Trick or Treating

The businesses downtown "closed" for a few hours to host some good old fashioned trick or treating fun - during daylight hours! 

Can I get a hallelujah?!?!

(I have a decade or more of cold, dark, rainy nights of trick or treating ahead so why rush into this trick or treating thing too fast right? I'm all about a warm, dry and quick start to this new tradition!)

This was a FIRST for both girls and they were pretty excited about the fact that just by saying three magic words - Trick or Treat - someone just hands you candy?

Let's go!

However, once we were parked and they could see the other monsters, cheerleaders and princesses running all around, they were a little apprehensive. 

Grace quickly got the drill.

March into business. Say trick or treat. Allow stranger to place candy in pumpkin basket. Say thank you. And off to the next spot.

Charlotte was a bit more apprehensive.

Especially in some of the businesses who were REALLY in the spirit with spooky music, flashing lights and scary costumes.

Grace was quick to reassure her.

Melted my heart.

  And soon, they were both running ahead.

Short and sweet...but not short on the sweets!

 When I asked Grace if she had fun, she summed it up pretty well.

It was a little bit scary and a little bit fun!

Can't wait for next year!

Happy Halloween!

Here is the card we sent to family and friends this year!

Kinda hard to see because I scanned it - in a hurry!

Hope it was a sweet day!

Pumpkin Party {2012}

Today was Grace's pumpkin party at school!

I got to be the parent volunteer today which was fun - because I got to help plan the pumpkin party - but I also got to observe Grace in her school setting for the first time!

She was very quiet. She listened and did everything the teacher said.

I did notice that a lot of the other kids were "friends" because their parents were friends.

So it broke my heart a little to see Grace sitting by herself while the other kids were horsing around and playing. I can't help but see myself in her. 

Grace got to be the flag holder for the flag salute and she even introduced me to her class. 

After several educational activities - writing, coloring, cutting, etc - it was finally time to party!

The moms brought SO much food!

Pudding that looked like Frankenstein, gummy worms in Oreo crumbs that looked like dirt, popcorn balls, just to name a few. I am not kidding. There was SO much food!! So much of it was really cute or really clever or really realistic looking. Unfortunately, most got thrown away. 

Some of the kids were scared of some of the items but most got to town eating their special pumpkin party snacks without hesitation.

Grace didn't eat anything. To say she is picky...well that is an understatement!

Overall, the pumpkin party was a success!

Grace and her classmates. I still need to learn LOTS of names!!

The Halloween Spirit

The girls were REALLY into Halloween this year...which was a lot of fun!

It's just too bad the days pass so fast with SO much to do that sometimes you barely get to enjoy it.

Luckily, we'll have pictures to look back on!

 Grace wanted a scary pumpkin.

Charlotte was thrilled with a kitty pumpkin!

And while I did make my yearly Halloween sugar cookies, it was a sad attempt. I usually make well over a hundred. This year I could barely choke out 20. I just didn't have the time or the energy. These babies are extremely time consuming...even when you have very "efficient" helpers!

This is it. These are all that I made. I couldn't even muster up putting eyes on the ghosts or writing RIP on the tombstones. I left the tombstones to Grace who happily obliged.

Pathetic but at least we had a few to munch on!

All Aboard!

On a recent visit to Boise we got to experience a different kind of pumpkin patch.

One accessible only by train!

So fun for the girls to ride a train. To watch the country side whiz by!

Horses, pheasants, hawks - all viewable from our seats while sipping hot chocolate and coffee!

The overalls from Grandma were just the ticket too! The perfect place to store our toys all while keeping us warm and not to mention cute!

Thanks Grandma!

There was an assortment of pumpkins and the girls got busy choosing the perfect one! A fun little tradition at one of my favorite holidays with some of my favorite people! Thanks Mom and Dad for making it happen! 

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip with Grace (and Charlotte!)

Grace's class had their very first field trip!

I got to tag along as a parent volunteer and Charlotte got to be dragged along by default.

I don't know why but I felt a strong desire/obligation to make Halloween outfits for the girls. 

I don't know where this came from or why a t-shirt with a pumpkin on it from Target wouldn't suffice but it wouldn't.

On Monday, a quick trip to the fabric store sealed the deal!

I got to  work Monday afternoon - field trip being Wednesday morning - and although I made every mistake possible while making Grace's skirt, I somehow saved it (AKA ripped it all out and started over) and sailed through making Charlotte's on Tuesday.

With a little fabric leftover, I decided to jazz up some t-shirts from Target (found in the boys section...did you know boy toddler sizes run bigger than girl toddler sizes? I didn't!! I could have easily gone down an entire size for both girls. Live and learn)

Anyway, getting out the door Wednesday morning was - for some reason - an ordeal.

I don't know what they were upset about but neither wanted to pose for pictures. 

But luckily the big slide at the pumpkin patch cheered them both right up!

A trip through the dustiest corn maze ever!

Charlotte, the youngest by far, joined right in with the big kids. 

We hit the petting zoo...

and hit it hard! I think the kittens were by far the favorite pumpkin patch activity!!

Then it was off to roast marshmallows!

 Snack time was interrupted by the cutest Halloween kitty ever!

It almost made me want a cat!

Before the morning at the patch ended, all the kids lined up for a class photo.

Charlotte, feeling like part of the class, tried to join.

When I pulled her down from the hay bales, she threw a FULL on temper tantrum.

Full monty!

On the ground. Rolling in the dust.

The only clear picture I was able to snap of the class was this one...

and I cut out one of the kids.

Oops!

Luckily, I was able to hijack a few from Facebook!

And with that, our pumpkin patch field trip concluded.

Fun times!!

Missouri {2012}

I've been trying to get to Missouri for years!

Yep...that's what I said!

Missouri. For YEARS!

One of my closest childhood friends moved there almost a decade ago. When a friend of Court's got married in Columbia, MO (same town where my friend lives) we couldn't wait to go!

And then morning sickness hit with a vengeance. 

This was back when I was pregnant with Grace. 

Then when my friend was in neighboring Oregon so I planned on visiting her in Portland.

Morning sickness hit again - this time with Charlotte - and I was unable to go.

So after doing all the math, the last time I saw my friend was in 2005 - at my wedding!!

It's been nearly seven years!

So when Court told me he had a meeting in St. Louis, I jumped at the chance to tag along with the girls!

And tag along we did!!

I really didn't know what to expect about Missouri. I think I pictured tumbleweed and twang.

But boy was I wrong! 

It was really pretty. Clean and lots of traditional architecture.

I think the first word of I think of when I think of Missouri is trees!

Lots and lots of trees. Boy did we time it right with the changing of the leaves.

We all stayed at the same hotel and when we were all finally checked-in and ready to meet up, we discovered our rooms were NEXT DOOR to each other in the hotel!

When does that ever happen by chance?!?!?!?

This was the first time meeting my friend's darling daughter so

I just had to bring her something REALLY special!

I made her a doll house tote!

Then, it was off to dinner where we got our own private room!

The girls could all play and the parents could just relax. It was the perfect setup!

Even with all that space, they just wanted to be in the stroller with their iPads!

The next morning, we did a little sleeping, a little eating and a little swimming!

Then it was off to the zoo!

See what I mean about the fall foliage!

We rented a double stroller but all three skinny minnies fit in it! 

Perfect!

They didn't all stay in it, but it worked great!

We came upon this elephant just in time to see her doing some tricks!

It was pretty neat! The girls LOVED it!

No trip to the zoo is complete without a stop in the gift shop!

All the girls were treated to a stuffed animal of their choosing.

As you can see Grace is just thrilled about it!

It was so special catching up with my friend, finally seeing where she now calls home (kind of) and having our children meet!

It was also a lot of fun watching our girls all play together. Grace and E really hit it off! Grace has already asked when we are going to see her again!

It all went by too fast and in all that whirlwind of toddler activity and reminiscing we didn't get any pictures of the adults. 

I guess that means we are just going to have to go back and visit again soon!