories that are on display at school.

And here's Will's Count Dracula pumpkin. 

And of course we carved pumpkins this year as well.

Actually, we only carved one pumpkin. The boys and I stopped by Kroger on the way home from school yesterday and grabbed the very last two carving pumpkins. When we went to carve Henry's, we discovered a crack and huge bruise on the fruit and the inside was rotten. Henry's pumpkin went straight into the trash can, but Will volunteered to share his pumpkin with his brother. The boys came up with a new design they both liked and Gene got to carving!

Jack has triangle eyes, a skeleton nose and the crooked grin that Henry wanted. 

We're looking forward to more Halloween fun this evening!

ArBOOretum 2014

My favorite fall festival is ArBOOretum at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center. The Arboretum is one of my happy places and ArBOOretum is a very fun festival for the whole family!

Henry has decided to be a dragon for the third year in a row. This cape was one good purchase!

I think he likes the way it swings around.

Will decided to be Gandalf the Gray from The Hobbit. All the volunteers at the Arboretum knew exactly who he was!

Gene was in costume too!

First stop:  Family photo op

Second stop: hay maze

Third stop: petting zoo!

 

 

Henry actually fed the animals this year. Last year, he was afraid they would nibble him and ended up throwing all the food on the grass!

The kids love trick-or-treating on the trails, and I love that they have to do some work and learn about animals before they get a piece of candy.

This stop was "Night Bites for Nighthawks" and the boys had to catch their food. 

 

At "Toad Tongue," the boys used sticky toad tongues to catch mosquitoes!

The zipline is a favorite. This was the "Great Horned Owl Flight."

Happy trick-or-treaters!

At "Bobcat Balance," the boys walked across a rope bridge.

The boys were golden silk spiders in this spider web.

Next, we visited the face painting booth.  

 After lunch, we took a hay ride to the meadow.

We checked out the reptiles.

And took one last family photo on our way out.

As always, ArBOOretum was a blast!