Happy Halloween

Pumpkin Patch Pics

Picking a pumpkin


It was incredibly windy as a cold front was moving through


Sam with the boys


Sitting on the tractor


Feeding the goats


The golden goat bridge


Petting the bull


Carter, Alex and Anna - 3's Company

How Tall This Fall

This morning we had our family pictures taken outside. I think they are really going to be awesome. Our photographer had found this gravel road in a conservation park that was lined with trees that are changing colors and the lighting coming through the leaves was really awesome. He said the backdrop was like a magazine cover or something you would find in New England. I think there are going to be some super cute photos of the kids running and throwing leaves in the air. Can't wait to see these in about 2 weeks.

After that we had our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. We started when Anna was about 18 months but for some reason I didn't take her picture by the "How Tall This Fall" sign that year.

2008


2007


2006


2005

Trunk or Treat

At daycare every year they have what is called Trunk or Treat where you go from car to car and they hand out candy. This is really the first year that Carter "gets" this holiday.

Lite Brite

Did you know lite brites are completely different than when we were kids? They are plastic and lay down flat, not tilted up like we had. I had kind of forgotten about this toy and we found it in Anna's room. Someone gave this to us when she was 2 which is a bad toy for 2 I think with all the little pieces. Anyway - this is perfect now because she is really in to spelling so she can figure out what color starts with the letter V, Y, P, R, W, etc.

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My life seems to be all about rescheduling this week.

We were supposed to have family pictures done outside this morning but it has rained for the past 3 days and the high this morning was in the 30s. So we have rescheduled for Sunday.

We were supposed to go to the Pumpkin Patch at some point in the last week but weather or other necessary errands (like finding a pink dress to be Elle Woods) have forced us to keep post-poning this. Perhaps Saturday this weekend - it is supposed to be 62.

Got a third opinion on Anna's cavity. He said he thought capping it seemed unnecessary so we are going to have it filled with this dentist next Thursday. Need to cancel the other appt to have it capped in Nov.

Carter was running a fever most of the day Sunday so I had to stay home with him on Monday and reschedule an interview (someone interviewing at DEG not me interviewing. I am one of the interviewers).

Go with the flow right?

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One more quick item - this morning at breakfast Anna said "I had a dream about firemen last night!"

Hi. I'm Elle Woods and this is Bruiser Woods. We're both Gemini vegetarians.

I decided to go as Elle Woods from Legally Blonde. Zach and Kristen went as McCain and Palin. There's a bald cabbage patch kid in that baby carrier.


The party was so good this is what Greg and Rita looked like and the night wasn't even over yet.

What Should I Be for Halloween?

I have a Halloween party to go to this weekend. The costumes are always amazing. Last year I was little bo peep but only because Kevin had bought this crazy sheep f***ing costume and I wanted to go as a couple. This year Kevin isn't going (the MU game takes precedence for him) so I'm taking my brother and his wife. But we're not doing a group costume thing. SO! I have just a few days to figure this out. No pressure.

By the way - got the most adorable costume for Carter at babystyle for 16 bucks and free shipping. That's cheaper than Target where they were $20 and $30 when I was there on Saturday. I think Anna's just going to wear one of the many many princess dress up costumes we already own. We even have the jewelry and shoes and tiara.

Pictures Came

I started inserting my 4x4 pictures into the sleeves tonight. Then I remembered I had some more work to do and I have to be in early tomorrow. So that's all I got to tonight. More later this week.

Dear Scrapbookpictures.com

Where are my pictures? I'm ready to scrap them. Please send soon. Good night.

Fall Program

Excited About Pulling This Together

Just read Ali's entry where she has already pulled practically this entire album together. Really impressed at how quickly she did this. I'm sure I won't be quite as fast, but it is motivating to see how quickly this can go when you follow a template formula.

I have my supplies including divided page protectors like she is using but some with different sizes (will post pictures tonight) but not my actual pictures yet. I will need to order these online because I don't have a printer to print at home. Typically I do this off of Kodak Gallery but am considering using scrapbookpictures.com because it is cheaper and you can print in up to 30 different sizes, like square, etc. Hope to get to this tonight in hopes that pics will be here prior to this weekend to work on this. The other option is to print and pick up at a store and just crop by hand. Haven't decided yet.

Fun creative process!

Sunday

- Trains this morning
- Off to grandma and papas to see uncle zach and aunt kristen who just moved here and start their new jobs tomorrow
- stop by starbucks. my cup reads
"If you've got a dollar and you psend twetny-nine cents on a loaf of bread, you've got seventy-one cents left. But if you've got seventeen grand and you spend twenty-nine cents on a loaf of bread, you've still got seventeen grand. There's a math lesson for you."
Who can get a loaf of bread for twenty-nine cents?
- anna and carter play with the kitty cats that zach and anna brought with them. one of the cats kept hiding behind a mattress in the basement
- I head to Gymboree to spend my gymbucks on clothes for Anna. Also stop at baby gap and use my 30% coupon on clothes for Carter
- Eat lunch by myself at panera. Mom calls to ask how long it is ok to let Carter cry (he's down for a nap). I say 15 minutes. He's only at 10
- Head to Archivers. Pick up an album for this project, use my 30% coupon + get some page protectors with different sized slots + some white and brown bazzill cardstock
- Back to my parents house to pick up the kids
- anna had baked cookies with papa
- kristen had made lasagna for lunch
- chat with kristen about her new job
- pile the kids into the car
- phone rings, oh crap, i was supposed to be at a pumpkin run picture at 4pm. completely 100% forgot. i feel horrible
- head to the grocery store. meal planning in my head but i can only get through 3 days
- remember anna is supposed to take a white piece of poster board + pictures of all the family for a family tree project they are doing
- home, make chicken enchiladas for dinner after shredding a roasted chicken from the deli of the grocery store
- dishes. carter cries and tries to push me away, hanging on my leg
- locate all the pics for anna and label
- put carter to bed

Saturday

Today I took the most pictures of any day this week. I guess that isn't surprising since it was Saturday.

Today I took the kids to the zoo. Since I work nearly full time Saturday is really their "mommy day." We did good, getting there before 10:30. Sponge Bob Square Pants was there and he was our first stop. Which was a good thing because later the line was super long. We got to see the elephants paint and the kids ate sno cones. We went all the way to the back to see the Chimps and not a single one was out. Carter kept calling "mun-hee!" (translation monkey!). The weather was beautiful.

We left about 2:15 and all came home and all took a nap. Kevin thinks this is ridiculous but we were all exhuasted. Anna and I woke up about 4:45 and Carter about 5:15.

Anna and I went to the grocery store and picked up stuff to make home made cheeseburgers. Then I played outside with the kids while Kevin cooked. And it was delicious.

Anna had to call grandma and papa and also talk to uncle zach and aunt kristin. She is really in to dialing and talking on the phone.

The kids got baths to wash off all the sunscreen and Anna chose to read Curious George and the Donut Delivery which is probably only my 6th time to read that this week. I almost have it memorized and it's kind of a long book.

Tonight he is watching the MU football game and I am blogging and trying to plan my day for tomorrow. Plus did dishes and more laundry. One week I counted how many loads I do in a week. It is somewhere between 7 and 10 depending on if I was sheets and towels. This is a lot when you consider we have a High Efficency washing machine (how does anyone live without one? seriously) It cuts the # of loads in at least half. So if I didn't have that you can say I do between 14 and 20 loads - for all of you with a normal washer. It's my biggest deterrent for buying new clothes and for having a third child.

I'm also trying to plan my supplies for pulling this book together quickly yet still up to my standards. I'm pretty picky about my scrapbook pages but I do get that the fastest way to do these is to come up with a template and stick with it. I really like Ali's digital overlays but I don't have a color printer to use these. Considering getting one but don't want to make the purchase just for this. Would I use it more? Not sure.