Halloween

"Three black cats, three black cats,
In black hats, in black hats,
They all jumped into the Halloween brew.
They teased the ghosts & the goblins too!
Have you ever seen such a Hullabaloo??
On Halloween, On Halloween!"





We were blessed with a last minute trip from our Finnish friends this year. Our last encounter was Halloween 2007 and the kids had a blast. So hopefully this will turn into an annual celebration with their presence?!? The 2 pink fairy ballerinas were too cute walking down the side walk. And not to mention the handsome cowboy and fireman that followed. After gathering more than enough candy on 3 streets in our neighborhood...the sugar high finally wore off. The night ended with a showing of Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin and 4 sleepy kids in matching Hanna Halloween PJ's.

Pumpkin, Pumpkin

"Pumpkin pumpkin on the ground
How'd you get so big and round.
Planted as a seed so small.
Now you are a great big ball.
Pumpkin pumpkin on the ground.
How'd you get so big and round."





We took 3 trips to local pumpkin patches this year...all for birthday parties. Each time we attempted to capture that perfect "pumpkin patch photo" that every parent strives for. Let me just say that the perfect picture will not happen for YEARS! Between Ms. Pink walking away from the camera or Big making his silly faces, this is our best shot. Not that I am disappointed but to get everyone to smile at the same time, eyes open, hands down is pretty much impossible in my future.







Until that day, enjoy these cuties!

New York, New York

"Start spreadin' the news, I'm leavin' today
I want to be a part of it
New York, New York
These vagabond shoes, are longing to stray
Right through the very heart of it
New York, New York"
- Frank Sinatra










As much as I love my family and want to spend every second with them...not to miss out on a single thing...every mother deserves a weekend to herself! I just got back from a wonderful 4 days in the Big Apple. My sister and I treated my mom to her 60th birthday gift and my niece to her 12th with a fabulous get-a-way to a BIG city.








From dinner and dessert at Serendipity 3, photos with the Naked Cowboy, awesome seats at the Lion King, to audience tickets at Regis and Kelly and cookies from Levain Bakery, our vacation was non-stop. Don't let me forget to mention the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, Ground Zero, China Town, Little Italy, the Brooklyn Bridge, mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and a walk through Central Park.








Thanks to my wonderful husband for the airline miles and hotel points to make this vacation possible, the champagne and chocolate covered strawberries to welcome us, and most of all keeping my 3 kids safe and fed while I was away!

Cotton Candy Land

"Sandman's comin', yes he's comin'
To sprinkle you with sand
He'll say "one, two, three"
And you'll be, In cotton candy land."
- Elvis Presley








Another year means another visit to the Texas State Fair. We decided to head out there on the 'cheap' day this year where all midway rides are only 5 tickets...that is still $2.50 a ride. The boys took turns picking out which ride was next on the list. From the mirror maze to the airplanes, we could not get to each ride fast enough. After claiming we were out of coupons, we made our way to the food court for our annual Fletcher's corn dog and to try this years winning fried food. We tried the fried s'mores and fried peanut butter, jelly, and banana. Not so crazy about either.








We fought the crowd to watch the domino man's evening performance...the boys stole a front row seat on the floor. Big was amazed watching the optical illusion man with a head, chest, and shoulder's only. But he was blown away when the guy called him by his first name as we were leaving...he overheard me.

After 4 hours of fun, we were all ready to come home. Until next year...

Photos from today!

Autumn

"Autumn leaves under frozen souls,
Hungry hands turing soft and old,
My hero crying as we stood out their in the cold,
Like these autumn leaves I dont have nothing to hold."
- Paolo Nutini










Since we are finally blessed with cool mornings, I took the kids to Bob Jones Nature Center and Preserve. The park is located on the South West corner of Lake Grapevine. The main building houses a gift shop, exhibits, restroom, and educational classes for children ages 3-8 years.







The 70 acres of Crosstimbers ecosystem is crawling with nature's critters. We walked the 3/4 mile trail (very easy) and spotted 3 deer, squirrel, birds, spiders, and other crawlers. The boys were fascinated with the animal prints in the sand. There are many picnic benches along the trail with provided shade. The preserve is free to visit so no excuses not to see this treasure. Park land is open daily 9:00am - 5:00pm.

Photos from today!

Walk This Way

"She told me to
Walk this way!
Talk this way!
Well just gimme a kiss!
Oooh, a-like this!"
- Run DMC








Okay...I would not say Ms. Pink is 'walking' but the little princess sure is not afraid to let go and take steps. We are up to 8 before falling down. She is doing great even though tights can be pretty slippery on wood floors. Watch out brothers, she will be chasing you by her first birthday...and pay backs are... well not so fun :)