The Halloween post posted on Halloween!!

We've gone trick or treating three times in the past 9 days, each with varying costume combinations based on my preparedness or the kids cooperation.

Our first ToT-ing was at Pickering Wharf in Salem...

(They are bears by the way)


This is from tonight...I made better bear ears for the girls (barretts) but mine look like mouse ears, oh well. It has that homemade "je ne sais quoi"

(And yes I posted this pic even though Meg's face is hidden because it makes my hair look great)

I'm pretty sure this is supposed to be a "bear face" that is coming across as a grumpy face, or maybe I'm just delusional. Oh, and Tessa did her own make up...not necessarily according to my plan...

I talked with my mom last night and she urged me to post more often on the blog. Perhaps I'll make her a deal, I'll post everytime she calls me on the phone... eh? ;)

Sadly for her I'm posting something I've already shared with her.

I wanted to make a cake for the ward halloween party (the fact that there was no scary cake contest this year, unlike the previous six years did not make it through to my consciousness- honestly people, stop messing with tradition) and stumbled across a cute idea from Martha Stewart.

I was worried that the frosting wouldn't be super white and would therefore clash with the marshmellows so I, because I'd read a blurb about it on google, decided to add one drop of blue (?!) food coloring to the frosting. The second I started mixing it together I knew I'd made an ENORMOUS mistake that I could never recover from and started moaning about the kitchen and berating myself for my stupidity.

In the midst of this drama-fest Tessa calmly says "Mom, it will look fine, lets just keep going, don't give up." Me: "Do you really think so...?" Tessa: "Yes, now come back over here and lets make the cake."

In the end it was a disaster, but a cute, rather oozy looking disaster (thats a good thing) - and since no one else showed up with a cake for the ward trunk-or-treat party - I declared myself the winner of the 2010 Scary Cake Contest!

And now for comparison's sake (and a good laugh)

Martha's Cake - -


My cake - -

Conference Weekend

I love me a good family tradition and since this is the 3rd General Conference in a row that we've gone to the sea shore between sessions it looks like I have a new one to add to the list. (I say sea shore because that sounds so much more reverent and Sunday-worthy that "gone to the beach")

This year we went to downtown Marblehead and to the park there (name escapes me).

My little dare devils...


Of course its not as steep as it looks in the photo but Tessa did climb the whole thing by herself.

Meg finally decided to become a walker. This was her first outing with her new skill.

{There was a family photo here,
that a nice woman volunteered to take, but I look like an ogre so...
...no.}

We got home from the shore just in time to eat our soup and sandwiches in front of our big screen.

I hate to be picky but..

...no one commented on this post from a few months ago and I wouldn't mention it except it has a great video of Tessa "reading" on it that I think you'll like.

Just a reminder (to myself)...

...that I am in no way in control of my life.

After a great Conference weekend I woke up motivated and with big plans. I got up early to so yoga (original plan was running but it is raining out) and Meg woke up 10 minutes later. I did manage to do about half the video but "King Dancer" position is hard enough without a toddler hanging onto your thigh.

Next agenda item - an early trip to the grocery store. However, we've got ten minutes before 9:00 and Tessa is still sleeping soundly. By the time she wakes up, eats breakfast and gets dressed it'll be Meg's naptime and justify as I might, 2:00pm does not count as "early."

Good thing my motivation only extended far enough to plan two things for my day.

That said - it has been a nice morning reading and coloring with Meg. Oh, I've got to go, she's prepared a delicious meal of plastic Pringles for me.

Julaugber

"Doh!"

Summertime has been fun and fun and fun around here.

No time for blogging, obviously.

But on occaision I did take pictures so here are July, August and September for your viewing pleasure.

(Winter was the season of grumpy photo faces - Summer is the season of silly photo faces)

Our solution to a small house. Take that housing market!

Family Day during Salem's Heritage Days.

Family Fun Day featured 5 bounce houses - Tessa was a big fan.

Taken on a weekend morning - the one day I got to sleep in because Daddy cornered the girlies on their room with fruit loops to distract them.

Boston greenway merry-go-round. Meg lasted abou 30 seconds before she needed to dismount, Tessa, though, is a regular ol' cowgirl.

I had a fantasy that I'd take some pictures near the waterfront and enter them into a contest for a local organization. No one cooperated, this was my best shot. :P

Wake up Daddy!

An 85 degree day in the 3rd week of September meant we were the only people on the beach.

We had fun, though.

Three days later we brought daddy along when we hit one of the "nice" beaches that generally has a high parking fee.

Meg was ready.

This picture is for those of our friends in the west who are going on bear hunts. Aaron "caught" this bear and Meg posed with it.

Tessa is channeling her inner mother warrior.

Sleepover on the bedroom floor.

Are you sick of the beach photos?

I'm pretty sure the "summer" weather is over...

But you never know.