This Blog is the journal/scrapbook/photo album etc. that is all about my family and our lives together. Here is where family and friends (and anyone else too, I suppose) can keep up on what's happening with us Mannimals! COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED!! ;) Check back often as we'll respond to comments and make new posts as often as possible!

Friday, November 24, 2006

November and Thanksgiving 2006

Mat and one of the little girls in his tumbling class walking backward to the end before a jumping finale.


Mat is so excited for tumbling that he has lots of energy to burn and is in motion whenever possible.


Mat doing a back hand spring with his teacher's assistant helping.


Mat's first Tarzan swing and he thinks that if he holds the rope and looks tough he'll swing to perfection.


On the next try he has realized that it is a little harder than it looks. :)


Showing off for the girls and his teacher. ;)


I hadn't thought about old grade school memories of playing with a parachute for a long time until Mat got into his tumbling classes. They're playing Popcorn here. :)


Gathering up the balls after the games.


Just about cleaned up and ready to go.


"Let's all sing the bye-bye song!" They all play the ground drum and say good-bye to each kid and the teachers before getting their shoes on and stamps on their hands. The kids all have pretty good time with each other.


Avi playing in her play pen (haha which she only plays in when in a good mood). :)


The garage is set up for a dry place for Mat and Harley. Mat is kicking goals with his soccer ball and goal setup. We also play basketball and shoot mini disc into the awesome folf basket Athena got me. :)


The book Mat is holding records your voice when you push the button. Mat taught Avi how to "growl" at the book like he does... Our little monsters :)


Alisha and Justin's son Gage and Matrim getting wild.


What's this?... A foot?



Avi loves to sit in seats in ways you are not supposed to (shopping carts etc...) She also likes taking her socks off (losing them in parking lots, stores, etc...)



The girls passed out



Eric seasoned up some delicious pumpkin seeds from our jack-o-lanterns.


Mat having a sample now that they're cool enough



Matrim, Mom, and Avi playing with the car set from Grampa D.



More cars... One of Eric's favorite pics.



Our friendly little visitor... This frog is the smallest one we've seen yet.


Cute little guy.


Just pulled the organic turkey out of the oven.


"It's not easy being a mom - if it was dads would do it"


Mat dialed all the grandparents' phone numbers and told them happy thanksgiving.


The Thanksgiving spread: free-trade organic made-from-scratch banana cream pie, organic candied sweet potatoes with pecans, stuffing, organic cranberry sauce, organic avocado, organic mashed potatoes, a small portion of the organic turkey with Great White beer gravy (not pictured) and rolls.


Avi was the first to start grubbin'


"Whats this? Cranberry sauce?"


Yay! Thanksgiving!



Mats turn to eat dinner.


Avi needed a bath by the end of her meal :)


Athena joining the kids in the playpen at the end of the day.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Halloween 2006

Ok, as promised here is the Halloween post. We celebrated all weekend starting with carving our pumpkins (we found a great organic/locally grown pumpkin at the store by our house and Mat picked us out a white one). Mat was excited for Halloween to come and had been for the last few weeks since we broke out the Halloween stuff after my birthday.


Mat and Athena digging out the guts and seeds.


They took turns scooping and deseeding so we could bake the seeds again this year for a treat.


One of my favorite of the Halloween pics!


There wasn't enough room in the kitchen to get this shot right...but still cute.


Mat has a handful of guts (which they've slimed each other with). :)


Mom's nursing a gin and tonic while Mat works on the albino.


Haha, it looks like Athena is dancing a jig while helping Mat clean up. ;)


Now it's time to draw some faces on them. Both Athena and Mat have a habit of closing or doing odd things with their eyes right as I snap pictures so I was telling them to keep them open wide and Mat must have thought I meant his mouth instead because he opened it in several pictures. :)


Mat with another open mouth. It was a really fun night. Mat and Athena were both being fun and adorable!


I picked the face for the albino and let Mat and Athena figure out what they wanted for the other one. Athena did the drawing for us since I struggle with stick figures.


Just about ready for the knife.


And now for some Drunken Pumpken Carving as I dubbed it. Last year I carved and Athena drew, but this year we both took a knife to one.


We both had had a few drinks by the time we got the carving under way but we still did a decent job. :)


The Avi monster heard us having fun and wanted to join us.


Almost got them done. Avi wonders what the hell she's looking at. ;)


Athena showing off the finished products. The albino is a cyclops and the orange is a happy pumkin with an open third eye.


Yes I know this picture is nearly identical to the one before it, but Athena is too stunning for me to decide which one to post. :)


It was a really misty night the first night we had the pumpkins out and lit.


Here's one with no flash.


Matrim picked out his own costume this year. He's a ghost pirate captain because he said he wanted to be scary. Athena helped him make the hat and the rest of the costume came together (minus the sword). Athena did his makeup and it was actually pretty chilling to see him when it was done.


Our little Avi Bear. She made a great Care Bear.


Mat looking scary before we went to Trick or Treat on the Plaza here in Arcata.


Coincidentally the Care Bear Avi has is the same one as her costume. :)


A close-up of the Bears. It was nice because it was also warm for her (even though it wasn't too cold here).


Just about ready to get the show on the road.


Avi wanted Mat's sword. We're just waiting for Alisha and Gage and Athena to come out so we can go.


One of the first pieces of candy Mat scored this year.


Mat coming back out of one of the stores. There wouldn't be rum in that soda would there, Mom? ;)


Gage and Aviendha on the Plaza.


There were quite a few people out and Mat and Avi could barely get 5 feet without a flood of comments on how cute/scary they looked.


The event is actually not just around the plaza, but up a couple blocks as well so there were a good amount of candy stops.


As I stopped to take a picture of the Plaza from one corner a couple of ghosts passed through. :)


Another stop.


Another one of Gage and Avi. They had fun getting strollered around together.


A stop in to Justin and Alisha's. Gage, Avi, and Mat had a good time playing together.


The Plaza at night as we walked to grab some pizza.


There were a bunch of people jamming over there but we didn't have time to get a closer look.


Avi made a friend at the pizza place.


We hurried back to our house to eat our pizza and get Matrim back out for some Trick or Treating around our neighborhood.


One of the first stops.


Hurry and answer before Athena steals your ornament.


Just in time. :) Everyone thought Mat was scary. He kept saying Happy Hallow Treat though instead of Happy Halloween or Trick or Treat.


Another stop. Mat was excited every time we found a house with their porch light on.


These people have a cool tree.


Oh no! A poopy bum!


There were a lot of good Jak o Lanterns around.


One of the scarier stops for Mat with the evil red light.


I was surprised how early people went to sleep this year. Most everyone was in bed and the streets nearly empty by 9:00.


Mat liked this one the best.


One with the flash on.


Our Halloween Moon.


Our favorite house to go to since they decorate the most the 2 years we've been here.


Luckily Mat got there in time for their last piece of candy.


Back home to check out the booty.


Avi wonders what Mat's hoarding.


Time to check them all out and separate them up.


Some of Mat's sorted piles of candy.


Time for a late Halloween game of Madden and some candy to finish the night off. (Haha. Actually Mat kept insisting on staying up and hanging out with me longer and I couldn't argue since it was Halloween. I don't think we got to bed until 5 or 6 or something ridiculous.)