Witches Night Out 2010

Witch-A-Palooza at Gardner Village tonight.  I'm glad we went, but zoinkers!--I am tired this evening. 
I  told my three oldest children the things that needed to be done today in order for us to get to go tonight (schoolwork, practicing, clean rooms, etc).  They went above and beyond what they were suppose to get done.   So even though my three younger people were quite a handful today, and I really didn't feel up to going, there was NO WAY I could go back on our deal.  Why did they have to be so helpful and cooperative today of all days?

As per tradition, I had to get a picture with my "patron witch".  I feel such a kinship with this witch.  And how sweet that my girls insisted on being in the picture too.  They think they like chocolate as much as me-- NO WAY Jose-lita!  They don't understand the depths of my love, my need, my obsession.  It wasn't always this way for me.  I liked chocolate as much as the next gal until I bore my first child and suddenly I started craving it something fierce.  I've never recovered.  Truthfully, I don't think I want to recover.

 It is great fun to do the scavenger hunt and find all the witches on a paper you get.  However, Gardner Village is a collection of specialty shops-- quilt, Christmas, yarn, purses, baby, tea.  Most women love window shopping, if not real shopping at places like this.  But at this point in my life I don't have space in my brain and energy to spend looking at things I:  a. can't afford, b.don't have room for, c.my people would break, d. they're cute, but I wouldn't know what to do with even if a., b., and c. were not an issue.  (I lack decorating vision).

The coach of all coaches is there in the white shirt on the right.  He planned a final game for the boys to play against their coaches and family members.  Then they all went to an awards banquet at a local pizza place.  The league provided a medal and bag for each boy, but these coaches went a big step further and made special personal awards for each boy. 

Here Clark is being presented with a "Bulldozer Award- for successfully clearing perfect paths for his teammates to run in".  He also got an award for "always smiling regardless of the situation".  I'm thinking of getting all the parents of these boys together and petitioning this coach to coach a tackle-football team next year. 
Amazing.