Gymnastics Obsessed

Both my girls are obsessed with gymnastics... specifically their gymnastic classes and trying to flip, hang, and twirl whenever possible. Addie goes to gymnastics on Mondays and Collins goes on Tuesdays which causes a huge problem each week. How do you explain to a two-year-old that she can't go inside and play on Tuesday like she does on Monday? Good thing we have a trampoline at home, lots of time hanging at the park, and a newly de-cluttered playroom that allows for more acrobatics. They both are total monkeys these days, and I just pray that no one breaks a leg!

Addie calls Collins's old ballet leotard her "gymnastics suit" and insists on wearing it outside of her clothing. A good look, Addie! :)

Sugar Rush

We were really geared up for Halloween at our house this year. We counted down the days to the big holiday, and I wonder if all the exciting build-up was because Collins has a sugar obsession? I think so. Our girl was keeping her eye on the prize.

Regardless of the reason, we were excited for trick-or-treating and the weather could not have been more perfect. The down side of Halloween this year was that Brian had to skip the second half of his very important football game which was hard for him. The up side is that Addie "got it" and was a very active participant in Halloween!

The Bakers were so nice to host our neighborhood party again this year...

And what do you know? The dastardly Blenheim fox showed up at the event! The girls didn't even seem that scared.

A neighbor on Manual who happens to own this large Army-type vehicle offered to take everybody on a "hay ride" around the neighborhood. Collins and Brian took him up on the offer. A little random, but they had fun.

We were the first ones to start trick-or-treating because Collins could wait no longer...she and Brian were mapping out a strategy here. 

It took Addie a few houses to figure out what was going on, and she had a hard time making a decision. But once she got a taste of some chocolate in the wagon, she found some energy and started walking herself from house to house instead of making me carry her. Pretty sure she was on a sugar high!  

The girls were really excited to go to this front door...

Checking their stash as we headed home! Collins came home and immediately organized all her candy in her room. They both fell into bed exhausted. Sugar crash? Probably!

Tailgating on Halloween

This year, Halloween fell on a Saturday. A football Saturday. Tailgating and trick-or-treating on the same day? Sounded fun to me!

Of course, my dessert had to themed... so went with mini jack-o-lantern pumpkin hand pies.

Collins is like a celebrity when she wears her Ms. Wuf costume to a tailgate party. The helmet car quickly found her and offered her candy...she accepted. She got tons of compliments from other tailgaters. She was also photographed by the school for the gopack.com website and interviewed for the Coach's weekly TV show. She made the show...howling at the very end! :)

Addie is starting to look like a real tailgater with her jersey...

and her large hunk of meat. She is definitely her Father's daughter!

But then again so is this one...

We hurried home after eating some tasty turkey legs...we had to get ready for trick-or-treating!

Halloween Eve

The night before Halloween we carved pumpkins and did something we don't normally do with the girls...a movie and popcorn! It was really fun so I think it should be a new Halloween Eve tradition.

Collins had a vision for our jack-o-lanterns this year...to make our family in pumpkin form. We had four appropriately-sized Daddy, Mommy, big sister and little sister pumpkins. Collins was in charge of design. She gave Daddy pumpkin a fun look, Mommy pumpkin a happy look, her pumpkin a Queen look, and baby sister pumpkin a sad look (b/c she cries all the time). We thought this was hysterical...stay tuned for the final reveal below!

We watched "Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin", and it was Addie's first official movie. She kept glancing over at us and smiling/squealing in disbelief that she was being invited to watch TV! Both girls loved the movie...

and the popcorn (filled with marshmallows and M&M's!).

Addie does not match her frowning pumpkin (but obviously Collins gets a kick out of it!)...

  

A fun Halloween Eve!

Here Comes Halloween

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the girls' Halloween costumes this year. Collins knew a long time ago that she wanted to be a mermaid, and it didn't take me long to figure out that Addie should be the Rainbow Fish to coordinate.

I told our incredible seamstresses about the idea, and off they went to create something amazing. Mimi tackled the fish, and Gigi started on the mermaid. And look what a perfect job they did...

Seriously- could they be any cuter?!? Only one problem...Addie refused to put her costume on. She would not let the thing get near her. So a few days out from Halloween, I was seriously thinking that Addie might go as Addie for Halloween. Collins, Brian and I all paraded around as the fish hoping that would make her want to wear it, but no luck. Not until Collins donned her mermaid costume did it click with Addie. Immediately, she wanted to put her costume on too. I should have guessed this would be the answer to our problem!

So the girls wore the costumes to the Harvest Fest at church and then to their respective school parties the following days.

Addie's Halloween party involved getting six tiny people to walk from room to room trick-or-treating. There were many meltdowns and lots of confusion. Luckily, Addie held it together and was just really interested in what was inside her treat bag.

Addie really likes her teacher Ms. Kellie...

The tail of the fish...

 

Cute classmates!

As for Collins's party, according to her it was not much of a "party". The Raleigh School has really strict guidelines about snacks so sweets are out of the question. So they had apple slices, cheese and pumpkin muffins...umm kinda a downer! But they did have a really cute parade and made some fun crafts so she was happy.

 

 Many thanks to Mom and Donna for the adorable costumes. It is so special that you can do this for them and help create such happy Halloween memories!

Things NOT to do at the State Fair

Note to self...

1. Do not agree to a play date at the State Fair.
2. Do not attend the State Fair by yourself with both kids.
3. Even if you go with your husband, do not go on the last day of the fair in the middle of the afternoon.
4. Avoid Kiddie Land if it at all possible.

Maybe I was cranky at the fair this year because I didn't get my NC State ice cream. Maybe attending the fair twice is in one weekend is just too much. Maybe the girls had fun so it was all okay. :)

I will say...it's a whole new ballgame now that the girls can ride rides (maybe in not a good way)!

The Cats Game

We were excited to take the girls to Davidson to see a Cats game. Collins was only interested in going to see Libby and Paige. :)

We organized a tailgate at the last minute for whatever friends were coming to the game. It was fun seeing everybody with their kids, but not exactly the chill tailgate of old. It was funny seeing the guys more focused on their kids' juice boxes than their beers. :)

Thought this was a cute moment...the girls learning tailgating basics from the best.

Addie discovered the joys of a bounce house...and then refused to get out.

So this happened...several times.

Think her little legs finally gave out. :)

Don't think us girls saw even five minutes of the game because...

we had some exploring to do around campus.

The girls played at Paige's school and had so much fun hanging out together. I love that Jen and I are not the only ones who get along so well!

Davidson lost a heartbreaker, and the Tar Heels won a close one. Jen and I watched a girly movie and ate Nutella, and Brian watched football and drank beer with Paul. Fun was had by all!