Happy Halloween

2013, Mae asked to be a Princess Ghost and Whitaker asked to be a blue monster.  We were able to make both things happen this year. One kid was over the moon happy about this holiday, one was luke warm. Guess which one? Regardless, watching Mae trick or treat for real for the first time was an absolute treat. She is so personable, outgoing, and warm to everyone, it made my heart swell of the little girl she has become. With such confidence, she went up to each door and said, "trick or treat." Then engaged everyone in a conversation. She was happy about the candy but genuinely interested in the engagement with all the people. With enough candy in our bellies to last a lifetime, it is time for a good night to prepare for Pearson's birthday tomorrow. 

Happy Halloween 2013! 

And some days they get along

Last Friday, Mae didn't have school because it was a teacher work day. Since Mae started school five days a week this year, I miss the days of us lazing around in the morning and then doing a fun and adventurous activity on the days that she didn't have school. I miss the impromptu-ness of the days and seeing what the day brings. I love seeing the wonder of learning and exploring new things through my kids eyes and I love taking full advantage of the place we live. Unfortunately, we haven't had that much of an opportunity to explore DC and Virginia because we are lacking many free moments. So with the day off school and the beautiful weather, we decided to hit the zoo last Friday. We have been a few times before with my sister and have always enjoyed it but we have yet to go just the three of us. 

Hands down, one of the best times I have had with my kids. They were absolutely adorable, listened well, were interested in all the things going on, the zoo was pretty empty, and the weather was unbelievable. Also, they got along amazingly, which I always love to be a part of. 

Mae engaging with adults and excited by what the organtuans are doing. 

The brains of different animals. Mae thought they were a baby brain, a kid brain, a mommy brain, a daddy brain, and a Grandma brain. 

Checking out the elephants. 

Enjoying the sunshine. 

LOVE! 

He would follow her into the gates of hell. 

On your mark....

Get set...

GO! 

Following the elephant prints. 

Hanging in the Ape House. 

That night was the start of Boo at the Zoo. There were many things set up for it. Mae insisted I take her picture in front of this one. 

A woman insisted she take my picture with my kids. 

Watching the baby tortoises for a very long time. 

Another thing that Mae wanted to get her picture in front of. 

Sharing a stroller and still getting along great. 

Such love. 

I really wanted a cute picture in front of this but this was just before they realized there was no soft serve ice cream, which I had promised them. 

We settled for a shared ice cream sandwich from the vending machine. 

It made them happy. 

The face of a happy kid, which you could have seen mine. 

Phrase Most Often Heard

I realize that I too often post about our day to day activities and not often enough about what is being said and done in our house. Currently, Whitaker utters one phrase about 100 times a day. And the phrase is....

"Me do it all by me self." [utter with absolute conviction]

I love how he has asserted his independence over every aspect of his life and think in ways he seems so much older then Mae did at this age but lord it can be exhausting. He is constantly dragging stools and chairs all over the house to do/get everything he wants. I also love how he still hasn't figured out the correct pronouns yet, however, he uses the same ones. Boy as much as that boy can be a menace I am going to hate it when he can actually do everything by he-self. 

Cox Farm

Since moving to Virginia, everyone, or at least it seems EVERYONE has been talking about this place called Cox Farm for Halloween. I have actually heard people compare it to Disney. I mean, really? Disney? We were pretty spoiled living in the Pacific Northwest and having so many amazing farms pretty accessible so I have been pretty dubious about farms in close proximity to the city. When about the 100th person mentioned Cox Farm, I thought that we would have to check this place out. Several people, including my sister said it can be pretty crowded so I figured I needed backup with my two kids. Normally one runs in one direction and the other in another and I am left standing in the middle screaming my head off. Yes, I am THAT parent on too many occasions. With Johanna in town last week, I figured she could help me corral the kids and since I had her we decided to bring my nephew along for the fun. 

So you might be wondering if all the hype was real. Yes, this place has plenty o' fun for kids. I wouldn't necessarily call it a farm since I don't think you can actually go pick a pumpkin in a field but with slides galore, a hay ride, a goat petting farm, a corn maze, and many other activities for kids to participate it was definitely worth the hype. We also decided to go on a Wednesday afternoon (decided for Whit to nap in the car on the way there) so we lucked out and all the field trips had cleared out and there were not many families and no lines for anything. My kids had a blast and I had to tear them out of there after over 4 hours.