***
A visit to a pumpkin patch appears to be a requirement these days, so we did it. The kids made pies, went on a hayride, fed some sheep, and got pumpkins painted on their arms. The highlight for Laci was petting a rabbit that I'm pretty sure she would have been thrilled to bring home with us. She talked about the "bunny rabbit" halfway home. We skipped picking pumpkins because we already have a bunch of pumpkins at home, and because I'm partially a pumpkin patch scrooge and didn't want to carry a pumpkin in addition to the Mia pumpkin I had strapped to the front of me.
Laci was so serious while getting her arm painted with a pink pumpkin. She wore her serious face most of the day. I can only hope it means she was very serious about having fun, because otherwise, it means she was having a terrible time, and that just isn't possible with so many fun things around.
I love how she's holding her arm like it's broken. She held it this way for about 15 minutes.
Is there any way to get three kids smiling at the camera at the same time? Because if there is, I haven't found it yet.
And speaking of kids smiling at the camera, check out these gems.
What are you doing, Sydney?
Nice cheeser, Evan.
Laci, I'm over here!
No, really kids, I'm really over here!
Mia shares my opinion of camera flash...ewwwww!
Also Laci, could you please sit like a lady.
And then there's this beauty from Halloween.
Alright, well this one actually isn't that bad. Sydney and Evan, you're adorable. Mia you're sleeping, which is always a good thing. And Laci, well, Laci you're not really enjoying Halloween.
In addition to being a pumpkin patch scrooge, I'm a bit of a Halloween scrooge, too. Sorry, it just isn't my thing, as you can probably tell by my half-hearted attempt at a last minute ballerina costume. I had to wake Laci from her nap to get her dressed to visit the great grandma's, so when I mentioned a bun and ballet slippers, I was met with hysterical tears and screaming, and also, "Ewwww," which is a direct quote. On the upside, she agreed to the leg warmers, which is good, because without them, she was just wearing a pink skirt with her pajama shirt (which happens to have a ballerina pig on the front, so it totally works).
Mia had a costume, too. Want to see how much she liked her costume?
It appears Mia enjoyed her first Halloween about as much as Laci did. Not so much. But looking at that first picture makes me laugh hysterically!
Even with all the obvious joy, we survived, and brought smiles to the great grandma's who look forward to this visit every year. Now, I have an entire year to procrastinate about putting together costumes for my girls so we can do it all over again. And, I'll try to work on my scrooge-like attitude, because it appears it might be rubbing off on someone.
***
October included some crafting, which is a little silly to say, because pretty much every month involves at least a little crafting for us. It is my therapy, to make things, especially big messes all over my mother's house. Good thing she likes to make messes too.
Get this, even though I'm a pumpkin patch scrooge and a Halloween scrooge, it turns out I'm not really a Christmas scrooge, at least not yet. I already made Mia's Christmas pajama paint can. Now, I just need to get her pajama's, oh, and every other gift on my list because I haven't started shopping yet...at all.
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Finally, October included my {because I was there too} self-portrait project, wherein I tried to document the fact that I am actually present in my daughters' lives, not just a ghost behind the camera. More on this subject to come later.
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Well, I'd say that pretty much covers everything October, which I'm glad to say is over and behind us. I welcome November with open arms as each day brings me closer to Thanksgiving, and the best turkey EVER. I love spending time with my family, and having fires in the wood stove, and watching my girls get loved on by everyone. November seems to put everyone into a spirit of gratitude, and while I try to be thankful for everything I have everyday, it helps to be reminded now and then. It is easy to get caught up in what I don't have right now, like a house, and to forget about the things that I DO have like healthy babies, an awesome husband, loving family, plenty of food, a place to live, and, well, I could probably go on for a while. But I won't, because frankly, this post is ridiculously long as it is.
I'll leave you with this: a view from Ryan's parents' deck, which demonstrates that while smog is gross and destructive, it can also be very beautiful. I'm thinking this applies to many things in life.
When life looks ugly, just keep looking until you find the beauty. It's there.
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