Fall Festival

I absolutely LoVe FaLL!!  The beautiful colors, bonfires, pumpkin patch trips, football, and snuggling with a cozy blanket are just a few reasons why this time of year is a favorite of mine...not to mention family gatherings centered around Thanksgiving and Christmas...my two favorite holidays!

As Cole continues to grow, each new season brings more fun and more memories to be made.  This year, Michael and I decided to take Cole to the annual Fall Festival at Gene W. Brown Elementary School.  Besides being 5 minutes down the road, I taught first grade at Gene Brown for six years before having Cole and LOVED it!  I couldn't pass up the chance to see former students, colleagues, and let Cole participate in the fun that I experienced while there.  The PTA began the Fall Festival as a fundraiser during my third year of teaching and I remember thinking how neat it would be to bring my family to the festival one day and let my child enjoy the fun.  What a dream come true!

We arrived at 5:30 (I wanted to get there a little early...I knew the line for tickets would be outrageous by 6:00).  We spent $5 for 20 tickets and let Cole have free reign.  We checked out the inflatables first and then roamed the school stopping in each classroom to play a game.  Michael and I weren't sure how Cole would fare with the games, but he did GREAT!  He always waited patiently for his turn, tried his best, and said 'Thank you' when given his prize.  Needless to say, we were a proud mommy and daddy!

Outdoor fun!

Heading inside...ring toss, bowling, basketball, tic-tac-toe, the 'Ooey Gooey Room', and bean bag toss were just a few of the fun games we played!

Waiting his turn :-)

Prizes!

The 'Ooey Gooey Room'.  It was very dark with creepy music...we couldn't believe Cole ventured in!  He also stuck his hands in the 'cauldrons' that had things in them representing bat eyes, brains, etc.  "Eww!" and "That's yucky!" were the favorite phrases in this room :-)

Although the games were fun, Cole's favorite part of the evening by far was the cake walk.  He would dance to the music and was soooo excited when our number was picked as a winner.  The smile on his face as we were handed two plates of vanilla cupcakes was priceless!  He also loved the Christmas trees that were on display for the silent auction. :-)

Waiting for the music to begin...

Here we go!

What number will it be??  It was Mommy's!  Yummy cupcakes for us!

Mesmerized by the Christmas trees

The baskets made by each class for the silent auction.  They were awesome!  My favorite was the gift card basket.  Gift cards ($5-$25) to restaurants, Victoria's Secret, Monkey Joes, Wal-Mart, Kroger, Target, etc.  The bid was still at $150 when we left (the basket totaled more than $500).  Whoever won got a steal I'm sure!

One of my favorite things about the evening was seeing former students and parents.  My first year 'kids' are now FRESHMEN in high school!  Now that'll make ya feel old!  They ooohed and ahhhed over Cole and many kept asking 'When are you coming back?'.  I explained how it was wonderful to be loved and missed, but that I wouldn't trade being at home for anything.  Maybe I'll grace the classroom again...who knows? 

All in all, it was a fun evening that we hope to attend for years to come!