A Kickin' Good Time

The soccer season has come to an end. This was Owen's first year of soccer, my first time as a genuine "soccer mom" (I'm almost inspired to go out and get me a bobbed hair-do and some khaki capris!) We ended the season with a party at Papa's Pizza. The team had a room to ourselves where the parents hung out, ate pizza and chatted while the kids played in the glass-enclosed play area. What I love about this place? No Tokens. No Tickets to redeem for crappy plastic "prizes". And very little noise (yay for sound-proof playrooms!) What I dislike? Eventually as a parent you are forced to enter the playroom to retrieve your kids...it smells like FEET in there! A balloonist (yes I know..but what do you call the guy who makes stuff out of balloons?) made the kids balloon swords, hats, poodles, etc. and a a balloon joust broke out amongst several of the kids (mine included!) Each team member received a trophy and "goodie bag" (thanks to this soccer mom) and the team presented the coach with a pizza-and-movie-night gift box (a popcorn box filled with pop, popcorn, candy and gift certificates for videos and pizza.) Owen is excited about playing soccer again next year!

Fun on the Pumpkin Farm

Last night it rained, poured, drenched all our hopes of a dry trip to the Pumpkin Patch at Lakeview Farms, but we awoke with renewed enthusiasm as the sun beamed through our blinds. I just could not imagine enduring a cold, wet, muddy trip to the farm with 16 kids in tow! Alas, the weather decided to cooperate and it was a beautiful day. We were greeted at the farm store by a lovely woman who ushered the kids and adults in and gave us a lesson on how wheat becomes flour and flour becomes bread. After getting our tickets, we boarded the train, a child-sized metallic wonder from which I feared catapultion (is that a word?) at the slightest bump. The train clicked along the track, through a "haunted" tunnel and left us at the pumpkin patch, alone with the kids and a wheelbarrow. The kids were each allowed to pick a soccer-sized pumpkin, run rampant through a hay maze and then we were jetted back to the other shore by ferry (complete with lake monster sightings!) The day ended with lunch at McDonald's where our boisterous group raised many a local eyebrow! Good times!

Pirate Party...Aarrgh!

A couple weeks ago, the kids and I went to our friends house for a Pirate Party. I read to all the children (mine, my two friends' kids and all our perspective daycare children) a story about pirates, then each child was given a Treasure Map. The children followed the map to different locations, finding such prizes as Eye Patches and Pirate Hats along the way. X marked the spot on Katie's garage door, hiding behind was the TREASURE! The children each received a bounty of treats...a Pirate Cupcake and Chocolate Coins. Can you say AAARRGH?! Good times Maties!