Listening to instructions for the scavenger hunt.

Concentrating on decorating his fairy house.

Ladybug apples.

It has happened.....our baby is now 5--officially NOT a baby! We had a "fairy" party on Saturday, complete with pixie dust, fairy wings, Peter Pan hats, toadstools, and wands. It was a great time and I feel fortunate that Ellery has such nice friends(not to mention that I like the mommies, too). On a side note, almost all of the ideas you see here were borrowed from other blogging sites--thank you bloggers for posting such wonderful pictures of your ideas so I can steal them!!!

Our sweet girl is turning 5 in just one week. I adore this little girl--her sweet heart and her love of others. We are so proud of you, Miss Ellery, and can't wait to celebrate your birthday next weekend!

Yee-haw. Here are some pics from our trip to Texas. Ellery and Dane's cousin, Addie, was there visiting with Aunt Dawn. Ellery and Addie are six weeks apart in age and always have a ball playing together. The first day we were there, we took the kids to the Texas State Fair. It is difficult to compete with the Texas state fair......the food, the livestock, the people, the shopping, the rodeo, and of course, Big Tex. Ellery and Addie participated in the "kids rodeo" and it was precious. The children are given hats and some chaps and have their very own "pretend" rodeo.....it was adorable. Dane was disappointed he could not participate--next year(you have to be 3). Thanks to grandma and grandpa for taking us and walking all over the grounds for the little ones.

I LOVED Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head!






Sorry for my long absence, we were in Texas and Scottsdale for about 11 days(more on that later).

This year it was our turn to host the annual neighborhood Halloween party. Being a parent somehow allows you to transform into a kid again.....dress-up, and get your creative juices flowing. Halloween has taken on its magical form again and I love it!! Can you tell that Darin and I were supposed to be Barbie and Ken from Toy Story 3?

Last weekend, we took the kids to the "pumpkin patch". In quotes because this was not the usual pumpkin patch where you walk through muddy fields and search for your perfect pumpkin to actually cut from the vine. This was the local pumpkin patch with bouncy houses, rides, and a small petting zoo. The children loved it and had a great time, but I do miss the mess of the real pumpkin patches. Notice the attire on the children.....it was a hot day and I did not feel like forcing them into their fall/halloween attire on this day(Yes, Carrie, I know I should have for the sake of the pictures).

Here are a few pictures of the new backsplash I mentioned. We are so happy with the result. It is a glass tile with a brick pattern. . . .not for everyone, but it suits our taste. Oh--and Darin was the one who first picked it out(yes, he is metrosexual)!

Quick update on the little pumpkins:

Ellery is officially allergic to penicillan, and I am now assuming that Dane will be, too.

Ellery is taking tap and ballet and absolutely loves it(a million percent more than soccer).

Ellery is a thriving, growing, curious, and loving little Kindergartener. Her teacher is the holy grail of teachers and Ellery has a new love--William! He is the cutest little blonde haired, blue eyed little boy I have ever seen.....not to mention that he is a sweetheart. Needless to say, the girl has great taste.

Dane is an active and curious toddler who loves all things boy! Cars, trucks, Buzz, balls, skateboards and surfboards are all fair game for this busy little man.

He is enjoying preschool and mama is enjoying a little free time to herself.

The second he wakes in the morning he has to pick out and change his clothes. He only wants to wear short-sleeved t-shirts and shorts. I am a polo shirt kind of mama, but have learned to let some things go.

On Friday, he took off his pull-up(which was full of poop) and wiped it all over my staircase carpet. What is that? I was horrified and I am pretty sure the neighbors think I am abusing my son because of my high pitched yells!

He is also such a happy, little cuddle bug that I can't stay mad at him for long.

I absolutely love to hike! We don't do it often enough, but we always enjoy the exercise, scenery, and fresh air. We are so fortunate to live a short drive from Torrey Pines, which is world famous for its beautiful public golf course and spectacular views. The children are not exactly world class hikers yet, but I am determined to instill a love of hiking into their little souls.

Our big boy started pre-school today and did such a great job. After about a minute in his new school, he turned around, looked at me, and said, "Bye-bye, mommy." I stayed for about 30 minutes and helped him settle into his new school, but he would have been fine if I had left after that first minute. Naturally, I walked to my car and started sobbing like a baby. I am so proud of our baby for being so courageous on his first day.

That is actually Darin catching a wave.

This little girl ADORES her father.

So sorry for my absentee self....it has suddenly gotten busy around here. We are in the midst of some home improvement projects. Today, we are getting a backsplash in our kitchen(I will post pictures when it is complete), and looking into getting new carpet and/or hardwood for our staircase. The carpet on the stairs is thrashed and we originally thought we would go with new carpet, but then Darin suggested wood and now I am obsessed! I have gotten about 4 different estimates and now have to work on my husband. The cost is certainly greater for wood, but we will NEVER have to replace it.....not to mention that it is insanely beautiful! Here are some pictures from a recent outing to the beach....nothing special, but always enjoyable.