"Tub, mommy? Peese?"

How messy can one little child-sized chocolate cone be, really?

Hint: see below.

Trick or Treat!

The night before Halloween our county had nasty rain and up to 40 MPH winds. We were thrilled to wake up the next morning to a slightly cloudy fall day with no wind whatsoever. Perfect trick-or-treating weather!

We found Liam's Scooby Doo costume on craigslist locally, and Sara's wore Liam's old Tigger costume. Though if you asked Sara, she was a tiger. She roared at people all night long.

We started our Halloween adventure at CTK's harvest carnival. The kids got to play games, get balloon animals, visit with their "cousins" Elias & Anna, and mooch caramel apples from great-aunt Linda.

Then we headed to Grandma Cindy & Grandpa Pete's for homemade pizzas and playtime. We tried to trick-or-treat on their street, but no one was home.

Next we made our way to Grandpa Bill & Grandma Elnora's for trick-or-treating in their neighborhood. Liam's bag was nearly overflowing by the time we headed back to our town. We made a few stops in our little neighborhood, then headed home for bed.

Whoever had the brilliant idea to make Daylight Savings the day after Halloween should be rewarded. With a big bag of Halloween candy.

Lost Tooth

Liam found John first thing this morning, and I got to hear the conversation from our bedroom.

"Daddy, I lost my first tooth. But now I can't find it."

So he lost his first tooth. And then he LOST his first lost tooth.

Since everyone knows daddies can fix anything, John did find Liam's tooth. Somehow under the couch.

But now it's under Liam's pillow, and as Liam put it, "We'll see tomorrow if the tooth fairy is real."

So tonight we'll see just how quietly the tooth fairy can do their business in a room with creaky floors. Wish her luck!

Looth Tooth

"This is amazing."

"I think this is one of the happiest days of my life."

No, Christmas didn't come early in our house.

Liam had just finished dinner, and I thought I saw food stuck in his teeth. After a closer look, we found Liam's first loose tooth. He hadn't noticed at all, despite it being nearly horizontal.

Now I can't get him to take his finger out of his mouth. And of course I had to take a picture to document the occasion. But not to be outdone, Sara insisted on posing for her own open-mouthed photo.

Guess we'll have to give the Tooth Fairy fair warning that she'll need to visit here soon. What is the going rate for your first tooth, anyhow?

Little Tornado

I may say this again and again, but I still can't get over how different two children in the same family can be. Same parents. Same genes. Yet completely different little people.

Today I've been posting outgrown toys and baby items on craigslist to sell, or putting them into boxes for goodwill or consignment. And I have this little tornado following me throughout the house, emptying every box I fill.


If anything goes missing in our house, we know Sara's just found a new home for it. We check in our shoes now before we put them on, and don't blink when we discover the potato masher in the bathtub.


Liam wasn't too happy tonight when he discovered how she's "helped" with his homework by coloring all over it. I explained that his teacher would know that Sara helped, and we could still read his spelling homework through the scribbles. Now we've put it high up on the fridge so she can't reach it. Hopefully she doesn't scoot a chair over to reclaim it.


It's usually better after Liam gets home from school, because then they entertain each other. Although that can also lead to an even bigger mess. They're currently tossing bean bags around the living room with a shovel, and Sara's sitting in a dump truck inside a cardboard box. When she's not hauling around a big empty water bottle and trying on my shoes.


Yep, she keeps life entertaining. And we wouldn't have it any other way.

Dancing Fool

I know. My blogging is not exactly up to date. But to try to make it up to you, here's a video of my favorite littlest dancer shaking her groove thing for you all.

Sara's New Toy

I love it when my kids find creative, inexpensive ways to entertain themselves. Sara's favorite toys are rarely ones you'd find at the toy store, but more often something from a kitchen cupboard or somewhere else I thought was just out of reach.

Here's how I found her the other day...