It was a Happy Halloween... and a busy one. Ainsley and Walker both had parties at school. I helped out for Walker's classroom and dressed up as a Garden Gnome this year...

Ainsley wanted to be a wizard from Harry Potter...

And Walker an Arf Storm Trooper from Star Wars Clone Wars...

My friend Inga has an unbelievable warm heart and has instilled the value of giving to others in her kiddos so when she said she wanted to go to the nursing home and hospital on Halloween I said us too. Was so good to give those nursing home residents a little treat and a quick visit. It was emotional... they were so grateful and appreciative and loved seeing the kids dressed up.

This was the nursing home director that went around with us to the residents rooms...

The last stop was the hospital... only 2 kiddos were there but we left little treats for them as well...

Home for dinner with the Trogdens and then out for trick or treating in our neighborhood... Raquelle wanted this bling costume... Alta was less than thrilled that it was a "detention girl" costume but pink bling won out and Korbin was Handy Manny...

As usual they made quite a haul... even got some big size candy bars!

It's red ribbon week here... and the kiddos get to have fun dressing up all week in craziness.

Monday was "Sock it to drugs!" and they wore silly socks...

Tuesday was "Crazy hair day!"... green and purple dyed hair.

We didn't have time to change after school before heading to piano lessons and the look her teacher gave her was priceless... a double take with question mark... had to explain that no it was not a new hairstyle... it was just crazy hair day.

Tomorrow is wear everything red day... will be kind of boring for them just a red shirt.

I was at school helping out today and Little Bug in almost tears says, "Mommy I'm freezing." I felt his head and yep sure enough he had a fever. Poor little Bug... home we came and into jammies, the couch, and games.

He and I played quite a few checker rounds... he's pretty hard to beat! Mulan cat was so funny... jumping over the board game back and forth as we played.   If it wasn't for the darn yuckiness it was a pretty fun time just Little Bug, Mulan and Mama.

Fall is definitely here. Yesterday I noticed this... the first red leaves.

Saturday's conversation...

Walker: "Hey Mommy, do you think I could get some ripped jeans so that I will look EVEN COOLER??"

This Song...

is heard at our house all day long... the kiddos are constantly singing it (in the car... getting dressed in the morning... showers.. you name it) It's on Disney channels and radio... and played on every stereo thing we own... although it's great... After hearing it 15 times in a row I think we (meaning parents) might go nuts!! I seem to now have it permanently engrained in my brain and can be found humming it along while folding the clothes... yikes!

It's also the current dance song at our house... Ainsley getting her groove on...

Walker belting out the chorus...

followed by the "monster dance"...

good times... good times!

She's so glad to FINALLY have violin songs to practice...

For the past 2 weeks they've only been tuning instruments at her strings class but last week they learned 2 new songs... they are just plucking songs for now but she's a happy girl to FINALLY use the violin... and really loves to practice.

He... feeling left out now "practices" with the guitar.

He... is not quite ready for lessons of any kind this year... has more of a drive to play then to practice consistently.

Love to hear the "music" that flows from our house.

She was super excited to get her very own cell phone!!!...

Yikes... I always thought we'd be the type of parents that wouldn't cave to the latest trends but yeah we did. It's her emergency phone... and her parents piece of mind. She gets dropped off at the middle school for violin lessons twice a week and although she's safe there... middle school kids are still hanging out... there isn't a teacher on duty and if her class was ever canceled she'd have to wait out the hour and a half until we came back to get her.

So yes it's our piece of mind and her ultra cool hipness phone. She's already picked out her favorite ring tone, changed her background picture and loves to snap picture of the cat... who's less than amused to be the background of choice. She's already been given the lecture about "it's an emergency phone" ...she's super responsible and I know she'll treat it as such.

EEks... growing up so fast!

A few weeks ago we took the kiddos to the renaissance fair at the library. Ainsley was into hanging out with friend Kennadi but the rest of us learned all about chain mail armor...

This particular person made all of his own rings as well... I was most interested in the patterns... truly a work of art. Little Bug got to try on one of the shirts... was heavy can you tell??

There was also a dress up area where fair maidens were transformed...

and Kings were found...

The occasional sword fighting was also taking place...

The kiddos had a fun time... love the library and all the fun activities they come up with!

We recently had a new family move in next to us and their son happens to be in Walker's class. The boys are currently sending letters back and forth through the fence...