The Beaven Family: Faux Indian Princesses, Half-Lit Space Rangers and Reluctant Mermaids

Did I also mention the return of one very important DADDY????

What a busy week we've had! My sister and her boys came down to visit and to attend our church's Fall Festival. We had a great time. We spent the first part of the week just visiting and me dragging her on all of my errands that I needed to run for the Festival. On Sunday, the kids had a great time playing games, eating pizza, bouncing in the jumper and getting put in "jail". Afterwards April and Aaron came over and the kids watched a movie while the moms delved deeper into their addiction to Phase Ten.

On Monday we went for a walk down in Beaufort which is a very cute old timey type town on the water. We perused some shops and also just delighted in walking on the boardwalk, enjoying the Southern charm.

Jeremy came home on Tuesday night. We were all very excited to see him. Caleb and Noah thought it was pretty cool to watch Uncle Jeremy fly his jet in and got a touch of what it's like to be in their cousins shoes. Jeremy was bombarded by five children who were all excited to see him and chatter at him at the same time. That continued for the rest of the evening. It was actually pretty funny. All of them talking at once, no one caring that he couldn't really hear any of them! It was quite the cacophony. We brought him home and I remarked to my sister that I was glad she was here because his return days can be lonely for me! :)

On Wednesday morning we went to the "Parade of Preschoolers" in downtown New Bern. They close off the streets and the little children walk, mostly in costume down the streets greeting the shopkeepers who step outside to watch. Some of them pass out candy, but most just wave. We even walked by a few little restaurants with windows in the front that held very amused patrons. Jeremy was able to come over and join us, so that made it even more fun. I thought it was pretty funny that the kids didn't realize that THEY were the parade! You had to remind them to look at the bystanders and to wave. In their minds it seems to be more of a large scale walk. You parade through the downtown area to a park on the water where they have booths set up by various business and social programs for children. The kids had popcorn, made crafts, showed off their costumes and yes, had a few pieces of candy. My favorite booth was some elderly women from a local nursing home who sat in their wheelchairs and doled out candy and love to the children who walked by.

Wednesday evening we stayed at home and went trick or treating around our house. The weather was absolutely perfect, not a chill in the air. Abby was a very pretty Indian Princess. Her cousin Noah did inform her that she wasn't a real Indian. :) (He is and in some 6 year old way must have taken offense to it.) Marshall was Buzz Lightyear and was very happy with his Superhero status for the day. He had a really cool pair of goggles that lit up, but only one side worked by the time we were ready for trick or treating. Amelia put her foot down and refused to take part in the foolishness of costumes for the Parade. I can only imagine that she thought that the wonderfullness of her should be enough for anyone. Not being one to force atheist celebrations on my children, I wasn't going to make her wear one. I did encourage it that night though as I was a bit worried that some grumpy adult would be stingy with her and hurt her feelings. She agreed to wear her Ariel dress up outfit when she realized candy was involved. It didn't take our little foodie long to catch on.