Halloween 2011

Halloween this year was a little rushed...and not so organized.  Ok, ok I am never really on top of things, but with the move this year I am still feeling so far behind.  

A week or so before Halloween the kids painted the pumpkins from their farm trips.  

Then there were parties at both schools that I was able to attend with the kids.

 

Marcus wouldn't put on his costume and I didn't have Addy's yet-so she went as a ballerina

 

 We went to a Halloween party at a friend's house.

A couple weeks ago I was at the grocery store with the kids.  We saw this ginormous pumpkin and the kids asked if we could buy it.  I put it in the cart and all three kids stopped talking they were so surprised, I guess I tell them 'no' too much.

 

 Big strong Daddy

Katie was the only one who wasn't grossed out by the seeds.  Addy's and Marcus' faces were so funny.

The kids think Mark is so cool because he can carve a pumpkin.  He went into Katie's school this year and carved the pumpkin for her class.  Katie was so proud.  (If you noticed that Katie has on different clothes in the final picture it is because the poor girl got sick in the middle of everything.  She was so concerned about still being sick on Halloween.)

 (Halloween shirts)

And now,

the cuteness we have all been waiting for...

the cheerleader, the princess and spider man

 

Katie asked me to dress up this year, it was last minute but the kids were so excited when I said I would.  Next year we will talk Mark into joining the crowd.

Mark came home early to go trick or treating with us!!!

Marcus was the trick or treating pro this year.  He was running from door to door. I did have to bribe him to get the costume on, but once he realized that people were giving him candy because he had it on, he stopped whining about it.  We brought some extra bags to empty the kids candy into and Katie and Addy gladly lightened their load, but Marcus refused to let us touch his candy.  He would not even let us help him carry his pumpkin.  By the end of the night he was almost dragging it because it was so heavy.  But the only way we got him home is because he couldn't carry it anymore (and because we told him he could eat some).

 

The only thing better then getting candy for free is counting and eating it!

Mi vida

Some random moments in our life . . .

Last week when I dropped the kids off at school everyone was standing in the hallway with lunchboxes in hand.  When I tried to walk Marcus and Addy to their classrooms everyone looked at me expectantly, like I was doing something wrong, I was so confused.  Long story short, it was field trip day.  They had sent the notice home, but somehow that notice missed Marcus and Addy's bags.  I had a long list of things I needed to get done that day but decided to go with the kids on their field trip instead.  They were going to a farm for some fall fun.  There were some fun animals to look at, a wagon ride, and a pumpkin patch.  They had these great slides that the kids (and I) had a blast going down.

one of the slides

 

They told the kids they could each pick one pumpkin, so Marcus loaded his bag with as many as it would hold.

We are all settled in our house and are really enjoying our neighborhood.  One of the reasons I love this neighborhood is because we are within walking distance to the local YMCA.  It is like a big family, within days of joining they knew all of our names.  They have great childcare where I can drop the kids off to workout.  I put all three kids in soccer this year.  I think it might have been a mistake to put Marcus and Addy in.  They are stinkers during practice--they keep distracting each other.  It doesn't help that they don't quite understand that the objective is to take the soccer ball from other kids and then kick it towards the goal.  They keep getting mad when someone takes the ball from them.  Addy did score a goal during a scrimmage at one point.  We have high hopes for next year.

Katie on the other hand is doing awesome.  She is a feisty little thing on the field and isn't afraid to get in there and get the ball.

Another thing we have been enjoying is the weather (it is perfect) and the park across the street.  Everyone hangs out there after school, so we have met all sorts of friends.  Marcus has been practicing on his new bike and is doing pretty well.

 

Katie has been bugging me to cut her hair short so we finally got to a salon and (against Mark's wishes) chopped it all off.  Katie was so excited, and it didn't take Mark long to come around to her new short-haired cuteness.

Katie and Addy doing their most favorite thing, coloring and drawing.  Katie has started writing stories and drawing pictures of everything we do. 

Katie had a birthday party to go to so Marcus and Addy and I decided to have a little fun, we went to Earth Fare and ate dinner.  The kids were so excited to push the little carts through the store.  We put our food in them and went outside to eat.

If they look a little crazy in the picture...they are.  Marcus and Addy have so much fun together, they are so hyper together and totally feed off of each other.  Of course when you add Katie to the mix I feel like I am loosing my mind.

No more babies...

So we are officially in a house without babies (although there still seems to be plenty of crying going on).  Addy and Marcus turned 3 last Friday.  So weird!

My sisters went to the beach for a week and invited us to join them.  We went for two nights, coming home Friday afternoon so the twins could be with Mark on their birthday.  It was a lot of fun.

We got to the beach and the kids wanted to immediately get in the water like we did in May.  They were not happy about having to haul everything up to our room and change into swimsuits.  But then Talia showed up so they stopped complaining--cousins fix everything.  We went swimming in one of the hotel pools and then spent the rest of the afternoon/evening on the beach.  

Thursday was a beautiful day.  Everyone in our little group spent the day on the beach.  Katie and I jumped some waves; Marcus and I built some sand castles (safely away from the waves) and Addy did a little of both.  Mostly they just played with cousins and I just gossiped with my sisters.

Both nights the kids got to stay up late to go out to dinner with everyone.

Chris, Adam, Will, Marcus, Cooper, Addy, Carson, Flossie, Katie, Talia and Sarah

Thurs night, after dinner we hit up Krispy Kreme.  The line was long and we didn't get back to the hotel until late, but obviously the kids really enjoyed the donuts.

Katie and Talia

Friday was a wet and cold day, but a great day to have a birthday!  With our room we got a fabulous breakfast where we could eat whatever we wanted.  Friday morning Marcus and Addy had a little of everything; french toast, fruit, yogurt, bacon, bagels--you get the idea.

We spent the morning hanging out at the indoor pools and hottubs and then packed up to head home.  

Katie's school was having a kids concert and dinner and we thought that would be a fun way to celebrate turning three.  We met Mark there and danced the night away.

(That night as I was getting Addy out of the car to go to bed she said to me, "Hey! you didn't make me a cake!"  It was so accusatory in her cute little voice, like I was trying to pull something over on her.)

Saturday we partied!

We opened presents and ate.

Addy wanted cake, Marcus wanted cupcakes, I made both.

 

Happy Birthday Marcus and Addy!  I can't believe it's been three whole years.