I'm not really the pumpkin carver in the family, but since Josh could barely walk upright on Sunday {yucky back problems} I was in the spotlight. The nice part was that he manned the camera and I was in some pictures for a change! I convinced Ella to let me carve their initials instead of faces this year and its a good thing I'm persuasive. The smaller pumpkin was too little to squeeze my hand inside and empty, so we opted to shave the skin off in a star pattern. ...
halloween
The Morning After
We have managed to cram an insane amount of Halloween goodness into the last four days, which leaves me endless photos to edit and upload, pumpkin innards to dispose of, more candy and popcorn than we know what to do with and two very tired and cranky little girls. For now, how about a photo of Olivia the Pig and the cutest Chicken Little you have ever seen? There, that's better. ...
Happy Halloween…
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Boo Boo Boo at the Zoo
On Sunday afternoon, we decided to carry these two little Halloween-lovers to our local zoo for the annual Boo at the Zoo event. Despite what our daddy says, it did not disappoint. Just in case there is any question, Ella is Olivia the Pig for Halloween and Sophie is a pumpkin. Due to some unseasonably warm weather, Sophie skipped out on her costume, with the exception of her 'boggin. Hopefully, come Sunday the weather will be cool enough for some fuzzy knits! Sophie had the pleasure of hanging out in the carrier for most of the night and it was a life-saver. I was not looking forward to navigating a crowded zoo with a stroller and we all know that carrying a baby for hours while waiting in line is not a fun time for ANYBODY. We were smart enough this year to head straight for ...
Fall Festival
After another day of rest, a shot to the fanny, a z-pack and some fancy cough syrup - I was starting to feel much better. I woke up late Thursday afternoon and felt great, but the combination of medicines and an empty stomach was making me feel dizzy and very loopy. There was a fall festival at my mom's Elementary School and Ella has been begging to go for weeks. Since I should have been at work, mom was planning to take the girls and then meet me for Ella's dance class afterward. Instead, she picked me up {since I was too impaired to drive!!} and I followed them around for an hour or so. Let me just say that by the time we got home I was worn out and ready for another nap. Waiting in line to buy our armbands Hanging out with our friends, Kaitlyn and Madeline Connor and ...
It’s Halloween Day!
For Halloween, Ella was to be Fancy Nancy. We ordered her birthday outfit with Halloween in mind. Her FN doll has fairy wings and a few weeks ago Ella decided that needed some, too. We borrowed them from our sweet friend, Stevi and Ella looked precious. Unfortunately, she didn't wear them very long. Walking in wings proved difficult for Ella! We had to add tights and a long sleeved t-shirt to keep this fancy fairy warm and we added a flower to her hair and pretty pink eyeshadow, since Halloween at our house require "face paint". Our first stop for trick-or-treating was Granmom and Pop's. She wasn't sure about going to the door by herself, but she was so excited for candy. We laughed at her because when we asked what she was supposed to say she almost always responded, "Trick or Treat, ...
Jack-o-lanterns are here!
Guess what we did last night? I didn't know until we had everything spread out on the counter that SD had never carved a pumpkin before! Ella knew we were doing something to our pumpkins, but she wasn't quite sure what. This is the face we got when we asked her to put her arm in the pumpkin guts. It was a no! Daddy was a trooper. He cut the lids and scooped out all of the guts. I drew a face on one pumpkin and an "F" on the other and we each took one and got to work. See the concentration on his face? This is what we were left with. Guts, seeds, an "F" and a few matches. But didn't they turn out pretty? Ella pretty much refused to take a decent picture with the pumpkins and since she wouldn't be still she's out of focus in every one I snapped. ...
Belly-ache a Comin’
We don't eat a lot of candy in our house. It's not that we don't love it, but none of us like to share it (!) and we really try to get Ella to be a good eater. When there is junk in the house, it's the only thing she wants. If we only have veggies and whole-grain bread, she eats it just a heartily. We don't let her have soft drinks, ever. She only eats "junk" and sugary snacks on special occasions. Well, yesterday was a special occasion... it was two days after Halloween! For our afternoon snack, we threw on an old t-shirt, rounded up all the leftover Halloween candy and had a feast. When we asked if she wanted it, she told us that it wasn't "yours (mom) and yours (dad)" it was for Ella and she was going to "eat it all done!" We had a chat about sharing. Then she said, "but you don't ...