weekend recap...

saturday, curtis kept the kids busy YET AGAIN, until i could finish up & deliver/assemble my cakes - thx again babe!

i know i keep saying i'm slowing down soon - but i'm for real this time - this really was the last crazy weekend for me this year! from here on out - it's smooooooth sailing! ;0)

here's a pic of the beautiful vineyard where the wedding was held

see the grapes?


on my way back into the town where we live - it was a GORGEOUS day!


that afternoon, we headed to the park as it was beginning to get dark

the place was empty & they had tons of fallen leaves

mama thought - great time for pics!

kiddos thought - great time for fun!

hey, can u blame em?!

(i only posted this pic for the tiny little butt crack! ~teehee~)

daddy showed us how to use sticks as rakes

and once the pile was big enough...

where'd they go?!

that look on corinn's face is priceless!
like, "maybe that wasn't as much fun as i thought it'd be"

jaden's turn...

"bury me all the way guys"

"ok girls, that's enough!"

after our park trip, we headed over to nana & grandpa's....they had planned on watching the girls (& my nephew Bryan) while me, Curtis & my sis took Jaden & Deandra to...

FEAR FOREST!

me, my sis & curtis all went to Fear Forest together last year - sans kiddos

because of jaden's LOVE for halloween, and because he's not scared very easily - in fact, he finds amusement in scaring anyone & everyone - curtis & i decided to include him this year if he was interested

i spent tons of time explaining to him what it was....that we'd walk through the dark forest & that there'd be scary decorations & people in costumes would be jumping out to scare us...that there would even be some with chainsaws & axes & crazy stuff like that - but that it's all fake & they aren't allowed to touch us for real....that it was all just pretend - actually safe & fun, if u like to be scared - but that if he didn't think it sounded like fun or if he thought he'd get too scared, that it wouldn't be a good idea for him to go....we had this discussion lots....each & every time - he begged to go!

so when i told my sister i was taking jaden, she thought maybe deandra would like to go too....i wasn't so sure - jaden has a certain tolerance/fascination/interest in stuff like that....and even though deandra is the same age, i wasn't sure she'd be ready....i advised kelly to talk lots to her & assess it for herself - she ended up deciding to take her


remember this pic?


i can't blame kelly at all for bringing her - they were sooooo cocky - especially deandra!
occasionally, one of the workers in costume would walk by the entrance line, trying to creep people out....deandra would be like "hey, what's up?!"....she was talking so much smack about how she wasn't going to be scared - that she would just karate chop anything that jumped out at her ~lol~

waiting in line...boy it was cold!

well, this is the entrance....when u walk into the mouth, u're in a tight, super dark tunnel....u can hear people on either side growling & making scary sounds....and u can hear something in front of u, so u're scared to keep walking through - because of course u're not sure what it is

until u ruin the fun & snap a pic! then ur flash catches this...

~lol~

i guess this set the tone for deandra's experience....the tunnel must have really freaked her out - cause when we started on the barely lit path, i could hear her whimpering....kelly did a good job of trying to talk her down - reassuring her it's all fake & preparing her for anything that might jump out

the first person popped out & she screamed....jaden clung to my waist & would gasp or make little sounds - but he seemed fine....i couldn't get him to talk much - u could tell he was trying to spot the "monsters"

then, as we approached a tent that u walk through - 3 guys all in masks & wielding axes/swords jumped out of the tent & roared at us loud

deandra LOST IT!
she started screaming & crying....then, the best thing ever happened - ALL THREE guys whipped off their masks & came in close so she could see their faces....they were so quick to react & tried to console her until she calmed down (it's so cool that they're taught to do that)

we stepped to the side to finish calming deandra down & found out there wasn't any turning back - they're averaging about 500+ people a night (it only grows as halloween gets closer) & have a tight little system....trying to walk back through might ruin the surprise for others coming down the path....so instead, one of the guys offered to walk through the rest of the forest with kelly & deandra - & warn the workers up ahead so they wouldn't jump out & scare them

i thought maybe deandra freaking would have effected jaden - but he wasn't phased at all....i asked, and he said he wanted to keep going....so we walked up ahead of the girls & their escort - so we could get the full experience ;0)

we were spooked plenty - and i expected jaden to take off running when the guy with the (chainless) chainsaw came at us, but he didn't - he just clung to me & enjoyed the whole thing!

ata boy! ;0)

(i held my camera out & snapped this in the middle of the forest - it was dark, so he couldn't tell i was about to take his pic)

he slept peacefully all night, that night - no trouble falling asleep & not one nightmare!

in fact, he asked me on sunday - if we could go again!
:0)