Happy Halloween from 2 princesses and a mouse!

Cinderella, Snow White, and Mickey Mouse! that's who made an appearance in our house this year for trick-or-treating! i can not tell you how much norah LOVED her costume! she danced around in it, laughing! she had a wonderful first halloween experience! she even began saying "trick or treat" and "candy" . . seriously! i'm going to try to get it on video tomorrow. she is so much like layla. she has no interest in walking but she'll be speaking full sentences at 18 months :) i hope had a safe and fun evening!

best parents award!

yes, i am nominating danny and i for this one today :) while deciding where to go for lunch after church, i happened to come across some coupons for Chuck-e-cheese, so that's where we went! this is a place we usually only go when grandma and grandpa are in town -- i always wonder who's going to get the flu first after being there -- but the girls LOVED it, of course! i think norah had the most fun! she was so excited, pointing at everything and laughing!






this was the first time they were brave enough to actually climb up in the large tunnel, play structure!

getting ready for church

picking out her accessories

first fire of the season

it's definitely fall in seattle! we roasted marshmallows after dinner last night! ella likes to roast them, but won't eat them. layla likes to eat them, but won't roast them - so we have a pretty good system going :)


she looks like a hobo!

diva ballerina

in the past few weeks ella has determined it is much better for her to get ready for ballet class in the dressing room in the studio, rather than at home. this makes things a tad harder for mommy but she thinks this dressing room is the best thing ever and, of course, all for only her :) and this is her at only 4!

cat o' lantern

i attempted to make another cake today for halloween. it proved a bit trickier b/c i was experimenting w/ new tips for the icing i've never done before - so be kind in your critiques! ella thinks i did a fabulous job so that's really all that matters :)

this was the pic in the book (did you think for a second this was the one i did?!?!?)

this was mine

i ran into a few snags b/c i couldn't find a jack-o-latern mold so i ended up using a regular round mold and improvising a bit. oh well . . i am sure it will taste heavenly :) this is definitely one of those skils where practice really does make perfect. with all the holidays coming up and danny and ella's b-days here's hoping i'll be "perfect" in no time!

sweet daddy!

pumpkins might as well have the face of santa claus in our house because every year it is the same with both. we think the girls will love seeing santa or carving a pumpkin and every year they despise both! so, inevitably, every year danny ends up alone, cleaning and carving out the pumpkins. the girls don't even bother to sit and watch, but danny seems to enjoy doing it, so we leave him alone :)

they opted to take all the pillows and blankets off the beds and play in the kitchen :) oh well.



of course, after hearing the news that the tigers are now #1, this is what he decided to do . .

here's hoping we don't fall like the rest of the #1's in the past weeks!!!

sunday best

they love picking out their own outfits :)

you smell that?!?

WAR CAM EAGLE!!!!! 8-0!!!!! The only thing that makes me sad about this season is that we can't be on the plains to witness it!!!

Danny has had them smack talking all night :) they're pumped!

pumpkin patch (sort of)

we went to the pumkin patch today, but my camera batteries were depleated - this is one of my biggest pet peaves! oh well - we got one or two, sort of OK pix. the girls had a great time. there were pony rides, a wonderful playground, a corn maze, a hay maze, hay rides, and of course pumpkins. danny is going to try to carve them tomorrow for us.

halloween preview

the nice thing about the girls is that they are still so obsessed w/ anything and everything princess that we already had the dresses for their halloween costumes. today we went and found some wigs for them to wear :) ella of course is going as cinderella and layla is going as snow white. still trying to find a last minute costume for norah.

my little stinkers

layla has a very deep love affair with her pillow and blanket. there is only one pillowcase that is allowed to be on her pillow and most times i have to sneak it into the wash b/c even at home she likes it being in the same room with her. so last night as i was tucking her in, this is what she says:

layla: (sniffing her pillow and then annoyed) "mommy, did you wash my pillow?"

me: "yes, honey. it was very dirty and smelly so i needed to wash it today."

layla: "but now it stinks!"

me: "no, layla, it smells clean, like it should."

layla: "i really wish you wouldn't do that b/c i liked the way it smelled before!"

i know i was a slob as a child but i think even i could appreciate clean clothes and bedding :)


-------------------------------------------

at the lunch table:

ella: "i remembered to go potty before lunch, but secretly, i did not wash my hands" and than she laughs!

i really do try to instill proper hygiene :)

castle park

fall is here and it's wonderful! after church today we took the girls to the "castle park" for the afternoon. (lots of photos)