Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!  Lennie's first Halloween!  We filled it with lots of Halloween-themed crafts (hand-print spiders, pumpkin paper plates, cotton-ball ghosts, etc), a visit to the pumpkin patch, pumpkin carving, homemade Halloween costumes, a trunk or treat at our church, and of course handing out candy from our warm and cozy home on a snowy Halloween night (I'm blaming all of those little girls dressed as Elsa for that).  Unfortunately, Daddy took the kids to a local pumpkin patch and he forgot the camera, and his phone died.  boo.  (nice pun).  So we don't have any pics of their pumpkin patch "daddy-date" that Claire STILL asks to go back to because they had so much fun picking pumpkins, going on a scavenger hunt, face painting (we ended up with Batman and a butterfly), sliding down a huge hill slide, and more.

Let the Pumpkin Carving begin!

Claire and Ethan picked Lennie the biggest pumpkin they could find. ha!

Finished pumpkins...Cinderella (Claire), Ninja turtle (Ethan), Minion (Lennie).

The kids working on their costumes with Daddy

Lennie Sue and her best friend Charlotte Sue (only 12 days apart).  Lennie sporting her skeleton outfit that Pappy & Gma Kathy bought for Claire's first Halloween (only Claire was 10 months and Lennie is not even 6 months. Man Claire was/is so tiny).

Lennie was a pizza for the Trunk or treat to go with our Ninja Turtle theme (the ninja turtles LOVE pizza if you didn't know), but on Halloween night, while we passed out candy she wore this cow costume.  Mooooovelous wouldn't ya say?

Finished costumes.  Mom and Dad were the Orange and Purple turtles.  So bummed we never managed to get a pic of all 5 of us together in our costumes. :(

Holy Cow, He's 5! Legoland Here We Come!

Our first born is 5!  Wow!  That's just crazy!  We decided to surprise our Lego-loving boy with a trip to Chicago's LegoLand Discovery Center, followed by our family fave Red Robin, for dinner.  The kids had a blast that Saturday at LegoLand and dinner, then crashed during the van ride home, but woke up just in time for some Lego birthday cake and singing at home.  We decided that on his actual birthday, which fell on a Tuesday, we'd get together some friends for an informal playdate at our local YMCA.  Ethan had a blast with his friends running off energy in the gym, and got a kick out of celebrating his birthday twice.  :)  

Happy 5th Birthday to our happy, sensitive, funny, kind, obedient, big helper, Lego-loving boy!  You have taught us the depths of love.  Love you Big Man!

Ethan's Lego cake with our Lego cupcakes

Excited to head to Legoland

Off we go

We made it!

Lego Chicago

Claire was the same height as all the mini lego people. ha!

At least no one is screaming at meeting this Santa

Lennie having a good time at LegoLand

Mommy actually rode once with Claire then Daddy.  Claire LOVED this spinning ride.

Racing his Lego car he built

oh we LOVE Harry Potter!

Off to Red Robin for Dinner

Opening presents while we wait on our dinner

Home for cake 

Mimi & Grandpa Leroy and Pappy & Gma Kathy sent money for Ethan's bday so he could pick out some new legos.  Here he is building his new 708 piece lego set that he picked out.   

Finished!

Conversations with a Toddler

Ethan, standing at the door to leave, "See ya mashed potatoes!"
Me, "You mean "Later Tater"?"

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Ethan, "Mom I want my name to be Gun.  Gun Michael Peterson."

Me, "Ok Gun"

and yes he did make me call him Gun the rest of the evening.

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Claire standing proud with feet should-width apart, hands on hips...
"Mom, look at me...I'm Buzz Lightyear"

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Daddy making us sunny-side up eggs for breakfast

Ethan, "The eggs are sizzling in the pan"
Daddy, "Yep, They're Sizzling"
Ethan, "I sizzle when I'm cold"

Me, "No Honey, you SHIVER when you're cold"

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Driving in the van...

Me, "Ethan, can you see Lennie?  Is she asleep?"
Ethan, "No she's awake."  Short pause. "But she has her Sleepy-Face on."
Ha...30 seconds later, Lennie was zonked :)

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Me cleaning up kitchen

Claire enthusiasticly, "Mommy, you wash like Cinderella!"

Ha! Yeah I guess I do. Thanks Claire for putting things in perspective..Housework is much more enjoyable when I consider myself Princess Cinderella :).

Life or Something Like It

Holy Cow!  They're growing up too fast!  A little pic montage of some of our family fun lately.

Eating homemade chicken pot pie...Ethan INSISTED that I take a picture of his potato. ha!

No it's not St Patty's day...Claire put her green shirt on and Ethan asked to wear his so they could match.  Oh matching kids make me sooooo happy :)

Sweet Lennie!  She's a happy, Smiley girl.  I can't believe turned 5 months on Oct 7th.

She's currently into to grabbing toys and shaking them or trying to stick them in her mouth.  She's also drooling up a storm...hoping some teeth pop through soon. 

Her and Ethan enjoying some time together while Claire naps.  They seem to have a special bond already!  

Taught Ethan how to play Battleship this week.  Fun with Mommy while the girls napped.

Pumpkin Pie Playdough.  The kids loved it...Mommy, not so much.  It took an entire 1lb box of cornstarch to get it the right consistency and a ton of pumpkin pie spice to make it smell nice...and it still didn't smell that great.  Oh well, it was fun for them.

Off to church.  Claire in her new scarf Mimi made her.

Hard to tell from pic, but Lennie was having a giggling fit when I'd turn and look at her suddenly and yell "cheeks", or "ears", or "nose", etc.

Claire woke from nap and yelled from the hall, "Mom, I awake".  Then I didn't hear anything...thought she was getting into trouble, so I peaked around the corner to find her dead asleep snoring on the floor.