Happy Halloween!!

From our Football Player (with his "I'm tough and don't smile picture":



And our Peacock!





We had a Halloween party and then Trick-or-Treating tonight!! They kids had so much fun running around our neighborhood and then getting home to count and sort all of their goodies!! It all just makes me smile. Love the joy they get from simple things. Happy Halloween!

Designer Z Dogs

Do you remember the picture of Zoey's cake this year? If you don't, here is a reminder picture:


She learned this way to draw a dog some time in Kindergarten and it has quickly become a signature drawing of hers. If you ever receive a card from her, she often draws a dog on it. Here are a couple I have saved:

Ross and I just love it. We think her dog drawings are so cute and they just show her love for the animals and her artsy side all in one cute picture!

So the other day we were stuck inside due to rain... and we needed a project! The sewing machine had taken up residence on the dining room table (yep, I'm still keeping at it) and I had some leftover fabric...so Zoey and I decided to make a pillow! She sometimes calls one of her bed pillows her "huggie pillow" so I decided to make a dog/huggie pillow! She drew a big version of her signature dog, and then she cut out both sides of fabric. She also designed the ears. We sewed them up and she stuffed them and voila... a designer dog pillow!! So cute that we quickly had to make Max one too. Here she is with her pups (affectionately named Pillow Cushion and Love Dog)

Zoey and The Stupid, Smelly Bus

Zoey is a fan of the Junie B Jones books, and the other day, she came rolling in on her Stupid, Smelly Bus, to do a little show and book stamping.

We have a pretty awesome bookstore, very close, that brings in all kinds of authors for book signings and shows like this. We love it. Not only for that, but just because it is nice and newer and our kids love to go and hang out and read!

So, when we found out Junie B and Mr. Woo (the bus driver, naturally) were heading our way on the bus tour, Zoey and I made plans to attend. We are glad we did. It wasn't crazy crowded and Junie B was so animated and hilarious. It was really very, very cute. I am glad Zoey got to "meet" one of the characters that she has read all about and also to see her perform in action. I didn't get the greatest picture of her with Junie B, but we drove in right behind the bus, and got a picture of that!

I Need a Snack - Scooby Style

Max still loves Scooby-Doo. He often talks about his friends, "Shag and Scoob". For a while, whenever he wanted a snack, he would get our attention and then just point into his mouth! He wanted you to offer him different snacks, so that he could shake his head or nod up and down, while saying "ruh-roh" and other Scooby noises. It was fun and funny, for about a day. We had to put an end to it though, because sometimes the process took about ten minutes! And it was really beginning to bug Ross. That and the fact that he actually does a pretty good Scooby-impression, just makes me giggle!! Well, we hadn't seen this action in a while, until the other day. He found this hand pointer thing that Zoey made out of a wooden paint stirrer and some paper...

He went up to Ross and just said, "Ummm... Daddy"


And then did this:



Ross just had to laugh... Man, this kid cracks us up! I think that at least a couple of times a day!

Action Max -

Well, soccer season is quickly coming to an end. Both kids have one more game this week and then it is done until spring. It is a good thing, too, because it is getting COLD! Zoey had a game this weekend, and it was 30 degrees at the start time. I did get some action shots of Max, though and wanted to share...
Here we are in the ready position, being goalie... with Dad in the background to get his attention if the ball starts to come his way! Sometimes, the kids go five minutes without any action, so this is necessary.


Getting ready for the save!

Throwing the ball in after his save...

My favorite one... with tongue out and all!

Birthday Dinner - Texas Style!! Yeehaw!!

I forgot these pictures were still on the camera! Ooops!

For dinner on her actual birthday, our carnivore Zoey wanted to head to Texas Roadhouse for a steak dinner!! Plus, they sing happy birthday to you while you sit on a saddle! Doesn't get much better than that, right?

Here she is with her facepainted cupcake:

And up on the saddle! Yeehaw!!

Clean Sweep

In casual conversation, I mention to Ross, "The Redsox got swept in the playoffs..."

A couple of minutes pass by...

Zoey all of a sudden says, "What? You swept up red socks in the play room?"

Clearly she is not living up to the fact that she was born in "RedSox Nation!"

Brother Bouillon

I was looking for a quick recipe on-line and wrote down some ingredients on a paper by the computer. Zoey sat down some time between the time I wrote the recipe down and the time I went back to get it. She quickly added something to the recipe...

It called for...

2 T salt

1 T pepper

2 tsp garlic powder

4 cups of Max

Sleeping Socks

Max used to get up in the middle of the night, or early morning, and a lot of times, he was up for a good while. I will take the blame for that. Once something woke him up, he was quick to get moving, playing, reading, etc. No matter what the hour. Unfortunately, I am the same way. So we came up with a rule that he couldn't leave his room until "day". Which to him means the sun is up. He does pretty well, but we have found that one of the reasons he would wake up was because he would kick the covers off and be cold, and then be woken up, and you get the idea... So, in the cooler months, we give him special socks for sleeping, also known as "sleeping socks!" It usually does the trick.

Last night I was sitting with him on my bed and we were both reading. He kept messing with his foot... so we had a funny Max conversation:

Me: Max, what is going on? Is something wrong with your sleeping sock?

Max: I don't think so. (but still he keeps messing with his toes)

Me: Well, take it off. Let me check it out.

Max: But, Mommy... IT IS NOT DAY! I can't take my sleeping socks off yet!

Me: I need to see what is wrong.

I take the sock off and stick my hand inside to see if I can feel anything...

Max: Mommy, it is not a puppet. It is a sleeping sock.

Zoey's Party Pics

Zoey had a fun birthday party and Build-a-Bear Workshop! She had a couple of school and neighbor friends meet at the workshop where they built bears and jumped along and dressed them up. And then we headed back to our house for cake and presents and lots of fun!

Here they are waiting for the party to get started:


Zoey and her school friends:

Here they are all rubbing a heart on their nose and making a wish. Everyone received two hearts. They put one in their own bear and then one in Zoey's bear! So cute. She said she could feel all the love down in the bear's toes from all of the hearts!!

Here's the "I'm excited and smiling for the camera at my party" smile!


And Max, just for fun and because I think he's cute:


Here she is with her finished project:


And CAKE TIME! Yum!!