Another fancy lunch

Tessa had a friend over yesterday and after we read Fancy Nancy they decided they wanted to have a fancy lunch. Here they are!

Pre-Christmas

This year the kids got a pre-Christmas package with things like pajamas and Christmas books that they can use during the Christmas season. It was lots of fun.

Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving with lots of family. I should have taken more pictures with everyone--but here are the few I managed to get. Bryce made the base for the pinata and Aunt Amy Beth and the kids decorated it. It looked great (probably because Amy Beth is an artist). We do have a lot to be grateful for and family tops the lists!

Holiday Outfits

Here are the kids in their new holiday outfits. Tessa picked out the material for the skirts and I made them. (She has such an interesting sense of style--I never would have thought she would go for the asian looking purple brocade with golden dragons.) I thought they turned out pretty cute.

Fancy Nancy Tea Party

So, Tessa and I have been wanting to do a Fancy Nancy Tea Party for a while. One of our friends came over yesterday to help us with a trial run. I was impressed with how "on task" Tessa stayed all morning helping to get things ready: cutting out sandwiches, taping flowers to straws and stick fancy toothpicks in everything. She came up with a lot of the ideas (like making cookie cutter chocolate chip cookies...which dont work very well, but she was happy). We had a fun time. She also picked out both of our "fancy" outfits.

Halloween!! (all 3 days of it)

We had a lot of Halloween fun around here. Above is Tessa at her preschool Halloween celebration. She did a great job singing all of the songs.

Then on Thursday Oakley had a Halloween party with some friends from school. We had a lot of fun playing games and having treats.

Friday was the Hallween parade at school. Our cousins and Oakley before the parade and Oakley during the parade.

Then the big day was finally here!

Oakley had his last soccer game in the morning.

Then we dressed up and went to the church party and trunk or treat. Tessa and Oakley won the best costumes and came home with a bucket full of Halloween pretzels and a prize. They were very excited.

Oakley was a pirate and Tessa was a Barbie 3 musketeer (a princess with a sword, as she called it). Hathaway had a costume but we never quite got it on her so she just celebrated with her Halloween shirt.

Finally we went trick or treating with the Cox family and some other friends. It was fun to see people from school out trick or treating too. There was plenty of candy to go around and all in all it was a great day.

Starting to Eat

1st Day of Halloween Week

Tonight we started getting ready for the week of Halloween. We carved pumpkins and made home-made doughnuts. We all had lots of fun and the kids did a great job creating the faces for the pumpkins. It is such a fun holiday.

Random Sampler

Oakley told me that this was the best day ever because he played great in his soccer game and we had ham for dinner (if life were always this easy). He really did have a great game and was just glowing when he told me the coach asked him what he had eaten for breakfast because he had the game of his life. I guess we will always have to have crepes on game day.

Tessa told me her two favorite things to do were to swing on swings and to read books in bed with me (because it is so cozy).

Hathaway didn't scream for the first time when I put real food in her mouth and her first bottom tooth broke through.

The Girls

Tessa got a new dress, so we took a picture of all the girls. Here we are.

A fun trip to Portland

Hathaway and I decided we needed a little get away, so we went to visit some friends in Portland, OR. First we went to see the Schwins just outside of Eugene. Kristin has been a friend since kindergarten and she has a daughter, Kaitlyn, who is 2 weeks older then Hathaway. We are sure they are destined to be friends too.

Then we went to see Laura and Colby just outside of Portland. I have known Colby since kindergarten too and was roommates with Laura in college. It was great to see them and their family. They really pampered me.

We had a great, relaxing trip and Hathaway was a great little traveler. Yay for fun trips!

We Love Aunt Suzette

Party at Dad's Work

Bryce's work had an open house/work picnic. None of us have ever been to Bryce's office so the kids were so excited to go to the party at dad's work. Above, Bryce in his chemist's clothes. Below, the kids found Bryce's models and thought they were more fun then legos. We had a great time.

It's finally here

OK, we are big nerds, by die-hard fans of Trader Joes. They finally built one just a few miles from our house. So we got a babysitter and went on opening day to check it out (Bryce's idea). Yay! We are so glad.

Fall Fun

Oakley and his cousin Hazel are on the same soccer team. The coach has been great with the kids and Oakley has enjoyed the season so far. I think that he has learned a lot about the game.

The kids are getting excited for Halloween. Tessa tried on this costume and insisted on making a mask.

Tessa is getting to be a good baker. Here she is helping me. She can crack eggs and without getting shell in!

Hathaway update

Here's Hathaway in the cute outfit from Aunt Cherie. She had her appointment at CHOP yesterday to look at her leg. She has a vascular malformation. Now she needs to have an MRI to evaluate what exactly is going on in the blood vessel. Then we can decide what needs to happen next.

Tessa first full day

Tessa had her first whole day of preschool and absolutely loved it. I think she was made for school. Below she is with her friend before they go in the first day. (Also, can you see that Tessa has a little bit of a black eye? That would be from her and Oakley batting each other with bats--which was quickly outlawed.)

First Day of School

So, it's official; school has started. Oakley started 1st grade and Tessa had her meet the teacher day for preschool. They both seem ready and happy for the new year.