Happy Halloween

Anna was so excited to go to school today because they're having a Halloween Parade this afternoon. She brought her witch costume, and they will put it on her after naptime for trick-or-treating. Her little Build-a-Bear friend Curly is wearing her witch costume too and went along as show and tell.

This is the last time I'll be able to post until after Halloween, so I wanted to go ahead and wish everyone a Happy Halloween! Hope yours is spooky, safe & fun!

Witchy Woman

We're rapidly running out of time to get in all of Anna's Halloween-wear before the day has come and gone, and I just remembered this morning that I bought this shirt on mega-sale from Orient Expressed at the end of last season. . .

So Anna wore it today, and she was more than happy to pull her sweater back to show off her cute little witch for me before we left for school this morning.

She was pretty excited about the shirt because she's going to be a witch for Halloween this year. Hopefully, I'll have some pictures to share of her in her costume after the weekend!

Are You Okay?

Back in the Spring, Anna had a little choking episode with a Lifesaver candy that was honestly one of the scariest moments of my life. So I have to admit that I now have the tendency to overreact when she has a coughing fit. I immediately start asking her, "Are you okay? Are you okay?..." until she answers me. And she's young, but I've made sure that she understands that I'm asking because I'm scared and how important it is to let me know that she's alright.

That little backstory brings me to this morning. . .
I had just gotten Anna dressed for school, and she was awake but still stumbling around a little. She was cutting through the dining room to get to me in the kitchen, and I heard Derek yell, "Whoa, Anna!" just as she apparently almost walked head-first into the corner of the dining room table. So when she emerged in the kitchen, I said, "Anna, are you okay?"

She looked up at me with a confused look on her face and said, "I not cough, Mommy!"

How do they get so smart?!

Here Comes the Sun

We have been really busy this month, and I'll be the first to admit that I am way behind. I still need to post pictures from our camping trip weekend before last, and this past weekend was just non-stop - two birthday parties, a visit with some friends, and a long overdue family portrait session with Mackenzie Wheatley of Chubbyfoot Photography.

Hopefully, I'll have some pictures to share from our Chubbyfoot session in the next week or so, but until then, here are a few that I snapped of Anna at a park near our house on the way home from one of her parties on Saturday. I can't seem to look at them without humming The Beatles' song "Here Comes the Sun" not only because of the beautiful warmth in them, but even more so because of how darn happy they are and how much fun she had!

Anna made fast friends with this stick as soon as we got there.

She played in the water with it. . .

. . .and she even put her "game face" on and used it to fend off trees, monsters and Mommies!

Then she got distracted by all of the other fun things around her. Like pine needles. . .

. . .and peek-a-boo trees. . .

. . .and she even built a "house" for me out of pebbles from the walkway.

Then just before we left, I begged her to give one last smile for Mommy. I was shocked, but without a fight, she cocked her little shoulder up and just smiled away for me. I'm not sure where she learned that pose, but that's not unusual because I don't know where she gets most of what she does!

Then we hopped in the car and headed home. . .in the sunset.

"Here comes the sun. . .doo doo doo doo"

(Stuck in your head yet?)

Asleep on the Job

I've been asleep on the job a bit lately as far as this blog is concerned, and I know I need to post about our camping trip. But since I don't have time to do that right now I figured this would be an appropriate picture to share from our weekend at Inks Lake. . .

This is what happens when you fall asleep during a hike. Red bull, people!