Happy Haunting!

Tayler, Dad & Carson all dressed and ready to go!
Halloween proved to be as exciting as ever this year! Tayler had a "Pumpkin Party" at school which I attended with her. There were games, treats and crafts at different stations around her classroom. Students visited each table (where a mom-volunteer was giving directions to each activity), then when they were done, they moved onto the next. I worked the "Pumpkin Bingo" table. Here students were shown a picture of something....they had to decide what letter that thing started with...then if that letter was on their bingo card they got to place a Smartie over that space (which, ironically was a pumpkin). First one to have all of their spaces filled was the winner and got to call out "Pumpkin Bingo!" It was a lot of fun.
Tayler, the good witch!

After Tayler and I got home from school, the whole family loaded into the car and went to Carson's doctors appointment where he had to get two shots. =( It was so heartbreaking to see my little guy...so happy and innocent, cry so hard. I really don't like to see my baby boy go through that, but I know it's good for him. It's just so sad for us!

After the doctors office drama, we came home and got everyone ready for Trick-or-Treating! This year, instead of just going door to door through the neighborhood, we went to a local shopping center where each store gave out candy to children. No street crossing, no door knocking. Just walking past the stores and stopping at each shop keeper who was outside with a bowl of sugary goodness! We met my friend Tracey and her son Jacob there, and the kids loaded up!

Tayler & Jacob with their baskets of goodies!
Carson, taking it all in from the stroller

The cutest Ninja Turtle and witch we saw!

We came home this evening and Ashlee took Tayler around the block in our neighborhood. Since then she's been helping us hand out candy to the neighborhood kids. Carson is a little bit fussy....probably from the shots today. But we're all home, full of candy, and ready settle in for the night!

A shower for the bride....

The bride Courtney (on the right) and her sister Amy

My mom, Carson and I drove to Wapato for my cousin Courtney's bridal shower today. Boy, I'd never actually driven through the "city" of Wapato. If you get the chance to visit there, keep driving. I'm kidding. But it is a very small little town with not much to it. The shower was hosted by Courtney's future mother in law who lives in a really neat house. It looks like an old farm house made out of stone. Very charming. We did games, (one of which I won!!) finger foods and gift opening, like you do at every shower...but it was really nice to see my family and to visit with them. Everyone cuddled with Carson and actually argued over who got to feed him and change his diaper! I didn't even get to hold him once while I was there! I'm finding that he's a pretty big hit at parties and that I'm just going to have to get used to sharing him!

Carson and Aunt Sharlene (my mom's sister)

My cousin Amy and baby C

Amy, Courtney and I

Whatta Day!

Today Tayler's kindergarten class went on a field trip to Job's Nursery in Pasco to pick pumpkins! I had the pleasure of tagging along with some other parents and her class. All of the students got to ride on a real school bus (Tayler's first time...so exciting) and us parents had to drive our own vehicles and meet the class at the nursery. Tayler and I walked around for quite awhile before the perfect pumpkin was selected...but we finally found one. She had a great time with all of her friends, looking at the mushy, rotten pumpkins, and commenting on all of the shapes and colors of the pumpkins in the patch. A great time was had by all.


Mrs. Suess' kindergarten class

Afterward, Tayler and I went on a mommy & daughter "date". Her choice. So, High School Musical 3: Senior Year it was....on opening day! For those of you who aren't familiar with HSM (it's very sad I know as much as I do about it) it is THE MOVIE these days. Tayler loves to watch HSM 1 & 2 when they're on TV (the Disney Channel plays them just shy of non-stop) and could not wait to see the final installment in the "trilogy". I was a bit worried that it was going to be a fiasco at the theatre, but it was actually pretty empty and we had no problems getting tickets at all. We shared popcorn and soda, and both gushed over what a dreamboat Zac Efron is. =) Oh, how I love my little Tater Tot.

ZAC!!!!!!

Brian and Carson stayed home during all of the excitement today and had some much needed "male bonding" time.

Tonight Tayler went to spend the weekend with her other mom...so Brian and I asked Grandma Gwen to watch our beautiful baby boy so we could go out on a date together, adults only. We had dinner and drinks at Bonefish Grill. It was wonderful, as usual. I'm so lucky to have married my best friend.

Tomorrow, my mom, Carson and I are headed to the "lovely" city of Wapato for my cousin Courtney's bridal shower. It should be a great time and I'm sure I'll get a few pictures to post while I'm there!

And, one last photo of our little fam last night.....

Carson flexing after his bath. He is such a show off. =)

Hmmmm

“The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less”. ~Anna Quindlen

Wonderful Weekend

It started with Jessica's wedding. Saturday afternoon my beautiful cousin was married in a very touching ceremony. She was a gorgeous bride. The flowers lovely, the colors she chose looked so nice (brown and aqua), and everyone in the wedding party was glowing with pride. It was so wonderful to get together with so many members of our family. There was great food, awesome company, and to top it all off...a single lady at our table caught the bouquet when it was thrown....here's a hint on who it was....

Everyone had fun on the dance floor too....here's a photo snapped of my step-dad Scott trying his hand at the Macarena. If you know Scott, you know this wouldn't have been possible without the assistance of Ice Harbor Brewery's finest that was on tap last night. =) Not the best photo, but I knew I had to get a shot quickly before the "spectacle" ended.

Today was a very special day too. Pastor Martens (who is the pastor who married us) baptized Carson at Richland Lutheran Church. It was a beautiful baptism and Carson slept through the entire thing! I'd never seen a Lutheran baptism, so it was a new experience for me. It felt good to have my son be called "A Child of God". He is such a blessing and when I look at him I can't help but know there is a power greater than myself at work.

Afterward, Gwen took us (my sister included!) to lunch at Anthony's. Per usual, the food was wonderful. So was the company.

I don't have any photos of the baptism yet. Those will be posted soon. All pictures were taken on Grandma Gwen's camera.

After church, and lunch, and the late night before our very tired family came home and relaxed. Carson and I both napped, while Tayler and Brian watched a movie. I love weekends with my family.

PUMPKIN-CAKES

While in line at the grocery store the other day I noticed this.

I thought the adoreable treats on the front looked like something Tayler (the greatest cupcake decorator I know) and I could have a wonderful time making. Soooo....

the plan

the baking

the creativity in action

the final product

the reward!

SUCCESS! I love this time of year!

Oh, What A Night!

Let the fun begin!

Tayler carved most of this herself!

Last weekend, Brian completed the construction of our patio fire pit that he's been working on. So, in celebration of the season, and of the glorious pit-project completion, we decided to have a Schienbein family pumpkin carving and marshmellow roasting extravaganza! It started with a trip to the grocery store. We chose 3 very handsome pumpkins. Then we gathered all of the fixin's for....yup.....S'MORES! We then came home, and with some patterns that good ol' dad printed off of the internet, and began working on our pumpkin masterpeices. Brian spent so much time helping Tayler and I with our pumpkins, he didn't get a chance to carve his! Carson didn't do much carving, but Tayler and I made sure that he got in on the fun and that he could see exactly what we were doing for future reference. =) After the pumpkins were to our satisfaction, we ate dinner.


Carson's mommy is so mean! But this is so cute!

Cooper didn't know what to think about the mess we were making!

Carson's favorite part of the night

Then we couldn't get out to thefire pit soon enough! Brian started a little fire and Tayler and I got all of the goodies together! We had such a great time roasting the gooey goodness and smashing it between crunchy graham crackers with a little bit of Hershey's heaven inside. PURE BLISS!!! We hope to enjoy many more nights like this as a family!

Tayler was very careful around the fire. She's so responsible!