October 2016

Just a sweet moment between siblings.

Grandma and Grandpa made a visit down this month.  They introduced the kids to Mad Libs, baked a lot of muffins and played Jenga all weekend.

Skylar and Madden on their BOO mission.

Halloween Craft Party at Ava's House.

Brick or Treat with her BFF.

Nathan's Pirate Birthday Party.

Halloween 2016

Each year I feel like we can't come up with a better costume idea, and then we do.  We wanted to do a joint theme with the Rossittos so I came up with the idea of Alice in Bressi Land.  I sent a email to everyone assigning them their characters and I must say we hit it out the park.  The kids took no convincing whatsoever.  Sophie and Skylar were stoked from day one on it and to much shock Madden LOVED the idea of being a playing card.  

It's always such a bummer when Halloween is on a school night, but what can you do.  We all still made the best of it and it definitely didn't seem to detour trick or treaters from coming to our neighborhood.  It was probably one of the busiest years to date.  We passed out over 1200 pieces of candy in about three hours.  The kids also didn't do to bad themselves, coming home with two full baskets.  

The Queen of Hearts and her Loyal Spade!  Skylar really got into character. 

"Off with her HEAD!"

Best kids around!

Heading out for trick or treating.

We really had a blast with our theme and is it crazy to say that I already have our costume idea for next year!

School Halloween Parades

Skylar's school Harvest Parade was a ton of fun.  The whole school went all out, with a ton of awesome costumes.  Skylar wore her popstar costume.

Lucy and Skylar

This was the first year that Madden's school had a costume parade at school.  He didn't want to wear his actually costume because he thought he would be to warm so he went with the HULK.

Crazy Hair/Sock Day at School

Madden's Preschool Pumpkin Patch Trip

Nothing makes Madden happier then going to school and being with his friends.  So when I told him he was going to get to go to the pumpkin patch with his friends from school he was ecstatic to say the least.  He was so excited that he made us leave early and we were sitting in the parking lot waiting for the rest of his class to show up.  The room mom was so sweet to set up this awesome playdate.  We got the whole pumpkin patch for an hour all to ourselves.  The kids were able to ride all the blow ups over and over again, feed the animals, ride the rides, and take home a pumpkin.

Madden the Scarecrow.

Madden and his buddies spent more of their time in the bounce house.  They were just boys being boys, rough housing and having a blast together.

Madden was pretty me attached to his best buddy Carter's hip for most of the trip.

Petting the animals.  It was really the only time the boys were calm.

Madden's best buddies in his class.  He begs to play with them everyday he isn't at school.

Braiden, Carter, Enzo and Madden.

Big hugs good-bye to Carter.

We couldn't be more blessed with Madden's preschool class and classmates.  He calls everyone single one of them his best friend.

Dance Viewing Week

Last week is one of my favorite weeks of the year.  It's viewing week at Skylar's dance class and I could not wait to see how she has been progressing.  After dance season ended last year I was worried it was going to be her last.  She was complaining about class each week and I was nervous she wouldn't want to continue.  Luckily for her, I was able to get in into the same class as her group of friends which I think made a big difference.  Within a first few months I could already see a difference in her.  She wasn't complaining about class and I was catching her always doing little dance steps at home.  She even begged me to put her into ballet this year which would be her third dance class of the week.  Viewing week went so well.   I saw a lot more confidence in her and I was extremely proud.

Stella, Sophie, Skylar and Sofia.

She does one hour of jazz class.

Then an hour of Tap.

Thursdays is her hour ballet class.

Recital is going to be such a whirlwind with her possibly performing in 4 different numbers.  Next viewing week is in March and I can't wait to see how she is doing by then.

Pumpkin Patch 2016

Sadly, this was the first year in the past 4 that we didn't make it out to Bates Nut Farm for our pumpkin patch visit.  With Skylar being in school all day and so many after school activities we just couldn't find the time to drive out there.  With Halloween creeping up and us not having a pumpkin at the house yet I decided to take the kids to the Carlsbad pumpkin patch down the road.  

This pumpkin patch is off the freeway so the kids have seen it several times and really wanted to go into the corn maze they had.  Skylar was a fearless leader and was able to find the exit.

Skylar and Madden celebrating the maze run.

Madden was the king of the haystacks.

They painted mini pumpkins and then while they dried we picked out pumpkins for the family to carve.

Madden got a little grumpy at the end.  

It wasn't Bates Nut Farm and they didn't have the awesome array of pumpkins Bates has, but it was still a fun afternoon for the three of us.