Zoo Boo Bash 2009

Since we were fatherless, and Baity was fatherless one evening, too, Megan and I decided to take the girls to the annual Zoo Boo Bash at the Natural Science Center. It was a gorgeous evening to be there. The girls got some candy after playing some games, we checked out the animals, and even took in a Halloween laser light show in the Omnisphere. The girls had fun, mostly picking out which candy to eat next.

Waiting for the doors to open

I cannot believe the girls were not scared of this mask - I even think it's icky. The guy was in the meerkat exhibit, throwing candy out to the kids. He kept giving the girls a thumbs-up. Dude, you're thumb may be happy, but you're mask is telling me you're going to have me as an appetizer.

The sweet girls waving to the creature. Huh.

Even the female anteater was festive.

Ellison to Baity: "You gonna finish that?"

Trying Sour Patch Kids for the first time. :-) She kept eating them. She just kept repeating, "They're sour, but then they turn sweet".

After the sugar rush, the four of us ordered take-out and ate over to Megan and Baity's house, to round out our fun girls-only night.

[October 29, 2009]

Moody Dorothy

I think Dorothy was about to start her period. I was so anxious to get some cute little fall pics out in the front yard in the beautiful weather when we got home from preschool. Well, Ellison decided that was not on her agenda. She has a nasty mom who pulled her away from the alluring fun of playing inside the mini-van.

See, isn't it cute to get pics by the jack-o-lantern???

Oh, Dorothy...

See, I can be just as persistent as she can. ;-)

Ah, that's better. After having a picnic lunch in the mini-van (you think I'm kidding?), she was happy as a clam. I can't say I've ever plopped into the back of a mini-van to eat a meal before, but it's happened again since this momentous occasion I speak of. After spotting Ms. Joan and Mr. Bill next door, Ellison was all smiles and ready to be Dorothy again.

Ms. Joan, aka "Noni", is Ellison's North Carolina grandma. They spoil her rotten!!! They are SOOOO good to her - always giving her things, buying her things, and they just get a kick out of her. Joan's always calling Ellison "my little girlfriend". They are such awesome people and neighbors! We love them.

Elli was completely entertained picking berries off the bush in our front yard. When I asked her what she was doing, she said, "I'm picking berries." Oh. Yeah. Now I know what to do if we get really bored at home ever.

[October 29, 2009]

Preschool Halloween Party

Halloween Festivity #2: the classroom party. I've always wanted to be a fly on the wall in that room - they are all so darn cute at this age. I'm sure the teachers don't feel the same way by now. When I arrived they were all in a little circle singing festive little songs with motions. I couldn't believe Ellison stayed in her spot as I walked in. I did get a sweet little smile, though, followed by her embarrassed I'm-trying-really-hard-not-to-smile smile.

Grace, Ellison, Nevin, don't know the pirate's name...

Nevin and Valerie Peters with Megan and Baity

Miss Baity

Snack time. Or, if you're Ellison, starve time. She wouldn't touch 3 out of the 4 snacks given to her on her plate.

Got her to wear her wig for 1 pic.

Excitement over the pumpkin cookie

Playing around after snack time.

Ellison with Mrs. Kale

And Mrs. Medley

[October 29, 2009]

Pumpkin Carving

Papi missed out on the festivities this year since he was in the UK again (we saw him off at the airport the day before). This was Ellison's first pumpkin carving experience - I think we forgot to do it last year. Anyway, we went out on the front porch, er, slab, and roasted our hininis (read: hy-nee-nees - that's what we call butts) off. Such a warm, sunny afternoon.

Here's Ellison doing the honors of removing the top.

Can you tell she was a little grossed out? Hee, hee. She would say, "Eww, what is that?" She did help scrape out insides for about, oh, 20 seconds.

"Um, yeah, I've had enough of this."

All she wanted to do was draw on the pumpkin.

She helped push out the eyes, nose, and mouth, but as I was busy slaving away with sweat upon my brow (which probably doesn't come as a shock to some of you who know me to be a sweaty being), she totally jumped ship and said cheerily, "I'm going to go play with Alyssa". I was busy digging out the beloved seeds from all the pumpkin guts as I kept getting hit with a giant beach ball in the head, nearly ran over by the Barbie jeep, all the while getting repeated requests from both girls to wash off their hands. Trick-or-treat.

[October 28, 2009]

Neckie Kissies

OMG is Ellison loving her some Daddy lately! I know, who am I kidding, it's always been that way, right? She had wained off a little, but since Daddy's been traveling more, she is ALL ABOUT him. She was giggling here, giving him "neckie kissies". Neckie kissies are a thing between me and her - I always tease her and try to give them to her while she squeals and squirms. It works great to put a smile on her face when she's being a little whiner.

Notice the dress? I've had to hide them away in the summer stuff, while I told her for several days in a row that it (along with her other fave, the yellow one) was dirty. It softened the blow before telling her they're put away until summer time.

[October 26, 2009]

Harvest Festival

Christ Community Preschool (Ellison's school) hosted its Harvest Festival recently. We had a nice time - they had bouncies, pony rides, a ton of games, food and snacks, a costumes contest, etc. It was the first of FIVE events Ellison got to use her Halloween costume for this year - talk about getting our money's worth! Here was Ellison's big debut as Dorothy. Apparently a not-too-thrilled-looking Dorothy.

"Seriously, you couldn't find a better looking basket for Toto?!"

She would keep the wig on long enough for pics and the costume contest, but as soon as the opportunity came, she took it right off.

Something about this photo reminds me of Tuesday from the Munsters...

At the craft station decorating her little pumpkin

"Wig? What wig?," when cotton candy is present.

Up in front for the costume contest, which she won for her age group! Yea! She got a Cold Stone gift card, and kept asking to get her ice cream throughout the evening.

Our little friend, and Ellison's little classmate, Baity (as an adorable little Annie). I love that the two of them are in the same classroom - it's been nice for me and Megan to hang our more!

Pony ride time. Ellison was so excited about the pony rides when we were telling her about the upcoming festival. When we arrived at the festival, and she spotted the live ponies, she kept telling us that she didn't want to ride the ponies. Ok - no big deal. But something changed her mind, because toward the end of the evening she was asking to ride them. She did it, though she clung to me for dear life for most of it. She got her signature "embarrassed smile" on, which meant she liked it, but was still a little apprehensive.

First up was "Rocky" the pony.

Baity's turn. She wanted to ride the purple horse (the one with the purple blanket thingy on it). :-)

Ellison even asked to have a second ride. This time it was on "Lil Man".

Fun evening!

[October 25, 2009]

Storytime in the Crib

Ell specifically asks me to make her bed a certain way on occasion, meaning I have to neatly lay out her blankets in a particular fashion. After doing so one day, she threw a gaggle of her animals in there, asked me to put her in with her books, and proceeded to have storytime with the little gang. She remembers bits and pieces of the stories as she looks at the pics (sometimes frighteningly well), and I loved overhearing her version as she read aloud to the animals. One of those moments I cursed ourselves for not having the video camera loaded and ready to go.

[October 16, 2009]