Friday, October 31, 2014

What a Scream

There are a lot of Halloween things to do in Peoria, but we tend to stay away from them. This weekend, however, we took the kids to Wildlife Prairie Scary Park. Christian opted not to go, but Tori and Eli got into their costumes and decided to give it a go. We got there around 6 and set off on the trick-or-treat trail. It was fairly long, but there was a lot to see, including some tents with scary stuff, and the kids seemed to have a good time. Along the way, we stopped for s’mores, which Eli did not care for, as well as a short story. Then, it was time to hop onto the train.

The train ride started with a walk through the Troll Bridge, which stopped the kids hard. Some person in a wheelchair was the troll, and I have to say that person was scary with their mask and their wings outstretched. Tori and Eli weren’t sure what to do, but eventually, they made their way around the troll. We stood in line for 20 minutes before finally getting onto the train. By this time, it was pitch black and the stage was set for fright. The train ride took about 15 or 20 minutes, during which tons of volunteers jumped out in costume to scare riders. At one point, we had to stop to wait for another train, and a guy dressed like Jason made Tori his target. He walked up to her and stared and stared. Tori squeezed me tight and waited patiently for him to target someone else. Meanwhile, Eli just kept telling people they were not scary. He had no issues telling every scary person who came up to him hello.

We finished around 8 and went home. The train ride made it all worthwhile I think. Tori and Eli are already talking about coming back next year. Huts can’t wait to take them to a haunted house one day. Good thing Christian chose not to come. I don’t think he would have been too fond of all of the thrills and chills.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

One Quarter Down

The kids made it through their first quarter of school. They all did well, even Eli. He has turned into a good speller and is improving everyday with math and reading. He also has been a good kid. Every day, he comes home with a mini report, and it is usually green, pink or purple, all good colors on the behavior scale.



Last night, Eli went to a birthday party. He was the only boy there but had a good time anyway. At first, he did not want to play with the girls, but once Huts left for a sandwich down the street, Eli decided it was time to join them. When Huts got back, Eli was having fun with Deja and the others.



Eli got his cast off a couple of weeks ago. He was given a splint for school but got it dirty at the party last night, so he went without it today. The twins noticed it right away in latchkey this morning and demanded to see Eli’s wrist. He showed it to them, they saw it was ok, and off they went to play Legos. Guessing he is nearly done with that splint.