Halloween!!!!!!!!!!!!

Frances was really tired from all the festivities....wait, this was before they even started!

She woke up around 6 this morning (very early for her) and then we were in the car around 3 so she actually took a nap! I did not drive with her laying this way. She did that once I got home and parked.

We had the opportunity to dress up both yesterday and today. Yesterday Delaney was a cow. Frances was a cheetah both days.

I had a lot of fun painting her face tonight. I am quite pleased with how it turned out. The outfit was something my sister sent us this summer. It looks homemade and it fits just perfect. She got many compliments throughout the evening. Delaney was a ladybug, however, she slept the entire time in the stroller.

We enjoyed the beautiful and warm evening with a couple of other friends. It was a great Halloween!!!!!!!!

School party!

I was the lucky parent that got to coordinate the preschool Fall party. I am sure it is the first of many. It was fun for all and pretty easy.

The kids played toss the bean bag into the pumpkin. They also played pass the pumpkin (like hot potatoe) and then they each got to decorate a pumpkin when they got out. There was a craft and then a snack:)

This weekend we carved our pumpkins. Frances wasn't so keen on the cleaning out process at first...

But it got better:)

Then came the hard part...letting daddy have some fun! (and he did)

When the carving was finished Frances had to put on her pj's. This is her expression when coming into the dark garage and seeing the candles burning in her pumpkins.

The proud owner of the fanciest pumpkins I have ever been a part of.


And the final result........................

One of my favorite images in motherhood!

So many choices....

four month test

Which kitty is the original?

Check out my deals from CVS today!

Total before tax and coupons: $56.24

Total after coupons, with tax (including one $7 EC buck and 2 $10 cvs giftcards from our prescription coupons last week): $17.06

Amount of EC bucks earned on this trip: $17.21

growing up!

Here is something Delaney enjoys these days. Her feet just barely reach the bottom.

Pumpkin Farm

A sure sign of colder days to come...On Sunday we put the boat into storage and then headed off to a pumpkin farm. It was a beautiful day for it! And we were able to get home in time to watch football (if you could call it that considering they didn't play well).

The hayride was short and fun. We went out to a pumpkin patch (mostly a weed patch with pumpkins placed in it) and picked out our prize pumpkin.

Frances really liked petting the goats. They were very friendly. I think it was their nap time because they sat so still even with all the children running around them.

She a scarecrow! She is definitely full of something!

I just love the Fall!!!!!!!!!!!

Ignore the not so pretty flowers in the pots:) My sister in law transplanted these mums and sedum from other parts of my yard this Spring. They look GREAT!
Frances had a blast playing with her friend "wormy"

The late afternoon walk required a hat for the little one.

Here is the new decor in little D"s room...

Lesson learned?

I sure hope so! Never leave gummy bears in the car! Our first set of bears melted when they sat in the car over an entire weekend. This unfortunate bear family melted in just two hours! Needless to say, they were greatly missed each time! I don't think Frances will ever let us forget the gummy bears in the car again!

Things learned at preschool...

Frances came home from the first day of school talking about "Hannah Montana." We are too young for this! Here is her version of a Hannah Montana song...

Thankfully, she is also learning some real things at school. Here is a list of some of them...

• The first president AND what money he is on
• who made the first american flag
• who sailed the ocean blue and with what three ships
• where the Wright brothers were from
• Each day she also learns a new letter or number

She seems to really like going to school. She has been in trouble a few times for not following instructions but hey, that is another lesson she needs to learn!

It happened...

Frances is almost 4 years old and she just now got her first ear infection. I am so thankful for the good health we have had! I am also thankful that she is old enough to tell me when something hurts. On Saturday night she mentioned that her ear hurt. No mention of it all day Sunday but then again at bedtime. It is somewhat reassuring to know that the ear she complained about is the one that is infected. I figured I should have Delaney checked out while we were there just to ease my mind. She hasn't been sleeping quite as well so we always wonder if it is ears. She checked out just fine. She weighed in at 12 pounds! Frances weighed in at 35 pounds! I also went to the Dr. and have a sinus infection. Mitch probably has one too then as he sounds worse than me but he hasn't made it in yet. No update on what we weighed in at but I was significantly less than four months ago:) Despite all the illness...we are doing well and enjoying the fall season! I love it when we have pretty leaves and 80 degree days! Mitch just wishes the water was still at least 70 degrees! (he might even settle for 60)

Busy weekend!

Well, just busy all the time! On Thursday Frances got a visit from the fire station while at school!

That same afternoon I spent quite a bit of time cleaning up this...

As unpleasant as that was...it gave us the opportunity to put Delaney in this outfit that my friends mother made for Frances when she was a baby. It fit perfectly! She thought it was great falling forward from the corner of the couch where I was trying to get her to stand!

Then we move on to Friday where Frances received yet another injury to her face! I hate to admit that it was due to an Usborne Book but it is true. She was running to get on the couch where we were going to read the book...the book must have smacked her in the eye as she crashed onto the couch in that crazy way that three year olds do. It cut her eye and instantly started to swell and turn purple/bluish. Good thing picture day at school was last week!

Friday night was a girls night out at church with an 80's theme. I had a lot of fun trying to dress up! I don't remember it taking SO long to crimp my hair! I think it looked great though! We watched one of my all time favorite movies...Girls Just Want To Have Fun. It was a nice night away. Mitch even had a great night as Delaney was pretty much asleep when I left at 7:00 and then he read books to Frances and they both laid down and went to sleep. I got home at 11:15 and Delaney woke at about 11:45 to eat.

Saturday Frances helped Daddy change the oil and rotate the tires. Delaney helped me at a book party. Then it was off to Church and it was also our night to work in the nursery.

Now it is Sunday and Mitch is enjoying a little bit of time with a friend target shooting. Later today Frances gets to be my helper at a book party. She is so excited as she has never got to help me before and of course a party sounds like fun! Daddy and Delaney will get to spend some one on one time together!

Here is a recent pic of the girls. They are both growing up so quick! Delaney is filling out and getting "chubby". Frances wants to know why she is "chubby". She wants to know "why" about a lot of things. Her most difficult question for me lately is "why does the sun go down". I was trying to explain it to her with no luck. Later that night Mitch suggested that I simply tell her it is tired. I will have to remember that the next time she asks:)
This is the newest wall decoration for Frances' room. My brother made it for me for my birthday! He made me Delaney's name in what look like baby blocks. I haven't decided where I am going to hang them up yet but will post a picture of them too! It is pretty neat though, it is vinyl and he can create just about anything imaginable!