Wednesday, October 31, 2007

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Sunday Oct 21 we visited the Williamson Pumpkin patch just east of Ankeny.


I see one Mom and Dad!!
I like this one!
Yep, this is it!

Sunday Oct. 28 we visited Night Eyes at the Blank Park Zoo. They set up a path of stations from local businesses and organizations for the kids to trick-or-treat in. They also have a fun zone with bounce houses and a giant blow-up slide. We opted not to do the fun zone as there were A LOT of older kids. We enjoyed the path and received a free ice cream sandwich from Wells Blue Bunny.
It was a good run to see if her costume was warm enough for Beggar's night on the 30th.

Cool! I get another pumpkin!
We did a little bit of Beggar's night last night. We opted to stop at some of our friends houses instead of going to the neighborhood houses of people we didn't know. Alexa had fun and got plenty of candy for an almost 2yr old!
What is Beggar's Night you ask? Read below...
Here's an excerpt from Des Moines Register Reporter Mary Challender's story this morning on Des Moines unique tradition of Beggar's Night:

The credit for providing Des Moines children with the perfect outlet for their most groan-inducing jokes largely goes to one woman, Kathryn Krieg, director of recreation for the Des Moines Playground Commission (later the Parks and Recreation Department) for 43 years.

When Krieg assumed her post in 1931, kids on Beggars' Night were more likely to clamor "Soaps or Eats" than "Trick or Treat." Every year the newspaper ran a long list on Nov. 1 of youths arrested the previous evening for crimes ranging from soaping windows and sidelining streetcars to setting fires and throwing bricks through windows.

The flash point came on Halloween in 1938 when Des Moines police answered a record 550 calls concerning vandalism. Krieg, along with the Community Chest' group work council, began a campaign to encourage less violent forms of Halloween fun.

They set aside Oct. 30 as Beggars' Night and got the word out to the public that on that night - and only that night - children would be allowed to go from door to door and say the phrase "tricks for eats." The council urged that "eats should be given only if such a 'trick' as a song, a poem, a stunt or a musical number, either solo or in group participation, is presented."

The next year, the group work council again promoted the Beggars' Night concept, this time as a way to aid the war effort. An article published in The Des Moines Register on Oct. 29, 1942, carried the headline "Kids! -Don't Help the Axis on Halloween" and included this poem encouraging proper behavior:

"Soap and ticktacks are taboo,
Ringing doorbells? Not for you.
Thoughts of pranks, you must detour,
Lest you bet a saboteur."

The Beggars' Night program was so successful that by the mid-1940's, the number of Halloween police calls in Des Moines had been cut by more than half.

After the war, Krieg continued to issue annual bulletins in the Register laying still more Beggars' Night ground rules, including that children should stay in their own neighborhoods and that parents should turn on their porch lights for trick-or-treaters and accompany small children on their rounds.

Each year, she reiterated that children should not be given candy until they earned it "with a stunt, song, or riddle."

Now on Beggars' Night, a group of preteen girls will occasionally sing a song or a shy kindergartner opt for a cartwheel. For the most part, however, every trick-or-treater old enough to memorize one tells a joke.

Why did Dracula visit the blood bank?
He needed to make a withdrawal.

Krieg retired in 1974, a few years after the Register stopped running her yearly admonition to make children work for their candy. By then, the biggest Beggars' Night concern wasn't the danger trick-or-treaters might represent to the public but the danger some members of the public might represent to trick-or-treaters. Krieg died in March of 1999 at age 94.

The joke-telling ritual continues, as does its legacy: Reduced vandalism. Instead of tales of marauding youth, the only Halloween-related story to appear in the Register last year was about a gathering of local witches.

Monday, October 29, 2007

Newton CycloCross Championship Race

This past Sunday was the Newton CycloCross championships. Many images taken by Fryguy
I stole a couple for the blog. Kyle had fun and once again pushed himself hard. I don't think I can get him to do a write-up, but I can for sure tell you he would say...I had fun, about pooped when Thad went down in front of me, and finished the best I could.

Here is my pic...kind of far away, but you can see his barrier skills!
Here starts the pictures from FryGuy...the are good!
Start of the race...check out Marc's pre-Halloween face!
Round the tree we go!Chasing down Thad! Thad's the tall one that jumped over the fire at the 24hr race!
Alexa also had fun running around and playing with Kyle's parents. She slept good!!

One more race the weekend of Thanksgiving at the Jingle Cross Rock race! Maybe if Kyle wins the bike, then we can make me a cross bike for next year....hhmmmm....may be fun!

Monday, October 08, 2007

Past week recap

This last week consisted of bikes, football, and candles!

Last Saturday and Sunday Kyle had the Newton Cross out Crohn's cyclocross races. He did well and had fun. Results here.
Alexa and I made it to Sunday's race and she had a lot of fun playing with the Reese triplets and just being outside.

Kyle's seat broke on the first lap...here he is letting us all know.
Next photos taken by Julie G.
Jump those barriers!Pushing hard...Isn't she a little diva!
On Friday I headed up to Marcus to see my nephew Justin play Football. It is his senior year and up until a week ago he was quarterback. The Friday before last he fell on his hand and dislocated his thumb. A sports trainer popped it back in that night. On Tuesday he went for an MRI and he has a chipped bone at the base of his thumb. So no more quarterback for the rest of the season unless he can get his grip back in the next 3 games. He had some great plays on Friday night and did just as good as running back and defensive end. Yep small town IA, the boys play the entire game!

On Saturday my Mom had a candle party, I think I'm getting all her friends hooked on Gold Canyon...she had few guests, but a GREAT party!
Then we just bummed for the rest of the weekend. Alexa helped rake leaves and just had a ton of fun playing with her cousins.

Taking a break to watch Grandpa mow the yard...
Natalee, Alexa, and Elizabeth