Halloween (finally)

I have been terrible with the blog lately, so I have a lot to make up for. The first thing is to actually finish the Halloween post I started. I promise to do better with birthdays and Christmas coming up!

We started Halloween with "Jack-O-Lantern" eggs. This was basically a fried egg with cheese features. A fried egg is a favorite breakfast in our house!

Joiner with her Jack-O-Lantern Carly

We went over to Leah's neighborhood for a party that she helped plan. Gigi and Grumpa went with us. The weather had been yucky all day, but it was clear as we were walking to the hayride.

Waiting on the hayride. You can see from the hoods, that it had started to drizzle again.

It started pouring during the hayride. We then met for pizza in the street and it was so messy. The kids didn't care though as they tour into pizza and cupcakes. After we were full and fully wet, we started trick-or-treating.

Joiner ballerina; soaked but still going for the candy!

Getting some goodies

We came home earlier than we thought and took nice warm showers to get warmed up and dry. Then we played dance party and Carly and Joiner each got to pick a piece of candy. Unfortunately (not really) their candy got ruined from the rain and we had to throw it out the next day. There was sticky goo in the bottom of their pumpkins from the sugar and water. Regardless of the rain, it was a fun night!

Pre-Halloween Fun

We did lots of cool stuff to celebrate Halloween this year. So in this very long post, I will put some of the things. The girls went to a pumpkin patch at GiGi and Grumpa's house, but I don't have any pictures from that.

We went to the Tanglewood Pumpkin patch with school and had a great time. This is the girls posing with one of the many hay bales.

Trying to decide which pumpkin to pick
Carly running with some friends

All of us with the big pumpkin; nice squinting!

On the Monday before Halloween, Jarrett (Caga) and Miriam came over to carve pumpkins. Caga is the ultimate carver and usually does soem great pattern. I think he is exhausted with work and school right now, so he just free-handed it, but we had a great time.

Carly showing us her pumpkin hands
Joiner scooping out the seeds. This was by far both girls' favorite part of the carving.

The whole crew "digging in"

Now Andy truly hates carving pumpkins. He is like a pregnant lady with the smell. So he sat in his camping chair as far from the seeds as possible and kept making faces when I was taking his picture. So it is his fault that this is the picture I am posting for the whole world to see.

Everyone with their pumpkins

The YMCA has a fall festival every year and this year it was on the Friday before Halloween so we got our ballerinas dressed and headed over. Our friends Ethan and Ellison were with us, but they didn't want their picture taken.

Carly, Joiner, and dinasour Ellison on our trick or treating trail

Joiner playing a pumpkin toss game

Ellison playing

After we ate lunch we all ran around in our fall wonderland until Mrs. Leah came to get her crew. This was so beautiful to watch in person because the leaves were falling as the kids were running.

That night Leah's church has a Fall festival that she organized. They had lots of games and prizes. Here is Joiner in a big pumpkin that Mr. Dave built.

Daddy and the girls playing a basketball game

There was a cupcake walk and the girls both won. Here they are eating their giant cupcakes.

Here we are getting our face painted. Joiner is giving Carly moral support.

Here is Carly's pumpkin

Joiner getting her face painted

Here is Joiner's doggy

More to come....

Greensboro Children's Museum with Daddy

Andy is out of town a bunch in the next couple of months. The bonus is that we sometimes get to see him on the week days when he comes home. Two weeks ago he flew in from Baltimore on a Monday and we picked him up in Greensboro at 9am and then headed the Children's museum there. I think it is better than ours, so it is nice that we have a reciprocal membership. After the museum, we headed to lunch and then home for all three to nap!

They have a newborn nursery, and I think C&J could have stayed there all day. Here is Dr. Carly with a patient.
Nurse Joiner is assisting

Playing a giant Operation game with Daddy. We have the small version at our house and they are really good, if you don't mind the beeping:)

Getting our food at the Pizza restaurant

Now that's service!

I take a lot of Spin classes and the girls think it must be very cool as I come to pick them up in the play room all sweaty. So they thought it was so much fun that there were these exercise bikes. They kept saying they were so sweaty and asking how many miles they had ridden. Here is Carly "in the zone." Andy said this to them and then they were yelling it at us. "Sorry mom. I am in the zone."

Joiner "in the zone."

Soccer Season

We finished our Fall soccer season last Saturday. Andy and I were the coaches this year and it was a lot of fun. I don't have many pictures because we were always on the field, but Leah took a few for me of the first game. We didn't make it to the first coaches meeting, so we had purple jerseys. The girls and I were happy, but Andy would take off his coaches shirt as soon as the games were over! We were the Spartans which was the name of Andy's fist team. Carly and Joiner had really grown since last season and I think they had a lot of fun.

Chilling with Mom before the game. Hanging with Daddy. We hadn't been given our coaches shirts, yet.

Some pre-game stretching

We are hearing the rules about how to play fair. This guy is Joel, the YMCA sports director and the kids love him.

Carly on a blitz

Going for the ball.

At this age, you run around the field with them to help them find the ball. More games than not, I was holding someone's hand and running. On the games where Andy was absent, it was rough:)

The Nutcracker

For Carly and Joiner's 4th birthday, we are not having a party this year. Instead we are having a special day where everything is about them. The highlight of the day will be to go see the Nutcracker Ballet. They love ballerinas and dancing and we think they are old enough this year. Tickets went on sale a few weeks ago and if you went on the day the box office opened you got $5 off a ticket. This was a big savings when you consider our entire families will be there! Anyway, we went right after our soccer game to buy the tickets. The girls were so excited.

Part of the opening of the ticket sales was a special visit from some of the ballerinas and the Mouse King. You can't see him in the picture because I asked him if he could walk away (sorry) but the Mouse King is obviously close enough that both girls are terrified.

Here is the 2nd picture and you can see that Carly has slowly moved behind me and Joiner is not even looking. What a fun family memory. I have to admit that the Mouse King was a little intimidating.

So we got outside with our tickets and the free hot chocolate the girls were given. I think the hot chocolate canceled the Mouse King.

The Beach- Ice Cream and Nap Time

This will be the last day of beach posts. I have a ton more pictures, but I am sure it is getting old. When Grumpa didn't come to the beach, he sent noted to Carly and Joiner. In each note was $20 to get a souvenir!!! After I decided not to take it and give them a $1, they went to work thinking about what they wanted to spend it on. Well, sweet girls and sweet-loving girls that they are, they took us all to ice cream. This made Grumpa very happy as his favorite food is ice cream! They spent the rest of their money on a kitty in a carrier for Carly and a puppy in a carrier for Joiner. Thanks Grumpa!

Carly with her Cookies N'Cream

Joiner with her cookies n'cream- Grumpa's favorite!

The Whole Gang

Gigi and Caga got in very late on Tuesday and we were all up again early on Wednesday so almost everyone took a nap. I am not a napper, so I read, but it was relaxing.

Gigi and Carly snuggling after Carly woke up

Meanwhile...Joiner was out in the bed next to them

Caga passed out on the sofa

Daddy creatively finding a resting spot. I should add that Caga and Daddy were passed out before we put the girls down for their nap. Thanks for the help, guys!