Halloween 2012 - Rapunzel and Basketball!

It took me 6 weeks to complete, and I was so proud of my first stay-at-home mom project!  Elsie dressed up as the Disney princess Rapunzel this year.

Elsie's long Rapunzel hair!

I love this picture!  I think this is what Rapunzel would look like in her First Holy Communion pictures!

Elsie was SO EXCITED to be Rapunzel!

Elsie got to wear her Rapunzel costume to her ballet class for their mini-recital!  Dance Rapunzel dance!


Elsie also got to wear her costume to school for her Saplings Halloween party.  And I got to come and help in the classroom for the party!  Here Elsie is decorating treat bags with her classmates.

Now it is time to feel the icky insides of the mystery box with Mr. Nick!  Eyeballs and guts!

 
Halloween story time with Mr. John!

Monster Mash freeze dance.  All of the other kids were dancing kinda crazy.  But Elsie stayed in character with her beautiful princess ballerina dancing!

Candy corn relay time!

I also made Duncan's costume this year - a big basketball!  Duncan's favorite continues to be basketball, so what could be more appropriate!?

Trick or treating with Daddy!  So excited!

Getting lots of candy in our baskets!

Yummy!  Time to eat the candy!

The squirrels had fun eating, too.  See this guy hiding up in our tree!?

Those squirrels actually moved the pumpkin off our front step, decapitated it, and then went crazy!

More Arboretum

October, 2012

We hit the Arboretum a couple more times in October.  I guess you can't blame us, because the Arboretum is beautiful in the fall, especially during the week with all of the other kids back in school!!

Duncan has now mastered the rope bridges!  Being the only ones on the bridge make it a lot easier, too!

We visited the tree house exhibit this time too!  It was a fun hike up to these completely different tree houses!

Zoe and Elsie both made it to the top of the acorn!  Great climbing girls!

Fall Phipps Farm trip!

October 12-13, 2012

We took a trip down to the farm to help with harvest.  Daddy drove the big trucks around while we got to have fun with Grandma!  Elsie and Leah got to ride together with Uncle Aaron in the combine for a while!  I am guessing it was probably pretty loud and squealy up in that cab!

Grandma and Elsie cut down a corn stalk for Elsie to bring to school for show and tell.

Elsie learned all about the different parts of the corn.

I don;t remember Grandma saying anything about using the stalk as a sword though!

Nice pets for Maizey

Oh Maizey dog!

Grandma took Elsie, Duncan, and me over to a fantastic corn maze and Fall playland, complete with giant slides, tunnels, yummy candy apples, and more!  The kids had a blast!  Although I forgot to take any pictures of the day, I captured the aftermath.  The perfect pumpkins we brought home with us provided those nasty squirrels with a nice meal.  They also managed to eat all of the corn off of the corn stalk we brought home for us for show and tell!  I guess we'll have to try again next year!

Arboretum with Leah and John!

October 7, 2012

We ventured out to the Arboretum with Uncle Aaron, Aunt Kris, Leah, and John on a chilly fall morning.

The kids loved the tall rope bridges suspended in the trees.  John was a pro, of course.

Leah was close behind John!

And Elsie made it through be herself, too!

Even Aunt Kris had fun on the bridges!!

I love how John's smile closely resembles the jack-o-lantern on his shirt!

Duncan was pretty excited about climbing around on the rocks...

...apparently because the taste so good!

Everyone was successful on the rope climber!  Go Leah!

 Duncan gets a little frustrated that he can't quite do it like the big kids yet.  But he was happy to get a hand from Daddy.

Go Elsie!

What a cute picture of the cousins!

 It looks like such a great spot for a picture of all 4, but this was the best we could do!!

Time with the Sonneveldt family

October 6-7, 2012

With the passing of Jack's Uncle Wally, we had the privilege of hosting some members of the Sonneveldt family for lunch.  Aunt Sherry and Uncle Dan came in from Colorado.

Jack's Aunt Robin, Kieth, Carli and Shae joined us from Michigan.

Jack's Grandma Sonneveldt was here too!

Elsie, of course, requested the prime spot next to Grandma!

The following day, we got a picture of the Sonneveldt cousins, Aaron, Jack, David, Eric, Mike, and Christie.  It has been a long time since these 6 have been together!

Silly Elsie!

October, 2012

Some days our Elsie is just so silly.  She came down from rest time one day wearing this unique ensemble.  

And then when I ask her to pose for the camera, she just has one silly face after another!

Elsie continues to love playing with her baby dolls.  Here, it was time for Riley to get changed.

Time to take a picture of Mommy!

I asked Elsie to pose for a picture we could send to G-G-Ma.  And this is the beautiful pose I get!

Showing off G-G-Ma's cool jumper with matching leggings!

October at the Zoo!

October 1, 2012

So, it turns out that early on a cool morning is a fantastic time to visit the zoo!  Duncan got up close with his favorite - the leopard.

Check out this awesome video!  Not only does Duncan seem to scare the leopard with his squealing, the leopard also coughs up a hairball!!



The Daddy lion was also ready for photos waiting by his window.