Happy Halloween!

love,

Josefina

Elsa

{Pregame} Tony Parker

and Elmo

Queen Elsa of Arendelle

Cate, along with the majority of little girls in America, is "Elsa" this year.

She likes Elsa, but really she chose her because she found a poufy blue dance costume at the thrift shop and fell in love with it.  Ha!  A little addition and subtraction (you're welcome, Cate) and Elsa it was. 

Cate claims that although it is not exactly like Elsa's dress, she loves it even more because it twirls!

I made the coronation cape as a surprise.

Cate (politely) hates it.

Ha!  Halle loves it, so it will get played with. 

Cate also hates the wig- it's just one we had on hand that I braided:

 

"Let it gooooooo!"  (the duet version):

 All together now:

 

...Let the storm rage oooooon!

The cold never bothered me anyway.

Josefina Montoya

Halle was very decisive and specific this year when it came to her Halloween costume.  She chose Josefina- one of the historical American Girl characters.  Why she didn't choose Kit Kittredge, who is her favorite (and whose outfit she already owns) I do not know.

She chose the traditional Josefina:

The American Girl company has recently updated(?) their historical characters and the way they package their books. I'm not sure how I feel about the changes.  (As if I really have any business caring, ha!)

So anyway.

Josefina:

 

(These last two pictures kill me.)

Indy started growling at something in the trees while I was snapping pictures.

Classic Halle.

Her first response to anything that scares her:

 

 

The breakdown (because it has become tradition.)

Shawl-   $2, Walmart

Boots-   $2, Dirt Cheap

Skirt, Shirt, Belt material-   $4 total,  Marshall's Dry Goods ($1 table)

Wig-   $5, Walmart

 

Total= $13.00 

But I count only $9.  The boots and scarf will be worn beyond Halloween and dress-ups.  :)

This time of year

-we spend afternoons outside.

We'll take low 80's and low humidity any time.

 

Spider-hunting:

*let's just take a moment to appreciate the fact that Halle was leading the assault!  HA!

 

Okay, we have cat(s) to keep the mice away.

Only our current kittens are no good.  They're duds.

But Cate likes them!

And they let the kids haul them around:

They are even mild-mannered in the face of abuse:

(He wasn't really hurting the cat, good grief.)

 

I have no idea why Halle was in the baby swing.  I just thought it was too funny not to share:

 

Isaac doing what Isaac does:

"Cheese-burger!"

 

"I'm superman, Mommy.  Superman doesn't smile for cameras."  -Ty

 

Eight.

Is big.  And smart.  And awesome.

 '
This time of year, we're in the groove.  School is tracking right along, JD's practices are going smoothly, and we've figured out soccer and various church activity schedules.  The weather is generally good.  I like it.  And we're anticipating basketball season starting, and holidays beginning.  Life is good.  October is fun.

Teeth. Weird.

Cate lost her first tooth today, at school.

It has been hanging by a thread for a WEEK.  Literally.

Last Tuesday her teacher told her to go home and bite into an apple.  Cate "tried." 

A week later- and here it is!

And yes.  She always comes home from school looking homeless.  :)

 Exactly two years ago, Halle lost HER first tooth at school:

 And two years ago, this is what our Wild Man looked like:

Today that sweet precious little baldy baby climbed out of his crib and ran laughing into the living room where I was doing laundry.

Sigh.

I really didn't want to deal with that yet.