Halloween, Part the First

I'll have lots more tomorrow, but this is just a teaser:

Leaves of Grass Stain

They did this for a half hour. It was the nicest they've been to each other all afternoon. Then they loaded up the rake with leaves from other people's yards and carried it over--together--to dump on the pile. Why have I ever, ever bought them a single toy? 

Born to Be Wild!

Lunch in Occoquan. Live music. Rain boots. What else but dancing? 

Things we know: Cody has great pitch...but perhaps not great rhythm. It's a little Elaine Benes, no?

The teepee, from my perspective...

...is awesome.  : )

 (Cordelia supervised.)

In the Leaves with Granny

Mom and Dad spent Saturday helping Kelly clear out her apartment and crashed here that night, which meant that Cody and Cordelia woke up to a surprise!

Cordelia went from "OH HI POP POP! YOU ARE HERE!" right to "POP POP I have a sorting tray! And a jar of buttons! I will go get them and let's SORT THEM TOGETHER!" And so they did.

 Mom and Dad stayed here to play for a little bit so Jonathan, Peanut and I could go to Mass...alone...together. It was awesome. We came home to two best friends raking up a pile of leaves. I'd enter these into a "Which is more adorable" competition, but I wouldn't know which way to vote.

See what I mean? : )

Bubbles. Funnel. Science.

After Cordelia went down tonight, Cody was being such a dear that I let him have a really long, really full, bubble bath. With bubbles about 10 inches deep.

While playing with his funnel, he made the following discovery:

On a related note, I've got our next team science experiment planned out: We're making (SLL, stop reading now) a lava lamp.

Two Little Indians

I'd had the idea of a teepee in my head for a year or so when SLL casually mentioned maybe getting one last night. Eager to strike while the iron was hot, I went to Lowes during nap time to get the requisite PVC piping and canvas.

The build took less than an hour, and Cody, Cordelia, and I accomplished it ourselves. Just measuring, minor drilling and sawing, tying, and then cutting of the canvas. (Not pictured.) However, by the time it was done, Cordelia was basically teepeed out for the day.

So that Cody wouldn't be lonely, Patches came out to play inside it with him. Look closely and you'll see him tucked in CJP's arm.

It's a....

FOOT!

October Fun with Violet & Brenna

Now that Cody and Violet are in preschool (different ones, different days) playdates are extra special. Here are some highlights from a couple of recent get-togethers...

Our annual Last-Lawton trip to the pumpkin patch! This year, Brenna had at least as much fun as the big kids. : )

She was charmed by the little scarecrow boy. :) 

The best part about the above picture is that while Violet and Cody, true to character, were jumping around wildly, Cordelia spent fully ten minutes up in the "windowsill," clearing out all the balls that had been thrown there, because "they do not belong up here! They need to go back in their right place, Mommy!"

Two Little Pumpkins, Painting on the Deck!

October Surprise

This morning, we were on our way home from the post office when I decided, "What the heck -- it's a gorgeous day. Let's go out for lunch." We went to our favorite casual outdoor cafe in Occoquan, and were crossing the street when we heard a familiar voice: Ms. Leavesley!! She was coming out of a yoga class and was heading to the same cafe. We asked if she would like to join us, and we all had a lovely lunch together. Cody couldn't stop smiling! He'll be thinking about this for weeks. 

Mother of GOD!

This is one of those posts where strangers, were they reading, would think my kids were saints.



For the record: They're not. At all. Not even close. Especially not this week. Especially especially not today. BUT. This morning they were playing construction/demolition (there has never once been a doll tea party so far) and Cordelia engineered a car accident...so that she could pray the Hail Mary for the people in it (action figures). They decided it would be best just to sing it.

Shoe Shopping

Cordy gets dragged around a bit on Mondays, when I try to do everything that needs doing for the week while he's in school for the morning. We try to balance with a little fun -- grocery shopping, then laundry, then Mom's group for an hour before we go pick him up. Today, we had to go return some Cody pants to the Gap and then get me shoes for Kelly's wedding...this time, the fun was built into the chore!

These are the ones she chose.

They were purple. They were sparkly. They were slingbacks (well, slingfronts for her). They were about a size 9. They were 4 inches high.

They didn't quite work out.

Ass, greet teakettle. So we rode the merry-go-round to console her.

Check out the hair!

Team Adventure Weekend

Last weekend while SLL was away, the kids and I had a series of adventures. It began with a Friday night outing to Five Guys and then kicked into high gear Saturday morning when we went straight from breakfast to trying on our brand-new Halloween costumes.

Here's Thor, the God of Thunder, with his mighty hammer Mjolnir:

And here's the Spectacular Spider-Girl, who (a) isn't a real character in the Marvel universe and (b) wouldn't have a costume like this if she was. However, both of these arguments were trumped by how effing adorable Red is going to look once I do her hair up braids with little Spider-Man hair clips on Halloween night. (Also, they don't make a Scarlet Witch costume. Yet.)

After an hour or so, we changed back into our secret identities and headed to Wegman's (for chocolate croissants) and the new REI (for no good reason) before stopping in at Home Depot (because we always stop in at Home Depot).

There, we were greeted by a wonderful bit of serendipity: It was fire-prevention awareness day and in celebration they had a fire engine in the parking lot that you could climb all over.

Cordelia, afraid that the siren might turn on at any minute, declined to enter.

After Home Depot there were other adventures--Chic-fil-A, Lowes, freeze tag, bike riding, and, all of Sunday morning, a project in the family room where we got out the hammers, screwdrivers, drills, levels, and stud finders to mount our (amazing) new DVD shelf on the wall. There are no pictures, because my hands were kind of full, but everyone wore safety glasses and we completed the project with the same number of digits we had when we begun.

From Montessori to Nascar

I had a sonogram the other day, and learned that Peanut already has a head of hair. Three for three!

This week has been brought to the Lasts by flu shots. I had mine Tuesday, JVL today, and I took Cordy today as well (and what a pleasure it was). Cody's on for 8:00 tomorrow. He has been practicing, however, and feels fully confident in his bravery.

Meanwhile, Birdie is so fascinated by Cody's independent reading that she pretends to do it, too.

It's particularly adorable when she plays the part of Mommy reading to both of them, and holds the book outward so I can see the pictures and she can "read" it to me. 

Last week was the semi-annual school fundraiser trip to Chuck-E-Cheese. The children all look forward to it like Christmas; the parents all dread it like a trip to the dentist. Cody and Cordelia had a ball--they don't really get (or are too short to operate) half the stuff, but it's all novelty to them, and the real excitement is Being Somewhere Other Than School With the Teachers (who are incredibly good sports about it). Exhibit A: Look who Cordelia and Cody begged to join them on the merry-go-round? : )

The fair Ms. Leavesley couldn't be sweeter if she tried.

Grandpa Tom, this one's for you. Miss Mary is ready for the racetrack anytime you're willing to take her. Boogity, boogity, boogity, AMEN!