Pre-Halloween Festivities

Ellie had her first Preschool Halloween parade this week.

Rapunzel-Ellie behind her friend Kate.

 Ellie and Kate with Ms. Jenny

I helped plan Annie's Kindergarten Halloween Class party . . . which means I didn't take many pictures, 'cause I was kinda busy handing out cupcakes and whatnot.  The parade beforehand was interesting though -- I had two GRUMPY little kids to entertain while we waited FOREVER for the thing to start. Fortunately I'd enlisted both of my parents to come help me out -- my poor Dad walked Isaac around the entire party and I don't think that kid ever calmed down!

Here's grumpy-pants Ellie with Grandma Karine.

 Cinderella-Annie walking past during the parade.

 Ellie ate one of the black frosted cupcakes.

 Smith's takes their food coloring serious -- Annie ate as meticulously as she could, and still had her mouth and lips turn a bright purple color to match the frosting.

 

For Annie's party I'd come and taken 'Fall Pictures' of each of the kids in her class to use in the craft we did in class during the party (a picture frame).  Here's Annie's picture . . .

Annie and Ellie posing this week at bedtime -- Ellie in her 'So cute, it's scary' Halloween pajamas.

 The girls decided to be witches for our Neighborhood Fall Festival this week.  We didn't actually buy a single thing for Halloween this year, but using our large dress up chest, each girl has worn at least three different costumes so far this week.  :-)

Here's Annie and Ellie as witches -- Ellie was being the 'mean witch', and Annie was being the 'nice witch'.

 Isaac the pumpkin.

 The one and only picture of him not screaming with his hoodie on.  :-)

 There were a lot of carnival type games -- both Ellie and Isaac excelled at the 'frisbee toss' one . . . that's Isaac clapping for himself.  Then right after the picture was taken, he grabbed the last three frisbees, set them all in the basket and clapped again.  Yay for efficiency!

 My cute boys!

 Ellie with more sugar -- she was one happy girl!  :-)

 Our two witches, with their friends the fairies.

Ellie and Kate doing a dance of happiness outside on the way out to the cars; probably because of their bags of freshly gathered loot!

And right now, the girls are at a Costume Birthday Party, in matching Belle gowns . . . and we haven't even decided what they're wearing on Monday.  Is it just me, or does Halloween last awhile?  :-)

Rub a Dub Dub

Isaac loves baths.  He asks for them constantly.  I once told him it wasn't bathtime, and he grabbed a handful of yogurt, rubbed it in his hair, and sweetly asked again, "Bath?"  

 

Today in the tub he was happily playing with cups and other things to dump water with, and I realized I don't have any video of him playing in his favorite place on Earth.  So, here's a bunch of videos of him happily splashing away . . . 

Indoor Soccer -- i.e. herding small children by use of a soft, yellow ball

I'm pretty behind on getting pictures off my camera -- but behold, less than one hour before our next Indoor Soccer game, I have pictures from last week's game online!

Ellie was SUPER enthusiastic about it during warm up and during the first part of the game.

 Then, much to all of our surprise, Ellie came running to the sidelines and sobbed that she wanted her Mom.  Um, I may have expected something like this from Annie at this age, but never Ellie.  We finally got her to agree to go back on the 'field' with her big sister.  For about a minute, then she sat on the sidelines (but with her team -- if she came to sit with me, it was time to go home and there would be no team snack.  The frivolous calories were enough to keep her on the sidelines by her coach -- while holding big sister's hand, of course.)  It will be interesting to see how this week goes.

 

(Edited to add: this week did not go any better.  In fact, she started crying as soon as we got there, and basically didn't stop.  She sat on Greg's lap on the sidelines most of the time.  It was, um, interesting.  I am still at a loss -- how is it that my spunky, fiesty, never-stops, outgoing, crazy kid is the one who sits out entire games with tears running down her face.  Weird.)

I missed Annie's game, as it was during a VERY grumpy one year old's nap time . . . but from what I've heard, there was no crying, and enthusiastic chasing of the ball among a large mass of children, along with several ballerina twirls up and down the length of the field.  She was much happier to be a part of the game.

 Victory dance?  :-)

Latest Pictures

So, I'm playing catch up on my pictures.

A few weeks ago, we went to our Ward's talent show, which was a lot of fun.  But the best part, especially according to the kids, was running around on the stage afterwards.  They could not possibly have had more fun!

Then the biggest thing that's happened around here, was the birth of my newest niece, Bailey.  The girls had just finished their first indoor soccer practice when it was time to go meet the new baby.

 Isaac was not so sure how he felt about this whole baby thing.

 Man, I love this kid!

 Ellie wanted to try swaddling Annie up in a blanket, like baby Bailey was swaddled.

Then this Monday night we went to my Mom & Dad's house for Family Home Evening, where we carved pumpkins, made 'bloody eyeballs' (powdered sugar donuts with a red life saver in the middle, and red frosting blood shot lines), and tried on random Halloween costumes.

Here's Ellie as a pumpkin.

The girls got to try on some of their Uncle Cody's old costumes.

Ellie and Annie as roman soldiers..

 Annie as a cavewoman and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.

 Isaac checking out baby Bailey.  And pretty little Bailey on my lap.

 Isaac liked the caveman bone -- mainly to hit things with.  Good news, he only hit the one week old baby one time.  This bodes really well for our household in another 10 weeks or so.  :-)