Happy Halloween

Our Halloween weekend was quite the busy one! Yesterday we got home from school/work and carved our pumpkins. Sophia had a great time scooping the gook out of the pumpkins, helping us cut the designs out, and putting the seed that I wanted to save in the strainer. She loved the finished products when Hal put the candles in the pumpkins so she could see what they looked like in the dark.

Today I got up bright and early to do a Halloween Half-Marathon. The run went well despite the cold weather. While I ran Sophia had a Halloween breakfast with Grandma Jayne and Grandpa Hal. She had a wonderful time playing toys and reading books. After I got home we went over to my parents house so Sophia could trick-or-treat over there. She got a cute Little Pets set and a Halloween decorated sugar cookie. The cookie was quite the fancy thing! Great Grandma Erma and her sister Lillian also came over to see Sophia in her costume. Despite the fact she liked the costume, she wanted to take it off to play with her new toy.

We had some lunch and then went to get the pizzas for dinner. Sophia took a nap and so did the rest of us. Then we got up and got ready to go have dinner with the neighbors before heading out for trick-or-treating. Sophia wore her puppy costume and her friend Ava was a Barbie Witch.

The girls had a great time trick-or-treating together and came home with quite the load of candy! Roger and I were surprised at how far the girls walked and how long they lasted. They were the only ones left out when we came home.

Tomorrow we are going to hang out around the house during the day and then we are off to the Gopher Hockey game tomorrow night!

Halloween Cookie Playdate

Last night Sophia had a playdate with our neighbor Ava who is 5. Sophia just adores her and likewise with Ava. Amy and I had some time to chat while the girls played for a bit and then we got everything ready to make cookies.

The girls were quite eager to get started. Amy and I could hardly believe how much dough was eaten in the process of getting them cut out not by the mommies, but by the kids.


After getting several cut out the girls decided it was time to be silly and put flour all over their faces.

Ava showing off her flour

Sophia covered in flour

Once the cookies were all cooked the decorating began. The girls had a fantastic time decorating all of their cookies and trying the frosting too!

Ava trying the frosting


Sophia decorating a green pumpkin

The finished products were decorated so cute and the cookies were quite yummy!! Sophia can barely wait until Halloween!

Halloween Fun

This weekend we did several different fall/Halloween activities. Sophia attended her second ever birthday party on Saturday. It was for a little neighbor girl who turned 4. The party was at a pumpkin patch in Stillwater, MN. It was quite the chaotic place with it being the weekend before Halloween and the weather being nice. The kids got to pick out their own pumpkins and then decorate them with some paints. Sophia just loved this activity and really got into the painting.

After decorating pumpkins they went to this area and had a silly string war. Sophia didn't really want to do this so she watched. She was the youngest and smallest child at the party so it was a good idea that she chose just to watch.

After the silly string war, they got the kids all together for a group picture.


After the photo, we headed home and got ready for our next event. The Monster Mash was a 3M sponsored event at Tartan Park in Lake Elmo. Sophia was very excited about this and I was surprised at how well she was doing without having a nap. At the Monster Mash she played some games, went trick-or-treating, went on a hay ride, and decorated a cookie.

Trick-or-treating


My little puppy


Decorating cookie

Yesterday we had Hal's parents over for a bbq lunch. It almost felt like summer with grilling and having a fruit salad, but the weather was a quick reminder that summer is gone.

After they left we got some work/laundry done around the house and we all crashed. I think we had so much excitement on Saturday we were all tuckered out last night. We hung out around the house and didn't do too much. This week will be busy as always. Tonight Sophia gets to wear her Halloween costume to dance. Should be quite a treat!

Zoo Boo

This weekend Sophia and I went with the Brownings to the Zoo Boo at Como Zoo. We had a wonderful time and couldn't have asked for better weather. Last year when we went it was very cold out so this was much better.

Sophia loved her witch costume. Here is a picture pre-Zoo Boo:


We decided to get there early because last year we had to wait in a long line. That didn't change this year. Even though we arrived 30 minutes before the gates opened, we still had to wait in a pretty long line. We took this opportunity as a photo op for the parents:

Sophia with Peyton and Gavin


My little witch

Once we got inside the zoo area, the kids has a blast going through on the path to see all of the different characters. Sophia liked some of them, but others were still a bit to scary for her. It's funny how a person without a mask can be more scary than a person in a mask.

The kiddos in winter wonderland


Sophia at Alice and Wonderland's Tea Party


Too bad she closed her eyes, but check out this super hero bunch!

All in all we had a fantastic evening. Sophia got some great trick-or-treats too which is always the best part. This weekend we are headed to Tartan Park for another Halloween event. I'm sure it will be just as fun this

Spooky House

Last night Sophia and I made a Spooky House together. She is just in love with Halloween so I keep creating all of these little projects for her and she loves them! We made the house similar to the gingerbread house you would make at Christmas time. She did a wonderful job of helping me mix the food coloring into the frosting, decorating the house, and having a couple of ghost marshmallows along the way. By the time we finished, she had created a spectacular spooky house!

Putting the sprinkles on the house

Loving the spooky house

I'm a big girl now!

This morning Sophia informed she was a big girl and could do the steps all by herself. Normally we always hold her hand, but this morning she insisted she could do it by herself. She did a great job going down on her own and of course "hopping" off of the last step.

I can't believe my little girl is growing up so fast! It seems like just yesterday she climbed up the steps by herself in our old house and Hal and I could hardly believe our eyes.

On Monday night at dance, she got to be Miss Mary's helper by putting all of the bags away and the shakers. She did such a wonderful job that Miss Mary even told her she could help again next week. It's quite funny to see her taking on these "big kid" jobs without even being asked.

To commemorate a "big girl" moment we took a picture this morning. Next month right around Thanksgiving she will be two and a half. Sophia also wanted me to take a picture of her new shoes to show them off. She calls them her "big kid" shoes.

My little "big" girl


New "big girl" shoes

The Apple Orchard

Yesterday Sophia and I went to the apple orchard with our neighbor and her two kiddos. Both of our husbands have colds so they stayed at home. We had a wonderful time on the drive to Pine Tree. The leaves were changing on some of the trees so it was fun to see the fall colors.

We got to the orchard and let the kids run for a bit. It was quite chilly outside, but they didn't seem bothered by the 30 degree weather at all. We decided to get a couple of pictures before getting on the tractor ride.


The tractor ride

The kiddos


After the tractor ride we walked up into the orchard and checked out all of the apples. The kids had a great time walking through the trees.


We had such a wonderful time outside and then headed inside to get all of our goodies. We bought apples for making apple crisp, apple donuts, and some carameled apples. What a fantastic, but chilly trip to the apple orchard!

U of M Homecoming

Yesterday Sophia and I went to the University of Minnesota Homecoming. We sure missed Hal considering it is his alma mater. He was on a work trip in New Jersey. The night started off with the IT dinner. They had a delicious bbq dinner out and a wonderful children's buffet. While eating dinner, there was a show going on with some really cool science tricks. We watched them explode gummy bears by bringing down the temperature of the candy. It was really awesome.

After eating, we chatted with the people at our table. They surely loved Sophia. She entertained them to the best of her ability which doesn't take very much. They thought that she was just adorable. We found some coloring pages to work on while we watched the show and talked.

Then it was time for the parade. We had a great spot outside right next to the curb. Sophia just loved watching all of the lights and hearing the bands. Her favorite was seeing the girls twirling the batons. It was pretty amazing the things and tricks they were doing.

All in all, we had a wonderful but chilly evening together. I can't wait to do it all over again next year!

The princess and the pumpkin

So I know that in our house we have been in Halloween mode since early September when Sophia discovered she loved all of these Halloween books at the library. Now it is a huge focus. We have been doing several Halloween crafts at home.

The latest was last night when she used a present given to her by her Aunt Sarah, Uncle Nate, and Abby. They gave her this kit like a Mrs. Potato Head to decorate a pumpkin with princess gear.

I got Sophia a craft pumpkin thinking all we needed to do was poke the items through. Well, not so much. We had to use the drill to actually put holes in first and then poke the things through.

It was quite the adventure, but she just loved the finished product. She was hugging and kissing the pumpkin last night.

The rest of the week will be quite busy. With Hal traveling, and every possible school event happening at night this week, Sophia has been quite the trooper. Tonight I have to work at the Y and she will play in Kidstuff while I work. Tomorrow night she is staying with my parents as I have extended day at school and an open house. Friday we finally get to spend some quality time together. We are headed out to celebrate the U of M homecoming with a bbq and a parade. Should be a great time!

Wish us luck with the rest of our busy, busy week!

Sophia's new Halloween shirt

Today I finished making Sophia's new Halloween shirt. I just adore how it turned out! I'm really starting to love making clothes. Kind of a new little hobby I guess.

To celebrate the fact that it is now October, we took out all of the Halloween decorations this morning and started gearing up for one of my most favorite times in the year. Sophia found her trick-or-treat bag and an old princess wand of mine so all morning long she was "trick-or-treating" around the house. It was quite funny how she wanted to do nothing but this activity.

Despite the fact that she has a cold and got only a couple of hours of sleep last night, she was quite the happy little girl today. We stayed around the house this morning and I got my eyebrows waxed. After coming home, Hal left for the day and Sophia and I headed over to the Y so I could get a workout in and watch the Gopher football game. When I was finished, we went over to Central Park to check out what all of the commotion was from outside.

Turns out there was a wedding. Sophia desperately wanted to see the bride and once she found her she proceeded to say "Happy Wedding" to her. Well, this melted the bride's heart and she said that Sophia was just adorable.

We went into the library and got some new books and new music. Then came home for some lunch and books. Sophia is up taking a nap now and I'm not sure what we will do the rest of the day.

Love the relaxing weekend!