Halloween

Halloween - yippee! I love Halloween, in fact I love almost every holiday:-) I of course was soooo excited from the start of the day, just knowing that once work is over I get to dress my two little monkeys up and go door to door for candy is enough to get me excited... but Daddy on the other hand needed a little help finding his Halloween spirit. Halloween morning, he said, "I hate Halloween..." I mean come on - bah humbug! Right... don't worry though, a little Disney princess manages to help him find his Halloween spirit:-)

After work I rushed to Brenda's to get my girls and I was sooooo HAPPY to find Eva wearing her lady bug costume, and looking soooo CUTE! I'd sent it to Brenda's letting her know - if Eva falls asleep stick her in it (when other than physically hurting her I was willing to do nearly anything to get her to wear her costume! I should say, we'd had the costume for over a month and she would run the opposite direction any time she saw it.) Eva has this thing where she refuses to wear something, and then when she finally does she won't take it off... so I knew putting her in the costume might mean that she'd still be wearing it come Christmas, but I was okay w/ that:-) So to my huge surprise, when I got there out comes Eva wearing her lady bug costume (not the hat, but who cares!). I was so happy!!! And she looked soooooo cute!

From Brenda's we went home to get Gracie all dressed - she went as Jasmine, the Disney Princess from Aladdin. She let me do her hair in messy buns (my favorite!) although, she really didn't think that was how Jasmine liked to wear her hair. I told her, "Jasmine always wears her hair like this - if you wear it like this, they will really think your her!" That must have convinced her b/c she was good w/ it after that. Once both girls were dressed (Eva in all black and red -- and her WHITE shoes, yes she picked them out.) We headed out the door w/ Daddy.

Our first stop of the evening was a Pop-pop's work, where he loaded the girls up w/ tons of sugary things. Not sure how he managed to slip this one past me, but as he left he gave Eva a Reese's cup candy bar. And wouldn't you know it, she managed to get the candy bar open and ate some of it! I know, so what right? It has MILK in it! And peanuts, so w/ her food allergies, I had a little bit of a freak out - but got over it. We were lucky that only her hands and the car seat straps were covered in chocolate, I think had we been in the car any longer and Eva would have had to go as a Hershey's Kiss for Halloween:-)

The girls got Princess snack treats at Grams's, from there we headed over to Grandma-Great's house, and then on to Brenda's. I think both girls could have stayed at Brenda's the rest of the evening. When we got there Ella Griggs and Riley Lee were there so the little people were running around playing:-) But knowing it would get dark soon, we didn't stay long - our next stop was Rick & Vickie's. Matt did a little bit of his own "trick or treating" there and managed to get dinner out of Vickie:-) While Matt ate the girls passed out Halloween candy w/ Uncle Rick. Grace did a great job this year, in the past she wouldn't give anyone candy who was wearing a mask. But she wasn't as afraid this year, when pretty girls would come up - Grace would immediately tell them, "I love your costume." or "You're beautiful!" And she always said it w/ such honesty - she's so sweet! Although Rick probably would have liked to have help the rest of the evening, we left and went on to Marilyan's house. Where Grace rang her doorbell and came right on in - making herself at home. She then passed out candy there for a bit. She only decided she would leave when we told her she could trick-or-treat at the houses on our old street (Springway Drive).

Grace thought it was great going up to the houses getting candy. And so many of the neighbors were sweet having Teddy Grahams, etc... for Eva too! Both girls had a GREAT time, and the weather was so nice too! After trick-or-treating we headed back to Nanni's where Grace and Eva passed out more candy, and examined all the candy they both got. I'm sure way more than Poppy would ever want to see them eat! But they had fun, that's what matters! Plus, after seeing how excited Grace was, Daddy managed to find his Halloween spirit!

Wow - that's really neat...

Today we were going on a walk, Gracie was riding her bike when she told me... "Today Ella said, "I want that, I want that" and I told her Santa doesn't like it when you say that. You should say, "Wow, that's really neat." He'll know you like it then."

Makes me SMILE when she actually listens to me! Earlier in the week, Grace was CONSTANTLY saying, "I want that - I want that - I want that!" I didn't think we'd make it to Christmas, so I told her, "Santa will think, "Gosh Grace wants too much, I can never make her happy." So then he might just skip her house and go on to another little girl who only wants one special present. I told her I bet that if you just say, "Wow, that's really neat." He'll know you liked it. And who would have known - she listened!!! Makes me smile:-)

A note from Brenda...

"Eva saw a tractor out back and I think she was trying to tell me it was Poppop. She went and got Grace and was showing her too. Gracie said, "Eva loves her Poppop". It was so cute!! She had the biggest smile on her face so I'm sure she thought it was him."

I kind of think I might have...

Okay I know some of my blogs about the girls make those of you reading laugh, but this is one of my favorites... I have a hard time repeating it w/ out laughing, in fact I'm certain I've not repeated the story w/out bursting out laughing! So here goes:-)

Grace & Eva are in the bathtub, I'm busy getting their items for Brenda's ready, when Grace says, "Eva scratched me", "Eva pinched me", "Eva bit me". I'm in between telling Eva, "No Eva, that's not nice", obviously it's not working - so by the last "attack", I'm like, "Gracie I don't know what to do, do you want to get out?" Of course not. So they go back to playing, and I to packing.

I'm washing Eva when I see some scratches on her back, and two circular marks... that look odd to me. So I ask Grace, "Did you bite Eva?" Grace says, "No, she scratched her back here - pointing to the back wall of the tub". So I'm like okay, but I can't let it go... the circle marks have little dashed lines in them... something seems off. So I ask again - same answer. I even told Grace, "Gracie, you're not in trouble, Mommy just wants to know what happened." Apparently I wasn't very convincing b/c she still stuck to her story.

Finally, following my gut - I told Grace, "You know you might be able to get by w/ lying to Mommy but Santa will know if you're lying." This must have really gotten her b/c she looked like she was really thinking, and then sweetly said, "Hmmm.... Now that I think about it.... I think I kind of maybe might have bitten her... (then she follows it up w/) only when I was being a mean dog."

Oh gosh, even writing it makes me laugh - "I kind of think I might have" - some serious commitment there. And as I told her, she didn't get in trouble - Eva if someday you are reading this - please know, you never cried, so it must not have phased you too much! Plus at the rate you pinch/bite/scratch Grace she probably owed you one;-)

I'm "A-Door"???

I've been spending a decent amount of my spare time working on my new website (www.PhotographybyAmazingGrace.com) - it's not quite ready yet so if you peek know it's not finished! So the girls are playing with the doll house, and I thought I'd sneak into the office and a get a few things updated.

Of course, I'm in there for all of a minute when I'm two-some comes in. Grace and Eva both love watching the pictures flash on the screen. Eva LOVES to see the pics of the babies;-) Grace being older, wanted to know where the pictures of her were. I said, "Your pictures are under the gallery adore" Grace says, "What? I'm a door?" I said, "No silly" and showed her the few pics of her I had loaded (not many yet!). And let her listen to "her special song" - Gracie, by Ben Folds Five. Grace loved the song so much she sat in Nanni's office for nearly an hour listening to it - I think memorizing it! And periodically spinning in circles, she made me get my camera out b/c she thought that would be a good picture to go w/ her song:-) Too cute!!!

My little monkey...

Eva cracks me up!!! I would love to think that she's ready to start potty training but seriously it took Grace F O R E V E R, so why get my hopes up right? Well who knows if she is ready, but she loves to sit on the potty w/ toilet paper in hand, wiping her behind repeatedly. AND she has so much fun doing this that if you take her off the potty -- look out b/c she is going to be MAD.... she is sooooo like her Daddy when it comes to her temper (ha ha ha!!! I get to say these things b/c I'm the writer, see if Daddy wrote the blogs he could say, "she's just like Mommy w/ that temper of hers" but I'm writing this story, so it's Daddy!).

You know come to think of it, she's pretty set in her ways... she has this little Princess fleece jacket, and that is the only jacket she is willing to wear. Matt said this morning she threw a fit, refused to put it on. I'm thinking she's only 18 months, you could get her jacket on... so of course karma came back to bite me in the ass b/c when I pick her up from Brenda's she threw herself on the floor refusing to put it on, flopping around like a fish out of water. Grace was never like this - or was at least nearly 6 months older when she started it. Whew - we could be hitting the "terrible two's" a little early.

But you know, even writing about my little monkey and how crazy she can behave makes me smile... I think her temperament is only part of what makes her so lovable. Right now I'd have to say one of my favorite things she does, is - since she doesn't do a ton of talking - when she wants something to drink, she purses her lips out like she's going to give you a big kiss but makes smooching noises. I know my description is lacking, but wow - just thinking about her little mug doing that makes me smile. Between that and thinking - not much longer and we will be in our own house, makes me want to jump up and down and dance in circles around the bedroom. I seriously can't wait till we get our own space.

I mean don't get me wrong I feel so blessed to have lived here w/ the parents, but I think there is a reason children are supposed to grow-up and move out (I think I figured that out at least 6 months ago - I know slow learner). Matt will miss the home cooked meals, although he's at the house so much that just living where he's working will be a huge plus.

Okay enough blogging for now - gotta go back to editing senior pictures... not sure who reads the blogs, other than hopefully the girls some day, but it sure gets addictive!