Happy Halloween!

Riley has been looking forward to Halloween for a couple weeks now. We have checked out themed books from the library and watched just about every Halloween episode from Little Einsteins to Mickey Mouse.

After being a trick or treat newbie last year, this year she was fully aware of the meaning of the holiday. As in, Candy! Costumes! Pumpkins! Spooooky Stuff! And most importantly CANDY!!!

For the last month we thought she was going to be Tinkerbell. Her Gammy bought her the ridiculously priced costume to add to her dress up bin this past spring. I have nothing against the Disney line of costumes other than I have a problem with spending $50 on a costume that will be worn for no more than 2 hours. I was also a little concerned with the scant amount of fabric for Tinker's get up and the predicted 60 degree temps so I was relieved when she told me she wanted to be "Wiggle, Wed Widing Huh-ooooood". Except we didn't have a costume for that.

No worries, Google to the rescue. Armed with a DIY explanation of how to make the hood and my own idea of how to fashion the little apron I made this.


Don't worry those aren't aliens on my door, I just needed to black out my address.

Go ahead. Try to tell me she isn't the cutest thing you've ever seen.

For my OTC followers out there - the red fabric was 1.99 for 1 yard, the gingham was .99 for a half yard and the red ribbon was 1.99 for 5 yards. TG bought her the basket at Party City for 5.99. Halloween costume that's cute as button, covers enough skin, and more unique than a Disney princess for $11? You betcha.

Of course no Red Riding Hood would be complete without the Big, Bad Wolf. Except I didn't have a wolf costume. No problem. A baseball hat, some paper I colored black, a craft puff with some hot glue later, and the Wolf was born.


He's already eyeing her basket of goodies.

Our neighborhood is very new, still under construction actually so there wasn't much trick or treating action happening here. We decided to load the kiddies up in the car and head to TG's school neighborhood 2 minutes down the road, but not before we gave her a practice run at our house.


"Can-knee? To me?"


"Wet me see heeeeere."


"Oooh can-knees. I gonna put dem in my basket."


"Ohhh-kay. I ready! We goin to Hal's-o-ween yet? We don't want to be late!"


Riley had a blast running from house to house without a single complaint, but Cam didn't fare so well. The combo of the cold wind, dark, and the absolute confusion of it all made him pretty miserable actually. We gave Riley an hour and just as I was about to break the news that she (ie Cam and I) was finished she looked up at me with the sweetest face and said, "Mommy, we go to my home now?" I signaled TG to scoop her up and Halloween 2010 was done.

Silly Little Man

Camden has been making some silly little faces lately, but the one he has been favoring is a cross between a smile and scrunching up his little nose.

I.


LOVE.


It.

OTC: Riley's Art Gallery

I've seen lots of ideas in the bloggy world lately for organizing kids art. I was leaning toward making a wire line hanger down in the playroom and I still might do that in her bedroom, but I couldn't help utilizing something that I had on hand too.

Many years ago before we were married TG and I got two furbabies. Like any good mother, I took lots of photos of them. Then I took it a step further and I bought a giant collage poster frame to put them in. It used to hang in the spare bedrooms at our apartment and then our townhouse in Charlotte, but it's been using up storage space for the last five years. I just couldn't bear to part with it.

Until last week when I had spent a good part of the day trying to wrangle Riley's artwork. Later that day I went down to the garage to get a file folder for all the art, I spied the frame and the lightbulb went on.

Before...


So first I carefully removed all the pictures of my pups and stored them in my photo archives.

During...


Then I took pictures of all of Riley's artwork I had on hand and I printed them out at Walgreens via Snapfish. I tried to pick a mixture of different art mediums for the final product and I affixed them to the frame's poster.

After!


I hung it in the playroom above our IKEA futon with my laser level (best Home Depot purchase of my year).

This did take me about an hour to get done, but Riley's reaction made it all worth it. The morning after I did it she walked past it, then without a word did an about face and stood there studying it for a moment. When she realized what it was she said, "Oh Mommy, this to me?" "Wook, that's my pitchers!"

Her appreciation plus the cost for it was priceless, but just how much you ask?

33 photo opening collage frame: $0 on hand
33 prints from Walgreens: $6

A personal and whimsical piece of art for our playroom for $6??? Eat that PB wire hanger, although I'm still going to use you as inspiration for my own knock off.

This Is NOT a Pumpkin!

On Sunday night we finally broke out our pumpkin carving tools and TG hauled our sweet little pumpkin upstairs so we could make our jack-o-lantern.

First I had to notify TG that "Jack Sprat" the frog was still on the pumpkin. I have no idea how or why but that frog has taken up residence on the pumpkin every night since we got it. I call him Jack Sprat because we have two frogs that live on our porch. A very teeny one, that's Jack, and his wife who could eat no lean.


After frog removal we moved onto the desliming process. Riley and TG have been snacking on the seeds all week.


Then Rooski and I used the little rolly wheel to transfer our pattern and the drilling tool to pop the holes in it.


Hard at work.


Checking out our finished product.


She was very excited about the candle inside and kept peering in to see it.


And every night she asks to turn the pumpkin light on.


This is NOT a pumpkin, this is a jack-o-lantern!

Six Months Old

Dear Camden,

Today you are six months old. I thought the time went fast with your sister, but between loving on you every second I can and playing make ups, dance party, and coloring with Riley it's just flying by.



You are the happiest little guy and totally go with the flow. You smile all the time now when you see me or your daddy or your big sister. You laugh like crazy when we startle you, or blow raspberries in your face, or tickle you. But Riley gets your biggest laughs, you think she is absolutely hilarious.



Your personality hasn't changed too much since you were born and you hardly ever cry. You have to be pretty hungry, pretty tired or both to get upset. You've gotten so much better about riding places in the car (except for at night which you hate). You will sit back there cooing and babbling, playing with a toy or trying to put your little toes in your mouth. When you hear my voice you will lean your head up and look at the ceiling of the car trying to get me in your line of sight.



You are still my little sleep champ. You can take or leave your 2 hour morning nap and will snooze in the car or in the moby if we're out and about and still take a solid 2 hour nap in the afternoon too. 12 hours of sleep at night is the norm although lately you've started waking up crying around midnight for a feeding. We're trying to let you cry it out and it seems to be working.



At six months you are in the 83rd percentile for weight at 19.1 pounds and you are in the 99th percentile for height at a whopping 28 3/4 inches. I have a feeling you're going to be tall and skinny like your Daddy. You're wearing size 9-12 month clothes already and you're in size 3 diapers.



You already have your two bottom teeth and we think the top two are on their way. You are sitting pretty well independently, eating solids and some table foods, and you've started to drink from a sippy cup. I'm still your favorite source of fluids (ie you absolutely refuse a bottle), but we've worked around it for 6 months already and I'm pretty sure you'll be a sippy pro in no time.



Camden, you are such a blessing and joy in our little family. I hold you, kiss you and breathe in your sweet baby smell as much as I can because I know from experience this time won't last long. I intend to soak up every minute of your babyhood while I can!



Happy 6 months Cam boo! We love you so much!

Temple Hall

I mentioned that after last year's dismal pumpkin patch attempts that we've more than made up for it this year.

I wasn't kidding.

First up was Pumpkinville and then last weekend Gigi and Papa were in town so we decided to visit one of the regional park farms. It's not as big as the other area patches, but it boasts the largest maze in Northern Virginia.

It was very windy that day so little man was all bundled up and wrapped in the moby.


Looking out on the maze from one of the bridges.


Checking out the view from up above!


We finished up our trip with Camden's first hayride around the patch.

OTC: Camden's Wall Art

My kid's rooms are in a state of semi finished. I painted them and the furniture is in, but accessories and wall art are something that I'm working on piece by piece as I find things that I like.

So when a friend of mine asked me if I wanted these I was excited because I knew I could use them for Camden's room.

The original look.


After I peeled the stickers off.


A little scrapbooking paper, glue stick and homemade mod podge later.


Voila!


Hanging on the wall above his dresser.


I love them because they add a pop of color to his room and were ridiculously on the cheaps! Just how cheap you ask?

3-d pictures: Free from a friend
Scrapbooking paper: 4 pieces for $4 from AC Moore.
Mod Podge: Homemade with elmer's glue I had on hand and water

$4 and about an hour of my time for two pieces of custom wall art! It's going to be hard for me to beat that as I finish the rest of his room.

Seen and Heard

SEEN:

Little man sporting some jack-o-lantern baby legs.


Riley sporting some tights...on her head.


Cam trying out a swing for the first time.


Riley pretending to be my "ate-ter-ess" and bringing me food.


HEARD:

While on an evening stroll around the neighborhood.
Riley: Mommy, you see dat moon?
Me: Yes, it's pretty.
Riley: Dat wax-er-ing dib-dus (waxing gibbous) moon!
Me: Why, yes it is.
Riley: Dat a-nom-na-nal (phenomenal)!

Riley: A-dees and gen-bul-mens!
Riley: A-sent-er-ing Ril-wee and Canden!
Riley: Mommy, you start!
Me: R...
Riley: R-I-L-D-W! Ril-wee!
Riley: Thank you, thank you eberee-buddy!
(3/5 isn't bad, but we're working on it.)

Yesterday at the farm following an incident at the little playhouse.
Me: Riley, do you know why you're in time out?
Riley: Umm, yes.
Me: Why?
Riley: I pull dat grr-ull shirt. I pull her a-cuz she tryin to go in Ril-wee house.
Me: And are we allowed to touch other people?
Riley: Umm, yes, sometimes. Can I have some cop-a-corn now?

Cam: blowing raspberries...
Cam: Ahhhhhh-ahhhh-grrrrr
Cam: blowing more raspberries

Peas In A Pod

It has become very difficult to get an increasingly wiggly baby and his easily distracted sister to take a decent photo together.

Sometimes only one of them is smiling.


Sometimes only one of them is actually looking at the camera.


And occasionally someone is getting smacked in the face as a certain baby learns his spatial awareness.