Pumpkin Carving Day

Back on Pumpkin Carving Day, Julien and Addie took over my kitchen.

Our quiet morning was spent dissecting pumpkin after pumpkin

and

cleaning and re-cleaning the mess.

Fungus Monkus was thrilled to be such a Big Girl Helper.

Even Big Girl Helpers have to stay a few steps away during the procedures.

It is strictly for her safety and for the safety of those around her.

When the surgical tools were not in use, the Monkus was happy to sit next to Julien and color, and watch him work.

Julien is an amazing help to me.

Just his presence in the same room with Addie keeps her happy and content.

Julien was all about getting the pumpkins finished and back out onto the porch before our evening of fun at the zoo began.

When Julien finished carving the pumpkins, Addie ran after him, back and forth to the porch.

She was so excited!

When I handed her the candles to carry onto the porch, she was absolutely thrilled!

Being a helper makes her feel so special!

~~~

October 28, 2012

Happy Cake Day Julien!

After seeing Addie's beautiful cake back in March, Julien decided that he too, needed an awesome cake for his birthday. 

The only thing is that my poor child was born at Thanksgiving time and coordinating anything around that time of year is a hot mess.

So.

We improvise.

Although we still have a couple weeks before his birthday, I arranged to have his cake early in order to make sure that he got the cake he wanted.

For our Halloween gathering, we also enjoyed Juliens amazing birthday cake!

Thanks - once again - to Hope at Hope's Sweet Cakes for making my children very, very happy!

I can't thank Hope enough for working with me to make Julien's cake everything he wanted it to be!

She is patient and sweet and just amazing!

When Julien saw the cake, I got the reaction I was so wishing for!
(off camera of course)

The cake was being very closely guarded by a Pig Monkey and her highly endangered pumpkin.

Check out the AMAZING detail on this cake!

I was absolutely impressed!

The Little Piggy and Her Daddy

Halloween Night

Oooohhh, this Little Piggy was very protective of her little pumpkin. 

She wasn't overly thrilled that I held it in my hand for the picture, hence the fussy little face.

I finally gave in and handed the pumpkin back to her and she proceeded to put it in a death grip

and refused to look at the camera.

I managed to convince her to bring the pumpkin into the kitchen so we could get ready for the party.

The Little Piggy was more than willing to help me get everything ready.

She is such a good little helper!

Once everyone arrived, we were able to try for another picture - minus the Evil Jester who was already out in the neighborhood.

Addie was a little anxious while waiting for the trick or treaters, but yet, she was excited about watching all the activity outside.

She was even more excited about passing out the candy!

She is such a sweet girl!

(Except when she is in the midst of a tantrum in the hallway of a very busy pediatricians office...yep, story still to come.  I'm still traumatized.)

Non-Compliant Little Piggy

The Little Piggy could only handle so many pictures before she decided the hood had to go!

She looks pleased with herself.

She started to lay the hood down, but realized that it might harm her pumpkin.

After she found a new place for her hood,

she retrieved her prized pumpkin and was once again, happy and content!

...and...

If You Give a Pig a Pancake, she's going to want an Evil Jester (sans the Evil Jester hat) to go with it.

Despite Addie's desire to give Julien a hug hug (Addie's plural form of hug), she just couldn't bring herself to actually touch him
or
 to remove herself from my person.

Nope.

Facing her head on sure didn't help either.

That is one very impressive Evil Jester dental display.

It's just like every other family picture.

I keep the same stupid fake smile on my face, while Chris tries desperately to get anyone (anyone, anyone?) else to cooperate, just long enough for ONE DECENT PHOTO!

UGH!

Halloween 2012

This year, I was bound and determined that the Little Monkey was going to have some input on her Halloween Costume.

Every magazine I found, I would show her pictures and each time, she kept going back to one thing.

It was incredibly easy for me to understand why the Piggy Costume kept catching her attention.

It was all because of the book that rides around in our car with the accompanying CD which I have memorized and which - on occasion - creeps into my mind at the most inopportune times.

Addie loves If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, but If You Give a Pig a Pancake must have really stolen her heart.

Over a month ago, I ordered the costume.

When it arrived, we took a little trip to the local craft store to purchase the materials for the pancakes.

Thank you middle school for teaching my child to sew, it was all because of Julien that our Little Monkey made the transition from just a Piggy to Pig a Pancake.

We worked with Addie for over a month trying to get her to answer the all important question, "What are you going to be for Halloween?".

We repeated to her over and over, "Pig a Pancake." and she would repeat it back to us.

When the big day finally arrived, Pig a Pancake was thrilled to represent Laura Joffe Numeroff, although she never did independently tell anyone what she was for Halloween.

After we clarified with a few random people, that she was not a Sheep or a Little Lamb, Pig a Pancake was positively precious in her pancake-sporting pink puffy panoply.

We started the day by attending a meeting at the Little Piggy's school, the same school that brought 400 pumpkins and a hay ride to the playground, turning a chilly fall morning into a special outing for our little ones!

Addie loves her pumpkin...and is quite protective of it.
It apparently is way better than our other pumpkins, because it was not allowed to stay outside.
It is still residing on Addie's table in the kitchen...and I would caution against trying to touch it.