Pathetic

So here are our Halloween pictures, such as they are. I got one of Hudson. Here it is:

Now you understand why I entitled this entry "pathetic!" This is what happens when you take the kids trick or treating solo AND have to wrangle a stroller AND have to make sure that two little bodies aren't darting out in front of passing cars (third little body was trapped in the stroller, thank heavens!)

Supergirl Ellie and Olivia the Good Witch

Huddish Quote of the Day

Doug: Hudson, we're going to go vote now.

Hudson: Yeah, I want to go on the boat!

Doug: No Hudson, vote with a v.

Pauses...

Hudson: I want to get on the vote with a v!

This week's life lessons

1. Don't wear flip flops through newly-laid mulch. Your feet will look like a hobbit's (dirty and slightly hairy.) This happened to me at the farmer's market yesterday. I didn't notice until I had been there for an hour or so and had conversations with several people. I'll probably be known as "dirty feet Karen" for awhile.

2. Wal-Mart is a great place to show your kids that you are, in fact, NOT the meanest mom in the whole world. Without fail, I can always count on some other mother to hiss at, yell at, spank, or belittle their child in some unspeakable way. It really is sad, but it actually inspires me to be a better mom. I think it also gives my children some much needed pespective on what the meanest mom in the world really looks like!

3. Grandparents are the best thing in the whole world. We are so fortunate to have Doug's parents relatively close by and I am so fortunate to have unlimited long distance mintues to talk to my mother on. I remember as a child loving the time I got to spend with my grandparents. So many good memories. Did you catch that, Mom and Dad? It's time for a visit! Doug's parents were down for a few days last week and Doug and I were able to go to the DC temple EARLY Friday morning. The boys had a great time with Grandmom Judy and PopPop while Ellie was at school. Doug and I had ten hours all to ourselves. WOW!

4. No matter how smart I think I am, my five year old daughter will always be smarter than me. Maybe not smarter, but more stubborn. Methinks she is channeling my Grandma Ila. I''ll have to expound on that later.

5. I wish I would've thought of High School Musical. I took Ellie on a girl's night out on Saturday to see HSM3 and it was great. Cute movie, nothing to worry about content-wise. Nicely done, Disney! I just wish they could get their actresses to sign anti-hooch agreements.....

6. I am listening to Jeffrey R. Holland's talk from conference a few week's back. It is quite possibly my favorite talk ever. You can read it here or listen to it/watch it here.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for Halloween pictures. As soon as I remember to get my camera out of the car.

Catching Up (Again)

Where the heck did October go???? We've had a busy month and November doesn't look to be any slower. Here's some shots of our recent activities. Stay tuned in another few days when I will have to post another "catch-up post." Right now I'm off to watch Ironman with Doug, which is the closest thing to a night out that I can hope for at the moment!

Huddy on a tractor ride at Family Fun Day at Ellie's school. I love the little spray of freckles across his nose. That alone probably saves him on the days he is being a complete menace.

Ellie and "the boys" from next door: Bryan, Erik and Jack

Nielson doing the tried and true "Frankenstein Walk"

Ellie hanging out...or in

That's a long way up....

but the ride down is worth it!

Ellie and Huddy with a wonder horse. I just wonder what they're good for!

Note the TWO leashes on the llama.

Nielson's reaction after meeting the llama!

Doug's old friends from college, The Nobles, came for a visit. They kept us up way too late , but we enjoyed having them here and catching up.

Yes, that's my son trying to smack poor Griffin Noble. The ironic thing is that's actually Huddy's way of saying he likes you. And no, Ellie doesn't usually dress like a cowgirl Bratz doll (which are not allowed anywhere near our house, by the way!) ...she did in fact have riding lessons that day, and those are her riding jeans!

Ellie at the Farmer's Market in Irvington. She is growing up so fast...is she really only five?

Pumpkin Patch

While we were up in Delaware, we went to the coolest pumpkin patch just over the Pennsylvania state line called Linvilla Orchards. Tractors, pumpkins, and doughnuts...oh my!

Moments later, a duck would mistake Nielson's pudgy little fingers for his afternoon snack. Not a pretty sight.

This is what happens when Mommy leaves the children in Daddy's care while she ducks into the store. Candied apples? Are you kidding me???!?

Nielson literally swimming through the mulch at the playground. When he wasn't channeling his inner Michael Phelps, he was eating said mulch.

Here's proof.

Go Grandmom Judy!

Weekend in Delaware

We were finally able to get up to Delaware for a weekend! Ellie has only been begging to go for eight months or so. It was Doug's 20th high school reunion on Saturday night so we drove up after the Irvington Farmer's Market and got there in time to drop off the kids at Grandmom and PopPop's and head straight to the reunion. In our haste, I forgot the camera but it was a great night. Doug was able to see almost all of his friends from high school and it was great for me to be able to put faces to names! His school is amazing...looks like a college campus. We took the kids back the next day so they could see where Daddy went to school. I DID remember my camera this time!

This was originally a garage...

for this place! This is the building where the reunion was held. There is a center courtyard with a huge stained glass ceiling. It was beautiful.

Backyard Fun

Nielson loves to ride in the wagon...

usually!

Ellie wearing her "spirit day" t-shirt

Where good toys go to die...our sandbox

Hudson having a heart to heart with Rogue.