Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween! This past week has been filled with many Halloween activities and fun for our family and especially Holly. She has enjoyed a few times to wear her costume, we've been to a Halloween party or two, has enjoyed sharing treats with playgroup friends and preschool friends, had a fun preschool day themed around Halloween Fun, she enjoyed a great morning of Trunk or Treating yesterday, carved pumpkins last night and will have a great ending with trick or treating and a fun night with friends! That is a LOT of festivities to take in. I'd say it has been a spooktacular Halloween season!

Last night Holly and Bryan carved our pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns. They did a great job! Bryan carved our largest pumpkin into a super cute 'happy' pumpkin... per my request - he did a good job too! Holly chose her pumpkin that Grandpa Tex shared with her. She designed the face, cleaned the whole thing herself and Bryan did the carving aspect. Holly designed a great pumpkin face... and most of all - had a blast doing it! The gooey stuff was of course a big hit!

Dancing Girl

Holly put all her ballerina attire on began dancing around the house 'practicing', in the words of her teacher. Each week when the girls leave she tells them to go home and practice, so that is what Holly was doing. It was wonderfully cute to find her dancing around the house and enjoying every moment of it. The joy of little girls... it's a moment that really makes a mommy just smile in pure enjoyment and love! Ahhh... my little ballerina!

Wordless Wednesday

Fire Station Tour

Yesterday we attended a fire station tour with our Moms Club. The kids had a great time and the fire crew were superb with the kids. They played some games that introduced stop, drop and roll -- vs just talking about it they had the kids act it out with a fire fighter, they learned how to crawl below smoke and touch a door with the back of your hand to test the heat. And a firefighter slowly dressed in his fire gear and explained it all to the kids, ensuring he was not scary in his uniform and explaining how it all works to protect him.

They took the kids out to through the station and their living quarters into the garage loaded with their fire vehicles. They shared their trucks, opened all the compartments and showed the types of gear they use. Then the kids all got to climb up into a truck and 'drive' it! Finally, they had a smaller hose all set up with cones and each child got their turn at using the hose with a fire fighter to knock down all the cones!

It was a great time! We had folks over last night and she told them all about her trip there, modeled the stop, drop and roll and how to touch a door and choose to go through it or the window -- honestly, I am pretty impressed with what she picked up from this trip! Now we need to do a good job of reinforcing it and keeping it in conversation! There is an upcoming emergency fair that we will take her to so that she can kind of hear all of that again and we will talk about our home and our plan, too! If you haven't done this, or at least recently done this... no better time than the present!

Sea Star Hunt

This weekend was filled with beautiful sunshine and we decided to get out and enjoy some of it! Nothing like a crisp fall day that is clear and perfect. We were out at Anderson Island this weekend and enjoyed a long walk on the beach. After we arrived to the beach we starting finding Sea Stars on the beach... lot's of them! Then it became a hunt for Sea Stars. There were lot's of them - all the way up the beach near the bank and back down to the waters edge. I haven't seen anything like it. It made for a great beach combing experience though!

Growing and Changing

Yesterday I read a gal's blog whose entry was about her daughter turning ten. A celebration of her birthday! However, how the blog was written really sat on my mind yesterday because this mom commented on how her daugther grew up before her eyes, changing when they didn't even see the change happening, enjoyments she used to enjoy and she stopped playing but it was noticed after the daughter had already stopped playing that way. It made me somewhat sad and aware of just how quickly this all goes. I loved how she reflected on the 'little' things her daughter used to enjoy and made me notice the little things Holly enjoys now... before she grows beyond those moments. Who is Holly at 3 1/2?

Holly is a free spirit, very out going, fun and enjoyable! She loves to laugh and tell jokes. Overall, Holly is a very happy little girl and truly enjoys the fun side of life! Rarely are we in a bad mood or cranky. She is a very sweet little thing yet full of spice and spunk!

She starts her day every morning with a family group hug, love & kisses to Daddy as he heads to work. Then she cuddles with me to enjoy her morning mocha (a bit of chocolate in her milk). We visit over breakfast, sharing about her dreams and looking forward to our fun day ahead and all that is going to happen, friends we'll be seeing, activities we'll be doing and family we might enjoy that evening.

Holly is very attatched to her blanket - blankie is very special, she needs it to sleep, help calm her down and when she is tired or sad it comforts her. Blankie is her bestest friend.

We spend quality morning time playing and exploring - using our imagination to it's fullest. For instance last night we whent on a character hike around the house before we made camp and told stories over marshmallows... all imagination play! Her favorite toys are her Little Einsteins Rocket, her kitchen, 'little things' like small balls and toys, playdough and books!

Reading is a favorite past time for Holly - she loves to read! We read all the time together and alone. At 3 1/2 Holly is starting to sound out letters on a basic level - she knows how to sound out all of her ABC's and is applying it to 'reading'. I love this time together because it is all her idea, not mine. She'll grab me when she wants to read together or if she has sounded out a word - she is so excited she has to share. We visit the library at least once a week if not more for new books, music and movies.

Holly truly loves to help cook with Mommy!!!

Holly has a weekly playgroup ever Tuesday morning that we both truly enjoy. She has made some wonderful friends through our playgroup, children who are very important to her and she talks fondly about a lot! This is probably her favorite morning of the week, mine too!

Holly still naps every afternoon.

We meet up every Wednesday morning with friends for a co-op preschool experience. Learning knew things, reading, songs and playing all round out our mornings with these friends. It is offering her a safe learning environment to have fun in with folks she knows and moms I trust. She loves it!

Daddy sings her a "Holly Song" each night. Their special tradition and fond memory forever.

Right now Holly is enjoying Soccer every weekend and Ballet & Tap every week at our local recreation center. If I had to choose though, soccer is her favorite - as it is much more active... a lot more like her personality. While she loves the idea of dance, she much to young to really 'enjoy' it I think.

She wants to be a mommy when she grows up ... >sigh< How sweet!

The outdoors is probably Holly's favorite place to be, any day and every day! She would be outside rain or shine, snow or sleet and be in heaven. We spend tons of time outside playing, exploring and sharing. She loves her new bike, drawing with sidewalk chalk, hunting for snakes and frogs and running like a silly girl around our back yard!

Holly's favorite colors are orange and black! It has always been orange, for as long as I can remember. Black came on board about 8-9 months ago and appears to be sticking.

We take family walks all the time and she adores this - good time with Mommy & Daddy and we are outside exploring as well! She asks to go on walks all the time!

Holly loves to dress up, play with her cats and dance around the house!

Art is a favorite, favorite, favorite past time of hers! We do tons of art each week! She likes to have her art on display for others to look at and she also loves to share her art with others. The messier the better, although lately she has really taken to drawing very detailed pictures and writing 'words' on them.

That pretty much sums up Holly at 3 1/2 years old... what a sweetie pie! I love this girl!

Scrapbooking

I love to scrapbook!

Last Friday night I attended a crop night with some friends and family, a very nice treat! I could probably scrapbook daily, but that is just not realistic. And, speaking of realistic -- I am not the type to chronologically scrap our lives. I bounce around to what feels fun and interesting, yet they are still moments that are from our lives and ones I fell compelled to preserve. I scrapbook more for me, for the art of it and the feel of the papers and embellies... a love I have always had!

Anyhow, here are some not so great shots of the layouts I did last Friday night -- nothing fancy, but they are still enjoyable for me.

Whew, Funfilled Weekend!

This weekend was a FUN one for us! Friday night started out with me getting to head out and scrapbook all night, one of my favorite things to do! Bryan and Holly stayed home to have a Daddy & Holly night where they enjoyed some fall leaf fun and The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. Fun night!

Saturday we filled our day with soccer in the morning, family stuff around the house, a visit from Grandma Annette and Uncle Adam and a celebration dinner for Kristina's birthday -- a busy, full day!

Then Sunday we headed for a family walk and some playtime at the playground and then headed down to the pumpkin patch, Spooners Farm. Here Holly enjoyed some kid play area, the search for the perfect pumpkin and more! I tried my hand at a pumpkin sling shot - my first time ever. We enjoyed this time with the Ross Family! We then headed out to a friends family Halloween Party which was a lot of fun! After that we wrapped up our weekend with dinner at Auntie Sue's -- good stuff!

That was a really quick wrap up - the photos are the fun part... so here you go!

Holly burried in leaves... fun with Daddy!

Holly & Mommy in the pumpkin house!

Daddy waiting while we picked the perfect pumpkin!

Holly taking a ride.

Holly took this photo... Yes, Holly! Great job kiddo!

Skeleton Cupcakes

Last week Bryan came home from work and shared with me these really cute skeleton cupcakes that were brought into work - he obviously thought they were very cool! He looked them up online and showed them to me and with it were the directions - pretty easy ones too! Then it hit me, this is perfect! Today I am attending a monthly recipe group and our theme is Halloween Treats. So, last night we baked the cupcakes and this morning I decorated them and they are so cute... and easy! I thought I'd share in case you were looking for a fun easy treat - ones kids could help with.

You take a cup cake and light peel back one small edge. Tuck in 1/2 of a large marshmallow and then push the cup cake paper back around it. Frost the whole think in white, marshmallow and all. Use two Junior Mints candies for eyes, and upside down chocolate chip for the nose and slivered almonds for the teeth. Thats it, your done! So simple, cute, festive and fun!

Wordless Wednesday...

Pumpkin Patch

Sunday morning we woke up to yet another sunny beautiful day with a 'free calendar' - wow!!! So, we decided to call up Grandpa Tex and Grandma Annette and head out to the pumpkin patch. We ventured to Maris Farms for our pumpkin fun. Maris Farms is a great farm with tons of activities for the kids to enjoy, a huge corn maze, great farm animals to enjoy, good foods and more! Personally it is my favorite local farm and we have quiet a few around us to choose from!

Holly had great fun enjoying the barn filled with corn feed - literally a see of corn stuffed with rubber duckies to find. Then she tried her hand at a Kubota tractor toy, had her face painted, did a ducky race with a hand water pump, walked a labrynth, played in the bouncy house and enjoyed the cow train in her own little car titled "Bossy". After lunch we headed out to the corn maze -- the very large corn maze. Grandpa Tex's first time ever in a corn maze... and we only got a little bit lost, honestly! Over all a very fun day!

Holly playing in the barn full of corn!

Enjoying a toy Kubota tractor... which Daddy loved!

Holly with Grandpa Tex & Grandma Annette

Holly & Daddy in the corn maze.

Beautiful Yard... more!

I just have to share how pretty my yard is this time of year... I love these trees so much! You can't help but just take it all in and say, wow -- how pretty!



Also, we were out taking some fun family shots - I *love* this one!!!

Family Fun

Family walks are fun in our house and we take them often!!! We love to visit in peace as we explore our neighboring parks & trails. Bryan's favorite time to take a walk is on a Sunday morning - preferably in good weather. This past Sunday could not be beat - it was absolutely stunning out so we headed out for a family walk. I brought along my camera and captured some fun shots to share, including Bryan enjoying some park fun on the slide - what a goof ball.