Month: October 2014
Trick or Treat 2014
Trick or Treat finally arrived for a very anxious James who only had a half a day of school this day and by the time 6pm came he was ready to go.
James went down Tulane to Dartmouth, then Vassar to Annapolis and back before making his first candy deposit. He then went down Tulane to Annapolis and back for his second deposit, and finally Parker and into Dearborn for his third.
For the third year in a row the weather did not cooperate and we could not put up the inflatables. Always a bummer until Trick or Treat ends then you are glad you don’t have to mess with them at 9pm.
James did a cute pumpkin that was angry birds on one side and pig king on the other. A great day despite the weather (and yes, there were a few white flakes).
Halloween at Greenfield Village 2014
After a thrilling Lion victory in England, we decided to celebrate by going to Greenfield Village and enjoying another beautiful autumn day. For the second straight day the temperatures were in the mid sixties and it was bright and sunny.
Greenfield Village was lined with pumpkins and various Halloween decorations, perhaps the best example of this was the band stand and a graveyard by the Church. There were plenty of witch items and even a creepy woods for visitors to enjoy as they passed through various creepy things. James played a bit in the new playground and enjoyed visiting the lake with all the ducks. He also met one of his teachers from Hoover Elementary while he was at the Village, a small world indeed.
Halloween at Frankenmuth 2014
In what many expect to be the last really nice weekend of the year, we decided to visit Frankenmuth during the heart of the Halloween season and see what its like. James was able to participate in some very unique Halloween activities including pumpkin bowling (he threw a spare), exploring through a hay maze, and a pumpkin catapult. We then ate dinner at the Bavarian Inn and then explored Bronners. We finished up the day at a couple antique stores where we picked up a couple Halloween cookie jars at less than half price (which we added to our Halloween cookie jar shelf in the basement) and a Halloween blow mold of a ghost coming out of a pumpkin which we added to our Halloween display.
What a great atmosphere they have in Frankenmuth, so much to do and best of all most of the really fun stuff is free or very inexpensive. Very creative in this city, their chamber of commerce should be proud at how well all the businesses work together to put on a great show. All in all a great “summerish” day in late October.
Halloween at Manuels Taco Hut 2014
For the third year now we made it to Manuels Taco Hut for their Halloween event. I do not know how many years in a row it takes before its considered an annual event but it certainly is well on its way for this family. They have the entire restaurant decorated for Halloween in black with glow in the dark spider webs on the ceiling and ultraviolet lights everywhere. Halloween music fills the air and several of the decorations came to life and performed for us while we were there.James enjoyed the event as always and its a great way for us to get back into the Halloween spirit especially after a weekend of Halloween at James party. Located at 16806 Ecorse Road in Allen Park, Manuels Taco Hut seats 48 in a cozy dining room atmosphere that is perfect for Halloween. The place is usually packed so its best to arrive between lunch and dinner or you may experience a long wait.
James Halloween Party 2014
James held his fourth Halloween party for his friends, this time students from his new “middle” school attended as well as the elementary school. James was much more involved in this years party in everything from the planning and decorations to the beverages that were served. James had several highlights including playing UNO with his teacher and seeing both his new teachers and his past teachers. The costume of choice for the kids seemed to be Mario Brothers and Mom got several compliments on her pumpkin cake. The favorite decoration seemed to be the Exorcist although the graveyard and pumpkin bar got several compliments as well.
All in all a great day! James says next years party will be October 10th.
Please note that the video below is a multiple video playlist, to play from the beginning simply click play, to view the list and jump around click the upper left corner of the playlist with the three horizontal lines.
Lunar Eclipse 2014
The family enjoyed the lunar eclipse which was very well publicized and easy to see due to the nice clear weather in October. It was visible from North America, parts of Australia, China and Japan. Parts of South Asia, and Eastern Europe saw a partial eclipse.
Taking pictures of this was not easy as you can tell, but we tried. James also has a telescope that came in handy during this time period, but does not have the capability of allowing us to photograph the images.
All in all a very fun experience that the whole family enjoyed. Anything having to do with the moon in October has to be enjoyed by this family.
