Happy Halloween!

Happy October and Happy Halloween: Here is blog in pictures:

Here are the girls at the preschool parade and fall festival. I'm not sure why the teachers put Mikayla's coat on over her Cinderella dress, but she's still cute! :) If you are wondering, Amelia is "Miss Behaved." She picked her costume out about three months ago!

Here's my sweet preschool class, complete with me and Little Red Riding Hood and Steph as the Big Bad Wolf. The kids weren't scared. Also, you will see Dave and me dressed as Napoleon and "Napoleon's Girlfriend." Yes, we won the costume contest....really. It was hilarious!

Here the girls are at their Halloween gymnastics class and then picking pumpkins out at a local pumpkin patch and corn maze.


Last, but not least, here the girls are with their friends at the neighborhood fall festival.

I gave in....

Okay, I gave in to two things...blogging again after a so-called "break" and letting my girls do a REAL lemonade stand (not selling water to the poor neighbors). Here they are:

The are quite the little salespeople. I am grateful for good neighbors who paid at least $1 for a cup of warm lemonade with dirty little fingerprints all over the outside (and probably inside too) because little Amelia didn't know how to make change. When all was said and done, they made $13.25....not so bad for a fun-filled afternoon!

Random Thoughts

I'm better....I just needed to vent, and get things under control around here! I think I'm taking a break from the blogging world for a little while. I will still read all of your blogs, of course!

On another note, I received this FABULOUS package in the mail the other day....filled with the most amazing scrapbook supplies you have ever seen! Jayme, you are so awesome. My other friends, if you haven't checked her blog, you need to (Best High School Bud). She is so talented...and so generous. Thanks so much Jayme.

On another note, I love Halloween. I love the costumes, decorations, the crafts, trick-or-treating, goodies, and orange and black.






On another note, apparently Mikayla won a contest at Kiddie Kandids that I didn't enter her in. The photographer called and left a message a few months ago, but I kind of spaced it and it was hard to understand what she was talking about. I just got a call from a neighbor that said she was in the studio and a huge water-color portrait was hanging in the studio of Mikayla that they had done copying the portrait...pretty fun...but I won't say anything else about that...kind of a weird situation because Amelia's pictures were taken that same day too.

On another note, I just commented on Jessi's blog and thought I would share here too: A hurricane comes through my house EVERY day. Today it was stamps and glue...everywhere. Then an impromptu "water stand" complete with every camping chair (and bicycle and stroller) we have pulled out on the sidewalk with the girls selling WATER to people passing by. Not only that, they got every cup out of the cupboard and filled them with water, spilling it everywhere because we didn't have paper cups. The nice people that stopped by had to guzzle water and leave the cups behind...so now I have a hurricane inside and outside.

On another note, my friend Candice just had her sweet baby and Candice is amazing and has amazing stories...I can't wait for the details on this one. Meanwhile, check out her blog.

On another note, check my grandparents' store's website. They have the cutest stuff!

On another note, I love warm weather. I think I start getting depressed in the fall. I love the colors and the change, but I really just like it to be hot.

Alright, those were my deep thoughts of the week....I'm signing off until I have something to say!

BYE!

AAUUUGGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stress! Actually, I'm not sure stress is the right word, life is just BUSY and I feel like I'm not giving anything 100%. I tutor once a week, I teach tennis for three hours a week, I teach preschool three days a week....none of those are full time jobs, so I still am at home most of the time, so my house still gets destroyed, and I'm still a "stay-at-home" mom without the home time that I need to keep things running. Does any of that even make sense?

I read an article in Parents magazine about a stay-at-home dad who gave up a 60 hour a week TV cameraman job. He said in the end, staying home was harder and more time-consuming, but much more rewarding. I guess that's where I am.

I picked up these little jobs out of obligation and because the extra money is nice...(Utah, we'll be home to visit soon), but is it worth it? Preschool is too much fun. The kids are so adorable and it's really fun to plan things, but it is time-consuming. I think if I can stick it out though, next year I will have it all planned and it will be so easy! Tennis is great money and it's physically draining, but easy...as long as my kids are okay running around for THREE HOURS after a morning at preschool. Tutoring is easy, but again time-consuming...and it takes time away from my kids...I love the girl I tutor and it has now been three years, so I felt like I needed to continue. Anyway, listen to me justify it all. Life has got to be more simple. I haven't sat down and had a real converation with Dave since Mexico. He is still sick and needs more of me than I can give right now. I have friends that I haven't hung out with in way too long. I am giving in so many directions that no one is getting all of me and nothing is getting all of my attention. Any suggestions before I lose my mind?