Happy Halloween 2011

Julia's first Halloween!  

Julia's not so sure why we get all the candy.  She likes attacking it and playing with the wrappers, but since none of hers was opened, it's just not as interesting.

Sammy on the other hand, was faster than every kid on our block and lead the charge from one dark sidewalk with stairs to the next!

And Elliot, mid way through needed someone else to carry her bag of candy for her...just too heavy (mind you it was half the weight of Sam's who is half the weight of Elliot, who had no trouble sprinting between houses...but we all have different motivations, right?

Snowtober before Halloween

Seriously, the costume that my kids put on first today was their full winter snow gear!  And they played outside for 45 minutes in the 3-4 inches of SNOW that fell.  So not cool New England.  We had a jam packed weekend.  Ben was gone all week at TedMed, so we greeted him at the airport Saturday at 6:30 am.  Since he was at a medical conference, he wasn't in the mood to indulge in Kanes Donuts, but was happy to go to Barry's Deli in Waban.  Then he took the girls to Elliot's last soccer game of the season.  At lunchtime we switched, and I took her to a birthday party.  Which turned out to be our first DROP OFF birthday party.  Laaaaa! really, I don't have to stay?  You want me to leave and come back in 75 minutes?! And I am alone?  Good gravy!  What to do with my time?  Head down the street to shop.  For MYSELF.  And run into Auntie Wendy while I am there.   Back to get Elliot & reunite with Ben, Julia & Sam to head to a pumpkin carving party in Cambridge...where we had no blizzard contingency plan.  Today we lazed around in the morning and then went shopping, to a dress up and dance ballet class, and then to see the Circus for the last time this run.  Auntie Kassi hit the circus while I cooked dinner and Ben & Julia watched football.  The girls helped me make a pin the nose on the pumpkin for the class Halloween party tomorrow.  Good times.  And Good Night.

That is Quinn.  I work with him.  He probably did not expect "holding baby" as part of his job description last week, but it is one of the few pictures we have with the girls all in their costumes and facing the camera.  

Not the most flattering picture, but I love it.  Samantha is like the hamburglar sitting over in the corner window watching Boston below, stuffing as many halloween oreos in her mouth as she could muster before I spotted her, snapped her picture, and then stopped her.

Apple Picking 2011

 We hit up Honey Pot Hill Orchard this year again.  This time with cousin Zoe and friends Zoe and Benjamin.  Before we even set foot in the orchard, we were chomping on cider donuts, sipping cider, running the hedge maze, and basking in the sun.  It was a great day for apples.  Even if all the honey crisps were gone by the time we got there!

 Hay ride!  Anyone remember the year the tractor hit a bump and Samantha fell backward over her hay bale and was saved from going overboard by an ankle grab of a stranger (while mommy and daddy held their coffees)?  Nothing like that happened this year.

oops, intermission cupcakes with Ruby andZoe at Ruby's house.

Julia was picking anything she could get her swiper hands on.  She's awesome.

This and That

 Love the styling Missoni girls...thanks Auntie Wendy!

 Above is the post script to Elliot's first day of Kindergarten...sleeping soundly, clutching her goggles for swimming class so she would not forget.

 Oh look at this delicious pucker!

 And Samantha's first day of her new PreSchool, Jams.  Sam goes to Jams.

Here we have dueling cousins stuck in car seats.  Miles and Julia party on.