Gearing up for Halloween!

We've been gearing up around our house for Halloween and Winter! (One, we're excited about. The other…meh.)

Getting messy with the pumpkin seeds!

Note: the bowl spilled all over the floor immediately after this picture. Super yuck!

Maddie designed her pumpkin. She was very specific- she wanted one star eye, one moon eye and a 2 teeth smile.  

She has also loved playing with these teeth.

We start out most mornings in the playroom. This is pretty indicative of how it looks. Maddie will get everything that she wants to play with set up. Baby Godzilla Sydney will then knock it over, in her attempt to "play" with her sister. Think lots of tears and explanation from mommy that Sydney is "just a baby" and "she just wants to play with her big sister."  I didn't realize my Masters in Diplomacy would get so much use at home!

Sydney loves trampolines. When we go to AAK or KGA she spends most of her time on the trampolines. She loved jumping on our neighbor's trampoline last week.

She also loves baths with her sister!

I took the girls to story time this week and it's so funny to watch Sydney do everything the big kids do.

She got right in there and was throwing the parachute up.

Maddie stocked up on library books.

We went to the Parent Teacher store after and the girls could have played in their playhouse for days!

Yes, I'm aware Madeline's outfit doesn't match. Y'all, I was just surviving this day. (Plus I look at it this way. Any mom who sees this knows she is a 3 year old who dressed herself.)

We went to Panera for the first time in a long time. It went pretty good. As long as you continue to shovel food at Sydney (she EATS) she sits ok.

She has also taken to opening the ottoman and climbing in. (Note: Madeline couldn't open that - or didn't have any interest in opening it - until she was 3. Sydney's been doing it for 3 months. Sigh.)

Sydney moves up next week to her new class at school. I know she will do great. She's visited a few times and they told me she was already teaching the kids some new tricks. (No joke.) Oh boy. I pray for her teacher. Sydney's like the equivalent of 2 kids so I hope she knows what she's getting in to.

Trick or treating tomorrow. Daddy Maddie is so excited for her treats!

BOO Dell at Yew Dell!

On Saturday, we headed to Yew Dell Gardens for BOO Dell. Aunt Laura, Uncle Cory and cousins Dane and Quinn came and Maddie was so excited.

Ready to go trick-or-treating!

Sydney was in the wagon squeezed (literally) in the ladybug outfit.

Cheeks. For Days.

Maddie's dentist was there, but she didn't give out candy. She gave out vampire teeth!

 Maddie and Dane in the photo booth. She just loves her cousin!

Elsa and Anna

Clifford and Curious George

 Waiting on Mr. Magic!

We had a wonderful afternoon!!

Daddy is absent in these pictures because he was recovering from running the Urban Bourbon mini-marathon. I took the ladies down to the finish line just before we went to Yew Dell.

 

Cheering fans! Waiting on daddy and Dave to cross the finish line!

 

Yeah yeah. I'm anxious to see my daddy but I'm digging these cheerios too.

Where is my daddy?!

There he is!!

So proud of daddy and Dave for running 13.1 miles!

Science Center AND the Zoo!

On Wednesday, I got a wild hair and decided to take the girls to the Science Center. I generally like to keep them in large rooms (All About Kids, KaZoing, etc) where I can keep an eye on them both when they split up. 

We had a great morning! Maddie has been several times and this was the first time that she really played with a few exhibits. She's always had fun but would bounce around. This time she focused on a few things.

She loved moving these blocks around and watching how the water changed paths. 

Sydney loved getting soaked. 

Maddie spent a lot of time building tracks and rolling the balls along.

Sydney wasn't really into that, but she loved banging at the magnet station.

 

And she loved the mirror maze!

Both of the girls liked the "shopping" area.

Sydney rammed her cart into a few other kids. I guess I will take her out on Black Friday this year.

Looking forward to many more Winter days at the museum!

Since the girls did so well at the museum (and I didn't lose either of them) I obliged when Madeline asked to go to the zoo on Friday. 

At the start of our trip, in the giraffe house. Sydney is waving at the giraffes.

We stopped for lunch and as I watched both girls eating quietly, I thought I had conquered the world.

 And then, Madeline's huge side of ketchup went SPLAT all over the floor.

And then, Sydney threw her placement (and all 30 tiny pieces of food) into the air and on the floor.

And then, Sydney tried to climb out of her high chair on to the table. (And screamed LOUDLY when I wouldn't let her.)

And then, we realized Madeline had ketchup all over her brand new coat.

And then, I looked everywhere in the diaper bag for a cigarette. No dice.

So, we packed up and headed on. I *think* I ate lunch, but I cannot really remember. 

Then, we had a playground stop.

Madeline was really stretching to get across these disks.

And then, Sydney hopped on. Obviously.

 

The zoo is decorated for their Halloween party so we had to stop and play on some of the props.

The girls were getting tired so we headed out after nearly 3 hours. After pushing my bus double stroller up that final hill (y'all KNOW that end of the zoo hill) I decided I didn't need to work out Friday night. And I ate a cookie during nap time. So sue me.

 I love my days with my girls!

I need a weekend...

I need a weekend to recover from this weekend! Seriously, we were on the go ALL weekend.

But, first…Madeline had craft night at grandma and grandpas on Wednesday.

So proud of her pumpkins!

Tia with her nieces!

#nohairdontcare

#sheisoneandbald

#stillsocute

On Friday, we did a quick mall trip with my mom and sis before lunch together.

A dressing room pic while we waited for tia and Maddie.

On Friday night, we celebrated Ronny and Kristin's baby that is due in March. This was a gender reveal party so we all were given cans of silly string to spray. And when we sprayed, out came PINK!!

So happy to be welcoming a daughter to their family! (And we're so happy there's another baby coming to our circle of friends!)

On Saturday, we had our official send off for my grandma. She's headed to Florida next week so we all got together for one last fiesta!

Cousin selfie.

Grandma and her grandkids (and great grandkids!)

Saturday night, we had Sydney's baby dedication at our church. I was a little nervous but Sydney did fantastic. We got on stage and talked to the preacher for a few minutes, along with 8 other families. 

We passed her back and forth a bit. She waved. She played with the kid next to us.

Before service, Maddie had some video game time.

Sydney was so whooped from all the Saturday festivities that she slept until NINE A.M. (I actually went into check on her and woke her up…who knows when she would have woke herself)

Madeline has NEVER slept that late, but, as we know, little Sydney does what she wants. And on Sunday, she wanted to sleep!

On Sunday, I went to the Mega Cavern with my family to do the ropes course. We had a great time!!

Cedes and I ready to suit up!

Coming off the zip line!

Worn out after 90 minutes in the air. 

Sunday night, I took Madeline to jump on the trampoline. We jumped and jumped until she couldn't jump anymore and she fell down. I grabbed my phone because her hair was hilarious.

Fun, happy weekend!