Sunshine in Seattle

Lunch Conversation

2012-02-05T22:24:00.001-08:00

Dad: "Wow, Ella. You're like my little shadow today."

Mom: "You two are inseparable."

Lauren: "Yeah, me too! And Harper is Mommy's shadow. [Deep Sigh] Yeah, finally we got someone to deal with Mom."

Dad (after a short pause): "Yeah, I've been trying for years. It's a good thing we have Harper."

Long Live the Rhino Kicker

2012-02-03T17:57:00.000-08:00

Harper had a hip evaluation again yesterday. There was some good improvement over the last three weeks, but her hip still isn't quite there yet. We get checked again in 4 weeks. In the meantime, move over Baby Legs and Pedipeds....the Rhino Kicker is going to be the next baby craze (especially with such a cute model):

White Stuff All Around

2012-01-18T17:41:00.000-08:00

Today was a snow day.

Which means Seattle pretty much shuts down.

So we watched it snow...

Hung around and stared at each other for a while...

Worked on wiggling Lauren's loose teeth...

Pretty much just chilled out...

(Oh, BTW, Harper is still in her brace.

Her hip improved 1.5 degrees...only 10 degrees more to go.

Feels like it will take forever, but maybe it will speed up)

Had a few tickle wars...

Watched out the window hoping Daddy would come home early...

And of course we played and played and played in the snow!!!

And Harper ended the day with a huge blowout.

Her brace is in the wash as I type.

(I think she did it on purpose so she could stretch for a few minutes.)

Hipster Update

2011-12-23T10:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Harper had and ultrasound and checkup with the orthopedic doctor. We had convinced ourselves that we would get and early Christmas present and be free from the pink harness. Unfortunately, Harper's left hip has not normalized yet. Her right hip looks great (I didn't know that it was "shallow" as well, but I guess now it's fixed itself). The ultrasound showed some progress on her left hip, which is encouraging. However, Harper was sentenced to another 3 weeks in the brace...maybe more, but we'll just focus on the next three weeks. Here is her pouty face when she got the news:

Getting ready for the ultrasound:

Life is crazy...

2011-12-22T10:38:00.000-08:00

A few more good highlights:

Lauren and Ella "fishing" with Dad's belt.

Our bed makes a great boat, and Harper's toys make great fish.

We shopped 'til someone dropped.

I finally convinced Ella to wear clips to hold her hair out of her eyes.

(Victory for Mom!)

Our Nature School lesson about bats.

Being outside with friends this week was so fun for me.

Thanks Sara for such a great time!

Lauren had a playdate the other day, so the other two girls and I went jogging at Green Lake.

Not my fastest time ever, but an impressive run given my sore hips and weak muscles.

Very refreshing.

Lauren has her first loose tooth. And we get hourly updates about it's progress.

Harper is just loving life

(except for the hours of 7-9 at night...those are the ornery hours).

More Highlights

2011-12-21T10:16:00.000-08:00

Ella's been taking a dance class, and had her final "performance" day. Here's a quick pic, but I think I'll post a video later (it was a riot watching her and her class!)

Lauren had her school Christmas performance.

She was "two turtle doves" in the twelve days of Christmas.

Ella has been practicing her superhero moves...

especially the part about superhero hands not actually punching people.

Harper had been practicing her smiles...

And is really good at them now...

Lots of love and snuggles for the baby...

Highlights from the phone

2011-12-20T10:08:00.000-08:00

I love browsing the pictures on my phone. It usually gives me a good summary of what we've been up to lately. Here are a few:

Visiting the Christmas Boats at the Locks:

Lauren eating her sweet roll at the Christmas Boats (too involved to smile for the picture):

Making gingerbread houses:

Lauren "starring" in the Christmas play (she's holding the star).

Ella snuck in too. She's kneeling in front of baby Jesus (and kept trying to take him out of the manger).

Harper does a lot of sleeping...

We've enjoyed a few moments of sunshine:

Loving our new Christmas dresses:

And giving lots of love to the baby...

Blessing Day!

2011-12-07T14:23:00.001-08:00

Russ blessed Harper at our church a couple weeks ago. We were lucky to have Grandma and Grandpa Elggren, Grandpa Johnson , and Aunt Jenn visit us for the weekend. It was a beautiful day, and I am so grateful for all the love and support we've felt from friends and family since Harper joined our family.

I decided to put Harper in her dress when we got to church, but I should have given myself more time to get her ready...it never crossed my mind that lace and the velcro from her brace would be a bad combination. After I finally got her untangled, Harper was just mad. I had to take her out of the chapel just before the blessing. Russ (who was conducting Sacrament Meeting) announced the blessing just as she finally calmed down. Amazingly, she didn't make a peep during her blessing (we were not as fortunate the rest of the meeting). It was a great day, and I have to say I love having three little girls in our family!

Happy, Happy Birthday

2011-12-07T12:38:00.001-08:00

Lauren turned 5 last week! She has been counting down since August, so we were all excited that the day finally came! It was a great celebration too. It started early with breakfast crepes made by Dad. She then opened her presents, and we played all morning. After school, Harper had a hip check at the doctor, but Lauren got to go with us and see how cool the Children's Hospital is (something she's be asking to do for a while). We then picked up Dad from work and went to the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner. When we got home, her birthday cake was waiting....three chocolate heart cakes made from scratch by Dad.

Lauren had her doctor check-up yesterday...she braved 4 shots and passed her hearing and eye tests. She is now 47 1/4 inches tall! She told me she needs to get tall fast because she wants to be a Mom. She sure is getting tall fast...

Time goes by fast, and I can't believe Lauren is 5. She is such a great big sister and good example to our family. I love how good she is with baby Harper...she loves to hold her even if they baby is screaming. She has a natural talent for nurturing and it amazes me to see her care for Harper. Lauren loves school...mostly because of her friends there. She is not the shy little girl she was a couple years ago. She loves being creative by making up stories or doing craft projects. She also loves hearing stories about our family and is constantly asking to hear new stories. (Her favorite story is about Russ falling asleep while reading Macbeth in high school English...ask her about it sometime).

I love my Lauren darlin' so much! Happy 5th Birthday!

A Little Bit of Ella

2011-11-28T16:51:00.001-08:00

After downloading my phone pictures to the computer, I sat and laughed at all the pictures of Ella...each comes with a great story.

First, this picture was taken LATE one night after Ella "went to bed." Our friend, Kathleen, had brought us dinner including a big serving of broccoli. After we put Ella down for the night, she came back downstairs and asked if she could have more of the broccoli. Somehow I couldn't say the words, "No you can't have any broccoli!" It just didn't feel right.

This next one was taken at the children's hospital while we waited for Harper's PT appointment. She calls it her "spiderman homework." It was a long day (multiple appointments), but she was amazingly patient!

I snapped this picture while we waited for Dad at Fred Meyer. Ella is wearing all her favorite clothes...Utah football jersey, blue pants, and her blue "spiderman" shoes. With the short haircut, I guess I can understand why people call her a boy all the time.

This photo taken by me from the couch while nursing Harper. Ella wanted a piece of cheese and was not willing to wait for me to help her. The problem is that I occasionally come downstairs after changing a diaper or something and find the fridge still propped open with the chair....we've got to work on that.

This is Ella showing Harper how to get in car seat so we can leave for church.

I think Ella has realized there are benefits to not being the baby anymore. She now has someone to take care of...and boss around.

Week 3

2011-11-18T16:00:00.001-08:00

A collection of pictures from this week.

First is a great shot of Harper with her torticollis head positioning, We saw an occupational therapist yesterday, and I got a "refresher" on neck exercises for the baby (since we already did this with Ella). Harper actually has a very mild case and has improved a lot in the last two weeks (I got an early start with her neck stretches). Anyway, the therapist thinks it will disappear in the next month. Yea!

You also can't tell that Harper is wearing her brace...unless you try to pick her up. The doctor told us yesterday only 5 more weeks in the brace! Double YEA! We might be out of it by Christmas!

We got Ella a dog to help her transition into the role of middle child. Unfortunately our rental contract does not allow for real pets, so we just tied a leash to Lauren. Hours of fun right here.

She looks just like Dad...except for the beard.

Ella entertaining Harper:

Loving the snuggles:

Our three little beauties:

Our Little Hipster and Her Pink Lederhosen

2011-11-11T13:59:00.001-08:00

At Harper's three-day-old appointment, the pediatrician noticed Harper's left hip was dislocating when she pushed on it. We were immediately referred to an orthopedic specialist at Seattle Children's for a closer look. The orthopedic doctor did a thorough exam of Harper and decided to put her in a brace right away.

I was prepared (or at least I thought) and hoped that they would put Harper in a brace rather than "waiting a bit to see what happens..." My sister, Brooke, had the same problem in both her hips, but it wasn't caught until she was 3 months old. By that time one hip was loose and the other hip socket had failed to form. She was lucky to not have surgery, but she was in a brace for a long time. Brooke is now a marathon runner, so she tells me that since Harper has her hips, she will be a great runner as well.

The part I was not prepared for was when they fitted her to the brace and the doctor turned to me and said, "It looks great, so remember that it doesn't come off for a week." If you're looking at the picture below, can you imagine all the questions racing through my mind? How do I change her nightgown? Can I change her diaper? Why are her toes so blue? After fumbling over my words for a minute (I didn't know how to ask without feeling stupid or making the doctor sound crazy), I finally stated, "so she'll be wearing this pink gown for a week then?"

And yes she did.

Now let me list some of the tender mercies the Lord sent our way that morning to make this last week in the brace successful. First, Lauren picked out the nightgown that morning. I think she was inspired. It kept Harper warm, kept the brace off her delicate skin, and still allowed access for diaper changing. I couldn't have planned better if I had known what was going to happen. Second, I purchased a cute pair of Baby Legs at the hospital gift shop right before the brace fitting. Socks would have been enough to protect her legs from the brace, but remember those blue toes I mentioned? The brace was originally put on too tight and I wouldn't have known if I couldn't see those toes.

I eventually put socks over her feet because all that velcro sticks to just about everything....blankets, my sweater, the couch, etc. I got tired of pulling her feet apart (plus she would just get mad when she couldn't get them apart on her own). Here is a great pic of her in "frog" position:

Well, yesterday I took Harper back for a check up. It started with an ultrasound of both hips. It only took about ten minutes, and Harper only cried for about 2 minutes of it. I thought she did amazing. And then she totally zonked out while waiting for the doctor...

The doctor was very pleased and said her left hip was correctly in the socket. They let me undress Harper, give her a sponge bath, put clean clothes on, and try to get the brace on all by myself. I used my phone to snap a few pictures of Harper brace-free (she will be in the brace for at least another 6 weeks, so there won't be many brace-free pictures for a while).

After spending a week thinking about it, I decided to put a onsie on under the brace this week and then over-sized clothes will fit OVER the brace. We'll see how it works this week. I did a suitable job on the brace, but the doctor gave me some pointers and then let me take this picture as my "visual reference."

I have permission to take the brace off if necessary this week, but it's a lot of work and I love how snuggly Harper feels with her legs curled up. The brace will probably only come off if absolutely necessary (keep your fingers crossed for no blow-outs!)

Another tender mercy that came from all this was that the orthopedic doctor also noticed that Harper has torticollis. I suspected such since Ella had a much more pronounced case of it when she was born. But we are now scheduled to see a physical therapist for that as well. I am grateful for the attentive doctors that caught these issues so quickly!

Everyone needs one of these...

2011-11-08T13:14:00.000-08:00

...a sister to make you smile.

Halloween

2011-11-07T10:32:00.002-08:00

In all the excitement around here, I never posted Halloween pictures.

Here are a few of Lauren on her way to her school Halloween party.

And this is right after coming home from Trick-or-Treating that night.

I think Ella's face says it all...

And the little one on her way to the pediatrician's office...

Out of the Mouth of Babes

2011-11-05T20:53:00.001-07:00

Excerpt from Lauren's prayer today:

"Bless the baby so her belly button may heal. And bless Mommy's belly so it will shrink."

Thanks, LJ. I was a little shy about asking for that myself...

On the Last Day of Halloween...

2011-11-02T16:22:00.002-07:00

...our little ghoul finally arrived!

Harper Ethel was born last Friday weighing 9 lbs 4 oz.

At 20 1/4 inches, she is the shortest of our babies.

But at 9 days over due, she is also our best eater and sleeper.

So much girl power at our house...

How can Daddy handle it?

Lauren is totally in love with her baby sister.

One of my favorite moments so far was at 5 am yesterday...Lauren heard the baby, so she came to help me. I woke up about an hour later (sitting in the lazy-boy chair) with Harper asleep in one arm and Lauren asleep on the other. Sweet moment for Mommy.

Ella loves the baby as well and laughs hysterically when Harper cries.

Ella is definitely feeling a bit "de-throned" as the baby, but she is handling it well.

The Tenth Day of Halloween

2011-10-26T20:11:00.001-07:00

Today I indulged a little.

At 41 weeks pregnant, I deserved every single one of these

WHITE chocolate ghosts.

However, after my first two I decided the chocolate was too rich for me, and I shared:

The funny part was that Lauren couldn't believe I'd waste chocolate by putting it on something like a strawberry; and Ella couldn't believe I'd ruin all those strawberries by putting chocolate on them.

In this picture, Ella is handing hers to Dad to eat with a resounding "YUCK!"

The Ninth Day of Halloween

2011-10-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

Lauren and I decorated MONSTER cupcakes together.

(Ella was soooo excited about it all day long, but then Daddy came home right before we started

and all she wanted to do was play with him.)

These are Lauren's personal creations:

This little project taught me that no one in this family likes coconut.

Hmmm.

It was sure fun to decorate with though...

These ones might need to go to a neighbor's house to be eaten.

The Eighth Day of Halloween

2011-10-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

I channeled my inner "mummy" the other day for lunch.

I was really hoping the mummy theme would kick me into active labor

(even though it didn't work with the mummy cupcakes last week).

No luck.

But the mummy pizzas were a hit with the girls.

The Seventh Day of Halloween

2011-10-24T20:41:00.003-07:00

...also known as 40 weeks, 5 days and still pregnant.

To *celebrate* we had slimy monster sandwiches for dinner.

Nothing like eating something that is staring back at you...

and drooling.

These guys actually quite the bite to them too.

(I should have looked closer at the guacamole...it was extra spicy).

No worries. Spicy induces labor, right?

Lauren and Ella wanted to make their own meatless, guacamole-less monsters too:

My favorite version created by Ella with pea eyes and a zucchini smile:

The Sixth Day of Halloween

2011-10-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

Had to quench one of my cravings today.

Bug-eyed monster shakes inspired by the
Old Spaghetti Factory's Oreo shake.

Yum.

Lauren enjoyed this much more than it looks like.

The Fifth Day of Halloween

2011-10-19T16:39:00.000-07:00

We had a knock on the door today, and our neighbor Jessica brought these to wish us a

"Happy Due Date!"

So appropriate since today is the day I should be "Mummy" again,

but...no baby yet.

The Fourth Day of Halloween

2011-10-14T16:25:00.000-07:00

We had ghosts for dinner! It was such a success last year,

but I was quickly informed that someone had outgrown her like of

meat and vegetables when she turned four. Hmmm.

Here's a picture from Ella of us eating. Note her blue spork.

The Third Day of Halloween

2011-10-10T16:23:00.001-07:00

...turned into a pumpkin extravaganza!

I made Jack-O-Lantern soup,

but the first pumpkin we cut open was rotten.

Ew. No soup for that one.

Russ (and his ever-so-helpful helper, Lauren) turned it into this beauty:

Lauren decorated a pumpkin of her own...

And Ella wanted her own too...

That left a much smaller pumpkin for the soup,

but it worked out anyway

(plus I made more "eyeballs" for the soup...can't go wrong there).

Apparently there were a couple of amateur
photographers helping take pictures.

Lauren took this one
(putting ice in her soup is one of her favorite things):

Ella took this one of Lauren eating her soup:

(Lauren always picks out her favorite parts first...
in this case "hummus" beans)

The Second Day of Halloween

2011-10-07T20:49:00.001-07:00

On the Second Day of Halloween, Dad came home and cooked

Pumpkin Pancakes for dinner.

A little mashed pumpkin, chocolate chips, and whip cream,

and I told him it tasted like dessert.

A total success!

The First Day of Halloween...

2011-10-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

On the first day of Halloween,

Mom was running low on groceries, energy and a desire to cook.

But Lauren pulled through and begged for EYEBALLS for dinner!

(How can I say NO when I have willing eaters?)

Lauren LOVES "eyeballs" and requested an extra order for her plate:

Ella likes the green part of the eye best...

Happy Haunting!

2011-10-05T15:32:00.003-07:00

Yesterday Lauren announced:

"Halloween takes SOOOO long to get here!"

I have to agree. Halloween feels like it's taking its sweet time this year...

(second only to our Goblin #3 who insists on toying with my mental and emotional state about when she's FINALLY going to make her grand debut into the world).

Anyway, I can't pass up my opportunity to celebrate the

Twelve Days of Halloween

so let the Haunting begin!

I started The Twelve Days early this year to make up for all the days I'm going to miss from being in labor/delivery/recovery or just being flat out exhausted. I've also decided to keep it simple and stick with our favorites from past years (I reached that conclusion after breaking down into tears last night because I couldn't find one of my measuring cups while making dinner...my emotions can't handle much right now).

So here's to hoping we make it to twelve days,

and here's to hoping we have a new baby before Halloween gets here

(because there is an entire Halloween wardrobe waiting for her).

And some parting shots of the ghouls:

Apple Cobbler

2011-09-13T14:16:00.001-07:00

Sunday was our Stake Conference which meant we spent the whole day together as a family and church was over by noon! I was in desperate need of such a day...I have been unusually exhausted the last few days. Anyway, it was a great chance for me to just sit and let Russ do everything. And do everything he did. Plus some:

Russ likes to bake on Sundays, so he made this amazing apple cobbler which we took to enjoy with some friends after an amazing dinner (provided by our wonderful friends). It's not clear in the picture, but he carved a sunshine face into the crust to commemorate our Seattle summer which lasted the first two weeks of September. Yum!

First Day of Preschool

2011-09-10T15:01:00.000-07:00

Lauren started preschool this week! It's been a long few weeks as she's been anxiously waiting for the big day...but it finally came! Ella was totally excited too, but I later found out it was because she thought she would get to ride the school bus. Since Lauren's school is only two blocks away, we walked.

Lauren was so excited and had a great time! I think she's thrilled to have a lot of new friends that are her age even though there are 9 boys and only three girls in her class. One of the girls arrived with a Hello Kitty backpack which Lauren thought was THE COOLEST (see what Lauren's wearing below).

Since Lauren was in full time daycare before we moved to Seattle, I have not been in a hurry to get her into preschool...I've just been enjoying the opportunity to spend time with her and Ella at home. Lauren, on the other hand, has been more than ready for this for a while. She totally loves having her own special time at school and (so far) there has been less sibling rivalry around here.

I was also a little concerned about Ella since she has been adamant for the last few weeks that she will be going to school as well. Although she is always reluctant to leave the school and asks for Lauren every 10 minutes, she has accepted it very gracefully. She seems to get a lot of joy from just walking to and from school with her backpack (probably because the people we pass tell her what big girl she is going to school).

I hope Lauren always loves school as much as she does right now!

More Ella Pics

2011-09-06T17:05:00.000-07:00

Opening presents at 6:30 in the morning.

(Did I ever mention Ella is an early riser?)

A couple of things I like about the next picture:

you can see the super short haircut I gave Ella;

she's holding her train tracks (currently a favorite toy);

and Dad trying to pretend he's awake in the background.

Ella's birthday BBQ:

First dibs on her own cake:

Enjoying a second helping of cake:

And, finally, one taken by the birthday girl herself:

Love you, Ella!

Ella is 3!

2011-09-03T21:26:00.000-07:00

Our sweet Ella turned 3! It has been such a fun day...mostly because of her enthusiasm for life and the dramatic way she expresses it. We filled the day with all of her favorite things...pancakes, presents, bike riding, splash park, trains, and a BBQ with friends to top it off. More pictures to come, but if you want to sing to her, take a deep breath and join in (yes, that red streak on her chin is frosting from her cake; and yes, she is howling with excitement):

Random Moments from August

2011-08-26T15:52:00.041-07:00

Two of the world's biggest applesauce enthusiasts live at our house. Luckily Grandma came to visit us in June and taught us how to make our own. We already depleted our original supply, so here we are making a new batch:

We celebrated birthdays with our friends Peggy and Sharon:

Lauren, who is in love with her baby sister and talks to my belly like it's a separate individual, took this picture:

Our happy little Ella has been in speech therapy for the last couple of months, and has gained a new found confidence in herself. Her communication has greatly improved as well as her ability to argue with her sister
(who knew more words would make her more stubborn?)

And finally, here is Lauren who took most of the pictures this month.

San Juan Islands

2011-08-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

About 3 weeks ago, we decided to squeeze in one last camping trip for the summer. Russ got online to search for campsites and found a one-night opening in the San Juan Islands. Pretty lucky considering the campsites are usually booked 9 months in advance. So we packed up and took our first trip to the San Juans. We stayed at Moran State Park on Orcas Island right on the shore of a lake that I can't remember the name of at the moment.

We were even able to squeeze the bikes into the back of the car, which ended up being a great hit despite a major crash by each of the girls:

Fire is everyone's favorite...

Especially when it means you can burn marshmallows.

Our campsite even included this cool tree that everyone took turns climbing (expect me and the baby):

Lauren was a great climber!

Ella, however, was more into entertaining us. Right before I took this picture, Russ told Ella to climb down the rope. She did exactly that without moving her feet down the tree. She quickly ran out of rope:

Ella with her best camping face:

On our way home, we stopped at a look out tower.

You could climb to the top, but based on Ella's expression below, you can probably guess that she and I didn't make it up.

Russ said it looked like Rapunzel's tower, and I think Ella was afraid of meeting Mother Gothel.

I think we (or mostly my big belly) are done with camping this season.

Can't wait until next year!!

Since I can't touch my toes...

2011-08-04T09:51:00.002-07:00

Lauren likes to paint them for me.

Picture of the Day

2011-07-28T15:15:00.002-07:00

While playing hide-and-go-seek this morning, Ella found the following hiding spot:

Pretty clever for a two year old.

Here's a picture of her climbing out

(in case you need help spotting her in the first pic):

Parade Night

2011-07-28T15:12:00.000-07:00

We attended the Greenwood Parade last night. It was lots of fun even though I didn't think to bring jackets and the girls were both freezing. Lauren loved the drill teams and candy. Ella loved climbing all over Dad like he was a jungle-gym and popping the bubbles blown by the kids next to us. Fun times! (At least until the Seafair pirate ship came by firing their cannon.)

Cherries!

2011-07-15T19:26:00.002-07:00

Personally, I like the Rainier cherries...they don't stain. But these ones taste good too.

More Beach Pics

2011-07-05T06:46:00.001-07:00

Our friend, Bret Ashlee, snapped these pictures of the girls at the beach Saturday.

I think they are super darling!

Lauren with some cool dance moves:

Typical Ella:

Chasing the waves!

Thanks Bret Ashlee!

Paddle boarding, picnics, and beaches

2011-07-02T18:05:00.000-07:00

We spent a beautiful morning at the beach while Russ and our friend, Steve, did some paddle boarding. We packed a picnic lunch and camped out in the sand and water for a while. It was low tide so we also saw some cool sea creatures. Mostly the girls just loved running and screaming while chasing the waves...

Together time

2011-06-29T21:45:00.002-07:00

I'm just sitting here watching Russ perform a late night bypass surgery on the dishwasher. It may seem like I'm not very helpful because I'm playing with my phone, but from here I can see where he lays all his tools and then forgets where he put them. What would he do without me?

Highly Polished Lady

2011-06-29T21:35:00.002-07:00

I finally figured out how to use the Blogger app on my phone, so know I can send my pics directly here. This is one of my favorite pics... 7am and I thought it was good idea to let her do it on her own. She of course used that sparkly hand to brush her hair out of her eyes. Nail polish doesn't really come out of hair (good thing to know before hand). But it does flake out a little when it dries. Good thing Ella looks good in blue.

Strawberry Picking

2011-06-28T13:14:00.001-07:00

Last week we went strawberry picking in Arlington with some good friends. We enjoyed perfect weather, great company, a tractor ride, and a picnic after.

Summer

2011-06-27T20:15:00.001-07:00

Rock N Roll

2011-06-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

Russ ran Seattle's Rock N Roll half marathon yesterday. The girls and I made it to the finish line (after battling some crazy Seattle roads) just in time to see him come in. I'm glad we were all able to be there to cheer for him...we even brought our pom-poms. My goal is to run it next year. Russ says he wants to do the full marathon, so anyone who wants to come join us....mark your calendars now!

Waiting, waiting, waiting....

Go Daddy!

I'm too tired to turn this picture around...

That's the back of Russ. All that anticipation and I forgot to push the button to get a picture of his smiling face as he came by. Guess he'll just have to do it again...

Hugs for Daddy afterwards...

We're proud of you Dad!

Daddy and his girls.

Family Night Unscripted

2011-06-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

Russ spent the last month rebuilding his bike (long story about an accident with the garage, a bent frame, etc). To celebrate the completion of his project, we decided to bike the girls to get ice cream for family night. Ends up the shop that did some work for Russ made an error that caused his crank to break...a costly mistake that meant his bike didn't work (luckily they have agreed to replace the expensive, no longer in production part). We, of course, found that out after we had coasted a mile down hill from home. So we gave up on the ice cream, found a coffee shop (never in shortage in Seattle), and indulged in some amazing desserts. On our long, slow walk home, we passed through the splash park and our night ended like this:

Actually, the night ended with the girls in nothing but their underwear huddled together in the trailer to keep warm. The best memories are usually unplanned.

Vitamin D Overdose

2011-06-17T17:28:00.021-07:00

We had an incredible summer day today....complete with low tide at the beach.

We spent way too long there
(according to the bright pink arms we are now sporting).

But what fun we had with our friends looking for
sea creatures as the tide went out.

Lauren found 4 sea stars (blew away my score of 1), including this incredible blue one (I've never seen one this color):

We also found some live crabs running around (which made Ella squeal and run in pure panic). Ella was content garthering seaweed off the beach and throwing it back into the water.

Thanks friends!

Dance Class

2011-06-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

Lauren finished her dance class today. She's made a lot of improvement from the laps she used to run around the room during "dance." I think her favorite is the ribbon dancing.

The Ultrasound Says...

2011-06-02T08:57:00.000-07:00

It's a GIRL!

Wow!

Lauren took the news well. At first she wouldn't say much (except "Daddy when are we going to eat lunch?"), but then she got excited when we started talking about names. Now she is constantly asking me if we can put the baby sister's dresses in a drawer with her clothes so she can help get the baby dressed when she comes. She also found a pink rattle that she's been carrying around everywhere so that she can shake it and make the baby stop crying. ("Mom, do you think it will work while the baby's still in your tummy?")

Ella was really excited to see the baby on the ultrasound. If you ask her what we're going to have, she'll tell you it's a baby. That's progress.

Russ says he's one step closer to having a championship women's basketball team.

What fun to have so many girls! I can't wait to see what this little personality is like. She was very cooperative during the ultrasound, but also very wiggly. Sounds like a good mix of Lauren and Ella.

We can't wait until we get to hold her!

Lucky Number 3

2011-05-20T16:11:00.000-07:00

I think we are pretty lucky to have these two amazing people already:

But Number 3 is going to join us in October!

The ultrasound is schedule in a couple weeks,

but Lauren already knows it is a baby brother named Gideon.

Or maybe Atticus.

Ella doesn't show any indication if she understands what is about to happen...

although she finds PLENTY of opportunities to cuddle in my lap and say,

"Baby, baby, baby."

(Meaning herself of course)

Maybe she does get it.

Highlights

2011-05-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

I'm slowly getting through the hundreds of pictures I've taken over the last two months. In the interest of my sanity, I'm sharing the highlights:

Spring (or something like it) has arrived in Seattle, and we've been on lots of walks to look at the new flowers and plant life:

We pulled out the old brown stroller and took it for a spin:

(by the way, LJ's black eye finally healed)

We often eat spaghetti around here, but this one particular night Lauren seemed to keep loosing noodles down her shirt. And Ella is just our spaghetti monster:

I cut Ella's hair.

I didn't intend for it to be as short as it is,

but I underestimated how curly it would be.

The girls are working really hard to move all the rocks off the beach.

We visit frequently so they can work on their project:

Someone had a birthday...

2011-05-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

...almost a month ago, but I'm just now getting around to our pictures.

For Russell's birthday, we hiked to the lighthouse at Discovery Park:

Russ and the girls tried to move all the logs back into the sound:

After we made it home, there were presents and cake and singing.

I have to say the oatmeal cake was amazing.

Absolutely not a crumb of anything healthy in it.

Yum.

Black Eyes and Pony Tails

2011-04-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

Lauren has had an eventful week. It began Tuesday night with a tumble on the steps at the playground where she caught herself square on the eye. This is about an hour after the tumble:

This is the next day:

And yesterday it was so bright purple a photo didn't do it justice. It was finally looking better this morning when she woke up...at least it's not quite as swollen.

In other eventful happenings, I cut Lauren's hair yesterday. She's been talking about it for a while...she wanted it "short to her shoulders." I have been pretty hesitant about it, but yesterday after swimming class
Lauren was rather persistent. I measured her hair and found that she had enough to donate to Locks of Love. So I did it.

I will admit that I had to fight back some tears and I was shaking so badly that I had to take a break after cutting the ponytail off. Lauren looks beautiful with short hair, and she is sooooo excited about it. And, if you look at her from the right side, she looks all grown up with her new haircut and "purple eyeshadow." :)

Special Visitor

2011-04-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

We had a surprise visit from my Dad this week. He had a meeting in downtown Seattle this week, and flew in early so he could spend some time with us. The girls were thrilled to see him (so was I)! We took him to Green Lake so he could see Lauren and Ella ride their bikes. We also did puzzles, read stories, and just hung out. And, of course, we went our for ice cream:

We had such a wonderful day with him! We were very sad to see him go. Lauren told me that if we had more bedrooms in our house, maybe he and Grandma could come live with us. Or they could get their own house in Seattle and we could have playdates at their house everyday. Not a bad idea....

Disneyland!

2011-04-14T09:12:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago we met my family at Disneyland for a quick,

but amazing getaway.

It was so fun to see everyone and enjoy a little sunshine together.

I didn't really do a great job getting pictures of everyone.
Half the pictures I took look something like this:

What can I say? I think I was just happy she finally looked a the camera when I took her picture.

Day at the Beach

2011-04-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

Well, it was more like a moment at the beach with all the rain and cold wind,

but it was refreshing anyway.

Conference Weekend

2011-04-07T08:52:00.009-07:00

We took a field trip between conference session to get a little fresh air:

Lifeguards in training:

Fishing for whatever floats in Lake Washington....

Spring!

2011-03-24T16:11:00.000-07:00

Ice Skating

2011-03-01T19:25:00.000-08:00

Today our playgroup took advantage of free ice skating at Key Arena. The ice show was in town over the weekend, and before cleaning up the rink they offer free skating to the public. We got an early reservation, which ended up being great because there wasn't really anyone else there...pretty nice for the little ones.

Thanks Sara! We had a great time!

Twin Falls

2011-02-19T16:26:00.000-08:00

Today we hiked to Twin Falls in Olallie State Park. It was lots of fun to spend time with Dad since he has been out of town all week. Lauren was an amazing hiker (parts of it were kind of steep), and Ella was amazing riding on Daddy's shoulders (short legs get tired faster). Here are few snaps of our adventures:

Flashback Friday

2011-02-18T15:37:00.000-08:00

Some old photos I found on my phone.

Lauren a few years back:

Tooncess the cat:

Ella when we moved to Seattle:

Lauren when we moved to Seattle (have we really been here that long?!?!?)

Biking last summer at Green Lake:

The Official Couch of Superheroes

2011-02-07T20:46:00.000-08:00

Our couch is magical. It has special powers to help little superheroes learn to jump, fly, and twirl. There is no other like it in the world. At least that's what I tell the girls so that they will not attempt these stunts on anyone else's couch...except the Egbert's. They have superheroes in training at their house too.

Day at the Park

2011-02-02T17:50:00.000-08:00

Diary of a Muggle Mom

2011-01-27T17:14:00.000-08:00

Last week I found a set of drumsticks I acquired several years ago. When Lauren saw them, she asked (with a note of wonder in her voice), "What are THESE, Mom?" I told her what they were and demonstrated how to use them on the top of a storage box. She was quite for a moment and then asked if she could play with them. I nodded and she hesitated a moment before picking them up...almost like she was surprised I gave her permission to touch them.

A few minutes later, I was surprised by a loud shout of, "Bippity Boppity Boo!" from behind me. When I turned around, Lauren and Ella were facing off, each waving a drumstick at each other. Lauren screaming "Bippity Boppity Boo" and Ella screaming " Boo, Boo, Boo!" Apparently I didn't realize my drumsticks had magical powers too.

Since magical dueling is expressly forbidden in our rental contract, I taught them a few house cleaning spells and sent them working. Here is Lauren practicing her expecto patronum to ward off all the dementors hiding in the Seattle fog today:

Told you so...

2011-01-26T17:27:00.002-08:00

Russ and I had a discussion (more than once) about whether or not the City of Seattle actually enforces their "Photo Cop." He claimed they didn't, and I said they did (partly because I heard it generates about $2M in revenue every year, and partly because I see lots of flashing lights on Market Street when the traffic light turns red).

Turns out I win this discussion.

I've got the ticket to prove it.

Also turns out that I wasn't the one driving when said ticket was issued.

But since the car is registered in my name, the ticket is also filed in my name.

SWEET.

FYI Russ:

If the opportunity presents itself again in the future,
don't worry about proving me right.

I'm usually pretty confident that I am.

Love you.

Bike Pics

2011-01-22T21:41:00.001-08:00

Since Lauren learned to ride her bike last week and today's forecast called for some sunshine, we went first thing this morning to Green Lake to ride bikes.

I (of course) forgot my camera again, but at least this time I had my phone on me:

Good times even though the whole "sunshine" thing didn't work out.

Future Yoga Instructor

2011-01-21T20:56:00.001-08:00

We call it "The Bumbo"

A Look All Her Own...

2011-01-19T13:06:00.001-08:00

Snaps from the week

2011-01-18T14:16:00.000-08:00

My favorite Ella highlight of the week is:

Notice those little hands stuck in her homemade binoculars (made from toilet paper rolls).

This turned out a lot like those Chinese finger traps. So easy to get them in, quite tricky to get them out.

It took me some effort to get her out of her little trap....no way she was doing it on her own.

Who would have known it would be that tricky?

My favorite Lauren highlight of the week is that she learned to ride her bike!!!

And I didn't have the camera with me because I didn't know how quickly she would pick it up.

Go LJ!!!

We've also had a good time doing yoga this week. Here is Lauren doing the iguana:

The girls also got a hold of dry erase markers. Enough said.

Lauren told me the other day that she needed a special date with Dad. She wanted to take him to the zoo and use all the coins she has collected in her piggy bank to ride the carousel with him. I thought that was very sweet of her. AND her wish came true...Daddy took the girls to the zoo on Saturday and rode the carousel!

Ella is making strides in her communication. My two favorite phrases:

"Oh man!"

and

"Hi-ho!"

(Sung loud, off-key, and to a different melody while she marches around the house.)

What did you do today?

2011-01-13T13:21:00.001-08:00

I took this video with my cell phone this morning. Here is how we spent our rainy day (be sure to wait for the finale):

Holiday Fun

2011-01-05T12:41:00.001-08:00

We had tons of fun over the holidays!

One of the highlights was meeting the new cousins in our families:

Charlotte and Adalaide.

It was great to see how much all the other cousins have

grown since we saw them last.

Here are some picture highlights of the last few weeks:

The only thing worse than sitting next to a crying child on a plane...

2011-01-04T17:06:00.000-08:00

...is being the mother of that inconsolable child.

...and having the flight attendant threaten to return the plane to the departure gate and slap your two year old with a $2,000 fine for violating FAA regulations. My TWO year old....REALLY?!?!?

But when Russ and I just started at her not knowing how to respond, she prided herself on saying that she was just going to tell on us....to the PILOT. Oh no....not that.

But I saw a glimmer of hope in that because at least the flight attendant would LEAVE. And maybe the pilot would take a minute and come back and counsel us on how to negotiate with our two year old. Yeah lady, that's a great idea...tell on us.

Then, as she walked off, she said, "you're just gonna have to dish it out, you know" and slapped her hands together as if to indicate my TWO year old needed a good slapping.

So Russ calmly placed Ella in her seat and put her seat belt on. Unless you were sitting on that plane with us, you've never truly heard Ella scream. I was satisfied that her screams reached the pilot THROUGH the bullet proof door before the flight attendant could tattle on us. And I got even more satisfaction at seeing everyone within five rows of us flinch at the noise. Is that what you wanted lady?

Needless to say, Ella wasn't the only one in tears at that point. Sigh. Sometimes parenting isn't easy.

In defense of our not-so-courteous flight attendant, I completely understand she was just trying follow the rules (and I recognize that she was in a hard spot because she's responsible to enforce the rules). But nothing excuses any implication that my child needs to be slapped. Really, as a mother, of course I would prefer my child sat in her seat with her seat belt on. But at that moment, everything was working against us...including the flight attendant that got in Ella's face about violating FAA regulations (what part of that did she really expect Ella to understand?).

So the end of the story is we made it back home to Seattle with the support of two other flight attendants that said it was okay for Russ to hold Ella. I hope I don't get anyone in trouble for admitting that, but I'm glad there was someone who could see how distressed my baby girl was and sympathized with her.

2010-12-30T13:18:00.001-08:00

Ice Skating

2010-12-22T11:51:00.003-08:00

Christmas Boats

2010-12-15T22:39:00.000-08:00

We took the girls down to see the Christmas Boats at the Locks tonight. We arrived early enough to see the boats go through both ways. On the way out, they stopped and had a choir perform some Christmas carols.

It was a true Seattle experience with lots of rain.

But we had lots of fun...

This picture is my favorite...the girls are both wearing hats I got from Bolivia.

The ear flaps are a big hit at our house.

Oh, duh.

2010-12-12T21:29:00.000-08:00

Friday night I left the house to pick up a Redbox movie, and returned ten minutes later with a nice quantity of blood seeping down the left side of my face (and clutching "Letters to Juliet" in my hand). My first words to Russ were, "Don't worry, I did it to myself. I didn't get attacked or anything..." I'm sure those words probably inspired concern rather than alleviating it. At this point, I really wish there was a good story to tell, but basically my head got in the way when I was opening the car door to leave 7-11. Yeah...not really sure how I coordinated such a feat, but there it is. So here I am with a tiny cut that bled profusely and a nice bruise. And a little bit of wounded pride.

And to my Token Asian Friend, think carefully before commenting on this one. Just remember I know who was burning pumpkins in the field...

The Lunch Prayer by LJ

2010-12-09T14:50:00.000-08:00

Heavenly Father,

Bless the food to make us feel STRONG.

Bless Brody to heal.

Bless Daddy to not...to not...to not go fast.

I love you Jesus...

Hiking

2010-12-07T08:31:00.000-08:00

Saturday, we took the girls on a "hike" at Discovery Park. It was a gorgeous afternoon with lots of sunshine, but a bitterly cold breeze as well.

Church Art

2010-12-05T19:53:00.000-08:00

During church today, Lauren asked me what was supposed to go in the boxes on the page of her Friend magazine. I told her to draw pictures of (going clockwise): Jesus, someone repenting, someone receiving the Holy Ghost, and someone getting baptized. I wasn't sure how she would interpret all of that instruction (given that some of it seemed a little abstract to me)...I figured she would doodle for a minute and move on. My attention was immediately diverted by Ella (of course), and I forgot about it. A few minutes later, Lauren tapped my arm and showed me this:

I was impressed not only by her stick figures, but also the details she put in....two people holding hands and standing in the water. When I applauded her on the excellent work, I was further touched when she explained to me: "That's Teo getting baptized, and that is the guys that put their big hands on her head afterwards." Lauren and I had attend the baptism of one of my Activity Days girls, Teo, yesterday. Sometimes I forget how much kids really do observe and record in their heads. I am very grateful I had the chance to take Lauren to the baptism, and I'm also very grateful for Teo's example.

Birthday Girl

2010-12-02T08:10:00.000-08:00

We just celebrated Lauren's 4th birthday and what a celebration it was! Lauren new exactly what she wanted...even picked out her own card, helped make her cake, and reminded me to get the balloons.

I love this picture...Lauren got all the paper off the present, but left the ribbon!

She was way too excited to slow down and ask for help:

Lauren got a bike and wanted to spend all day riding:

And then there was the close call with the cake. While Lauren and I were downstairs looking through some boxes, Ella pushed a chair over to the counter and was gazing dreamily at the cake. You can't see it here, but her red toddler fork is sitting next to the cake too. I'm sure she had some plans to use it...

Happy, Happy Birthday Lauren! You have brought so much Sunshine to our lives. Daddy couldn't have picked a better nickname for you. We love you, Sunshine!

And it kept coming...

2010-11-23T12:52:00.000-08:00

Took this picture late last night.

I'm a little surprised at the amount of snow we got, but I love it...feels like home to me. And to top it off, woke up to some blazing sunshine this morning.

Beautiful.

The girls, of course, wanted to play in it. So I started to bundle them up and, when I finished an hour later, we went and played at the school (because EVERYTHING is closed today).

Dear Seattle,

2010-11-22T17:18:00.000-08:00

I know you don't handle snow well,

but thank you for the beautiful gift we found this morning.

And it kept coming and coming...

Sincerely,

April

Tricycle Rides

2010-11-18T09:48:00.000-08:00

For your entertainment, here is Ella riding Lauren's tricycle. I left on the part at the end where they fight over the bike because I love the expression on Ella's face when I tell her to look at me. Can you say "guilty but feigning innocence?"

Good thing Ella has long toes.

Withdrawal

2010-11-16T17:56:00.000-08:00

We are going through Aunt Sarah withdrawal around here. We dropped her off at the airport yesterday morning, and Ella cried for about 10 minutes. When she finally stopped, Lauren asked me, "Why did we have to leave Sarah at the airport?"

Last night when Lauren woke up at 11 pm to use the potty, she told me, "I really had so much fun with Sarah." And Ella was totally disappointed when she came downstairs this morning and did not find Sarah. We had such a fun time...please come back soon Aunt Sarah!

Sarah our Celebrity

2010-11-14T14:24:00.000-08:00

Aunt Sarah came to spend some time with us this week. We are having tons of fun showing her our Seattle fun spots! I love having her around to talk with, and the girls go crazy every time they see her (she's totally a celebrity at our house). Ella loves to make her laugh and calls her "Didi" (not sure how that came about). Lauren is like Sarah's little shadow and has to be with her all the time. Even though Russ has been pretty busy, he's enjoyed the late nights chatting with Sarah and catching up with her.

While Sarah has been with us, we've been able to visit some of our favorite spots...the Science Center, the Zoo, the beach, and hopefully we'll get to see the locks today. We've also had plenty of wrestling matches, built (and knocked over) several block castles, and both girls are now experts at using her i-touch.

Sarah also brought some early birthday presents for Lauren from G&G. I packaged them up because Lauren LOVES finding packages on the doorstep. Here she is making the discovery (I think this is my all time favorite picture of Lauren):

I made a little cake and we had a little party for her yesterday while Sarah was here.

Grandma also sent a "winter" gift for the girls...two super darling dresses! Here is Ella hugging them as tightly as she can:

We have had a blast with Aunt Sarah, and we all hope she comes back to visit often!

Flashback

2010-11-10T11:29:00.000-08:00

Look! It's me when I was two years old! Reminds me of a little goof I see running around here...

Shipping them off to the circus...

2010-11-07T20:26:00.001-08:00

...why waste this kind of talent?

Dance

2010-11-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

Lauren's dance class had a "recital" day last week, and we were all able to go watch her show off the things she has been learning. We had lots of fun and we are so proud of her!

Every week, Ella puts on her dance outfit too (even though she's too young to take the class). She looks up to her big sister so much and always has a HUGE hug for her when class is over.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T20:12:00.002-07:00

How lucky were we to stumble across a PINK witch costume for Lauren?

I couldn't have planned it better if I had tried.

Ella, on the other hand, was a bit of challenge.

I can barely keep her clothed (which is why she is typically NOT pictured in many of our Twelve Days of Halloween photos)....I wasn't sure how I was going to convince her to wear a costume. After several stores and dozens of attempts at finding something I could bribe her to wear, our friend brought by a purple dragon costume to see what Ella thought of it.

It was DESTINY.

Ella has worn the costume everyday since whether she needed to or not.

We did some Trunk-or-Treating this year at our church. In the RAIN.

That would be SEATTLE RAIN for our Utah friends who thought they got rained on as well.

In true Seattle fashion, it didn't slow anyone down.

Not even me because I had my MONSTER TRUCK to keep me company.

Donuts, cider, and hot chocolate are traditions at the Trunk-or-Treat.

And yes, that donut was bigger than Lauren's head.

OH! And in keeping with the rest of the tradition, our guest list today included a GARGOYLE friend...

...or at least six of his tongues.

Hope your Halloween was delightfully exhausting too!

Twas the Night Before Halloween...

2010-10-30T15:48:00.001-07:00

...and our house was a buzz

with the most Halloween excitement that there ever was.

Enough corny rhyming. Let's just get to the good stuff...

Today we invited our local

WITCH DOCTOR

over for lunch, and he brought his collection of

SHRUNKEN HEADS.

Too cool.

HaPpY HaLlOwEeN EvE to YoU!

Two Days 'Til Halloween

2010-10-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

We had SPOOKS visit us this afternoon!!

I highly recommend them as they are fun, easy guests.

Click here to find out how they can come to your house too.

Lauren's spooks are in the front row.

Ella's are drowning in the upper right hand corner.

This One's For the Ghouls...

2010-10-28T23:49:00.004-07:00

Three days left and I have some amazing pictures for this one. I am the Activity Day leader at church ("Activity Days" are the 8-11 year old girls in our area). Last night we had a fun activity with the "ghouls" and ended it with Halloween cupcake decorating. My post today is of their beautiful "ghouly" cupcakes. Two of the "ghouls" even offered to decorate cupcakes for Lauren and Ella. So these amazingly spooky creations became breakfast this morning (well, breakfast dessert). Can you believe so many toppings fit on a single cupcake?!?!?

Nice job, ghouls!

Four Days Left...

2010-10-27T21:07:00.000-07:00

...and some ghastly grub monsters came for dinner.

My own little grub monsters couldn't wait to dive in:

Yum.

Day Five is for the Swamp Creatures

2010-10-26T17:53:00.001-07:00

Today was the day we invited swamp creatures to eat with us.

I only got one shot of them at the dinner table before Ella found them.

So sorry swamp friends.

I couldn't replace their eyeballs fast enough....soon this was all that was left:

So I thought I'd give it another go with "Grandma Swampie" in her bright red lipstick and onion ring glasses.

Cool. Except her eyeballs went missing too.

Six Days and Counting...

2010-10-25T17:58:00.002-07:00

One of Ella's favorite things to do is pretend she is a dog. Her favorite pastime as a dog is to lick your face. Russ doesn't get grossed out by much of anything, but this gets him every time. Ella also likes the element of surprise when she licks your face. Apparently it was too much for our dinner guest tonight.

With only six days left until Halloween, we invited a SKELETON to dine with us. The puppy dog in Ella got the best of her and she delivered a big slobbery lick to the skeleton (what dog could resist those juicy bones?). Anyway, the skeleton collapsed in fright and, seeing how we couldn't revive him, we just ate him. Yum.

Check out the bony fingers we had for dessert. These awesome fingers were actually made by our friend Emily. They went perfectly with our dinner. Thanks Emily!

Lucky Number Seven

2010-10-24T16:36:00.002-07:00

We just finished some late afternoon FINE dining with our little monster friends. Cute, aren't they?

Personally, these guys are my top pick of guests...except that they tend to drool a lot. Lauren thought they looked funny bald, so she made hers a toupee. So thoughtful.

Lauren and I topped off our dinner with some homemade sugar cookies. Our friend Cassandra made the dough and the frosting, and Lauren and I baked and decorated them. The cookies were amazing (thanks to Cassandra)! Here are some snaps of Lauren frosting the cookies...or her tongue.

Eight, Eight, Eight!

2010-10-23T22:46:00.000-07:00

With eight days left until Halloween, we decided to invite over our eight-legged friends to dine with us. If you've ever had spiders over for dinner, you may know that they are very picky eaters...not big fans of vegetables, fruits, grains, casseroles, or anything except bugs. Not to worry though, I found a "spider web trap" full of preserved bugs that I whipped up into a nice dish for our meal:

The girls must be part spider because they loved the bugs...even after I told them what they were! Lauren thought it was so cool, she even gave our spider friend a big kiss:

Day Nine ended with a little cackle...

2010-10-22T17:41:00.002-07:00

What fun we had tonight when the witches of the Northwest stopped by for a Halloween treat:

Ten Days 'til Halloween...

2010-10-21T16:47:00.000-07:00

...and to celebrate, we had dinner with the Mummies.

I especially like their creepy yellow glowing eyes.

Lauren was excited about the dinner guests and thought it would be appropriate to dress for the occasion:

This mummy has some nice dance moves too:

Eleven Days and Counting...

2010-10-20T21:20:00.001-07:00

The Halloween countdown continued today as a family of ghosts joined us for dinner.

Lauren was SO excited when she saw the "ghost-es" waiting at the table for her. She promptly informed me that she really, really, REALLY likes ghosts.

Ella on the other hand, only likes to pull out their eyeballs. Go figure.

Thanks, Kraft, for the idea.

Twelve Days 'til Halloween

2010-10-19T20:06:00.000-07:00

Our annual tradition of the "Twelve Days of Halloween" has officially begun. You can click here for a glimpse of last year's festivities. I love this tradition so much I'm contemplating making it a SEMI-annual event and celebrating Halloween in April as well.

Anyway, this year I booked a variety of Halloween dinner guests to help us celebrate. For opening night, I thought who better to come celebrate with us then the Great Pumpkin himself?

And, of course, we couldn't have the Great Pumpkin without a Charlie Brown....or two.

Well, the Great Pumpkin arrived with his head bubbling over with dinner ideas for his Halloween buddies. In fact, his head was literally bubbling over with our dinner for the night. So convenient.

The Great Pumpkin was very well behaved and had excellent table manners. I just hope the rest of the guest list is as golden.

Stay tuned...