Traveling to Antartica

Grammy requested more videos!

This is happening right now, first thing in the morning.  They drag me out of bed with their backpacks on, ready to travel in their submarine to Antartica.

Imagination runs rampant over here!  This next one is Grace making rescue planes.

She still loves vehicles, and she loves creating with blocks!

November update

It's time for a random post!

Clara is currently sick.  She has had a cold for a couple weeks now.  She refuses to blow her nose, but of course it is constantly dripping, so she is begging one of us every 30 seconds to wipe her nose for her.  We're trying to get her to do it herself, though Grace loves to run and get a tissue to help her out!  Daylight savings also messed them up for a bit.  They were getting up at 5:30 am ready to go, but Mom and Dad weren't feeling it!  Things seem to be evening out now.  Clara has been generally grumpy because of all this, and also she has been resisting naps.  She does occasionally take one but more often than not she doesn't.  On those days, she has trouble controlling her feelings at the end of the day.  She's two!  Grace is so patient and tries to cheer her up when she is upset.  She is a fantastic big sister!

Clara is super glad that her eyes have a clean bill of health after her surgeries!  She doesn't have to be back here anytime soon.  Grace on the other hand had a dentist appointment and it sounds like we most likely have some serious dental issues to deal with in the next few years.  I wouldn't expect anything less after the nightmare of a mouth I had!

Grace has gotten better at riding her bike!  Daddy and I take turns taking her out to our neighborhood park where it is completely flat and it is enclosed from traffic.  We try and get exercise by running alongside her.  She likes to stop and pick crab apples for her dragons to eat.  She crashes a lot but she gets back on and keeps trying!  I'm so proud of her, especially since I can't do it myself.

Grace is taking swim lessons again and she loves it!  She is in her second session and she is definitely the bravest in her class now.  I bet she will be go on to the next level next session!

We've been exploring other parks lately.  The weather has been so fantastic, we just have to take advantage!

I don't know if this is normal for a city this size, but it sure seems like our town has a lot of parks.  We need to explore them all!

Grace loved helping me make her costume, by the way.  She loves creating just like her mama!  It is awesome for me to have a crafting partner.  I've been trying to take her to as many opportunities as I can, like a class at the art museum and a local kid crafting place.  I feel like this year is precious because next year, kindergarten is from 9 am to 4 pm!  I'm trying to soak up every minute that I get.

I try not to repeat pictures too much between insta and the blog, but this one is so cute.  My moody girl knows how to turn on the charm when a camera is in front of her!  

Halloween 2015

Halloween happened, and it happened big this year!

Grace understood Halloween last year, but this year she was EXCITED, which made us excited!

Clara rocked the dinosaur costume I made for Grace two years ago.

  I die over this cuteness, and she wore it WAY longer than Grace did.  I think she knew it was her vehicle to candy.

Grace requested to be an elephant.  She seemed to really like her costume and I'm so glad because I had no pattern and came up with it on the fly.  It involved a coat hanger and lots of poly-fil.  

How long do we have to stand here before we can go get candy?

We hit the neighbors we know first.

Then we headed over Gini, Eric and Ethan's house.  Ethan was a perfectly adorable Ninja Turtle.  Grace has been telling me that she wants more Halloween decorations.  Gini makes me look REALLY behind!

Gini has a cackling,talking skeleton that has a motion sensor.  It was mesmerizing!  The spooky stuff was not scary for either of them; it was hilarious!

Eric pulled them around in their wagon, which was genius.  Clara especially was exhausted in no time.  She has been resisting naps even though she really could use one.  She is out cold by 7 pm usually, so trick or treating really stretched her limits.

She held out as long as she could.  She is ALL about the sweets in a major way!

The girls passed out in the guest room and we adults watched scary movies and had a wonderful dinner.  I can't imagine a more perfect Halloween!

Our Own Private Zoo

We have our own private zoo!

The zoo is all ours from 9 to 11:30 on Tuesday mornings, but we'll share it with you if you want to join us!

No one over here!

Usually this tunnel is completely packed with people and the noise level is deafening.  Today all you can hear are goof balls pretending to be fish.  You can see there is a fish hanging out with Grace behind the glass.

Here are some people!  They're cleaning the tank.  This place is always immaculately clean and this is why!

Usually there are so many people around this octopus tank that it is hard to see him.  Today he was moving all over the glass and he was really active!

I didn't get a picture of the penguins, but the girls were racing them back and forth.  Who do you think can move faster, a penguin or a Gracie?  It was pretty hilarious and there were no people obstacles.  Grace said, "I love making friends with the animals!"

No one sitting on these logs, so of course we can count and climb all over them!

Taking in a pond filled with beautiful spotted sting rays.  It is so quiet and peaceful there when we're by ourselves.

This picture is from our zoo trip last week but it was the same story.  No lines for the tree swings, no antsy kids waiting in the wings for their turn.  Go ahead and hog them girls!

The new giraffe indoor facility.  There were four more staring at us off to the right that I couldn't fit in the picture!

The most amazing place to be here in town and we get it all to ourselves.  Lucky us!!

Pumpkin Patch

We went to the pumpkin patch for the first time!

THE family activity of the season is during a very busy time of the season for us.  Luckily, we carved out (haha) a morning to go and see what all the hubbub is all about!

That pumpkin is heavy!

Grace greets her chosen pumpkin with a hug.

We went for a hay rack ride.  Grace thought all the scary monsters and zombies were hilarious.

It was a beautiful day!

Grace LOVED the zip line swing!

She climbed up to a really tall slide.

They saw some animals.

They made a friend.

We rode a pirate ship.

Grace had a couple bouncy things to herself.  (The beauty of going on a weekday.)

We made them pose.  The girls had a blast and Grace said it was the "best place ever"!

Climbing a Tree

Grace had a playdate this morning and her friend climbed up our tree!  She watched her friend and gathered up the gumption to try it herself.

Now she's been hanging out up there ever since!

She is quite proud of herself, and I only had to rescue her once.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day today so I didn't mind the excuse to do nothing but lay in the grass and watch her.

I used to hang out in trees too.  I approve!

Pumpkin Carving

We carved pumpkins today!

Clara is super excited!  Her pupils look really big here because she just came home from the eye surgeon and they dilated her eyes.  Good news, her eyes are great!  The doctor said her vision is "like a hawk."  We sensed that that was the case; she can point out a digger or a plane from any distance!

Here she is proving to me that she is touching the pumpkin guts.  Sorry, doesn't count missy! 

 I ended up cleaning her pumpkin for her.

Grace on the other hand did a great job cleaning her pumpkin and was all business.  She wanted to carve it herself of course, so we let her try with the knife.  She picked an unusually thick skinned pumpkin, so she just ended up poking holes in it.  She really enjoying herself though, and that is what counts!

Completed pumpkins!

I tried to get a posed picture of the girls and the pumpkins but they weren't cooperating one bit.

Clara enjoys her pumpkin!