Trick or Treat

Tonight the girl's cousins came from Florida. We all went trick or treating together. Phillip, Ellie, and Clayton are older than Anna Claire but she was definitely the ring leader! She was the first at every door knocking and yelling, "Trick or treaty - Thank you! Your Welcome! Goodbye!" And then she was off to the next house - running at full speed!

We all had a great time!

Best Costume

Even though Anna Claire and Lizzie were so cute as Belle and Aurora, BaBa's costume definitely won first prize. Lizzie dressed him as a sphygmomanometer!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from Belle and Aurora!

pack rats

I am a pack rat's worst nightmare! I either throw stuff away, sell it at Kids Market, or give it to a charity. I moved around a lot growing up so it was just easier to throw stuff away than to pack it and move it. Poor Russ...
Well this morning the girls asked to play with their Mickey Mouse tutu's. (They were a gift from about 1.5 years ago. And they haven't been played with in about a year. I remember throwing one away several months ago because it had no more elastic in the waist.) I got down the one we still had and of course there was a loud debate over who would wear it. Lizzie, amazingly, was victorious. After about 5 minutes she got tired of it and took it off so Anna Claire put it on. Lizzie starts crying and asks me to find the other one. Before I could answer Anna Claire said , "Lizzie, we had to give that away to children who need it."

Pumpkins!

We went and picked out a pumpkin for our porch. Russ carved it for us with lots of cheerleading from Lizzie!

Yesterday we were driving in the car and the girls saw a puppy riding in a car. This is the hysterical conversation that took place:
Anna Claire: I like dogs!
Lizzie: I like kitty cats! Daddy, will you go buy us a kitty today?
Anna Claire: We can't have a kitty until we get rid of Marshall! He is our meany, growly dog and we have to get rid of him before we get a kitty.

Russ and I laughed so hard! For those who don't know Marshall he is our 10 year old dog and he does growl at them through the fence. He loves Russ and simply tolerates the rest of us. He is our grumpy old man!!!

I told Marshall not to take food from Anna Claire since she is trying to "get rid of him."

wise advice

Lizzie was using the bathroom today and she peed and pooped and she was so proud of her new trick - being able to do both in one sitting. She said, "Well, I didn't know I could do that!!!" Then she said, "Mommy, we don't eat poopoo or peepee. It's yucky!" As a stay-at-home mom it's hard to know you're making any progress but today I felt a sense of accomplishment. Lizzie knows to not eat what goes in the toilet! Yeah me!!

halloween dresses

Claire and Hunta made these beautiful candy corn dresses for the girls! They were so cute today!

potty talk

Last night before bathtime Anna Claire was using the toilet and told us that she was about to have a HUGE and STINKY poop. After she finished she yelled, "Lizzie, come see this poopie! It's little like you!"

muscadines

We drove down to Petals from the Past this weekend to pick muscadines. Anna Claire and Lizzie loved it! They were very efficient pickers - I guess all the practice they have with their own noses!

In the picture you notice that Russ and Lizzie are having to pull her royal majesty, Anna Claire!

conversations

These are a few interesting conversations overheard around our family...

Lizzie: Anna Claire, do you like Carson? (he's a neighbor of ours)

Anna Claire: What???

Lizzie: Does Carson chase you Anna Claire?

Lizzie: Does Carson kiss your freckles?

Anna Claire: I have freckles on my face.

Me: Did you know Daddy has freckles just like you!

Anna Claire: Yeah, Daddy has freckles called whiskers. I have whiskers on my legs!

Daddy: Lizzie. Thank you for praying. God loves to hear you talk to him.

Lizzie: I think God's a girl!

Lowe's: Let's build something together!

Anna Claire is suddenly loving the Lowe's apron she got from a workshop a couple of months ago. I think if Lowe's would hire her they would have more business.

sharing

Yesterday the girls were fighting on our 2 Sara Lynne's from the Little People. Both wanted them to ride in the little people school bus but they couldn't share. After LOTS of fussing and crying Anna Claire said, "Aunt Paula will buy us another school bus! Can I call and tell her?"
Why learn to share when you could just have 2 of everything?

how clever

Tonight we celebrated my sister's birthday. We went to dinner then had cake and ice cream at her house. Mom was there and she is keeping the girls on Saturday so Russ and I can go to the Dave Ramsey conference. Mom asked the girls if they wanted to go to the farm (my grandmother's) or if they wanted to stay at her house and play. They both said "Go to the farm!" Then they asked if Russ and I were going to the farm and we said, "No, we're going to a conference." Anna Claire said, "How clever! What's a conference?"

Community Helpers Day

Today was Community Helpers Day at school. The past 2 weeks they have seen firefighters, nurses, dentists, policemen, marine biologist... come to school and talk about what they do. Today was the kids turn to dress up. I found a cute scrub outfit for Anna Claire at Kids Market. Lizzie got to wear one of my nursing tops. Both protested until they got to carry tape and bandages in their pockets. So cool!
As we were walking out the door Lizzie said, "Mommy, you need on your nurse suit." I tried to explain to her that I don't wear nursing uniforms but a labcoat at work. Anna Claire said, "Do you not help make people feel better?" A lesson to us all: beware of nurses in real clothes, we don't help make people feel better!

being like Magee

Magee wears her cell phone clipped on the waist of her pants. Understand that Anna Claire ADORES Magee so in her attempt to be like Magee she put her own princess phone in her waist band. Not wanting to be left out Lizzie put her phone in her pants! Too bad I didn't catch that on film! It was hysterical...

new dress up clothes

Russ's mom, affectionately known as Magee, came to help us this week. Like a good grandmother she came bearing gifts. HOOP SKIRTS and CROWNS! Anna Claire was so excited. We had been riding bikes in our new leotards when she arrived and Anna Claire's skirt matched perfectly. Russ put his foot down aboutriding bikes in leotards until I pointed out it is not totally different than a bike jersey and biking shorts.
Lizzie was less excited about the new dress up clothes but finally agreed to put her skirt on under her Aurora dress!

bike riding

We gave Lizzie a bike last night! She LOVES it! Anna Claire is reluctant to ride her own bike because it "throws her on the ground!" Lizzie is not afraid of bikes so we thought she would be a positive influence on her sister. So far so good! We went to a street near our house that is more flat than ours and they rode up and down the road several times. Anna Claire finally allowed Russ to not hold on to the bike anymore. Don't be confused, she was not riding alone she was just trusting the training wheels to keep her upright! You can never be too careful!

fancy nancy & strawberry

Anna Claire loves to be fancy just like Fancy Nancy! She put on these beads as a "seat belt" then goes and looks in the mirror at herself for 10 minutes.

The Strawberry Shortcake gown is from last year. Hunta made her this gown and she hated it as a 3 year old but this year she doesn't want to take it off! 4 year olds have such refined taste!