Hario Halloween Carnival

Tonight in our Hario Village Housing, MWR (Morale, Welfare & Recreation) sponsored a Halloween carnival which they called “Theater of Evil.”  There were carnival games, food, a haunted house, an open-air movie and trunk-or-treating. 

Tinkerbell and Peter Pan

 

It rained on and off all day so I was glad when the rain finally stopped at around 3pm because the kids were very excited about getting to wear their costumes and going to the carnival.  Leah had planned on being a black cat this year but after she saw that Aaron was going to be Peter Pan, she wanted to be Peter’s best friend, Tinkerbell.  (Thankfully I had a Disney Store gift card!)  They look super-cute in their costumes and even more so when they wear each other’s! 

Peter Pan and Tinkerbell?

 

There was a costume contest at 4pm at the commissary, but they weren’t interested.  The carnival was from 5-8pm and my original plan was to eat an early dinner at 4:30pm and then walk over to the carnival, but the kids did not cooperate with cleaning up their toys so we got a late start on dinner which meant we didn’t get to the carnival until after 6pm.  There was supposed to be “trunk or treating” on the street (blocked off from cars) between the ball field and the NEX (Navy Exchange) but by the time we got there it was all gone.  The kids did get some candy from MWR personnel and from the 1^st Class Petty Officers Association (which had a guy in an awesome Optimus Prime Transformers costume) so it wasn’t a total bust.  We saw some friends from school and from soccer but most of the kids we saw were either older or younger.  We didn’t go into the haunted house because it was not recommended for kids under 10 and without Matt there, I couldn’t have dealt with two freaked-out kids simultaneously.  I think they really don’t know what a haunted house means.  It’s just as well since they both got freaked out by the It’s Tough to be a Bug 4-D movie at Animal Kingdom.

The best part of our evening was the carnival games.  Each game cost $1 and the kids played five different games each.  There were prizes at each game, regardless if they actually won.  Aaron’s favorite game was Tic-Tac-Toe, where you throw bean bags into squares and try to get three in a row. 

Aaron got all of his bean bags into squares

Leah’s favorite (and mine) was Monster Catapult where you try to catapult a monster beanie baby into a bucket. 

Monsters away!

For most of the games Leah and Aaron played they let them move up closer to the targets, which was nice.  Overall, it was a fun night and a nice warm-up for Halloween on Wednesday.

On their way home to check out their loot!

Smurftastic Soccer Saturday

Today was the last day of soccer.  Officially, we don’t keep score.  Unofficially, my Smurfs went 4-1-1.  They did really well with the progress they made over these two months.  Leah does not like getting in the middle of the Darwinian rugby scrum that is 5- and 6-year-olds playing soccer. I'm OK with that except in each game/practice she has become less and less engaged. Before if the ball squirted loose she would run to it and dribble or shoot. Now she's the kid picking grass. I think she's happy soccer is over.  Next up for Leah is cheerleading, which begins in a week or two.

What Leah (and all the kids) enjoyed was after the game today.  The each got a medal and I gave them a Smurf goody bag and a soccer ball spirit tag.  This was followed by cupcakes, cookies and the playground.  What more could a 6-year-old ask for?

Leah with her two coaches, me and Asst. Coach Sarah

  

All the loot the kids received. 

Leah with Zaden, our neighbor and Smurf little brother.

 

Will and Jordan with their playground game, sliding into dirt

I am happy for the break but the kids were a lot of fun.  In fact, the last two soccer practices this past week I made special effects movies with them.  Below is the better of the two.  The kids loved making the movies.

My crazy Smurfs 

 

 

 

After soccer today I took Aaron to the barbershop on base to get his hair cut.  He hates to get his hair cut.  He cries and squirms.  I bribed him with lunch and bowling and he complied.  It was the best he’s ever done.  He sat still and even giggled at times with the clippers. Who knew it was that easy?  After lunch at the bowling alley café—they have THE BEST popcorn chicken—we bowled a game.  Aaron has a real knack for it.  He beat me the last time we bowled and he did it again today.  He got two strikes!  Leah also had a new personal best score and broke 100.  Overall, you can’t really ask for a better Saturday.

In my defense, the kids have bumpers and a guide to roll the ball down the lane.