Thanksgiving ideas and activities

As November starts our family has a tradition that helps us slow done and focus on the things that we are thankful for. We start with the overhead projector and enlarge a Thanksgiving picture, this year it is a Cornucopia, that we trace out and then post on the wall in the kitchen- when we get a chance we can stop and color in part of our picture. But each evening when we have dinner, we try really hard to sit down as a family and during dinner we take turns listing something/ someone that we are thankful for and it is added to our picture that come Thanksgiving will be completed. 

Robert has also led our family to be involved with Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes. He has lead our church to packing over 200 shoeboxes this year, but it helps us focus on something other than the things that we need but rather the simple thing that others might not have and how we can help provide those to others.  It makes us think a little bit about all the little things that we have- soap, wash clothes and running hot water. Pencils, paper and eraser- schools and books and soo much more, but it helps us be more thankful for what we do have.

If you are interested in Operation Christmas Child here is the link to the website to get you started http://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/

Some of the boxes that our churches youth packed for Operation Christmas Child

Halloween

Halloween as the boys are growing up has changed a little bit. This year it wasn't that much about the costumes. Garrett was the only on that was allowed to dress up at school for Halloween, and he decided that for school, he was just going to be a flag football player. That was pretty simple and he pulled together his costume- no help from me. For the community party he had a Knight costume from VBS this summer that he wanted to wear again. Robert as a 7th grader only need a costume for the Community Halloween Party so he decided that he would be a cowboy- that was simple too. My nephew had his all figured out- he was going to be "Uncle Si" and then there was my niece- she was going to be a pig one day and then a lion. I had the lion costume in the attic, but when we tried it on she was too tall so back to the pig. My sister had a fun foam pig visor and then pink shirt and pants all I needed to help with was the tail. Here's how they turned out...

 

Uncle Si

Little Piggy

The Cowboy
 

The Knight

 

 Since the kids took care of their costumes, I got to play with their food and help with the 4-H Clubs Halloween dinner. We had the following...

"Red Wiggler Sandwiches"

"Boogers and scabs"

"Baby Pooh"

"Brain and Brain Serum"

Skeleton

"Brittle Bones"

"Dog Food"

All of the food was real food with weird names, but it freaked out kids and adults just because of the names. But we had a great time!