October Fun

October is always the busiest month for us.  Maybe because fall is my favorite season so I pack it full of fun activities, or maybe because the weather is usually cooperative during this month, or just maybe because it is the very beginning of the holiday craziness.  But we filled this month full of soccer, pumpkins, Illini, Halloween parties, and more!  We started with picking pumpkins from our favorite pumpkin patch (yes, two wagons filled to overflowing this year - I have a bit of a pumpkin addiction I guess).

My favorite Springfield event of the year - Jack Spectacular in Washington Park.  This year had 2012 carved pumpkins, spooky Carillon music, and Halloween effects all around.  And the pumpkin behind Ethan in the first picture has a live fish in it!

We also decided it was time to take the kids to their first Illini football game.  The game was not the best, but any chance we have to brainwash the kids into thinking U of I is the only college for them to attend is a win for us!  Plus our favorite restaurant Zorba's had reopened after their fire, although their updated decor no longer gives us good memories of our weekly dates there while attending college.

One day....

When else would they ever have the chance to play Alma Mater on the podium???  How cool is this?  The statue is being refurbished, but the pedestal itself had a very long line for this picture.

As always, we have to show the kids their grandpa's name (my dad) on the bronze tablet.  Such an accomplishment!

Great picture!

Kids with their carved pumpkins - they each draw whatever they want on the pumpkins and we help to carve them out.

This year's costumes...Statue of Liberty (guessing it is inspired from our NYC vacation this year) and Batman.

The neighborhood gang getting ready to take the kids trick or treating.  For the past three years it has been the dads' job to take the kids and the moms stay behind to hand out candy.  On very cold Halloweens, it's a pretty good deal for the moms.

The candy!  They can eat what they want on Halloween night while watching "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" but then the candy is portioned out after that.