Trick or treaters

These were two of the cutest trick or treaters ever. I can't believe how much candy they got. Between our church party, their school parties, and going around our neighborhood tonight I think we might still have some left by the time next Halloween rolls around. We were actually the only ones who went out in our neighborhood tonight. It is a new subdivision -- there were only three houses here last year -- and two of the older families told us this was the first time they had ever had trick or treaters. We didn't really need to go out to get more candy, but I never went when I was a kid and the girls were just so excited about it. I'm glad we did it. They really had fun.

Beautiful butterflies

This was at our church Halloween party. Nikki was flapping her arms like she was flying.

I had to get a picture of their face paint before they smeared it off, but they actually didn't mess with it all night long. I was going to do a butterfly on Hannah's face as well, but Nikki's was so difficult that I talked her into just having rosy cheeks. She went for it.

After school snack

This afternoon when Hannah got home from school she told me she was going into the kitchen to get a snack. When I walked in a few minutes later this is what I saw.

Haunted house

Last night we made a haunted house out of graham crackers and candy and chocolate frosting. I decided to forego the gingerbread for the much easier crackers. It certainly wasn't very pretty, but the girls absolutely loved it. Well, Nate and I did, too.

Vegetables

Hannah will sometimes talk about me being so short and Nate so tall. I always tell her it's because I didn't eat my vegetables when I was little but he did. Today at Nikki's dance class the parents were allowed to sit in and watch. It was the most adorable thing ever. But what was really funny to me was when Hannah leaned over and, speaking of Nikki's teacher, said, "She must have eaten lots of vegetables." I asked her why and she said because she is "really long and straight." And she was tall and thin. Maybe Hannah will let me pack some carrots in her lunchbox tomorrow?

Nate's confession

Nate has a deadline coming up on a project on which he still has a lot of work left to do, so last night he brought his laptop home to get some extra work done. But his computer kept crashing on him and taking forever to process anything he wanted to do, so he was getting really frustrated. I was in the other room and I heard him muttering under his breath, "This stinkin' computer. It's a piece of junk. I can't stand it," etc., etc., etc. A little while later he walked by me, and I laughingly told him that I was glad he wasn't a violent man or prone to profanity. He kind of hung his head and got this sheepish look on his face, and he said, "Well, I did throw my socks." I died laughing. How did I get so lucky to find such a sweet man?

Bad manners

This morning we were eating cereal for breakfast, and when I finished I sipped the last little bit of milk right out of my bowl -- yes, my mother taught me not to do that. And apparently I've taught Hannah the same thing because she said, "Mom, that's bad manners!" Wow, kids see everything.

Black, black sheep

Nikki was singing "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" this morning while I was getting ready, and it was so cute that I just have to write down her version. I was really impressed because it's not a nursery rhyme that we do very often. I sang it to them last week, and this is how she remembered it:

Black, black sheep
And he had a bowl
One for the day
One for the little guy
Black, black sheep
And he had a bowl (and she kept repeating the last 2 lines)

The Fair

I can't believe I left the camera in the car when we went to the fair last night. I had even turned around and gone back home to get it. I so wish I could have pictures of the girls faces. They loved every part of it. Hannah could have eaten the whole bag of cotton candy by herself if Nate hadn't been there to help her. Nikki and I like it, but it seems like such a waste of a treat to me because it dissolves so fast in your mouth (or on Hannah's fingers). Hannah was a little nervous on the Ferris wheel, and it was so cute when Nikki leaned over, patted her arm, and said, "It's okay Hannah. You don't have to be scared." Actually, Hannah was nervous on several of the rides -- especially the merry-go-round! I couldn't help but laugh at that. She was holding onto the horse for dear life with this look of terror on her face. Nate was even standing right beside her with his hand on her back. There was also a little dragon rollercoaster that was a lot of fun. I rode with Nikki who laughed the whole time, and Nate rode right behind us with Hannah who screamed the whole time. I think everyone's favorite, though, was the funslide. We slid down it on burlap sacks, and it was really fast and high. Not to mention that there was hardly ever a wait to get on. Nate was too long to fit his legs on the sack, so the first couple of times his shoes slowed him down and we could beat him. But then he found a way to get his feet on the sack, and he outslid us all. What a fun family night! I'm so glad we went -- next year I'll have to hang the camera around my neck!