Hilltop Pumpkin Party

 We went to the annual Hilltop Pumpkin Party today. We have never gone, and this year they had a new venue, the Camp St. Croix Day Camp. It was great, and the kids had a lot of fun. 

 They got to pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch and then decorate it with paint pens. 

 Spider-Grace found a winner.

 So did Iron-Bee.

 They took their decorating very seriously. We were sitting there for. ev. er.

 There were two bouncy houses, complete with huge slides.

 They each got to sit in a real firetruck.

 I love this pic. Especially because the fire helmet happens to have Daddy's name on it. 

What a coincidence!

 Checking out the pony rides. The line was huge, and it was the only thing they charged for, so we didn't ride them. We went next to them and checked out the petting zoo.

Bee fed the llama, and Gracie fed...everything. She went to pretty much every pen and gave them just a little bit. 

He Giggles

First, the sleeper Jerry is wearing is a 12 month sleeper. That's why the video starts farther out on him and zooms in. I think it's crazy that it fits him so well. (Sorry that it's pink and purple, Jerry, but Momma was focused on keeping you warm and we didn't take you in public with it on, I promise!). I have discovered that if we kiss him just below the left side of his ribcage, he will almost always let out a nice big giggle. Makes Momma's day every time. Sorry the video is so dark. We turned on every light in the apartment, but it's a pretty dark apartment in the evening.

Two Years and Four Months

 

My two little ones had their well child exams yesterday. I don't know what I was thinking, making it a block appointment at a time when Daddy couldn't come with. NIGHTMARE!! Anyway, they are both doing awesome, and got flying colors from the doc. Bee weighs in at a whopping 27 pounds and is 34" tall, both of which are about the 50th percentile. I got a kick out of some of the questions. I guess I didn't realize that she's ahead of a normal two-year-old in so many ways. Not that she's "gifted" or anything, just that she wants to do everything Gracie does. The doc asked questions like "do you think she has at least 50 words in her vocabulary?" More like 50,000~ the girl is never quiet! And, "does she show signs of wanting to use a fork and spoon?" She's been using those for about a year now. "Can she make a motion like brushing her teeth?" She brushes her teeth twice a day, and would another 10 times if I let her.

 Jerry also had his checkup. He now weighs in at 14 pounds, 14 ounces which is about the 25th percentile. He is 24 1/2" long (25th percentile) and his head circumference is 43 cm (90th percentile). The doc said he looks chubby but is actually very proportionate. 

The pinnacle of the appointment was when both kids were due to get two shots. Brianna's was the worst, and her look of betrayal at me had me tearing up. Her sad little "owie, momma" topped it off. The baby gave a similar look, but was much quicker to be consoled. I'm thankful that Gracie and Bee are both up to date on their shots and won't need any until their five year checkups. I'll just have to send the baby with Daddy for the next couple.

Glow in the Dark Bathtime

 A friend that I've known since grade school wrote on her Facebook status that she was giving her daughter (who is Bee's age) a glow in the dark bath. Of course, there were many comments asking how in the world was she making the bath glow in the dark. GLOWSTICKS! Brilliant. Especially this time of year, when they are cheap for Halloween. Michael's has two packs on sale, two packages (4 glowsticks) for a dollar. Score. The girls loved it.

Exersaucer

 Baby Jerry tried his exersaucer tonight! Note to self, if we have another child, bring the exersaucer in a day or two before I actually want to try it. The girls kept climbing into it and trying to spin the baby. After a while of chasing them away I gave up and hid it behind the baby gate! Jerry seemed to like it though. 

 Can you see Gracie? She's under the exersaucer, entwined with Jerry's legs. Sigh.

 "Spin him!" Oh, Bee.

 Is it just me, or does he look dizzy?

Dress Up

 I love it when my girls break out the dress up stuff. Yeah, it's messy and sometimes takes a while to get cleaned up, but it's so much fun! Last night they got it out to become fairy princesses. They each got a wand and took turns turning me into things. They were pretty nice, and stuck mostly to turning me into a princess and back into mommy.

Seeing if Gracie's prince spell has worn off.

HHS Fall Carnivale

 The local high school had a choir fundraiser last weekend and we decided to check it out since I know the director, she has kids the girls' age, and it's a family friendly event.

The girls got their face painted. I think the last two events have ruined face painting for Gracie. She's expecting full face paint at every place now. Here she asked for Hulk and was a bit disappointed when she got a little drawing on her cheek that looked a bit more like Frankenstein than Hulk, but, hey, it was high school kids not professionals. Bee also got her face painted, requesting "yellow." We repeatidly asked her "a yellow what?" and just got "yellow" in response. She ended up with a yellow flower. 

 The girls and Grandma all decorated their own pumpkin.

 Bee may have had a little help...

 Both girls got crazy hair.

 My crazy haired girlies. 

 Junk food!

 An older lady stopped me and asked to see the baby. When I uncovered him, she cooed and raved about how beautiful he is. She stated "Oh, I just adore babies! But I can't stand children." Um. Ok? I just smiled and said "Well, that poses quite a problem doesn't it?" and quickly excused myself. Odd.

 The girls also got to go fishing~a couple of times. Bee didn't want to fish a second time, but when Grandma mentioned she could go fishing for Cousin Evan, she was all for it, exclaiming "For Ev-A!"

All in all, it was a very fun day! I can't wait for my school's Fall Bazaar, which is similar but with many more games and lots more food and vendors. It's always fun to see my students outside of a classroom atmosphere too. Gracie looks forward to the Bazaar every year.

Brianna's Second Birthday Party

 Happy 2nd Birthday, Brianna!

We celebrated on Saturday with a gathering of friends at a local park. I had hoped to have a bubble art project and lots of bubble making activities but it was too windy to attempt any of that craziness. Instead, we just played and visited, ate, and opened presents. It was a nice way to celebrate and when we got home and were getting out of the van I asked Bee if she had fun. Her response was "Yeah. Miss. It."

 While I was setting up Bee found a big stick to carry around. 

 Both girls love this playground. 

 The cheesy poofs and big rock were the hit of the party.