It was wonderful when Edison took over the reigns for awhile.
When they were warmed up we moved to the hill between our front and back yards.
Edison did a great job helping Charlotte go for her first sled ride of the year. She had a blast!
I finally unpacked our toy bag from the summer - I had it ready to go for all the camping trips and overnights. I found Edison's sunglasses in it - but Charlotte was the one who was really excited for them.
We got to spend the weekend with our Coast Guard friends. Eben loved being back with the guys. This was our hangout for the weekend, RJ's house.
The gang before we headed out: Eben, Paul, Craig, Josh, RJ & Ratch.
Bill & Katie hosted an amazing pre-wedding eve party at Marvin in DC.
Craig & RJ.
My buddy for the weekend, Wally. The only other lady amongst these guys.
At the wedding reception. It was a grand affair and the bride & groom are so happy and in love.
Fun to have a giant "date weekend" for a change!
Paul, Eben, Craig, RJ, and Josh.
At the after-party.
And, as RJ calls it, the after-after party at his house. We had a blast playing Rock Band.
We were on fire!
Last ones standing... nice duets RJ!
Charlotte's attentiveness has increased tremendously in the last two months.
Yesterday was Nana's birthday party. She wanted to get a few shots of herself with the "Baby Grands" beforehand.
Charlotte has been infatuated with the football lately - one of the few words she says. She brought it in the car and held onto it the whole way to the restaurant (20 minutes).
We went up to Anthony's in Everett. It was a beautiful day, especially for this time of year. Edison liked checking out the fishing boats and all their equipment on deck.
Looking south towards Mukilteo behind us.
We had a big group, but luckily the kids were on the end and could do a few laps during the meal to make them last.
On this side:Peter, Jason, Bestamor, Kirstie, Lee, and the birthday girl, Bonnie.
And on this side, a beautiful view of the marina, Charlotte, Edison, Eben, Kathie, Floyd, Jennie, and Pete.
Can you believe this is my mom's 70th birthday? I can't! She looks fabulous!
We also celebrated Bestamor's 97th birthday! The headphones are hooked up to a microphone that she uses to help hear better.
My kids know that a birthday party means birthday cake. In this case, Charlotte enjoyed the creme brulee.
It was warm in the sun in the afternoon and we played outside a little more.
With my cousin, Jason. As you can see, Charlotte and I coordinated outfits - very fun!
Edison reprised his role as a giraffe. When asked about it, he said, "I had it already." So being green is already part of his mindset. But it is a little tight... so probably won't be able to get away with the giraffe next year!
We took the kids trick-or-treating at the Mill Creek Town Center in the afternoon. It was a surprisingly beautiful day.
Charlotte was a champ - she marched up and down the street with her basket and really liked putting the treats in and out.
The giraffe was hungry and had to stop and eat some leaves.
My dad as well as my Aunt Deborah and Uncle David came up for dinner and some "light" trick-or-treating on our street. My dad improvised this scarecrow costume...
The kids were tired but excited about their loot at the end of the evening. Edison had chosen the pumpkin designs last week - do you think the giraffe (left pumpkin) ended up looking like Edison's giraffe? One trick or treater told me it looked like Hercules? Hmmmm.... Mickey Mouse was much more recognizable, though!
Despite flying cross-country the day before, Deborah and David got into the Halloween spirit with these great costumes! (can you believe that mustache is a fake? it definitely fooled me!)
My Aunt Deborah's visits, though often brief, always fill my spirit with joy!
Too bad the weather didn't cooperate. You can't tell that well from these photos, but it had been raining for the past few days. I just didn't have the energy to take the kids to an actual pumpkin patch, so we opted for the mounds of pumpkins at Central Market, instead.
I can't imagine a worse picture of the kids....but it was the only one we got, so what can you do?!
Central Market has a pumpkin contest each fall - this beauty claimed fourth place and weighed in at nearly 1200 pounds!
Saturday night we celebrated Eben's birthday. We had a few friends over for a nice meal, cake, and cards. When we get together now, the kids get to have a slumber party - way easier than arranging babysitters! Here is Charlotte with her buddy Jake.
Charlotte ended up being the life of the party for the half hour before bedtime. She loved eating birthday cake with daddy.
On Sunday morning Edison was very enthusiastic about "putting the face on the pumpkin." He picked a giraffe face for one pumpkin and Mickey Mouse for the other. Those were not easy - especially the giraffe. I nearly gave up in frustration, but they turned out okay and Edison was happy.
Tuesday was Eben's actual birthday, so we went to a local restaurant. Charlotte is definitely daddy's little girl at this point. She loves giving him high fives and having him tumble her around.
We let Edison bring his mini DVD player to the restaurant so the kids wouldn't get too fussy. He loved it and when we got home he and Charlotte still wanted to watch it. I think partly he just likes pushing the buttons (better than pushing my buttons).
